Oct 17, 2023

A Corpse at the Witching Hour by Debra Sennefelder

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "A Corpse at the Witching Hour” by Debra Sennefelder.   I thoroughly enjoyed this book.


Hope Early has to contend with ghosts, a fatal curse, and a decades-old family secret to catch a killer in the new Food Blogger Mystery . . .

When her best friend’s Aunt Issy falls ill, food blogger Hope Early agrees to help him hand out Halloween candy at his aunt’s house, which is rumored to be cursed. A murder-suicide took place there a century ago, and legend has it that a woman has died there every twenty years since—on Halloween. Hope doesn’t really believe in curses or ghosts, but when all the trick-or-treaters are gone and she discovers a woman’s dead body on the front lawn, she wonders if the curse might be real after all.

Then Hope and her friend discover a cache of love letters linking the dead woman to Aunt Issy’s husband years ago, and Hope is certain they’ve uncovered the motive for murder—and the police are certain Aunt Issy is their main suspect. Determined to prove Issy’s innocence and nab the real culprit, Hope starts shaking other branches of the family tree. But she forgets that Halloween isn’t the only day people hide behind masks, and if she’s not careful, Hope will come face-to-face with a ghoulish fiend who’s not afraid to kill again . . .

Includes two tasty recipes!
I loved "A Corpse at the Witching Hour" the 6th  book in Debra Sennefelder's "A Food Blogger Mystery" series. Visiting Jefferson, Connecticut has become a pleasant escape.

I love Hope as she is real and I have become invested in her and what is happening around her. I like her family and friends, Claire, Jane, Drew and of course Ethan (Police Chief boyfriend) and the dynamics between them all. Don't get me started on her dog Bigelow, Poppy the chicken and Princess the cat!  

There was life changing moments in this book, as Hope and Ethan make some decisions about the future. With a few suspenseful moments as well as some lighthearted ones, but with plenty of twists and turns to keep us entertained. I did suspect the killer but I started second guessing myself as there was plenty of suspects.  

I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to see what’s next for Hope in this series and I look forward to reading the next book ...


I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Beyond the Page and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


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Oct 13, 2023

Caught on the Book by Laura Gail Black

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Caught on the Book" the 4th instalment in the "An Antique Bookshop” Mystery series by Laura Gail Black. This is one of my favourite series

For fans of Ellery Adams and Paige Shelton, in Laura Gail Black’s fourth novel in the Antique Bookshop mysteries, Jenna Quinn is going to have to go all out—hook, line, and sinker—in order to catch the killer.

The annual fishing tournament and festival in Hokes Folly, North Carolina, is the high-water mark event of the year. Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn, owner of the Twice Upon a Time bookstore, is ready to catch some new customers with her fishing-themed book display at the festival. That is, until a local author is found dead in his booth.

All fingers point to Frank Sutter, a former detective with the police department. His soon-to-be ex-wife had been dating the victim, and Frank had been seen having an argument with him earlier that day. When Keith Logan, Jenna’s boyfriend and detective with the local police, asks Jenna for help to solve the case, she’s shocked. Frank was Keith’s former partner and someone who had been determined to pin more than one murder on Jenna. Frank doesn’t want Jenna’s help any more than Jenna wants to help him, but the two will have to put aside their animosity for each other if they want to reel in the killer.

This bookselling sleuth knows she will have to cast a wide net in order to catch the killer, even if means dangerously luring them in. Will her novel idea help her catch the killer, or is she bound for a more deadly ending?

I really loved this story, things are going good for Jenna at the store with Mason, and even better in the romance department with Keith.  We had enemies turn to friendship, betrayals along with a little murder.  What’s not to like! 

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 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 5 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,

Oct 9, 2023

A Cold Highland Wind - A Lady Emily Mystery by Tasha Alexander

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “A Cold Highland Wind” the 17th instalment in the A Lady Emily Mysteries by Tasha Alexander.  This is the third book I have read by Tasha Alexander and won’t be my last.  



