Blue Moon Mystery Saloon

Sweet on Sophie

A Red Maple Falls Novel, Book 11, TMP Books Inc, February 2020

An e-ARC was provided by the author, TMP Books Inc, and Booksprout for an honest review.

Sweet on Sophie (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #11) by Theresa Paolo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SWEET ON SOPHIE by Theresa Paolo is the eleventh book in the RED MAPLE FALLS SERIES and the first story in the new REYNOLDS FAMILY SERIES. The main characters are Sophie Reynolds, a cute first grade teacher at the local elementary school, and Drake Stevens, a good-looking family physician in the small town of Red Maple Falls. They had an uninspired date a few years before, and Sophie has tried to avoid him since then. Drake is guardian to his precocious six-year-old niece, Charlotte, and has just brought her home after the death of his sister from ovarian cancer. Charlotte hasn't said a word since the day after her mom's funeral, and Drake realizes he's way out of his comfort zone. So he seeks Sophie's help since she is Charlotte's new teacher. The more they're together, the more they get to know and understand each other. And the more their romance grows.

Themes:
1. Restructuring priorities – Drake is a workaholic family physician in Red Maple Falls. Once Charlotte comes to live with him, he has to change his priorities and focus on Charlotte's well-being. It forces him to slow down and begin to enjoy life.
2. Overcoming grief – Drake and Charlotte are both reeling from his sister/her mom's death. Both of their lives are changed forever, but they have to move on.
3. Second chances – After two years, Sophie still regrets the lack of chemistry she and Drake had on their one date. She'd looked forward to the date, thinking that going out with him would be unforgettable. Unfortunately it was, but for the wrong reason. Also regretting the date, Drake is relieved that he can get a chance know Sophie better. As he and Sophie spend more time together, they realize how much they like and care for each other.

This is a cute story about two people who join forces to ensure that a little girl can have a happy life. As they spend time with one another, they grow as people, as they create a loving family and an enjoyable homelife for Charlotte. The characters are a great fit for the series, and the storyline flows well. It's a good, lighthearted story with a satisfying HEA and perfect for readers who like their romances lighthearted and sweet.

If You Like This, You May Like: Other books in the RED MAPLE FALLS SERIES and the MORGAN'S BAY SERIES by Theresa Paolo, THE BAILEY BROTHERS SERIES and THE MILES FAMILY SERIES by Claire Kingsley, BETWEEN THE SHEETS SERIES by Serenity Woods, BLUE MOON SERIES and BENEVOLENCE SERIES by Lucy Score, ST. HELENA VINEYARD NOVELS and HEROES OF ST. HELENA NOVELS by Marina Adair

View all my reviews

Lady Rights a Wrong

A Manor Cat Mystery-Book 2, by Eliza Casey, Berkley/Penguin Publishing Group, June 2020

* An e-galley was provided by Berkley/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for an honest review.

Lady Rights a Wrong by Eliza Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know when you start reading a book and you can tell what the overall mood of the story will be? I felt it almost from the first page of LADY RIGHTS A WRONG, by Eliza Casey – an overall sense of sadness. Oh, it was a fairly decent mystery, but I found very little levity or joy in it.

The main protagonist, Lady Cecilia, is a privileged young woman living in 1912 England who wants something more with her life than being a wife to the local cleric (whom her mother keeps promoting), no matter how good looking and kind he is. Thus her interest in solving murders with Jane, her sometimes personal maid and always friend. Being interested in the suffragette movement, they are excited when a proponent of women's voting rights holds a meeting in the nearby village. Unfortunately, the meeting's speaker, Mrs. Price, ends up dead, and Lady Cecilia and Jane begin to solve the murder.

The main characters lack any special characteristics to make them more interesting, and the story is short on tension. However, I like the use of the suffragette movement and one of its leaders as the victim, including the information on how suffragettes were treated poorly and frequently ignored or heckled.

Loads of books are set in the Regency and Victorian periods, but few are set in the early 20th century, in this case 1912. So that's a plus. But the story would be more enriching if the author had included a little more context: descriptions of the cars, what people wore, the picturesque (?) landscape, and more details of the village and its residents. I'm not a huge fan of over description, but a little extra info to help the reader imagine the 1912 setting would be nice.

All in all, the basic writing is good, Lady Cecilia and Jane's sleuthing activities are done fairly well, and it's not too easy to decide who the murderer is. I've not read the first book in the series, but Casey does a good job of referring to that murder and the amateur sleuths role in solving it. But the sad feel of the book, the almost non-existing tension, and the inability of the author to draw me into the era results in a 3.5 rating.

If You Like This, You Might Like:
LADY TAKES THE CASE by Eliza Casey, HIGH SOCIETY LADY DETECTIVE SERIES by Sara Rosett, THE 1920s HISTORICAL COZY MYSTERY SERIES by Sonia Parin, ROYAL SPYNESS MYSTERIES by Rhys Bowen, MILLINER MYSTERIES by Kate Parker, MISS ALICE MURDER MYSTERIES by Blythe Baker

View all my reviews

 

Final Fondue

A Five-Ingredient Mystery (Book 3) by Maya Corrigan, Kensington, June 2016

Final Fondue by Maya Corrigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

* An ARC was provided by the author for an honest review.

FINAL FONDUE, the third book in Maya Corrigan's Five-Ingredient Mystery series, is a lighthearted mystery involving romance, revenge, and chocolate fondue.

A bride, two bridesmaids, and the best man have rented rooms for the weekend in the Victorian house owned by Val Deniston's grandfather. The group is in Bayport, MD to scope out venues for the upcoming wedding. Their stay coincides with the town's Tricentennial Festival, a full weekend extravaganza of boating demonstrations, parades, fireworks and food booths. Val is involved in all facets of the festival and has little time to help Granddad with his guests. But she agrees to help her grandfather in the kitchen whenever she can.

After the festival's opening night fireworks, Val returns to the house to prepare the next day's breakfast. To take out the garbage, she has to venture through the dark back yard. First she spots fondue leftovers on the back porch. Then she stumbles across the body of a house guest. Once again a killer is on the loose in Bayport, and Val and her grandfather are on the case.

Could it be a spurned suitor? Or an old nemesis? Might it be the result of mistaken identity? Or a spur of the moment killing? These are just a few of the questions that Val and Granddad must answer before the murderer strikes again.

FINAL FONDUE contains interesting characters, feasible situations, and supporting subplots that provide convincing motives for why each suspect could be the killer. Throw in a haunted corn maze, cooking competitions, family dysfunction, and a few red herrings, and you have a tasty mixture that satisfies the mystery palate.

And don't worry if you haven't read the other two books in the series. This book can definitely stand alone. Though to get a better feel of the main characters and the story's location, you might want to read the books in order.

If You Like This, You May Like: BY COOK OR BY CROOK and SCAM CHOWDER by Maya Corrigan, FOOD LOVERS' VILLAGE MYSTERIES by Leslie Budewitz, COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERIES by Daryl Wood Gerber, FARMERS' MARKET MYSTERIES by Paige Shelton, CHARMED PIE SHOPPE MYSTERIES by Ellery Adams, SOUP LOVER'S MYSTERIES by Connie Archer

View all my reviews

Scam Chowder

A FIVE-INGREDIENT MYSTERY  (Book 2) by Maya Corrigan, Kensington Mystery, July 2015.

* An ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for an honest review.

SCAM CHOWDER, by Maya Corrigan, is the second book in the FIVE-INGREDIENT MYSTERY series and is perfect for fans of good food, small towns and lighthearted mysteries. The story is set in Bayport, a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and stars Val Deniston as a 32-year-old former Manhattanite who now lives with her grandfather and manages the Cool Down Cafe at the Bayport Racket and Fitness Club.

The tale opens as Val cooks a chowder dinner for her grandfather and his guests from the Ambleside Active Adult Village. Though Granddad writes a food column in the local paper as the Codger Cook, he's mostly a hazard in the kitchen. So he's going to pass Val's meal off as one he prepared himself. Granddad has planned the dinner to corner a guest who he feels scammed his best friend, Ned, by taking off with his savings. But before Granddad can accuse Scott of any wrongdoing, Scott becomes sick while eating his chowder soup and goes home. Scott eventually dies from his illness, and Granddad becomes a person of interest in the death. Val gets involved in finding the real killer to prove her grandfather's innocence.

The thing I like most about SCAM CHOWDER is it's well-developed characters, who are unique and somewhat humorous. Val is adapting to life in a small town after losing her fiance and cookbook publicist job in Manhattan. She's juggling her attraction to two men, a deputy sheriff she meets during her research into the murder and another man with whom she has a frequently interrupted friendship. Her best friend/coworker at the cafe dresses too young for her age, and her grandfather passes himself off as a great chef when he can barely boil water. The story is peppered with several believable suspects and enough red herrings to keep readers guessing who the real killer is.

If you like cooking but don't want to take forever in the kitchen, try some of the five-ingredient recipes the author includes in the back of SCAM CHOWDER. Recipes include Waterman's Clam Chowder, One Ugly Spread, Crunchy Lime Chicken, No-Crust No-Fuss Spinach Pie, Dummy Rum Cake and Crumby Nut Rounds. And try your hand at answering the trivia questions similar to those posed by Val at  Ambleside Village's Brain Game night. You can find them in the back of the book, too.

Overall, SCAM CHOWDER is a fun mystery and a perfect read for a cold weekend in front of a warm fireplace or a well-deserved beach vacation. Just take time to relax in a cozy club chair or on a soft beach blanket and lose yourself in this lighthearted story by Maya Corrigan.

 If You Like This, You May Also Like: --- FOOD LOVERS' MYSTERIES by Leslie Budewitz, READ EM AND EAT MYSTERIES  by Terrie Farley Moran,  SUPPER CLUB MYSTERIES and CHARMED PIE SHOPPE MYSTERIES by Ellery Adams, MERRY MUFFIN MYSTERIES  by Victoria Hamilton

 

The Monogram Murders

The New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah, Wm Morrow/HarperCollins, September 2014.

* A copy was provided by the the publisher and Edelweiss for an honest review.

Sophie Hannah's new novel, THE MONOGRAM MURDERS, follows the famous Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot, as he tries to uncover the mystery surrounding the death of three guests at a London hotel and  the possible death of a young woman he encounters in a coffeehouse. Through various twists and turns, and several red herrings, Poirot sifts through the clues and gleans the truth about what happened.

The author fully captures Poirot's OCD habits and his mode of speech. I can picture David Suchet's Poirot smiling condescendingly at some fool, wincing at a scattered placesetting or a maid dropping his hat, and spelling out the truth of what happened to the gathered group of suspects.

However, the tone of the story seems more current than the original Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie. This is not necessarily a bad thing, unless the reader is a devoted Christie fan. The story is told from a different point of view than the original stories were. The new narrator, Scotland Yard's Edward Catchpool, is thirty-two and introduces himself as a policeman friend of Poirot's. They meet when Poirot stays in the same London boardinghouse as Catchpool, about six weeks before the events in the book. Catchpool is a touch insecure and feels everyone will soon catch on that he's not the best policeman out there. He is an acceptable narrator, though.

I prefer to base this review on the book itself and not on how it does or does not read like Agatha Christie wrote it. With that in mind, I think this is a fairly entertaining novel that has enough clues and suspects to make it an enjoyable story for people who love mysteries. With the good balance of dialogue and description, the interesting and unusual mystery, and a story that flows along nicely, this novel could bring in some new readers of Agatha Christie's stories.

 

Corpse Flower (repost)

A Cornwall and Redfern Mystery, by Gloria Ferris, Dundurn Press, January 2014 (US) 

*An ARC was provided by Dundurn Press and Edelweiss for an honest review.

