Death at a Scottish Christmas

Death at a Scottish Christmas is the 3rd book in the Scottish Isle Mysteries by Lucy Connelly. I have read the first book An American in Scotland which I adored. I selected this book because it meets the requirements for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge. It also counts for the New Release Reading Challenge and the Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge. It's always nice when a book counts for more than one challenge!

The publisher's summary: 

Sea Isle, Scotland, is magical during the holiday season, and Dr. Emilia McRoy can’t wait to enjoy everything her village has to offer. But when the lead singer of a famous band is murdered in the village, just as they were about to launch a world tour, her holiday instantly comes to a halt. 

As the band’s future hangs in the balance, Emilia discovers that the victim was working on new music that has since disappeared. Were these new lyrics worth killing for? And if so, who is the culprit? It seems more than one person wanted this music star dead. Shockingly, beloved constable Ewan Campbell becomes the prime suspect in the investigation, putting a damper on the town’s festivities.

With an ever-growing list of suspects, Emilia will need all the help she can get to figure out who is framing poor Ewan. Between a secret Santa that wants her dead, stalkers, and killer holiday celebrations, Emilia must see the devil in the details and discover the truth before it’s too late.

When I read the first book in the series I had some difficulty with the Scottish slang terminology. Now I not only understand it but look forward to reading it. The series has become a favorite. The quirky characters are adorable. The banter between Emilia and Ewen is hysterical and I love how they feed off of each other. It's amazing how the townspeople have organized for their needs during the long winters when supplies cannot be delivered to this remote island. Instead of worrying about the situation they got organized but you can tell they are a happy group of people who can slough off the cares of the world.

With Emilia serving as both physician and coroner, the reader sees a viewpoint different from most cozies when she has to investigate a death. Ewen serves as mayor and constable and is the wealthiest person on the island. He has a grumpy persona but makes sure that all of the villagers have everything they need. Of course, this means that he knows everyone's business. 

The howdunit was fascinating. When the band leader's corpse was discovered it was determined that he died from air entering his brain which caused an embolism to form and then burst. How did the air get in the brain? A corkscrew was used to puncture his head. The puncture wound was described as small and I just couldn't picture it as being small. The author was creative in dreaming up this method of killing though. Also, the mystery surrounding the lost notebook with musical scores was entertaining. Resolving this issue was just as gripping as determining the identity of the killer.

I loved this new installment of the series and recommend it to cozy fans. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Cinnamon Roll Murder

Joanne Fluke has written 30 books in this Hannah Swensen Mystery Series. Cinnamon Roll Murder is the 15th installment of the series. I chose this book as a selection for the Color Coded Reading Challenge. I needed a book with a brown shade in the title and cinnamon is it. 

The publisher's summary:  

April is a busy time for Hannah Swensen and her bakery; the warm weather makes folks in Lake Eden, Minnesota, go wild for something sweet. When Hannah hears that the Cinnamon Roll Six jazz band will be playing at the town's Weekend Jazz Festival, she's more than happy to bake up a generous supply of their namesake confections to welcome the band to town.

Before the festival even begins, tragedy strikes when the tour bus overturns. Among those injured is Buddy Neiman, the band's beloved keyboard player. Buddy's injuries appear minor, until his condition suddenly takes a turn for the worse--as in dead. Hannah's no doctor, but she suspects that the surgical scissors someone plunged into Buddy's chest may have something to do with it. Hannah isn't sure just how she'll unravel the mystery, but one thing's for sure: nothing's sweeter than bringing a killer to justice. . .

What can I say? These later books in the series are OK. Just OK. They are not serious mysteries as early books in the series were. While the series has always been light reading, I believe that the plots have suffered as the series gets bigger. Maybe the author is bored with churning out a new book every year. With 30 books written to date, I think the author needs something different to write about. Cinnamon Roll Murder is light on plot and character development. We see the characters having a new dilemma to deal with but there is no real character development. Hannah keeps dating two men, Mike and Norman, but there is no progress in her relationship with either of them. Having read later books in the series, I know that she will marry Mike. Both men continually drop in at all hours for sweets which would annoy me personally.

All the books are the same. Hannah bakes up a storm, then finds a body, and solves the crime after getting into a dangerous situation with the killer. There was some mystery in the beginning of Cinnamon Roll Murder but there weren't any twists or turns to keep me entertained.

I am sorry to say I am rating the book 2.5 stars out of 5 stars.

The Key Lime Pie Murder

The Key Lime Pie Murder is the 9th book in a 30 book, to date, cozy mystery series by Joanne Fluke. It was published in 2012 and is a selection for the Color Coded Reading Challenge. I am using lime for the required green entry.

The publisher's summary:

It promises to be a busy week for Hannah Swensen. Not only is she whipping up treats for the chamber of commerce booth at the Tri-County fair, she's also judging the baking contest; acting as a magician's assistant for her business partner's husband; trying to coax Moishe, her previously rapacious feline, to end his hunger strike, and performing her own private carnival act by juggling the demands of her mother and sisters.

With so much on her plate, it's no wonder Hannah finds herself on the midway only moments before the fair closes for the night. After hearing a suspicious thump, she goes snooping–only to discover Willa Sunquist, a student teacher and fellow bake contest judge, dead alongside an upended key lime pie. But who would want to kill Willa and why?

