Category: Fiction

• Title: The Castle Capers
• Author: Kathi Daley
• Series: Tess & Tilly #14
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Takes Place: White Eagle, Montana
• Main Character: Tess, Tony, Bree, Mike
• Other Characters: Brady, Hap, Hattie, Tess’ mom,
• Pets: a golden retriever named Tilly and a cat named Tangletoe (Tang for short) and a cat named Tinder and Tony’s german sheppard Titan, Mike’s dog Leonard and the newest member of the family Kody. plus lots of other shelter dogs that come and go.
• Stars: 3

This is the 14th book in the Tess & Tilly series. I just didn’t like this one as well as I did the others so I gave it 3 stars. I found some of the dialogue repetitious and too much focus about talking about nonsense that just didn’t seem important. So many new characters were introduced that they were hard to keep up with. I will say that the author at least listed the new characters at the front of the book, with a description of who they were, which made it easier to keep up with who was who. Then you kept hearing about ghosts being there but they seem to never appear. I wish she had gone into a little more description about the Scottish scenery. There was too much going back and forth over the suspect list that it got old. The end of the book, left me feeling unsatisfied. I was glad I finished it and could move on to my next book. I hated so say this about a Tess and Tilly book because I love this series and have loved all the other books.

This 14th book finds Tess & Tony heading to Scotland. The new owner for Faulkner Castle, Richie, hired Tony to work on his state of art security system to see why it keeps malfunctioning. Tony’s friend and business partner Shaggy and his girlfriend Shanti along with Tilly are tagging along. Tony & Shaggy plan on attending a video game convention while they are there.

Things are going well and they are enjoying themselves until Tess sees her dad in a local pub . She was going to speak to him, till he shook his to let her know to pretend she doesn’t know him. Tony did get a message from Tess’ dad that they would find something interesting in the south wing of the castle. What they found was a dead body and the plot thickens when they find a second dead body. Does Tess’ dad have anything to do with these dead bodies? The rest of the book just starts going through the list of suspects to narrow it down to who killed these these people and what were they doing in the south wing.

Overall I have loved this series but this book just didn’t measure up. If you read it, let me know what you think in the comments.

Happy Reading!!

• Title: The Murder Chronicles
• Author: Kathi Daley
• Series: Tess & Tilly #13
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Takes Place: White Eagle, Montana
• Main Character: Tess, Tony, Bree, Mike
• Other Characters: Brady, Hap, Hattie, Tess’ mom,
• Pets: a golden retriever named Tilly and a cat named Tangletoe (Tang for short) and a cat named Tinder and Tony’s german sheppard Titan, Mike’s dog Leonard and the newest member of the family Kody. plus lots of other shelter dogs that come and go.
• Stars: 5

Another great book by Kathi Daley. This Author just keeps the reader wanting more.

Tess receives a letter from a man named Simon with details about murders that happened over 60 years ago. Apparently Simon, was a member of a secret society who was trying to solve fifteen cold case murders. They were able to solve all the cases except for one. Now he is the only surviving member of this societyand has only months to live. He really wants this last case solved before he dies. This society put details of all of these murders in a journal they named The Murder Chronicles. Included with the letter to Tess, was also this journal, Simon had heard about Tess and her success at solving mysteries so he was enlisting her help to solve this last cold case.

It is a case of a woman who went missing in 1958. She supposedly got a call from her child’s school that her son had been in a fight and she needed to come and pick him up. She didn’t drive so she called her husband and told him she was going to walk to go get him. Something isn’t setting right since the school is about 5 miles away and it was raining and windy. After her husband talked to her, she was never heard from again.

Tess & Tony, with the help of Mike, decide to try and solve this Mystery even though they know, everyone involved is probably dead at this point. It won’t be an easy task but if anyone can solve it, it will be these three.

In addition to this cold case, Tess & Tony are also planning the Spring fling. Over at the animal clinic they had an employee who is quitting so Brady & Tess hire a new employee. There is a man in town who used to know Tess’ dad and he is asking questions. Tess gets a visit from her dad. There is a lot going on in Tess’ world.

If you love mysteries and you love a good cold case, like I do, then you are going to love this book in the Tess & Tilly mystery series. The author takes us on twists and turns to a final climax we didn’t see coming.

• Title: The Baby Plan
• Author: Kathi Daley
• Series: Tess & Tilly #11
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Takes Place: White Eagle, Montana
• Main Character: Tess, Tony, Bree, Mike
• Other Characters: Brady, Hap, Hattie, Tess’ mom,
• Pets: a golden retriever named Tilly and a cat named Tangletoe (Tang for short) and a cat named Tinder and Tony’s german sheppard Titan and the newest member of the family Kody. plus lots of other shelter dogs that come and go.
• Stars: 5

This is another great book by Kathi Daley

As we visit the town of White Eagle, Montana, someone is having a baby. Not only that but another baby lands in Mike’s arms. Tess & Tony have a big decision to make. And of course, there is another murder.

