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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Feb 26, 2022
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Guaranteed to Bleed in Books
Jun 10, 2020
Guaranteed to Entertain
Ellison Russel is spending this particular Friday night in September 1974 at a high school football game. Not because she loves the sport, but because her daughter, Grace, is a cheerleader. Unfortunately, early in the second half, she stumbles on Bobby Lowell who begs Ellison “Tell her I love her” before he dies. Bobby and Grace grew up together, so the murder hits close to home. Ellison isn’t trying to solve things, but she can’t help but figure it out as she tries to figure out who the mysterious woman is. Will she pass on Bobby’s message? Will she find the killer?
I’m glad I was finally able to return to Ellison’s world. The story is strong. It doesn’t unfold in typical cozy mystery fashion, but that didn’t bother me. I got more and more involved the further into the book I got. Ellison is a great main character, and I loved watching the growth in the character here. The rest of the cast is also great, although I wish her Mother weren’t so focused on everything being perfect. I find it funny at times, but it can be annoying. The book walks a fine line between humor and more serious themes, and the result is rich. The book does venture into some PG-13 topics, but know that going into the book and you’ll be fine since it never gets too graphic. I do recommend reading book one before you read this one since it includes fallout from the events of that story. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I visit Ellison again.
I’m glad I was finally able to return to Ellison’s world. The story is strong. It doesn’t unfold in typical cozy mystery fashion, but that didn’t bother me. I got more and more involved the further into the book I got. Ellison is a great main character, and I loved watching the growth in the character here. The rest of the cast is also great, although I wish her Mother weren’t so focused on everything being perfect. I find it funny at times, but it can be annoying. The book walks a fine line between humor and more serious themes, and the result is rich. The book does venture into some PG-13 topics, but know that going into the book and you’ll be fine since it never gets too graphic. I do recommend reading book one before you read this one since it includes fallout from the events of that story. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I visit Ellison again.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings in Books
Sep 30, 2020
Murder at the North Pole
April’s life changed completely when she learned Nick, the man she had fallen in love with, was Santa Claus. Now, she’s spending her first Christmas at the North Pole as Mrs. Claus. However, the stress of the holiday is nothing compared to the death of an elf. Giblet Hollyberry was not an especially popular elf, but his death comes the day after he had a very public fight with Santa. While the rest of the Claus clan doesn’t seem that concerned, April worries that the evidence is pointing toward her new husband. The North Pole isn’t normally a hotbed of crime, but it seems someone is doing their best to put Santa on the naughty list this year. Can April keep that from happening?
At its heart, this book is a cozy mystery, and it is a wonderful one. There are enough suspects, secrets, and clues to keep the reader engaged the entire way through the book. It’s the setting that makes the book stand out, and it is wonderfully done. It took me a bit to get the pictures from countless specials and movies out of my head, but April’s new world soon came fully to life for me. The characters, whether they are human or not, are very real, and I enjoyed meeting them here. And the book is overflowing with Christmas cheer – so much so that I had to start listening to some Christmas music while I was reading it. This book definitely deserves a place at the top of your nice list. I’m already looking forward to the sequel.
At its heart, this book is a cozy mystery, and it is a wonderful one. There are enough suspects, secrets, and clues to keep the reader engaged the entire way through the book. It’s the setting that makes the book stand out, and it is wonderfully done. It took me a bit to get the pictures from countless specials and movies out of my head, but April’s new world soon came fully to life for me. The characters, whether they are human or not, are very real, and I enjoyed meeting them here. And the book is overflowing with Christmas cheer – so much so that I had to start listening to some Christmas music while I was reading it. This book definitely deserves a place at the top of your nice list. I’m already looking forward to the sequel.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated An Almost Purrfect Murder in Books
Jul 30, 2022
Who Committed Murder on an Alaskan Cruise?
A cruise to Alaska isn’t Frankie’s idea of a vacation, but when her best friend, Penny, decides to get married in the middle of a cruise, she goes along, especially since she’s the maid of honor. The first night, Frankie watches the entertainment, which includes a cat trainer. She surprised to find one of the cats outside her door the next morning transmitting some weird messages that only begin to make sense when she finds the dead body of the trainer on the lifeboat below her cabin. Can she convince anyone that he was murdered?
