Category: Fiction

Fiction, Mystery

First Victim by L.A. Larkin

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  • Title: First Victim
  • Author:L.A. Larkin
  • Series: A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller #3
  • Genre: Mystery, Thriller
  • Main Character: Sally Fairburn
  • Other Characters: Paul Fairburn, Scott Fairburn, Harper Fairburn, Fiona Austin, Joseph Austin, Detective Fred Clarke, Olivia Wiesner, Esme Lin, Salvador Sobrai, Niall Pickerd, Bob Kerns, Robin Kerns
  • Pets: A dog named Jax & a cat name Pajamas
  • Stars: 5

Sally Fairburn is back in another top-notch book by LA Larkin. This is the third book in the Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller series. I really like Sally, She is always on a mission to solve the crime, and she doesn’t stop until she gets the answers she’s looking for. She’s also a great mother, and there’s nothing she won’t do for her son, even if it means protecting him from his own father.

Sally is a former police officer and an amateur detective. Initially, she believed that police work was a thing of the past. However, when her former employer requests her return to the force as a detective in order to assist in the investigation of Joseph Austin’s murder and the attempted Murder of his wife, Fiona, who is left comatose, how can she resist. This her chance to prove herself. With two more murders, including their top suspect for the Austin murder, Sally is in a race against time to connect the dots. Not helping matters is the fact that her abusive ex-husband comes back to the Franklin Police Department and attempts to obstruct the investigation. Fiona, who is in a coma & is the sole surviving witness to her husband’s murder, may possess all the answers.

I can’t get enough of this series! It’s got everything you want in a good mystery: secrets, compelling characters, an amazing protagonist, and plenty of twists and turns to solve a murder with an ending you won’t see coming! It’s a must-read!

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Mystery

Peril in the Poolhouse by Judy L .Murray

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  • Title: Peril in the Pool house
  • Author: Judy L. Murray
  • Series: A Chesapeake Bay Mystery #3
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Port Anne, Maryland
  • Main Character: Helen Morrisey & her Detection Club
  • Other Characters: Eliot Davies & his wife Allison, Detective Joe McAllister, Liz, Shawn, Tammi, Diane, Ronnie, Maggie, Britany, Craig
  • Pets: A Golden Retriever named Rocky & 2 cats Trixie & Watson
  • Stars: 5

This is the 3rd installment of the Chesapeake Bay Mysteries series and Ms Murray does not disappoint. Helen Morrisey once again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and of course she has to try and solve it much to the chagrin of the handsome detective, Joe McAlister.

A haunted Bed & Breakfast, A party given by a State Senator Candidate and a dead body! What could go wrong! Despite the fact that the Victorian Mansion has been rumored to be haunted, Helen ultimately sold the property to Eliot Davies, who is running for the office of state Senator and his wife Allison. They’ve turned it into a Bed & Breakfast, and they’re getting ready to party. The party comes to a screeching halt when a dead body is discovered in the Pool House, with Allison standing over it. Of course, the main suspects are Eliot and Allison, so Helen is intent on proving that her friends could not have committed this murder. Did they do it and If they didn’t, then who did? When someone else dies, the conspiracy deepens to discover what the two victims might have in common. Is the past coming back to haunt them? Is this murder connected to a 50-year-old mystery? Helen and her world-renowned detection team are on a mission to discover the answer. But how will her involvement in yet another murder case affect her blossoming relationship with handsome detective Joe?

This is an amazing book! The Protagonist is genuine, a great friend, She loves her kids and she is funny. I just adore her detection club and the way she interacts with them as if they were real people. The term “detection club” is derived from Helen’s collection of Literary Amateurs Sleuths. Those who have read the preceding two books of the series are aware of her ‘Detection Club’. If you haven’t read them, then what are you waiting for!! I recommend that readers read the books in order to gain an understanding of the characters’ back story. It really helps to develop the relationship with the characters.

The author has a great way of building tension and pulling the reader in. What I like the most is that the book is full of twist & turns to solve the puzzle. Just when you think you have solved the mystery, she adds another twist that makes you rethink it. I must warn you, be prepared to lose some sleep because this book is hard to put down.

Real Estate Rule #3: It’s rare a buyer who wants to buy a haunted house”

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

All Tucked Inn by Rachel Hanna

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  • Title: All Tucked Inn
  • Author: Rachel Hanna
  • Series: Jubilee #2
  • Genre: Women’s Fiction
  • Takes Place: Jubilee, GA
  • Main Character: Heather, Madelyn, Brady,
  • Other Characters: Geneve, Ethan, Jasmine, Anna, Clemmy
  • Pets: Gilbert the goat and a dog named Murphy
  • Stars: 5

Rachel has done it again. Everything Rachel writes is captivating, interesting, and has wonderful 3-dimensional characters you are going to fall in love with. All Tucked Inn is the second book in the Jubilee series and it is just as great as the first one. First, I have to say, I love the name of the Inn, “All Tucked Inn”.

