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Puzzling Ink
Puzzling Ink
Becky Clark | 2020 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Using Crossword Puzzles to Catch a Killer
Quinn Carr has had to return home and take a job at the local diner. If only her passion, creating the crossword puzzles for her local paper, paid her more. One night as Quinn is closing down the diner, she finds the last patron slumped over dead in the corner booth. When the police determine he was murdered, they arrest Jake, the diner’s owner. Now Quinn has to keep the restaurant running while also figuring out a way to clear her boss. Can she do it?

This book sets the stage for a fun new mystery series. Quinn is a bit unusual in that she has recently been diagnosed with OCD, something we don’t usually see in the books I read. It was handled well. I also loved Quinn’s relationship with her parents. The mystery got sidelined at times with Quinn trying to run the diner. I was interested in both stories, but I do prefer strong mysteries in the books I read. There is a good mystery here, with plenty of suspects and motives. A few key pieces of information were introduced a bit abruptly, and one key element of the plot was never quite resolved, but the majority of our questions are answered, including the who and the why. Fans of crossword puzzles will enjoy the one that Quinn creates over the course of the book. Additionally, there are two fun sounding recipes at the end of the book.
  
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    Perfect Skin Tips Natural

    Health & Fitness and Lifestyle

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    Here are the best ways to have perfect skin To achieve a smooth, uniform skin without imperfections...

    Poster Maker

    Poster Maker

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    'Poster Maker' allows you to create promotional posters, advertisement banners, offer announcements,...

Killer Chardonnay
Killer Chardonnay
Kate Lansing | 2020 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Poisoned Opening
Parker Valentine’s dream is coming true today with the opening of Vino Valentine in her hometown of Boulder, Colorado. However, her joy turns to worry when renowned local food and wine blogger Gaskel Brown shows up. He is notoriously hard to please, and his blog can make or break local restaurants. After sampling her chardonnay, Gaskel dies, and the police are quick to label it poison. Everyone is blaming Parker for the crime, and no one is coming to her store for fear they will be next. In order to save her dream, she has to find the killer. Can she do it?

Since I don’t drink wine, I almost passed on this debut, but I’m glad I picked it up. The book starts quickly, introducing us to characters while also setting the murder in motion. The pace continues to be strong with plenty of secrets and motives before we reach the climax, where everything fell into place. All the characters were also fantastic, with some good growth thanks to the subplots. The book is written in first person present tense, which is a bit unusual, but I quickly got used to it as I read. There are a handful of four-letter words, but they are worth noting mostly in passing. If the food descriptions make your mouth water, you’ll welcome the three recipes and wine pairings at the end. This book was aged to perfection, and I’m already looking forward to Parker’s next case.
  
Hollyberry Homicide
Hollyberry Homicide
Sharon Farrow | 2020 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Will Marlee Make it on Stage as a Ghost?
Marlee Jacobs is looking forward to celebrating Christmas, but before she can get there, she has a few things on her plate. In addition to the usual decorating and present buying, there’s the town hollyberry festival. Plus, she’s taking over the role of Jacob Marley in the town’s annual adaptation of A Christmas Carol at the last minute. The actor who normally plays the part died unexpectedly. Well, maybe not quite so unexpectedly since he was ninety-five. While everyone is certain it was natural causes, something feels off to Marlee. Couple that with the rumors that the play is cursed, and Marlee will have to find time to add sleuthing to her December schedule. What will she uncover?

As you might have guessed, this book’s plot unfolds a little differently from the typical cozy mystery, and I loved it all the more for that fact. Don’t worry, there is always something happening to keep your attention, and I loved how Marlee unraveled everything in the end. The characters in this series are charming, and that’s the case here once again. We get plenty of Christmas spirit in the pages of this book, which is a must for a Christmas entry in a series. Rounding out the book, we get three berry inspired recipes at the end. When you are making a list of Christmas cozies to read this December, make sure this book is on it. No need to check it twice, you’ll definitely enjoy it.
  
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    FamilyFun Magazine

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    Cheese Cheese

    Cheese Cheese

    Food & Drink and Lifestyle

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    With this iPhone application, You will discover tons of photos, videos, recipes, library and other...