Now Hannah needs to crank up the heat, hoping that Willa's killer will get rattled and make a mistake. If that happens she intends to be there, even if it means getting on a carnival ride that could very well be her last. . .

This was an enjoyable and relaxing read. The storyline was interesting and suspenseful. I loved the recipes and character development from prior books in the series. I have read many books in the series, including more current books, and I believe that the earlier books were better because the plots are tighter. There is alot of humor in these books which also make them delightful to read. The 16 recipes that are in the back of the book were expertly introduced into the plot. With a plot containing a baking contest, Hannah Swensen was a judge instead of being a baker. I could literally taste the entries in the county fair contest. As the judges tasted and discussed the merits of each entry we read about a murder and who could have done the deed. I liked that the investigation of the crime was slowly revealed from discussion among the judges.

ToHighly-creative confection recipes plumped the pages in KEY LIME PIE MURDER. Not knowing when to stop, the recipes opened themselves into luscious, heavy-laden, in-plot cooking, tasting, and contest judg

5 out of 5 stars.

Pink Lemonade Cake Murder

Last month I was looking for a book title with a holiday theme for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge. I read several books for the challenge in August but didn't get around to this one. It would have qualified for the challenge as a an August holiday because August 20 is National Lemonade Day!  

The publisher's summary:

The Tri-County Summer Solstice Celebration has come to town, and even among local artisans, athletes, and marching bands, Hannah attracts fans of her own while serving lip-smacking pink lemonade desserts. But the mood sours when a body turns up, leading revelers to wonder if the festivities mark both the longest day of the year and the deadliest . . . 

A retired professional MLB player has met a terrifying end—and, considering the rumors swirling about his past, the list of suspects could fill a small stadium. Among them could soon be Delores, Hannah’s mother, who publicly held a grudge against the victim after he infamously dunked her in the tank at a previous county fair. With her mother’s innocence on the line, a life-changing announcement at The Cookie Jar, and a plethora of desserts to bake, Hannah can’t afford to strike out as she begins a dangerous investigation into the ruthless killer who’s truly in a league of their own . . .

I was disappointed that the murder did not occur until page 100. The first 100 pages were about Hannah and her sister Andrea making and decorating cakes and cookies. It was mouthwatering to read about baking with pink lemonade, especially since there were recipes at the end of each chapter. Because I concentrated on studying thise recipes, the flow of the mystery was slow. I was also disappointed that each of the recipes used cake mixes. In all of the other books of the series the author had recipes made from scratch. However, I am aware that there are other bakers who prefer to use cake mixes.

Regarding the resolution of the mystery, there wasn't much plot action. Hannah’s aha moments in solving the crime always happened while she was drinking coffee. The reveal of the whodunnit was a surprise but the whydunnit was odd, i.e., girls riding on top of a car. In fact, I wasn't sure if this was really the reason for the murder and had to go back to the beginning and reread a few chapters. 

This installment of the series is not the strongest and I am rating it 3 out of 5 stars.

Peach Tea Smash

Peach Tea Smash is another great cozy mystery from Laura Childs. It's the 28th installment of the Indigo Tea Shop Mystery Series and was published on August 6, 2024. Our heroine Theodosia Browning is catering the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill in Charleston. During the event Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why anyone would want to kill him since Harlan was beloved by everyone. Ate first the murder seems to a result of the victim’s profession, banking, but there’s a possibility the murderer is someone in his family. Harlan's son Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident. When one of the chief suspects is murdered both Theodora and Detective Tidwell, are clueless.  The tea shop continues to be the staging area for their sleuthing. 

One of the things I love about the Tea Shop Mystery series is that the murder always occurs in the first chapter so that the rest of the book can be about the investigation into the whodunnit.  I also love the specialty tea events that Theo holds in the Indigo Tea Shop. In this story we read about the Regency Tea, Chocolate Tea and Book Lovers Tea. When each tea party is being planned the reader learns about the decorations as well as the foods that were served. We also learn why they were chosen. Recipes are in the back of the book.

Theo's sleuthing was rather aggressive in the story. She broke into a suspect's house, accused another of possibly being a murderer during her "interview" with him and got up on a horse to stop yet another suspect from killing a fourth. When she tells Detective Tidwell about these activities, he isn't angry which is uncharacteristic of him. I liked the arguments between the two of them in earlier novels. Tidwell hasn't played much of a role in the past several books and it's time for him to return. Theo's forwardness is new and while this required a huge suspension of belief, it is good for the series. I was happy, though, that Theo's nightly jogs with her dog were not used to obtain clues. This has been overdone in the series. I applaud the author for changing up the method of obtaining clues as it keeps these stories fresh. 

So how do you make a peach tea smash? With white tea, half a peach and bourbon. 5 out of 5 stars.

Knee High by the Fourth of July

This book is my selection for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge. I needed a book about 4th of July and was lucky to find this one. The book is the third in a series of holiday themed stories. It was published in 2007. 