In this episode, we visit with Madelyn and Brady again. Brady is dealing with the fact that his sister and niece are living with him, which is causing a bit of a stir. We also meet some new friends. Heather lives in Atlanta and is visiting her mom, Lanelle, who runs All Tucked Inn, which has been in the family for generations. What Heather doesn’t know is that her mother has been keeping secrets from her which is causing Her some concern. A charming new guest arrives at the Inn, leaving Heather torn between the hustle and bustle of the city and the laid-back atmosphere of Jubilee. But is this new arrival who he seems to be? I was also pleasantly surprised when a familiar guest shows up at the Inn.

This book is full of surprises, suspense, second chances, romance, and a deeper understanding of what truly matters. I read it in a single sitting because I couldn’t put it down! I’m sure you’ll love Jubilee and the people who live there, just like I do. Of course there are pets, too. I especially loved Gilbert the goat, who we met in the book One.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Upstaged by Murder by Grace Topping

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  • Title: Upstaged by Mrder
  • Author: Grace Topping
  • Series: Laura Bishop Mystery #3
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Louiston, Pennsylvania
  • Main Character: Laura Bishop
  • Other Characters: Nita, Tyrone, Detective Spangler, Mrs. Webster, Will Parker , Josh Sheridan, Olivia, Simon, Chris, Beth, Neil
  • Pets: Inky the Cat
  • Stars: 5

The author has done it again with book three of the Laura Bishop Mystery. I can’t even choose which book is my favorite in the series because they are all so good. Ms. Topping has the ability to craft a suspense story in such a way that it leaves readers wanting more.

In this installment of the series, we’re back with Laura after her best friend encourages her to enter a home staging competition. We’ve got some familiar faces and some brand new ones in the mix Just as she gets ready to start staging for the challenge, a dead body is found in an old trunk.

This novel is full of unexpected twists and turns, a murder mystery, a daring attempt to apprehend a burglar, Laura’s emotional reckoning with the past, and the potential emergence of a romantic relationship.

At this time, this is the final installment in the series. However, I am hoping there will be more to come. I would be delighted to learn more about the character of Laura and the other characters who are featured in the series. Each of them has a great deal of depth and is highly interesting. I am a fan of small town tales with unexpected twists, mysteries, romance and humor.

Let me know in the comments if you have read this series.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Staging Wars by Grace Topping

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  • Title: Staging Wars
  • Author: Grace Topping
  • Series: Laura Bishop Mystery #2
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Louiston, Pennsylvania
  • Main Character: Laura Bishop
  • Other Characters: Nita, Tyrone, Monica, Detective Spangler, Mrs. Webster, Will Parker, Damian Reynolds, Josh Sheridan,
  • Pets: Inky the Cat
  • Stars: 5

The second installment of Grace Topping’s Laura Bishop Mysteries series begins with a bang – or rather, a stabbing.

I really love this series.  It is really a page turner. It is a series that I look forward to reading and then I have trouble putting it down. This is a sign of a brilliant book. I loved this one as much as I did the first.   It has it all, A Great protagonist that you will love, 3-dimensional characters with distinct personalities that just seem to all fit together & then of course there is Laura’s Nemesis, Monica, the one that nobody seems to like.  There is always one!

Between someone sabotaging her new staging business, two dead bodies, and her nemeses in jail for one of them, Laura has her hands full.

You will enjoy the ride as Laura once again finds herself in sticky situations to discover the truth. Her investigation to solve a crime takes a lot of twists and turns with an ending you won’t see coming. I love a mystery with a good twist.

I also love that at the beginning of each chapter there are some hints on staging a house to sell.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Mystery

Mystery at the Lighthouse by Claire Harlow

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  • Title: Mystery at the Lighthouse
  • Author: Claire Harlow
  • Series: A Sparrow Haven Cozy Mystery #1
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Sparrow Haven
  • Main Character: Olivia Harper
  • Other Characters: Millie, Ethan, Detective Fred O’Malley
  • Pets: Olivia’s Golden Retriever Barkley
  • Stars: 5

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be reading more. I really enjoyed this mystery. It’s a little different from what I’m used to reading. I’m used to mystery books, but rarely one that takes place more than a century ago.

