The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum (A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery)
New Series
Cozy Mystery
Midnight Ink (March 8, 2016)
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738747514

Synopsis

When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine-country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But a new ghost may be on the loose. A fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present.

With her high school bully as one of the officers in charge, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she’s certain it won’t be.

Maddie grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.

Praise

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum was a lot of fun to read… Lots of great characters surround Maddie and they are each well written and fully formed. ~The Girl with Book Lungs

The plot is also well-developed. Not only is Maddie trying to solve two present-day murders, but she also gets caught up in an old case, thanks to one of the museum’s artifacts which catches her attention. Both cases will keep you guessing all the way to the end! ~Book Babble

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum is unique, well-written, and fun! ~Reading is My Superpower

Cozy up with a copy for yourself and have a spooky good time. I guarantee, when you reach the end, you’ll feel like me. ~FUONLYKNEW Laura’s Ramblins and Reviews

Review

Loved this book and the quirky Paranormal Museum – after all, who wouldn’t want to see a room called the Creepy Doll Room? But don’t think that because Paranormal is in the title that it means this is a book heavy on paranormal characters/sightings/etc. Sure all the artifacts in the museum supposedly have a spirit or something attached, it isn’t like there are ghosts and such flying around.

There is an interesting cast of characters – Maddie, who is back home after being fired for not paying a bribe; Adele, Maddie’s good friend and owns the building the museum is located; Harper, rounds out the trio of friends and is a financial advisor with her own secrets. There are many other characters that play into this book that round out the support nicely…including a nemesis of Maddie’s from high school that is now a police sergeant – Laura Hammer. And let’s not forget the cat – GD for Ghost Detecting, and he was on track some of the time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it made me chuckle in many places. I didn’t have a clue who the killer was and was a bit surprised, but it made sense once it was laid out for the reader. I liked how Maddie was trying to come to terms with her employment status; and while she may have been roped into to helping Adele with the museum, she was coming up with many ways to make it a success and even involving others in town.

I think this is going to be a good series and can’t wait to see what the next book holds.  We give it 5 paws up!

About the Author

Kirsten Weiss grew up in San Mateo, California. After getting her MBA, she joined the Peace Corps, starting an international career that took her around the fringes of the defunct USSR and into the Afghan war zone. Her experiences abroad not only gave her glimpses into the darker side of human nature, but also sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

She writes paranormal mystery and suspense, blending her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of magic and mayhem.

Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking good wine.

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Plateful of Murder: A Terrified Detective Mystery
1st in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Ink Lion Books (January 8, 2016)
Print Length: 278 pages
ASIN: B01ADH8JTS

Synopsis

Private Detective Claire DeNardo is afraid of everything. Simple things like balloons, roller coasters, and hairpieces make her knees knock loud enough to be a band’s rhythm section. Unfortunately, the only job Claire can find is working for her Uncle Gino in his seedy detective agency. Until now, her cases have all been middle-aged men with trophy wives who needed watching. But Claire gets swept up in a murder case despite being afraid of conflict, bodily harm, and hurting anyone’s feelings. She enlists a jaded security guard, Ed, to help her. But when Ed is attacked and left comatose, Claire must stumble along by herself. Both the client who hired her and the handsome police detective want her off the case. When the wrong person is charged, it’s up to the terrified detective, to summon all the courage she can to find the true killer.

Review

This sort of falls into the cozy genre…although the main character is a PI…however, not a great one since she took over the business from her boss and Uncle. She is broke and doesn’t come across as being extremely competent, so it makes her a bit desperate.

There are quite a few characters so there is no shortage of possibilities of who the killer might be. In fact, I was quite surprised when he/she was revealed, but maybe shouldn’t have been given a few things that happen in the plot line.

While Claire may not be the most competent PI, she has gumption and wants to see the case through. she also has a couple of suitors, her most recent client and the police detective. Which one will she choose?

I’m going to have to pick up the next books and see where the story goes for Claire.

We give this 4 paws up!

About the Author

Carole Fowkes is the author of the cozy mystery series, “The Terrified Detective.” She has also had stories in a number of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books and other similar anthologies. She’s a registered nurse and lives with her husband in Dallas, Texas.

