Hot Cross Guns By Chelsea Thomas

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “Hot across Guns” book 14 in the ”Apple Orchard Cozy Mystery” series by Chelsea Thomas. I love spending time in Pine Grove, NY. with Miss May, Chelsea and Teeny!

Murder ruins everything.

It’s the start of fall in Pine Grove, which means the leaves are vibrant, the coffee is warm, and the days are crisp and cool. Autum really is the best season in upstate New York.

But bottle blonde Teeny has her 65th birthday coming up, and for her, that's ruining all the good stuff about fall. Teeny HATES her birthday, and she doesn't want anyone to know hold old she is. 

But then one of Teeny’s many evil exes turns up in town — with an enormous birthday float — and makes a big deal of Teeny's upcoming birthday in front of everyone in town.

The nerve of this guy!

Teeny is furious, of course, and she dresses the guy down in front of half the town. But then the evil ex turns up dead at a hot new local bakery, and Chief Flanagan identifies TEENY as the top suspect in the murder... 

It’s up to Chelsea and Miss May to solve the murder. Because if they don’t catch the real killer soon, Teeny is going to have to spend her birthday alone, in JAIL. No one wants that. 

I enjoyed this story but I did not like how they seemed to have no regard for the actual police.  It kind of turned me off a bit like the characters were getting to cocky. 

I like how Chelsea and Wayne are finally dating and can’t wait to see their journey.  Teeny is still a hoot, You never know what she will come up with or say next. 

The mystery has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I continue to enjoy this cozy mystery series. I find them to be entertaining and the plot moves at a steady pace that keeps you engaged. 

I can’t wait for the next instalment and it could be our last!

I highly recommend this book/series. It can easily stand alone but I recommend you read the series from the beginning.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Please join the conversation and comment below.  Have you read… If so what did you think/like

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A Perfect Bind by Dorothy St. James

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "A Perfect Bind " the 2nd instalment in the "A Beloved Bookroom" Mystery series by Dorothy St. James . What a great follow up to book one, I just loved it!

Librarian Tru Beckett, ardent defender of the printed word, is about to find out that keeping murder checked out of her beloved library is much harder than she thought...

Tru Beckett succeeded in building a secret book room in her now bookless library, where book lovers from lovely Cypress, South Carolina, can rejoice in the printed word. Now she's working hard to maintain the little library downstairs while keeping her "real job" upstairs in the bookless technology center. The last thing she needs is a mysterious vandal who seems intent on breaking into her secret book-filled sanctuary and creating chaos. The nasty interloper doesn't steal anything, but brutalizes the books, damaging them and knocking them off shelves.

A patron of the secret book room tells Tru that there have been creepy goings-on at the library for years, especially in the basement where the secret book room is located. He's heard rumors of a poltergeist that haunts the library, determined to scare off readers. Tru is certain it's hogwash, but she's at a loss to think of who might be vandalizing the beautiful books she fought so hard to protect. And when a dead body shows up right behind the library, Tru is certain that it's not a ghost but a cold-blooded killer that she and her trusty tabby Dewey Decimal will need to uncover.

I really enjoyed this story, throw in some local history from during prohibition, murder and Dewey the cat.  What’s not to like! 

The mystery moved at a good pace, was interesting and I thought well plotted. I love the characters living in Cypress South Carolina especially Tru and BFF Tori Green and mysterious bestselling author Flossie Finnegan-Baker.  Even stern Mrs Farnsworth is growing on me, as well as Annie! 

Overall I found it to be a very entertaining read and I’m looking forward to book three to find out what happens between Tru and her Detective as well as Dewey and the bookroom.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. 

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Berkley 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.

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Reading Between the Crimes by Kate Young

Hello my cozy friends, 

Today I am reviewing “Reading Between the Crimes” by Kate Young this is the 2nd instalment in the "A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery" series. OMG! I really enjoyed this story and think I liked even better than book one!  This has become one of my favourite series!

