Catch Me If You Candy by Ellie Alexander

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Catch Me If You Candy" the 17th instalment in the A Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. 

Things are getting spooky in Catch Me If You Candy, the next delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series from author Ellie Alexander, set in Ashland, Oregon!

Halloween has arrived in picturesque Ashland, Oregon, and all of the ghouls and goblins have descended on Main Street for the annual parade. It’s a giant street party and Torte is right in the mix.

Jules Capshaw and her team have been baking up autumn delights and trick-or-Torte bags filled with sugar cookie cutouts, spiced cider, and mummy munch. It’s the end of the season at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which means that the costumes for the parade are going to be out of this world. The elaborate guises even extend to pets. The grand marshal of this year’s parade is no other than a regal pug aptly named King George. Jules is delighted to get to share the experience with Carlos and Ramiro, but things take a dark turn when she discovers a dragon slumped in front of the bakeshop.

Jules is distraught when she realizes the dragon is dead. She’s also shaken because a few days before the parade, her mother's Mahjong partner Helen discovered a warning note about a dragon in an antique game set. Jules hopes it’s just a random coincidence, but as the clues begin to unfold it becomes evident that there’s been a murder on All Hallow’s Eve. Can Juliet sift out the truth before the killer comes after her?

I really enjoyed this story, seeing Ramiro settling in to life and school in Ashland. Visiting Torte and Ashland is like coming home to old friends and family lots of fun with a bit of chaos thrown in for good measure.  

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and there were just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Needless to say I cant wait for the next book. 

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from St. Martin's Press 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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Heavens To Bribery by Tonya Kappes

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “Heavens to Bribery” by Tonya Kappes the 9th book in her Kenni Lowry Mystery series starring Sheriff Kenni Lowry. It definitely can be read as a stand-alone but I do recommend you start at the beginning.

There's about to be a murder!

"Shucks, y'all! Sheriff Kenni Lowry is back and her life's as twisted as a snake with a bellyache. A marriage proposal from the dashing Finn Vincent could mean a 'happily ever after,' but it also risks sending her ghostly Poppa to the great beyond for good. Can she reckon with love while keeping her spectral sidekick?

Just when you think Kenni's plate is full, a murdered John Doe is discovered on the train tracks. Poisoned and unknown, this mystery man's arrival stirs up a hornet's nest in the heart of Cottonwood.

In 'Heavens to Bribery,' dig into a hearty helping of Southern charm, ghostly companionship, and a murder mystery as thick as Kentucky gravy. Strap in for a tale that’s more gripping than a bull rider at the rodeo, as Kenni races to uncover the truth behind this deadly puzzle.

I love Sheriff Kenni and her ghost Poppa that helps assist in the investigations. But with Finn proposing it could mean the end of her investigating with her beloved Poppa!  What a tough decision she has to make which gets further complicated by a murder and an upcoming sheriff election. 

There were lots of twists and turns to keep us entertained and guessing. I had no idea who the killer was until Kenni did! Also there were a couple of surprises and I can’t wait for the next instalment!

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy loving friends 

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher. 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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Mrs. Morris and the Wolfman by Traci Wilton

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Mrs. Morris and the Wolfman" the 7th instalment in the Salem B&B Mystery series by Traci Wilton.  This is my favourite one so far, I just loved it!

Charlene Morris is taking a night away from her Salem, Massachusetts, B&B--and its resident ghost--to enjoy a spooky double-bill, until murder upstages the evening . . .

Saturday night at the movies has some added flair now that Darren and Elise Shultz are reopening one of Salem's classic theaters. Charlene is delighted to help the couple with their venture, and Darren has lined up a cult classic double-header featuring Lon Chaney in The Wolfman. But things get hairier than expected when Elise starts to choke on her popcorn mid-movie--and once the lights go up,
she's dead . . .

When tests reveal Elise's popcorn was poisoned, Detective Sam Holden eyes her husband as the guilty party. Charlene doesn't believe Darren would hurt his wife--even if his company's specialty seasoned salts were sprinkled on the fatal snack. But who else had a motive to do something so unsavory? With a little help from Jack, the handsome ghost who haunts her B&B, Charlene delves into the ill-fated couple's past. And the more she learns, the more Charlene wonders if this time, she's bitten off more than she can chew . . .

