A Colorful Scheme by Krista Davis

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “A Colorful Scheme ” the 4th instalment in the Pen & Ink Mystery series by Krista Davis.

New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis’s fourth cozy mystery with a color-it-yourself cover finds Florrie Fox, the manager of Color Me Read Bookstore, attending her boss’s wedding to a well-known romance novelist. But when a guest turns up dead, all bets are off on the happily ever after!

Includes A Front and Back Cover for You to Color!

Coloring book creator and Washington, DC, bookstore owner Florrie Fox is attending the wedding of her wealthy boss and a famous romance author, who are taking their vows—for the second time—on the grounds of the gorgeous Maxwell mansion. But it soon becomes clear that the soothing vibe of coloring books is very different from the stress and backstabbing in some corners of the literary world.

Arthur Bedlingham, for example, barely makes a living despite the many awards he’s won—and his chances for better sales haven’t been helped by the vicious review he just got from another guest at the party. Then there’s an ex-FBI agent whose popular thrillers are a magnet for female fans; a less-successful romance writer; and an ambitious waitress who’s intent on a career in journalism.

When Arthur’s assistant, an aspiring writer, is murdered during the festivities, Florrie realizes this is no color-by-numbers case, and she’ll have to sort out the complicated secrets among this creative crowd of suspects…

I really enjoyed this book and think it’s my favourite in the series.  Ireally like Florrie, she is relatable, interesting and I love the relationship she has with her boss professor Maxwell , and Mr. DuBois!  We also meet a few new and interesting ladies which I look forward to seeing more of especially Jezebel. 

The mystery itself was interesting, full of twists, red herrings which completely drew me into the story and I didn’t want to put the book down. 

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

My rating 

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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

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

Hugs,

Bound By Murder by Laura Gail Black

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Bound by Murder" the 3rd instalment in the "An Antique Bookshop” Mystery series by Laura Gail Black. I loved it even more than the first 2 books. This is one of my favourite series

For fans of Ellery Adams and Paige Shelton, the wedding can’t go on when the bride is found murdered—but can love still win the day in this third installment of Laura Gail Black’s cozy series.

The birds are singing, books are selling, and the Hokes Bluff Inn has begun to host weddings on its property. Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn loves the romance in the air—until her ex-fiancé, Blake Emerson, walks in with his bride-to-be, Missy Plott. Blake continues to profess his love for Jenna if she’ll have him back, no matter the consequences. And the consequences are grave, indeed, when Missy turns up dead.

All evidence points to Blake, who was the last one to see her alive. He begs Jenna to help him clear his name. Blake’s mother, Gwendolyn, is also bent on exonerating her son. Jenna doesn’t believe Blake could have killed Missy, and she starts digging for suspects. It could have been Missy’s ex-boyfriend, who proclaims a love for her he says only death could sever. Or might it have been Missy’s bitter little sister, who was secretly besotted with Missy’s ex.

Evidence turns up that links Missy's death to embezzlement and another murder—crimes that had falsely implicated Jenna herself less than a year ago. As Gwendolyn continues to beg Jenna to help prove her son’s innocence, Jenna wonders if Blake could truly be innocent.

Jenna has to choose whether to risk it all—her reputation, her growing relationship with her boyfriend, and maybe her life—or let a possibly innocent man go to prison.

I really loved this story, there were Bridezillas, mean girls, friendship, betrayal along with a little romance and murder.  What’s not to like!   I read almost in one sitting but finally succumbed to sleep with only a few chapters left.  

The mystery moved at a good pace, was interesting and I thought well plotted. I loved the characters living in Hokes Folly especially Jenna’s BFF Rita and now Shelby.  Overall I found it to be a very entertaining read.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I’m looking forward to book 4 to find out what Jenna does next.

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,

On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry

Hello my cozy friends, 

Today I am reviewing On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry the 2nd instalment in the "By the Book Mystery" series.  What a great follow up to book one!  

Don't miss the second installment of this gripping and funny bookish cozy mystery series by Tamara Berry! This case isn't just cold, it's practically frozen shut...

In the aftermath of solving their first murder, bestselling author Tess Harrow and her teenage daughter Gertrude have decided to stay in Winthrop permanently. Now that they've made some updates to their cabin in the woods, they're turning to the family hardware store that Tess inherited and converting it into the town's first independent bookstore. But when renovations unearth bones from a cold case and send them toppling—literally—onto Tess's head, the work comes to a grinding halt. With the whole town convinced that her grandfather was a serial killer, Tess has to call in a fellow horror author for reinforcements. Together, they'll come up with a perfect story to make all the clues fit...and solve a mystery more than thirty years in the making.

I know I read book one, but couldn’t find where I had reviewed it but when I saw book two I had to buy it. I really enjoyed visiting Winthrop, Washington and the seeing how Tess and Gertie were making out in the woods.