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City of Gold (Matthew Connor Adventure Series Book 1)
Hardcover: 314 pages
Publisher: Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc (November 27, 2015)

Synopsis

Action-adventure books for the mystery lover. In this series, modern-day archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor travels the globe with his two closest friends to unearth treasure and discover legends the world has all but forgotten. Indiana Jones meets the twenty-first century.

Finding the Inca’s lost City of Gold would be the discovery of a lifetime. But failing could mean her death…

Archaeologist Matthew Connor and his friends Cal and Robyn are finally home after a dangerous retrieval expedition in India. While they succeeded in obtaining the priceless Pandu artifact they sought, it almost cost them their lives. Still, Matthew is ready for the next adventure. Yet when new intel surfaces indicating the possible location of the legendary City of Gold, Matthew is hesitant to embark on the quest.

Not only is the evidence questionable but it means looking for the lost city of Paititi far away from where other explorers have concentrated their efforts. As appealing as making the discovery would be, it’s just too risky. But when Cal’s girlfriend, Sophie, is abducted by Matthew’s old nemesis who is dead-set on acquiring the Pandu statue, Matthew may be forced into action. Saving Sophie’s life means either breaking into the Royal Ontario Museum to steal the relic or offering up something no one in his or her right mind can refuse–the City of Gold.

Now Matthew and his two closest friends have to find a city and a treasure that have been lost for centuries. And they only have seven days to do it. As they race against the clock, they quickly discover that the streets they seek aren’t actually paved with gold, but with blood.

Amazon US * Amazon UK * Amazon CA *Amazon AU * Barnes & Noble *Apple iBooks *Kobo

Review

This book took a bit for me to get into the story…but once it took off I was hooked! It was hard because I wanted to keep reading but my eyes were telling me it was time to go to sleep.

The book has many twists and turns and I think this could be an interesting series with Matthew, Robyn and Cal searching for lost treasures.

There is also some “romance” in the book but not much…but it does leave you wondering if more will show up in future books.

I enjoyed the hunt aspect of the book and finding the City of Gold and what they went through to find the book.

We give this 4 paws up and think it will be an interesting new series to watch.

Excerpt

This is from chapter 4

IAN BRIDGES USUALLY TOOK PLEASURE in knowing what most others did not. In this case, he knew that the famous treasure hunter, Gideon Barnes, was none other than the mayor’s son. And it wasn’t welcome news. An interested third-party had hired Ian to get the Pandu statue back at any cost, but with it now secured behind bulletproof glass and the high-profile identity of its discoverer, the situation had escalated, leaving him with limited options for the object’s retrieval. Sadly, murder, although it was his gifted skillset, wasn’t a service required by this employer. And bribery presented too much risk and was certain to attract undesired media attention.

The crowd at the exhibit had thinned, leaving behind those who didn’t rank high enough in society to secure an invitation to the Connor mansion. Ian made his way toward the statue, his confidence building with each step. Yes, the situation certainly posed a challenge, but he had faith in his abilities. He wasn’t familiar with failing, and he wasn’t about to learn the lesson now.

The statue was enclosed in a glass cube atop a four-foot-tall pedestal. A red rope with brass hardware surrounded it, encouraging people to stand a couple feet out of its reach. The area was obviously off-limits. But he still considered stretching out to touch the glass. He’d love to smear his fingerprints all over it simply because its contents were so highly esteemed. It was treated more regally than some people were, and yet when he looked at it, he saw nothing more than an ugly man in a dress. Clearly burying an item in the sand for thousands of years transformed even worthless idols into sought-after treasures. What his employer saw in it or why it was sought after in the first place wasn’t information Ian required to do his job. Whether it was to provide bragging rights to its owner or to sell it or something else, he didn’t care.

“It’s beautiful,” a woman said. He turned in the direction of the sound and a woman in a black evening dress sidled up next to him. Her hair was a rich red and fell over her shoulders in flowing curls. Her fingers were long and adorned with rings, her wrists were slender and wrapped in silver bracelets. She also wore a silver cuff on her upper arm. Now this woman had a brand of beauty he could appreciate.

She seemed to assess him as he did her. “Where are my manners?” She positioned her purse under an arm and extended her hand. “My name is Veronica Vincent.”