The publisher's summary:

What's so wrong with admiring from a distance? Mira's quirky puppy love for Chief Wenonga, a well-muscled fiberglass statue in her Minnesota small town, might be a safer love pursuit than online dating. But when the 23-foot Chief goes missing from his cement base, Mira's not the only citizen to be crushed. The town of Battle Lake is celebrating their statue's 25th anniversary and no amount of blue, sugar-soaked popcorn balls at Wenonga Days can uplift their gloomy mood. 

But when Mira runs into a dead body, the town has more pressing issues. Mira's second biggest crush, organic gardening god and dead ringer for Brad Pitt-Johnny Leeson-has disappeared. Her luck with men is running out, and a killer might be moving in. With something of her own to hide, Mira hopes she can avoid the police long enough to track down the object of her mega-crush-but is Mira trailing a statue-thief, a kidnapper, or a murderer?

 

This was an OK novel. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. It's more of a three stars out of five book. The main character Mira is funny and super smart. However, I didn't think her desire to participate in online dating was a good decision. It can be dangerous. Yes, I am placing my values on a character. While the online dating provided a few suspects to the murder, it didn't connect with me as well as if all of the suspects were from Battle Lake.

I am pretty picky about the cozy mysteries that I read. I only read a few cozy authors consistently and, perhaps, author Lourey is just one of them that I don't want to continue reading. I hate to bash a book when the genre, or rather sub-genre, is not my cup of tea. 

As I stated above, this book is part of a series. The characters are the same throughout the series so we can expect to read more about Mira's exploits. If you enjoyed this book, please let me know your thoughts.

Apologies for the formatting. I couldn't fix it without tearing my hair out.

Forget Me Never

Forget Me Never was just published last month on June 4, 2024. It is the newest installment of Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles Mysteries and is the 28th installment of the series. As expected, it is a fun and relaxing read. 

The publisher's summary:

Olivia Andrews is locally famous for her blog and podcast, “Forget Me Not: A Crime Victim’s Storyboard,” which is dedicated to telling the stories of victims of crime. Now, she has a stunning story to tell about a decades-old murder mystery involving a prominent citizen of Pecan Springs—someone who isn’t the man everybody thinks he is. But she is killed by a hit-and-run driver while she’s out jogging early one morning. Was it an accident—or something else? Her sister wants to know.

And Olivia’s friend China Bayles also wants to know, urgently. Who is the prominent citizen Olivia was about to expose? How did he manage to get away with murder twenty years ago? Did he kill Olivia to keep her from revealing his secret? What is local lawyer Charlie Lipman trying to hide? And when there’s another murder . . . well, it has to be a part of the same story, doesn’t it? And so does the scrapbook a cousin has compiled to honor the memory of one of the victims and make sure she won’t be forgotten. It might hold the answer—except that the one person whose face China wants to see has been scissored out of every photo.

What I love about this series is that once you start reading you don't notice how far into the story you have read until about halfway through it. The first person narrative as well as China's personality keep you reading without even noticing the time.  This series always focuses on an herb with chapter intros giving a factoid about that particular herb.  In this novel, the author has focuses on the coffee bean because it helps with memory and the title is about not forgetting.  I loved reading the little known facts about coffee and caffeine such as the fragrance of coffee comes from over 800 aromas.  The darker the roast of the bean, the easier it is to detect them by scent. Rosemary is another memory enhancing herb that was featured.

The setting is a small town in Texas called Pecan Springs. China's narrative comes from her Texan heritage with plenty of southern colloquialisms.  The characters all reflect this heritage but each are unique.  China is a former attorney who runs an herb and catering business. Her best friend Ruby is a clairvoyant but also her business partner.  Ruby's psychic abilities are showcased in the story. The author mentioned that former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling lived nearby in the River Oaks community before he went to prison and that Senator Ted Cruz also lived there. I found it amusing and liked that she made them a part of the setting.

A new character, Olivia Andrews, is detailed from what people have said about her after her demise.  She was killed early on from a hit and run "accident."  Olivia is an interesting character.  She is a former journalist who had been writing a true crime blog and podcast. The crimes that she featured on her blog were taken from obscurity but she brought them back to life with her unique way of thinking. Secondary characters such as China's husband and the friendly local police chief were not involved in the investigation and were barely mentioned in the book. Police Chief Sheila Dawson's contribution to the story dealt only with how she was handling being a new mother.  Sheila's new life as a mother is the only character growth in the book but we only read these great stories from Susan Wittig Albert for her ability to write a fun mystery.  This one had more twists than we usually see from Albert, most likely because China had three murders to solve.

Forget Me Never is a fun and fast read. Cozy fans will want to read it. 5 out of 5 stars.

An American in Scotland

I selected this book for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge. It fits the publication month category as it was published on April 4, 2023.  An American in Scotland is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Lucy Connelly and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

The publisher's summary:

Sea Isle was supposed to be the fresh start Dr. Emilia McRoy dreamed of. Far from the busy emergency room across the Atlantic in Seattle, she hoped to settle down and begin this new chapter as a small-town doctor to the quirky residents who immediately welcomed her. When she stumbles across a dead body, she starts to think that she may not be as Scot free of the drama and intrigue as she initially thought.

