
Cocktails & Casualties (Crooked Cove Mysteries #1)
Book
Teddy Aarons is a nomad, using her bartending skills as an excuse to move to a new luxury resort...
Cozy Mystery

Claws of Death
Book
Join Jackie Norwood, a down-and-out celebrity chef, as she judges the first gig on her comeback...

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Charity Shop Detective Agency in Books
Dec 11, 2022
I absolutely fell in love with the three main characters in this story - Fiona, Partial Sue and Daisy ... oh and not forgetting Simon Le Bon! Despite being retired, they have the skills and insight needed to assist in bringing the perpetrator to justice. There is a supporting cast of equally excellent characters that all added to and had their place within the story.
The plot is engaging and had some great twists and turns that kept me guessing and on my toes. The pacing was perfect for me and felt right for the story.
Highly recommended to those who enjoy a cozy mystery with believable characters and I can't wait for the next in the series ... sign me up!
Many thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Charity Shop Detective Agency.

A Mirror Murder (Jan Christopher Mysteries #1)
Book
Eighteen-year-old library assistant Jan Christopher’s life is to change on a rainy Friday evening...
Cozy Mystery

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2353 KP) rated Death Checked Out in Books
Oct 29, 2024 (Updated Oct 29, 2024)
I thought this book sounded good, so I was looking forward to reading it. The initial set up was good, and I was getting cozy vibes from the characters and the setting. Sadly, that didn’t continue as the book progressed. I did like Greta’s arc, but the rest of the characters stayed pretty flat. The mystery did have some surprises, but I had things figured out very early. It’s not that the book is bad, but it’s not good either. This is one to pick up only is something in particular about the premise appeals to you.

Fantasies of my Best Friend’s Dad
Book
An enemies-to-lovers romance that will leave you breathless! What happens in Tuscany, stays in...
romance

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2353 KP) rated Gingerbread Cookies and Gunshots in Books
Jan 4, 2024
Even though I don’t normally read this series, I didn't have any trouble jumping into the characters here. There was enough explanation of who people were that I could follow along. The bits about those I assume are series regulars didn't mean quite as much to me, but I enjoyed meeting everyone. This is on the serious side of the cozy spectrum, and the atmosphere was carried perfectly throughout the story. Lucy did seem to jump to one conclusion, but since she was proved right with evidence later on, I can't call it a major flaw. There are two recipes at the end of this story to enjoy later. This is probably my favorite of the stories I’ve read from Leslie Meier.
NOTE: This is a novella, roughly 100 pages along.
NOTE 2: This was originally published in the anthology Gingerbread Cookie Murder.

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2353 KP) rated Sugarplum Dead in Books
Jul 27, 2024
This book seemed to wander a bit with the set up, and I was wondering when it was going to get to the point. But when it did, it was great with several twists that surprised me and an ending that wrapped everything up well. We didn’t see as much of many of the regulars, but Laurel has some fantastic scenes. We also get to know some of the suspects better than is often the case. The Christmas element was subdued, but the references to other mystery authors and books was toned down, which was great. This is another book that fans of cozy mysteries will love.

The White Deer of Kildare (The Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales #2)
Book
A Winter Solstice fairy tale adventure All Maura wants is a peaceful winter holidays in her Irish...
Time-Slip Fantasy

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2353 KP) rated Death Waits in the Dark in Books
Apr 3, 2019
The trouble is, Camilla doesn’t know what secret Jane is talking about even when Jane implies that it is something from Camilla’s husband’s past. The next day, Camilla and Lena go to try to get more information from Jane so they can figure out what has the woman so upset. However, when they arrive, they discover that Jane has been murdered. What was this secret from the past, and did it get Jane killed?
As much as I enjoyed the first three books in this series, it was nice to see the plot move away from Lena’s boyfriend and focus on another character. This change also allowed the book to have even more of a gothic feel to it than the first three. While I’m not super familiar with that genre, I was definitely able to recognize elements of it as the book unfolded, and I enjoyed seeing how it was combined seamlessly with elements of a cozy mystery. The result works and we get a story that drew me in each time I picked up the book and made it hard to put down. The usual cast of characters are still here, and it was great to see them. The suspects didn’t get much page time, but they work perfectly for the story as it is told here since the main drive was to figure out what secret from the past upset Jane so much. This is a fun twist on the cozy mystery, and if you are looking for something slightly different, be sure to pick it up.