CORPSE FLOWER is a refreshing entry into a stale, craft-saturated, cozy mystery field. It's protagonist, Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall, is a 32-year-old, divorced and motorcycle-riding resident of Lockport, Ontario. Once a well-dressed, well-connected socialite and married to swarmy attorney, Mike Bains (a.k.a., the Weasel), she now lives in a decrepit trailer next to a 25-year-old hooker, shops at a second hand store, and works a bunch of part-time jobs to make ends meet.

Seeking retribution from her ex is a huge motivating factor in Bliss's day-to-day existence. Bliss wants to save up enough money to force her ex to provide a better settlement than fifty acres of swamp land and the clothes on her back. Her jobs as yoga instructor, library assistant, cleaning lady and cemetery groundskeeper help her eat, pay rent, and fuel up her beloved motorcycle. But If she can sell the seven-acre Barrister estate to the mother and son who've recently seen the property and do a little paying job for her cousin, agoraphobic Dougal, then she might earn just enough money to fight the Weasel in court.

Her Saturday groundskeeping job at the Good Shepherd Cemetery brings her into contact with Julian Barnfeather, a long-time town employee of the cemetery. While Bliss works, he lounges in the cemetery shed reading questionable 'literature' and drinking to his heart's content. Bliss does her best to avoid him, since he can't let a moment in her presence go by without harassing her. So it's not until Sunday morning, when police chief, Neil Redfern, and his constable, Thea Vanderbloom, stop by her trailer to question her that she finds out about Julian's death the day before.

And it's not enough that Julian's killer is on the loose. The Weasel and his wife are doing all they can to force Bliss out of town. Bliss keeps stumbling upon marijuana plants wherever she goes. And there's definitely something weird and most likely illegal going on in her little trailer enclave of Hemp Hollow. At least she and Chief Redfern get along okay, sometimes.

I highly recommend you read CORPSE FLOWER. This Arthur Ellis Award-winning story is the first book in the Cornwall and Redfern Mystery Series and is a well-written tale chock full of action, humor, and quirky characters. Guaranteed to keep you invested in the life of the protagonist from start to satisfying end of the story, it's just the right kind of book to lighten your day or take to the beach. I totally enjoyed CORPSE FLOWER and look forward to the next book in Ms. Ferris's delightful new series.

PROTAGONIST: 32-year-old divorcee working several part-time jobs

ACTION: Three deaths, attempted deaths, a little gore

LOVE INTERESTS: Hunky, blond, chief of police

ROMANCE: Sitting on lap, short kiss

QUIRKINESS: Loads!! An agoraphobic cousin, a puffed-up mayor, a dead skunk 

INTERESTING TIDBIT: Growth and care of the Titan Arum (biggest flowering plant)

FUN FACTOR: Snappy dialogue, funny situations, unusual characters

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: The Charlie Davidson Mysteries by Darynda Jones (for mature readers), Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Vintage Magic Mysteries by Annette Blair, Mall Cop Mysteries by Laura DiSilverio, White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Psychic Eye Mysteries by Victoria Laurie

Corpse Flower

A Cornwall and Redfern Mystery, by Gloria Ferris, Dundurn Press, January 2014 (US) 

*An ARC was provided by Dundurn Press and Edelweiss for an honest review.

CORPSE FLOWER is a refreshing entry into a stale, craft-saturated, cozy mystery field. It's protagonist, Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall, is a 32-year-old, divorced and motorcycle-riding resident of Lockport, Ontario. Once a well-dressed, well-connected socialite and married to swarmy attorney, Mike Bains (a.k.a., the Weasel), she now lives in a decrepit trailer next to a 25-year-old hooker, shops at a second hand store, and works a bunch of part-time jobs to make ends meet.

Seeking retribution from her ex is a huge motivating factor in Bliss's day-to-day existence. Bliss wants to save up enough money to force her ex to provide a better settlement than fifty acres of swamp land and the clothes on her back. Her jobs as yoga instructor, library assistant, cleaning lady and cemetery groundskeeper help her eat, pay rent, and fuel up her beloved motorcycle. But If she can sell the seven-acre Barrister estate to the mother and son who've recently seen the property and do a little paying job for her cousin, agoraphobic Dougal, then she might earn just enough money to fight the Weasel in court.

Her Saturday groundskeeping job at the Good Shepherd Cemetery brings her into contact with Julian Barnfeather, a long-time town employee of the cemetery. While Bliss works, he lounges in the cemetery shed reading questionable 'literature' and drinking to his heart's content. Bliss does her best to avoid him, since he can't let a moment in her presence go by without harassing her. So it's not until Sunday morning, when police chief, Neil Redfern, and his constable, Thea Vanderbloom, stop by her trailer to question her that she finds out about Julian's death the day before.

And it's not enough that Julian's killer is on the loose. The Weasel and his wife are doing all they can to force Bliss out of town. Bliss keeps stumbling upon marijuana plants wherever she goes. And there's definitely something weird and most likely illegal going on in her little trailer enclave of Hemp Hollow. At least she and Chief Redfern get along okay, sometimes.

I highly recommend you read CORPSE FLOWER. This Arthur Ellis Award-winning story is the first book in the Cornwall and Redfern Mystery Series and is a well-written tale chock full of action, humor, and quirky characters. Guaranteed to keep you invested in the life of the protagonist from start to satisfying end of the story, it's just the right kind of book to lighten your day or take to the beach. I totally enjoyed CORPSE FLOWER and look forward to the next book in Ms. Ferris's delightful new series.

PROTAGONIST: 32-year-old divorcee working several part-time jobs

ACTION: Three deaths, attempted deaths, a little gore

LOVE INTERESTS: Hunky, blond, chief of police

ROMANCE: Sitting on lap, short kiss

QUIRKINESS: Loads!! An agoraphobic cousin, a puffed-up mayor, a dead skunk 

INTERESTING TIDBIT: Growth and care of the Titan Arum (biggest flowering plant)

FUN FACTOR: Snappy dialogue, funny situations, unusual characters

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: The Charlie Davidson Mysteries by Darynda Jones (for mature readers), Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Vintage Magic Mysteries by Annette Blair, Mall Cop Mysteries by Laura DiSilverio, White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Psychic Eye Mysteries by Victoria Laurie

Death of a Dowager

The Jane Eyre Chronicles, by Joanna Campbell Slan, Berkley Prime Crime, April 2013.

*This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Slan has crafted a delightful and interesting follow-up to her widely acclaimed mystery, Death of a Schoolgirl.

Death of a Dowager is set in May 1821, a few months prior to the coronation of King George IV. Jane, her beloved husband Edward, their son Ned, and Edward's ward Adele are staying in the London townhouse of their friend Lucy Brayton while their manor in Yorkshire is undergoing major repairs. Lucy is thrilled to have the Rochesters visiting and wants Jane to experience some of the delights of high society. While at a major ton event, Lady Ingram and her daughters, who are Yorkshire neighbors of the Rochesters, haughtily snub Lucy and Jane in front of a large group of the ton. This slight can affect Lucy's good standing in high society, and she is devastated. The Ingrams continue to be rude to Jane and Lucy, despite interference run by Lucy's great friend, Lady Grainger, who unfortunately is related to the Ingrams.

Jane also possesses a letter that, if released, could cause damage to the king. If the note winds up in the wrong hands, major protests and widespread havoc could break out among the country's populace, many of whom starve while the king spends a fortune on his coronation. The king, his mistress and even the note's original recipient try to obtain the letter by threatening the health and/or social standing of Jane's family and friends. But Jane maintains her objectivity and resilience while avoiding the manipulative attacks thrown her way.

Death of a Dowager is written in a style similar to that of Charlotte Bronte, the author of Jane Eyre, and to other authors from that era. Once I read through the first chapter, I felt comfortable with the different writing style and found the story easy to follow and very entertaining.

The major plots and subplots are believable, and Slan does a great job at weaving them together. She is masterful at infusing her Jane Eyre mysteries with the real social and political conditions of the time. Her detailed research shines throughout the book, highlighting real events of the day along with daily life in industrial London. She even has her characters talk about and apply various advancements in medicine and technology that were used in the 1820's. My favorite descriptions were those about the disgusting street smells and the intermixed odors of perfume, bodies and flowers at the opera house.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death of a Dowager and didn't put the book down, even to make dinner. It was easy to read, filled with appropriate clues, and contained interesting tidbits about British history. If you're looking for a good mystery or historical novel, you can't go wrong with Death of a Dowager.

On the Web Again

As you can tell, I've been on hiatus for the past several months. Starting next week, I'll be posting reviews again, with an extended repertoire. In addition to cozy and paranormal mysteries, I'll share my opinion on romantic suspense, Young Adult stories and anything else I fancy. So please tune in next week for my new and improved book review website.

My New Obsession

I've been under the weather lately and have spent a lot of time reading a subgenre new to me...teen paranormal romance. Why so late to the party, you may ask? Where was I when the Twilight books and movies rocked the world of teenage girls everywhere? Well, I was reading lighthearted cozy and paranormal mysteries primarily written for slightly older readers. 

My Barnes & Noble needed to free up some more space for a new, much larger NOOK display, and staff had to rearrange the floor's layout. In the new set up, to get to the mystery section, I first had to pass by the general teen section on one aisle and the teen paranormal romance and teen science fiction on the adjacent aisle.  I tried to resist the haunting covers with pictures of lonely, lovely teenage girls pining for their one true love. But I caved. For fallen angels and mythological heroes (and only a smattering of vampires, shapeshifters and werewolves). The 50% off special at B&N two weeks ago solidified my new obsession.

Now I'm the proud owner of the amazing books in Lauren Kate's Fallen and Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series. I flew through Meg Cabot's Abandon and am impatiently waiting for the sequel. I loved The Mephisto Covenant and am frustrated that I have to wait until fall for the next book in the series. I enjoyed reading the first two books in the C.C. Hunter's Shadow Falls series and Leigh Fallon's Carrier of the Mark and am looking forward to the first book in the Yvonne Wood's Dead Beautiful series.

I can't help it. I'm in love. With teen paranormal romances. Sigh...

Happy New Year!!

Now that the Chanukah/Christmas/Kwanza season is almost over, I'm deciding how to enhance my blog in the new year. I've read a lot of books this winter and finished about a book a day for the last week, giving me plenty of stories to analyze and share. So book reviews will rule! And I'll continue the themed Friday posts (suggestions are always welcome), because I like picking a theme and seeing which books apply. I have a few new ideas that I'm mulling over and may apply within the next few weeks. So stay tuned and keep reading!

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!!!

Mysteries of Winter

I don't know about you, but when I'm sitting all cozy in my sweater and jeans and sipping luscious Earl Gray tea, I don't want to read a story set in the humid, hot months of summer. Likewise, if in July I'm relaxing in a beach chair and enjoying breezes off the ocean, I'm not interested in stories set in the snow-friendly months of winter. 

Today it's December 16th and the temperature's dropping. YAY! Time to get lost in books where the characters shiver in the 45 degree weather and drink hot chocolate or mulled cider in front of a warm fire (hopefully not a destructive one). Can't you just feel the heightened tension when the protaganist drives her Ford Focus down icy roads, sliding around tight curves and flying through red lights trying to outrun the big, black SUV following her every movement? I can imagine the scene a whole lot better if the temperature outside matches the one in the book.

So for those who are in the cold right now, here are some stories set in the frigid depths of winter. The forecast? A dusting of snow mixed with cold, cruel hearts and frosty relationships...

 

Killer Sweet Tooth (A Daphne Martin Cake Mystery) by Gayle Trent

Dead Bolt (A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery) by Juliet Blackwell

Let's Play Dead (A Museum Mystery) by Sheila Connelly

Bitter Harvest (An Orchard Mystery) by Sheila Connelly

Winter Study (An Anna Pigeon Mystery) by Nevada Barr

The Wicked Winter (A Roger the Chapman Medieval Mystery) by Kate Sedley

Stork Raving Mad (A Meg Langslow Mystery) by Donna Andrews

Shot Through Velvet (A Crime of Fashion Mystery) by Ellen Byerrum

Armed and Glamorous (A Crime of Fashion Mystery) by Ellen Byerrum

The Fashion Hound Murders (A Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Mystery) by Elaine Viets

Make, Take, Murder (A Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery) by Joanna Campbell Slan

 

I'm sure this is only the tip of the iceberg for stories set in the cold months of winter. Did I miss your favorite book? Please comment and let us know...and stay warm!! 

