Category Archives: Review
Review: Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott
Proof of Murder
Lauren Elliott
Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series, Book 4
Bookshop owner Addie Greyborne must solve a locked-room murder in a supposedly haunted mansion to recover a priceless Sherlock Holmes original . . .
The seaside New England town of Greyborne Harbor is home to many grand estates, including the Queen Anne Victorian Addie inherited from her great aunt. Now one of those mansions is holding an estate sale, which is just what the bookshop owner needs to replenish her supply of rare editions–even if the house is rumored to be haunted. Assisting an overwhelmed insurance appraiser with the inventory, Addie discovers an 1887 magazine containing Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, which she estimates to be worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
But when Addie later finds the appraiser dead in the estate’s private library, with the door bolted from the inside, and the priceless edition missing, it’s a mystery worthy of the Great Detective himself. She’s certain the death and the robbery are connected–but who, other than a ghost who can walk through walls, could have gotten in to do the deed? It’s up to Addie to find the key to the crime–before she’s the next one cornered by a killer . . .
4 Stars
Rare books, a locked room and a dead body, all the makings of a great mystery.
Addie is smart, witty, has a stubborn streak and is head strong woman who has a fountain of knowledge about rare books. She’s persistent and thinks outside the box. I absolutely loved her. Even when faced with a murder charge the woman kept her head held high and did everything she could to prove her innocence. Even if it did find her in a hot mess a time or two.
Proof of Murder is an entertaining and well written cozy mystery containing all those complexities that a mystery reader enjoys. From the quaint setting, to the personalities of the characters, to a plot that keeps you guessing keeps readers engaged in the story from beginning to end. Lauren Elliott was able to get me hooked on her writing with one book. She is able to spin a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the romance within the story and I loved how the author kept giving us the feels throughout. I also love that we saw a lot of personal growth within the characters of the story. That’s not something you see a lot of in mystery books, but that was very prominent throughout this one. With romance being my primary reading category I love when I see the things that I love from that genre fall into the mysteries that I am learning to love more and more.
Review: Sun Broken by Yasmine Galenorn
Sun Broken
Yasmine Galenorn
Wild Hunt Series, Book 11
Kindle Edition, 273 pages
Expected publication: April 27th 2020 by Nightqueen Enterprises LLC
Life isn’t easy when you bear the mark of the Silver Stag…
Typhon, the Father of Dragons, is rising, and in his wake so are throngs of the departed. Amid the fallout, a serial killer emerges, targeting necromancers, psychics, and anyone dealing with the dead. Ember and the Wild Hunt head out on the trail of the killer, only to find themselves drawn into the dark underbelly of the Vampire Nation as they try to prevent the assassin from striking again. But the killer’s far more dangerous than anyone predicted, and now he’s got his sights set on his next target—Raven BoneTalker. Can Ember and Herne keep her safe, or will the killer slide beneath their radar and claim Raven as his next victim?
4 Stars
Yasmine Galenorn grabs the reader’s attention with a fast paced story embedded with legend, lore, magic and mayhem with her own unique twist. Sun Broken is the latest tale of the exciting Wild Hunt series.
So much happens within the pages of Sun Broken, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Chaos is on the rise as a series of murders involving victims who practice some form of death magic. The Wild Hunt crew find themselves dab smack in the middle of one of the most dangerous places they could possibly be to put an end to this craziness. When one of their own becomes the next target, The Wild Hunt team comes full force. While the world around Ember is changing and preparing for what is to come, she is embracing both sides of her heritage. She is finding who she is and what she is truly capable of.
Sun Broken is highly entertaining and a fast read. Ms. Galenorn weaves a fantastic read.
Review: Pumpkin Spice Peril by Jenn McKinlay
Pumpkin Spice Peril
Jenn McKinlay
A Cupcake Bakery Mystery, Book 12
In the twelfth Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay, the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew follows the clever crumb trail of a killer who’s anything but cookie-cutter.
Life is all sugar and spice for the Fairy Tale Cupcake bakers–Melanie Cooper is engaged to the delectable Joe DeLaura, Angie Harper and her husband Tate are savoring married life, and the bakery is bustling with happy customers. Until one of their most valued cupcake connoisseurs ends up dead.
