Search
Debbie (52 KP) rated Murder from Scratch in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Murder From Scratch
By: Leslie Karst
Crooked Lane Books
Mystery/Thriller
320 Pages
Pub Date 9 April 2019
#MurderFromScratch #NetGalley
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/23cda8f5b390052c84bafb486921760c8733c9f5"; width="80" height="80" alt="10 Book Reviews" title="10 Book Reviews"/>
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/9a41056d7201c045d3f9e5c161f9569494687ae1"; width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>
I enjoyed this book. I love me a good cozy mystery story. This book also has the recipes in the back of the book. This is a mystery so I will not go into too much detail.
The story is a about a woman who is found dead by her blind daughter. Evelyn is her name. She insists that her mom wouldn't take her life and there are clues to support her. Her cousin, Sally owns a restaurant that left to her by her deceased Aunt but before that she was an attorney. She helps her cousin but researching the clues and doing a little bit of investigating on her own. She actually helped the police with her Aunts murder in a previous book. This is the same aunt whom left her the restaurant. There is some interesting turns in this story and like I said I enjoyed myself. I was able to figure out who did it but it wasn't until 2/3's into the story. I would recommend this book for you to read if you like cozy mysteries.
By: Leslie Karst
Crooked Lane Books
Mystery/Thriller
320 Pages
Pub Date 9 April 2019
#MurderFromScratch #NetGalley
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/23cda8f5b390052c84bafb486921760c8733c9f5"; width="80" height="80" alt="10 Book Reviews" title="10 Book Reviews"/>
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/9a41056d7201c045d3f9e5c161f9569494687ae1"; width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>
I enjoyed this book. I love me a good cozy mystery story. This book also has the recipes in the back of the book. This is a mystery so I will not go into too much detail.
The story is a about a woman who is found dead by her blind daughter. Evelyn is her name. She insists that her mom wouldn't take her life and there are clues to support her. Her cousin, Sally owns a restaurant that left to her by her deceased Aunt but before that she was an attorney. She helps her cousin but researching the clues and doing a little bit of investigating on her own. She actually helped the police with her Aunts murder in a previous book. This is the same aunt whom left her the restaurant. There is some interesting turns in this story and like I said I enjoyed myself. I was able to figure out who did it but it wasn't until 2/3's into the story. I would recommend this book for you to read if you like cozy mysteries.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Sweet Pepper Hero (Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery #4) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I really enjoyed this cozy! It was my first trip to Sweet Pepper Tennessee, even though this is book 4 in the series. There was plenty of explanation along the way regarding people and places, so I didnt feel at all lost jumping in at this point.
In this story, Stella has to find her kidnapped ghost friend, Eric, and investigate a string of illegal still explosions and fires. There are an abundance of suspects, some within the police department itself, and as she gets too close to the truth, Stella finds her own life may be at risk.
I always enjoy a story with a strong, intelligent female lead character, and Stella fit the bill perfectly. She is not perfect, and needs her circle of volunteer firefighters, friends, and her ghost-roommate to keep her out of trouble, but she has a good head on her shoulders and does a decent job taking care of herself.
As with many cozy mysteries, Sweet Pepper Hero includes some great looking recipes in the back. Personally, I am a big fan of the sweet / hot combination of chocolate and chilis, so I cant wait to give one of these a try!
<u>Recipes include:</u>
Chocolate Cookies with a Bite
Tennessee Whiskey Cake with Cherries
Lemon Habanero Cookies
<i>Note: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review</i>
In this story, Stella has to find her kidnapped ghost friend, Eric, and investigate a string of illegal still explosions and fires. There are an abundance of suspects, some within the police department itself, and as she gets too close to the truth, Stella finds her own life may be at risk.
I always enjoy a story with a strong, intelligent female lead character, and Stella fit the bill perfectly. She is not perfect, and needs her circle of volunteer firefighters, friends, and her ghost-roommate to keep her out of trouble, but she has a good head on her shoulders and does a decent job taking care of herself.
As with many cozy mysteries, Sweet Pepper Hero includes some great looking recipes in the back. Personally, I am a big fan of the sweet / hot combination of chocolate and chilis, so I cant wait to give one of these a try!
<u>Recipes include:</u>
Chocolate Cookies with a Bite
Tennessee Whiskey Cake with Cherries
Lemon Habanero Cookies
<i>Note: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review</i>
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2389 KP) rated Swift Edge in Books
Nov 22, 2020
This Book Swiftly Had me on the Edge of My Seat
PI Charlette “Charlie” Swift has a new client. Dara Peterson needs Charlie to track down her ice skating partner, Dmitri Fane, before the Olympic trials start in just a few days. With her new business partner, Gigi Goldman, semi-helping, Charlie begins investigating. She quickly gets attacked and finds someone left for dead on the ice. What has happened to Dmitri?
