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In Youth Is Pleasure
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A tender and fierce account of boyhood and nascent homosexual desire First published in 1945, In...
Homestay.com
Travel and Lifestyle
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Homestay.com offers a unique kind of travel experience. Homestay accommodation is about more than...
Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge
10.0
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Freelance writer Jaine Austen is feeling festive about spending Christmas house-sitting at a posh...
Summerland
6.0
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'A great beach read' - Every Little Thing She Does Book Blog On the night of high school...
Halloween Party Murder
Barbara Ross, Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis
8.0
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Small town traditions are celebrated throughout Maine during the holiday season. But when it comes...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2568 KP) rated Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide in Books
Sep 29, 2021 (Updated Sep 29, 2021)
Introducing Halloween Has Consequences
April Claus is beginning her second year as the North Pole’s new Mrs. Claus, and she’s decided it would be fun to introduce Halloween to the residents of Santaland. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board, as evidenced by the threatening messages someone is leaving and the attack on the pumpkins one of the elves is growing. However, when things escalate to murder, April takes matters into her own hands to try to figure out what is going on. Can she keep the holiday from being ruined for everyone?
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so I was anxious to return to the world that author Liz Ireland is creating. This book was fabulous as well. The murder takes place a little later in the story, but there is plenty going on to keep us entertained, and it only gets stronger as it goes along. The climax is wonderful. I did think there was a timeline issue at one point, but I think the fault is just a scene that is written unclearly. The little details of the world are guaranteed to make you smile; I just love them! While not all the characters are human, they are all completely real and we come to care for them quickly, which is key to getting us to believe in this world. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a dash of fantasy, you’ll love this book.
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so I was anxious to return to the world that author Liz Ireland is creating. This book was fabulous as well. The murder takes place a little later in the story, but there is plenty going on to keep us entertained, and it only gets stronger as it goes along. The climax is wonderful. I did think there was a timeline issue at one point, but I think the fault is just a scene that is written unclearly. The little details of the world are guaranteed to make you smile; I just love them! While not all the characters are human, they are all completely real and we come to care for them quickly, which is key to getting us to believe in this world. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a dash of fantasy, you’ll love this book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2568 KP) rated Wreathing Havoc in Books
Sep 29, 2021 (Updated Sep 29, 2021)
The Drama of Theater
Thanksgiving week has opened on a somber note since it starts with the funeral for Leon Tompkin, the owner of the local theater. Lilly Jayne and the rest of the Garden Squad aren’t the only ones in town mourning his passing, and it even brings some of the people who used to work with Leon at the theater back to town. When one of the visitors is murdered, Lilly can’t help but wonder if Leon’s death was from natural causes. If it wasn’t, are the two deaths connected?
Thanksgiving isn’t usually a setting for fall themed cozy mysteries, but I enjoyed seeing this book starting with November’s holiday, although we do get a few early Christmas activities as the book goes along. The mystery takes a little while to set down roots before it starts to fully grow, but once it does, we wind up with a wonderful mystery. I love how everything came together. Lilly and the rest of her friends in the Garden Squad are as delightful as always, and the new characters are equally likeable, making it hard for me to pick out the killer. Late autumn isn’t the best time for gardening, but we still get a bit of that and a few gardening tips over the course of the book. This is an entry that fans of the series will be thankful for.
Thanksgiving isn’t usually a setting for fall themed cozy mysteries, but I enjoyed seeing this book starting with November’s holiday, although we do get a few early Christmas activities as the book goes along. The mystery takes a little while to set down roots before it starts to fully grow, but once it does, we wind up with a wonderful mystery. I love how everything came together. Lilly and the rest of her friends in the Garden Squad are as delightful as always, and the new characters are equally likeable, making it hard for me to pick out the killer. Late autumn isn’t the best time for gardening, but we still get a bit of that and a few gardening tips over the course of the book. This is an entry that fans of the series will be thankful for.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2568 KP) rated Home for the Homicides in Books
Dec 18, 2025
Who is the Christmas Grinch?
It’s the middle of December, and New Oslo has been subjected to some pranks in the last few days, but things are about to escalate. First, Tessa Treslow and her aunt Edna find a man who was car jacked and left on the side of the road. Then, various businesses in town are being vandalized. But when a murder victim is found at the sight of a fire, Tessa really steps up her sleuthing. Can she figure out who is responsible before things take a second deadly turn?