 

Next Friday: MYSTERIES WITH MESSAGES

Holiday Who-Dun-Its

In this crazy season of rushing about buying presents and donning our party apparel, good little mystery writers everywhere look forward to all the holiday cheer, colorful blinking lights, good times with friends, and...murder.  That's because along with the frolic and festivities come kung fu fighting the meek-looking granny for the hottest new toy, waiting in long lines to reach irritable sales people, and arguing with dear Cousin Carmine over who gets the last piece of pumpkin pie. It's a mystery writer's paradise! While most people let the anger percolate inside, those who pen mysteries can put it all on paper...and maybe rake in some holiday dough.

Should your thoughts turn to murder this holiday season, don't let your stress get the best of you. Relax, refresh and renew with these holiday-themed murder mysteries:

 

Anthologies:

Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke, Leslie Meier and Laura Levine

Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier

Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler

The Gift of Murder edited by John M. Floyd

Sugarplums and Scandal by Lori Avocato, Dana Cameron, Mary Daheim, Cait London, Suzanne Macpherson and Kerrelyn Sparks

Dying in a Winter Wonderland edited by Tony Burton

 

Anne Perry Christmas Stories:

A Christmas Odyssey

A Christmas Promise

A Christmas Beginning

A Christmas Homecoming

A Christmas Secret

 

Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark Christmas Stories:

He Sees You When You're Sleeping

Silent Night

Deck the Halls

Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea

Dashing Through the Snow

The Christmas Thief

 

Margaret Maron Christmas Stories:

Rituals of the Season

Christmas Mourning

Christmas Corpus

 

Kate Kingsbury's Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries:

Herald of Death

Mistletoe and Mayhem

Ringing in Murder

Slay Bells

Shrouds of Holly

No Clue at the Inn

 

Christmas Beasts:

Silent Night (A Raine Stockton Dog Mystery) by Donna Ball

Six Geese A-Slaying (A Meg Langslow Mystery) by Donna Andrews

Cat Deck the Halls (A Joe Grey Mystery) by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Santa Clawed (A Mrs. Murphy Mystery) by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

 

Holiday Refreshment:

The Christmas Cookie Killer by Livia J. Washburn

Christmas Cookie Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery) by Leslie Meier

A Catered Christmas (A Mystery with Recipes) by Isis Crawford

Sweet Holidays (The Third Samantha Sweet Mystery) by Connie Shelton

Plum Pudding Murder (A Hannah Swenson Mystery) by Joanne Fluke

Sugar Cookie Murder (A Hannah Swenson Mystery) by Joanne Fluke

Holiday Grind (A Coffee House Mystery) by Cleo Coyle

The Diva Cooks a Goose (A Domestic Diva Mystery) by Krista Davis

 

Christmas in the United Kingdom: 

A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer

Kissing Christmas Goodbye (An Agatha Raisin Mystery) by M.C. Beaton

A Killer's Christmas in Wales (A Penny Brannigan Mystery) by Elizabeth J. Duncan

Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Holiday Mystery by Agatha Christie

Queene's Christmas (An Elizabeth I Mystery) by Karen Harper

 

More Holiday Stories:

Shakespeare's Christmas (A Lily Bard Mystery) by Charlaine Harris

Indigo Christmas (A Hilda Johansson Mystery) by Jeanne M. Dams

The Alpine Christmas (An Emma Lord Mystery) by Mary Daheim

Poison to Purge Melancholy (A Pat Montello Mystery) by Elena Santangelo

A Wee Christmas Homicide (A Liss MacCrimmon Mystery) by Kaitlyn Dunnett

Holly and Homicide (A Domestic Bliss Mystery) by Leslie Caine

Christmas is Murder (A Rex Graves Mystery) by C.S. Challinor

Let There Be Murder (A Ministry is Murder Mystery) by Emilie Richards

Murder is a Girl's Best Friend (A Paige Turner Mystery) by Amanda Matetsky

Snow Angel (A Chloe Boston Mystery) by Melanie Jackson

Aunt Dimity's Christmas (An Aunt Dimity Mystery) by Nancy Atherton

Fleece Navidad (A Knitting Mystery) by Maggie Sefton

A Holiday Yarn (A Seaside Knitters Mystery) by Nancy Goldenbaum

 

And there you have it! Lots of murder mysteries to savor by the fireside on a cold winter night.  Enjoy the holidays with friends and family, and don't forget to pamper yourself and read.

Next Friday:      WINTER CHILLS, THRILLS AND MURDER 

Bewitching Books & Witchly Tomes

Need an enchanting book to read around the cauldron? Like a little witchcraft mixed in with your mysteries? Then look no further than these bewitching books and series:

 

Hex Hall (Book One) by Rachel Hawkins (YA)

Waking the Witch (Women of the Underworld, Book 11) by Kelley Armstrong

Bewitching Mysteries by Madelyn Alt

Vintage Magic Mysteries by Annette Blair

Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell

Ophelia & Abby Mysteries by Shirley Damsgaard

Southern Witch Novels by Kimberley Frost

Alex Craft Novels by Kalayna Price (YA)

 

Did I miss a charming book from the witchcraft mysteries above? Please comment and add your favorites to the mix.

Join us for next Friday's topic: The Supernatural

Vampires, Blood and a Hint of Mystery

Savor a long, sharp tooth or two with your Bloody Mary? Appreciate a nicely turned and succulent neck? Prefer  "blood red" accessories and fabrics? Then you should enjoy these bloody good mysteries:

 

A Taste of the Nightlife: A Vampire Chef Mystery by Sarah Zettel (reviewed on this blog)

How to Party with a Killer Vampire: A Party-Planning Mystery with Tips by Penny Warner

Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore

Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders: A Mystery by Gyles Daubeney Brandreth

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah Howe, James Howe and Alan Daniel (Children)

Madison Rose Vampire Mysteries by Sue Ann Jaffarian

Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood Mysteries by Charlaine Harris

The Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine (YA)

Many Bloody Returns edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner (Anthology)

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner (Anthology)

Crimes by Moonlight: Mysteries from the Dark Side edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner (Anthology)

Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy edited by Carole Nelson Douglas (Anthology)

 

 

Have I missed your favorite vampire-themed mystery?  If so, don't be shy. Please comment and tell us why!   ;- >

And join me next Friday when the topic will be:  WITCHES

 

Ghostly Mysteries

Days are shorter, leaves are falling, a chill is in the air...and Halloween is just around the corner.  Is that auspicious day approaching too quickly? Not in the mood to host goblins and ghosties?  Get your fix of funny ghouls and deader boys from these haunting mystery series. But beware, you'll not find a single Casper in any of these spirited books:

 

Ghost Dusters Mysteries by Wendy Roberts

Ghost Hunters Mysteries by Victoria Laurie

Ghost of Granny Apples Mysteries by Sue Ann Jaffarian

Haunted Bookshop Mysteries by Cleo Coyle

Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries by E.J. Copperman

Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell

Magical Dressmaking Mysteries by Melissa Bourbon

Pepper Martin Mysteries by Casey Daniels

Port Chatham Mysteries by P.J. Alderman

Portrait of Crime Mysteries by Sharon Pape

Vintage Magic Mysteries by Annette Blair

 

I know I missed some other great series and stand-alone stories starring curious, comforting and/or courtly ghosts. So readers, what other fun spirit-starring books can you suggest?

 

Check back next Friday for bloody good books starring:  VAMPIRES

Happy 25th Birthday, Sisters in Crime!

"In 1986 we were trying to help women get in print, stay in print, and come to the attention of booksellers and libraries. At that time, books by men mystery writers were reviewed seven times as often as books by women." - Sara Paretsky

 

Sisters in Crime (SinC), an international organization, was established to promote the professional development and advancement of women writing crime fiction. Since its inception in October 1986, the organization has grown to almost 3000 members and has 48 city, regional and one online chapters. Members include women and men, writers and readers, authors and fans, and publishers, editors, librarians, and booksellers. What they all have in common is a love of mysteries.

 

In the last 25 years, SinC members have worked hard to achieve equality for women crime writers in the industry. The discrepancies between book reviews and recognition of men writers and women writers in the mystery field have narrowed, but women still haven't received true equality. Hopefully SinC members won't have to wait another 25 years for true gender equality and recognition in the crime writing industry.

 

Halloween-themed Mysteries

Tomorrow is the first day of October (YAY!), and for me it means cooler weather, colorful leaves, and Halloween-themed mysteries. Besides the always excellent Edgar Allan Poe stories (my favorite being The Tell-Tale Heart), I recommend these cozy and paranormal mysteries:

The Diva Haunts the House (A Domestic Diva Mystery) by Krista Davis (NEW, Sep 2011)

Scared Stiff (A Mattie Winston Mystery) by Annelise Ryan

Fiber & Brimstone (A Scrapbooking Mystery) by Laura Childs

Wicked Witch Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery) by Leslie Meier

A Catered Halloween (A Mystery with Recipes) by Isis Crawford

Please join me each Friday in October for more "haunting" mystery suggestions. Next time: GHOSTS

 

Quickstep to Murder

A Ballroom Dance Mystery, by Ella Barrick, Obsidian, September 2011

Stacy Graysin notices that Rafe Acosta, her ex-fiance but still co-owner of Graysin Motion studio, has been acting far from normal. He's been distracted in the studio and showing up late or completely missing his ballroom dance classes. Their relationship has been dicey since Stacy caught him in bed with another woman, but she and Rafe have pushed their tension aside in front of their clients and to participate in dance competitions.

One night Stacy hears a loud thump coming from the studio. She decides to investigate and finds Rafe dead on the ballroom floor, blood pooling around him.  Though she immediately calls 911 and explains what she heard to the police, she becomes the only suspect in the crime. The finicky homicide detective on the case doesn't consider anyone else as a potential person of interest, so now it's up to Stacy to clear her name, save her neck and protect her studio's reputation.

This is the first book in the new Ballroom Dance Mysteries by Ella Barrick and a delightful addition to the cozy mystery field. The author has filled the story with interesting characters who are far from the cozy genre stereotypes. Stacy is portrayed as an independent owner of a ballroom dance studio who hates the bookkeeping side of her business. She's impulsive, cringes at the thought of ever working in a cubicle and loves to dance. Stacy gets along great with her sister Danielle but thinks the beiges, browns and navys Dani wears all the time are boring. Graysin Motion's flamboyent, Russian-born, temporary instructor, Vitaly, is hooked on grapefruit juice and butchers the English language, but once he's on the dance floor, he transforms into a strict teacher and the dancer for which he's won top prizes all over the world. From Tav (Rafe's half-brother and the studio's new co-owner) to Phineas Drake (Stacy's atypical lawyer), the characters are fresh and funny.

Quickstep to Murder puts a new slant on cozy mysteries and reveals the behind-the-scenes preparations and intensity of ballroom dance competitions. But beware...you may yearn to lace up your dancing shoes and sign up for salsa lessons after completing this amusing book. So purchase your copy of Quickstep to Murder today and get ready to rumba! 

* The next book in the series, Dead Man Waltzing, will be released in June 2012. 