I read the first book in this series years ago, and I kept meaning to go back and read this one. I’m so glad I did. This book is as much fun as I remember the first being. The plot is fast paced with plenty of action and a page turning climax. What Gigi doesn’t know about the PI business she makes up for in enthusiasm, and her antics add some great laughs. Yet none of the characters come across as caricatures; there is a depth to all of them. Mostly, we only see glimpses of that depth, but it is enough to make them seem real. The book skirts around the edges of the cozy genre with just a touch more violence and language than a traditional cozy, but as long as you expect that, you’ll be fine. I really did enjoy this book, and it won’t be as long before I go back to visit these characters again.
I read the first book in this series years ago, and I kept meaning to go back and read this one. I’m so glad I did. This book is as much fun as I remember the first being. The plot is fast paced with plenty of action and a page turning climax. What Gigi doesn’t know about the PI business she makes up for in enthusiasm, and her antics add some great laughs. Yet none of the characters come across as caricatures; there is a depth to all of them. Mostly, we only see glimpses of that depth, but it is enough to make them seem real. The book skirts around the edges of the cozy genre with just a touch more violence and language than a traditional cozy, but as long as you expect that, you’ll be fine. I really did enjoy this book, and it won’t be as long before I go back to visit these characters again.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2389 KP) rated The Rocky Road to Ruin in Books
Jul 28, 2021
Murder Served Ice Cold
Riley Rhodes has returned home to Penniman, Connecticut, for the funeral of her best friend’s mother. After the service, she sees that Caroline and her brother, Mike, are fighting over what to do with the property that the two of them were left, including Udderly Delicious, the ice cream shop where Riley worked as a teen. The next morning, Riley finds Mike dead. Knowing that Caroline will be a prime suspect, Riley tries to figure out what happened. Can she do it?
Riley has a fun background for an amateur sleuth – CIA librarian. And yet this is definitely still a cozy, and the warmth pulled me in right away. This book has a bit of a bittersweet vibe. We get the wonderful characters and setting we love in a cozy, but the beginning is appropriately somber. It really works well. The pacing was a little uneven in the middle, but the book had a strong beginning and ending that make up for it. I had a hard time putting the book down the closer I got to the climax. There is more than enough talk to ice cream to make you drool, and two recipes inspired by the more creative contributions are in the back of the book. Now’s the time to enjoy this debut. Me? I’ll be having a second helping of ice cream while I wait for the sequel.
Riley has a fun background for an amateur sleuth – CIA librarian. And yet this is definitely still a cozy, and the warmth pulled me in right away. This book has a bit of a bittersweet vibe. We get the wonderful characters and setting we love in a cozy, but the beginning is appropriately somber. It really works well. The pacing was a little uneven in the middle, but the book had a strong beginning and ending that make up for it. I had a hard time putting the book down the closer I got to the climax. There is more than enough talk to ice cream to make you drool, and two recipes inspired by the more creative contributions are in the back of the book. Now’s the time to enjoy this debut. Me? I’ll be having a second helping of ice cream while I wait for the sequel.
Abide With Me : A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery
9.0
Rate It
Book
The season of Epiphany is in full swing at Gwenafwy Abbey when ten new nuns from a convent in Los...
Cozy amateur sleuth women's fiction
Of Spice and Men (A Pancake House Mystery Book 3)
2.0
Rate It
Book
Lights. Camera. Murder? Wildwood Cove’s star turn is soured by a sneaky killer in this delicious...
cozy mystery romance romantic mystery adult fiction
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2389 KP) rated Murder Outside the Lines in Books
Sep 29, 2021 (Updated Sep 29, 2021)
Florrie is Haunted by Murder this Halloween
Fall is in the air with Halloween fast approaching. Florrie Fox has a special author appearance planned for Color Me Read, author and psychic Hilda Rattenhorst. However, when Hilda shows up, she claims to have seen a carpet wrapped up with a foot sticking out of it in a nearby doorway. Florrie and her boyfriend, Eric, who is also a police officer, head out to check it out only to find nothing when they arrive. Then, during her talk before signing books, Hilda claims to feel a killer’s presence in the audience. As Florrie is trying to figure out if it is a publicity stunt, one incident after another begins to happen. What is going on?