It was great to visit the characters during the Christmas season. I loved how the season was incorporated into the plot. Due to the nature of the crimes, it takes a while to zero in on definite suspects or motives, but the book always feels like it is moving forward. Having said that, the ending isn’t as definitive as I normally like, but it worked in this case. I struggled with some character ages (feel like we should have had an additional generation in there). On the other hand, we got to meet more of Tessa’s family, and I really loved spending time with them. They all felt real. And I enjoyed catching up with our friends in town as well. Fans will enjoy this holiday offering. And if you haven’t found this fun series yet, I recommend you fix that today.
It was great to visit the characters during the Christmas season. I loved how the season was incorporated into the plot. Due to the nature of the crimes, it takes a while to zero in on definite suspects or motives, but the book always feels like it is moving forward. Having said that, the ending isn’t as definitive as I normally like, but it worked in this case. I struggled with some character ages (feel like we should have had an additional generation in there). On the other hand, we got to meet more of Tessa’s family, and I really loved spending time with them. They all felt real. And I enjoyed catching up with our friends in town as well. Fans will enjoy this holiday offering. And if you haven’t found this fun series yet, I recommend you fix that today.
Lindsay (1812 KP) rated It's Time for Halloween in Books
Mar 2, 2026
It's Time for Halloween is a decent book. I enjoyed it. This book is for babies to three-year-olds. However, I do love children's books and reviewing them. All children's books will be passed along to newborns or new parents to enjoy.
I do this with most of my board books. However, I do hold on to them for a bit or for special occasions. I read this book in a few minutes, and I really enjoyed it. The layered view as you turn the pages is a neat idea I haven't seen in a board book. I also enjoyed that one of the critters could be seen from the beginning to the end of the book.
The pictures tell the story, and you find different things on each page. Children and little ones can count for pumpkins or who has what costumes. It's all fun and learning for the little ones. There is rhyming going on throughout the book as well.
I really liked the fact that each page has you do a little bit of something different. Your child or children can count or make it so that if the child wants to learn the sounds of the different animals in the book. You can do that with this. This book is for babies to toddlers. It's great for the Fall / Autumn season or for the seasonal holiday of Halloween, which some call it.
I do this with most of my board books. However, I do hold on to them for a bit or for special occasions. I read this book in a few minutes, and I really enjoyed it. The layered view as you turn the pages is a neat idea I haven't seen in a board book. I also enjoyed that one of the critters could be seen from the beginning to the end of the book.
The pictures tell the story, and you find different things on each page. Children and little ones can count for pumpkins or who has what costumes. It's all fun and learning for the little ones. There is rhyming going on throughout the book as well.
I really liked the fact that each page has you do a little bit of something different. Your child or children can count or make it so that if the child wants to learn the sounds of the different animals in the book. You can do that with this. This book is for babies to toddlers. It's great for the Fall / Autumn season or for the seasonal holiday of Halloween, which some call it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2568 KP) rated Frosted Yuletide Murder in Books
Dec 19, 2021
Delectable Christmas Fun
Emory Martinez and her twin sister Carrie are not happy to discover that their mystery client for a Christmas party is Blair, an old high school nemesis. As the evening progresses, Blair continues with her abuse of Carrie, but she gets into fights with others at the party as well. When Emory and Carrie return to the location of the party the next morning, they find Blair’s dead body. The rumors and evidence seem to be pointing to the sisters. Can Emory figure out what happened before either of them spends the holiday in jail?
Before we go any further, I do want to issue a warning – this book spoils some events in the lives of the characters from previous books in the series. If you aren’t up to date, don’t start here. As a Southern California resident, I enjoyed this book’s setting since its depiction of weather in December made me feel right at home. The plot is filled with events that kept me engaged. I did feel the climax was a bit weak, but overall, I still enjoyed the book. One reason is the characters. Yes, the suspects are strong, but I’m talking the series regulars. I love getting to spend time with all of them, and fans of the series will be interested in seeing the latest developments in Emory’s life. You’ll want to work this Christmas cozy into your reading schedule as soon as you can.
Before we go any further, I do want to issue a warning – this book spoils some events in the lives of the characters from previous books in the series. If you aren’t up to date, don’t start here. As a Southern California resident, I enjoyed this book’s setting since its depiction of weather in December made me feel right at home. The plot is filled with events that kept me engaged. I did feel the climax was a bit weak, but overall, I still enjoyed the book. One reason is the characters. Yes, the suspects are strong, but I’m talking the series regulars. I love getting to spend time with all of them, and fans of the series will be interested in seeing the latest developments in Emory’s life. You’ll want to work this Christmas cozy into your reading schedule as soon as you can.