Tag: Cozy Mystery

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!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Nobody Told Me by Kay Bratt

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  • Title: Nobody Told Me
  • Author: Kay Bratt
  • Series: Hart’s Ridge #6
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Hart’s Ridge
  • Main Character: Taylor, Lucy
  • Other Characters: Jarret, Shane, Sam, Anna, Cate
  • Pets: Dogs Diesel & Ginger along with some other Rescues at the farm
  • Stars: 5

This is book six in Kay Bratt’s Hart’s Ridge series. I have loved this series from the very beginning. I just love the Gray sisters and their family dynamic. Even though they have their problems, they are always going to stand up for each other.

In this installment, the focus is more on Taylor & Lucy. We find out more about Lucy’s troubled past which she is trying to escape. Some things are happening that Lucy is blamed for, but Shane believes something else is going on, so he investigates. Is Lucy’s past about to catch up with her!!

The small town in rocked by the news of a local teen’s disappearance, who was later found dead. It is assumed he was drinking and wandered into the lake and drowned, but could there have been foul play!! Deputy Taylor Gray is determined to find out. Lucy’s dog, Ginger, also has a bit of a starring role.

As usual, the author takes us on a fast-paced roller coaster ride to solve these mysteries with an ending I didn’t see coming. And who doesn’t love a book with dogs!! I definitely recommend this series. Even though you can read these books as a standalone, it’s better to read them in order, as the series mentions many characters, and you get to know the Gray girls. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

The author usually takes her stories from real life. She explains in a note at the end of the book about the real life Jarrett and how he was the inspiration for this story in the book.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

The Death Contingency by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

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  • Title: The Death Contingency
  • Author: Nancy Lynn Jarvis
  • Series: Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries #1
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Santa Cruz
  • Main Character: Regan, Kaivan
  • Pets: a Cat named Harry
  • Stars: 1

This is the first book I have read by this author and if this is an example of the rest of her books, I won’t be reading more. I think this is the lowest star I have ever given to a book, probably because if it is going to be a 1 star, i just don’t finish it. I think I finished this one because I just knew there would be a twist at the end but I was wrong.

Regan is a Real Estate agent and is due to meet with another agent, Kaivan. Regan’s clients are buying Kaivan’s uncle’s house and they are meeting to sign the papers. Kaivan’s Uncle, Cyrus Ansari, is late. They keep waiting and he never shows up. Kaivan doesn’t seem too worried because it isn’t unlike his uncle to take off for a few days without word so he is never reported as missing until he is found dead floating in the ocean. At first they think it was an accident but then it is ruled as murder. Regan decides to play amateur sleuth to find the killer when she stumbles upon another dead body. Now she is trying to find a connection between Uncle Cyrus and this dead woman.

I really wanted to like this book. The idea of a real estate agent as the amateur sleuth intrigued me and I thought it would be interesting. There was a bit too much real estate and not enough sleuthing going on. It felt like the author was just trying to make her word count by going on and on with descriptions of houses she had listed. It got to be a bit boring so I would skip pages. I really thought about not finishing the book but kept reading for a twist in the end. What a letdown when there wasn’t a twist, and the killer was predictable. There wasn’t enough character development. It seemed to spend more time on real estate and not enough time on the mystery. The ending just seemed to fall flat, and I felt like I wasted a few hours of my life reading it.

Well on to my next book!

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Sunshine & Sweet Wine by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: Sunshine & Sweet Wine
  • Author: Kathi Daley
  • Series: Bistro at Holiday Bay #4
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Holiday Bay, Maine
  • Main Character: Shelby, Dawson
  • Other Characters: Beck, Colt, Alex, Kennedy, Amy, Tricia, Nikki, Georgia
  • Pets: Golden Retriever named Cooper and 2 cats Marley and Hennessy
  • Stars: 4

This is the 4th installment in the Bistro at Holiday Bay Series. This series is a spin off of The Inn at Holiday Bay. I like the Inn best but I do like this series. This book is good and kept my interest, the only reason I gave it a star is because the ending was a bit of a let down. There was quite a bit of anticipation and I wanted to know what happened but then it seemed to leave me wanting a more intriguing ending.

In this installment, there are a few mysteries. Dawson is the bar manager and the Bistro. He has been gone a few days and returns to find that his prize Harley has been stolen. Whoever stole it, drove it through a guardrail to the bay below but they have not found the thief. There is a server who works at the Bistro who hasn’t shown up for work in a few days and no one can reach her. Where could she be?

Beck’s Mystery was the most interesting. Beck is a private investigator who uses a booth at the Bistro as his office. His newest client is receiving suspicious packages that appear to be from her mother, who has been missing and presumed dead for 50 years. Who could be sending her packages? Is someone trying to scare her? Could her mother still be alive? There are a lot of possibilities.

Dawson has been presented with an offer of a lifetime. Will he accept it and leave his job at the Bistro?

With all the mysteries going on, could there also be a possible romance in the making?