I was surprised by the cold cases and drawn in to find out what happened to the woman and what it had to do with Tess’ grandfather!  I like the budding romance between Tess and Sheriff  Boyd too.

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until Tess did. 

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 3 to come out May 2023!

I requested and received an Advance Readers Copy from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

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

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!

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

Hugs,

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Sorcery and Secrets By Lily Webb

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “Sorcery and Secrets” the 11th instalment in the Magic and a Mystery series by Lily Webb. If you like supernatural secrets, revolutionary rabblerousers, and magical murder mysteries, then you’ll love this series.

Some secrets should be carried to the grave…

For magical mom Zoe Clarke, everything is perfect. Her paranormal twins have started school, she’s back at work part-time, and for the first time in five years there isn’t a single piece of bad news for her to report at the Moon Grove Messenger.

But when an unsigned pamphlet exposing the dirty laundry of Moon Grove’s elite begins circulating and a prominent warlock is later found dead with a copy stuffed in his mouth, Zoe must unmask the author before their anonymous accusations tear Moon Grove apart.

Between the pseudonymous suspect and the growing discontent among the paranormal population, Zoe knows she has to get in on the secret — especially when the pamphlet begins calling for violent revolution.

Will Zoe stop the scribe? Or will word of mouth — and the killer — run riot?

I loved this instalment, Zoe is back at work and the twins Blaize and Ellie are at school but the struggle is real.  Touches on bullying in the classroom, politicians not keeping their promises but what was his secrets… 

Every instalment is better than the last! Like I have said many times before Lily is very talented in her descriptive writing and because of this your pulled into the story right away.  I read in about 3 hours, as it was that good .

There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing on who the culprit is.  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 Booksprout 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.

Hugs, 

Dewey Decimated by Allison Brook

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Dewey Decimated" the 6th instalment in the A Haunted Library Mystery series by Allison Brook.

Librarian Carrie Singleton is back on the case, alongside library ghost Evelyn, in the sixth installment of Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mysteries.

Carrie Singleton is just off a hot string of murder cases centered around the spooky local library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut. She could really use a break—but no such luck, as she; Smoky Joe, the resident cat; and Evelyn, the library’s ghost, are drawn into another tantalizing whodunit.

First, a dead body is found in the basement of the building attached to the library, and it turns out to be Carrie’s fiancé’s Uncle Alec, who Dylan hasn’t seen in years. But Alec has no intention of truly checking out, and his ghost makes itself at home in the library, greatly upsetting the patrons. Carrie and Evelyn work hard to keep Alec out of sight, but what was he doing in Clover Ridge to begin with? And why was he killed?

Meanwhile, the town council, of which Carrie is also a member, is embroiled in a hot-headed debate over the fate of the Seabrook Preserve, a lovely and valuable piece of property that runs along Long Island Sound. Turn it into an upscale park? Sell it to a condo developer? Or keep it as protected land?

As the dispute rages, there’s another murder, this time involving a council member. Could the two murders be connected? And could Carrie be next on the hit list?

The protagonist Carrie is one of the librarians and Evelyn (ghost) was also before her untimely death. This time Evelyn wants Carrie to find out who murdered the man in the basement next door as his ghost is now flying around the library.  Plus things are about to get real for Carrie as she thinks about telling Angela about him.  I also loved the inclusion of the library cat, Smokey Joe into the story.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this story, and I kept guessing and second-guessing myself right to the very end. The story moves at a steady pace, and I had a hard time putting it down. 

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane 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,

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Grilled 4 Murder by J. C. Eaton

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Grilled 4 Murder" the 10th instalment in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series by J.C. Eaton. 

With a high-stakes barbecue contest coming to town, Sophie “Phee” Kimball’s friends will get raked over the coals when one of the contestants is murdered . . .

Sun City West is abuzz with the news that the Food Network is sponsoring a local barbecue cook-off and that Phee’s friends from the pinochle club are in the finals. But the mood soon darkens when the county planning committee announces a plan to situate a new garbage transfer station on the town’s edge. With tempers flaring and rumors of corruption swirling, it comes as little surprise when the committee’s chair, who happens to be a finalist in the cook-off, is found murdered.

When Phee’s friends are named as the most likely suspects, she knows the accusation stinks to high heaven. As she navigates a world of politics and payoffs, she discovers there are any number of community members, along with the committee itself, who had a reason to want the chair dead¬. With the barbecue contest in full swing and celebrity chefs on hand to judge, Phee will have to sniff out the clues, no matter how noxious, to catch a killer . . .

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in almost one day. I love the characters which are well developed. There is plenty of humour, too with Harriet and Streetman her Chiweenie and now Essie the kitten.  But the rest of her crew from the Sun City Retirement Community aren’t to be outdone in this instalment, what a hoot!

The mystery is interesting, well plotted as well as full of twists and turns.  Always an entertaining, fun read. 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.

Hugs,

Follow my blog with Bloglovin