Local glass artist and cupcake lover Rene Fischer-Klein has always suffered from a wide variety of health issues. In an effort to cheer her up, her doting husband, Peter, brings her a four-pack of her favorite cupcakes every week. But when the police discover that Rene has been poisoned, there’s no sugarcoating the fact that the last things she ate were the bakery’s signature pumpkin spice cupcakes! With their lives and bakery at stake, it’s up to Mel and Angie to find out who poisoned their artist friend and why, before their future is frosted for good.
4 Stars
Pumpkin Spice Peril is an entertaining and light read that brings out the laughs.
Mel’s life is surrounded by sweetness on so many levels. She has a bakery that produces the best cupcakes in town, her best friend and business owner is happily married and Mel herself is riding the wave to the happiness that is wedded bliss. Life just may be on the verge of perfect for our lovely cupcake baker.
Mel’s cake goes flat when her good friend and client, Rene is in a state unlike she’s ever seen before and becomes a victim of murder. Now Who could think the delectable goodness that is cupcakes or their maker could be anyway responsible for this tragedy has lost her mind.
Mel and her gang at Fairy Tale Cupcakes bake up a few laughs while a few of them find themselves asking questions, causing questions or chasing after answers. Mel has once again found her way smack in the middle of a murder investigation and no lack of sweetness will slow her down to figure out the who and why.
Jenn McKinlay’s Pumpkin Spice Peril is like walking into your local neighborhood bakery and visiting with friends that you’ve known forever. Even if you’ve just met them. Ms. McKinlay gives readers wonderful characters blooming with personality and charm, in a fun, warm and welcome setting. Pumpkin Spice Peril is a light hearted read yet the plot is solid and will make you think. Not to mention if you don’t want a cupcake by chapter 3 you probably don’t like sweets. I have not read this entire series and the titles that I have read were in no sense of order whatsoever, Pumpkin Spice Peril is a treat for the new reader or those that have been following for a while.
Review: Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder
Sugar and Vice
Eve Calder
A Cookie House Mystery, Book 2
In Eve Calder’s Sugar and Vice, things are heating up at the Cookie House when star pastry chef and amateur sleuth Kate McGuire finds herself in the midst of a shocking murder mystery.
OUT OF THE OVEN
Lately, Kate has a lot on her dessert plate. She’s launching a cookie-of-the-day challenge in the heart of Coral Cay, providing sweet treats for the reception of the town’s handsome new veterinarian—not to mention dealing with tourists in town for a pirate festival and the surprise arrival of her former fiancé, Evan, who seems determined to win her back.
AND INTO THE FIRE
And if that’s not enough, a skeleton has been found—in the backyard behind her best friend Maxi’s floral shop. Kate knows Maxi could never hurt a fly. Maybe the remains belong to Sir George Bly, a long-dead pirate whose name has become urban legend—until now? It’s time for Kate to use every trick in the recipe book to prove Maxi’s innocence, and find the truth about the skeleton, before the last of the cookies crumble…
4.5 Stars
Cookies, pirates and a dead body….. oh my. Sugar and Vice is the highly entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable second book of the Cookie House Mystery series.
The town of Coral Cay is in full preparation for the annual pirate festival. Kate and Maxi, along with our furry friend Oliver, uncover a body that has been buried in the flower shop yard. When the body found is dressed like a pirate, it is if the town’s local legend is more than just a legend. However things are not that easy and now Maxi is a suspect of a murder that she couldn’t have possibly committed. Kate breaks out new cookies and sets her nose to the ground to prove her friend’s innocence, discover the identity of the murdered person and get some answers surrounding the town’s local history.
I absolutely adored Sugar and Vice. Kate is an amazing lead character with tons of personality. Her ability to seek out your favorite cookie without asking is truly a talent. She is friendly and has a charming personality that allows her to befriend people easily and has an excellent way of getting things out of people that others might not normally be able to. The Cookie House is a wonderful setting that is welcome and warm. Even if Sam is a little rough around the edges. The town of Coral Cay is like a mini paradise and the residence within the town adds so much to the story.
Eve Calder weaves a mystery unlike anyone I have read before. The way she twists her plot and keeps the reader guessing at who done it, is pretty exceptional. From the personalities of the characters to the amazing cookies that Kate is constantly baking to the way she sets little clues that one doesn’t think are clues until the end when all the discoveries are made. Sugar and Vice is an excellent follow-up to the first book in the series, Then There Were Crumbs. Ms.Calder truly has something special with her Cookie House Mystery series.
