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Bridge at the Beach (A Clyde Smith Mystery #4)

Garrick Jones

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Book

Clyde’s idyllic afternoon in the surf with his mates is interrupted by the news that there’s...

Crime Thriller Series

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2629 KP) rated Murder Comes Home in Books

Oct 2, 2025

Tessa Must Pick Another Murderer

Tessa Treslow and her aunt have agreed to be featured on the TV show Picks with Ricks, hoping that the hosts will find some treasure in the old garage they need to clear out. But one of the hosts has his eye on the car that Tessa has almost finished restoring. That is until the car becomes a crime scene with the dead body of the show’s camera man inside. Who killed him? And why was the car involved?

While a TV crew being the subject of a murder isn’t new, the set up for this one still caught my attention. The more I read, the more I got hooked, with a mystery from the past also drawing me in. Everything made sense by the time we hit the climax. Meanwhile, the characters get better with each book. I’m loving the series regulars, and the suspects kept me guessing. I’m finding each book in the series gets stronger, and I’m looking forward to reading the next soon.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2629 KP) rated Five Golden Wings in Books

Dec 23, 2025

Dueling Weddings and Murder at Christmas

Meg and her mother are helping to organize two weddings for two of Meg’s younger cousins set to take place the Saturday before Christmas. Unfortunately, these young women are constantly feuding, so the weddings are taking place back-to-back, even though they are sharing the venues. The two brides bring nothing but drama in the days leading up to their events, and that’s before Meg finds the wedding photographer dead. Unfortunately, the suspect list is long, including members of the bridal party. Can Meg figure out what happened?

Reading the Christmas set entries in this series has become a Christmas tradition for me. Even when the plot doesn’t involve Christmas explicitly, there is still more than enough holiday cheer to make it feel festive. The mystery itself was a little weak, but things made sense in the end. And the weddings provided plenty to keep me engage, including many laughs. It’s always wonderful to spend time with these characters. If you are looking for a fun Christmas cozy, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2629 KP) rated Fondant Fumble in Books

Jun 11, 2024

Fondant Fumble

Jenn McKinlay | 2024 | Mystery

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Murder Stings a Bakery Opening

Two players for the Arizona Scorpions NFL team have opened the newest franchise of Mel’s bakery across town. While she is enjoying teaching them about what it takes to run the business, others don’t seem so happy about it. In fact, the team’s owner makes a scene at the bakery’s opening. The next morning, he’s found dead in the new bakery. Can Mel find the killer?

I love the characters in this series, and it was great to check on them again. The new characters are just as charming. The mystery could have used a few other suspects and another couple of twists. What we have is good, but it could have been stronger. On the other hand, I thought I knew where a subplot was going early on, but I was delighted to be surprised. It became one of my favorite parts of the book. The humor is great as always, and we get more cupcake recipes as well. Fans of this series will gobble it up as quickly as I did.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2629 KP) rated Please Don't Push Up the Daisies in Books

Aug 10, 2024

Tex’s Family Brings Murder to Town

In the time that Madison Night has dated Tex Allen, she hasn’t met his sister. Until now. Lily and her four sons are moving to Dallas now that her husband is finally granting her a divorce. However, when Madison goes with Lily to pick up the papers, they find him dead in his office. With Tex out of commission thanks to his nephews, can Madison figure out what really happened?

This is another great mystery that jumps right in and keeps us guessing until the end. I did find a couple of things that could have been a little clearer, but nothing that truly impacted the plot. What I really loved is the character growth we got for Tex and another series regular. But Madison really shines in her moment; it was my favorite part of the book. There are some funny moments as well, and fans of Doris Day’s movie will find some fun nods. If you’ve been enjoying this series, you’ll be glad you picked up the latest in the series.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2629 KP) rated The Tale of the Tenpenny Tontine in Books

May 16, 2025

Tickle Your Funny Bone with this Tale

Anty is developing a reputation for solving sticky problems, so a friend reaches out to him when two relatives die in a duel. Since a family fortune is on the line, who dies first is important. However, Anty has hardly looked at the scene before he realizes it was murder. Considering the victims were found in a locked room, how did the killer pull it off?

I’ve got to make time to read this series faster, because this was another wonderful entry. The mystery was sufficiently puzzling with plenty to keep me engaged. And we reached a logical climax that explained the how and the who. The characters are a little thin, but that is in service to the comedy. The laughs come from a very dry British wit and plenty of sarcasm. I was laughing on page one, and smiling or laughing the rest of the way through the book. If that’s what you are in the mood for, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.