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Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide
Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide
Liz Ireland | 2021 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Introducing Halloween Has Consequences
April Claus is beginning her second year as the North Pole’s new Mrs. Claus, and she’s decided it would be fun to introduce Halloween to the residents of Santaland. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board, as evidenced by the threatening messages someone is leaving and the attack on the pumpkins one of the elves is growing. However, when things escalate to murder, April takes matters into her own hands to try to figure out what is going on. Can she keep the holiday from being ruined for everyone?

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so I was anxious to return to the world that author Liz Ireland is creating. This book was fabulous as well. The murder takes place a little later in the story, but there is plenty going on to keep us entertained, and it only gets stronger as it goes along. The climax is wonderful. I did think there was a timeline issue at one point, but I think the fault is just a scene that is written unclearly. The little details of the world are guaranteed to make you smile; I just love them! While not all the characters are human, they are all completely real and we come to care for them quickly, which is key to getting us to believe in this world. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a dash of fantasy, you’ll love this book.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Wreathing Havoc in Books

Sep 29, 2021 (Updated Sep 29, 2021)  
Wreathing Havoc
Wreathing Havoc
Julia Henry | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Drama of Theater
Thanksgiving week has opened on a somber note since it starts with the funeral for Leon Tompkin, the owner of the local theater. Lilly Jayne and the rest of the Garden Squad aren’t the only ones in town mourning his passing, and it even brings some of the people who used to work with Leon at the theater back to town. When one of the visitors is murdered, Lilly can’t help but wonder if Leon’s death was from natural causes. If it wasn’t, are the two deaths connected?

Thanksgiving isn’t usually a setting for fall themed cozy mysteries, but I enjoyed seeing this book starting with November’s holiday, although we do get a few early Christmas activities as the book goes along. The mystery takes a little while to set down roots before it starts to fully grow, but once it does, we wind up with a wonderful mystery. I love how everything came together. Lilly and the rest of her friends in the Garden Squad are as delightful as always, and the new characters are equally likeable, making it hard for me to pick out the killer. Late autumn isn’t the best time for gardening, but we still get a bit of that and a few gardening tips over the course of the book. This is an entry that fans of the series will be thankful for.
  
Frosted Yuletide Murder
Frosted Yuletide Murder
Kim Davis | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Delectable Christmas Fun
Emory Martinez and her twin sister Carrie are not happy to discover that their mystery client for a Christmas party is Blair, an old high school nemesis. As the evening progresses, Blair continues with her abuse of Carrie, but she gets into fights with others at the party as well. When Emory and Carrie return to the location of the party the next morning, they find Blair’s dead body. The rumors and evidence seem to be pointing to the sisters. Can Emory figure out what happened before either of them spends the holiday in jail?

Before we go any further, I do want to issue a warning – this book spoils some events in the lives of the characters from previous books in the series. If you aren’t up to date, don’t start here. As a Southern California resident, I enjoyed this book’s setting since its depiction of weather in December made me feel right at home. The plot is filled with events that kept me engaged. I did feel the climax was a bit weak, but overall, I still enjoyed the book. One reason is the characters. Yes, the suspects are strong, but I’m talking the series regulars. I love getting to spend time with all of them, and fans of the series will be interested in seeing the latest developments in Emory’s life. You’ll want to work this Christmas cozy into your reading schedule as soon as you can.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Jul 30, 2022  
Have a listen to the awesome playlist for the #contemporary #suspense novel PAPER TARGETS by Patricia Watts on my blog. Then be sure to enter the fantastic giveaway for a chance to win autographed copies of "Paper Targets", "The Frayer" by Patricia Watts, and "The Big Empty" by Stan Jones and Patricia Watts!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/07/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-paper.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS FOR PAPER TARGETS**
Everyone knew that Roanne never got angry—until the night she killed her ex-husband and herself.

Roanne, a nice, suburban lady in her sixties who works at a Hallmark shop and volunteers at the Food Bank in Round Rock, Texas, calls her lifelong friend, Connie, confesses to murder, then puts the gun to her own head. Connie, spurred by Roanne’s last words about a lifetime of unspoken rage, sets aside her work as a cozy mystery writer and cupcake shop owner to confront the men who have stolen her dignity while she remained silent, including a bully brother, a rapist, and an ex-spouse. On a journey to reclaim her inner power and to make peace with the loss of her treasured friend, Connie’s mission is to avoid the same tragic path as Roanne, but she takes along a gun, just in case.

With pathos and humor, Paper Targets, by Patricia Watts, calls us to speak our own narratives, even when it is uncomfortable or risky, and shows us the magnificence of a friendship that transcends time.
     
A Dish to Die for
A Dish to Die for
Lucy Burdette | 2022 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder on a Neighboring Key
Even when you live in paradise, you need a break. That’s why Hayley Snow is taking a few hours with her friend Eric and their dogs and heading to a beach on one of the nearby islands. However, the day takes a sad turn when Hayley’s dog finds a dead body half buried in the sand. The man was G.G. Garcia, a Key West developer who had a bad reputation. The local police think there is something suspicious about his death, and Hayley gets pulled into the investigation. Will she figure out what really happened?

I’ve fallen in love with Key West thanks to this series, and I was happy to be back. Sadly, the mystery was very weak. Even the characters got frustrated by their lack of progress throughout the book. Plus, the victim was a little too evil, with a few things that felt thrown in just to make other characters feel virtuous. The book gets a little dark and edgy for a cozy as well. Finally, there’s a subplot that comes across as half-baked, the characters involved definitely deserved better. On the other hand, I really did enjoy the location and the series regulars. Nathan, Hayley’s husband, gets some good development thanks to a visit from his estranged father. If you are new to the series, this isn’t the book for you, but fans will enjoy catching up with the characters.
  
Candy Canes of Christmas Past
Candy Canes of Christmas Past
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder in Lucy’s Past
This story takes us back in time to the first Christmas that Lucy Stone spent in Tinker’s Cove, Maine. Lucy is trying to deal with her husband's project, fixing up their home. So when town librarian Miss Tilly is nice to Lucy, Lucy looks for some way to repay her new friend. And that's how she begins trying to uncover the circumstances surrounding Miss Tilly's mother's death almost 50 years before. Was Mrs. Tilly murdered? If so, how can Lucy find out what happened after all these years.

This story is as much about Lucy's struggles to fit into a new town and live in an old house as it is about the mystery. Lucy and her husband are really struggling, which gives most of this story a darker tone for a cozy. It is also a weak mystery. The solution was very coincidental and almost an after thought compared to the resolution to the other story line. But I liked the characters. They are vivid and seem like people I would love to get to know better. While it didn’t turn out that way, this story lets me see the appeal for those who do like them.

NOTE: This story was originally part of the anthology Candy Cane Murder, so if you’ve read that book, there is no need to pick up this story a second time.