Review: Dante’s Circle Reborn by Carrie Ann Ryan
Dante’s Circle Reborn
Carrie Ann Ryan
Dante’s Circle Series, Book 8
NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan returns to her bestselling Dante’s Circle series with a collection of four never before published and highly anticipated romances.
FALLEN FOR ALPHAS
Liam and Alec watched their Pack fall from grace and fought with tooth and claw to make it rise from the ashes again for the Alpha. Once from rival families and now true packmates, they’ve fought their attraction for longer than they should have. Now, as they leave the den in search of a rogue wolf, they’ll finally have a chance to entice their wolves—if they can overcome their struggles and survive what lurks in the darkness.
AT LAST SIGHT
Jonah assumed he’d seen everything there was to see throughout his long life. He battled dragons, lions, and anything else that came across his path. Now, it’s his job to protect the cubs under his care—something far more dangerous than anyone ever counted on. But when he comes to face to face with Dante’s sexy new bartender, everything changes. From his first look into those silver eyes, he was lost. But they’re eyes that can kill if the world isn’t careful, and some want them for their own.
BLOOD’S FIRST KISS
Calypso’s position as a representative on the Conclave for all mermaids is in jeopardy if she can’t uncover the true lineage of a mysterious stranger. Especially since his mere presence seems to rock the already shaky foundation of their people.
Micha knows exactly what he is: the one supernatural being that everyone claims cannot exist. And he’s been searching eons for his mate. Now that he’s found her, all bets are off. But he must keep his past a secret, no matter the consequences.
REAPER’S SONG
He remembers his death. Even remembers parts of his life. But as a newly made reaper, he must do the one thing he knows he cannot: reap his soul mate. No matter that she can see death coming.
4 Stars
The first book I read from Carrie Ann Ryan was Dust of My Wings, the first book of the Dante’s Circle Series so that makes Dante’s Circle Reborn an extra special treat for me. I loved being able to visit this world again.
Four short stories with some of my favorite secondary characters that you always wondered what if or what happened. Falling for Alphas finds Liam and Alex still with their heads not letting them have what their hearts want. Seeing these two finally get it together was outstanding. And that gift they receive is just two precious for words. At Last Sight was probably my favorite. Jonah and Poppy complement each other so well. They both have known struggle in the past yet they are able to work together as a team almost flawlessly. This was a great story of love and loyalty. Bloods First Kiss brings a unique pairing of paranormal creatures. Caly and Misha know how to bring out the big guns. Epic battles and intense romance fill the pages of their tail. Reaper’s Song for me, it was the most emotional story of the four. Ashen, oh my goodness, how could she just not feel for him. Get ready for the feels.
The collection of short stories within Dante’s Circle Reborn are a wonderful addition to the series. For those that have read the series you will smile a good bit and just maybe get a few ah ha moments.
Review: A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones
A Bad Day for Sunshine
Darynda Jones
Sunshine Vicram Series, Book 1
Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.
Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff–an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in–and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it’s reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.
Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free.
4.5 Stars
Whether it be contemporary or paranormal, Darynda Jones knows how to engage her readers, entertain them and have them laughing before they even know what’s going on with the story. A Bad Day for Sunshine is a fantastic beginning to what I am sure will be another winning series for Ms. Jones.
When anything and everything can possibly go wrong on your first day of your new job…….
Sunshine Vicram is my new favorite female lead character. She’s sassy and smart with a job she didn’t even apply for. I love that her mind wanders and she still harbors a crush on the one she shouldn’t. The love for her family shines through all that she does. Her strength and confidence are something truly remarkable. Sunshine’s dedication to her job is a whole different level of loyalty. Sun’s daughter, Auri shares the narrative of this story as well and you can’t help but to fall in love with them both. I love the relationship that the mother and daughter share. You don’t realize what a big part of the book it is until you realize it is.
A Bad Day for Sunshine is a laugh out loud, jaw dropping, gasping, suspenseful yet endearing read. Ms. Jones gives her reader nothing short of pure entertainment with this newest title. If you enjoyed the Charlie Davison series, you will love Sunshine too.
Review: Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly
Dead in the Doorway
Diane Kelly
A House-Flipper Mystery, Book 2
Dead in the Doorway is the second in a delightful cozy series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville—where the real estate market is to die for.
A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES. . .
