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Death by Bubble Tea
8.0
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Two cousins who start a food stall at their local night market get a serving of murder in this first...
Halloween Hoedowns Can be Deadly
10.0
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Spooky decorations. Murderous intentions. It’s not a party until someone ends up dead. Bluebonnet...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated A Quiet Undertaking in Books
Jan 27, 2022 (Updated Jan 27, 2022)
Scandal in Flat Skunk
Deaf reporter Connor Westphal is hot on the trail of another scandal in her small Gold Country town for her weekly newspaper. A storage locker full of human ashes has been found near the town of Flat Skunk, California. The ashes were supposed to be scattered at sea by Jasper Coyne, but before anyone can question Jasper, he is found dead near his houseboat. With the scandal impacting Connor’s friend, Del Rey, Connor has an extra motive to investigate. But with Del Rey hiding secrets of her own, will Connor ever figure out what really happened?
This was an inventive mystery that kept me guessing until the end. There were plenty of surprises on the way to the logical climax. Unfortunately, Connor did make some pretty stupid moves as she was investigating, which is a bummer since I like her overall. She leads a strong cast of fun characters. I love how her deafness is worked into the book and how it makes certain scenes even more suspenseful. There are more four letter words than usual in a cozy mystery, so know that going in. The book was first released over 20 years ago, so some of the technology is dated, but keep that in mind as you read it, and you’ll be fine. Overall, this was another fun, confusing mystery. I’m glad I’m finally reading this series.
This was an inventive mystery that kept me guessing until the end. There were plenty of surprises on the way to the logical climax. Unfortunately, Connor did make some pretty stupid moves as she was investigating, which is a bummer since I like her overall. She leads a strong cast of fun characters. I love how her deafness is worked into the book and how it makes certain scenes even more suspenseful. There are more four letter words than usual in a cozy mystery, so know that going in. The book was first released over 20 years ago, so some of the technology is dated, but keep that in mind as you read it, and you’ll be fine. Overall, this was another fun, confusing mystery. I’m glad I’m finally reading this series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Hot Pot Murder in Books
Jun 14, 2023
Shocking Ending to a Festive Meal
Yale Yee and her cousin Celine are celebrating Thanksgiving with a local association of Asian restaurant owners. Since Yale’s father has been a member for years, she knows most of the members, but she’s still surprised at the tensions bubbling beneath the surface at the hot pot celebration. Then the group’s president dies when he goes to plug in an extension cord. The police start looking at it as murder, and Yale can’t help but get involved in trying to figure out what really happened. If it was murder, can she prove it?
I enjoyed meeting Yale and Celine in the first book in this series, and I’m happy to say they were fantastic once again. Not only does their relationship with each other grow, but they also grow individually, which I enjoyed watching. While the suspects could be a tad stronger, it’s a minor point, and I enjoyed spending time with the rest of the returning characters. The mystery is strong with several great twists, and I loved the way the climax played out. While the majority of the action takes place in a fictional neighborhood in L.A., I enjoyed it when we visited some real parts of the city. There are also two recipes at the end of the book. If you are looking for a cozy with a bit of a different setting and strong leads, you need to check out this series.
I enjoyed meeting Yale and Celine in the first book in this series, and I’m happy to say they were fantastic once again. Not only does their relationship with each other grow, but they also grow individually, which I enjoyed watching. While the suspects could be a tad stronger, it’s a minor point, and I enjoyed spending time with the rest of the returning characters. The mystery is strong with several great twists, and I loved the way the climax played out. While the majority of the action takes place in a fictional neighborhood in L.A., I enjoyed it when we visited some real parts of the city. There are also two recipes at the end of the book. If you are looking for a cozy with a bit of a different setting and strong leads, you need to check out this series.
A Thousand Glittering Lights
10.0
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Only she can see him. Ellie is about to release the hotly anticipated sequel to her...
Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Sticky-Fingered Books
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It isn’t every day that you find a body at your kids’ school. Unless you’re Jolie Gentil. Then...
mystery cozy mystery bookbuzz
Immersion Play (Leather and Lattes #1)
9.0
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One bratty boy searching for somewhere to call home, one damaged Daddy Dom looking to escape his...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Irish Soda Bread Murder in Books
Dec 26, 2024 (Updated Dec 26, 2024)
These Loaves of Bread Aren’t Deadly to Your Waistline. They’re Just Deadly
Three cozy mystery authors reunite to again present St. Patrick themed novellas with their characters. Up first, Carlene O’Connor revisits her Home to Ireland characters as Tara gets involved when her aunt’s rival dies from Irish soda bread. Next, Peggy Ehrhart presents a story with her Knits and Nibbles characters when a judge in a contest baking dies after sampling the first loaf of bread. Finally, Liz Ireland takes Mrs. Claus and three of the elves from Santaland to Oregon when April goes to investigate a leak in her inn only to get involved in some shady things going on with her caretaker.
