Tag: Mystery

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!

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!

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Her Deadly Truth by L.A. Larkin

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  • Title: Her Deady Truth
  • Author: L.A. Larkin
  • Series: A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller #2
  • Genre: Mystery, Thriller
  • Main Character: Sallie Fairburn
  • Other Characters: Detective Clark, Detective Lin, Richard Foster, Paul, Margie, Caroline, Matt, Lauren, Nicole, Becca, Daisy
  • Stars: 5

This is another great thriller by L.A. Larkin. The author has a way of twisting a story to keep you guessing till the end.

Sallie’s neighbor Caroline confides in her that she thinks her husband is trying to kill her. Sallie doesn’t want to get involved since she and her son were almost killed by the Poster Killer in book one.. When Caroline turns up dead, Sallie regrets not helping her friend so she tries to find evidence agains her husband, Matt to prove he killed his wife. Once again, Sallie’s snooping could get her killed.

When she starts receiving mysterious flowers and she feels she is being watched, she knows she must be getting close to finding out who killed Caroline. Could the Poster Killer, who is serving a life sentence know something! She may have to visit him in prison to find out. Then when one of Caroline’s friends is killed by a hit and run, the race is on to find a killer.

Ms Larkin keeps us guessing all the way to the end. It is fast paced with a lot of twists and turns to find a killer. I loved this book just as much as the first. The author knows how to keep the reader engaged and there is never a dull moment. If you love a thrilling mystery, with a surprise ending, you will love this series.

Happy Reading!


Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Next Girl Missing by L.A. Larkin

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  • Title: Next Girl Missing
  • Author: L.A. Larkin
  • Series: A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller #1
  • Genre: Thriller, Mystery
  • Main Character: Sally Fairburn
  • Other Characters: Paul Fairburn, Bryan Topham, Detective Clark, Detective Richard Foster, Aiden Foster, Theo Durrant,
  • Stars: 5

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be reading more. I loved it from the very first word to the very last. I was so captivated by it that I just couldn’t put it down.

Saly is a former cop now working as a victim’s advocate. She lost her daughter five years ago and is still reeling from that. She is divorced from a controlling abusive husband and now her main focus is her 14-year-old son. Additionally, the memory of 6 girls who were abducted from her community 4 years ago still haunts her.

They convicted Theo Durrant for a series of crimes and they suspect him of being the poster killer who is responsible for the disappearance of the six girls. Imagine Sally’s shock when Theo requests that she go to the prison to visit him because he has information about the Poster killer. She wasn’t going to go until she saw a poster of herself. This really upset her since the poster killer always put up a poster of each girl before he took her. When she goes to visit him, Theo claims he is not the poster killer, but he knows who is. He won’t tell her who it is, but he gives her two hints. When Theo is later killed in prison, she realizes her own life could be in danger. The local cops reopen the cold case. When there is a stalker who won’t leave her alone and her son also becomes a target, she is determined to find the poster killer before he kills again.

During Sally’s search for the truth, other secrets are revealed.

This book is exciting and keeps you guessing from the very first page. It takes the reader on a roller coaster ride until the killer is revealed. There is a lot of action and suspense with an ending I didn’t see coming.

If you love a great suspense with a surprise ending, you will love Next Girl Missing.

Happy Reading,

Fiction, Mystery

While She Slumbered by Pamela Frost Dennis

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  • Title: While She Slumbered
  • Author: Pamela Frost Dennis
  • Series: Murder Blog Mysteries #5
  • Genre: Mystery
  • Takes Place: 
  • Main Character: Katy
  • Other Characters: Nina, Donna, Michelle,
  • Stars: 4

This is the fifth book in the series, and I have to admit that I didn’t like it as much as I enjoyed the first four. I didn’t dislike it: it just didn’t hold my interest as well as the previous books.

In this story, Katy worries about Nina, her elderly neighbor. Donna, Nina’s niece, visited to take care of her and Katy hasn’t seen or heard from Nina since Donna arrived. When Katy would go over there, Donna would always claim Nina was sleeping. In an effort to figure out what was going on, Katy began spying on Nina’s home because she was growing increasingly suspicious. She believed Donna had wronged Nina in some way. Since there was no proof of a crime, she was unable to receive much assistance from the authorities, so Katy used all of her sleuthing abilities to solve the case.

Donna is a mystery author as well, so Katy starts reading her works. It appears that what Donna is describing in her books and what is taking place at Nina’s house are related.

The amount of time it took to learn Donna and Nina’s situation took way too long. Like in the previous books, there were some humorous moments, but it felt like it went on forever. The ending wa a surprise. I enjoy a good mystery and attempt to solve it every time. This author does have a way of twisting a story so it is a bit more difficult to figure the ending.