Whitney Whitaker has scored the perfect piece of real estate: a ramshackle white Colonial at the top of a hill with views of downtown Nashville. What more could a self-taught home-improvement maven and occasional house-flipper ask for? Ideally, the property of Whitney’s dreams would not have come with a dead body blocking the entrance to the foyer. But Whitney, always quick to take heavy-duty matters into her own hands, also happens to be a skilled amateur sleuth. So that helps.
AND SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET.
Who is this older woman—and how did her corpse end up at the bottom of the staircase of this locked, unoccupied house? That is what Whitney, along with the support of her wood-working cousin Buck, Detective Collin Flynn, and, of course, feline partner-in-crime Sawdust, intends to find out. Her friendly-neighbor investigation takes a sharp turn, however, when Whitney discovers that the house’s former owner was a gourmet baker whose secret recipe for peach pie was to die for—perhaps literally. Now it’s up to Whitney to learn the truth about what happened before she loses this killer real-estate deal . . . and the killer comes knocking at her door.
4 Stars
Dead in the Doorway is a fast paced cozy read embedded with humor and wit. Diane Kelly thoroughly entertains her readers with fantastic main characters, a solid plot and a peach pie to die for.
Whitney Whitaker is a busy woman. Property manager, Carpenter and flips houses on the side. She is a lady that knows how to get things done, has a good head on her shoulders and is genuine to the core. I enjoyed her relationship with her Uncle Buck. The back and forth banter between the two is comical and entertaining. They are a solid team and it shows. The chapters from the cats, Sawdust, point of view are priceless. That is a wonderful addition to the story, as Sawdust is in tow Whitney quite a bit. The flip house neighbors were a lively bunch that kept the story interesting. Another enjoyment of the story was seeing the house come together. Ms. Kelly balances the details of the restoration of the house without going overboard, yet has a reader interested in the outcome of not only the mystery of what this house is gonna look like at the end.
Dead in the Doorway takes the saying this pie is to die for to a whole new meaning. Diane Kelly has wrapped home improvement, some delectable eats, a little bit of romance and a well spun mystery into an enjoyable and entertaining cozy read. Whitney is a wonderful lead character. She’s smart and funny and adds so much personality to the story. Ms. Kelly twisted the story well as I had no clue who had done it yet should have known from the clues she is giving us. Dead in the Doorway was much more enjoyable than I expected and I give my highest props to the Author for her enjoyable tail.
Review: Dead on the Vine by Elle Brooke
Dead on the Vine
Elle Brooke White
A Finn Family Farm Mystery, Book 1
Perfect for fans of B. B. Haywood and Peg Cochran, Ellie B. White’s whimsical series debut is full of farm fun, complete with a helpful teacup pig.
Reluctant farmer Charlotte Finn needs the help of the livestock to sleuth a mysterious death.
Charlotte Finn never wanted to inherit the family’s produce farm–much less plow a heap of money into it. Her plan is to hammer a great big FOR SALE sign into the farm’s fallow furrows–but Charlotte’s sunny hopes of a quick sale succumb to a killing frost when she finds a dead body entwined supine in the tomato vines. The poor man, it seems, was run through…with a pitchfork?
Now, Charlotte is stuck with running the farm in the midst of a murder investigation. Charlotte’s knowledge of farming is smaller than her bank balance, so she relies on caretakers Joe and Alice Wong and their farmhands. Can she trust them? She doesn’t know them. There’s also farmer Samuel Brown, who still carries a childhood grudge. But the case gets personal when Charlotte learns that the victim might have been her own kin–and seeds of suspicion grow into a fertile field of suspects.
Charlotte turns to the farm’s teacup pig to help root out the killer. Soon, the goats, geese, and horse join in, but will Charlotte harvest a murderer–or buy the farm?
3.5 Stars
A charming and fun beginning to a new cozy mystery series.
Inheriting the family farm is not the ideal plan that Charlotte had in mind. She has it in her mind to sell but when a dead body is found amongst the vines that leaves her stuck on the farm for longer than she would like. Being new in town and not knowing who to trust, Charlotte sets her mind to some old fashion sleuthing to get to the bottom of this.
As Dead on the Vine begins to unravel the laughs just begin. Charlotte and her unlikely yet extremely helpful band of friends are a hoot and then some. This is truly a laugh out loud read. I love how the townsfolk come together To help and the personality of this town really starts to stand out.