What can I say, so much intrigue this go around and all centered around the cult classic featuring Lon Chaney in The Wolfman.  I love visiting Salem and Charlene’s B&B with its resident ghost Jack and her B&B family.  I love all the characters Charlene, Jack, Minnie, Sam and Avery.

The mystery was interesting, well plotted, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing till the very end.  There was sub mysteries to figure out as well, especially surrounding Darren.  I definitely was surprised by the ending and can’t wait for book 8 to see what happens next!!!

 I highly recommend this book 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,

Baking Spirits Bright Sarah Fox

Hello my cozy friends, 

Today I am reviewing “Baking Spirits Bright” by Sarah Fox  the 2nd instalment in the "True Confections Mystery" series.  I love this series and book 2 did not disappoint!

Buy here 

In a cute new culinary cozy from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, budding chocolatier Becca Ransom must solve a murder before she meets a sticky end.

Winter has arrived in Larch Haven, Vermont, bringing with it holiday cheer, lots of snow, and freezing temperatures. Becca Ransom is squeezing in time to skate on the frozen canals and drink hot chocolate by a roaring fire while also whipping up new creations for her family’s chocolate shop and experimenting with holiday flavors like eggnog, gingerbread, and peppermint. At the same time, Becca is preparing for the Baking Spirits Bright holiday baking competition, a popular annual event. She’s planning to enter an edible model of Larch Haven, with a mountain backdrop made of cake, gingerbread cottages, and chocolate gondolas on sugar-glass canals.

Professional bakers and a local food blogger are also participating in the event and they aren’t about to go down without a fight. The competition quickly heats to a boiling point, with flaring tempers and mysterious happenings. When one of the entrants is found dead, stabbed with Becca’s chocolate chipper, Becca tries to salvage the season by finding the killer. But the heat is on, and Becca is in danger of getting burned.

 I loved it!  I really enjoyed visiting Larch Haven , and the True Confections shop at Christmas. How fun skating along the canals to get hot chocolate or work.  Larch Haven is magical and I only wish it was a real town so I could go visit.  Truffles and Binx get into a bit of mischief with the Christmas tree which is exactly what my cats did to mine so I could totally picture it.  Another thing I enjoyed was the budding relationship between Becca and Sawyer. 

This go around Becca is preparing for the Baking Spirits Bright holiday baking competition, a popular annual event. She’s planning to enter an edible model of Larch Haven, with a mountain backdrop made of cake, gingerbread cottages, and chocolate gondolas on sugar-glass canals.

Irma was a grouchy woman who never seemed to be happy but did she deserve to die …

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until Becca did.  I am ready for some Christmas chocolates now, thank goodness Recipes are in the back of book…

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

I requested and received an Advanced Reader copy from Berkeley 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.

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Six Sweets Under by Sarah Fox

Hello my cozy friends, 

Today I am reviewing “Six Sweets Under” by Sarah Fox  the 1st instalment in the "True Confections Mystery" series.  I love Sarah’s writing style and totally loved her Literary Pub Mystery series as well as the Pancake House Mystery series, so knew I wouldn't be disappointed!

Buy here 

Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, Vermont. Known as the Venice of North America, Larch Haven has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming cottages that look like they were plucked from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.

While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception. Local curmudgeon Archie Smith wants nothing more than to keep tourists away from Larch Haven. He’s determined to derail this year’s event and does his best to stir up trouble for the organizers, including Becca’s grandfather.

Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.

What a great start to a new series!  I loved it!  I really enjoyed visiting Larch Haven , and the True Confections shop.  Sarah is very good at descriptive writing so you feel like you’re right there walking along the canals or riding in a gondola and seeing the picturesque cottages.   I know I would love to live there.

Everyone knows I’m a sucker for furbabies in my cozies so when you have two mischievous cats named Truffles and Binx, I was okay I’m in love.  Another thing I enjoyed was the relationship between Becca and her grandparents Lilly and Pops, as well her bff Dizzy and her high school crush Sawyer. 

I wasnt surprised by what happened to Archie but having all those suspects drew me in and I had to find out what happened to him! Since Becca makes the chocolates, she has free time to slip out and investigate with her bff Dizzy even though Sawyer tells them to stay out of the police investigation. 

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until Becca did.  plus all the descriptions of the chocolates made my mouth water.  Recipes in the back of book…

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 2 to come out!