What better time than Halloween to dig into a bracing discussion of a diabolical murder mystery? And what better choice for the Jane Doe Book Club than Agatha Christie's Crooked House? Lyla Moody and her friends are soon embroiled in debate over whether the heroine's actions are particularly believable. But not long after the meeting, sleepy Sweet Mountain, Georgia, is rocked by a murder that uncannily echoes the novel in question.

When Lyla and her grandmother arrive at the charity event that Lyla's mother is hosting, they barely have time to hang up their fall jackets before they stumble upon a body in the library. Leonard Richardson, it seems, was robbed and then hit over the head with a brass candlestick--which throws suspicion on Harper Richardson, his young widow and a friend of the Jane Does.

Lyla and the rest of the Jane Does pool their prodigious intellects to clear Harper's name. Peculiarly, all of the clues seem to have been lifted directly from the plot of Crooked House. But as Lyla probes the pages of Christie's classic whodunnit for hints on catching the killer, she uncovers secrets from her mother's past--secrets that suggest that Lyla's own house may be crooked as well.

I found myself engrossed in the story and wanting to read in one sitting. It was suspenseful, and had me on the edge of my seat. It was still a cozy but had elements of a thriller/suspense novel that you don’t normally find in cozies, but with that said it had just the right mixture of everything.

I totally love the Jane Doe Book Club and I wish I could have a club like that here at home. I liked how Lyla, Mel and Amelia have each other’s backs and I love the budding relationship with Brad and Lyla.

This go around we are more focused on Harper and the murder of her husband as well as the secrets Lylas mum has been keeping. The mystery was interesting, well plotted, and full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I am so looking forward to seeing more in this series as well as in Kate’s other series the “Marygene Brown Mysteries”

I highly recommend this series to all my mystery loving friends.

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

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A Midsummer Knight’s Scream by Nova Nelson

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Midsummer Knight’s Scream" by Nova Nelson the 3rd instalment in the Paranormal Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries. 

First she fell from Heaven. Now she’s accused of murder. What the halo?

Fallen angel Olivia Swift still hasn’t come to terms with the wrongful accusation that got her kicked out of Heaven and stuck in this never ending Renaissance Faire. As she spends her days jousting as the Autumn Knight, the centuries bleed together. But when a routine tilt turns into murder with a packed arena bearing witness, this angel’s endless time in the Kingdom of Elbion could be cut short.

With the help of a criminally minded dove and a chivalrous fellow knight, Olivia has until that night’s Midsummer Feast to exonerate herself by finding the one who framed her. However, that’s easier said than done in a realm with so many spells, secrets, and grudges...

Will this knight complete her quest before the king and queen lop off her heavenly head?

A Midsummer Knight’s Scream is the third book in the humorous paranormal cozy series, Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries. If you like snarky animals, bold heroines, and loyal friendships, then you’ll love Nova Nelson’s enchanting whodunit.

I really hope this isn’t the last book in this series as I’m really enjoying it. The characters are vivid and lively, I even like the mischievous talking dove Pac.  

There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing on who the culprit was. Overall this was a great paranormal cozy and I hope there will be plenty more to come.

I highly recommend this series to all my friends.

I received a free copy of this book via Bookfunnel and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!

I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers. 

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Railroaded 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Railroaded 4 Murder" the 8th instalment in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series by J.C. Eaton. 

While planning her wedding, Sophie "Phee" Kimball gets sidetracked by the murder of a model train enthusiast...

Phee's marriage to Marshall Gregory promises to be the wedding of the year in Arizona's Sun City West--that is, if you ask her mother Harriet. But before she can walk down the aisle, it looks like she has to solve one more murder. At a model train exhibit, Phee, Harriet, and their beloved Chiweenie, Streetman, discover the body of Sun City West's railroad club president, with an incriminating tap shoe near his lifeless corpse.