If you decide to read this book, I would love to know your thoughts.

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Mystery

Was it Murder by Pamela Frost Dennis

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  • Title: Was It Murder
  • Author: Pamela Frost Dennis
  • Series: Murder Blog Mysteries #4
  • Genre: Mystery
  • Main Character: Katy
  • Other Characters: Grandma Ruby, Bill, Diane
  • Stars: 5

This is another great book in the Murder Blog Mystery series. I love the way that author can weave some humor in the otherwise dramatic story.

This book takes Grandma Ruby and Katy to England where Ruby’s sister, Edith, passed away suddenly. While taking her dog for a walk. Edith evidently slipped on some ice on her steps and died. Ruby is beside herself with grief and needs to go to England immediately to take care of Edith’s home and finances. Katy wasn’t about to let Ruby go by herself so she goes to help.

It took them a little longer to travel to England than they had anticipated because their flight kept getting delayed. The author nevertheless managed to inject humor into the plot despite all the stress brought on by the delays.

Even from across the ocean, Katy often finds herself in life-threatening situations. It is almost immediately apparent that someone in the community does not want them there. Ruby and Katy begin to suspect there is a problem in the small English community as a result of the deaths of several citizens and the vandalism of Edith’s cottage. Some of the citizens of this community are not as they seem.

Who doesn’t want them there and is trying to scare them into leaving? Who could be vandalizing their property? Why did several people die? Was Edith’s accident really an accident? These are questions that will be answered when you read this book.

I genuinely believed I had the mystery figured out. I did manage to figure out a portion of it, but it was much more complex. This author has a way of weaving a story with a lot of twists and turns so the ending is always a surprise. I just love all the characters in this series. There are so many facets to Katy and Ruby, and just when you think you understand them, something unexpected happens.

If you love a good mystery with lots of twists & turns, and surprises and don’t mind a few curse words scattered about, you are going to love this mystery series.

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Mystery

Better Dead than Wed by Pamela Dennis

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  • Title:  Better Dead than Wed
  • Author: Pamela Frost Dennis
  • Series: Murder Blog Mysteries #2
  • Genre: Mystery
  • Main: Character: Katy
  • Other: Characters:  Grandma Ruby, Samantha, Heather, Chad, Lisa, Josh, Emily
  • Pets:  Labrador Retriever  named Daisy & a Tabby cat named Tabitha
  • Stars:  5

This book was equally as fantastic as the first. The characters have a lot of depth. The way this author describes everything makes you feel as though you know the characters.

Once again Katy finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery.  As Katy is working on her graphic design business and trying to make enough money to p ay her bills, her estranged half-sister shows up,  and she has a secret. What secret could Katy’s mom be keeping? Katy’s best friend Samantha talks Katie into joining a book club with her and there is a quirky cast of characters who also have their share of secrets.  Of course, Katy has to blog about all of it.

This book has lots of twists and turns &  a lot of secrets with a surprise ending.

Katy has a stalker who just happens to be her ex-husband Chad who she likes to call Chad the Cad. He is really a deadbeat with a pregnant wife and a girlfriend. There are lots of drama, secrets and surprises and somebody gets shot.

I could not put this book down. I was engrossed with it from the very first word till the last. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. I love all the characters, especially Katy and Grandma Ruby. Some of the lines they say are priceless.

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Mystery

Coins & Cadavers by Pamela Frost Dennis

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  • Title:  Coins & Cadavers
  • Author: Pamela Frost Dennis
  • Series: Murder Blog Mysteries #3
  • Genre: Mystery
  • Main: Character: Katy
  • Other: Characters:  Grandma Ruby, Samantha, Heather, Josh,
  • Pets:  Labrador Retriever  named Daisy & a Tabby cat named Tabitha
  • Stars:  5

As we follow Katy and her blog through another adventure, this author provides yet another excellent read. Katy has a habit of getting herself into situations from which it seems hard to escape, and they always seem to involve murder.

This book follows Katy as she attempts to get rid of pests in her attic and, in the process, discovers a wooden chest concealed behind the attic wall. She is adamant locating the actual owner of the chest, but because it appears to have been in her home for decades, the owner is probably no longer alive. The chest is hers, everyone reassures her. Katy always tries to do the right thing, so she makes the decision to look into who owns this chest and the circumstances behind its concealment in her attic.

In the meantime, The ‘Viking’, Katy’s hot PI neighbor, is on a stakeout to nab a cheating husband. Grandma Ruby arranges for Katy to tag along. Could things get hot and steamy?

