Tag: Kathi Daley

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Riddle in Review by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: Riddle in Review
  • Author:Kathi Daley
  • Series: The Inn at Holiday Bay #22
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Holiday Bay, Maine
  • Main Character: Abby, Georgia, Jeremy Mylie, Lou
  • Other Characters:
  • Pets: a big cat named Rufus and 2 dogs named Molly, Ramos
  • Stars: 3

I was really looking forward to the 22nd book in The Inn at Holiday Bay series and I must say I was a little disappointed. It seemed to be all over the place with a lot of characters. I needed a score card to keep up. And the mystery concluded with a suspect who wasn’t even part of the plot and seemed to come out of nowhere. I like a whodunit that I can try to figure it but this would have been almost impossible to figure out.

The story starts with a missing bilingual parrot that Beck has been hired to find. This story kinda dropped and we didn’t hear about the parrot again until much later in book. I had almost forgotten about it.

Vanessa is out of town and has left her feisty Aunt Lou to take care of the bookshop. Someone is leaving one star reviews for several of the small business around town. At first it is just an inconvenience and a bit unsettling since the reviews seem to be bogus. Then these same small business start to be vandalized. It seems like the person giving bad reviews is also responsible for the vandalizing. For now, this still seems to be more of an inconvenience and the loss of some profits due to some businesses having to temporarily close until the can repair any damage. That is until there is a fire at one business and, the police find a body. Now it becomes a mystery to find out if this was murder or or did someone accidentally end up dead.

Colt, the chief of police and Abby’s boyfriend, is out of town so the women business owners in town take it upon themselves to try and solve this mystery. With the help of the town bartender/computer hacker, they trace the reviews back to someone in town. Is this person also the one who is vandalizing the business and have they actually committed homicide? Or was it an accident that someone died in the fire? Is all of this connected in some way to the reviews? You will have to read to find out.

Other highlightsin the story are Colt dealing with issues concerning his nephew, a couple gets engaged, Georgia and Tannerreevaluateeevalute their relationship, a new character may be staying in Holiday Bay.

This was not my favorite in the series and I struggled at times to finish it but I did. I will still read the next book in the series once it is released but if this had been the first book in the series, it would not have convinced me to finish the series.

If you read this, give me your thoughts in the comments.

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Cupid and cool jaz by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: Cupid and cool jaz
  • Author: Kathi DaleyAmy
  • Series: Bistro at Holiday Bay #3
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Holiday Bay, Maine
  • Main Character: Shelby, Dawson, Colt
  • Other Characters: Duke, Amy, Dax, Abby, Georgia, Nikki
  • Stars: 4

This is the third book in the Bistro at Holiday Bay series. This series is a spinoff of the Inn at Holiday Bay so you will see a lot of familiar characters along the way. As you remember, Shelby is one of the three sisters who received a huge inheritance from her grandmother, who she never knew existed. She also didn’t know about her twp sisters, before this all happened. Shelby decides to buy the Bistro with part of her inheritance.

It’s Valentines Day in Holiday Bay and the Bistro is having a big celebration with a cool jaz musician Duke Armstrong. When Duke is found dead in his hotel room the next morning, Police chief Colt Wilder is called. Duke evidently fell and hit his head on a table which caused his death. But did he really fall or was he pushed? Colt, along with the help of Shelby & Dawson (the bartender at the Bistro), investigate to determine if this was an accident or was it murder and if so, who did it. Dawson had a quite a few enemies so their are several suspects.

I liked this book but not as well as the first two. Shelby mentioned twice that the door to the roof was left open and she was curious as to why it was open but it was never explained. She kinda made a big deal about it so I kept expecting that someone was hiding on the roof or something but I guess it was dropped.

If you like a good mystery with some twists and turns and surprise ending, you will enjoy this book. Like I said, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first two but I did like it and I was surprised by the ending. I am looking forward to book.

Happy Reading

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

The Castle Capers – Kathi Daley

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  • 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!!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

The Murder Chronicles by Kathi Daley

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  • 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.

Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Holiday

The Ghostly Groundskeeper by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: The Ghostly Groundskeeper
  • Author: Kathi Daley
  • Series: Tess & Tilly #12
  • 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

The Halloween festival is coming up in White Eagle so naturally there is a spooky old house where a serial killer once lived.

There is a TV show called Ghost Therapist who are coming to White Eagle to do a ghost hunting tour of the mansion that was once owned by a doctor. On his deathbed, the doctor confessed to killing nine men in this mansion while he was doing medical experiments on them in the 70s and 80s. He told his groundskeeper to bury them on the grounds of the estate. These bodies have never been found and the groundskeeper is supposedly dead. Legend says that if you are in the tower of the house, you can see the groundskeeper at night with his flashlight, checking on the graves of these buried men.

People are going to bid to see who is going to stay in the mansion with the Ghost Therapist. The twelve highest bids will be chosen. Tess, Tony, Mike and two residents will also be staying there. During their stay in the mansion, they discover that someone has been living there in a secret room.

While Tess & Tony are at the mansion with the electrician to check things out before the big night, they find a dead body who has been there just a few days. The main suspect is Sam, who just moved next door to Tess’ mom.

What does Sam know about the deceased?
Who is living at the estate and why?
Where are the bodies of the men, the doctor confessed to killing?

Join Tess, Tony & Mike while they solve another murder.

This is another compelling story by Kathy Daley. The author keeps the reader engaged and guessing as the plot unfolds.

If you like small town romance with a side of murder and pets, you will love this series.


Cozy Mystery, Fiction

The Baby Plan – Kathi Daley

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  • 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.

Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Holiday

The Christmas Clause by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: The Christmas Clause
  • Author: Kathi Daley
  • Series: Tess & Tilly #8
  • 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

if you love a good cozy mystery, pets, and intriguing characters with a touch of Romance, you are going to love the Tess & Tilly series.

This is the 8th book in the series and it does not disappoint. Tess has found another clue into her dad’s past when a woman, who was somehow associated with her dad, is shot right in front of Tess. Now Tess wonders if somehow she lead the killer to this woman.

As Mike, Tess and Tony are investigating this murder, the town Santa is also murdered. So now they wonder if the two murders are connected. As they dig deeper, they aren’t sure if this involves her dad or if these two have another connection that got them killed.

Tess finds out a lot more about her dad’s past. If her dad one of the good guys or is he a killer?

As they are dealing with this,Tess & Mike’s relationship is suffering since he is mad at Tess for keeping secrets about their dad from him. Could this family drama destroy Bree and Tess’ friendship?

The plot thickens and takes lots of twist and turns to catch a killer before they kill again.

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

The Wedding Plan by Kathi Daley

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  • 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.

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

The Puppy Project by Kathi Daily

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  • 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.

Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Holiday, Romance

The Halloween Haunting by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: The Halloween Haunting
  • Author: Kathi Daley
  • Series: Tess & Tilly #7
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: White Eagle, Montana
  • Main Character: Tess, Tony, Bree, Mike
  • Other Characters: Brady, Hap, Hattie, Tess’ mom, Star Moonwalker
  • 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

It’s Halloween in White Eagle so we have a Haunted house, a skeleton, a dead body, a mystery surrounding Tess’ dad and a maybe sister. Lots of mysteries and lots of twists and turns.

I really love Tess, her dog Tilly and all the other characters we come to love in this series. This time Tess, Tilly and Brady are putting on a haunted house as a fundraiser to expand the shelter. While getting the house ready, they come across a skeleton hidden in the wall in the attic. Upon further investigation they also find a dead body in the clock tower. Even though Mike is investigating the skeleton and the murder, you know that Tess and Tony have to do their own investigation. So who is the skeleton and how long has it been hidden in the wall. Who killed the man in the clock tower. This takes us on quite a roller coaster ride before all is revealed.

On a side note, Tess discovers some disturbing information about her dad before he married her mom. This story is throughout the series and keeps us guessing.

This is another great read in the Tess & Tilly mystery. The author really knows how to keep the reader engaged throughout her books. If you like a good mystery with some romance thrown in, this series is for you.