“Ian.” He took her hand and was certain to make eye contact as he shook it. While some women might find the move too familiar and bold, this was the territory upon which he loved to tread. Eyes truly were the windows to the soul.

“Just Ian? Or do you have a last name, too?” Her seductive smile curved one side of her mouth slightly higher than the other. With it, her eyes narrowed marginally. Oh yes. This woman welcomed the attention and reciprocated his attraction.

“My friends just call me Ian.” He had to keep some anonymity. His line of work didn’t afford him the luxury of screwing up because he wanted to get laid.

“All right. Mysterious. I like it.” She slipped her arm through his.

They stood like that for a while, him watching her, her watching the statue.

“You think that thing is beautiful?” He’d come to learn that women found a controversial subject more entertaining than one that had him acting the yes-man.

“Absolutely.” She pried her eyes from the robed sculpture, letting them drift to meet his. “I take it you do not?” There was a small hitch in her eyebrows, and he knew he was in.

He shook his head. “Not in the least. They do say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but I am starting to wonder if we’re looking at the same thing.”

She pouted. He was scoring gold here.

About the Author

CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international best-selling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.™

Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.

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Stiff Competition (A Mattie Winston Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Kensington (January 26, 2016)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1617734106
E-Book ASIN: B00X2EOZKC

Synopsis

Every fall, hunting season in Sorenson, Wisconsin, leads to some accidental injuries. Deputy coroner Mattie Winston just hopes the hunters don’t bring any more business to her office. But somebody seems to have declared open season on land developers. One real estate developer who’s recently come to town has been found dead in the woods with an arrow through his neck. Now it’s up to Mattie to get to the bottom of the killing. That might be easier if she wasn’t also hunting for Detective Hurley’s teenage daughter, Emily, who has suddenly disappeared. With a homicidal William Tell out on the loose, Mattie is desperate to find Emily before the killer notches another arrow…

Indie Bound * Amazon * B&N

About The Author

Annelise Ryan is the pseudonym for the author of three suspense novels and another mystery series. She has written more than 200 published articles, worked as a book reviewer for Barnes & Noble, and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She currently works as a registered nurse in an ER.

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Dearly Departed (An Amy’s Travel Mystery)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington (January 26, 2016)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1617736827
E-Book ASIN: B00X2EOZPW

Synopsis

Fanny and Amy Abel, the dynamic mother-and-daughter owners of a NYC travel agency, have just booked their biggest trip yet. But with danger in the air, the itinerary may include murder…

Paisley MacGregor, a maid to the rich, made a dying request to send all of her wealthy employers on a first-class wake to spread her ashes around the world. Amy has her suspicions about these “mourners,” especially when one has a life-threatening “accident” at the first stop in Paris. And when a mysterious American stranger tagging along with the group has his ticket punched in the shadow of the Taj Mahal, Amy knows she may have a killer on her tour.

Who was this stranger, and what’s the connection to someone in her group? Digging for clues while continuing on with the trip is a lot for Amy to manage, especially when another mourner has a possibly fatal encounter with a Hawaiian volcano. Back in the States, Fanny and Amy start to piece together a secret worth killing for, but someone is hot on their trail, and ready to send them on a one-way trip–to the morgue!

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About The Author

Hy Conrad was the co-executive producer of the hit television series Monk. Monk received three Edgar nominations from the Mystery Writers of America for “Best TV Series.” The author of hundreds of short stories and ten books of short whodunits which have been sold around the world in fourteen languages, he’s also the author of the novels, Mr. Monk Helps Himself and Mr. Monk Gets On Board. Hy splits his time between Key West, Vermont, and New York City.

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Synopsis

From author Anne Snow comes a brand new series about a not-so-dumb blonde who has her hands full…

“Expect the unexpected” has been Barb Jackson’s motto ever since the day she became a private investigator. But when a blast from the past in the form of her cheating ex-boyfriend shows up in her office and begs her to help him clear his name in an ongoing murder investigation, she fears this time she might have bitten off more than she can chew. But as Barb reluctantly takes the case, she uncovers deadly secrets and it becomes obvious someone is now out to get her. Suddenly Barb finds herself in a race against the clock to clear her ex’s name and keep herself alive. And to make matters worse, hunky homicide detective Tyler Black is nipping at her heels—in more ways than one! If anyone can get to the bottom of this mystery it’s Barb…if she can keep herself alive.