Author Elle Brooke did a fantastic job with the story. The characters are bubbling with personality, the mystery will have you guessing and guessing again. I love the personal touches to the personalities of the animals within the story. I found that to be unique and added something special to the story.
Review: Shameless With HIm by Carrie Ann Ryan
Shameless With Him
Carrie Ann Ryan
Less Than Series, Book 3
Paperback, 250 pages
Published March 24th 2020 by Carrie Ann Ryan
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan completes a sexy contemporary series with an unrequited crush on the bad boy next door.
Caleb Carr might have once been ready for commitment, but when the unexpected slams into him with the force of a two-ton truck, he knows he has to run away from anything that might be important. Zoey might well be his final temptation, but to keep her whole, he’ll walk away.
Zoey Wager has loved Caleb since they were eight. And has had her heart broken from afar repeatedly ever since. It doesn’t help that every time she sees him—even when she’s running away halfway across the world—he’s with another woman. She’s watched him fall in lust her entire life. Now, she’s ready to watch him fall in love. With her.
4 Stars
This is one of those books that you were rooting for the couple from the get go even though it takes the many years to even find a way to start something that could be more. Zoey and Caleb have known each other practically their entire lives, Ms. Ryan starts the story with moments from the past that bring us forward to the feelings of the future. I loved that through different times and places in their lives they found each other just when they seem to need to.
Zoey and Caleb are both genuinely good hearted and wonderful people yet each of them has their own issues that hold themselves back more than anything else. I love that they seemed to pick up where they left off each time they met. Their friendship was genuine and that made their attraction even more so. These two took a bit to find their way and every bit of rooting for them page after page was well worth it when we came to the end.
Shameless With Him is the story of a lifetime crush that finally finds love in the end. I love how Carrie Ann Ryan intertwines the Carr’s and the Montgomery’s. It’s always good to visit with characters we read about in the past as they impact the current tale we are wrapped up in. . Just like the Montgomery’s and Carr’s would say, Family.
Review: Death on the Page by Essie Lang
Death on the Page
Essie Lang
A Castle Bookshop Mystery, Book 2
Thousand Islands bookstore owner Shelby Cox sleuths the slaying of a true-crime writer who may have learned too much about a murder case that should have stayed shut.
There are a thousand stories in New York’s scenic Thousand Islands, and Bayside Books co-owner Shelby Cox stocks them all. But lately, the Blye Island bookseller’s life is more about investigation than inventory. True-crime writer Savannah Page caps off two successful signings at Bayside Books with a night in Blye Castle. She’s there to research Joe Cabana, a colorful Prohibition-era mobster who owned the castle–until he was found dead in the island Grotto.
But crime becomes all too true for Savannah. Her body turns up the next morning, in a secret passage at the bottom of the stairs. The last thing Shelby Cox wants is to sleuth another murder, but she’s intrigued about how a killer could have reached the island after hours. She’s not at a lack for suspects either. It could have been anyone from Savannah’s fiancé, Liam Kennelly, who argued with her the evening before, to island caretaker Matthew Kessler, recently cleared of his wife’s murder. Can Shelby keep regular store hours, elude the police chief, and assemble the clues into a hard-bound case without getting permanently shelved?
4 Stars
I will admit when I read the description of this book and the setting was a bookstore within a castle I knew I had to read it. What reader doesn’t love a bookstore? Add in the fabulous setting of the castle you had me from the get go. Now when you add a compelling Plot that involves a true crime writer getting murdered inside said castle and you have more than peaked my interest.
The second installment of the Castle Bookshop Mystery, Death on the Page is an interesting and enjoyable read. Shelby Cox, co owner of the Thousand Island book stores and has the nose of a sleuth, host a signing for crime writer Savannah Page, and she get more than her pages worth when the lady of the hour ends up murder inside the glorious castle. Shelby don’t necessarily want to help, yet she can’t seem to keep herself away from this binding murder.
Essie Lang knows how to catch her readers attention in more ways than one. The setting draws you into a beautiful place, the well-developed characters make the company fun and entertaining and then she gives you a plot that is well paced and keeps you attention fully in the book. Shelby and her aunt Edie are together. Shelby is a natural at sleuthing and entertaining while she does it. This is my first read by Miss Lang and I will tell you I was highly impressed.
Coffee Books Life 