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O, Deadly Night–very Christmasy cozy
O, Deadly Night
By Vicki Delany
Some supposed “Christmas” cozy mysteries are only loosely connected to the season. That is not the case with O, Deadly Night. The story begins with a Christmas parade in the fictional town of Rudolph, New York, which boasts that it is “America’s Christmas Town.” As a tourist town, the citizens celebrate hard and heavy during November and December bringing in enthusiastic visitors from multiple states. They celebrate again in the summer and find ways to promote the little town on other holidays.
The protagonist is Merry. Her father, Noel, plays the role of Santa in parades and walking about town greeting tourists because he looks like he was born into the role. Merry’s boyfriend Alan is a skilled woodworker who keeps her supplied with items to sell in her shop Mrs. Claus’s Treasures which also features jewelry, gifts, and linens. His nutcrackers, angels, train sets, and components of Santa’s village sold out this year. In fact, Alan is so busy that his part in this book is minor. A more important character is Mattie, a Saint Bernard. He appears frequently and his interactions with Detective Diane Simmonds make me smile. He absolutely adores her, and she always notices him and treats him with respect. He obeys the detective much better than he does Merry. Detective Simmonds always calls him by his full name Matterhorn. There are many other characters you will get to know if you read this book—other shopkeepers, friends, family, and citizens of the neighboring town of Muddle Harbor.
As you can tell, I like the characters and setting in this book, but I would be remiss if I did not talk about the mystery. Merry lives in an apartment in a renovated Victorian house. Her landlady on the first floor is a likable, nosy woman who is “gossip central” for the town. She has noticed that someone moved into the house across the street and a large part of the book revolves around the comings and goings (and lack of them) at that house. The mystery involves a murder and kidnapping. Merry becomes involved when she realizes her landlady is missing. In typical Merry fashion she follows up leads on her own rather than contact the police. As often happens in cozy mysteries, there are positive and negative results from her informal investigations. All of this occurs during the busiest season of the year in the town and especially in her shop. Other locals might be suspects and Merry tries to determine if any could actually be murderers.
I really enjoyed this mystery and was irritated by interruptions that made me put the book aside. I began to suspect who might be involved, but my guesses were only partially correct. In the end, there was even more action and the solution to the crimes was a surprise.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #8 in the Year-Round Christmas Mystery series, but the author provides needed character information as the story begins so it could be read as a standalone. I have read several of the more recent books, but discovered in writing this review that the series began in 2015 so I have some catching up to do.
2. Includes a recipe for Amaretto Fruit Cake (for people who think “they don’t like Christmas cake.”) Its preparation is not quick as it initially takes 2 days and then needs to sit for a month. She also has a recipe that kids can help with for Molasses Spice Cookies. She also has a recipe for Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup which features both sweet and white potatoes.
Publication: October 14, 2025—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
I smiled to myself. Families could be trying indeed, but they were there for us when we needed them.
In the circles in which she moved, the more spectacular the gossip, the more it was worth. And thus the more prestige it gave the presenter of the gossip. Truth was sometimes a secondary consideration. If not tertiary.
“What’s happened? Are you okay?” “I’m fine. Well, sort of fine. Ranger is not. He’s been sprayed by a skunk.” “What!” “Yup. Full on, right in the face. As for me, I went outside to see what he was barking at, and I caught some of the, shall we say, fallout.”
Dying to Read–murder and rare books
Dying to Read
by Lynn Cahoon
I don’t often listen to books instead of reading them, but I decided to go the audio book route with Dying to Read after I finished reading Cahoon’s Reading Between the Lies. C.S.E. Cooney is the narrator, and I think she did a very good job of distinguishing the various characters.