Even for a Halloween themed cozy, I was a little surprised at the number of potential supernatural elements we got at the beginning of the book. As the crimes took center stage, that began to recede a bit. I did feel the plot could have used better focus. There are quite a few elements to the story, and it felt like it was wandering in the middle. But things came together for a satisfying climax. I was once again charmed by the Georgetown neighborhood where Florrie lives and works. It was great to get reacquainted with the characters and see the next chapter in their lives. This book is for you if you are looking for a charming fall cozy.
Even for a Halloween themed cozy, I was a little surprised at the number of potential supernatural elements we got at the beginning of the book. As the crimes took center stage, that began to recede a bit. I did feel the plot could have used better focus. There are quite a few elements to the story, and it felt like it was wandering in the middle. But things came together for a satisfying climax. I was once again charmed by the Georgetown neighborhood where Florrie lives and works. It was great to get reacquainted with the characters and see the next chapter in their lives. This book is for you if you are looking for a charming fall cozy.
Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves
10.0
Rate It
Book
Jessica Fletcher meets Tim Burton in this creative and witty cozy mystery series from Liz Ireland,...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2389 KP) rated Over My Dead Blog in Books
Nov 29, 2023 (Updated Nov 29, 2023)
Debut I Had to Read. And I’m Glad I Did
Winnie Lark has moved to the other side of the country from her family and found a new life she loves in Copper Bay, Massachusetts, while she runs a hugely successful book blog. When her twin brother, famous actor Strider Lark, comes for a visit, Winnie is nervous since their relationship has been strained in the last few years. But she doesn’t expect him to be suspected of murder after just one night in town. A local reporter has been killed, and Strider was the last one to see her alive. Can Winnie clear him of the crime?
As a book blogger, the hook for this cozy series immediately caught my attention. I’m glad it did since I enjoyed the book. Winnie and Strider’s relationship is a strong element to the book, and I appreciated that the author made it complex. Winnie takes a little while to get a line on what is happening with the murder (she is an amateur, after all), but once she does, she then worries about proving her case, a nice change from many cozies. I loved the characters we met, especially Winnie’s relationship with her two best friends. I can’t wait to spend more time with all of the characters. I also smiled at Winnie’s cute, cozy swears. There’s a fall vibe to the October set story. This book blogger can’t help but recommend this fun debut.
As a book blogger, the hook for this cozy series immediately caught my attention. I’m glad it did since I enjoyed the book. Winnie and Strider’s relationship is a strong element to the book, and I appreciated that the author made it complex. Winnie takes a little while to get a line on what is happening with the murder (she is an amateur, after all), but once she does, she then worries about proving her case, a nice change from many cozies. I loved the characters we met, especially Winnie’s relationship with her two best friends. I can’t wait to spend more time with all of the characters. I also smiled at Winnie’s cute, cozy swears. There’s a fall vibe to the October set story. This book blogger can’t help but recommend this fun debut.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2389 KP) rated A Very Woodsy Murder in Books
Jul 25, 2024 (Updated Jul 25, 2024)
A Sitcom Writer’s Death Isn’t a Laughing Matter
Dee Stern is looking for something new after her career as a sitcom writer declines. When she spots the Golden Motel outside of Majestic National Park, she buys it with her best friend, Jeff Cornetta. Their first guest is Michael Adam Baker, a former co-worker from Dee’s sitcom writing days. She’s less than happy to see him again. But then he’s murdered. With Dee and Jeff both on the suspect list and all reservations cancelling because of the news, Dee has to figure out what happened to save her livelihood. Can she do it?
While the motel and the areas where the action takes place are all fictional, anyone familiar with the Sierra Nevada mountains will pick up on the inspiration for the setting. Between that and the motel itself, I was completely charmed and wanted to go visit in real life. The characters we meet are a bit eccentric even for a cozy but also just as delightful. Dee’s background as a sitcom writer provides some good laughs and adds to how Dee views the events. The mystery sets itself up well so it can really get going once Michael is killed. I was hooked and surprised by the logical conclusion. While not a full-blown culinary cozy, there are a couple of recipes at the end. I was utterly charmed by this debut and am already booking my return visit.
While the motel and the areas where the action takes place are all fictional, anyone familiar with the Sierra Nevada mountains will pick up on the inspiration for the setting. Between that and the motel itself, I was completely charmed and wanted to go visit in real life. The characters we meet are a bit eccentric even for a cozy but also just as delightful. Dee’s background as a sitcom writer provides some good laughs and adds to how Dee views the events. The mystery sets itself up well so it can really get going once Michael is killed. I was hooked and surprised by the logical conclusion. While not a full-blown culinary cozy, there are a couple of recipes at the end. I was utterly charmed by this debut and am already booking my return visit.