PROTAGONIST: A 29-year-old, independent, c0-owner of Graysin Motion ballroom dance studio

CRITTERS: Hoover, the Great Dane pet of a client

ACTION: Lots of dancing (nach), father trying to tackle his daughter's boyfriend, escape from a murderer

LOVE INTEREST: Rafe was, Mark thinks he is, Rafe's half-brother Tav may be

ROMANCE: Memories of being with Rafe, quick kisses on cheeks

QUIRKINESS: Congresswoman choosing dancing over House votes, a couple of octagenarian women fighting over a sixtyish male dance teacher, amusing male Russian-born instructor

INTERESTING TIDBITS: What really happens at ballroom dance competitions, the intensity of practicing for events, scenes in Old Town, Alexandria VA

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted cozy, interesting and quirky characters

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Mall Cop Mysteries by Laura DiSilverio, Charlie Swift/Gigi Goldman Mysteries by Laura DiSilverio, Southern Beauty Shop Mysteries by Lila Dare, White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Museum Mysteries by Sheila Connolly

 

Let's Play Dead

A Museum Mystery, by Sheila Connelly, Berkley Prime Crime, July 2011

Though overwhelmed with her new position as president of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society, Nell Pratt accepts Arabella Heffernan's invitation to tea at Let's Play Children's Museum. A new interactive exhibit based on the beloved Harriet the Hedgehog children's series is nearing completion, and Arabella wants Nell to see it before opening night. Excited to show how the mechanical animals react to touch, Arabella asks a painter to start the electrical feed...but nothing happens. The painter tries to determine the problem and squeezes Willy the Weasel's nose. In a flash he's out cold on the floor, knocked out from an electric shock. Nell's sure it's just an unfortunate accident until another exhibit worker is found dead later that night, spralled at the feet of Willy the Weasel. As a witness to the first incident, Nell is drawn into the politics and strained relationships associated with the new exhibit's installation. And now that a man has died, she wants to know if murder was part of the plan.

The list of suspects include Hadley Eastman, the rude, narcissistic author of the Harriet the Hedgehog books; Caitlin Heffernan, exhibit coordinator and Arabella's socially awkward, 24-year-old daughter; Nolan Treacy, Caitlin's absent father and a former member of the local electrician's union; and, Arabella, the museum's loyal president.

Nell has help in unraveling the intricate clues from her newest employees, Shelby Carver, a vibrant, optimistic, 50-ish blonde and Nell's replacement as the museum's development director, and Eric Marston, Nell's exceptionally organized, 23-year-old administrative assistant. Both employees are the answers to Nell's prayers for efficient personnel to help the Society survive a collections scandal from two months before. Her new staff members provide important background information to the case, and their presence at work gives Nell the freedom to pursue the possible culprit(s) and discover the truth behind the workman's death.

This is the second book in the Museum Mystery series and begins two months after the resolution of the first book's crime. A solid successor to the first story, Let's Play Dead shows the turmoil that can arise from a change in leadership of any organization, even without a murder to solve. It is obvious from the behind-the-scenes details of museum operations that the author has some experience in that environment. History buffs and mystery fans will enjoy the story's strong character development and descriptions of scenes around Philadelphia. If you love history, you'll like learning about Philly's baseball history and the city's architecture, and if food is your preference, then the description of Reading Terminal Market's growth might tease your palate. Whatever your interests, add Let's Play Dead to your list and enjoy reading this well-crafted cozy mystery.

* The next book in the series, Fire Engine Dead, will be released in March 2012.

PROTAGONIST: Late 30s-something, non-mechanically skilled, former registrar and current president of Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society

CRITTERS: Harriett the Hedgehog, Willy the Weasel and other mechanical animals at Let's Play Children's Museum

ACTION: Driving on icy roads, Taser pointing, listening in on some sexy action

LOVE INTEREST: FBI Special Agent James Morrison

ROMANCE: A brief kiss

QUIRKINESS: Children's author who doesn't really like children, children's museum's grey-haired president clapping with joy

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Histories of baseball, police department and Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, info on Asperger's syndrome, how a museum really runs, tips on handling PR needs

FUN FACTOR: Scenes with kids at the children's museum, children's author's reaction to her house tragedy

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Orchard Mysteries by Sheila Connelly, White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Manor House Mysteries by Julie Hyzy, Glassblowing Mysteries by Sarah Atwell, Booktown Mysteries by Lorna Barrett

Stay Tuned for Murder

A Talk Radio Mystery, by Mary Kennedy, Obsidian, January 2011

A psychic has come to town and former clinical psychologist Maggie Walsh fears her job at WYME radio may be in jeopardy. Chantel Carrington arrived in Cypress Grove, FL one month ago to promote her latest book I Talk to Dead People - and You Can, Too!  and has since become a ratings bonanza whenever she's a guest on Maggie's show "On the Couch with Maggie Walsh". Once listeners hear Chantel's on the air, the phone lines light up and stay jammed throughout the whole show.  Maggie's show is running neck and neck with a local pig report for last place in the Cypress Grove radio market, so she welcomes the higher ratings. Unfortunately the station's general manager knows the reason for the increase, and Maggie knows he's been in a few closed-door discussions with Ms Carrington.

The muumuu-loving psychic's not the only new person in town. The upcoming unveiling of a time capsule placed when the current courthouse was built has stirred up a lot of local interest and brought in visitors of questionable pedigrees. But it seems someone wants the past to remain buried and will go to any lengths to keep it hidden. First the almost-80-year-old grand dame of the historical society, Althea Somerset, is found dead in the historical society building where she lived, and then Mildred Smoot, another septogenarian, is found murdered at the Cypress Grove Public Library where she worked for most of her life. 

Maggie can't help wondering if the two deaths are related and if they're connected to the time capsule reveal just days away.  And where does Chantel fit into the puzzle? Both Althea and Mildred attended her seance at the historical society in which she predicted doom and gloom for Cypress Grove and it's citizens. Coincidental or not?

This is the third installment of Mary Kennedy's Talk Radio Mysteries, and it works well as a stand-alone read. The author is polished at creating interesting and unusual characters. From a towering-beehive-coiffed producer and a 58-year-old, part-time B-movie star to WYME's hefty, red-faced, sports reporter and the station's hairsprayed-combover-wearing general manager, the characters are larger than life and provide humor and substance to an otherwise lackluster tale.

The hype for the time capsule ceremony drags on too long, and the murders seem incidental to the whole story. The main persons of interest in the deaths aren't introduced until later in the book and only occupy one scene each, preventing the reader from getting to know or care about what happens to them - good or bad.  I also don't feel the parallel storylines are neatly tied up in the end, though to be fair, they may be addressed in a future book in the series.

All in all, if you're looking to while away some time with a lighthearted and entertaining book to read, you may enjoy Stay Tuned for Murder. I would encourage you, though, to start with book one of the Talk Radio Mysteries, so you can properly meet and get to know Maggie's family and friends a little better.

PROTAGONIST: Once a 20-something, clinical psychologist with a profitable Manhattan practice, now a 32-year-old, small-town talk radio host

CRITTERS: Pugsley - Maggie's loving, 3-year-old, rescued pug; Mr. Big - Althea's orange tabby cat; Tweetie Bird - Vera Mae's, always molting, siren-calling parakeet

 ACTION: A seance, fast driving, home and office break-ins

LOVE INTERESTS: A cute dog named Pugsley and a good-looking detective named Rafe

ROMANCE: Maybe, with the detective

QUIRKINESS: Vera Mae and her towering, carrot-colored beehive; Lola and her long blonde extensions; Cyrus and his minimal-strand, heavily hairsprayed combover

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Behind-the-scenes look at a radio station, discussion of developers vs. preservationists

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, humorous characters, funny misunderstandings

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Charlie Swift/Gigi Goldman Mysteries by Laura DiSilverio, Southern Beauty Shop Mysteries by Lila Dare, Charlotte McNally Mysteries by Hank Phillippi Ryan

 

Pleating for Mercy

A Magical Dressmaking Mystery, by Melissa Bourbon, Signet, August 2011

For five generations, the Cassidy women have each had a special gift which they've used to help themselves and others. Harlow Cassidy still hasn't discovered hers, but through the years she's developed her love of sewing and design to become a gifted clothing designer. After honing her talents in New York City, she's back in Bliss, TX and her great-grandmother's house to open her own dressmaking business. She longs to transform silky fabrics and edgy accessories into beautiful clothes of her own creation and despairs that she'll never do more than alter or repair boring polyester pantsuits and slacks for her Bliss customers.

Josie Sandoval yearns to have the beautiful and perfect wedding of her dreams, but the store holding her bridal dresses closes just weeks before her big day. Frantic and without a wedding dress, she asks Harlow to do the impossible...make her wedding gown and all of her bridesmaids' dresses within two short weeks. Josie's relief when Harlow takes the commission turns to horror when, later that evening, she returns to Harlow's shop and finds her maid-of-honor's body sprawled near the gate to Harlow's front yard.

Harlow, Josie and Nate, Josie's fiance, quickly become persons of interest in the murder investigation. When the sheriff singles out Nate as the prime suspect, Josie begs Harlow to help prove her fiance wasn't the killer. Harlow can't say no to her childhood friend, and with a little help from her great-grandmother's spirit, Harlow's about to discover she has more than just dressmaking skills. She's a gifted sleuth too.

This first book in the new Magical Dressmaking Mystery series by Melissa Bourbon is far from formulaic. The story's protagonist is of Hispanic heritage and has a supportive, though unusual, family.  Her love interests, especially the ex-boyfriend, veer away from the typical amateur sleuth and police detective or police chief romance found in most cozies and keeps the story fresh and entertaining. Harlow's mom and grandmother are fun characters with unique supernatural gifts, and their banter lightens each scene in which they appear.

This is a fun, charming and magical story and a wonderful addition to the paranormal mystery subgenre. The story zips along at a good pace, and the parallel storylines are sewn up quite nicely at the end. I hope you'll enjoy the time you spend with Harlow and her friends in Pleating for Mercy and that you'll look forward to visiting them again in the series' second book, A Fitting End, which comes out in February.

* The next book in the series, A Fitting End, will be released in February 2012.

PROTAGONIST: Single, Hispanic, 33-year-old, gifted dress designer supposedly descended from Butch Cassidy

CRITTERS: Thelma Louise, one of her grandmother's favorite goats

ACTION: Shooing a goat away from the crime scene, tailing suspected murderer, fight with actual murderer in a bathroom

LOVE INTERESTS: A reliable and handsome architect/handyman

ROMANCE: Budding relationship, not much romantic interaction

QUIRKINESS: Town photographer and Harlow's new friend-British-born Madelyn Brighton who's interested in all things supernatural, plants showing significant growth in a very short time, and a goat whisperer

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Tips on dressmaking, what styles look best on different body types, the best ways to use particular fabrics, small town preservation planning

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted situations, witty dialogue, fun characters

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Fortune Teller Mysteries by Kari Lee Townsend, Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries by E.J. Copperman, Missing Pieces Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell

 

Tempest in the Tea Leaves

A Fortune Teller Mystery, by Kari Lee Townsend, Berkley Prime Crime, August 2011

Sunny Meadows has always been a little different. The only child of a high-powered Manhattan attorney and a world-renowned cardiologist, she shies away from their high society lifestyle where appearance is everything. Sunny likes shopping at secondhand stores, drives a used, slightly-rusted VW Bug and prefers hot chocolate to espresso. Her desire to move away from the Big Apple and support herself as a psychic in upstate New York is just one more failing in her parents' eyes. But Sunny wants to do things her own way and be accepted for who she is. She buys a house with her trust fund money in the little town of Divinity, and despite her parents' protests, she packs up and happily says goodbye to her childhood home.

The minute Sunny steps into her new house, she finally feels welcome and at peace. Rumored to be haunted, the neglected Victorian has been vacant for years and shunned by the community. Sunny senses the house knows how it feels to be unwanted and misunderstood and that they'll be a perfect fit.

Sunny's only spent one week in her house and is whittling down her to-do list, when her first customer barges through the front door. Amanda Robbins is frantic and begs Sunny to read her future. While her client drinks tea and prepares her cup for a reading, a strong feeling of doom overwhelms Sunny. The position of the residual tea leaves  and her accompanying vision indicate Amanda only has a short time to live. Interpreting the tea leaves isn't always easy for Sunny, but her visions and the psychic signs are never wrong. So after Amanda leaves, Sunny calls the police to warn them about the upcoming murder. Her report comes too late to help Amanda, and the police are suspicious about her knowledge of the crime. And if that's not a big enough problem, someone's trying to set her up as Amanda's killer. Now it's up to Sunny to prove her innocence and find the real murderer before she ends up convicted of the crime.

