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Murder from Scratch
Murder from Scratch
Leslie Karst | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
9
8.8 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder From Scratch
By: Leslie Karst
Crooked Lane Books
Mystery/Thriller
320 Pages
Pub Date 9 April 2019
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I enjoyed this book. I love me a good cozy mystery story. This book also has the recipes in the back of the book. This is a mystery so I will not go into too much detail.
The story is a about a woman who is found dead by her blind daughter. Evelyn is her name. She insists that her mom wouldn't take her life and there are clues to support her. Her cousin, Sally owns a restaurant that left to her by her deceased Aunt but before that she was an attorney. She helps her cousin but researching the clues and doing a little bit of investigating on her own. She actually helped the police with her Aunts murder in a previous book. This is the same aunt whom left her the restaurant. There is some interesting turns in this story and like I said I enjoyed myself. I was able to figure out who did it but it wasn't until 2/3's into the story. I would recommend this book for you to read if you like cozy mysteries.
  
I really enjoyed this cozy! It was my first trip to Sweet Pepper Tennessee, even though this is book 4 in the series. There was plenty of explanation along the way regarding people and places, so I didn’t feel at all lost jumping in at this point.

In this story, Stella has to find her kidnapped ghost friend, Eric, and investigate a string of illegal still explosions and fires. There are an abundance of suspects, some within the police department itself, and as she gets too close to the truth, Stella finds her own life may be at risk.

I always enjoy a story with a strong, intelligent female lead character, and Stella fit the bill perfectly. She is not perfect, and needs her circle of volunteer firefighters, friends, and her ghost-roommate to keep her out of trouble, but she has a good head on her shoulders and does a decent job taking care of herself.

As with many cozy mysteries, Sweet Pepper Hero includes some great looking recipes in the back. Personally, I am a big fan of the sweet / hot combination of chocolate and chilis, so I can’t wait to give one of these a try!

<u>Recipes include:</u>
Chocolate Cookies with a Bite
Tennessee Whiskey Cake with Cherries
Lemon Habanero Cookies

<i>Note: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review</i>
  
Swift Edge
Swift Edge
Laura DiSilverio | 2011 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This Book Swiftly Had me on the Edge of My Seat
PI Charlette “Charlie” Swift has a new client. Dara Peterson needs Charlie to track down her ice skating partner, Dmitri Fane, before the Olympic trials start in just a few days. With her new business partner, Gigi Goldman, semi-helping, Charlie begins investigating. She quickly gets attacked and finds someone left for dead on the ice. What has happened to Dmitri?

I read the first book in this series years ago, and I kept meaning to go back and read this one. I’m so glad I did. This book is as much fun as I remember the first being. The plot is fast paced with plenty of action and a page turning climax. What Gigi doesn’t know about the PI business she makes up for in enthusiasm, and her antics add some great laughs. Yet none of the characters come across as caricatures; there is a depth to all of them. Mostly, we only see glimpses of that depth, but it is enough to make them seem real. The book skirts around the edges of the cozy genre with just a touch more violence and language than a traditional cozy, but as long as you expect that, you’ll be fine. I really did enjoy this book, and it won’t be as long before I go back to visit these characters again.
  
The Rocky Road to Ruin
The Rocky Road to Ruin
Meri Allen | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder Served Ice Cold
Riley Rhodes has returned home to Penniman, Connecticut, for the funeral of her best friend’s mother. After the service, she sees that Caroline and her brother, Mike, are fighting over what to do with the property that the two of them were left, including Udderly Delicious, the ice cream shop where Riley worked as a teen. The next morning, Riley finds Mike dead. Knowing that Caroline will be a prime suspect, Riley tries to figure out what happened. Can she do it?

Riley has a fun background for an amateur sleuth – CIA librarian. And yet this is definitely still a cozy, and the warmth pulled me in right away. This book has a bit of a bittersweet vibe. We get the wonderful characters and setting we love in a cozy, but the beginning is appropriately somber. It really works well. The pacing was a little uneven in the middle, but the book had a strong beginning and ending that make up for it. I had a hard time putting the book down the closer I got to the climax. There is more than enough talk to ice cream to make you drool, and two recipes inspired by the more creative contributions are in the back of the book. Now’s the time to enjoy this debut. Me? I’ll be having a second helping of ice cream while I wait for the sequel.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2269 KP) rated Murder Outside the Lines in Books

Sep 29, 2021 (Updated Sep 29, 2021)  
Murder Outside the Lines
Murder Outside the Lines
Krista Davis | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Florrie is Haunted by Murder this Halloween
Fall is in the air with Halloween fast approaching. Florrie Fox has a special author appearance planned for Color Me Read, author and psychic Hilda Rattenhorst. However, when Hilda shows up, she claims to have seen a carpet wrapped up with a foot sticking out of it in a nearby doorway. Florrie and her boyfriend, Eric, who is also a police officer, head out to check it out only to find nothing when they arrive. Then, during her talk before signing books, Hilda claims to feel a killer’s presence in the audience. As Florrie is trying to figure out if it is a publicity stunt, one incident after another begins to happen. What is going on?

Even for a Halloween themed cozy, I was a little surprised at the number of potential supernatural elements we got at the beginning of the book. As the crimes took center stage, that began to recede a bit. I did feel the plot could have used better focus. There are quite a few elements to the story, and it felt like it was wandering in the middle. But things came together for a satisfying climax. I was once again charmed by the Georgetown neighborhood where Florrie lives and works. It was great to get reacquainted with the characters and see the next chapter in their lives. This book is for you if you are looking for a charming fall cozy.