In this new installment of Tasha Alexander’s acclaimed Lady Emily series set in the wild Scottish highlands, an ancient story of witchcraft may hold the key to solving a murder centuries later.

In the summer of 1905, Lady Emily, husband Colin Hargreaves, and their three sons eagerly embark on a family vacation at Cairnfarn Castle, the Scottish estate of their dear friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge. But a high-spirited celebration at the beginning of their stay comes to a grisly end when the duke’s gamekeeper is found murdered on the banks of the loch. Handsome Angus Sinclair had a host of enemies: the fiancĂ©e he abandoned in Edinburgh, the young woman who had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and the rough farmer who saw him as a rival for her affections. But what is the meaning of the curious runic stone left on Sinclair’s forehead?

Clues may be found in the story of Lady MacAllister, wife of the Laird of Cairnfarn Castle, who in 1676 suddenly found herself widowed and thrown out of her home. Her sole companion was a Moorish slave girl who helped her secretly spirit her most prized possessions—a collection of strange books—out of the castle. When her neighbors, wary of a woman living on her own, found a poppet—a doll used to cast spells—and a daisy wheel in her isolated cottage, Lady MacAllister was accused of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death. 

Hundreds of years later, Lady Emily searches for the link between Lady MacAllister’s harrowing witchcraft trial and the brutal death of Sinclair. She must follow a trail of hidden motives, an illicit affair, and a mysterious stranger to reveal the dark side of a seemingly idyllic Highland village.

I found it to be a quick easy read and finished in two days, I really enjoyed the dual narratives telling us the story of Lady MacAllister, wife of the Laird of Cairnfarn Castle 1676 and the witch hunts to lady Emily in the early 20th century in the seemingly idyllic Highland village

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters of Lady Emily and Colin.
I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.   I recommend this book to all my mystery lover friends.

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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Oct 2, 2023

Mistletoe and Murder by Connie Berry

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing Mistletoe and Murder 
festive holiday novella in the “A Kate Hamilton Mystery” series by Connie Berry which releases October 17th.
In Connie Berry’s festive holiday novella Mistletoe and Murder, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton has a long way to go before she gets down the aisle, but will someone stand in the way of her happily ever after?

Five days before her wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, Kate Hamilton finds her friend Sheila in need of her help. Sheila, a soon-to-be bride herself, needs Kate’s help to get Carl Curtis, her fiancĂ©, out of Venezuela. His passport was taken from him by the authorities, and they say he owes them money. Carl says it’s a bribe, but he’s unable to leave unless it’s paid.

Sheila decides to sell her grandfather’s coin collection, including a valuable gold coin presented by Queen Victoria to her great-grandmother. Among her grandfather’s stored possessions is a letter from the Queen. When someone breaks into Sheila’s house, all signs point to even more foul play. As Kate deals with a disturbing number of wedding-plan hitches, a fire in town reveals a body. Unfortunately, the burned-out flat is next to the bridal salon where Kate’s dress is being altered. Can the cleaners really eliminate the odor of smoke?

As the clock ticks down to Kate and Tom’s “I do”s, Kate goes to Sheila’s house to help her search for the royal letter, but she’s nowhere to be found. The house has been torn apart, and Sheila is missing. Could Sheila’s disappearance be connected to the death in town? Kate will have to piece together the clues.
I loved visiting the village of Long Barstow in Suffolk again, and hanging out with Kate, Vivian, Tom and Ivor for the Christmas wedding.

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one sitting. I did not suspect the killer until Kate did, there were lots of twists and turns to keep me absorbed in the story. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good traditional British cozy mystery with a historical background.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy 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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Murder at the Lemonberry Tea by Darci Hannah

Hello my cozy friends,  Today I am reviewing “Murder at the Lemonberry Tea” by Darci Hannah the 6th instalment in the "A Beacon Bakesho...