Broadcast Blues (Clare Carlson Mystery #6)
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Wendy Kyle took secrets to her grave—now, Clare Carlson is digging them up New York City has no...
Mystery Murder Vigilante Crime
A Grave Deception
8.0
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Antiques expert Kate Hamilton dives into the past to solve a fourteenth-century mystery with...
May Day Murder
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It's springtime and Whitstable is emerging from hibernation. While neither the restaurant nor...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2484 KP) rated The Dogfather in Books
Oct 14, 2020
Fans of the series will be delighted with the latest entry. It has the usual assortment of characters, and I don’t just mean series regulars. The cast run from wacky to realistic, but somehow, they all fit into the world of these books, and they create plenty of laughs along the way. Yes, that includes Betty, Mel’s assistant, who walks the fine line of making us laugh without being annoying. The plot is good, with plenty of twists and suspects to keep us engaged. The ending does seem a bit rushed, but that’s a minor complaint. This appears to be the final book in the series, at least for now, and the authors do a great job of wrapping up ongoing storylines. This series isn’t for everyone, but if you want a light, wacky, and fun mystery, you’ll be glad you gave it a chance.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2484 KP) rated A Chorus Lineup in Books
Jul 31, 2020
It's been years since I read the first two books in this series, but I was soon back in Paige’s world thanks to reminders in the text about what had happened before. Some of them do get spoilery, so keep that in mind if you are interested in the series. Thanks to the references, I was able to fully appreciate the character growth in the regulars we saw here. The new characters were just as strong. The plot was good and kept me guessing. I was surprised by a sub-plot that took over in the final quarter, completely slowing down the momentum. But we are then flung back into the mystery for a climax that had me turning pages while it successfully wrapped everything up. It also wrapped up these characters’ arcs, so fans of this series will be able to walk away satisfied with the time we’ve spent with them.
The Art of Betrayal
10.0
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In Connie Berry's third Kate Hamilton mystery, American antique dealer Kate Hamilton's spring is cut...
Immoral (Jonathan Stride, #1)
10.0
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In a moral world... murder is the ultimate crime... Brian Freeman, author of The Night Bird and...
The Scent of Murder
10.0
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First in a new series from national bestselling author Kylie Logan, The Scent of Murder is a...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2484 KP) rated A Christmas Candy Killing in Books
Oct 19, 2022
Between the culinary cozy theme and the Christmas setting, I have to give this debut a chance. I’m glad I did. The first couple of chapters had a bit too much background on Alex and Hanna, but once the murder happened, things picked up. I appreciated how the clues were folded into the story. Not that I figured out the killer using them. The characters are good, but they could be a little stronger. Likewise, the setting is good, but could be a little stronger. Both of these are minor complaints since I am definitely ready to visit my new friends and this location again soon. I enjoyed the Christmas timing as well. This is a delicious debut.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2484 KP) rated Christmas Dessert Murder in Books
Dec 9, 2023
In the first, Christmas Caramel Murder, Hannah gets involved when her business partner is accused of killing her husband’s new secretary, who just happened to be playing Mrs. Claus to Herb’s Santa in the community theater. This book borrows a bit from A Christmas Carol, and that makes it a little weird for fans of the series, but it is still enjoyable, with a good wrap up and cameos if not large parts for the regular characters.
The second story is Christmas Cake Murder, which flashes back to Hannah’s first Christmas after her father passed away. In an effort to get her mother out of her grief, Hannah agrees to help put on a Christmas ball filled with cakes. The mystery doesn’t really kick in until late in the story, although there are bread crumbs early on. What is most fun for fans of the series is watching Hannah build the life we are already familiar with.
Between the two stories, there are lots of recipes for you to try at Christmas.
Obviously, if you already have the two books, you’ll be fine skipping this collection. But if you’ve missed them, you might want to consider this way to get the stories.