The Barb Jackson Mysteries:
Bubblegum Blonde (book #1)
Blondes’ Night Out (short story in the “Killer Beach Reads” collection)
The Blonde Before Christmas (holiday short story)

Review

Sometimes you never know with a new series (or even new author to you) but this book had me laughing from the beginning to the end, while trying to determine who was the killer. (side note, no one anywhere on my radar). It didn’t hurt that there were 3 hunky men intertwined in the story…too bad there are no pictures!

This is a book to take a chance on, you just might find a new author you like.

We give it 5 paws up!

Death of a Brooklyn Landlord: A Lorraine McDuffy Mystery
Suspense – Woman Sleuths
Self Published
Publication Date: December 23, 2015
Print Length: 319 pages
ASIN: B017KORLJG

Synopsis

A Mystery, A Kidnapping, A Missing Mom … The First Book in a NEW Spinoff Series!

When newly widowed Lorraine McDuffy gets a call in the middle of the night, it’s not the ghost of her dead husband on the line, but the trembling voice of an old flame, Frank Rizzo, a local butcher. He’s found the battered body of rent-gouging Brooklyn landlord Viktor Charnov. Felled by blunt trauma to the back of his head, the victim lies in the fetal position in the back of Frank’s shop, a pork chop clenched between his teeth. The distraught butcher asks Lorraine to investigate.

As the story moves through the entangled web left behind by the landlord’s evil dealings, Lorraine searches for Viktor’s estranged wife as well as a missing teen with ties to the landlord, believed to have jumped in despair from the Brooklyn Bridge two months earlier. Along the way, Lorraine spars with Detective First Grade Jane Templeton and cares for the victim’s ten-year-old son, baseball-loving Joey Charnov, while she searches for his mother. And despite her guilt, Lorraine and Frank deepen their relationship in fits and starts.

If you’re a fan of Fina Fitzgibbons and her crew, you’ll recognize the main characters in this new series—Lorraine McDuffy, Fina’s mother-in-law and protagonist in charge of the Fina Fitzgibbons Detective Agency while Fina and Denny are on their honeymoon; detectives Jane Templeton and Willoughby, her partner Minnie, admin assistant at Lucy’s and now taking on a greater role in the agency; Cookie and her husband, Clancy; and a newcomer, Fina’s estranged father, Paddy Fitzgibbons, who creates his own boozy havoc as he tangles with Lorraine and Cookie.

About the Author

Susan Russo Anderson is a writer, a mother, a member of Sisters in Crime, a graduate of Marquette University. She’s taught language arts and creative writing, worked for a publisher, an airline, an opera company. Like Faulkner’s Dilsey, she’s seen the best and the worst, the first and the last. Through it all, and to understand it somewhat, she writes. Too Quiet in Brooklyn, the first book in the Fina Fitzgibbons Brooklyn mystery series, published December 2013. The second book in the series, Missing Brandy, about a missing teen, published September 2014, and Whiskey’s Gone, about the abduction of a single mom, completes a trilogy. The working title of the fourth is Dead in Brooklyn.

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Gunfight at Grace Gulch (A Dressed For Death Mystery Book 1)
(Christian Cozy Mystery)
Forget Me Not Romances
A Division of Winged Publications (February 28, 2015)
Paperback: 216 pages

Synopsis

The feud between the Graces and the Gaynors is still going strong more than a century after its inception in the 1891 Oklahoma land run. Newspaper editor Penn Hardy is murdered during the reenactment of the most famous gunfight in the history of Grace Gulch, Oklahoma. Cici Wilde, owner of a vintage clothing store, feels compelled to investigate when police suspect people close to her. She soon discovers her talent for sleuthing equals her flare for wearing period clothing. Theater director Audie Howe never expected the reenactment to end in a real murder. He cares too much for the future of the Magda Grace Mallory Theater – and the charming Cici Wilde – to let her face danger alone. Cici and Audie take a dangerous gamble to nail the killer – and lay their lives on the line.

Excerpt

The gigantic black hands on the town clock atop our municipal building inched toward twelve o’clock. Audie put a cell phone to his ear.

Cord and Penn, reprising their roles as Bob Grace and Dick Gaynor, burst through the saloon doors, shouting insults.