Wilbur Maines may have loved model trains but apparently he was not a model husband. There are rumors of affairs with hot-to-trot hobbyists the Choo-Choo Chicks. The police suspect his wife--and Harriet's friend--Roxanne, who dances with the Rhythm Tappers, but Phee's mom is convinced they're on the wrong track. Before the poor woman is railroaded into spending the rest of her life behind bars, Phee, Harriet, and the book club ladies will need to do some fancy footwork, infiltrate the dance group, and find the real culprit before the killer leaves the station...

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in almost one day. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. Even learnt a few things about Railroads…

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. There is plenty of humour, too with Harriet and Streetman her Chiweenie and the rest of her crew from the Sun City Retirement Community.  This is one of my favourite series and I always buy in Paperback as I know I will read again.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends. 

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.

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No Grater Crime by Maddie Day

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "No Grater Crime” the 9th book in the Country Store Mystery series by Maddie Day. I just love this series! Lindi loves it too!

Lindi’s woof of approval 

Robbie Jordan's Pans 'N Pancakes boasts delicious eats and the best vintage cookware finds in South Lick, Indiana. And now, for a limited time, there's a new special featured on the menu--murder!

Ever since meeting the wary owners of an antique shop opening across the street, Robbie has been scrambling to manage weird incidences plaguing her café and country store. Pricey items vanish from shelves without explanation, a fully equipped breakfast food truck starts lingering around the area each morning, and loyal diners mysteriously fall ill. When an elderly man dies after devouring an omelet packed with poisonous mushrooms, Robbie must temporarily close down Pans 'N Pancakes and search for the killer with a real zest for running her out of business--or else.

This is the fifth book I have read in the series and 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.

I love the setting of South Lick, Indiana and I love Robbie and her staff at Pans N Pancakes they are like a big family.  There were some nasty characters this time with touches on mental illness, and just plain old meanness. But through it all you still felt the good in most of South Lick. We learned more about Sean - Abe’s son and BFF Lou’s sister this go around too which was nice.

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.  I did suspect the killer but what a surprise ending.  I’m looking forward to seeing how Robbie, Abe and Sean blend households in the next book.

I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a cozy filled with down home characters and a small town atmosphere.

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

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I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

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Deadly Delivery by Tonya Kappes

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing Deadly Delivery the 7th instalment in the Mail Carrier Mystery Series by Tonya Kappes.  I absolutely love this series, featuring Rowena a marmalade tabby just like my Charlie. 

There's more than mail being delivered in the small, southern and cozy town of Sugar Creek Gap.

Welcome to Sugar Creek Gap. It's a lovely small town. Small towns have their advantages, everyone is together to celebrate the good times and rallies together to comfort during the bad times. It also has its disadvantages, Everyone knows everyone and it's a hotbed of gossip.

Bernadette gets into an argument with a cantankerous patron of her her delivery route. When he winds up dead, Bernadette is the primary suspect, since she brought him biscuits as a peace offering!

With the assistance of her BFF Iris and her neighbor Revonda Gail, she works on clearing her name so she can have more time to spend with her family. 

I absolutely loved returning to Sugar Creek Gap Kentucky and visiting with Bernie, Mac, Iris, Buster and Rowena the cat. I must say this might be my favourite one yet in the series. There is a lot of real life events that happen to the characters in Tonyas books and this one was no exception, it had me laughing, crying and smiling. 

Revonda Gail, Iris and the front porch ladies helped Bernie out this time, and there were lots of suspects as the victim was not well liked.  We had lots of twists and turns to keep us entertained and guessing. I had no idea who the killer was until Bernie did!  Also there were a couple of surprises and I can’t wait for the next instalment!

I highly recommend this book and series to all my cozy loving friends especially if they like an older herione. 

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the author. 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.

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A Wrinkle in Thyme by Sarah Fox

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "A Wrinkle in Thyme" the 8th instalment in the "Pancake House" Mystery series by Sarah Fox.  I really like this series its an entertaining easy read.