Olivia, who lives in the small New England town of Sparrow Haven is the town librarian and an amateur sleuth. Mysteries has always fascinated her and her best friend, Milly. They always seem to be involved in some kind of investigation, much to the dismay of Detective Fred O’Malley. When some local teens find an old painting, it piques Olivia’s curiosity, so of course she has to find the secrets hiding beneath the brush strokes. Olivia, her Faithful companion, a Golden Retriever named Barkley, the hot new veterinarian, Ethan, and her best friend Milly solve a 100-year-old mystery with present implications. During their journey, they uncover family secrets that may be best left alone. Could uncovering the past get Olivia, Ethan and Millie killed!!

If you love a suspenseful mystery that takes you on a journey to past secrets that carry on to the present, then you will love this book. I read it in one sitting, which I rarely do. I just couldn’t seem to put it down. I had to find out how it ends and it definitly did not disappoint. The author just has a way of keeping the reader engaged and wanting more.

***I received this free ARC. This review is my honest opinion***

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Staging is Murder by Grace Topping

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  • Title: Staging in Murder
  • Author: Grace Topping
  • Series: Laura Bishop Mystery #1
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Louiston, Pennsylvania
  • Main Character: Laura Bishop
  • Other Characters: Nita, Tyrone, Victoria, Monica. Doug, Waren, Cora, Dr M, Detective Spangler, Mrs Webster, Will Parker
  • Pets: Inky the Cat
  • Stars: 5

This is my first book by this author and it’s a great one! I think it’s her first Cozy Mystery book and she got off to a great start. I’m really looking forward to reading more from her!

Laura Bishop is just starting out with her new business staging homes. She has her first client staging a 19th-century mansion to get it ready to sell. Even though the mansion hasn’t been updated in decades, she is determined to make it picture perfect. Her client will be tough but she is well known in the community. She is aware that the success or failure of her career may be determined by the manner in which this home is staged. She is both enthusiastic and apprehensive. Everything is going smoothly until her client has a run-in with her young assistant, Tyrone, over a broken vase, and then a dead body falls through the laundry chute at Laura’s feet. Tyrone was arrested after investigators determined he committed the heinous crime. Laura is positive Tyrone could not have killed anybody. When Tyrone’s grandmother insists that Laura prove his innocence, She finds herself playing amateur sleuth which could get her killed.

This book is a great beginning to the Laura Bishop Mystery series. It includes a likable protagonist, a quirky friend, a cozy small town, humor, a hot realtor, a victim with many enemies, a list of suspects with potential motives and an ending you won’t see coming. I can’t wait to start book two.

“Your House is a stage.”

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Killer in the Kitchen by Judy L. Murray

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  • Title: Killer in the Kitchen
  • Author: Judy L. Murray
  • Series: A Chesapeake Mystery
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Port Anne, MD
  • Main Character: Helen Morisey
  • Other Characters: Lizzie, Detective Joe McAlister, Tammi, Adrian, Mariah, Dana, dolttie, Tara, Shawn and of course Helen’s cast of amateur sleuth’s who she calls her ‘Detective Club’
  • Pets: 2 cats named Trixie & Watson & a Golden Retriever named Rocky
  • Stars: 5

This is the second book in the Chesapeake Mystery series and I am really enjoying this series. I am a sucker for a great mystery, and this one checks all the boxes. It has suspense, drama, mystery, and 3-dimensional characters you will love.

Helen Morisey, our favorite real estate agent, finds herself in a predicament once again because of her sleuthing and her detective club cast of characters. This time her daughter is involved, which makes it personal.

In this installment we get to see more of Helen’s daughter, Lizzie. Lizzie is a popular home shopping network host. She has invited her mother to meet a world famous celebrity chef who will be appearing on her show. When Helen finds out this chef will be selling his multi-million dollar mansion, she sees an opportunity to obtain him as a client. Before Helen even has time to list his home, he drops dead minutes before ending the on-air presentation of his food segment, apparently from tasting his own cooking. Lizzie, who also tasted the food, falls ill. It becomes personal for Helen because her daughter was also involved and could have been killed. Much to the dismay of Detective Joe McAllister, Helen does her own sleuthing to find a killer.

The author has a way of developing 3 dimensional characters who you grow to love. Helen is a loving mom to 2 adult children and a savvy real estate agent, who has a love of Twizzlers and mystery novels. I especially love Her ‘detective club’ that involves a cast of her favorite literary sleuths, Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Nora Charles, Agatha Raisin, and Nancy Drew. As she rushes to solve a mystery, she takes on the personalities of each of her literary characters which adds some humor. Detective Joe is always teasing her about her ‘detective club’ and you can visualize the budding romance between him and Helen. As much as the detective wants Helen to stay out of the investigation, he also knows that she has some valuable insight that he can use.

This book takes us on some twists and turns with several suspects as they try to determine the motive and who wanted the celebrity chef dead. There will be some surprises along the way and our Chef seems to be involved in more than just cooking.

“Motive plus opportunity plus chaos equals the perfect crime.”