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,

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Double Double Royal Trouble by Trixie Silvertale

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Double Double Royal Trouble" by Trixie Silvertale the 9th instalment in the Paranormal Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries.   I really enjoy this series and wish it came out more than once a year. 

Preorder here

Coriander the Conjurer is queen of the fairy realm, and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her… even if she’s technically trapped within the kingdom’s walls. Now this fairy fortune teller hopes to tackle the confining curse that’s suspended Elbion in time for centuries. Unfortunately, her magical mission derails when someone burns a gingerbread house to the ground… 

Finding herself in a cauldron of trouble, Coriander must summon the help of a wily vampire, a brilliant blacksmith, and her meddling toad familiar to uncover the hidden killer. But she’s running into more alibis than allies, as suspicions threaten to bubble over. 

Can Coriander crack the curse and corner the killer, or will the faire become her final resting place? Double Double Royal Trouble is the ninth 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 sinister saga.

I really enjoyed visiting the cursed Renaissance Faire and catching up with Coriander, Thorny, and Fraxi again. I found it to be a fun read and Cori and her talking toad Thornton are delightful.  The characters are vivid and lively, even when one is a talking toad! 

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.

For an added bonus the first 6 books are on sale for .99 cents  click here 

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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The Wizard of Menace by Erin Johnson

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing The Wizard of Menace the 8th instalment in Erin Johnson's Paranormal Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries. 

Novice witch, Adelaide “Laidey” Ryan is up to her pointy hat in trouble.

A hex lingers over the Renaissance Faire she now calls home, and an ancient prophesy hints that time is almost out for everyone inside the walls. But things go from bad to worse, when her black cat familiar Mort pulls a certain famous sword from the stone… 

The same sword that’s used in a murder not a day later. Now Laidey must use her magic to prove Mort’s innocence before she can crack the curse. But when her unfolding powers go awry, she jeopardizes the entire faire’s future. 

Will Laidey conjure a cure for the curse, or will this spell the end for the faire and everyone inside? 

The Wizard of Menace is the eighth book in the humorous paranormal cozy series, Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries.  If you like hilarious heroines, fun faires, and imaginative mysteries, you’ll love Erin Johnson’s charming whodunit.

I loved this latest instalment, I found it to be super fun and Adelaide "Laidey", Pirate Captain Bruce Roberts, Tom and Hilde try to break the curse by calling for Merlin himself!  

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. 

(this latest trilogy felt like it could be the end insert crying face)

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.

Hugs, 

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A Clue in the Crumbs by Lucy Burdette

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "A Clue in the Crumbs" the 13th instalment in the "A Key West Food Critic" Mystery series by Lucy Burdette. This is one of my favourite foodie cozy mystery series.

Bestselling author Lucy Burdette turns up the heat in the next installment of her Key West Food Critic mystery series, perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs.

Food critic Hayley Snow and her pal Miss Gloria are overjoyed to welcome Violet and Bettina Booth, aka the Scottish Scone Sisters, to Key West. The sisters will host The UK Bakes!—Key West Edition. But the same day they arrive, the bed-and-breakfast the sisters are staying in gets torched.

The contest begins the next morning featuring three local bakers. One is the inn owner’s wife, Rayna, who is not only the most talented chef of the group but now a person of interest in the fire. The next night, a dogwalker discovers a body near the bed-and-breakfast. The victim appears to be Rayna’s husband, and the murder weapon points directly to the Scottish Scone Sisters.

But the show must go on. In between filming sessions, the three elderly ladies and Hayley must search for clues to the brutal murder in order to find out who wants to force them out of the kitchen. But as they draw closer to the answer, the threats from a murderer grow closer too. Are they now in danger of getting baked off?

I really enjoyed this story and hanging out with Haley, Miss Gloria, and the Scone Sisters!  I must say I really do love octogenarian Miss Gloria and now Violet and Bettina.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I liked trying to figure out who killed the overbearing B&B owner. 

I kept second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.   I recommend this book to all my cozy lover 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.

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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Read to Death at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Read to Death at the Lakeside Library" by Holly Danvers the 3rd book in the A Lakeside Library Mystery series. I just can’t get enough of this series, I loved this book!

Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Ellery Adams, Rain Wilmot must find a novel solution in order to catch another killer—before her book club members are picked off one by one.

