Category Archives: Cozy Mystery
Review: The Ghost Goes to the Dogs by Cleo Coyle
The Ghost Dogs Goes to the
Cleo Coyle
Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series, Book 9
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 2, 2023
A stray dog leads bookseller Penelope McClure and her gumshoe ghost on a chase for a clever killer in this brand-new entry in the “utterly charming” (Mystery Scene) Haunted Bookshop Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
Pet Mystery Week brings brisk business to Penelope’s Rhode Island bookshop, but a real mystery comes barking at her door when a lost dog turns up in a panic. Pen and her son Spencer follow the furry fugitive to a wooded area where the dog’s owner lies unconscious. Mrs. Cunningham is a warm-hearted widow who volunteers at the animal shelter and runs Buy the Book’s pet lovers book club. Why would anyone shoot such a sweet soul?
The police believe it’s an accident, a shot by a careless deer hunter, but Pen remains skeptical. To straighten out this doggone mess, she whistles for the ghost of PI Jack Shepard, an expert in hounding as well as haunting. Jack has a dog story of his own, a case from the 1940s that may help Pen sniff out clues to her present predicament. Yet even with Jack’s hard-boiled help, Pen may not be able to stop the killer from striking again or letting this whole case go to the dogs…
Penny and Jack are not your average team but they get it done.
It’s pet mystery week and business has picked up for pennies Rhode Island book shop. However, the real mystery comes in the form of barking when a lost dog turns up at her door. Penny and her son hop on the case and follow the dog to where its owner is laying on the ground and unconscious. The dog’s owner, Mrs. Cunningham is a wonderful volunteer and animal lover. Now they have a mystery on their hands of who would want to hurt the sweet, wonderful woman. Penny calls on the help of her ghostly PI friend Jack Shepard, who has a story of his own involving some dogs from the 1940s. Together in the past, and in the present, they put together the clues to figure out who the culprit in his doggy caper is.
Cleo Coyle has put together another fine masterpiece in the haunted bookshop mystery series. Penny and Jack are something very unique, and the way the story unfolds through the past, and the present is something truly special. Penny is too smart to think that this was just an accident for Mrs. Cunningham. She is determined to find who tried to hurt this wonderful and sweet woman. While hunting down clues and trying to figure out who is behind this mass, Jack shares with Penny, his own doggy caper from back in the 40s that Jess may have left its mark on her present. This is a fun and entertaining, cozy mystery. When that truly keeps you turning the pages. Whether you’re in the past tense or the present you’re entertained on all fronts.
Review: A Poisonous Page by Kit Crowe
A Poisonous Page
Kit Crowe
Sweet Fiction Bookshop Series, Book 2
It’s summer festival time in Confection, Oregon, and that means a barrage of tourists making cash registers ring at Sweet Fiction Bookshop. But what should be bookseller Lexi’s most lucrative time of year turns disturbing when a member of the chamber of commerce suddenly dies of a heart attack. Not entirely unexpected—considering her family history—but it’s a different story when another chamber member dies just one week later…also, presumably, of natural causes.
Something about this doesn’t read right to Lexi. And it gets more unfathomable when her friend Dash—who dated both women—stands accused of murder! With Cookie, her lovable border collie mix, at her side and countless volumes of inspiration on her shelves, Lexi opens the book on another perplexing case. Who could have murdered two prominent townspeople without leaving even a hint of evidence on the scene? And why is an irksome-but-intriguing detective always seeming to catch her and Cookie working the case?
Lexi’s Confection Rose-colored glasses come off when she learns of thorny discussions among the council members, involving a string of secretive real estate transactions. Enlisting her faithful fellow members of the Macaroon Book Club, Lexi sets out to bind the clues together and clear Dash’s name. But if she can’t devise a clever trap for the real killer, she may soon end up with a very unhappily ever after of her own.
It’s festival season in Connection, Oregon. Beautiful summer days bring lots of tourists, making business boom. Lexi Jones is the manager of the Sweet Fiction Bookshop. In a time when she should be overwhelmed with business at the shop she finds her attention drawn into another direction. One member of the community suddenly dies of a heart attack and then just a week later another member of the Chamber of Commerce also dies. Both are cited as dying of natural causes but is that really the case. When a friend is deemed the prime suspect of murder, Lexi with her trusted companion Cookie in tow she is determined to figure out the truth
A Poisonous Page is a very entertaining read. I really enjoyed the mystery behind this one. The mystery was thought-provoking and interesting. Lexi and her doggy companion Cookie, have an Amazing group of friends that’s so add to the story. Lexi has a strained relationship with Detective Burg. If this was a romance title would be calling it sexual tension. I love the interaction between the two of them. Their banter is top notch. I can’t wait to see what becomes of the two of them.
