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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Pink Lemonade Cake Murder in Books

Sep 5, 2023  
Pink Lemonade Cake Murder
Pink Lemonade Cake Murder
Joanne Fluke | 2023 | Mystery
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Three Strikes, You’re Dead
Summer has come to Lake Eden, and Hannah is excited to be hosting the snack booth at the baseball tournament in Lake Eden, debuting her new pink lemonade themed desserts. One of the celebrity participants is Bernie “No-No” Fulton, a local who pitch part of a season for the Twins. But when Hannah’s mother finds No-No’s body under the bleachers, Hannah has a new mystery to solve. After all, Delores had a reason to dislike the man, so Hannah’s mother is a suspect. Can Hannah figure out who wanted him out permanently?

Once again, fans of the series will know what to expect. The mystery is decent, but the story is padded with lots of talk about food, even for a culinary cozy. And the sub-plot involving Mike slows down the beginning of the story. I also had a hard time buying how the police deal with Hannah’s sleuthing in this book. And yet, I still do like checking in on the characters, and the recipes sound delicious as always. The cliffhanger makes it obvious we are back in the soap opera territory I had hoped we’d left behind. If you are curious about the series, start with the early books to see why so many people read it.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Muddled Matrimonial Murder in Books

Jun 14, 2023  
Muddled Matrimonial Murder
Muddled Matrimonial Murder
Kim Davis | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Dead Stalker
Not only is Thanksgiving approaching, and with it lots of orders for cupcakes that caterer Emory Martinez must fulfill, but she’s also working on the wedding of her best friend, Brad, to Gabe. The road to the wedding is going to be rocky, however, as Gabe seems to be having the worst case of cold feet imaginable. Then Brad and Emory find the body of a woman at the wedding venue. The victim is Brad’s stalker, whom he hasn’t seen in years and didn’t even know was in the area. With the police looking at the grooms as the prime suspects, Emory must add finding a killer to her to do list.

I’d kind of forgotten about Brad’s stalker until she became the focus of this storyline. The plot was great since Emory, despite what she uncovers, keeps coming back to the grooms as the best suspects. Yet when we reach the suspenseful climax, things make perfect sense. There are some interesting developments that fans of the series will enjoy. And yes, I do recommend reading this series in order. That’s fine since the characters are so charming, and I enjoyed spending time with them again here. There are another dozen recipes, including some twists on Thanksgiving favorites and lots featuring cranberries. If you are looking for a fun cozy, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated The Kill of It All in Books

Jan 18, 2024  
The Kill of It All
The Kill of It All
Diane Vallere | 2022 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Filming a Commercial is Killer
Madison Night has recently shot a commercial to drum up customers for her recently reopened business. But she regrets it when she gets talked into filming a public service commercial for the local police department. Madison is replacing an actress who wasn’t working out, but she doesn’t expect to find the woman dead behind the building where they are supposed to film. Suddenly, the crew are looking like suspects. Can Madison figure out who committed the crime?

I let a little more time than normal go between visits with Madison, but it was wonderful to be back in her presence. The story starts quickly and doesn’t let up, with several great surprises on the way to the logical climax. The characters, both returning and new, are as strong as always, and I enjoyed seeing Madison grow a bit more here. Fans of Doris Day movies will recognize the setup from one of them, but that movie wasn’t a murder mystery. There are plenty of great surprises along the way (and another couple of fun homages). Unfortunately, there are still a few things that I wish had been caught in an edit, but they are minor irritants. If you are looking for a fun mystery, be sure to pick up this series.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated DM Me for Murder in Books

Feb 15, 2024  
DM Me for Murder
DM Me for Murder
Sarah E. Burr | 2024 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mega-Influencer’s Murder Leads to Mega Trouble
Murder is the farthest thing from Coco Cline’s mind that Monday morning. Instead, she is thrilled that mega-influencer LaTage wants to use Coco’s company, Center of Attention Consulting, to launch her rebranding. Then Coco arrives at their meeting to find LaTage dead. With the police asking Coco for help understanding the online world that LaTage inhabited, she can’t help but dig just a little deeper. Will she be able to uncover a clue that will lead to the killer?

I was really looking forward to this book, and it didn’t disappoint. Coco and her friends are in top form, and I loved watching their relationships develop. The plot was fantastic with a couple of great twists and many suspects that Coco had to sort through to reach the logical solution. If you’re looking for a warm beach getaway, the setting with definitely appeal to you as well. I love seeing cozy mysteries expanding their themes. However, if you aren’t super into social media, you’ll still understand everything that happens here, and there’s plenty of talking to suspects face to face. Fans will be delighted with this book. If you want a fun, modern cozy, you’ll be glad this series trended to the top of your to be read pile.