This is the first of what promises to be a delightful new paranormal mystery series by Ms. Townsend. With a cozy attitude and lighthearted dialogue, the author has created a likable protagonist with a lot of spunk. A few sleuthing situations may seem a little far-fetched, but they're fun to read and blend well with the overall tone of the story. The main characters, including the haunted Victorian house and its resident feline, have their own complex histories, and Sunny's potential romantic leads are both good looking and total opposites.

Whether you like paranormal or cozy mysteries, you're sure to love Tempest in the Tea Leaves. Include this book in your future readings, and you'll see why.

 * The next book in the series, Corpse in the Crystal Ball, comes out in June 2012.

 PROTAGONIST: Single, 29-year-old, Tinkerbell-ish psychic

CRITTERS: Morty - a large, almost-glowing white cat with black eyes and unusual abilities

ACTION: Car crashes on snowy roads, karaoke sleuthing, tackling a bad guy

LOVE INTERESTS: Possible future with a grumpy, good-looking detective or a lively, Irish-accented bartender

ROMANCE: Heavy-duty kissing frenzy, vision of heavy-duty kissing frenzy

QUIRKINESS: Non-eating, non-sleeping, big, white, hissing cat; tempermental house; forgetful ex-librarian

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Digoxin details, how dementia affects families, how to position cups to read tea leaves

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, fun situations, witty dialogue, some slapstick moments

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries by E.J. Copperman, Missing Pieces Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell

Die Buying

A Mall Cop Mystery, by Laura DiSilverio, Berkley Prime Crime, August 2011

EJ Ferris's day at Fernglen Galleria begins like any other, but it soon becomes more than just the norm. A loud wail guides her to a scared victim of a bearded dragon attack, tipping her off that reptiles from the Herpetology Hut are on the lam. Promising a reward, she enlists the morning mall walkers to help find lizards, snakes and Agatha, the fifteen-foot python, before the Galleria officially opens for the day. While she's helping to round up the missing critters, a piercing scream echos down the hallway from the Dillard's wing. EJ hopes there's been an Agatha sighting and speeds her Segway towards the frightened stroller-pushing mom staring at a window display. Agatha's nowhere in sight, but the beach scene does have a new occupant...a dead man lying on a beach chair, butt-naked and with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. Suddenly her calm job on the mall security force got a little more interesting.

EJ hasn't seen much action since her medically-forced discharge from the Air Force security detail in Iraq, and finally she has the chance to show she is still a good cop, despite suffering from a debilitating, IED-inflicted, knee injury. However, local Vernonville, VA police detective Anders Helland views her as just another inexperienced mall officer and a hindrance to his investigation. EJ needs to solve the murder, both for her reputation and for her self-confidence, so that she can show she's still an efficient and valuable officer of the law.

DiSilverio, a breath of fresh air in the cozy mystery genre, pens a charming murder mystery filled with unique characters and humorous situations. The sidekicks she gives EJ are far from cliche: Grandpa Atherton-retired CIA, proud owner of umpteen spying gadgets and still involved in secret activities, and Kyra-a software wiz and EJ's best friend, who is by day, manager of a magic store in the Galleria, and by night, a proud member of a roller derby team.  Other diverse players in the story are daily Bible-verse-spraying car vandals, a gun-toting cookie store owner, a stuck-up mall manager and sleezy mall security force employees. The mystery is well-crafted with lots of action, and the parallel storylines converge to a satisfying ending.

I loved this book and can't wait until the second book in the series will be released in 2012. In the meantime, I'll catch DiSilverio's Swift Edge, the next Charlie Swift/Gigi Goldman mystery, another series full of amusing characters and creative situations. It will be out in November 2011.

* The next book in the series, All Sales Fatal, will be released in May 2012.

PROTAGONIST: Single, 31-year-old, IED-injured, Segway-riding, female mall cop

CRITTERS: Fubar-a giant, rust-colored cat with a mangled ear and shortened tail AND lots of escaped lizards, turtles and snakes

ACTION: Mall chases, car chase, spying, prying

LOVE INTERESTS: Potential with good-looking cookie store owner and with handsome, condescending local police detective

ROMANCE: Slim to none for now

QUIRKINESS: Grandpa Atherton in disguises, dead man in window display, python panic, Bible-spouting car vandals, EJ's background

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Mall cop responsibilties, behind-the-scenes glimpse at a mall's daily operation

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, funny characters, witty dialogue, some slapstick moments

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Charlie Swift/Gigi Goldman Mysteries by Laura DiSilverio, Southern Beauty Shop Mysteries by Lila Dare, White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Museum Mysteries by Sheila Connolly

 

Skirting the Grave

A Vintage Magic Mystery, by Annette Blair, Berkley Prime Crime, July 2011

Murder, mistaken identity, and the need for a political family to succeed at all costs combine to make this story another winner in the Vintage Magic Mystery series. The fourth entry to the series, Skirting the Grave finds psychometry-gifted, Vintage Magic-owner Maddie Cutler handling far too many family responsibilities while trying to ensure the success of her new vintage clothing store. Not only is she planning her sister Sherry's baby shower, but her other sister Brandy left all the preparations for her foundation's fundraiser with Maddie.

Mad's also having a tough time choosing between her two beaus, Nick Jaconetti, her on-and-off boyfriend since junior high, and Lytton Werner, hot detective and her frenemy since third grade. To top it off, she's to pick up her new design intern, Isobel York, whom she's never met and regrets hiring, and her sister Brandy at the train station and make sure they're settled at Maddie's dad's house.

The problems start when Brandy makes a last minute call to say she's missed the train and that Maddie needs to pick up Isobel. Maddie and her dad arrive late and discover Isobel York has died on a bench at the station.

But if the dead girl was Isobel York, then who's the stranger knocking on Maddie's door at 3 am the next morning, looking like the doppelganger of, and claiming to be, the real Isobel York? Maddie's determined to find the answer and overcome the obstacles popping up everywhere. The list of suspects grows as Werner, Maddie, Eve (Mad's BFF), Nick and Isobel unravel the web of lies concealing the political rise of the Kingston and York families and the death of the girl at the train station.

Blair excels at infusing a story with loads of tension (Mad vs Nick and Werner, Nick vs Werner, Mad vs Brandy, Isobel vs her Grand-mere, Brandy vs Everybody) and adds visions of car hopping in the 1950's, intelligent humor, ghost sightings and pompous family matriarchs and patriarchs to heighten the fun and suspense. The author continuously moves the action forward and expertly weaves the various subplots together for a satisfying ending.

Who is the real Isobel York? Why was the first Isobel murdered? Will Brandy finally arrive in Mystic? Will her fundraiser be a success? Which guy will Maddie choose to be her one and only? Hurry to pick up Skirting the Grave at your local bookstore and discover the answers to these questions for yourself. 

* The next book in the series, Cloaked in Malice, will be released in April 2012. 

PROTAGONIST: Wild child, vintage store owner, psychometry-gifted Maddie Cutler

CRITTERS: Chakra, a special kitty who knows just how to soothe Maddie

ACTION: Foot chases, cliff-climbing, roller skating, fist fights

LOVE INTERESTS: Nick Jaconetti-on and off boyfriend and FBI agent, Lytton Werner-hot detective and frenemy since third grade

ROMANCE: Close dancing, deep kisses, lots of chemistry

QUIRKINESS: 104-year-young Dolly Sweet and her ghostly sweetheart Dante Underhill, Maddie and Isobel roller skating in Vintage Magic, the getaway tree

INTERESTING TIDBITS: How to tell Lucite from Bakelite, how to identify a real vintage Ralph Lauren purse, eras of specific clothing styles

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, some slapstick moments, intelligent banter, fun situations

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Missing Pieces Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Bewitching Mysteries by Madelyn Alt

 

An Uninvited Ghost

A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery, by E.J. Copperman, Berkley Prime Crime, April 2011

Alison Kerby is a single mom to 10-year-old Melissa and proprietor of a seven-bedroom guesthouse on the Jersey Shore. Besides keeping the rooms clean and the welcome warm, she tries to maintain some semblence of sanity in her very haunted house, at least until Seniors Plus Tours takes an interest in her unconventional residence. Alison has to provide at least two hauntings per day to satisfy the curiosity of her guests, and the tour providers promise to keep her five available guestrooms filled from April through October. Once she convinces Paul and Maxie, her two house-bound ghosts, to help her entertain the senior guests, the twice-a-day spirit spectacles begin.

On Show Day 3, Paul refuses to continue his part in the performances until Alison uses her brand new private investigator license to help his friend Scott McFarlane. She resists Paul's pleas until she discovers Scott's not only a spirit but also blind. Now if she says no, she'll feel like a heel.

In addition to handling Scott's investigation and orchestrating the spooky show for her senior guests, Alison tangles with a excellent-paying reality TV crew that's descended on her property. Down the Shore features four twenty-something big-star wannabees who diss each other, posture for the camera and vie to be the most outrageous cast member. Their language is crude, and their behavoir is borish, leading Alison to regret allowing them on her property.

But those are the least of her worries. Before the week is out, a local senior dies during a seance and a reality TV cast member is missing. It's up to gumshoe Alison to solve the crime, find the girl, save the day and appease everyone.

This is the second book in E.J. Copperman's Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries and an excellent follow-up to Night of the Living Deed. The story is filled with wry quips and humorous situations, and the characters are so engaging that even the ghosts seem real.  Copperman excels at keeping various plot lines interesting and on track, all while moving the story forward. No sagging or lagging action here. So check into An Uninvited Ghost for a fun, refreshing mystery. It's like a vacation for your spirit and a spa for your funny bone.

* The next book in the series, Old Haunts, will be released in February 2012.

PROTAGONIST: Divorced, guesthouse proprietor and single mom to a 10 year old

ACTION: Ghostly chases for an audience, verbal fights among reality TV cast, deadly seance

LOVE INTERESTS: Passing notice of the reality TV producer

QUIRKINESS: Whole tattoed and pierced cast of reality TV show; Dolores, the ghost medium; house-bound ghostly duo, Paul and Maxie

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Behind-the-scenes glimpse into taping a reality TV show

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Double Feature Mysteries by Jeff Cohen, Aaron Tucker Mysteries by Jeff Cohen, Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Missing Pieces Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Ghost Hunter Mysteries by Victoria Laurie

 

Vision Impossible

A Psychic Eye Mystery, by Victoria Laurie, Obsidian, July 2011

Vision Impossible is the ninth book in Victoria Laurie's Psychic Eye Mystery series. It's fun, it's smart, it's full of adventure, and FBI civilian profiler, Abby Cooper, is way outside her comfort zone. Normally she has a psychic head's up on which choices to make, but this time a smattering of creativity and a lot of courage are required to protect herself and the man she loves.

A software program designed to capture a person's aura is missing, and the military and CIA need Abby's psychic skills to track it down. She must find the stolen drone aircraft in which it's located before it can be sold to the highest bidder, since whomever owns the software also has the ability to identify and target the world's leaders by their individual auras. 

Being the good citizen that she is, Abby answers Uncle Sam's call to help, and she and her fiance FBI Agent Dutch Rivers go undercover in an international espionage mission. Dutch impersonates an unscrupulous, small time weapons dealer (who is conveniently out of the way in an Israeli prison), and Abby portrays his new personal assistant and business partner. 

As they spy for the CIA, deal with the Chechen mafia and search for the drone and digital photo software, they play a dangerous game with international arm dealers and cold-blooded murderers. The challenge is daunting, but Abby knows if she fails to retrieve the software, then she fails her country too.  And this time, failure is not an option.

