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Murder at the Moonshine Inn is a little edgier than most cozy mysteries, but it does just manage to stay cozy. It was a nice change to have the protagonist try to refuse to do the investigating, realizing how dangerous it would probably be, and then to finally agree to do it but only with the aid of her book group, and to a lesser degree, her husband.

The story is full of twists, turns, and humor, and should please both cozy and traditional mystery fans.
  
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Merissa (12061 KP) created a post

Oct 11, 2021  
"21st-century journalist Olivia Watson thinks travelling back in time to 1934 to attend a Halloween party with her friend Detective Steven Blackwell will be a lot of fun. And it is...until she witnesses the head of the Shipley Five-and-Dime empire murdered, and fears the killer saw her face."

Tour & #Giveaway: Death Rang the Bell (Blackwell &Watson Time-Travel Mysteries #3) by Carol Pouliot - @Archaeolibrary, @partnersincr1me​ (@PICVirtualTours - FB)​, #Traditional, #Mystery, #PoliceProcedural, #TimeTravel

https://archaeolibrarian.wixsite.com/website/post/deathrangthebell-blackwell-watsontime-travelmysteries-3-bycarolpouliot
     
The Death of an Ambitious Woman
The Death of an Ambitious Woman
Barbara Ross | 2010 | Mystery
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
It Definitely Wasn’t an Accident
The car crash that killed Tracey Kendall was looking suspicious from the start. She was driving way too fast and didn’t break at all for example. Then the mechanic who serviced her car vanishes, which definitely makes acting police chief Ruth Murphy suspect there is more going on than a simple accident. Unfortunately, this comes at the worst possible time with her permanent promotion to police chief about to go through. Can she navigate internal politics and still uncover the truth?

I was thrilled to finally make it back to Barbara Ross’s debut mystery. The mystery is strong, and the internal politics adds a nice layer to an already complex mystery. Ruth and her fellow police officers are strong characters, and I also felt the main suspects were well developed. Some of the supporting players got a little lost, but that is my only complaint about the book. This is a step away from the author’s normal cozy mysteries, with a few four letter words and a touch more description of the aftermath of violence. Still, most of her readers will do just fine with this soft-boiled or traditional tale. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery should pick up this book.
  
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Alice Rohrwacher recommended Stromboli (1950) in Movies (curated)

 
Stromboli (1950)
Stromboli (1950)
1950 | Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Rossellini is a big master for me. Normally, he’s put in the box of neorealism, but I don’t think he can stay in a box. Even though his movies had incredible scripts and very incredible actors, they were so alive and happening. You always have the feeling that there is something surprising the director, like you can feel him opening up toward life. Stromboli has always been an important film for me because of how it investigates the relationship between man and nature. There is a very tight, traditional structure, but at the same time there are gaps and openings that allow the mystery to come in."

Source
  
The Tuscan Child
The Tuscan Child
Rhys Bowen | 2018 | Mystery
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can Joanna Solve the Mystery of Her Father’s Past?
When Hugo Langley dies, his daughter Joanna finds a letter in his possession addressed to someone named Sofia in Italy. It references “our beautiful boy.” Joanna knows her father was shot down in the Tuscany region during World War II, but does this letter mean she has a half-brother? Intrigued, Joanna sets out to learn about that time in her father’s life. What will she learn?

This book switches back and forth from Hugo’s story in 1944 and Joanna’s journey in 1973. The chapters are clearly labeled, so it is never hard to follow which time period we are in. While this is not a traditional mystery by any means, we do learn what happened back then and how it plays out in the more “modern” setting. This book is just as much about Joanna’s growth, and she lead a cast of very strong characters I quickly fell in love with as I read.
  
Sowing Malice
Sowing Malice
Wendy Tyson | 2020 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Reaping Another Great Mystery
When the von Tresslers moved to town, they didn’t make the residents of Winsome, Pennsylvania, very happy. They’ve mostly kept to themselves except when they were pushing to do things their way. Now, David von Tressler has died, and most of the mourners are from out of town. That includes three women that Megan Sawyer runs into at the local nursery. Shortly after Megan meets them, one of the women disappears. Then a body turns up at Megan’s farm. What is going on?

I was thrilled to see another entry in this great series, and I wasn’t disappointed. The mystery is strong. It starts quickly and there are plenty of twists and turns before we reach the end. The characters continue to be wonderful. We got updates on the series regulars and the new characters were well developed. There’s nothing here that spoils previous books in the series, so you could jump in here, but to fully appreciate the character growth, I do recommend reading the series in order. This series is more of a traditional mystery than a lighter cozy, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. I definitely recommend this book and the entire series.