Grandma Ruby, one of my favorite characters, is not without her own secrets. She wants Katy to help her by trying to find out what happened to her bigamist, great-great-grandfather. In the course of her investigation, Katy discovers a long-lost relative she didn’t know existed. Could Katy end up in an unsafe scenario as a result of her discovery?

Another item buried in Katy’s attic is discovered by Katy and her dad. Could it be another treasure? Or something else? You will have to read to find out.

As with all the books in this series, there Is a lot going on and katy Is sure to blog about it. I am addicted to this series and can’t wait to read the next installment.  Even though there is always a murder in these books, the author has a way of adding humor to the situation. Katy always has the best intentions but she always finds herself in sticky situations. She is funny and has the biggest heart. I could see her as my best friend and everyone should have a grandma like Ruby.

If you love a good mystery, with lots of twists and turns, surprises, quirky characters, a hot PI neighbor and a dose of humor thrown in you, will love this series.

I love to learn new words and I learned a new one in this book:
Numismatics – The study or collection of coins, paper currency and medals.

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Mystery

Dead Girls Don’t Blog by Pamela Frost Dennis

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  • Title: Dead Girls Don’t Blog
  • Author: Pamela Frost Dennis
  • Series: Murder Blog Mysteries #1
  • Genre: Mystery, Suspense
  • Main Character: Katy McKenna
  • Other Characters: Phillip Hobart, Granma Ruby, Samantha, Marybeth
  • Pets: a dog named Daisy and a cat named Tabitha
  • Stars: 5

I must start out by saying I loved this book. This is the first book I have read by this author but it won’t be the last. It is suspenseful, funny, dramatic and everything in between.

A young girl, Lindsay, was gang raped, kidnapped and killed 15 years ago and now the killer is eligible for parole. Because Katy is so outraged that they could release a murderer from prison after only 15 years, she starts a petition asking the parole board to reject his release.

I really enjoy how the story brings us back to the crime’s scene in 1996 so we can see exactly what happened before returning to the present. That aids in the reader’s comprehension of both what transpired and Katy’s current state of mind. Could her interference get her killed?

Katy is a fantastic protagonist. She is a three-dimensional character who is humorous, ambitious, and often gets herself into trouble. She gives off a genuine impression of being a great friend. Then there is the guy next door who always seems to show up when she needs him.

Grandma Ruby may be my favorite character. Everyone wishes they had a grandmother like her. She is eccentric, humorous, and adores her granddaughter. In addition, she is always trying to play matchmaker which frustrates Katy. Of course, there are pets. Daisy, Katy’s labrador, captured my heart immediately and then there is the cat she adopted.

Compared to other books I’ve read, this one is a little more graphic, but it wasn’t horrible at all. You better believe I wouldn’t have finished it if it were horrible. It also has a few swear words, but nothing offensive. It seems to make the situation seem more realistic by fitting the facts. None of this changed the plot in the slightest. I simply bring it up so you won’t be shocked when you read it.

If you love a good suspense novel with lots of twists and turns, a protagonist you adore, along with additional quirky characters & pets, you are going to love this book. I highly recommend it!

Quote for the day: s

“A foolish man tells a woman to stop talking, but a wise man tells her that her mouth is extremely beautiful when her lips are closed.”

Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Mystery

Instant Karma by Kay Bratt

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  • Title: Instant Karma
  • Author: Kay Bratt
  • Series: Hart’s Ridge, GA
  • Genre: Small town mystery
  • Takes Place:  Hart’s Ridge
  • Main Character: Faire, Brian, Taylor, Jo, Corbin, Della Ray
  • Other Characters: Cate, Anna, Eldon
  • Pets: Dog named Diesel and a bird named Baby
  • Stars: 5

This is the 5th book in the Hart’s Ridge Series and it does not disappoint. I loved this book from beginning to end. It kept me engaged and I just had to know how it all turned out.

Faire, a widow in the community, decides to take in a boarder because she is having financial difficulties. Brian, her new border, at first seemed like a really nice guy. Do things really look as they do? How is Faire going to handle this border? What mysteries does he possess? Will Faire lose her home?

Meanwhile, we learn more about Jo’s story. Struggling to be a single mom, Jo just wants what is best for her son. Kyle has some behavior issues, so Jo signs him up for theater. He is not thrilled, to say the least. He ends up doing the best he can and wows everyone, especially Jo. A couple of guys from Jo’s past show up in her life, so she has some decisions to make

Taylor’s family has established an animal rescue, under Cate’s leadership. Even though Taylor is less involved than the others because she is a local police deputy, the entire family is involved.

Taylor stopped seeing Sam until she could deal with some demons from her past that she is battling.

This is a story of family, love, forgiveness, community, and supporting others. It is heartwarming and there is a mystery to solve. I think you will love this book as much as I did.

Happy Reading,