Thanks to the author's clever plot twists and engaging characters, the Abby Cooper stories never get boring. Each tale is fresh, enjoyable and infused with intelligent banter. If you like your paranormal mysteries with a dash of suspense, then you're sure to love Vision Impossible and the rest of the Psychic Eye Mysteries!  

* The next book in the series will be released in July 2012. 

PROTAGONIST: Gutsy, psychic, FBI profiling consultant

ACTION: Struggles, guns, chases, descending a fire escape in tight skirt, fleeing danger in a little black dress

LOVE INTERESTS: Engaged to a good-looking FBI agent but strangely attracted to a sexy Chechen criminal

ROMANCE: Sexy, smooth, unexpected

QUIRKINESS: D-chested blond bimbo, sleezy Chechen mobster

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Ways in which psychic impressions can appear, stun gun reactions

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, funny scenes

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Ghost Hunter Mysteries by Victoria Laurie, Missing Pieces Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Charley Davidson Mysteries by Darynda Jones, Vintage Magic Mysteries by Annette Blair

 

Larceny and Lace

A Vintage Magic Mystery, by Annette Blair, Berkley Prime Crime, August 2009

Vintage Magic's grand opening is just days away, and Maddie Cutler fears her new vintage clothing and designer store is far from ready. Heading back to Mystick Falls, CT after working her two-week notice in New York City, she detours into downtown Mystic to check out her shop's recent renovations. Maddie's thrilled at how her father, academic Harry Cutler, and his crew adapted the building's interior, turning an empty morgue and funeral home into a cheerful upscale boutique.

Excitement quickly morphs into fear when Maddie hears footsteps on the second floor. She and her cat, Chakra, sneak up the dark stairway to investigate and are startled when the intruder flies down the stairs and out the front door. Though the building's resident ghost, charming and handsome Dante Underhill, commisserates with Maddie, she's relieved when her friends and family arrive to help her open a secret room upstairs.

Maddie's scary night is far from over. The playhouse across the street is torched, possibly to conceal the owner's dead body and some unidentified bones, Vintage Magic is revisited by an intruder, and a vision involving a well and a woman named Isobel leaves Maddie upset, exhausted and in the protective arms of Detective Werner.

With her friends and store in danger, Maddie falls headlong into trouble while trying to solve an almost thirty-year-old cold case and keep the town's butcher, Mr. Tunney, from being charged with the murder of the burned theater's owner. Dealing with the murdered man's family, with their obvious greed, in-fighting and old family secrets, may just be the death of Maddie...literally.

Larceny and Lace is the second book in a cozy paranormal mystery series by Annette Blair. The author is an excellent storyteller and uses lively dialogue, colorful descriptions and an amazing array of vintage clothing knowledge to draw the reader into the story. She creates fully-developed major characters with unique personalities and mannerisms. Fashion-conscious Maddie is very loyal to the people she loves, independent, curious and still coming to terms with her ability to see visions when she touches fabric. Eve is daring, intelligent and sexy, and her favorite color is black. Vintage Magic's ghost, Dante Underhill, is dashing, debonair and dead, to the disappointment of feisty 103-year-old Dolly Sweet, his once lovely sweetheart. Detective Werner and Maddie are arch-enemies, ever since she called him Wiener in the third grade, but his stern demeanor occasionally weakens when Maddie least expects it.

If you're looking for a fun series to dive into, you can't go wrong with the Vintage Magic books. I suggest you start with the series' first book, A Veiled Deception, but you can read any of the four books as a standalone. They are all entertaining, guaranteed to lift your spirits and put a smile on your face.

* The current books in the series are A Veiled Deception (January 2009), Larceny and Lace (August 2009), Death by Diamonds (July 2010), and Skirting the Grave (July 2011).  The next book, Cloaked in Malice, will be released in April 2012.

 PROTAGONIST: Wild child, vintage store owner, psychometry-gifted Maddie Cutler

CRITTERS: Chakra, a cute and comforting yellow kitten

ACTION: Fire, dancing, hiding in the woods

LOVE INTERESTS: Never-home FBI agent, always-around detective

ROMANCE: Deep kisses, hugs, comfortable shoulders

QUIRKINESS: Charming and handsome ghost, 103-year-old feisty friend, loving godmother who's both a lawyer and a witch

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Lots of vintage and designer clothes info, Mystic CT scenes

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, cheeky comments, some slapstick moments

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Missing Pieces Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Bewitching Mysteries by Madelyn Alt

A Taste of the Nightlife

A Vampire Chef Mystery, by Sarah Zettel, Obsidian, July 2011

Chef Charlotte Caine and her vampire brother, Chet, own Nightlife, a restaurant that caters to vampires, paranormals and their guests. They've worked long hours and gone without a full salary to overcome anti-vampire sentiment and build their business into a must-go-to place to see and be seen in New York City. So they are thrilled when NYC's best undead dining critic, Anatole Sevarin, shows up one evening to sample their menu. One good review from Sevarin, and Nightlife could be catapulted into the top-tier of Big Apple restaurants.

Their excitement is quickly extinquished when a spurned warlock threatens one of the diners with a handball of fire and sets off the sprinklers, drenching tables, chairs and guests with fire retardant. But that is just a warm-up to what they face the next morning when Charlotte returns from a successful early morning trip to the farmers market. Juggling grocery bags and keys, she enters the restaurant and discovers the warlock's body sprawled on the floor near the host station with two bite marks in his neck and Chet nowhere to be found. Now she must rely on both the charismatic vampire dining critic and the warlock's gorgeous cousin Brendan to help find her brother, solve the murder and save her restaurant's reputation.

This is a delightful story with lots of fun dialogue and surprising twists and turns. The protagonist, Charlotte Caine, is smart, witty and dedicated to protecting her brother. She blames herself for Chet's transition to vampire life and has looked out for him since their parents fled to the Southwest. She is a creative chef and cooks to relieve stress, to the enjoyment and benefit of her roommates, Trish, a midtown attorney, and Jesse, a makeup sales consultant.

This is the first book in a new series that I hope will continue for several years. The book's characters are not your typical, every day vampires and warlocks, and the story is fresh and fast-paced. Kudos to the author for this quirky and entertaining book. I'm already saving up my pennies to purchase the next book in the series, Let Them Eat Stake.

 * The next book in the series, Let Them Eat Stake, will be released in April 2012.

PROTAGONIST: A 30-year-old, intelligent and witty, female chef and owner of Nightlife, a restaurant catering to vampires, paranormals and their guests

ACTION: Struggles in a dark alley, fight for life in a bright kitchen

LOVE INTERESTS: A charismatic and handsome vampire, a gorgeous and caring warlock

ROMANCE: Great kisses and lots of electricity

QUIRKINESS: Vampire dining critic, transitioned brother, vamp tramp

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Inner workings of an upscale restaurant's kitchen, big city restaurant staffing issues, who visits NYC early morning farmers markets

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, witty dialogue, cute jokes, funny situations

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Wishcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, Bewitching Mysteries by Madelyn Alt, Ophelia & Abby Mysteries by Shirley Damsgaard

 

Books Can Be Deceiving

A Library Lover's Mystery, by Jenn McKinlay, Berkley Prime Crime, July 2011

Lindsey Norris enjoys her new job as director of the public library in Briar Creek, CT.  She's only been in the town for six months and already feels at home, particularly since her best friend and former grad school roommate, Beth Stanley, is a co-worker.  But Lindsey worries that Beth's boyfriend, Rick Eckman, isn't right for Beth and doesn't treat her well.

When Beth finds out that Rick stole the children's story she's spent years writing and designing, Lindsey accompanies her on the boat ride out to his private island to confront him. Beth wants to go in alone and deal with Rick, but she never gets the chance to vent her anger. Apparently someone else had an even bigger beef with Rick and settled it with a sharp knife. Chief Daniels believes Beth murdered her ex and refuses to consider any evidence that implicates anyone else, and Lindsey feels it's up to her to find the killer.  An old photo provides the only link between the man she knew as Rick and the person who may have killed him. Lindsey is running out of time to identify the murderer, time she and Beth may need to stay alive.

This pleasant cozy mystery is set in a fictional Connecticut coastal community. The story is even paced, interspersed with some surprising twists and filled with unique characters. Lindsey's friends and coworkers are a diverse group and a humorous, loyal and resourceful bunch. Handsome Captain Mike "Sully" Sullivan lends his boat, and shoulders, to Lindsey's cause, chipping away at Lindsey's vow to stay away from men.

Fans of Miss Marple should enjoy this light tale of lies, deceit and murder and it's satisfying conclusion.  Be sure to pick up Books Can Be Deceiving for a relaxing weekend at home or for a good read on a lazy, hazy day of summer.

* The next book in the series, Due or Die, will come out in March 2012.  

PROTAGONIST: Newly single, independent, 35-year-old female library director

ACTION: Mild - Beth and Rick's break-up fight in the cafe, gun shot scene

LOVE INTERESTS: A good-looking tour boat captain

ROMANCE: Hesitant, nurturing

QUIRKINESS: An 82-year-old, energetic, yoga-loving, library board chairman; a sleepwalking landlady

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Glimpse of life in a Connecticut coastal community, a hint of library politics, reader's guide for The Last Time I Saw Paris, and recipes for hot chocolate and clam chowder

 FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, cute quips

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Cupcake Bakery Mysteries by Jenn McKinlay, Bibliophile Mysteries by Kate Carlisle, Cat in the Stacks Mysteries by Miranda James, Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams, Booktown Mysteries by Lorna Barrett, Decoupage Mysteries by Lucy Lawrence

 

A Killing in Antiques

A Lucy St. Elmo Antiques Mystery, by Mary Moody, Obsidian, June 2011

Brimfield Antiques Show is the biggest and best antique show around, and Lucy St. Elmo is ready for the thrill of the hunt and the lure of snagging an exceptional item for a bargain price. But her excitement is short-lived when she hears that antique picker Monty Rondo has been murdered before sunrise on opening day. Monty wasn't the most well-liked man around the antique circuit, so it could be hard to find the murderer. The police's primary suspect is Silent Bill, the master craftsman who worked for Monty, but Lucy is sure someone else committed the crime. So while she's selecting fine items for her shop, she's also picking up clues that point to the real killer. And she has to hurry, for when the Show's over, she may be too.

This is the first book in a new series and an enjoyable one, at that. Not only does one learn the ins and outs of the Brimfield Antique Show, but you also get great behind-the-scenes glimpses into the world of antiquing. Lucy is a fully drawn character who doesn't like to talk on the phone, suffers from terminal nosiness and has an issue with being short. She's married with five grown kids, is approaching 50, doesn't cook very well and enjoys the freedom of having her own business.  I liked how she prepares for Brimfield like she's getting ready for a battle she hopes she'll win and then fine tunes her schedule according to which field and booths are opening on a particular day.

Lucy's friends are well-defined and have unique character traits. Baker shares an interest in academia with Lucy's husband Hamp and a love of antiques with her. John Wilson is a curator at the Jeffries Jade Museum and a fundraiser extraordinaire. Natalie started in the business when Lucy did and has an unusual way of talking when in love. Lucy's assistant TJ, a rock star wannabe, loves old musical instruments. Coylie is a 22-year-old antique show newbie who's managing the lot where Lucy parks her van. And Silent Bill was the victim's assistant and is a superb craftsman who doesn't say much. 

A Killing in Antiques has light humor and an unusual setting. Add the several red herrings, interesting characters and a satisfying ending, and cozy mystery fans are guaranteed to enjoy this book and learn a little something about the antique business too. 

* The next book in the series, Under the Hammer, will be released in 2012.