Cancer survivor Rarity Cole owns a bookstore in Sedona, Arizona. She also hosts a book club on Tuesday nights at the shop. It began as a mystery book club for cancer survivors, but has become more inclusive and even has an extension for a group of amateur sleuths who investigate and share information with law enforcement. As Rarity moves further in time from her breast cancer experience, she remains committed to healthy practices but seems to see herself less as a survivor as she moves into her new “normal.” It is clear, however, that the cancer and its treatment will always color the perspective of Rarity and the other survivors of cancer.
This book has a lot of plot complications. There is a murder at a Memory Care Center where Shirley, a part-time employee at the bookstore, has placed her husband who no longer recognizes her. There were shenanigans with the security system. Shirley’s husband George is accused of the murder. Another resident claims to be getting ready to marry George. There are many other suspects at the nursing home with a variety of possible motives. Meanwhile, rare copies of some first edition books appear randomly at Rarity’s bookstore. They seem to tie back into a theft/murder cold case. On the personal front, Archer, Rarity’s boyfriend, is ready to move in with her but suddenly stops regular contact causing Rarity to revisit emotional issues experienced with her ex-fiancé who decided she was “no fun anymore” when she was going through her cancer treatments!
Dying to Read is fascinating and the whodunit was a surprise but made sense. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series because clearly that good storyteller Lynn Cahoon has more adventures in mind for Rarity.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #5 in the Survivor’s Book Club mystery series
2, To amplify on my listening versus reading: I am thankful for the hearing aids I wear but while they amplify, they do not always clarify speech for me. For example, this week I thought I would do a quick listen to a book that I read about three weeks ago to refresh my memory before my book club meeting. I had to give up within a few minutes of listening; it just wasn’t working for me. I reread the book instead, enjoying the beautiful language even more the second time around. Envious of a fellow blogger who inhales books and listens to many audio books at an increased speed, I tried ramping up the speed which made the hearing process go from bad to worse. I’ll remain thankful for reading and only occasionally dip into audio books (while I walk my dogs).
Publication: May 6, 2025—Lyrical Press/Tantor Media
Pinned 4 Murder–mystery in the bowling alley
Pinned 4 Murder
By J.C. Eaton
Sophie Kimball, an accountant for an investigative firm, is now Sophie Kimball Gregory as she and private detective Marshall Gregory are now married. An informal sleuth, Sophie excels at listening in on conversations and passing along information to her husband and the local authorities. Most of the time what she does is legal, but she did step over the line once in this book. It’s one of those cases of suspending reality and judgement because it is, after all, fiction. Sophie’s mother and her friends have some hilarious responses when a crime occurs or someone tries to put through a policy in their community that they don’t agree with. They always turn to Sophie to solve the crime or straighten out the situation.
In my review of #12 (Revved up 4 Murder), I explained that I had loved this series, but #12 just fell flat for me. The humor was down, and the emphasis on the foods the characters ate was just too repetitious. Pinned 4 Murder was the chance I gave to the Sophie Kimball Mystery series before I decided to abandon it or stick around for more of the cozy mysteries. My judgement of Pinned 4 Murder is that the husband and wife writing team has somewhat redeemed themselves, and I will continue on to the next book they publish in this series. This recommendation, however, comes with a caveat. The humor level is back up in this book with the chiweenie Streetman on top of his game and the Sun City West Book Club ladies and the Pinochle Crew of men creating gossip and mayhem as usual. The crafting of the mysteries (murder, vandalism, and cyber-crime) is excellent. Where Pinned 4 Murder lets me down is the focus again on all the foods they consume—takeouts or deliveries from restaurants and coffee and pastries to share. Those repetitive passages do not entertain or move the plot forward.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Humor, Mystery
Notes: #13 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. I think it is too far into the series to be enjoyed as a stand alone, but the authors do include a very helpful “Cast of Characters” at the beginning of the book.
Publication: July 16, 2024—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“That’s where nosing around comes in.”…“Please don’t suggest the dog park. You have no idea how stressful it is to take Streetman there. He doesn’t listen. He rolls in smelly stuff on the ground, pees in the water bowls, and worst of all, goes after female dogs like a sailor who hasn’t been to port in a year!”