I have been fortunate enough to read both books in the series. Two books in and we are just getting better. A Poisonous Page is a fantastic story in a wonderful addition to what I hope will be a very long running series. These characters can make you laugh, entertain you and give you an impressive mystery.
Review: The Proof is in the Poison by Diane Kelly
The Proof is in the Poison
Diane Kelly
Southern Homebrew Mysteries Series, Book 2
Now that her moonshine shop is up and running, Hattie Hayes can focus her efforts on expanding her fledgling business to events in the area, like the Chattanooga Choo Choo Model Train Convention, which is running full steam ahead at the convention center down the block. Hattie is all aboard, seizing this perfect opportunity to promote her Southern homebrew to the folks who have come to the city for the annual event.
But when an attendee dies after drinking some of Hattie’s moonshine, she’ll need to prove her innocence. Between tight-lipped train hobbyists and competitors for a coveted convention prize, Hattie has a wide array of suspects to choose from, and she’ll need to use all the tricks up her sleeve to make sure her moonshine business can survive a murderer and stay on track.
4 Stars
The Proof is in the Poison is a fantastic and exciting addition to the Southern Homebrew Mystery Series.
Hattie Hayes is taking advantage of the Chattanooga Choo Choo Model Train convention being at the convention center down the block. Handing out flyers, hosting a mixer and mingling with the convention goers is a great way to drum up some business for The Moonshine Shake. Haddie and her lovable and Teacher of all things moonshine, Granddaddy on his scooter take the convention by storm. They were even able to manage to drum up some business and turn some people onto some shine. When a convention goer ends up dead, fingers are pointed towards Hattie and her BlackBerry moonshine. To save her name and her business, Hattie decides to do a little sleuthing of her own ”while” helping out Detective Ace find out who killed this train hobbyist.
I very much enjoyed The Proof is in the Poison. Diane Kelly is an amazing writer and it definitely shows in everything she does. I truly could care less about model trains but yet she found a way to have me interested in the topic. Am I going to go and get a model train now, no I will not but it was a different twist and fun twist for a cozy. Hattie is an amazing character. She is proud of what she does. Even though she knows that she should stay out of it she pushes her way in and finds the answers that help solve the mystery. I really enjoyed the amount of time that Hattie and Marlon spent together in the story whether it be helping to clear her name or showing up so she could appease a group of convention goers . He is definitely a good sport and I definitely love the touch of romance that’s within the story. Granddaddy may be my favorite character. He is hilarious and hysterical. I love when he gets fired up and how he’s willing at 90 years old to still stand up for everything he believes in. A fun note to add- blackberries are my favorite berry and I do love BlackBerry moonshine. The recipes included within the book sound amazing and I am very much looking forward to trying some of these fabulous sounding drinks.
Review: Death by Beach Read by Eva Gates
Death By Beach Read
Eva Gates
Lighthouse Library Mystery Series, Book 9
It’s spring in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home at last, a historic cottage on the Nags Head Beach. The house needs a lot of renovations, but they worked hard over the winter to get it ready. Lucy is now happily immersed in her work at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, planning her wedding, and decorating the house. That is, until a dead body disrupts their peaceful new abode.
The first night Lucy’s alone in the house, with the company of Charles the library cat, she hears sounds. Investigating they see footsteps in the dust of the unfinished living room, and the door to the outside is open. Lucy’s reminded that the house is said to be haunted: forty years ago the teenage daughter of the owners fled in the night, and never again stepped foot inside her family home.
But the sounds have an all-too-human origin and one evening Lucy and Connor find the dead body of a man they don’t even recognize in their kitchen. They soon realize he has a long-time connection to their house. Lucy’s forced to find out what happened all those years ago and why it’s threatening her happiness today.
Meanwhile, the Classic Novel Reading Club is reading The House of the Seven Gables by Nathanial Hawthorne, a book about another old house full of secrets. Can Lucy find parallels to her own situation in Hawthorne’s fiction before the killer strikes again?