My heart stuttered a bit, worried for Cord. Penn sounded really angry.

“You can’t get away with it. You’re a scoundrel and a cheat.” Penn’s face was set into deep lines, hatred aging him prematurely.

“I’m not a cheat. I arrived first, fair and square.

You have to accept it.”

Tension twisted my shoulders. I held my breath.

“That’s what you think!” Penn pulled out a Colt and fired.

A flash of light—popping sounds—two men fell to the ground.

Review

What a delightful Christian cozy! There were so many things I enjoyed about this series – the letters from one of the founders of the town to his fiance at the beginning of each chapter, that faith was a strong part of the main character’s lives, and the historic clothing (and not just from the “wild west”) to name a few.

I thought the characters had some depth to them for a first book (and I’m sure more to follow) and the small town feel makes me want to move there (or somewhere similar!) to experience it first hand. The love triangle between Cord, Audie and CiCi causes a little tension but not much.

The mystery was well thought out, there were some clues and the suspects are identified for you, but I didn’t guess the killer until he/she was revealed.

I enjoyed this book and will be seeking out the next few in the series. We give it 4 paws up.

About the Author

Best-selling author Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family, and continues her interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV in addition to writing. She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over forty books and has written more than 250 devotionals. Her historical fiction ranges from the Revolutionary War to World War II, from Texas to Vermont.

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Stabbing in the Senate (A Washington Whodunit)
Cozy Mystery
A Brand New Series
Camel Press (November 15, 2015)
Paperback: 236 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1603813310
E-Book ASIN: B017CBHTOE

Synopsis

Life is good for Kit Marshall. She’s a staffer in D.C. for a popular senator, and she lives with an adoring beagle and a brainy boyfriend with a trust fund. Then, one morning, Kit arrives at the office early and finds her boss, Senator Langsford, impaled by a stainless steel replica of an Army attack helicopter. Panicked, she pulls the weapon out of his chest and instantly becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Circumstances back Kit’s claim of innocence, but her photograph has gone viral, and the heat won’t be off until the killer is found. Well-loved though the senator was, suspects abound. Langsford had begun to vote with his conscience, which meant he was often at odds with his party. Not only had the senator decided to quash the ambitions of a major military contractor, but his likely successor is a congressman he trounced in the last election. Then there’s the suspiciously dry-eyed Widow Langsford. Kit’s tabloid infamy horrifies her boyfriend’s upper-crust family, and it could destroy her career. However, she and her free-spirited friend Meg have a more pressing reason to play sleuth. The police are clueless in more ways than one, and Kit worries that the next task on the killer’s agenda will be to end her life.

Review

Synopsis

When Amy Ridley decided to compete in the Kellerton Summer Festival Pie Contest, the last thing she expected was to find the reigning pie queen, Mandy Jo, dead—a raspberry pie smashed on her face! Mandy Jo made fantastic pies, but she accumulated more enemies than baking trophies. But when Amy receives a note threatening her own life, she decides to do some investigating herself.

It seems that half the town has a reason to kill the mean pie queen, and Amy finds herself sifting through a list of suspects that’s longer than her list of recipes. Not to mention playing cupid for her love-shy best friend, fending off a baker intent on finding out her prize-winning culinary secrets, and ducking the deadly attentions of Mandy Jo’s killer. If Amy doesn’t find out who wanted the pie queen dead soon, her own goose may be cooked!

Review

I have mixed feelings on this book. While I liked it overall (especially the food recipes!), as the books switched between Amy and Carla it made the book feel jumpy. Yes they are best friends and Carla helped Amy with her thought process, but the switch just felt weird and didn’t seem to flow well IMHO.

I didn’t care for Amy’s character. Must be nice to marry well and stay home and develop recipes for contests, but she fell flat as a main protagonist. She seemed wishy-washy, but the one thing I can say is that when it came down to taking down the killer she didn’t put herself in harm’s way. Sort of unusual for a cozy.

Her best friend Carla has a relationship with the lead detective, which she partially started at Amy’s behest but there are sparks between the two of them. She seems like a more likely protagonist and more level headed.

I think the series has potential and hopefully future books have made Amy more likable and less insipid.  We give this book 3 paws.