PROTAGONIST: A 50-year-old, short, antique shop owner, married with children

ACTION: Hitting heads with flashlights and lamps

LOVE INTERESTS: Her husband Hamp and antiquing

ROMANCE: A chance to make love isn't squandered

QUIRKINESS: Lucy's Brimfield Antique Show battle gear,  Coylie's humor, Natalie's unusual language when in love

 INTERESTING TIDBITS: Brimfield Antique Show rules of etiquette, the wheeling and dealing going on at Brimfield, info on how to buy and identify antiques

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted with intelligent humor

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE:  Antique Print Mysteries by Lea Wait, Trash 'n' Treasures Mysteries by Barbara Allan, Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries by Jane K. Cleland, Den of Antiquity Mysteries by Tamar Myers

 

Blast from the Past

A "Where are They Now?" Mystery, by Toni L.P. Kelner, Berkley Prime Crime, February 2011

Entertainment reporter Tilda Harper rarely gets to interview current film or TV stars, so she jumps at the chance to interview actor John Laryea. The well-known and well-liked movie star is currently on Cape Cod filming location shots for his newest film, Pharos. It's the big screen adaptation of  a cult-favorite, limited-run, 80's comic book series by the mysterious Leviathan. The film's producer-director team, Edwina Hudson and Joni Langevoort, want to hire Tilda to uncover Leviathan's identity, and she agrees when they permit her to stay the whole week and do in-depth interviews for future articles. She doesn't realize that her biggest story will be the one she witnesses...the hit-and-run death of Francis Foster, Laryea's personal assistant.

All the evidence points to Pete Ellis, a limo driver and bodyguard from the film's security company. The local police and the company's owner think Pete's guilty, and they refuse to consider anybody else as a suspect. Tilda believes Pete is innocent and does all she can to track down the person who used Pete's limo to kill Laryea's assistant. She convinces Nick Tolomeo, the son of the security company owner and her ex-boyfriend, that Pete's not guilty, and together they try to find the real murderer before he can strike again.

This is the third in Kelner's "Where are They Now" mysteries, and it shines with humor and strong characters. Tilda is a likeable protagonist who brings intellect and a fascination with Hollywood culture to her assignments. Despite a death threat and working with her ex, she stays positive and focuses on her goals to get useful interviews and find Foster's real murderer. John Laryea, Toni and Edwina are complex characters and seem as if they could walk off the pages onto the beach of Cape Cod and film a real movie. The behind-the-scenes glimpses of movie location shoots and the cult 80's-comic-book culture add realism and provide great material for the story. Blast from the Past is a definite winner in the cozy mystery genre. Make sure to tuck this in your beach bag for a sweet read and a fun day in the sun.

PROTAGONIST: Entertainment reporter, smart, strong female

ACTION: Movie scene preparations, hit-and-run accident

LOVE INTERESTS: Security company owner's son - strong, caring, dating someone else

ROMANCE: A light kiss and lots of hugs

QUIRKINESS: Former kid's TV show host walking around in an "animal" costume, red-headed geeky guy stalking John Laryea, imposters claiming to be Leviathan

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Behind-the-scenes glimpse into movie location shoots and comic book fan culture, info about Cape Cod, hamster fears

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted with quirky characters and fun scenes

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Missing Pieces Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Pepper Martin Mysteries by Casey Daniels

 

 

A Touch of Gold

A Missing Pieces Mystery, by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Berkley Prime Crime, March 2011

Dae O'Donnell, mayor of Duck, NC and psychic finder of lost objects, is walking towards the Duck Historical Museum to return a gold coin when the building explodes, knocking her into the street and killing the museum's curator, Max Caudle. When she awakens in the hospital, Dae discovers she now has powerful visions of an object's history whenever she touches it. Though she's overcome with emotions when she handles old items, her new skill comes in handy when she and Kevin Brickman, a former FBI agent and new owner of The Blue Whale Inn, try to track down Sam Meacham. He's disappeared, and as he and Max were known adversaries, the police consider Sam the person responsible for the explosion and Max's death.

Dae believes Sam is innocent and that he may have some useful information about who caused the explosion. Following the impressions she picks up from a horse statue in Sam's office, she and Kevin continue to Currituck Beach, where they find an abandoned Segway in the bushes. As Dae grasps its handle, she feels intense fear and the sense of someone running. Now she believes Sam's in trouble and the same person that killed Max is threatening Sam.

Dae can't shake the feeling that the museum explosion, Max's death and Sam's disappearance are all linked to a rumored stash of old gold coins. Only when she can control her intense reactions to her visions is she able to uncover the museum's secrets, the gold connection and the real identify of the murderer.

This is a strong sequel to last year's A Timely Vision and includes some familiar faces. Dae's grandfather Gramps, a charter boat captain and a former sheriff of Duck, is a larger-than-life character who provides home, family and community stability for Dae. Kevin Brickman is an ex-FBI agent and the owner of the Blue Whale Inn. He becomes Dae's sounding-board and love interest, and he helps her come to terms with her new psychic ability. Dae's good friends and business neighbors, Trudy Devereaux and Shayla Lily, are three-dimensional, fun characters with distinctive personalities, histories and fashion style, and both provide a little comic relief.

So if you're looking for another book to read by the pool or on the beach this Summer, spend a little time in Duck, NC with Dae and her friends. You're sure to enjoy your time there.

* The next book in the series, A Spirited Gift, will be released in December 2011.

PROTAGONIST: A psychically gifted & single 36-year-old female mayor of Duck, NC and owner of Missing Pieces store

ACTION: Locked in the cabin of a boat, swimming in the cold Atlantic Ocean, car crashes, rescues

LOVE INTERESTS: Ex-FBI agent turned innkeeper

ROMANCE: Lots of kisses and hugs

QUIRKINESS: Dae's psychic abilities - touches a person's hands and finds their lost items, and sees and feels the history of an item upon contact

COLLOQUIALISMS: Local and regional sayings

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Pirating history of Outer Banks, scavaging methods of Duck ancestors, facts about the Outer Bank's wild horses

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted with some comic relief throughout

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams, Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries by E.J. Copperman, Port Chatham Mysteries by P.J. Alderman, and Renaissance Faire Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene

 

To Sketch a Thief

A Portrait of Crime Mystery, by Sharon Pape, Berkley Prime Crime, June 2011

New PI Rory McCain, a former sketch artist with the Suffolk County Police Department, shares an uneasy alliance, an investigation business and her house with Ezekial "Zeke" Drummond, a federal marshall who died in 1878.  Since Zeke is confined to her residence, Rory does most of the investigating alone. She is an independent, 28-year-old protaganist with a lot of gumption and a .45 as backup.

A stray dog named Hobo appears in her yard one day, and Rory drives him to the street address stamped on his dog tag. When no one answers the door, she follows Hobo into the house and discovers a dead woman on the kitchen floor, a knife sticking out of her back. An estranged friend of the victim shows up and tells Rory that Tootsie, the dead woman's prized Maltese, is also missing. Thus begins Rory's involvement in a dognapping case that may also be tied to the murder of Hobo's owner.

After Rory decides to give Hobo a temporary home, she's hired by Tina Kovack, another dognapping victim and the murdered woman's friend, to find Tootsie and hopefully track down her own stolen Malteses. The investigation becomes personal when Hobo is poisoned and almost dies. Rory suspects Hobo's veternarian of providing information to aid the dognappers, but she must rely on him to keep Hobo alive.  More potential persons of interest come to light at the local dog park. Eventually an elementary school teacher helps Rory track down the people responsible for stealing the dogs when all other leads become dead ends.

To Sketch a Thief is filled with potential murder suspects, dog humor, a ghost consultant,  and red herrings. This is the second book in the Portrait of Crime Mysteries and a strong sequel in the series. If you are a fan of mysteries involving ghosts, good stories with canines and novels with a strong female protaganist, then you'll enjoy To Sketch a Thief.

* The third book in the series, Sketch a Falling Star, will be released in March 2012.

PROTAGONIST: Independent, 28-year-old, .45-toting, female PI

CRITTERS: Hobo - a 90-lb, gray & white mutt

ACTION: Fun dog chases, not-so-fun dog vs man, humorous dog vs ghost

LOVE INTEREST: Hobo, the adopted dog

ROMANCE: Lots of dog kisses and drool

QUIRKINESS: Ghost from 1878 who's computer proficient

INTERESTING TIDBITS: A glimpse into a lawman's day in 1878

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, cute scenes with Hobo

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries by E.J. Copperman, Port Chatham Mysteries by P.J. Alderman, Pepper Martin Mysteries by Casey Daniels

 

Hexes and Hemlines

A Witchcraft Mystery, by Juliet Blackwell, Obsidian Mystery, June 2011

Lily Ivory is not your average shop owner and businesswoman in San Francisco. She owns a vintage clothing store,  Aunt Cora's Closet, in the city's Haight-Ashbury district and is a practicing witch. That's why she's standing in Malachi Zazi's penthouse investigating his murder scene, and his glass-impaled body, with SFPD Inspector Carlos Romero.  The apartment is full of bad luck symbols designed to discount superstitions, including upside down horseshoes, broken mirrors, thirteen chairs at the dinner table, and a ladder to walk under at the front entry. Lily suspects a clearing spell has been cast throughout the penthouse. She can't read any residual energy, good or bad, which is strange in an almost 100-year-old residential building. She wants to find Zazi's murderer to help the police, but she keeps butting up against a force more powerful than she understands.

And that's not her only problem. Oscar, her familiar, refuses to be nice to the black cat she's temporarily inherited and is allergic to, and Bronwyn, her friend and employee, has an unfortunate connection to the victim.

Handsome journalist Max Carmichael hasn't called Lily since he's been back in town, powerful warlock Aidan Rhodes is angry that she's broken a fragile territory pact with other paranormals, and tall, dark and handsome Sailor is a sourpuss who reluctantly accompanies Lily to the more menacing parts of town in her quest for information.

This is the third book in the wonderful Witchcraft Mystery series, and it feels as fresh and new as the first, Secondhand Spirits. The characters seem alive with their individual personalities and idiosyncrasies, and colorful descriptions set the scene and pull the reader along for the whole adventure.

From gargoyles and Goofer Balls to dark magic in the forest, Hexes and Hemlines is sure to keep you entertained to the last page, and laughing along the way.  It's the perfect book to take to the beach, read at the pool or brighten up a dull flight. So whether you're on a vacation or a staycation, this Witchcraft Mystery will help make it a fun and relaxing one.

* The next book in the series will be released in 2012. 

 PROTAGONIST: Vintage clothes store owner, single, practicing witch

CRITTERS: Oscar- a familiar that turns into a pig around humans, Zazi's cat-a black cat staying with Lily and Oscar

ACTION: Time alteration, chase through a dark forest, fight on a rooftop, snakes ready to bite

LOVE INTERESTS: A handsome journalist, a gorgeous warlock, and a sexy bodyguard

ROMANCE: Melting pewter, sizzling kiss, hot embrace

QUIRKINESS: Unique characters, Oscar-the goblin who turns into a pig, High Prince Zazi-the aging, self proclaimed "High Prince of Hell", Doura-the high-voiced time-bender

COLLOQUIALISMS: Texas sayings and Spanish phrases

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Bad luck symbols, history of gargoyles, architectural descriptions, Tidal Basin cherry trees, war chemicals used for backyard gardening

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, witty dialogue, laughs throughout

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Art Lover's Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell writing as Hailey Lind, Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell

 

Dire Threads

A Threadville Mystery, by Janet Bolin, Berkley Prime Crime, June 2011

Willow Vanderling leaves her Big Apple job in investment counseling and moves to Elderberry Bay, PA to open In Stitches, a store selling all things embroidery. The town's other craft store owners, one of which is her best friend Haylee, are very supportive and glad that she's opened a complementary business in their "Threadville" part of town. But some long-time residents aren't as welcoming, particularly Mike Krawbach, the town's gorgeous and scheming planning commissioner. Willow vehemently opposes his plans to condemn the Victorian Gothic cottage on her property and replace it with restrooms for ATV riders. So Mike takes matters into his own hands and tries to torch the little house. Willow calls 911 after she discovers him unconscious and dying in her backyard, but when Mike dies, the town's sole policeman thinks she's guilty and refuses to consider any clues that may prove she's innocent. Willow realizes that the only way she'll stay out of jail is to track down the killer herself.

