Needled to Death by Annelise Ryan

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am discussing "Needled to Death" by Annelise Ryan the first in  "A Helping Hands Mystery Series".  This is a new to me author and I found it to be a good beginning to a new series.

Print Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Kensington Books (July 30 2019)

As a colleague of deputy coroner Mattie Winston, social worker Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider is no stranger to unsolved murders at Sorenson General Hospital. Except this time, it’s up to her to crack the case . . . 

Motivated by her own difficult past, Hildy has an unparalleled commitment to supporting troubled clients through grief and addiction in Sorenson, Wisconsin. But when a distraught group therapy member reveals disturbing details about her late son’s potential murder, Hildy goes from dedicated mental health professional to in-over-her-head amateur sleuth . . .

Alongside her loyal therapy Golden Retriever, Hildy stumbles through incriminating clues—and an unlikely partnership with Detective Bob Richmond, the irresistibly headstrong cop who shares her passion for helping others. With signs of foul play surfacing all over town, can Hildy and Detective Richmond pinpoint the deadly traits of a sharp-witted killer before another seat gets filled at grief therapy?

Annelise Ryan is the pseudonym for the author of the Mattie Winston Mysteries written as Allyson K. Abbott and this is a spin off featuring one of its characters social worker Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider.  I enjoyed this book and the setting of  Sorenson, Wisconsin.

Protagonist Hildy is a complicated, messed up but loyal, and likable character and her sidekick Roscoe a golden retriever therapy dog is adorable.

There are plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting to find out whodunit.  I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

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A Whisker in the Dark (The Oyster Cove Guesthouse Book 2) Leighann Dobbs

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am discussing "A Whisker in the Dark"  the second installment in the "The Oyster Cove Guesthouse Mystery Series" by Leighann  Dobbs  is quickly becoming one of my favourite series!

Print Length: 223 pages

Publisher: Bookouture (July 31 2019)

Discovering the 300-year-old skeleton of shipping tycoon Jedediah Biddeford in the ballroom wall is a big old hassle for Josie Waters, owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse. Especially when Biddeford’s descendants turn up, certain that a family legend about treasure buried nearby must be true.

Josie is too busy dreaming up the perfect cake for the Oyster Cove’s 250th anniversary celebration to worry about the Biddeford family – plus half the town – digging up her yard... until one of her guests is murdered in the guesthouse garden. 

With worries that her guesthouse will get a reputation for being the kind of place you only leave in a body bag, Josie must put her detective skills to work to find the killer. Lucky for her, Nero and Marlowe and their gang of cat sleuths are also on the case. 

From the old wharf, to the town common, to the guesthouse itself with its many nooks and crannies, the cats are sure to sniff out the killer… but can they help Josie stop the person behind the mysterious murder before they strike again?

The protagonist Josie is a likable, fun main character, with quirky supporting characters her mother Rose, her BFF Millie (prior owner of guesthouse) the cats Nero and Marlowe. I enjoyed this installment and was drawn in from the get go.  I love cats and ones that help solve the murder and you know their conversations who wouldn’t love that.

The mystery was well written with plenty of twists and turns and had a steady pace. I didn’t figure out whodunit until it was revealed at the end.  Also by the end you could sense a few of the characters have a crush on Josie...

I enjoyed this book and recommend to my friends and any fan of Leighann Dobbs.

I requested and received an advanced reader copy from Bookouture and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

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Killer in the Carriage House Sheila Connolly

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am discussing  "Killer in the Carriage House" A Victorian Village Mystery by Sheila Connolly.

Print Length: 278 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (July 9 2019)

The second book in the Victorian Village Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly! 

After fifteen years away, Kate Hamilton never expected to end up back in her hometown of Asheboro, Maryland full time. And she definitely didn’t expect to be leading the charge of recreating the town as a Victorian village and tourist attraction. But as unexpected as the circumstances are, Kate is ready to tackle them.

The town, on the other hand, is going to take some convincing. Ever since Henry Barton’s shovel factory closed down, it’s started to seem like there are more tumbleweeds than tourists rolling down Main Street. Kate’s ideas are good, but ambitious—and her friends and neighbors are worried that finding the money for them would push the town even further into debt.

Luckily, Kate and the handsome historian Joshua Wainwright are two very determined people who may have come up with a solution. The Barton mansion, meant to be the centerpiece of the Victorian village, has proven to be a veritable goldmine of documents about the town’s nineteenth-century history, and Kate is convinced the papers hide something of value. When a dead body turns up in the town library—mere hours before the documents were meant to arrive there themselves—Kate begins to worry that the papers spell danger instead of dollars. It seems that someone doesn’t want these forgotten secrets coming to light, and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep Kate quiet…

Sheila Connolly’s Killer in the Carriage House is the second book in the Victorian Village Mysteries. I had not read the first book but had no problems following along.  I do plan on reading the first one.

The characters are well developed, and the protagonist Kate and her friends are likeable. The setting of a small historic Victorian town is detailed and I could picture it in my mind. 

As another reviewer stated you know the murder will be solved but the fascinating mystery in this series is one that continues to be open ended: will Asheboro be able to pull off transformation into an authentic Victorian Village.  I love the history in Connolly's books and this is no different.

I had only read one other Sheila Connolly’s Mystery and it definitely made me a fan!  I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves mysteries.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

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A Thread of Darkness by Sally Goldenbaum

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "A Thread of Darkness" by Sally Goldenbaum the second book in the "Queen Bees Quilt Shop Mystery" series.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have read and purchased the previous book.

