Tag: Book Review

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

A Christmas to Die For by M.P. Black

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  • Title: A Christmas to Die For
  • Author: M.P. Black
  • Series: A Wonderland Books Cozy Mystery #4
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Blithedale
  • Main Character: Alice
  • Other Characters: Ona, Becca, Clyde, Ben, Todd, Andrea, Police Chief Jimbo, Mohammad, Mariella, Abigail, Mr Vickers, Wade, Lenny, Loraine, Bunve, Lewis
  • Stars: 4

In case you haven’t had enough of the Christmas Spirit, check out book 4 of the Woodlands books series for even more Christmas magic! Of course, there’s also a murder that threatens to spoil Blithedale’s Christmas cheer.

It is the Christmas season in Blithedale & Alice and the other residents are preparing for the Christmas Fair and a Santa Contest. While famous author, Clyde Digby, is at Wonderland Books doing a book reading from his latest book, the children at the book store are waiting for Santa to arrive for a Christmas reading. When Santa is late, and the kids are getting restless, Alice heads over to the Christmas fair to find him and she does find him…dead! Who could have killed Santa!!! With the police chief being incompetent and is always finding a reason not to work, Alice finds herself putting on her sleuthing hat once again to solve a murder. There are plenty of suspects. Come to find out no one really liked him, not even his wife.

There are plenty of mysteries in this story. What is the ex owner of the Blithedalel bookstore doing back in town? He is supposed to be retired in FL and here he is in a Santa costume. Who is the secret Santa that is gifting books to residents around town? Oh what a tangled web we weave!! Alice might have met her challenge with these mysteries to solve.

Join Alice and her friends on yet another roller coaster ride to solve a murder and the other mysteries. This is a good book and once again, the author twists the tale in such a way that when the reader thinks they have the mystery solved, it takes yet another turn that makes you question it.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

A Halloween to Die For by M.P. Black

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  • Title: A Halloween to Die For
  • Author: M.P. Black
  • Series: A Wonderland Book Cozy Mystery #3
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Blithedale
  • Main Character: Alice, Ona, Becca
  • Other Characters: Dr Fantasma, Gretchen, Stewart Conway, Susan, Edie, Fleur, Dylan, Duane Rooker, Holly, Mr & Mrs Oriel
  • Stars: 5

This is the 3rd book in the Wonderland Books Cozy Mystery series and these books never disappoint.

It is Halloween in Blithesdale and the ghosts and goblins are coming out in full force and of course there is is l going to be a haunted house. Alice is not thrilled about the haunted house but she is told that it is an old school haunted house and won’t the slasher theme that most haunted houses have nowadays. Even though Alice will be glad when Halloween is over, she goes along with it. Every thing seems to be going good until someone ends up dead and her best friend is standing over the body with a knife. To top things off, the only witness says she knows Becca didn’t do it because she saw the killer and it was a ghost. The witness said the ghost actually floated and was transparent. Well you can guess how reliable that witness was so Alice’s best friend is arrested. Even the police chief believes she didn’t do it but there is no evidence saying otherwise. So Alice and Ona are determined to prove her innocence. This is going to be hard to do. When Alice starts seeing ghosts at Ona’s Inn where she is staying, she is beginning to wonder about the ghost theory, The plot thickens when one of their main suspects also ends up dead. Now who could the killer be and what is the motive!

This book takes the reader on a bit of a roller coaster ride through the ghosts and goblins. What I am really enjoying about these books is that even when the reader believes they have it all figured out there is always a twist at the end. This author knows how to weave a good mystery that leaves the Reader guessing until the very end.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

A Theater to Die For by M.P. Black

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  • Title: A Theater to Die For
  • Author: M.P. Black
  • Series: A Wonderland Books Cozy Mystery #2
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Blithedale
  • Main Character: Alice Hartford
  • Other Characters: Ona, Becca, Mr Gorny, Billie Brine, Loraine, Lenny, Mr & Mrs Oriel, Chief Jimbo,
  • Stars: 5

‘You’re a wicked witch, Dorothy. I hope you melt.’”

This is the second book in the Wonderland books series. I am really enjoying this series.

In this episode, Alice has settled in to her new bookstore, Wonderland books, and it is a success. She is so grateful to her friends who helped her make this happen. Now she is excited about her plans for the struggling theater in town. She is a bit nervous to tell her friends about her plans but as they are discussing it, the owner of the theater is late for their meeting. They head over to the theater and her plans take a back seat when they find a dead body center stage with a Wizard of Oz clue. The suspects are numerous but who could have done the killing!

This a great cozy with a surprise ending. This is a story of friendship, community and friends coming together in a crises with a murder thrown in. I did figure out who did it before the ending but there were still some surprises that I didn’t suspect.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.”

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

The Bloodline by Robert J. Walker

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  • Title: The Bloodline
  • Author: Robert J. Walker
  • Series: A Riveting Kidnapping Mystery Series
  • Genre: Mystery, Thriller
  • Main Character: Jaques Tillery
  • Other Characters: Stuart, Denzel, Lieutenant Talbot, Keith Hatchet, The Captain, Shane
  • Stars: 5

This book grabbed me from the very beginning. I couldn’t put it down.

