Once Upon a Seaside Murder by Maggie Blackburn

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Once Upon a Seaside Murder " the 2nd instalment in the A Beach Reads Mystery series by Maggie Blackburn.

As the holidays approach, bookstore owner Summer Merriwether learns a dark secret in this second volume of Maggie Blackburn's Beach Reads mystery series.

There's no place like home for the holidays, even if home is sleepy, beachside Brigid's Island, NC. During this season for giving, the town wakes up to a welcome throng of shoppers--and Beach Reads is no exception. But bookseller Summer Merriwether's Christmas cheer turns to cringing fear when she uncovers a deadly secret about her late mother--a secret someone will kill to keep.

When the local library hosts a cozy mystery panel discussion, Summer learns that one of the authors on the panel based her book on an actual murder that shook Brigid's Island thirty-five years before. Worse, she soon learns that her dearly missed mother, Hildy, took a disturbingly deep interest in the case, going so far as to collect clippings and keep a journal of the dark doings. This doesn't jibe with Summer's memories of her usually cheery mother at all.

Tidings get worse when Summer learns of her long-lost biological family's involvement in the crime...and still worse when the life of the book's author is threatened. With the help of Hildy's plucky book club, Summer puts her scholarly smarts to work on protecting the cozy author and solving the decades-old murder.

But this ghost from Christmas past may still be deadly in the present, and if she can't find the killer, Summer's future will be brief.

I have grown to like Summer throughout this instalment and immensely enjoyed the story.  We have a few mysteries to solve the 35yr old cold case, and author Mimi Sinclair’s kidnapping (whose Mermaid Point Murder mystery is loosely based on the murder) to keep us engrossed in the mystery of whodunnit.  Plus Summer is dealing with her newly discovered relationship with her half-brother, Sam, and half-sister, Fatima and how the Bellamy family ties into the murder.

The mystery is interesting and I loved the characters of Agatha, Piper, Mia plus who can forget Mr. Darcy.

It was a quick easy read and I am looking forward to the next instalment as I’m anxious to see what happens with Summer and Cash’s relationship.

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.

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

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Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah

Hello my cozy friends, 

Today I am reviewing “Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off ” by Darci Hannah the 2nd instalment in the "A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery" series.  I loved this book it’s a fun Christmas mystery which had me believing in the spirit of Christmas! I totally added it to my favourite series list! 

Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewell is ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe... 

With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever--winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition...

Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake-off, and she's not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone's stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead--and covered in crumbs from Lindsey's signature cookie!

Solving a murder was never on Lindsey's wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she'll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.

I started reading series backwards with book 2 first but I loved so much I bought book one.  I really enjoyed visiting Beacon Harbor, Michigan, and the Beacon Bakeshop.  

Everyone knows I’m a sucker for furbabies in my cozies so when you have a Newfie named Wellington well let’s just say I’m in love.  Then add in two visiting Westies called the “Models” …

I absolutely adored Mrs. Nichols and the hint of Christmas magic she entailed plus the nod to the Great British Bake Off 

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until  Lindsey did.  Plus all the descriptions of the cookies made my mouth water. ( recipes included in back of book)

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

I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Kensington 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,

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But Knot for Me by Betty Hechtman

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "But Knot for Me” the 8th instalment in A Yarn Retreat Mystery series by Betty Hechtman set in the seaside town of Vista Del Mar, California.

In a new Yarn Retreat Mystery from national bestselling author Betty Hechtman, Casey Feldstein has to face down a self-help guru who may have helped himself to murder . . .

When a charismatic life coach and his devoted followers descend on Vista Del Mar, Casey Feldstein and the yarn retreat group she’s hosting literally get pushed aside, out of sight and out of mind of the struggling participants seeking enlightenment. But Casey can’t help overhearing the rancorous argument between two members of the guru’s staff, and when one of them turns up dead after ingesting poisonous mushrooms, Casey finds herself tangled up in a murder investigation while the self-help group looks on helplessly.

With rumors swirling that the victim was having an affair with the group’s leader and a host of potential suspects among her own eccentric yarn retreat group, Casey can only knit her brow at the complexity of the case. And when another staff member turns up dead and Casey narrowly escapes an early demise of her own, she knows she’ll have to unravel the clues quickly to catch a killer who may be feeling more empowered than even the guru intended . . .

Includes a fun and easy crochet project and a mouthwatering muffin recipe!

I really enjoyed this story, the mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters.  I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.   

Now I want to pick up crocheting again, I love these kind of cozy mysteries.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Beyond the Page 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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