Emilia soon learns she has bigger issues at hand. It starts with realizing she'll work closely with the less than helpful local constable, Laird Ewan Campbell. Her luck continues when she discovers that part of her new responsibilities includes being the coroner for the very body she found. Finally, when the body goes missing before she can even begin the autopsy, Emilia must convince the townspeople that a crime did, in fact, occur. The deeper she digs into the picturesque town, the more suspicious she becomes. And then there are her sleep issues. It may be due to the ever-growing list of suspects, a number of threatening letters, or the surprise visitor who breaks into her house at night. But she’s never backed down before, and she doesn’t intend to start now.

Someone doesn’t want this doctor to treat the ailments of Sea Isle, but Emilia McRoy is determined to find the murderer before they kilt again.

 

I loved this novel. It takes place in a lovely small village in Scotland and I enjoyed reading about the weather challenges that the characters had to deal with. With mail and package delivery severely affected in the winter months, the characters came up with ways to handle it such as ordering everything and anything they could possibly want in huge quantities. Emilia's office has been outfitted with every type of diagnostic machine, a surgical suite and plenty of medications for every type of illness and injury. It was amusing to read about Emilia's attempts to walk around the village without the proper footwear. She fell alot. Bothies are interspersed throughout the village in case someone gets stuck outdoors when a storm comes rumbling through the area. I had never heard of a bothy before and am glad that it had to be explained to Emilia.

Emilia's home and office are inside a defunct church and has a gorgeous view of the sea. It comes with a gardener and maid/office assistant. These two helpers, Abigail and her brother Tommy, seem to be in her home all the time. Abigail has a key, as does the constable, which is rather eerie. They show up at all hours of the day and night which scares Emilia almost every single day. However, all three get along well. 

The characters are quirky but lovable. Mara, who works in her grandparents pub, The Pig and Whistle, becomes a fast friend as does Angie who works in her family's fabric store. Angie is engaged to a duke. Abigail is devoted to her disabled brother Tommy and has given up on living her own life in order to take of him. Constable and Laird Ewan is full of surprises and is hard to figure out. He basically owns the town and has his own mansion and a castle. He is the richest man in Britain according to UK newspapers. For some reason he prefers to live in this tiny village. With other interesting shop owners as characters, there are plenty of scenarios for future stories.

The mystery to be solved is who killed an old man named Smithy.  Nobody liked him. He had an ugly personality and did not get along with anyone in the village, including Emilia. He was rude to her on the day she moved in and she later found out that he did not like the McRoy family, her family. Since part of Emilia's job was to act as a coroner, she took it upon herself to investigate the murder. Being new in town she fell afoul of several residents who did not like having an American doctor around. With her new friends help, Emilia slowly learns how to adjust to life in Scotland.

The story was an enjoyable and relaxing read. The author has done a great job of setting up the series for future installments. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Murder in the Tea Leaves

Laura Childs newest book was published earlier this month and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Murder in the Tea Leaves is the 27th installment of her Indigo Teashop Mystery Series and I have been anxiously awaiting its publication. I have read every book in the series and most were fantastic.

In this particular story, main character Theodosia Browning is reading tea leaves on the set of the movie, Dark Fortunes, which is being filmed in her native city of Charleston. Her teashop, the Indigo Teashop, provided the snacks on the set. The next thing she knows the film director has been electrocuted while sitting on a chair that was rigged with electronics. One of the suspects is Theo's friend Delaine Dish who was dating the director but had a noisy break-up of their relationship in a ritzy restaurant the previous night. As usual, Theodosia begins her own investigation of the murder despite being told by Detective Tidwell to stay out of it. Between hosting a Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea, and a Poetry Tea, Theodosia tries to find clues that will identify the killer. In this novel she did not do the usual interviews of her suspects but she does explore the haunted Brittlebank Manor where the murder took place. Her tea sommelier Drayton Connelly talks Theo through her many theories to help her come to some conclusions about the murder. Soon thereafter, a member of the Charleston Film Board is also murdered.

When I first began reading I had a sense of deja vu. The story sounded familiar and I remember a comment that Theo made in an earlier novel "I was reading a book by Susan Witting Albert." The statement returned! Eventually, I discovered that another one of my favorite cozy mystery series, the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle, had a murder take place on a film set also. Yet another similarity with this series is that the main characters of both series are dating police officers. Coyle had these aspects of her series in place many books ago.  

It is unusual for Theo not to go out of her way to interview suspects. In fact, it has never before happened in the series. She also did not drive around town inspecting several buildings that might provide her with some clues. Toward the end of the story Theo and Drayton broke into Brittlebank Manor to find evidence concerning the how and why of the murders.

The novel had a slow pace, presumably because there wasn't much action. Detective Tidwell did not play a prominent role and I missed his gruffy personality.  Theo's personality meshed well with Tidwell which always added excitement. Hopefully, he will return in the next installment of the series.

3 out of 5 stars.

Public Anchovy #1

Public Anchovy #1 is the third book in the Deep Dish Mystery Series by Mindy Quigley. The series is set in a pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin owned by Delilah O’Leary. Her best friend Sonya Dokter is her sous chef and bartender Daniel, hostess Melody and dishwasher Rabbit round out the staff. Delilah’s elderly Aunt Biz, police detective Calvin Capone and her cat Butterball complete the regular characters in the series.