Though the story starts a little slow, it gains momentum with each chapter. It's apparent that the author knows a great deal about embroidery and other sewing crafts. She shares her knowledge with the reader in scenes where her protagonist and other craft store owners offer sewing, quilting and embroidery tips and techniques to their customers.

Dire Threads has characters galore, but Smythe Castor is one of my favorites. His bee-themed clothing and unusual source of income (a honey farm) provide some of the book's more amusing scenes. The personalities of Threadville and Elderberry Bay are sure to mature into more complex and well-rounded characters as the series continues. Fans of Miss Marple and other craft-related mysteries, especially Amanda Lee's Embroidery Mysteries, should enjoy this first book in a new mystery series.

* The next book in the series will come out in June 2012. 

PROTAGONIST: Single, 32-ish, embroidery store owner

CRITTERS: Talley-Ho and Sally-Forth, rescued one-year-old border collie-ish dogs

ACTION: Small town, slower pace

LOVE INTERESTS: Clay Fraser, owner of Fraser Construction

ROMANCE: Handshakes, flirting

QUIRKINESS: Honey farm owner who dresses like a bee, hard of hearing doctor who can really carry a tune

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Embroidery and sewing tips and techniques, little known fact about padlock keys, info on hardwoods and their use

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted with some amusing scenes

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Embroidery Mysteries by Amanda Lee, Miss Marple Mysteries by Agatha Christie, Cookie Cutter Shop Mysteries by Virginia Lowell, Cardmaking Mysteries by Tim Myers and Elizabeth Bright, Victoria Square Mysteries by Lorraine Bartlett 

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat

A Magical Cats Mystery, by Sofie Kelly, Obsidian Mystery, February 2011

Kathleen Paulson has only been in  Mayville Heights, Minnesota for a few months, but already she's been adopted by two unusual kittens, catnip-addicted Owen and disappearing Hercules, and has formed several new friendships. One person she hasn't befriended is the visiting conductor and guest artist for the Wild Rose Summer Music Festival, pompous Gregor Easton.

Kathleen is overseeing the renovation of the public library when she hears loud voices in another part of the building. She finds Mr. Easton berating one of her coworkers and complaining about the chaos and inadequacy of the library. Easton is furious because the computer stations haven't been set up and he can't go online to check his emails. As Easton continues his tirade, Owen appears out of nowhere and attacks the conductor's head. Kathleen tries to mollify Easton by promising to send over a special breakfast to his hotel room the next day. But he never gets the chance to eat it. Kathleen finds his body slumped over Stratton Theatre's piano early the next morning when she's looking for someone else. 

With the reknowned conductor dead, it's questionable if the festival can continue. But that's small potatoes when there's a murder to solve. Afraid she's the primary suspect, Kathleen, Owen and Hercules band together to solve the case and catch the real killer.

This first book in a new cozy mystery series is lighthearted and very entertaining. The quick pace is helped along by several refreshing twists and unusual feline activity. I connected with the author's humor and couldn't help but laugh out loud at Kathleen's interaction with her almost personable cats. Though I had a little bit of trouble keeping Rebecca, Roma and Ruby straight when they shared a scene, that was just a minor blip in a very enjoyable story.  So if you're in the market for another fun book to read on vacation, be sure to pick up Curiosity Thrilled the Cat.

 *The next book in the series, Sleight of Paw, comes out in September 2011

PROTAGONIST: Past 30, new head librarian, lives in old farmhouse

CRITTERS: Two cats - Owen, gray and white tabby, and Hercules, stocky black and white cat

ACTION: Accidents in the library, humorous cat chases

LOVE INTEREST: Detective Marcus Gordon

ROMANCE: Lots of cat nuzzles and cuddling

QUIRKINESS: Catnip-addicted cat, veterinarian taking care of people, disappearing cats

INTERESTING TIDBITS: History of libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie, how to handle feral cats

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, cute quips, humorous dialogue

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Midnight Louie Mysteries by Carole Nelson Douglas, Cats in Trouble Mysteries by Leann Sweeney, Cats and Curios Mysteries by Rebecca M. Hale; Cat in the Stacks Mysteries by Miranda James

 

Missing Persons

A Kate Conway Mystery, by Clare O'Donohue, Plume-Penguin Group, June 2011

Kate Conway produces true crime shows for cable TV. She interviews grieving spouses, suspicious exes and confused friends of the missing and murdered to spin the most sensational story she can in twenty-two minutes. But now she's the one being interviewed...by Chicago police and homicide detectives. Her almost ex-husband Frank is dead, and she's the prime suspect. Already under a lot of pressure to film a missing person case within a tight schedule, Kate's pushed to the breaking point to find out what, and who, really killed Frank before she's arrested for his murder.

O'Donohue (author of the Someday Quilt Mysteries) moves Missing Persons along with witty dialogue, frequent scene changes and fresh, well-developed characters. From her irritating in-laws and concerned co-workers to the grieving family and friends of the missing good-girl, Theresa Moretti, everyone Kate interacts with has a unique personality and an interesting backstory. And all contribute to an entertaining, enjoyable mystery, the first in a brand new series. It just may be your favorite beach read this summer. 

PROTAGONIST: Almost divorced, 37-year-old, red-headed, freelance TV producer

ACTION: Frequent scene changes, short chapters, story never stalls

LOVE INTEREST: Her job

QUIRKINESS: Young, 25-ish coworker says just what he thinks, unfortunately

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Behind-the-scenes look at producing a 22-minute, true crime show

FUN FACTOR: Plenty of fun situations and quirky characters

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Charlotte McNally Mysteries by Hank Phillippi Ryan, Soap Opera Mysteries by Eileen Davidson, Fat City Mysteries by Kathryn Lilley

Sweet Revenge

A Lady Arianna Regency Mystery, by Andrea Penrose, Obsidian Mystery, April 2011

SWEET REVENGE is a cozy mystery set in Regency England involving chocolate, illicit drugs and an old aristocratic scandal. Lady Arianna Hadley will do anything to find her father's murderer and see him punished for his crime. So she forms an uneasy alliance with Alessandro De Quincy, the Earl of Saybrook, and transforms herself from a chef and a street urchin to a wealthy widow in search of sensual diversions...all to ensnare her prey and avenge her father's death.  Lord Saybrook searches for the same criminal to uncover a treasonal money-making scheme that could ultimately impact England's position against Napoleon.

Each chapter begins with a segment of an old journal that highlights an historical fact about chocolate followed by a modern recipe using chocolate. Both intrude on the flow of the story, and after the first chapter, I waited to read the rest until I'd finished the whole book. The journal entries, set in the 1700s, might have blended okay with the book's historical setting. However, the recipes specify oven temperatures and the use of electric mixers and wax paper, quickly lifting me from early 19th century England into the 21st century USA.

Without the interruption of the journal entries and recipes, the story moves along nicely. Lady Arianna is an appealing protaganist, who has been on her own since she was 15, doing whatever needed to survive. She enjoys delving into complex mathematical puzzles and changes roles quickly and easily. Her wary partner, Lord Saybrook, is a former army intelligence officer with a wounded leg and an addiction to opium. They mistrust each other but know it's crucial they work together to achieve their goals.

In spite of the intrusive journal entries and chocolate recipes, Sweet Revenge is fairly well-paced with intriquing storylines, intelligent characters and interesting dialogue. If you like to learn more than "whodunit" in your mysteries, then make sure to save space in your library for this cozy, the first in a new series.

* The next book in the series, The Cocoa Conspiracy, comes out in December 2011.

PROTAGONIST:  Independent, 20-something, good at disguises 

 ACTION:  Story never bogs down, medium-paced

LOVE INTEREST: The earl

ROMANCE: She's no virgin, but gets no action either

QUIRKINESS:  Men "lever up" from their chairs,  Spanish and French phrases, fondness for mentioning "cajones"

INTERESTING TIDBITS:  The history of chocolate, recipes for chocolate food and drink

FUN FACTOR:  A few amusing characters

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE:  Molly McQuire Mysteries by Rhys Bowen, Being Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron, Lady Emily Mysteries by Tasha Alexander

Cookie Dough or Die

A Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery, by Virginia Lowell, Berkley Prime Crime, April 2011

A little store in Chatterly Heights, MD that specializes in cookie-cutters is the setting for this first book in a new cozy mystery series. After residing in Baltimore for twelve years, newly divorced Olivia Greyson is back in her hometown and living in an apartment over her new business,The Gingerbread House. Along with her best friend, Maddie Briggs, she enjoys managing her shop, baking cookies, offering baking lessons and throwing special events to entice more customers into her store.

Olivia's contentment is short-lived, however. Early one morning her business mentor and good friend, Clarisse Chamberlain, is found dead at home. Sheriff Del Jenkins thinks it's a possible suicide. Olivia thinks it's murder, and begins her own investigation to prove it. But when it's discovered that Clarisse left Olivia a tidy sum of money and a pricey antique cookie-cutter collection, Olivia becomes a suspect. Then the town's nosy postman winds up in the hospital, the only clue to his critical condition an empty cookie bag from The Gingerbread House. Suddenly Livie's search for Clarisse's killer becomes personal.

Things move at a slower pace in Chatterly Heights and in this story too. If you like Miss Marple mysteries and want a pleasant, small town story with familiar characters and an easy to follow plot, make sure to add this book to your To Buy list.

* The next book in the series, A Cookie Before Dying, comes out in December 2011.

PROTAGONIST: 31-year-old, divorced, shop owner

CRITTERS: Spunky, a rescued Yorkie

ACTION: Small town, slower-paced

LOVE INTEREST: The sheriff

ROMANCE: Very little for protaganist, more action for best friend

QUIRKINESS: Drives a green 1972 Valiant, mom's a constantly busy, 4'11”, flower child

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Valuable cookie-cutters, versatility of cookie-cutters

FUN FACTOR:  Some funny parts

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE:  Miss Marple Mysteries by Agatha Christie; Booktown Mysteries by Lorna Barrett; Victoria Square Mysteries by Lorraine Bartlett; Cardmaking Mysteries by Tim Myers and Elizabeth Bright

 

Flowerbed of State

A White House Gardener Mystery,  by Dorothy St. James, Berkley Prime Crime, May 2011

Twists and turns abound in this action-packed cozy. The story begins when the newest White House gardener finds herself face down in a muddy Lafayette Square flowerbed with a fast-growing lump on her head. Cassandra “Casey” Calhoun has only been at the White House for three months and already trouble finds her wherever she goes. Only this time she may have been an unknowing witness to murder. She only has a few days to find the connection between the victim and a potential threat against the president. Was it a crime of passion? Or did the victim discover something illegal during her audit of some very high-profile banks?

From her first altercation in Lafayette Square to the end of her investigation, Casey does all she can to put the pieces together and track down the killer of her coworker's girlfriend. Her much-practiced self-defense techniques and a good deal of spunk help her save the day...and her life. Along the way Casey is distracted by two good-looking men, one a hunky trained fighter in fatigues and the other a charismatic banker in tailored suits, and one excitable pup. I didn't guess who the murderer was until the very end. Hopefully you won't either.

*The next book in the series, The Scarlet Pepper, comes out in April 2012.

PROTAGONIST: Upper 30s, new White House assistant gardener

CRITTERS: Milo, a goldendoodle puppy

ACTION: Lots plus struggles, but no chases

LOVE INTERESTS: Two men, two personalities, tough decision?

ROMANCE: Slightly Warm - hugs, cheek kisses, air kisses

QUIRKINESS: Unique characters, not same ole', same ole'

COLLOQUIALISMS: Southern girl memories

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Facts about White House rose garden, Tidal Basin cherry trees, war chemicals used for backyard gardening

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, some slapstick moments

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE:  White House Chef Mysteries by Julie Hyzy