All three stories are entertaining. I read this anthology for the Mrs. Claus story, but I felt right at home with the characters from the first two as well, so if you haven’t met any of them yet, you can easily use this to sample the authors. Given that these are novellas, I felt the authors all did a good job of bringing the characters to life, although I did feel the pacing could have been stronger. Still, I enjoyed all the stories and the twists we did get. I even laughed at that final story multiple times. If you pick up this book now or wait until March to read it, you’ll find yourself enjoying it.
All three stories are entertaining. I read this anthology for the Mrs. Claus story, but I felt right at home with the characters from the first two as well, so if you haven’t met any of them yet, you can easily use this to sample the authors. Given that these are novellas, I felt the authors all did a good job of bringing the characters to life, although I did feel the pacing could have been stronger. Still, I enjoyed all the stories and the twists we did get. I even laughed at that final story multiple times. If you pick up this book now or wait until March to read it, you’ll find yourself enjoying it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Murder on Devil’s Pond in Books
Jul 11, 2024
Murder of the Town Recluse
Hannah Solace has returned to her small town in Vermont to help her sister run a B&B. The only person she’s really reconnect with is Ezra Grayson, the town’s eighty-year-old recluse that most people want to see sell the house he’s lived in most of his life. Then Hannah finds his dead body on the pond that borders the B&B. When she finds herself on the suspect list, Hannah begins to investigate. Is his death related to a secret from the past? Or was one of his heirs, who are staying at the B&B, too impatient to inherit?
I’ll admit, it took me a couple of chapters to fully get pulled into this new world, but once it did, I was fully hooked. The mystery is complex with a variety of motives. I figured one thing out early, but the rest, including the killer, kept me guessing. The characters, including the suspects, grew more complex as I read as well. There are some relationships I’m looking forward to seeing explored further as the series goes along. The environmental themes are well done, and the recipe at the end sounds delicious. This book is a little more on the serious side for a cozy mystery, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. If you are looking for a new series you can dig into, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
I’ll admit, it took me a couple of chapters to fully get pulled into this new world, but once it did, I was fully hooked. The mystery is complex with a variety of motives. I figured one thing out early, but the rest, including the killer, kept me guessing. The characters, including the suspects, grew more complex as I read as well. There are some relationships I’m looking forward to seeing explored further as the series goes along. The environmental themes are well done, and the recipe at the end sounds delicious. This book is a little more on the serious side for a cozy mystery, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. If you are looking for a new series you can dig into, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Til Death in Books
Oct 17, 2024 (Updated Oct 17, 2024)
Will Death Keep Zoe and Pete from Their Wedding?
With two weeks until their wedding, Zoe Chambers and Pete Adams are trying to juggle final prep with some puzzling cases. In Zoe’s case, it’s a friend from high school who died under mysterious circumstances with no clues after the autopsy. Meanwhile, Pete is reopening a case he solved nine years ago. A man was convicted of killing his wife, but the conviction has been overturned. Pete got it right the first time, didn’t he?
If you are new to the series, I don’t recommend you start here. Aside from the spoilers for the previous book (and they can’t be avoided), you also get some conclusions for several ongoing story arcs. However, fans will be hooked from the beginning. Zoe, Pete, and the gang are as fantastic as always, and I appreciated the growth we got. There is a lot going on here, so I never wanted to put the book down, but the mystery is always front and center and comes to a logical conclusion. Since these are police procedural, there’s a little more language and violence than in a cozy, but they are kept to a minimum. A couple of threads are left for the next book, so I can’t wait to see where things go for our characters next. Fans will delight with this book. If that isn’t you yet, fix that today.
If you are new to the series, I don’t recommend you start here. Aside from the spoilers for the previous book (and they can’t be avoided), you also get some conclusions for several ongoing story arcs. However, fans will be hooked from the beginning. Zoe, Pete, and the gang are as fantastic as always, and I appreciated the growth we got. There is a lot going on here, so I never wanted to put the book down, but the mystery is always front and center and comes to a logical conclusion. Since these are police procedural, there’s a little more language and violence than in a cozy, but they are kept to a minimum. A couple of threads are left for the next book, so I can’t wait to see where things go for our characters next. Fans will delight with this book. If that isn’t you yet, fix that today.