Review: A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert
A Fatal Booking
Victoria Gilbert
Booklover’s B&B Mysteries, Book 3
The victim – an opinionated busybody whose jewelry store sold original designs, along with some possibly “hot” merchandise – had plenty of enemies, spurring Charlotte and Ellen to offer their well-honed investigative skills to assist the local police. But as they delve deeper into the each of the guest’s stories, they realize all of them had a motive, and the means, to close the book on the unfortunate victim.
Enlisting the aid of a few local residents, as well as their new ally, agent Gavin Howard, Charlotte and Ellen vow to reveal the truth, even if the path to any sort of happy ending is strewn with deadly danger.
Review: Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay
Strawberried Alive
Jenn McKInlay
Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series, Book 14
Life is smooth as buttercream at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery, and newlyweds Mel and Joe are stopping to smell the flours. But things start to crumble one night when an unknown gunman takes a shot at Mel. Though the bullets miss their mark, the cupcake crew goes on high alert to figure out who would want to kill a small-town baker, and why.
When more business owners are attacked, things turn fatal, and locals begin to wonder if the killer could be one of their own. Every shop owner in town starts to fear it’s only a matter of time before they too become victims of the mystery murderer. Despite the cupcake crew’s superb baking skills, it will be anything but a piece of cake to catch the killer, as they try to prevent anyone else from being berried.
Review: A Margin for Murder by Lauren Elliott
A Margin for Murder
Lauren Elliott
Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series, Book 8
Addie leaves her Greyborne Harbor bookstore, Beyond the Page Books and Curios, in the capable hands of her assistant while she travels to the neighboring town of Pen Hollow to attend a book sale at a library that is closing due to lack of funding. But the real find is a bookmobile bus, which she’s excited to refit as a traveling bookstore to hit all the summer festivals. The bookmobile also holds a surprising treasure: several classic first editions and an early edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses.
But before the bookmobile can be delivered to Addie, a fatal car crash occurs. When an autopsy reveals poison in the victim’s system and the first editions go missing, it’s up to Addie to determine what would drive someone to murder. If she’s not careful, however, she may be the next one to be dead on arrival…
Addie and Paige are on a simple trip to purchase books from a library sale in a neighboring town. What should be a fun and simple visit to get some new things for the bookstore turns into a complicated mess that no one saw coming. They find some books, obtain a few pieces of furniture and are now the new owners of a bookmobile. The glory is only celebrated for moments when they should be receiving the bookmobile that they just purchased, the said vehicle is involved in a murder. A murder that has Addie and Paige as the number one suspects. With not being allowed to leave town and a police chief that doesn’t seem to want to look any further for suspects, Addie can’t help to do what she does and get to the bottom of this even if no one else wants to look in any other direction.
Lauren Elliot has a way of keeping you guessing and laughing throughout the entire story. That was no different with A Margin for Murder. This story is well plotted with plenty of clues dropped here and there to keep you guessing all along the way. Addie goes through A roller coaster of emotions throughout the story. Not only is she dealing with being a murder suspect and a wrecked bookmobile that she’s owned for an hour, Addie should be celebrating her birthday. Even with all of the emotions going on, Addie does what she does best and gets to the bottom of this mystery. I very much enjoyed this read and I very much look forward to seeing what happens to Addie in the future.
Review: ‘TIl Death by Carol J. Perry
‘Til Death
Carol J. Perry
A Witch City Mystery Series, Book 12
Lee and Detective Sergeant Pete Mondello are finally tying the knot—and Lee is tying up loose ends before the big day. It’ll be an adjustment moving out of Aunt Ibby’s house, but the couple will stay nearby—after all, they have to share custody of O’Ryan, their clairvoyant cat. And Aunt Ibby will be renting out Lee’s old apartment . . . though she’s getting some bad vibes from her current prospective tenant.
After the celebration, complete with a cake made by the station magician, there should be time to relax—but the Maine island happens to be near the site of the crash that long ago killed Lee’s parents, a mystery she’s never been able to solve. Soon she’ll be putting wedding gifts aside and turning to her psychic gifts instead, to wrap up crimes both past and present . . .
This is my first experience with the Witch City Mystery Series and I so wish I would have discovered it before now. ‘Til Death was a fantastic, edge of your seat and engaging cozy Mystery.
Lee is a local program director for Salem’s WICH-TV network. She loves her job and is very good at what she does. She has worked her way up from almost the bottom and has made a wonderful name for herself. In this installment of the series, Lee Is about to marry the local detective and her love Pete. With the plans of a honeymoon to be more like a road trip finishing up the last minute things for the station is all she wants to get done. Parts of Lee’s past and family show up in the story. Making her honeymoon into an info gathering adventure while celebrating her marriage. Not everything goes as planned and some family secrets are unearthed.