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Suitable for Framing by Lori Roberts Herbst

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  • Title: Suitable for Framing
  • Series: Callie Cassidy Mystery #1
  • Author: Lori Roberts Herbst
  • Narrator: Lillian Baxter
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Setting: Rock Creek Village, CO
  • Main Character: Callie Cassidy
  • Other characters: Sam, Bestfriend Tonya, Parents Butch & Maggie Cassidy, Detective Raul Sanchez, Kimberly, Ms Finney
  • Pets: Golden Retriever named Woody & a Tabby cat named Carl
  • Stars: Book 5 Audio 4

This is the second time I have reviewed this book. The reason I am reviewing it again is that I just listened to the audio version. I really prefer reading to listening but I really wanted to try the audiobook. The narrator did well, but I struggled to imagine the setting and characters in the audio version. Though the narrator attempted to give each character a distinctive voice, I still found the audio difficult to follow. Being more of a visual learner, I comprehend easier by reading. Listening to the audio version made me want to read it again, so that is what I did. After finishing the audio version, I picked up my kindle to reread my favorite cozy mystery. I loved it just as much as the first time. Having first read it over a year ago, there were some details I had forgotten, so it was a nice refresher.

Callie Cassidy, a photojournalist, returns to her parents’ Rocky Mountain ski resort in Rock Creek Village to recover from a work-related tragedy. Her mom convinces her to take a photo gig at the Snowflake Swirl winter ball where she stumbles upon a dead body who just happens to be her nemesis from high school. So Callie finds herself in the middle of the the investigation, much to the dismay of the head detective in the case and her father, who is a retired chief of police.

Callie is someone I would love to have as best friend. She is smart, loyal and loves her dog, cat & wine so what could be better! She especially loves boxed wine which makes her more down to earth. All the characters in the book just seem to come alive. The author has a way of making you think you are there so I could picture the settings and each character. You will love Ms. Finney as her personality comes alive throughout the series. She also has a secret which was fun to read. I wish Rock Creek was a real place because I want to visit and stay at the Rocky Mountain Ski Resort owned by Callie’s parents. And who doesn’t love a book with pets!!

I love that Callie is smart and doesn’t want to believe the obvious suspect just may not be the doer. She does her own investigation to find a killer. The suspect list is growing, as it takes on a lot of twists and turns until the surprise ending you won’t see coming.

If you are looking for a great suspenseful cozy mystery that you can’t put down with a fantastic protagonist and other quirky characters in a small town, You will love The Callie Cassidy Mystery series. Start with this book first and you will definitely want to read the rest of the series. When I read this book, it leaves me wanting more!!

If you like to listen to books on your way to work or while cleaning etc, then pick up the audio version. Personally, I prefer to read the book. Whichever option you choose, you will not be disappointed.

“Home is where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in,”
— Robert Frost

Happy reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Murder in the Master by Judy L. Murray

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  • Title: Murder in the Master
  • Author: Judy L. Murray
  • Series: A Chesapeak Bay Mystery
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Port Anne, MD
  • Main Character: Helen Morisey
  • Other Characters: Susan, Detective Joe McAlister, Tammi, Estelle, David, Matt, Phil, Aubrey & several characters from Helen’s mysteries she likes to read
  • Pets: 2 cats named Trixie & Watson & a Golden Retriever named Rocky
  • Stars: 5

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be reading more. This is the type of book that left me wanting more.

Helen is a widow with 2 grown kids. She is a real estate agent in the small town of Port Anne, MD and has an obsession with Murder mysteries. Her favorite literary sleuths are Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Nora Charles, Agatha Raisin, and Nancy Drew. While showing a house to a potential buyer, she discovers a dead body in the master bedroom. The evidence quickly points to her best friend, Susan, as the killer. Susan begs Helen to help her prove her innocence. The lead detective, Joe McAlister, believes that Helen’s knowledge of the Real Estate community could assist him with information in the case. With her best friend as the prime suspect, Helen enlists the help of her detective club, featuring Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Nora Charles, Agatha Raisin, and Nancy Drew, to prove her innocence. The plot thickens when someone else is killed and Helen feels there is a connection between the 2 murders, but is there!

You can’t help but fall in love with Helen and her literary sleuths and you definitely can see some chemistry between her and Detective McAlister even though she says she isn’t ready for romance. If you love a fast-paced clean mystery with a lot of suspects and twists & turns with an ending you didn’t see coming, you will love this book. And there are cats and dogs, which is a bonus.

Is Helen’s friend Susan really guilty? Did the wife do it? Did a family member do it? Did a disgruntled employee do it? What is the connection between the two killings, if there is one? This book is fast-paced, with a lot of possible suspects and twists and turns that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Happy Reading!