Sarah Fox continues her USA Today bestselling series with a delicious new cozy mystery set around the Flip Side pancake house in the quirky beach town of Wildwood Cove—a treat for fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke.

Murder is on the menu in the latest Pancake House Mystery, as a treasure trove of old letters spurs a killer to take some unsavory action. . . .

This summer, Wildwood Cove is hosting a special event, Wild West Days, to celebrate the town's storied past. Wildwood Cove's museum is also getting a new lease of life thanks to a longtime resident's generous bequest. Several locals, including Marley McKinney-Collins, owner of the Flip Side pancake house, offer to transfer artifacts to the beautiful restored Victorian that will become the museum's home. But there's an unappetizing development when a volunteer, Jane Fassbinder, is found dead—bludgeoned with an antique clothes iron.

Marley can never resist a piping hot mystery, and this one seems especially intriguing. Jane had recently unearthed some love letters from the Jack of Diamonds, a notorious thief who plagued Wildwood Cove over a century ago. As more locals meet with dangerous “accidents," it seems that someone is determined to keep that correspondence buried deep in the past. And unless Marley can sift through the likely suspects, she too could end up being nothing but history. . . .

Includes pancake recipes right from the Flip Side menu!

I love the setting of Wildwood Cove in the pacific northwest as I can relate to it having grown up there and having family still there.  

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters of Mrs. Winterbourne, her sister Dolly and granddaughter Krista who played a big part in the mystery.  But I really enjoy the Flip Side pancake house family of Ivan, Tommy, Sienna, Leigh and Marley. 

I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. 

I highly recommend this book/series to all my cozy lover friends.

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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All Swell That Ends Spell by Trixie Silvertale

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "All Swell That Ends Spell" by Trixie Silvertale the 2nd instalment in the Paranormal Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries. 

A dubious festival. A fatal swim. Can this fortune-telling fairy herald the true killer?

Coriander the Conjurer is trapped in a cursed Renaissance Faire, but that’s the good news. Her usual routine of reading patrons’ futures and compensating for her lopsided fairy wings is interrupted when a scuffle turns deadly. Now, in order to broker peace within the realm she must solve a mermaid's murder.

Convincing the gorgeous Mer prince to allow her to investigate seems the only option. But she’ll need the help of a dangerous vampire and her meddling toad familiar to uncover the real clues. With doxies, scoundrels, and panderers aplenty, it won’t be easy to suss out the truth!

Can Coriander’s fairy dust save the day, or will her inquiry end as a tragedy?

All Swell That Ends Spell is the second book in the humorous paranormal cozy series, Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural misfits, and a splash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s crooked caper.

I enjoyed this 2nd instalment, and visiting the cursed Renaissance Faire again. I found it to be a fun read and Cori and her talking toad Horton are delightful.  The characters are vivid and lively, even when one is a talking toad! The mystery in the plot is well thought out, with many twists and turns.  I liked the Mermaid aspect as well.

There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing on who the culprit was. Overall this was a great paranormal cozy and I hope there will be plenty more to come.

We get a happy ending but know that we will soon revisit this place, and I for one, can’t wait!

I highly recommend this series to all my friends.

I received a free copy of this book via Bookfunnel and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!

I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

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Burden of Poof (Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries #1) by Julie Anne Lindsey

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “Burden of Proof” book 1 in the Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries by Julie Anne Lindsey. OMG I love her new series featuring Clyde a black rescue cat!   I can see this being one of my top favourite cozies, Julie is already one of my favourite authors and per usual I was not disappointed. 

An amateur sleuth named Bonnie and her kitty companion Clyde, with names like those, what could possibly go wrong?

Life hasn't sparkled too brightly for Bonnie Balfour over the past few years, but a heart-breaking divorce has brought her back to her small rural hometown of Bliss, Georgia, and things are starting to shape up.