Lots of things happening in White Eagle, Montana. Mike shows up at Tess & Tony’s house with a baby in his arms. Where did this baby come from? Tess & Tony agree to take the baby until she can be reunited with her mother. This all involves their dad once again.

Then there is a local resident found dead in the lake. Theo (Tess’ mom’s friend) goes missing so he becomes the prime suspect. There is a mystery surrounding Theo that leads back to Tess’ dad.

A lot is going on in this book and we find out a little more about Tess & Mike’s dad and what connection he has to the dead body, the baby & Theo.

This was another great book in this series. The author takes us on a roller coaster ride on this journey. It is a fun ride with losts of mysteries. I love the way she teases the reader in each book concerning Tess’s dad. He keeps changing his name so we still don’t really know his real name but Tess & Mike know him as their dad, Grant Thomas. He keeps popping in and out of their life 1 or 2 minutes at a time. We learn a little more about him in the book.

I recommend this series and each book keeps the readers interested and wanting more.

• Title: The Wedding Plan
• Author: Kathi Daley
• Series: Tess & Tilly #10
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Takes Place: White Eagle, Montana
• Main Characters: Tess, Tony, Bree, Mike
• Other Characters: Brady, Hap, Hattie, Tess’ mom,
• Pets: a golden retriever named Tilly and a cat named Tangletoe (Tang for short) and a cat named Tinder and Tony’s german sheppard Titan plust lots of other shelter dogs that come and go.
• Stars: 5

In book 10 of the Tess & Tilly mysteries, it starts off with a missing child. Tess knows the area so she is helping search for the child and they end up with more than the bargained for. When one of the search and rescue dogs heads off barking at something they think is the missing child, they stumble upon a dismembered body.

This is a cozy mystery but I felt like it was a little more graphic than most cozies. Talking about a dismembered body and how body parts are laying around but the head is missing was a bit too much of a visual for me. But even with this the book was very engaging and I loved the mystery.

So there is a dismembered body to identify and they find out it is actually the parts from 2 different people & the tattoo on the arm leads them back to Tess & Mike’s dad.

In the middle of all of this Tess’ & Tilly are planning a secret wedding with just close friends ando family. Tony’s grandmother Nona is even planning to come from Italy. And Bree & Mike are still trying to get pregnant. Tony & Tess take in a new family member. Then there is a secret meeting planned with Tess & Mike’s dad.

Will they find the Identity of the dismembered bodies? And what happened to them? What is Tess & Mike’s dad’s connection? Will Tess & Tony’s wedding happen on time without a hitch? Did they find the missing child in the woods? Will Bree finally get pregnant and have the baby she is praying for? Do they meet up with their dad?

Lots of mystery and twist and turns that keeps you guessing throughout the book. It is very well written, just like the previous books of the series. The author really knows how to keep the reader engaged throughout her books.

I loved this and recommend all of the Tess & Tilly series.

• Title: The Puppy Project
• Author: Kathi Daley
• Series: Tess & Tilly #9
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Takes Place: White Eagle, Montana
• Main Character: Tess, Tony, Bree, Mike
• Other Characters: Brady, Hap, Hattie, Tess’ mom,
• Pets: a golden retriever named Tilly and a cat named Tangletoe (Tang for short) and a cat named Tinder and Tony’s german sheppard Titan plust lots of other shelter dogs that come and go.
• Stars: 5

The author has done it again by writing another compelling story that just makes the reader want more. Once I finish one book in the series, I can’t wait to start the next one.

This is the 9th book in the series. Brady, the vet in White Eagle, has received a donation of a lifetime. Tony, Tess’ boyfriend, and his friend Shaggy developed a video game and Tony gave his portion to Brady to expand White Eagle Animal Shelter. Brady and Tess want to offer housing for the elderly and hard to place animals. The also want a service dog & search and rescue training facility. While they are breaking ground for the expansion, they find a skeleton that is several years old. Mike is investigating but, as usual, Tess and Tony are doing their own investigation.

In the mean time, there are more mysteries that surround Tess’ dad. If they aren’t careful, someone else could end up dead. The plot thickens involving Tess’ dad, Grant. Tony has been receiving some emails from Tess’ dad but is it really Tess dad or someone pertending to be him? It seems Tony and Tess just keeps getting pulled in deeper and deep? Are they risking their lives by researching what her dad is involved in? Will they find out what he is up to and who he really is?

Tess is making some major decisions that will affect her entire life.

Read this book to find out more about Tess’ dad and to see what major decisions she is making and how it will affect her and Tony?

I really love all the characters in this series and I always anticipate what is coming next one.