In this installment of the series Delilah is catering a Prohibition-themed fundraiser for the local library. She is hopeful that she will get some new catering gigs from the wealthy residents in attendance that will help her struggling restaurant get through the winter slow season. Pam Phillips, the hostess of the fundraiser, makes a last minute request for a new “free-form” pizza recipe for a last minute guest with many food allergies. Of course, it wouldn't be a cozy mystery unless one of the guests gets murdered during the bash. An elderly guest, Edgar Clemmons, falls down the stairs and dies. Did he trip or did someone help him fall? With a winter storm in full force all of the roads are blocked and Delilah, her staff, Capone and several guests are trapped in the Phillips mansion. They all must spend the night together until the roads are cleared the next day. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I am not sure what the reason was for giving the book its title. No anchovies were on the pizzas and I do not believe the deceased was public enemy number 1. He had several people who opposed him on the library board. He also uncovered a scam over forged rare books. Yes, forged books. It's a thing. I googled "forged books" and found several articles concerning this topic. In one CNBC news story art forgery expert Curtis Dowling stated that rare books are especially valuable collectors' items. They are also among the most frequently faked, and hardest to detect.

"Fakers ply their trade by replicating the same sensations that anyone would perceive when walking into a used bookstore. It's one thing to make a book simply look old and weathered, a feat that can be accomplished with a little paint and an inscription dated back a century and a half. But it's necessary to fool all of the senses, especially touch and smell, to make the experienced collector accept a faked book as the genuine article."

I had never heard of this scam before. While I was reading, I was not sure whether it was plausible. My internet search was performed after I finished reading the book. Now I am wondering whether I missed clues in the storyline. 

The next book in the series, Sleep in Heavenly Pizza, will be published in October 2024. I cannot wait to read it as every book in this series has been fantastic.

5 out of 5 stars.

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bakeoff

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off is my final selection for the Calendar of Crime Challenge. It is a lovely cozy mystery with recipes in the back of the book.  It the 2nd of 5 books in the author's Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series.

The publisher's summary:  

Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewellis ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe. 

With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition . . .

 

Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie!

 

Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.

I loved this story. It has everything you want in a Christmas cozy mystery. There are engaging characters, a wintery but cozy setting,  and the smell of freshly baked pastries on every page. When. Lindsay rose at 3:00 a.m. each morning to begin mixing her doughs, I felt like I was there with her.  As a baker myself, I could easily see in my mind her sweet roll dough recipe as well as her cinnamon rolls and caramel pecan rolls.  She baked and fried the doughs before making a variety of danish pastries all hours before her bakery opened for the day.  

The characters were believable. Of course, Lindsay is a great character but the villain seemed all too real to me also.  Felicity, owner of a year-round Christmas shop, is the epitome of every jealous woman I have had to "compete" against when bringing treats to work.  She will sabotage the efforts of other bakers in order to always be first at everything.  A few years ago a co-worker threw my cookies in the garbage because no one was eating hers so I definitely feel Lindsay's pain.  The celebrity judge, Chef Chevy Chambers, is another villain in the story.   His character provides many of the twists and turns because he not only is having an affair with several contestants but he also put a few of them out of business with his scathing newspaper reviews of their restaurants.  When he ends up murdered, there are several possible whodunnits. The howdunnit should be obvious.  It's a rolling pin.

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off is simply the best Christmas cozy that I have ever read.  Check it out.  5 out of 5 stars.

Thanksgiving Treachery

Tonya Kappes' Thanksgiving Treachery is her 7th holiday cozy mystery. It was published earlier this month on November 2, 2023.  The story takes place in the quaint town of Holiday Junction, where traditions run deep and festivities are the heart of the community.  When the prominent Harden family is struck by tragedy, everyone becomes a suspect. It’s up to journalist, Violet Rhinehammer of the Junction Journal, to unearth the truths buried beneath layers of deception and old grudges.  As Violet delves deeper, she discovers secrets that entwine the art district with the village in ways she never imagined.  As Holiday Junction gears up for its Friendsgiving festivities, one question lingers—can the town’s cherished unity withstand the weight of treachery?

It took me a few pages to become interested in the story.  After two murders had taken place I was excited about the prospect of a serial killer being on the loose.  However, I was disappointed with the investigation of the murders.  The police did not do any investigation at all.  It was 100% investigated by Violet under her responsibilities as a journalist.  Her interviews with the many characters in the story was the investigation. Violet advised the police when she made discoveries but in the end, there was no arrest.  The reveal of the whodunnit in the last chapter was satisfying but did not make up for the problems of having too many characters to keep track of and corny place names and character names that I found annoying.

1 out of 5 stars.

Terror in Topaz

Terror in Topaz is the 4th and final installment of Alison Stuart's Harriet Gordon Mystery Series. It is set in 1920s Singapore and features amateur sleuth Harriet Gordon. Harriet volunteers her time at brother Julian's school for boys but after her suffragette past became known, she was fired.

The publisher's summary:  

Singapore 1910: Harriet Gordon has been dismissed from the job she loved and finds herself cast adrift. When her brother receives an invitation to visit a prestigious school in Kuala Lumpur, she and Julian decide to leave Singapore behind for a few days, but their pleasant visit takes a dark turn when a visitor to the school is shot dead on the front steps of the headmaster’s bungalow.