Summer is in full swing as tourists flock back to the Northwoods and travel to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. For Rain Wilmot, owner of the Lakeside Library, this is the perfect opportunity to bring back her mother’s summer book club. But the summer sun starts to really heat up when one of the club’s members, Lily Redlin, is found dead in her own home not long after the first meeting.

Alongside her sidekick and neighbor Julia Reynolds and the charming Jace Lowe, Rain discovers that the murder is seemingly inspired by the book the club recently discussed Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel Sparkling Cyanide. But who would kill Lily, and more importantly, why?

The deeper Rain dives into the story, the more confusing and complicated the plot becomes. Was Lily murdered to cover up a tragic accident that occurred years ago involving an old classmate? Or were the rumors true—did Lily really possess a priceless original Laura Ingles Wilder manuscript and someone killed her for it? And what about the mysterious letter Lily received just before her death from a supposed long-lost relative? Was it a hoax?

With a long list of suspects and motives, Rain realizes that all leads come back to people involved in the book club. Rain and her friends take a page from Agatha Christie’s book by hosting a reenactment of the club’s first meeting to flush out the killer. Will Rain’s plan succeed—or will this librarian’s book be checked out for good?

I really like Rain, and her bff Julia they are relatable, fun and full of shenanigans. As Jace says they are  a dangerous combination.  I was happy that there is a new addition to the library family Benzo or aka Puppers.  I also like the direction Rain’s love life is going …

There were plenty of red herrings, twists, and turns to keep you wanting to find out what will happen next. 

I cant wait for the 4th instalment in this series, I highly recommend this to cozy lovers.

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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The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “The Raging Storm” by Ann Cleeves it's the 3rd instalment in the A Detective Matthew Venn Mystery Series, a powerful novel about guilt, betrayal, and the longheld secrets people keep. I love Ann Cleeves books and this instalment did not disappoint.  In fact, I thought that it was one of the best in the series.

Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—returns with The Raging Storm, the extraordinary third installment in the Matthew Venn series.

Fierce winds, dark secrets, deadly intentions.

When Jem Rosco—sailor, adventurer, and legend—blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. But just as abruptly as he arrived, Rosco disappears again, and soon his lifeless body is discovered in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.

This is an uncomfortable case for Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. Greystone is a place he visited as a child, a community he parted ways with. Superstition and rumor mix with fact as another body is found, and Venn finds his judgment clouded. 

As the winds howl, and Venn and his team investigate, he realizes that no one, including himself, is safe from Scully Cove’s storm of dark secrets.

“A friend of mine once joked that the work of Ann Cleeves is the closest the crime fiction genre comes to evoking ASMR—the euphoric, pleasant, spine-tingling sensation that’s all the rage on YouTube. The books never get too dark, never venture too far into dangerous territory, but aren’t outright cozy, either.”—The New York Times

The Series is character-driven and also very descriptive you feel like you are right there in North Devon, England. In this instalment we get to catch up with Venn and his team, as they try to wade through the small village dynamics where outsiders are barely tolerated and superstitions prevail.  

This was a very suspenseful story and I was fully engrossed in it and finding out what would happen next.  There were lots of suspects and I was kept guessing till the end.

I highly recommend this book and the Two Rivers/Detective Inspector Mathew Venn Mystery series to all my British Mystery loving friends.

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.

Hugs, 

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Scales and Scandals by Lily Webb

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “Scales and Scandals” by Lily Webb.  If you like suspicious shifters, supernatural scuttlebutt, and magical murder mysteries, then you’ll love this lighthearted 13th instalment in Lily Webb’s spellbinding series.

Sometimes the truth can tip the scales...

For magical mom Zoe Clarke, keeping life together is a challenge. Between rebuilding her news business from its ashes and the threat of an ancient evil still breathing down her neck, Zoe’s spread thin — and it’s starting to catch up with her.

So when rumors of the appearance of a mysterious, magical scale start making the rounds, Zoe has no choice but to take them seriously. But after that scale suddenly goes missing, Zoe quickly becomes a suspect in the swirl of a supernatural scandal.

With pressures mounting at home and an increasingly suspicious public watching her every move, Zoe knows there’s more to this story than meets the eye — especially after she makes a startling discovery that changes everything.

Can Zoe track down the scale’s thief and clear her name? Or will her next headline be her last? 

I loved this instalment, Zoe has rebuilt her business the Centinel and with rumours of a magical Drakon scale at MGPD… 

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,