Length: 166 pages

Publisher: Lyrical Press (July 2 2019)

As owners of the popular bistro The French Quarter, former New York City restaurateurs Picasso and Laurel St. Pierre are the toast of the town of Crestwood, Kansas. Chef Picasso’s culinary creations delight the women of the quilting club, who have embraced him as a friend. But Laurel’s anti-social behavior confuses Kate Simpson—until she spots Mrs. St. Pierre with another man in what appears to be a lover’s spat. 

Gossip travels fast in a small town like Crestwood, and rumor has it this isn’t Laurel’s first indiscretion. She also filed a police report accusing Picasso of domestic abuse. And when Laurel’s murdered body is found Picasso is the prime suspect. To prove their friend’s innocence, Kate and the Crestwood Quilters must uncover the secrets of Laurel’s past—a patchwork history wrapped up in Kate’s own teenage years . . .

As I have said many a time I love a mystery that has a crafty theme!  "A Thread of Darkness " is the second instalment  in the Queen Bees Quilt Shop Mystery series by Sally Goldenbaum. This Is the 2nd book by this author I have read and I enjoyed it more than the first.

The  mystery is interesting and I loved the characters which are well developed. The Queen Bees are a mixed group of eight women of different ages and lives who gather together at a local quilt shop to work on quilting projects.

The plot and story were good and seemed to flow at a good pace. There are just enough twists and turns, to keep you guessing and second-guessing on whodunnit.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Lyrical Underground and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

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"Muffin But Trouble" by Victoria Hamilton.

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am discussing "Muffin But Trouble" A Merry Muffin Mystery, Book 6 by Victoria Hamilton.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!
   

Print Length: 353 pages
Publisher: Beyond the Page (July 2 2019)

In the new Merry Muffin Mystery from the author of Muffin to Fear, baker Merry Wynter must confront a spiritual guru who may be up to something far from heavenly . . .

With plans for a new performing arts center at Wynter Castle taking up all her time, baker Merry Wynter has been all but unaware of the fringe group compound near her small town—until a street preacher accosts her with taunts of doom and damnation. Worried that some of her close friends may have been lured in by the group and its charismatic leader, Merry begins digging into the ministry—and soon suspects they may have ties to the recent death of a young woman and the disappearance of many others.

With her rebellious teen friend Lizzie at her side, Merry steps in to confront the eerily submissive community and its misguided members, skeptical of their supposed spiritual leanings. When another young woman vanishes and Merry realizes the lives of people close to her are at stake, she will stop at nothing to uncover the group’s sinister secrets before the murderous ministry can strike again . . .

Includes tasty baking recipes!

Even though this is the first book I have read in the series I was able to follow along easily so it can be read as a stand alone.  I really enjoyed it and practically read in one sitting and have since purchased the other books in the series.

The Protagonist Merry Wynter is a strong, and independent and I especially love Lizzie who is feisty  as all get out.   The characters are well rounded and seem real as I could relate to each of them.

There were enough twists to keep me intrigued and wanting to know how it ends. The plot and story were good and seemed to flow at a good pace. This has been added to my favourite series pile, I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a cozy filled with warm, diverse characters and a small town atmosphere.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

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Peach Clobbered by Anna Gerard

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Peace Clobbered" is the first book in the new "Georgia B&B Mystery" series by Anna Gerard. It is a great beginning to a new series. 

Print Length: 262 pages

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (July 9 2019)

What’s black and white and dead all over? Georgia bed and breakfast proprietor Nina Fleet finds out when she comes across a corpse in a penguin costume.

Nina Fleet’s life ought to be as sweet as a Georgia peach. Awarded a tidy sum in her divorce, Nina retired at 41 to a historic Queen Anne house in quaint Cymbeline, GA. But Nina’s barely settled into her new B&B-to-be when a penguin shows up on her porch. Or, at least, a man wearing a penguin suit.

Harry Westcott is making ends meet as an ice cream shop’s mascot and has a letter from his great-aunt, pledging to leave him the house. Too bad that’s not what her will says. Meanwhile, the Sisters of Perpetual Poverty have lost their lease. Real estate developer Gregory Bainbridge intends to turn the convent into a golfing community, so Cymbeline’s mayor persuades Nina to take in the elderly nuns. And then Nina finds the “penguin” again, this time lying in an alley with a kitchen knife in his chest.

A peek under the beak tells Nina it’s not Harry inside the costume, but Bainbridge. What was he doing in Harry’s penguin suit? Was the developer really the intended victim, or did the culprit mean to kill Harry? Whoever is out to stop Harry from contesting the sale of his great-aunt’s house may also be after Nina, so she teams up with him to cage the killer before someone clips her wings in Peach Clobbered, Anna Gerard’s charming first Georgia B&B mystery.

I really enjoyed this book and the setting of Cymbeline, GA .  I always like a small town setting where almost everyone knows one another.  Makes for fun and often quirky characters 

The Protagonist Nina and her furbaby named Matilda, "Mattie", the Australian shepherd dog are likeable.  Add a Penguin and some Nuns and whats not to like.  

The story was well paced,  I found I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know who the killer was. The description of the setting,  the Queen Anne house and the shops drew me in. The ending was unexpected although I had sort of figured out whodunit around the same time as Nina. 

Highly recommended. A wonderful first book from an author I will definitely follow in the future.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

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