Too bad my mother forgot that her dog had selective hearing and a total disregard for obeying commands. I looked on in horror as that sneaky little chiweenie raced after the bowling ball, only to find himself slipping and sliding on the freshly oiled lane. Still, it didn’t prevent him from following the ball and knocking down all the pins.
Within seconds, people scrambled to spread the rumor like hair lice in a kindergarten, and I knew if it reached my mother’s table, the book club ladies would waste little time circulating and embellishing it.
Reading Between the Lies–murder in Sedona
Reading Between the Lies
by Lynn Cahoon
There are a lot of characters in Reading Between the Lies, but the protagonist is Rarity Cole, a cancer survivor who quit her high pressure job to found The Next Chapter, a bookstore in Sedona, Arizona. She tries to make the most out of every day, and she treats her friends, her customers, and her employees with respect. Her boyfriend is Archer who owns a hiking and touring business.
This novel finds Rarity and the book club of amateur sleuths that meet with her on Tuesdays trying to prove Archer innocent of a murder and then determine the actual perpetrator of the crime. The investigation is clouded by other offenses committed in Sedona around the same time as well as the relationships of various characters.
Although Killer, Rarity’s Yorkie, is her almost constant companion, he doesn’t play an essential role in the story, but his inclusion is fun. A touching side plot is the developing relationship of Terrence, Rarity’s neighbor, and Shirley, who works part time at the bookshop and is known as “Sedona’s grandmother.” Shirley’s husband has dementia and doesn’t even recognize her, but Shirley is committed to their marriage.
The setting is a big part of the book with an emphasis on “certified” vortexes. A large corporation buys up some land with claims there is a vortex at its heart. They open an art gallery and pursue their plans for a time share. What role will this resort community play in Sedona and does it hold a motivation for murder?
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #4 in the Survivors’ Book Club Mystery Series. I think it might be enjoyed better if you don’t jump into this series in the middle, but the author is meticulous about introducing previous characters as they appear in this book.
2. This book includes a recipe for quiche written in a folksy style.
Publication: August 6, 2024—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“Once you stare death in the face, other problems don’t seem so dire.”
“The Next Chapter is a judgment-free zone. I don’t care what you read as long as you use a bookmark. Now, that’s the sign of a real monster, not what you wear or who you date.”
“I do like playing with investigations but if it was my job? I think I’d be depressed. I hate the fact that people would hurt other people for any reason.”
Olive You to Death–where’s the bride?
Olive You to Death
by Lynn Cahoon
Wedding bells are in the air for two couples. Jill, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, is ready to tie the knot with Greg, South Cove’s detective. First, however, Josh, the owner of the antique store, and Mandy, from the family who grows olives and products for sale at the South Cove farmers market, surprise the town with an announcement of their upcoming wedding. Mandy is sweet and has worked wonders on the formerly grumpy Josh.
When she disappears without a word, Josh is heartbroken and worried sick. Several other mysteries weave in and out with the assumed kidnapping. Josh and a professor are collaborating on finding a buried treasure that has been the stuff of local legends for many years. When the professor is killed, there are several suspects including some of his former teaching assistants who had previous ties to Mandy. Is her disappearance related to the murder or to the hidden treasure? Jill is involved in the various investigations while trying to locate a wedding venue for her own upcoming nuptials, finish her final paper for her MBA, reorganize her business plan and staff, maintain her friendships, and nurture her relationship with Greg. For her own health and that of Emma, her faithful golden retriever, Jill also tries to take a beach run every day.
Olive You to Death is a clean cozy mystery with lots of threads and a little danger. It will keep you wondering whodunit, but is tied up nicely in the final chapter.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #16 in the Tourist Trap Mystery series. It could be read as a standalone, but reading the recently published prequel (2024), Murder in a Tourist Town, first is a great introduction to the characters and setting.