In a moment of serendipity, I read this book on an Alaskan cruise I took recently. It was fun and strange to read about Frankie in places I was visiting, just in a different order. Yes, this is one of the few paranormal cozy series I read since Frankie can communicate with animals, but it’s a minor part of the story. The plot was uneven with the wedding and romantic subplots taking up pages as well. Since the book is the third in the series, I was definitely invested in those stories, but a little more time on the mystery would have been nice. Still, I was impressed with how all the clues came together in the end. Most of the characters were new, and I enjoyed getting to know them, suspects and family members alike. I laughed multiple times as I was reading at the antics of the two and four legged characters. Overall, this is a fun book that fans of the series will enjoy.
In a moment of serendipity, I read this book on an Alaskan cruise I took recently. It was fun and strange to read about Frankie in places I was visiting, just in a different order. Yes, this is one of the few paranormal cozy series I read since Frankie can communicate with animals, but it’s a minor part of the story. The plot was uneven with the wedding and romantic subplots taking up pages as well. Since the book is the third in the series, I was definitely invested in those stories, but a little more time on the mystery would have been nice. Still, I was impressed with how all the clues came together in the end. Most of the characters were new, and I enjoyed getting to know them, suspects and family members alike. I laughed multiple times as I was reading at the antics of the two and four legged characters. Overall, this is a fun book that fans of the series will enjoy.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Claws for Suspicion in Books
May 4, 2022
Kari’s Life is Upended Before Murder
The shelter that Kari Stuart bought when she won the lottery is finally in great shape. However, all that is threatened when Kari’s ex-husband shows up in town. Charlie Smith arrives baring the news that there was a mistake with their divorce, and they are technically still married. As a result, he is entitled to half Kari’s winnings. Or, he will settle for the land the pet shelter is on. Kari has no interest in giving Charlie anything, so she starts trying to figure out how to get him to go away. Then he dies, and his death looks like murder. The police view Kari as their prime suspect since she is the only one in town with a motive. Can Kari convince them that someone else killed Charlie?
While the ex coming back to town isn’t a new plot element in a cozy mystery, Charlie’s motives and the complications are definitely fresh here. I did feel the plot stalled a bit before Charlie actually died, although it was setting up motives and suspects before it happened. Once it did, Kari followed a logical set of clues to the climax. I always appreciate how well things are laid out when I reach the end of the books in this series. I love Kari’s circle of friends, and it was wonderful to spend time with them again. The suspects fit wonderfully into the world. Naturally, there’s plenty of animal cuteness here as well. Fans of the series will be happy with this book, and if you haven’t started it yet, you’ll be happy you picked up one of the books.
While the ex coming back to town isn’t a new plot element in a cozy mystery, Charlie’s motives and the complications are definitely fresh here. I did feel the plot stalled a bit before Charlie actually died, although it was setting up motives and suspects before it happened. Once it did, Kari followed a logical set of clues to the climax. I always appreciate how well things are laid out when I reach the end of the books in this series. I love Kari’s circle of friends, and it was wonderful to spend time with them again. The suspects fit wonderfully into the world. Naturally, there’s plenty of animal cuteness here as well. Fans of the series will be happy with this book, and if you haven’t started it yet, you’ll be happy you picked up one of the books.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Barking Mad at Murder in Books
Apr 30, 2019
Something Different, but Fun
Frankie Chandler makes her living as a pet psychic in a small town in Arizona. There’s just one problem – she’s a fake. She really uses cues from her knowledge of human and animal behavior and fakes her visions to help pet owners with their pets’ behavior. So, you can imagine how surprised Frankie is when a dog named Sandy actually gets through and gives her a vision of a murder. She’s willing to write off the entire thing as a bad dream until a body matching the victim in the vision turns up in the desert. Can Frankie figure out what really happened? Does Sandy know more than Frankie got in the first vision?