Oh I absolutely love this story. From the concept of the series to the themes that are sprinkled all throughout the book and a strong woman who is bound and determined to figure out something that has happened in her past. Carol Perry Has created a fan of me with just one book and that’s the 12th book in the series. ‘Til Death ‘is the 12th book in the series but even A newbie like me was able to catch on quickly and enjoy this very intriguing tale. Also making me want to go back and start at the beginning of the series and see how we ended up where we are at now.
Review: Three Shots to the Wind by Sherry Harris
Three Shots to the Wind
Sherry Harris
Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery Series, Book 3
Chloe’s Windy City ex-fiancé gets blown away in the Florida panhandle . . .
DEAD EXES TELL NO TALES
Saloon owner Chloe Jackson appears to have a secret admirer. She’s pouring drinks at the Sea Glass Saloon in Emerald Cove when an airplane flies by above the beach with a banner reading I LOVE YOU CHLOE JACKSON. She immediately rules out Rip Barnett. They are in the early stages of dating and no one has said the L word. Then a bouquet of lilacs—her favorite flower—is delivered to the bar, followed by an expensive bottle of her favorite sparkling wine. It couldn’t be . . .
Sure enough, her ex-fiancé from Chicago has flown down to Florida for an accountants’ convention. But is he trying to mix business with pleasure and win her back? Unfortunately he’s not in a hotel conference room, he’s floating facedown in the lake next to her house, clutching a photo of Chloe. Who murders an accountant on a business trip—it just doesn’t add up. When Rip becomes the prime suspect, Chloe is determined to find the secret murderer. But if she isn’t careful, it may be closing time and lights out for her .
4 Stars
Review: Mango, Mambo and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes
Mango, Mambo and Murder
Raquel V. Reyes
A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery, Book 1
Food anthropologist Miriam Quinones-Smith’s move from New York to Coral Shores, Miami, is traumatic enough without having to deal with her son’s toddler tantrums and her husband’s midlife crisis. Her best friend, Alma, adds some spice back into Miriam’s life when she offers her a job as an on-air cooking expert on a Spanish-language morning TV show. But when the newly minted star attends a Women’s Club luncheon, a socialite sitting at her table suddenly falls face-first into the chicken salad, never to nibble again.
When a second woman dies soon after, suspicions coalesce around a controversial Cuban herbalist, Dr. Fuentes–especially after the morning show’s host collapses while interviewing him. But then, Detective Pullman learns that the socialite’s death resulted from a drug overdose–and an anonymous tip fingers Alma as the pusher.
Pullman persuades Miriam to ply her culinary know-how and her understanding of Coral Shores’s Caribbean culture to help find the killer and clear Alma’s name. While her hubby dallies with his ex-girlfriend, Juliet, Miriam quizzes her neighbors for answers and researches all manner of herbs.
As the ingredients to the deadly scheme begin blending together, Miriam is on the verge of learning how and why the women died. But her snooping may turn out to be a recipe for her own murder
4 Stars
A fun and twisting cozy mystery.
There are so many good things about Mango, Mambo and Murder. First, I absolutely love Miriam. And seeing things through her perspective definitely allowed me to get wrapped up and lost in this book. She is definitely a strong character that is going on a crazy roller coaster ride. Second, the cast of characters for the story. Such a mix of personality and culture. Some will make you crazy and some you can’t help but to love. Third, the cooking and recipes. Being someone who loves to cook, this story helped open my eyes to something new. Miriam goes from the happiest of highs to the lowest of lows in a matter of chapters. Moving to a new place, reacquainting with long lost family members, a best friend he’s got herself on shaky ground and a husband that she’s not quite sure what is up to. Miriam handles all of this with the cutest little toddler in tow.
Mango, Mambo and Murder is a fun read. Even with the twists I did figure out the who done it. Yet I do feel like author Raquel V. Reyes does a fantastic job letting the reader get to know her characters and setting up the series. Ms. Reyes uses quite a bit of Spanish within the text of the story and does a very good job of giving clues around what is being said. However I did have to translate a few of the phrases because I was not sure yet that did not take away from the story for me. It just took me a little longer to read just so I knew what was going on. This is a fun and unique start so what I’m thinking is going to be a very fun series.
Coffee Books Life 