2. Includes the author’s recipe for “Weekday Enchiladas.” With a pound of both ground beef and ground pork, this recipe must make a lot of enchiladas, but she says they freeze well to provide leftovers for extra lunches.
Publication: June 4, 2024—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
The sun sparkled off a stretch of the ocean as I drove by. Living here wasn’t bad at all. Even with the drought. And now the rivers of rain. Days like today made it all worth it.
“Man, every day we’re on this earth is a sightseeing trip. You just need to open your eyes to the magic.”
I felt like the upheaval of my life was finally slowing down to at least a workable amount of stress. I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I just hoped it wasn’t a train.
Murder in a Tourist Town–well done novella
Murder in a Tourist Town
By Lynn Cahoon
I don’t usually read novellas as it is too hard for an author to cram character development and a good mystery into one short read. I do usually read anything by Lynn Cahoon (except her one paranormal series) because she does an outstanding job of giving background information about the characters in each of the books in a series without boring readers whether they are new or returning to the series. She also creates good mysteries without the redundancy of food choices that some cozy mystery writers resort to for word count. I find that technique irritating. We do find out what the main character eats on her vacation, but the author does not dwell on it.
As a prequel to The Tourist Trap Mystery Series, the purpose of Murder in a Tourist Town is to provide a backdrop for the series, introducing protagonist Jill Gardner, a family lawyer in a large firm. Although she has put in the hours and has the skills to become a partner, as a woman she is yearly passed over. She is in a “use it or lose it” situation with her vacation hours so she takes advantage of this opportunity to visit South Cove, California, to relax, avoid burnout, and consider her career future. She meets some nice people there who encourage her to rethink her options. She also discovers the body of a former client and meets the charming Detective Greg King. The murder mystery is wrapped up satisfactorily, and the reader learns how Jill came to South Cove and how she meets Greg. This reader closed the book with a smile!
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Novella
Notes: 1. Prequel to the Tourist Trap Mystery Series
2. I have not read all the books in this series, nor have I read them in order. They have all worked well as stand alones.
Publication: 2024—Kensington (Lyrical Press)
Memorable Lines:
My mood would be better after a few hours of book shopping and eating. Two things that always brightened my day.
Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone–pirate gold
Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone
By Sarah Graves
Ellie and Jake (Jacobia) are best friends and business partners in the Chocolate Moose, a small bakery in Eastport, Maine. Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone finds the pair dealing with a complex web of murders in the middle of a sweltering summer and hectic tourist season. There isn’t a body, just an abandoned boat and a non-grieving widow left with three children and a mystery. Her husband has shown her an antique gold coin which is missing too.
On the home front, Jake’s large old house is bursting at the seams with extended family lined up outside the only bathroom. An expansion is not progressing according to schedule and winter is closing in.
Sharks play a huge role in this mystery from attacks on the investigators to the possibility that they are involved in several deaths or at least the “disposal” of the remains. A group of shark scientists are having a convention in the town, and Ellie has promised three dozen Chocolate Raspberry Scones. Ellie is a creative genius when it comes to her baking, but she has yet to perfect a recipe for this treat.
Jake’s sweet grandson Ephraim plays a big role in this cozy mystery. This four year old loves making music on a variety of noisy instruments from a kazoo to a toy trumpet, and this interest leads to a discovery that is critical to the plot.
Another intriguing character is Glenna LaFarge, known locally as the “witch of Walk Island.” Despite all the somewhat scary legends that have emerged around her, Ellie and Jake embark on one of many boating adventures in the book to confront Glenna and try to uncover some of the many secrets surrounding murders, a kidnapping and theft in the small tourist town. Jake and Ellie both show their daring and brave side as they track down the murderer. There is a fair amount of tension in this mystery, but there is also some humor sprinkled in as Jake knows how to laugh at herself and the crazy situations she finds herself in.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Fiction
Notes: 1. #7 in the Death by Chocolate Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.