The characters are well thought out and 3 dimensional and I have become invested in their stories. The mysteries really piqued my interest, but the ending was just a bit of a letdown. I was expecting more of a twist. It won’t keep me from reading the next book in the series.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Berry Purple Betrayal by Emily Oberton

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  • Title: Berry Purple Betrayal
  • Author: Emily Oberton
  • Series: Hadley Home Design Cozy Mystery #3
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Darlington Hills, VA
  • Main Character: Hadley Sutton
  • Other Characters: Irma, Carmella, Reid, Dennis, Lydia, Vincent, Terence, Aunt Deb
  • Pets: dog named Chip and a cat named Razzy
  • Stars: 5

Another great book by Emily Oberton. This is the 3rd book in the Hadley Home Design Mystery series and I loved it as much as the 2nd.

In this installment, Hadley once again finds herself in the middle of a murder, but this time she is the prime suspect. She has to race against time to prove her innocence. While she is trying to prove she didn’t commit murder, her friend Carmella has a mystery of her own. Carmella and Hadley are searching for the culprits who vandalized the high school where Carmella is the principal. During Hadley’s investigation into the murder, it turns out that there were several people who had a motive for murdering the victim. But could Hadley’s investigation get her killed!!

This book has so many twists and turns and the list of suspects just keeps growing as Hadley Unravels family secrets. If you enjoy small-town mysteries with a great protagonist, quirky characters, multiple suspects, surprises, and a bit of romance, this series is for you. This may be my favorite of the entire series. This is the last book in the series at this time but I am really hoping there will be more.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Pearl White Peril by Emily Oberton

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  • Title: Pearl White Peril
  • Author: Emily Oberton
  • Series: Hadley Home Design Cozy Mysteries #2
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Darlington Hills, VA
  • Main Character: Hadley Sutton
  • Other Characters: Aunt Deb, Reid, Vincent, Willy, Dennis, Carmella
  • Pets: A dog named Chip and a cat named Razzy
  • Stars: 5

This is the second book in the Hadley Home Design Cozy Mystery series and I loved it. It had everything I love about cozy mysteries. I started reading this book with a bit of skepticism since the first one was so obvious. But since there were a lot of things I liked about the first one, I wanted to give this series another chance. I am so glad I did.

I really like the protagonist, Hadley. She’s intelligent, but risks her life at times. Perhaps not the wisest, but I still love her. Hadley relocated to Darlington, VA after her boyfriend broke up with her. She landed a job staging rooms for photo shoots and loves her job even though her new boss can be cantankerous and rude. Everything is going great until Hadley finds a dead body in her boss’s Kitchen. Of course, her boss, Vincent, is the prime suspect.

Hadley is afraid she will be out of a job if her boss goes to prison, so she works hard to prove her boss’ innocence. Her investigation leads her into some dangerous situations that could get her killed. As she gets closer to someone, could he be the killer!

This book takes the readers on a bit of a roller coaster ride with a series of twists and turns to find a killer. I really thought I had the killer figured out, but there is a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. This is the type of mystery I love.

If you love a cozy mystery in a small town with a fun-loving protagonist, quirky characters, pets, and twists and turns to find a killer, you will love this book.

Happy reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Lemon Yellow Lies by Emily Oberton

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  • Title: Lemon Yellow Lies
  • Author: Emily Oberton
  • Series: Hadley Home Design Cozy Mysteries #1
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Darlington Hills, VA
  • Main Character: Hadley Sutton
  • Other Characters: Kent, Erin, Aunt Deb
  • Pets: A dog named Chip and a cat named Razzy
  • Stars: 4

This is the first book I have read by this author. I really liked this book and the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I found the ending too predictable.

Interior designer Hadley Sutten has a bad breakup with her boyfriend who is locally famous so she sees him everywhere. She needs a break and needs to be somewhere familiar. Her favorite aunt’s hometown of Darlington, VA is the perfect place to escape to after a breakup. She lands a job interview in Darlington so she packs her bags and leaves her home in New Orleans. Hadley has plans to start her own design business, but in the meantime ,she needs a job. While waiting for her job interview, she meets Kent, who hires her to furnish his outdoor living space for his fiance’s surprise birthday party. Along with working in his backyard, she has also agreed to house-sit and take care of his dog while he is away on a business trip. Who would hire an interior designer that they just met to house sit? I guess that is why they call it fiction.

When Hadley meets his fiance, it doesn’t go well. The fiance is a bit stuck up and doesn’t seem to like anything Hadley is doing to the backyard. The plot thickens when the fiance goes missing. There are a lot of lies and secrets as it leads us to the truth.

The cast of suspects is growing & Hadley’s life could be in danger as she uncovers some secrets that gets her closer to the truth.

I love all the twists and turns in this book and it was so engaging, I couldn’t put it down. I loved Hadley even though she was a bit naïve and trusting. I was going to give this book 5 stars until the ending. I like a mystery that is hard to solve and leaves you surprised at the end. In this entire book, I knew who the most obvious suspect was, but I was hoping for more of a big twist at the end and it didn’t happen. If you read this book, let me know in the comments what you think.

Happy reading!