After being suspended from the Straits Settlements Police, Inspector Robert Curran has disappeared on a personal quest to find a missing girl, but his suspension is not all it appears and he receives secretive orders to investigate the mysterious Topaz Club, which seems to be at the center of high-level corruption within the colonial government of Malaya.

The uninvestigated death of a woman with links to the Topaz Club brings Harriet and Curran together in a determination to shut down the notorious establishment for good.

But a devious criminal stands in the way and it is going to take Harriet and Curran all their resources to bring justice for the victims of the Topaz Club and in doing so, find what it is they have been looking for in each other.

I loved this series and am sad it has ended. A prequel to Singapore Sapphire was published in August 2023. Umbrella tells the story of Harriet's earlier life. It is just over 50 pages in length. 

The setting for Terror in Topaz moves from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Many times when a series author changes the setting, the story suffers. This did not happen here. The plot and writing are superb. It was everything I expected and more. The relationship between Harriet and Inspector Curran grew to be a romantic one. Brother Julian's felt his career was in flux and we see him pondering his options. His usual straightlaced demeanor changes to a softer one. With all of this character growth it is difficult to accept that there is nowhere for the series to continue.

The Kuala Lumpur setting did not seem much different than Singapore. It had the usual clubs and mansions where the British sat for tea on their verandas. Both places share a climate with oppressive heat and the author has shared photographs of both of them on her Pinterest page. If you want to learn more about these novels I recommend checking out the Pinterest page. 

Terror in Topaz is a relaxing read. Historical mystery fans will enjoy it. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Party on Laurel Street

I discovered author Ruth Heald last year and love her fast paced psychological thrillers. The Party on Laurel Street was published in June 2023 and I had to get a copy as soon as I heard about it. It did not disappoint. It is an unputdownable thriller with a shocking ending.

The publisher's summary:  

The party on Laurel Street was meant to be a celebration, of neighbours coming together as friends. But as I look at the shocked faces around me and the wine glass smashed on the floor, I know that our perfect community will never be the same.

I can’t stop thinking about the look on Gabbie’s face when she discovered what her husband had done. Her perfect life, shattered in an instant. She ran from the party as fast as she could but not before locking eyes with my own husband, Luke.

I try to think nothing of it. Gabbie’s probably just had enough, and Luke was being kind and concerned. She’ll be back soon…

But days later, my mind is racing. Gabbie is officially missing. And Luke was the last person to see her alive.

I try to help with the search, but deep down, I am terrified. Though not because of my husband… But because this isn’t the first time someone close to me has gone missing. Gabbie knows what happened all those years ago. And I know that if she isn’t found soon, then my secret is no longer safe.

So as I think back on all the faces at our perfect party on Laurel Street, I have to ask, is someone making me pay for what happened all those years ago? Will I be next to disappear? Or can I find Gabbie before it’s too late?

This story is one wild ride. I was hooked from the first page all the way through the end. Heald's books are always extremely fast paced and Party is no different. In fact, I would say that her stories are the fastest paced among all current authors. The possible whodunnits that I was looking at throughout the story were all wrong. The reveal of the killer was a total surprise and made for a satisfying ending. 

The setting is one street:  Laurel Street. The reader learns that it is not what it appears to be. On its face, Laurel Street is inhabited by wealthy people living in exquisite mansions. However, there is a darkness obscuring the facade. The reader feels it from the start of the story. While there is a scary wooded area surrounding the street, the houses also seem to be covered with gloom. The characters living here all have pasts that they want to hide from each other, furthering the mystery of the novel.

The Party on Laurel Street is fantastic. Mystery and thriller lovers will definitely want to read it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Key Lime Pie Murder

August 1 is National Homemade Pie Day. It occurs every year. Since I am too lazy to bake, I have substituted reading the Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke. It counts as a selection for the Calendar of Crime Challenge as an August holiday.

The publisher's summary:  

It promises to be a busy week for Hannah Swensen. Not only is she whipping up treats for the chamber of commerce booth at the Tri-County fair, she's also judging the baking contest; acting as a magician's assistant for her business partner's husband; trying to coax Moishe, her previously rapacious feline, to end his hunger strike, and performing her own private carnival act by juggling the demands of her mother and sisters.

With so much on her plate, it's no wonder Hannah finds herself on the midway only moments before the fair closes for the night. After hearing a suspicious thump, she goes snooping–only to discover Willa Sunquist, a student teacher and fellow bake contest judge, dead alongside an upended key lime pie. But who would want to kill Willa and why? 
 
Now Hannah needs to crank up the heat, hoping that Willa’s killer will get rattled and make a mistake. If that happens she intends to be there, even if it means getting on a carnival ride that could very well be her last…

The book is one of the older books in the series. Hannah isn't even married yet but thinks that the man she eventually marries is interested in her.  Key Lime Pie Murder did not seem to be a cozy mystery but rather just a cozy.  There was not much of a mystery here to be solved. No twists, no turns, no nothing. What the reader gets is the social life of the main character Hannah Swenson. I have a few of the later novels in the series and the plots were pretty thin also. I am sure there is a demographic for this type of a story. It just isn't me.