A woman sees a picture of of a man on the news and is convinced it is her son who was kidnapped decades ago when he was 12 years old. The authorities don’t believe her but a special Private Investigator does and decides to take her case to prove it. A current kidnapping has the same MO so he thinks the two may be connected in some way. As he researches these cases, he uncovers much more than he ever expected.

This book had great character development and the plot was great. It was fairly fast moving with a lot of detail. There were a lot twist and turns while the plot unravels as to what is happening and who is behind this. I had never read anything by this author before but I know I will read more. If you love a great suspense thrill and you don’t mind a little bit of bad language (the bad language isn’t a lot but there is some) you will love this book.

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Midnight Abduction: A Small Town Reveting Kidnapping Mystery Thriller by Marie Wilkins

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  • Title: Midnight Abductions
  • Author: Marie Wilkins
  • Genre: Mystery, Thriller
  • Takes Place:  Nevermore, North Dakota
  • Main Character: Nicole, Brad
  • Other Characters: Danny, Jessica, Blake, Kinder, Richard, Pam
  • Stars: 5

This is the first book I have read by this author and I could not put it down. It was exciting, suspenseful and & thrilling from the first page until the climax.

Nicole and Brad live in a small quiet suburban neighborhood with their two young children. They are happy, in love and appear to have everything they want in life. Then the unimaginable happens, their young daughter Jessica, doesn’t get off the bus after school. It is soon discovered that she has been abducted.  Brad’s brother, Blake, is a member of the local police department and appears to be more interested in how this affects their community rather than finding his niece. Nicole decides to enlist the help of the FBI. Nicole is determined to find her daughter, while at the same time, she trying to come to terms about something that happened in her past that she has even hidden from her husband. As her past comes back full circle will her family come together and find Jessica so they can heal and move forward!

Plan to lose some sleep when you read this book, because you will not be able to put it down. If you love a great mystery in a small town with 3-dimensional characters, you are going to love this book.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

A Bookshop to Die For by M.P. Black

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  • Title: A Bookshop to Die For
  • Author: M.P. Black
  • Series: A Wonderland Books Cozy Mystery #1
  • Genre: Cozy Myster
  • Takes Place: Blithedale
  • Main Character: Alice Hartford
  • Other Characters: Ona, Becca, Vince, Bunce, Kristin, Kris, Rich, Mr & Mrs Oriel, Chief Jimbo, Darrell, Mayor MacDonalld
  • Stars: 5

“If you want to know who committed a crime, take a look at who benefits the most.”

This is the first time I have read anything by this author but it won’t be my last. This cozy mystery was a fast and easy read. The reader can’t help but fall in love with Alice.

We first meet Alice as she arrives in town wearing a dirty wedding dress. She is a runaway bride who shows up in her hometown that she hasn’t been back to since she was a child. She first visits the bookstore her mom used to own just to find that it is falling apart and a developer is trying to buy it to destroy it. When the contractor at the bookstore falls to his death, the authorities brush it off as an accident but Alice thinks it is murder and she is deterimined to prove it. Her Sleuthing takes her through several possible suspects and motives until the surprise ending.

This has the small town community feel that I love. Even though Alice hasn’t been to town since she was a child, some members of the community embraced her as one of their own. Then it has the drama of why did Alice show up in town wearing a wedding dress and a murder that she feels compelled to solve so she can save the bookstore from being demolished. I really thought I had this one figured out but i was wrong. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming.

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

“The most important things in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Movie Stars & Mayhem by Avery Kent

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  • Title: Movie Stars & Mayhem
  • Author: Avery Kent
  • Series: Bishop’s Landing Cozy Mystery #4
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Bishop’s Landing
  • Main Character: Annie, Jake
  • Other Characters: Casey, Maggie, Christopher, Alistair, Bradley, Arthur, Mickala, Jamieson, Mandy, Dexter, Janet, Carl, Allison, Izzy, Clyde, Tanya
  • Pets: A Golden Retriever named Cookie
  • Stars: 4

This is the 4th book in the Bishop’s Landing Cozy Mystery.

Once again, Annie and Jake are caught up in a vicious crime spree. The residents of Bishop’s Landing are thrilled that a Blockbuster movie is being shot in their quaint little town. Annie is hired as the caterer for the cast & crew. The issue is that there is a lot of tension on the set, especially between the male lead and the female lead. With a Phantom haunting the theater, a robbery, a dead body and an actress who is missing, things really start to spiral out of control. Is it the same person or is there more than one person involved?

This is a one-of-a-kind story that will keep you guessing until the end. It started out slow, but then it really took off and I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Disclaimer: I received this book free as part of an ARC. This review is my opinion only and was freely given.