2. Includes a recipe for a version of Chocolate Raspberry Scones. As a chocolate lover and a scone lover, this sounds very good.
Publication: April 23, 2024—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
…I still couldn’t make a sound past the jagged chunk of fright stuck in my throat. It was a shark, a ridiculously large one from what I could see of its dark shape moving under the water, still coming straight at us.
It’s another thing I’ve learned over the years: You can cry all you want, but it doesn’t fix anything; when you’re finished, you still have to get up and do something about whatever it is.
I got up and poured more coffee at the credenza near the door. The fancy contraption that brewed it looked complicated enough to refine uranium in.
Revved Up 4 Murder–dangerous auto restoration
Revved Up 4 Murder
By J. C. Eaton
I have read a lot of the cozy mysteries created by the husband/wife writing team called J.C. Eaton. I have enjoyed most of the ones in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series, but Revved Up 4 Murder lagged a bit for me. The predictability is what got to me. Sophie (Phee) constantly frequents fast food restaurants picking up food for herself and her husband or her co-worker Augusta. Although Augusta can be counted on to get treats like donuts for the office, Phee often purchases their lunches or brings home meals for her husband, a detective in the Williams Investigations firm they both work for. As a reader, the repetition quickly became old.
There are other aspects that were funny in the earlier books, but fell flat for me in this one. Sun City West is a retirement community and Phee’s mother lives there. Both men and women there don’t have enough to do in their retirement years and spend a lot of time stirring up trouble, gossiping, and dramatizing events. Phee’s mother Harriet has a chiweenie dog, Streetman, who is spoiled and neurotic. Harriet brings Streetman along when she ventures out on escapades, and Harriet expects her daughter to solve crimes even though she is an accountant/bookkeeper for Williams Investigations. Despite the predictable phone calls from Harriet to Phee demanding outlandish investigations, there are admittedly some funny scenes with the “book club ladies” and their dogs.
In spite of my hesitations about Revved Up 4 Murder, I must “confess” that there are a lot of credible suspects for the crimes which include murders and the theft of a valuable object from a museum. I didn’t guess the solution to the mysteries which were fairly complicated. The investigative team of two private detectives and a duo of less than stellar detectives from the local police force are aided by Rolo, a computer genius with access to the dark web. His expertise is not cheap, and he insists on being paid in expensive kitchen appliances to support his current food craze.
My conclusion is that the core mystery is much more interesting than the context and setting, but it could be a fun diversion if you need a break from other genres or the news cycle.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Humor
Notes: #12 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series. There are a number of characters who are introduced in previous books, but don’t stand out as individuals in this book. They function more like a Greek chorus to this plot.
Publication: February 20, 2024—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Gossip at the beauty parlor rises exponentially at rates not even seen by mathematicians.
Going to sleep at my normal hour was never going to happen. More thoughts crossed my mind than ants on a watermelon.
When I ended the call, I was certain my mother and her crew of yentas would be camped out across the street from Betsy’s house. Nothing ensures that someone will do something like telling them not to. It’s like a law of physics, only with human nature.
Crime and Cherry Pits–pug brings smiles in this cozy
Crime and Cherry Pits
By Amanda Flower
I needed a break from the more “serious” read that my book club had been working on for 6 weeks. It was a worthy read, with depth, but what I needed was the diversion of a cozy mystery, but not just any cozy mystery. I needed a novel with a strong, intelligent protagonist with an interesting background. I wanted a mystery that would keep me guessing with a little romance thrown in. If there could be a kid and animals, so much the better. I was delighted to see that a cozy mystery from Amanda Flower’s Farm to Table Mysteries was next in my queue.