No rating.

Honey Drop Dead

Honey Drop Dead was published earlier this week on August 8, 2023. I had pre-ordered an ebook from my local library and read the book as soon as it hit my screen. In this 26th installment of the Indigo Teashop Series our heroine Theodosia Browning is catering a specialty tea for Charleston’s Imago Gallery at Petigru Park. The park has plenty of native grasses and a community beekeeping project. During the event, a fully suited up beekeeper showed up and sprayed toxic smoke at all of the guests. Then a gunshot was heard and Osgood Claxton III, a candidate for the state legislature, fell to the ground dead. Theodosia saw the beekeeper run away from the scene and ran after him. She couldn't catch him though. The next day Holly Burns, the owner of Imago Gallery, asks Theodosia to investigate the matter. Not only did someone get killed but several paintings were destroyed by the fumes that were sprayed and artists were cancelling their contracts with the gallery. As is usual with the series, almost everyone in Charleston disliked the deceased and leaving Theodosia with a long list of suspects to look into.

The story started out with a bang, pun intended. The murder happened early in the first chapter and wasn't solved until the final chapter, leaving alot of pages for plot twists. The deceased was a politician who everyone hated, including his wife. This gave Theo many more than the usual number of suspects to investigate and, as a result, more plot twists for the reader to enjoy. The pace was much faster than other books in the series. Was that due to the complex plot or the absence of secondary character involvement? I am not sure. I am glad, though, that I did not have to hear about Delaine Dish. She is an obnoxious character that I cannot stand. Even baker Haley had only a short mention albeit one which landed her under arrest. Theo, tea sommelier Drayton, and Riley, Theodosia's new policeman boyfriend, were the only main characters returning in Honey Drop Dead. All of the others were new to the series which I think is a plus. When a series is as long as this one, it is nice to upset the applecart every now and then.

5 out of 5 stars.

Six Sweets Under

Six Sweets Under is the first book in Sarah Fox's True Confections Mystery Series. There are only two books in the series to date but I am expecting this to be a long series. The genre is culinary cozy mystery and the heroine is a chocolatier. 

The publisher's summary: 

Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, known as the Venice of North America. The Vermont town has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming cottages plucked from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.

 

While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception. Local curmudgeon Archie Smith wants nothing more than to keep tourists away from Larch Haven. He’s determined to derail this year’s event and does his best to stir up trouble for the organizers, including Becca’s grandfather.

Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.

I have never been so glad to see a victim killed before Archie Smith was murdered in this book. He died in chapter 2 but was so unpleasant already that when a dead body was found, I hoped it was his. It was. Archie was what I would call a raging senior. He hated everybody and everyone hated him because he opposed every official decision made in his hometown of Larch Haven. 

Rebecca (Becca) Ransom is the amateur sleuth. She is an actress who recently left Hollywood to return to her hometown and take over her family's candy shop. She was present on the town's  canal when Archie's body was found. When her grandfather became a suspect Becca was unable to convince him to hire an attorney. Fearing for his life, Becca decides that she must determine the identity of the killer. From this point Becca becomes an amateur sleuth. Her BFF, Dizzy, plays a prominent role as Becca’s friend but does not participate in the investigation. Becca’s brother Gareth owns a restaurant in town and is married to Blake. Officer Sawyer is a possible love interest for Becca.  He did not participate in the investigation either other than telling her to stop interviewing suspects who could be dangerous. 

The name of the town providing the setting is Larch Haven. It's an unusual name. I wondered what larch meant and whether it would give details on the type of stories to follow in the series. What is a larch? It's a coniferous tree with bunches of green needles. These trees are found in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. Like perhaps Vermont where the story takes place. They symbolize maternal love because they commonly offer shelter to squirrels and birds. I guess the name itself has no bearing on the series. 

The investigation of the murder was slow. Most of the story was about Becca’s family and friend relationships. I am assuming that the author was setting up the foundation for this new world she has created in Larch Haven. Still, the reveal of the murderer was surprising. I just wish there were more twists in the story.

4 out of 5 stars.

Fourth of July Forgery

Fourth of July Forgery is the 6th Holiday Cozy Mystery from Tonya Kappes. It was published on June 29, 2023. The 7th book in the series will be published just one year from now on June 20, 2024. The Santa Claus Surprise will be the Christmas themed book in the series.

The publisher's summary:

Fireworks aren't the only things causing sparks this Fourth of July in Holiday Junction! The much-awaited sixth book in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series, Fourth of July Forgery, immerses readers in a mystery that's more intricate than a firework's design.

When the festive atmosphere is dampened by the grim discovery of a body on the shore, it's up to our firecracker reporter, Violet Rhinehammer, to fizzle out the truth. Delving into the shadowy world of art dealing and potential forgeries, Violet must crack this case faster than a skyrocket, all while trying to keep her relationships and reputation from going up in smoke.

As she navigates the labyrinth of deception and accusation, Violet realizes that even in Holiday Junction, secrets can still explode like a M80. Can she solve the puzzle before the last sparkler has fizzled out, or will the fuse on this mystery burn too quickly for her to handle?

