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A Murder Most Fowl

Carmela Dutra

5.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

A food truck run by twins serves up a clucking good murder in this cozy debut mystery, perfect for...

Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Called to Justice (Quaker Midwife Mystery #2) in Books

Feb 21, 2018

Called to Justice (Quaker Midwife Mystery #2)

Edith Maxwell | 2017 | Crime, History & Politics, Mystery

8.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Called to Justice is as much historical fiction as it is cozy mystery, and I found both aspects of the story to be riveting. A young, unmarried woman confides in Rose that she is expecting a child, and then ends up being murdered during the Independence Day fireworks celebration. Determined to find justice for the girl and her unborn child, Rose manages to squeeze in a little investigating, between birthing babies and checking on the well-being of her clientele of local women waiting to deliver.

There was a lot of attention to detail and historical accuracy where the births in the story were concerned. See what author Edith Maxwell has to say about midwives and the birthing process on <a href="https://booksthething.com/2017/04/06/called-to-justice-by-edith-maxwell-guest-post-and-giveaway/">my blog</a>.

Kudos

Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Reading Up a Storm (Lighthouse Library Mystery #3) in Books

Feb 21, 2018

Reading Up a Storm focuses more on characters outside of the library staff than the first two novels in the series, and Lucy has a new friend in this one who is accused of murder. Of course she doesn't trust that the police will see past her friend Stephanie's apparent motive for the crime, and is soon getting herself into trouble asking questions and trying to solve the case by herself. She probably figured it out long before I did, but it was gratifying to find that the killer was the person I suspected, for once.

And for those of you who enjoy a little romance with your cozy mystery - I love where the author has taken the romantic triangle that was developing in the first two books. I can't say anything more without spoilers, but I was very pleased with the outcome.

Kudos

Charlotte (184 KP) rated The Killer in Me (Benoit and Dayne Mystery #1) in Books

Oct 17, 2021

What a cracking start to what promises to be an intense series!


    The Killer in Me is easy to get in to and hard to put down. I put everything on hold to keep reading and I don't regret it. There's mystery, murder and surprises, which always gets my vote, not to mention corruption and long standing fueds. I'd love to say I guessed everything straight away but I didn't, I had suspicions though (changed my mind a few times too!)

It's good to see some strong female characters. Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit and Deputy Lila Dayne form a good relationship and both show strength when needed.
    This could possibly be read as a standalone but there are unanswered questions for Lila.

I'd class this as an adult read, one to have a cozy evening in with.

Kudos

Secrets and Scents

Lyn Perry

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Best friends Kelli & Jo quit their day jobs in Silicon Valley to open a book and candle shop in...

One Will Too Many (Julia Fairchild #4)

PJ Peterson

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

A wealthy banker with a long list of secrets dies. Internist Julia Fairchild encounters banker...

Cozy Mystery

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2425 KP) rated Buyer, Beware in Books

Jan 14, 2020

Buyer, Beware

Diane Vallere | 2013 | Mystery

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Is Samantha in Danger Taking a Dead Buyer’s Job?

Samantha Kidd is excited about another fashion store opening up in her hometown of Ribbon, Pennsylvania. She and some friends attend the opening night party, but the party ends abruptly when Samantha stumbles on the body of a dead woman in the handbag department. The woman was the store’s handbag buyer, and the police quickly rule it a murder. Then Samantha gets another shock – the store’s owner asks Samantha to take over the dead woman’s job and use her position to help figure out what happened. But is Samantha putting herself in danger by taking a dead woman’s job?

I might not normally have picked up this book because of the fashion theme, but I already knew that author Diane Vallere can craft a great cozy mystery. Yes, fashion is certainly an aspect of the book, and even plays into the plot, but it never overwhelmed the story or bored me since the book never loses sight of the fact that it is a mystery first and foremost. And what a mystery! The suspects are all outstanding and do a great job of misleading us. Samantha has to deal with twists and red herrings galore until she finally figures things out. I did feel a few of the details could have been smoothed into the story better, but that’s a minor complaint overall. I enjoyed this book and need to make time to visit with Samantha again soon.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2425 KP) rated A Quiet Undertaking in Books

Jan 27, 2022 (Updated Jan 27, 2022)

Scandal in Flat Skunk

Deaf reporter Connor Westphal is hot on the trail of another scandal in her small Gold Country town for her weekly newspaper. A storage locker full of human ashes has been found near the town of Flat Skunk, California. The ashes were supposed to be scattered at sea by Jasper Coyne, but before anyone can question Jasper, he is found dead near his houseboat. With the scandal impacting Connor’s friend, Del Rey, Connor has an extra motive to investigate. But with Del Rey hiding secrets of her own, will Connor ever figure out what really happened?

This was an inventive mystery that kept me guessing until the end. There were plenty of surprises on the way to the logical climax. Unfortunately, Connor did make some pretty stupid moves as she was investigating, which is a bummer since I like her overall. She leads a strong cast of fun characters. I love how her deafness is worked into the book and how it makes certain scenes even more suspenseful. There are more four letter words than usual in a cozy mystery, so know that going in. The book was first released over 20 years ago, so some of the technology is dated, but keep that in mind as you read it, and you’ll be fine. Overall, this was another fun, confusing mystery. I’m glad I’m finally reading this series.