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Free Fall (Elvis Cole, #4)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jennifer is sure that her boyfriend Mark is in trouble, so she hires PI Elvis Cole to find out what is going on. Elvis thinks he’s found an easy solution, but then he digs a little deeper and begins to uncover something much more serious. Can Elvis help Mark and Jennifer, or is he in over his head?

The story quickly built into another thrilling read, and I was glued to the page waiting to see how it would all turn out. The characters are good, although I still find Cole’s partner Pike to be unbelievable. Despite that flaw, I enjoyed this departure from my normal cozy mystery diet.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/11/book-review-free-fall-by-robert-crais.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
BO
Better Off Read (Bookmobile Mystery #1)
Nora Page | 2018
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cleo Watkins is a septuagenarian librarian that is hoping to save her storm-damaged library, but all hopes are lost when the primary beneficiary is found murdered. Unfortunately, Cleo’s best friend Mary-Rose and her grandson Ollie become the prime suspects.

Cleo takes to the road in her repurposed school bus turned bookmobile and is on a mission to stop the young mayor from permanently closing her beloved library and solve the murder.

The cast of characters in this book are delightful; 70 something Cleo is all heart, her best friend Mary-Rose is full of spunk, close friend Henry is a complete gentleman, and Rhett Butler (the cat) is full of cat mischief.

This was a fun cozy mystery to read and I do hope the author makes a series out of it.
  
No Filter by Heather Day Gilbert
This was a nice laid-back mystery. I do not often read cozy mysteries as they do not seem real to me, however, after reading the synopsis for this one I was intrigued! I mean who does not like dogs or coffee? This is the first book in Heather Day Gilbert’s new Barks & Beans series, and I am already hooked.
    I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, the way the story unfolded was believable and interesting. I liked the characters and getting a glimpse into their lives that I am sure will continue in the next book. They were people I can see myself being friends with. I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series to see what comes next
  
Zombies for Everyone: A Jenna Sutton Supernatural Cozy Mystery
Zombies for Everyone: A Jenna Sutton Supernatural Cozy Mystery
Kimberly Wylie | 2021 | Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The mystery was well-paced with plenty of clues.
YA Cozy is a new one for me, though I will say this book feels more like a paranormal adventure story than a cozy mystery. The mystery was well-paced with plenty of clues. It was easy to assume why the attacks were happening once it came up in conversation, and from there, very easy to pick out the big bad. Still, the story was an enjoyable one with lots of action and plenty of pop culture references, some of which I am certain are less applicable to the YA crowd than their parents, but fun nonetheless.

In this book we are introduced to Jenna and her partner Kieron, high school students with a little something extra. She is a Hunter. Her job is to investigate and hunt down things that go bump in the night. Kind of a cross between Dean Winchester and Buffy Summers. Kieron provides moral, tech, and info support. They are asked to track down the source of a zombie bite before it leads to a full-on outbreak. It becomes apparent that there is more going on than a simple zombie attack and with several great suspects, it moves at a fair clip.

Despite the extracurriculars they really are just typical seventeen-year-old kids worrying about dating, homework, and mean girls. That is a fun contrast to the uber adult nature of the work they do. Jenna’s mother is missing, presumed dead (a story point that I am certain will be prominent in upcoming books) Leaving Jenna with the job of caring for herself while staying under the radar of adults who would put her in the system.

The magic world built for this story is sound, though it will need some bolstering ahead as it went up fairly quickly. I think another 50 pages of story could have easily softened the info dump feel. There is a lot of information to process about magic and recurring characters, as well as The Consortium and The Covens, but at some point in this series, things are going to get really interesting and my sixth sense is tingling in anticipation. This is a great story for age 12-18 readers and really for anyone who enjoys YA and/or paranormal cozy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
  
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Debbie (52 KP) rated Glitter Bomb in Books

Nov 24, 2018  
Glitter Bomb
Glitter Bomb
Laura Childs | 2018 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received this book from GoodReads give away. I was actually surprised that I finally won a book from them. This book came out on the 2nd of October of 2018. I am a bit behind on giving a review on this book. I actually didn't finish this book until this month. It is considered a cozy mystery and usually they are quick reads for me but the last few months have been real busy for me and I am trying to play catch up.
I have read most of her other series called Cackleberry Club Mysteries. This is the first book from her New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery series. I did enjoy this book even though it wasn't the first book. I was able to figure out who was who without too much trouble.
This takes place during Mardi Gras. Just before the big day during one of the many parades one of the floats explodes and kills someone. The main Characters Ex- Husband happens to be on this float so ends up being a suspect. He convinces her to help him out since she is engaged to the investigator.
She comes up with a whole lot of other people who could have wanted to kill the person who died.
I don't want to say too much about this book because it is a mystery and I don't want to give anything away. It is a good read and I recommend you read it. You might want to read the books in order so you can understand the main characters a little better but you really don't have to. I gave this book 4 stars.
  
A Little Class on Murder
A Little Class on Murder
Carolyn Hart | 1989 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Annie Finds Murder in College
When Annie is asked to teach a class on The Three Grand Dame of the Mystery for the journalism department at the college in Chastain, she quickly warms to the idea. Her enthusiasm is only dimmed slightly when she sees the tension in her fellow faculty members and who decides to crash her class. However, when the student paper starts printing stories that lead to deaths, Annie and her new husband, Max, begin to investigate. Can they figure out what is going on?

This is the book where the series seems to finally be finding the right mix. There is plenty of humor, and I laughed quite a bit. The characters are still on the thin side, but they work to keep us engaged and entertained. We get plenty of references to other writers and characters, mostly the three authors Annie is teaching in her class (Christie, Sayers, and Rinehart), but they never overwhelm or feel like a list dropped into the story. And the mystery weaves all around, keeping us guessing until the end. There is still more foul language than in a typical cozy, but as long as you know this, you’ll be fine. I hope this mix continues as the series goes forward.