This is definitely a step away from my normal cozy choices, but I picked it up after chatting with the author for most of the day at an event. I’m glad I took a chance on it. With Frankie just developing her powers, this book had some fun exploring that and what it meant for her. The mystery was good. There were occasional pacing issues, but for the most part it kept me engaged until the wonderful climax. A solid sub-plot helped keep me interested as well. A couple of the supporting characters have room to grow as the series develops, but for the most part the cast is solid, and I certainly hope to see more of many of them in later books. The book kept me grinning as I read as Frankie gets into some pretty fun situations over the course of the story. This is a solid series debut anyone looking for a light, fun read will enjoy.
This is definitely a step away from my normal cozy choices, but I picked it up after chatting with the author for most of the day at an event. I’m glad I took a chance on it. With Frankie just developing her powers, this book had some fun exploring that and what it meant for her. The mystery was good. There were occasional pacing issues, but for the most part it kept me engaged until the wonderful climax. A solid sub-plot helped keep me interested as well. A couple of the supporting characters have room to grow as the series develops, but for the most part the cast is solid, and I certainly hope to see more of many of them in later books. The book kept me grinning as I read as Frankie gets into some pretty fun situations over the course of the story. This is a solid series debut anyone looking for a light, fun read will enjoy.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated One Taste Too Many in Books
Jun 20, 2019
Sarah Blair’s Tasty Debut
Sarah Blair is awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from her twin sister Emily who exclaims that Bill is dead and the police think Emily is responsible. Sarah isn’t that upset that her ex-husband is dead, but she is surprised that Emily is the chief suspect. But Emily was found with Bill, who had eaten her rhubarb crisp despite the fact that he hated rhubarb and avoid the nuts Emily used because of his allergies. What is really going on? Meanwhile, Sarah gets a shock when Bill’s current girlfriend, Jane, produces a will that claims Jane gets custody of RahRah, the Siamese cat that Sarah has had ever since Bill’s mother died several years ago. Can Sarah prove she should keep RahRah while clearing Emily of murder?
While it doesn’t take much to intrigue me with a culinary cozy, I found Sarah’s status as a cook of convenience to be a great pull for this series. For more serious culinary lovers, Emily works as a line chef and is part of a culinary festival taking place in their town, so all abilities are covered, although the two recipes at the end are definitely on the simple side. The mystery starts strong, with us learning about Bill’s death on the first page. I did find it harder to care about the sub-plot involving RahRah; I think it’s more because I’m not a pet person so I needed more time to warm up to him before I would care. Still, both storylines reach great climaxes, and Sarah manages to figure out all the twists along the way. The characters have some room to grow, but the main cast, including the suspects, are all solid, providing a good base for future growth. Fans of culinary cozies will enjoy this tasty debut.
While it doesn’t take much to intrigue me with a culinary cozy, I found Sarah’s status as a cook of convenience to be a great pull for this series. For more serious culinary lovers, Emily works as a line chef and is part of a culinary festival taking place in their town, so all abilities are covered, although the two recipes at the end are definitely on the simple side. The mystery starts strong, with us learning about Bill’s death on the first page. I did find it harder to care about the sub-plot involving RahRah; I think it’s more because I’m not a pet person so I needed more time to warm up to him before I would care. Still, both storylines reach great climaxes, and Sarah manages to figure out all the twists along the way. The characters have some room to grow, but the main cast, including the suspects, are all solid, providing a good base for future growth. Fans of culinary cozies will enjoy this tasty debut.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jul 30, 2021
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated A Whisker of a Doubt in Books
Dec 13, 2020
Fights over Feral Cats Lead to Murder at Christmas
Maddie James and her friend Katrina have learned about a colony of feral cats near one of the richest neighborhoods on Daybreak Island, so they are working to take care of it. However, the neighbors are resistant to their efforts, going out of their way to be a pain. Just a couple of days before Christmas, Maddie finds the body of one of them, Virgil Proust, outside his house. Virgil and his wife were some of the loudest people fighting against the cats and Maddie’s efforts to feed them. When the police focus on Katrina as their prime suspect, Maddie knows it is up to her to find the truth. Can she do it?