In Crime and Cherry Pits, Shiloh Bellamy is the owner of the organic Bellamy Farm in Cherry Glen, a little western Michigan town. She has had to work hard to get it out of debt and running again, but she has done so well that she has been honored by an invitation to participate in the annual Cherry Festival in nearby Traverse City. While all seems to be going well, there are so many ways for things to go wrong. She has problems with a new organic farm neighbor who doesn’t really know what he has gotten into. Another neighbor has a darling, precocious daughter Hazel who adores Shiloh. Hazel’s father has known Shiloh since childhood and there is an attraction, but their past always looms between them. Hazel’s parents absolutely do not like Shiloh. Shiloh recently found some stocks left to her by her grandmother who died years ago. She wants to do what is right, not just what is legal, which causes problems with her father and her cousin.
Shiloh has a way of getting dangerously mixed up in murder cases partly because of circumstances and partly because she is nosy. Surely that could not be an issue in this story, because how could someone die at a Cherry Festival? Cue the cherry pit spitting competition! A production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest is produced by Shiloh’s cousin and Shiloh’s father accepts a leading role. There are affairs and lying, three police agencies get involved, and there are death threats. On the positive side, the reader gets to enjoy Shiloh’s cat Esmeralda and her pug Huckleberry who accompanies her almost everywhere. Add to that the farms animals: Diva the chicken and all the other chickens she controls and the flock of five Olde English Babydoll Southdown yearlings, less than twenty inches tall. Is someone out to hurt them? As Shiloh rises to the occasion, the reader can be sure that it won’t happen on Shiloh’s watch.
Crime and Cherry Pits is a cozy mystery that will keep you turning pages to see whodunit. You’ll need to read to the finish for a surprise ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #4 in the Farm to Table Mysteries, but could be read as a standalone because Flower includes background (without being boring).
2. Includes a basic recipe for homemade soap that sounds doable. Hers, of course, includes cherry essential oil.
Publication: February 27, 2024—Poisoned Pen Press
Memorable Lines:
She looked down at Huckleberry. “Is that a police dog?” “In training,” Milan said. “We aren’t sure he has what it takes.” “He’s a pug,” Susan said. “We thought we’d go for unassuming with this one,” Milan said with a straight face. “No kidding,” Susan replied.
My little pug was in tune with my emotions, and he felt my nervousness. I was grateful for his warm presence.
Inside the general store, Huckleberry was living his best life, lying on a plush dog bed and gnawing on a piece of beef jerky. He didn’t even look up when I entered the store. I didn’t blame him. Snacks in bed were my favorite too.
Murder on Tour–plot within a plot
Murder on Tour
By V.M. Burns
Samantha Washington is an independent bookstore owner in North Harbor, Michigan. As a local author with her first book, a cozy mystery, to her credit, she is invited to be on panels at the North Harbor Book Festival hosted by Michigan Southwestern University.
When a publicist is murdered, Samantha (Sam) recruits her Nana Jo and her friends from Shady Acres Retirement Village to join her in solving the crime. It turns out to be more difficult than one would imagine as Sam uncovers among the authors multiple layers of affairs and treachery that could rival a soap opera.
This series is unusual in that Sam is writing historical fiction. We witness the process in spurts as Sam turns to her laptop frequently when she is blocked or needs a break in her investigations. The occurrences in the book she is writing with a setting of 1939 mirror in some ways the current crime. The first time I read a book in this series I found the technique somewhat distracting. In Murder on Tour, however, I thought it played well. Either the author has become more skillful or I have incorporated this style into my reading mindset.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #9 in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone
Publication: November 28,2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“But don’t discount the importance of escapist fiction. Books are subjective, and people read books for different reasons. Given everything that’s happened in the world, many of us need to escape to maintain our sanity.”
These women didn’t know a lot about mysteries, but they would defend me to the death if anyone said an unkind word about my book. Some days, you need people like that in your corner.
He stared at me for several beats…I didn’t flinch. I taught English to high school students who could smell fear a mile away. Woe to the teacher stupid enough to blink during a stare-down. But he was good. Really good.
education pathways 