The proud new owner of Bless Her Heart—a second chance dress shop and boutique on the town square—Bonnie thinks thirty-eight might not be too late for a fresh start in life after all.

Until a grouchy old widow turns up dead in a pile of donations meant for Bonnie’s shop, and the town’s new detective pins her to the top of his suspect list!

To save her shop, dream and reputation, Bonnie must coordinate clues and stitch together the truth about her innocence, but the unreasonably handsome detective and prying eyes of the local gossip mill are fast fraying her nerves.

When a series of anonymous attacks begin to hem her in, Bonnie fears the real killer is fixing to make her his next victim. Can this amateur sleuth measure up? 

I LOVED this book! I was left smiling and didn’t want to leave this happy place for several hours afterwards. 

I found the characters (both human and furbaby) a delight to read about and the setting of Bliss, Georgia hometown of Bonnie Balfour and her cat Clyde was so charming.  I loved her BFF Cami who is single handedly revitalizing the downtown.  I enjoyed the hint of magic and romance as well as the humour strewn throughout the book.  

The mystery is well-written and plotted. There are several red herrings and twists to keep the reader engaged.  I suspected the killer halfway through but then changed my mind, as there were other viable suspects. 

I look forward to reading all the books in the series and highly recommend to all my cozy mystery loving friends.

I voluntarily agreed to read a digital copy of this book supplied by the Author. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!

I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

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The Herons Cry by Ann Cleeves

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I want to talk about a Mystery more so than a cozy "The Herons Cry" by Ann Cleeves the 2nd instalment in her Two Rivers  Mystery Series.  Which I’m super excited is being made into a tv series like her Shetland and Vera books.

North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder--Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed with a shard of one of his glassblower daughter's broken vases.

Dr Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He's a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved, though, to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband.

Then another body is found--killed in a similar way. Matthew soon finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home.

DI Matthew Venn returns in The Heron's Cry, in Ann Cleeves powerful next novel, proving once again that she is a master of her craft. 

I enjoyed going back to North Devon and the world of DI Mathew Venn, and his quirks but I liked how the author also let’s us see into the lives of the other characters just as much.  We learned a lot more this time, and I liked how Lucy still played a part.  

The story focused on mental illness, and the stress it can have on the NHS, family and the person suffering. The mystery had lots of sub plots that it kept me guessing till the very end. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher 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. 

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Murder in Connemara by Carlene O'Connor

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Murder in Connemara” the 2nd instalment in the Home to Ireland Mysteries  series by Carlene O’Connor.   I adore her other series, so I bought book one in paperback but I don’t think I read it yet.

In Galway County, a chance at redemption is denied by an unforgiving killer...

Former New Yorker and interior designer Tara Meehan is eagerly anticipating the grand opening of her architectural salvage shop Renewals in her newly adopted home of Galway. She's in the midst of preparations when heiress Veronica O'Farrell bursts in to announce she's ready for some renewal of her own. To celebrate one year of sobriety, she's invited seven people she wronged in her drinking days to historic Ballynahinch Castle Hotel in neighboring Connemara to make amends in style.

But perhaps one among them is not so eager to pardon her past misdeeds. Veronica is found lying in the ruins of manor house Clifden Castle with an antique Tara Brooch buried in her heart--the same brooch Tara Meehan admired in her shop the day before, posting a photo with the caption: #Killerbrooch. Now she's a prime suspect, along with Veronica's guests, all of whom had motives to stab the heiress. It's up to Tara to pin down the guilty party...

I loved this story, and I will definitely be adding it to my paperback collection.  I always love visiting Galway, in Northern Ireland. I like the interaction between the protagonist Tara, her uncle and Rosie as well as his employee Danny.

The mystery is super interesting and well plotted, and loaded with red herrings.  I loved the characters which are well developed.  I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. 

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy loving friends.

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.

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