This is a charming story that moved fast. Violet is a news reporter for the Junction Journal and the amateur sleuth for the story. She uses her job as a journalist to investigate the murder of art dealer Graham Winston, whose body was found during the annual fireworks display. The police have no involvement in searching for the perpetrator, which is a little odd. The only time the police chief is mentioned is when he drives a car in the town’s Fourth of July parade and when he arrests the perp. However, this suspension of belief did not bother me much because Violet's mind worked fast. As a result there was a new twist on just about every other page. The  reveal of the whodunnit was satisfying.

All of the characters were memorable. From Violet to her southern mother Millie Kaye, town gossip Goldie and the paper's newest journalist Radley.  Violet is a return character from a prior cozy series by the author. She is the main character in each installment of this Holiday Cozy Mystery series so I already know I am going to be reading all of them.

4 out of 5 stars.

Poison

Poison is the first book in The Cambridge Murder Mysteries series by Charlot King. As the series title suggests, these mysteries take place in Cambridge, England. The series features an amateur sleuth by the name of Professor Elizabeth Green. Other regular characters include her sidekicks Inspector Abley and grandson, Godric.

The publisher's summary:  

When junior lecturer Edward Wiley dies a horrifically painful death and police pathology cannot establish the cause of death, amateur sleuth Professor Elizabeth Green is desperate to help, especially with the crime scene being her own back garden by the river. A professor of poisons, Professor Green is determined to find the murderer before there is more death on the cobbles of Cambridge.

When the Dean of Bene’t’s College seems to be involved, when other Fellows keep tight-lipped, and even Inspector Abley is spending too much time on the golf course instead of investigating, it feels like the killer will strike again.

Following another grisly murder, a tense Inspector Abley realises he can't solve this crime without Elizabeth. With people dropping like flies and dead bodies increasing in number, Elizabeth's unbridled curiosity embroil this meddling sleuth right in the heart of this mysterious thriller of a case in this historic city.

And what of Professor Elizabeth Green? In her fifties, this female protagonist is quintessentially English. An eccentric professor in her ivory tower, she maintains a sharp wit, yet is flawed by her inability to connect well with people, instead giving off a cold, opinionated and sometimes acerbic air. Though very kind to all animals (dogs, cats and the rest!) - a vegan - and a great gardener, in truth she keeps her friends close, and only lets a few dear people into her world.

The Cambridge setting is what I loved most about this novel. Reading about my favorite places in Cambridge, such as Jesus Green, the architectural bridges, St. Mary's Church, and the River Cam, transported me back to a city I once visited. Cambridge is a photographer's paradise and as each area was mentioned in the story, I remembered the photos that I took there.

The mystery to be solved was entertaining but the progress of the investigation was slowed by all of the setting descriptions. For me this was not a negative but for someone unfamiliar with Cambridge this might be a negative. Also note that the author is British and, as such, there are plenty of British slang words used by her. Some I had never heard of but they added charm to the story. 

I loved all of the characters as they were the typical quirky and eccentric British characters we have come to expect from British literature. Elizabeth Green is a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences but loves being an amateur sleuth. She annoys police detective Ably because she interferes in his investigations. Her grandson Godric brings us more up to date slang terms and adds his take on what happened to the deceased. The local M.P. Jonathan Smythe is also involved. Because I love everything British, I even love the politicians.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Way of the Wicked

The Way of the Wicked is the second book in the Hope Street Church Mysteries by Ellery Adams. I loved the first book The Path of the Crooked. The amateur sleuth in the series is Cooper Lee who has an interesting job. She repairs copy machines. I love that the sleuth is a woman doing what is typically a man's job.

The publisher's summary:

Cooper Lee and her friends in the Hope Street Bible study group have just volunteered for a local charity, delivering much-needed food and cheer to shut-ins in their community. It seems like the perfect way for the group to do good, and to Cooper it offers the welcome opportunity to get out of the house and spend more time with her new boyfriend, Nathan. But when one of the charity’s recipients is murdered, the police have no choice but to single out the church group and their fellow volunteers as the prime suspects.

Determined to make sure no evil deed goes unpunished, Cooper and her friends decide to discreetly interrogate each volunteer in their search for the killer, even if it means putting themselves at risk in the process. And as serving the needy becomes more treacherous than any of them could have imagined, they just might discover that the road to murder is paved with good intentions.

The beginning of the book was slow because it took a long time for the murder to occur. The reader was introduced to several new characters and the Bible study group members became involved in delivering food to the elderly. The first fourth of the story was basically dialogue among them and not much happened. The action picked up and by the midpoint in the story the pace became fast.

The romance between Cooper and fellow Bible study group member Nathan heated up in this installment of the series. They are not yet a couple but both realize that they have feelings for each other. Also, there was religious material in the book as the study group met several times to study the life of the Biblical Joseph from Genesis. They saw a connection between the way Joseph's brothers treated him to the way the seniors were treated by volunteers of the charity that delivered meals on wheels. By the end of the story three seniors died in similar circumstances.

This was a charming story and I enjoyed it. I would have liked to see the murders occur in the first or second chapter so that the rest of the story could be about solving the crime. 3 out of 5 stars.