I’ve been waiting impatiently for this book due to the cliffhanger the previous book left us with. I was thrilled to get back to Maddie and find out what happened there. Even if you haven’t read the books that came before this one, you’ll still be able to jump in here and follow along. I will say that Maddie’s attitude in this sub-plot bothered me a bit at times, although I always understood where she was coming from. The main mystery is good with a few nice surprises on our way to the solution. The suspects could have been stronger, and I struggled at times to remember all of their relationships, but I was still invested in the story. The regular characters are strong and charming, as are the cats at the cat café where Maddie works. The Christmas setting adds an extra level of cozy. Fans new and old will enjoy this festive entry in the series.
I’ve been waiting impatiently for this book due to the cliffhanger the previous book left us with. I was thrilled to get back to Maddie and find out what happened there. Even if you haven’t read the books that came before this one, you’ll still be able to jump in here and follow along. I will say that Maddie’s attitude in this sub-plot bothered me a bit at times, although I always understood where she was coming from. The main mystery is good with a few nice surprises on our way to the solution. The suspects could have been stronger, and I struggled at times to remember all of their relationships, but I was still invested in the story. The regular characters are strong and charming, as are the cats at the cat café where Maddie works. The Christmas setting adds an extra level of cozy. Fans new and old will enjoy this festive entry in the series.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
On What Grounds is a good start to this series, but not great by any means. The mystery was lacking and there weren't enough clues for the reader to even get close to figuring out whodunnit or why. The explanations about the different types of coffee are very interesting, but come close to taking over the storyline. Some of the things I did not like about the writing style, were that, at times, the writing could be condescending, such as a Tanya Harding example that didn't sound natural and seemed to imply that the reader has been living in a cave for the last twenty or so years, then there's the backtracking into past events for around twenty pages and then returning to the cliffhanger which is where we left off of and then trying to remember where that was exactly (ugh! Sorry, but doing that three or four times is unnecessary and annoying), and the end was way to preachy about Anabelle's life and choices - this isn't an after school special or a Lifetime movie, get over yourselves (the authors that is :P). Another thing (yes there's more!), I don't like the love triangle aspect. For the most part, an ex should stay an ex (I know there are some exceptions, but that's just my preference in this case), and I much prefer Quinn, who I really hope isn't married.
Oh, and one more thing... I took a little offense to the disdain of decaf drinkers. I just don't handle caffeine that well - yes, I might be an anxious person, but I don't have imagined allergies or neuroses or whatever else she describes most decaf drinkers as. Not to mention, it makes me very shaky, in a bad way, and I cannot fathom drinking as much coffee as she does all the time - I need sleep! LoL Yes, I'll imbibe in coffee that isn't decaf, but for the most part, I'd rather have decaf. Gotta problem with that?! :P
What I did like...
Clare - some other reviews I've read have been iffy about her, but I blame how the authors wrote the book.
Java - I know it's a cozy mystery cliche, but I love cats in books. :)
Learning about coffee - it's really rather interesting.
Recipes - gotta love those!
The promise of a good series - the writing overall is good and I hope that now that most of the history has been written about, the next books will flow better.
Oh, and one more thing... I took a little offense to the disdain of decaf drinkers. I just don't handle caffeine that well - yes, I might be an anxious person, but I don't have imagined allergies or neuroses or whatever else she describes most decaf drinkers as. Not to mention, it makes me very shaky, in a bad way, and I cannot fathom drinking as much coffee as she does all the time - I need sleep! LoL Yes, I'll imbibe in coffee that isn't decaf, but for the most part, I'd rather have decaf. Gotta problem with that?! :P
What I did like...
Clare - some other reviews I've read have been iffy about her, but I blame how the authors wrote the book.
Java - I know it's a cozy mystery cliche, but I love cats in books. :)
Learning about coffee - it's really rather interesting.
Recipes - gotta love those!
The promise of a good series - the writing overall is good and I hope that now that most of the history has been written about, the next books will flow better.