Happy Reading,

Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Romance

Starting Over by Kay Bratt

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  • Starting Over
  • Author: Kay Bratt
  • Series: Hart’s Ridge #8
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery, Romance
  • Takes Place: Hart’s Ridge GA
  • Main Character: Taylor
  • Other Characters: Sam, Cate, Sutton, Alice, Shane, Caleb, Corbin
  • Pets: Diesel along with several rescue animals
  • Stars: 5

This is another great read by Kay Bratt and the 8th book in her Hart’s Ridge Series.

We return to visit the Gray’s once more in this story about family dynamics, romance, secrets, helping where needed, balancing a busy life with family and of course, Mysteries.

A kidnapping rocks the town of Hart’s Ridge when Lydia, the wife of a local sheriff deputy, goes missing from the local Walmart. Deputy Taylor Gray along with the local Sheriffs Department and the FBI are on the case to find this missing woman. This takes Taylor away from her fiance, Sam, as he is dealing with some family struggles of his own.

Cate is struggling with her romantic life and recovering from a gunshot wound she received at the end of book #7. We meet a new character, Sutton, who has been accused of embezzlement. She moves in with Cate to help with her recovery and has secrets of her own.

Most of the book revolves around the search for Lydia and Sutton’s secret. Two great mysteries that will keep you guessing throughout the book.

I love this series. It pulls the reader in and it is a ‘can’t put down’ read. The characters are all 3-dimensional with distinct personalities. I love their strength and no matter their struggles, they always have each others backs. I recommend reading the books in order so you can get to know the Gray family fall in love with them as I have.

Be sure to read the Author’s note at the end of the book. The kidnapping in the book was based on a real life kidnapping. Parts of it were altered a bit but her inspiration came from an actual event.

Although I enjoyed this book immensely, I did have one issue with the ending. I felt like there was no closure. I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t say more. This was supposed to be the last book in the Hart’s Ridge series but due to popular demand, there will be a 9th book. I am so glad we get to visit with the Gray’s one more time. I am looking forward to book 9.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Christmas in the Candlelight by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: Christmas in the Candlelight
  • Author: Kathi Daley
  • Series: The Inn at Holiday Bay
  • Genre:Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Holiday Bay, Maine
  • Main Character: Abby, Georgia
  • Other Characters: Jeremy, Mylie, Colt. Reno, Brody
  • Pets: Ramos the cat, Dog named Molly, Dog name Ramos
  • Stars: 5

This is the  twenty-fifth book in The Inn at Holiday Bay series. I really enjoy this series and have enjoyed all of the books by Kathi Daley. Even though there is a murder, this series makes you want to move to Holiday Bay, well apart from the cold and snow, that is. But I love the community, friendship and how everyone is always there for each other. Abby is the owner of the Inn and she treats her employees very well. They are more family and friends than employees

In this installment, Holiday Bay is preparing for the Christmas activities at the in while Georgia’s past is coming back to haunt her. Georgia’s cooking show is filming at the Inn which seems to be bringing on a lot of stress. Georgia’s new producer is bringing in Chef Brody Litman who Georgia has an unpleasant past. Brody is to take the lead while Georgia takes a supporting role which doesn’t make her happy. When Brody’s body is found in a sleazy motel on the outskirts of town and Georgia is seen on camera leaving his room earlier in the evening, she becomes the prime suspect in the case. Because of a conflict of interest for Colt, a detective is brought in to investigate. No one else is seen on camera leaving the victims hotel room so will Georgia be able to prove she didn’t kill him? 

If you haven’t read this series, I recommend it. It is best to start at the beginning and read the books in order so you can get to know the cast of characters. The reader starts to think of all the characters as family and can’t wait to see what they are up to next

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Murder in the 1920s by Penny Brooke

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  • Title: Murder in the 1920s
  • Author: Penny Brooke
  • Series: Green Oaks Bookbinding Cozy Mystery
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Green Oaks, Massachuttes
  • Main Character: Charlotte
  • Other Characters: Isla, Natalie, Brandonr, Kenan, Annette
  • Pets: Charlotte’s 2 cats Roma & Archimedes
  • Stars: 5

This is the first book in the Green Oaks Bookbinding Cozy Mystery Series. I love a good cold case and this book brought all the mystery that I love.

Charlotte inherits her grandmothers estate in the small town of Green Oaks, Massachusetts, a historic estate built in 1902 and purchased by Charlotte’s grandfather in the 1970s. Charlotte used to visit her grandparents there when she was a child. While exploring her grandmothers overgrown garden, she falls in a well. Imagine her shock when she stumbles upon a human skull. The medical examiner (who happens to be Charlotte’s best friend) determined that the skull belonged to a young woman who went missing in the 1920s. The authorities aren’t particularly interested in a century-old cold case since anyone involved would be dead but Charlotte’s curiosity has piqued so she decides to do her own investigating.

Will Charlotte’s sleuthing put her in danger? How is this mystery connected to the present day? All of this and more will be discovered as you read this cozy mystery that checks all the boxes. It is intriguing with lots of suspects and a surprise ending. It kept me engaged throughout the book and It left me wanting more.

Happy Reading!