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A Room With a Roux–all-round, feel-good, Christmas mystery
A Room With a Roux
by Sarah Fox
For anyone still enjoying the lingering spirit of Christmas, I heartily recommend Sarah Fox’s A Room with a Roux. Although nothing about the cover or title suggest a holiday tale, it emits wintery, Christmas vibes from its beginning. The scene is set as our main characters Marley and Brett travel from their beach home to Holly Lodge nestled in the mountains. It is a small, quiet, isolated, snowy retreat that makes the perfect backdrop for a Christmas murder mystery.
Marley, owner of the Flip Side restaurant, and Brett, summer landscaper and winter construction worker, have only been married three months so there is a lot of sweet romance in their interactions. Their weekend getaway gets cut short by a murder. They leave as soon as they can, but Marley’s penchant for getting to the truth is activated when other Holly Lodge guests retreat to her town of Wildwood Cove. Then most of them return to Holly Lodge for a memorial service where they are snowed in for a “locked room” type of scenario.
Marley works hard to uncover the murderer before she or someone else becomes a second victim. There are many possibilities, but none seem to have a strong enough motivation to provoke murder.
Along the way, we get to know the characters. Brett and Marley are nice, generous, and community minded. There is a side story that demonstrates this spirit well when a mini-mystery emerges as ornaments disappear repeatedly at the Festival of Trees. Join Marley and Brett as they enjoy each other’s company along with lots of cups of hot chocolate in a wintry atmosphere. The author has a talented touch in stopping the chapters at just the right point to make the reader shout “one more chapter.”
Read a few days after Christmas, A Room With a Roux, is probably my favorite read of this Christmas season—likable characters, wonderful atmosphere, just the right touch of adventure, and a well-plotted mystery. This cozy mystery is a winner!
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #7 in the Pancake House Mystery Series, but you would have absolutely no problems reading it as a standalone!
2. Tempting recipes end the book: Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze, Cinnamon Pancakes, and Gingerbread Muffins.
Publication: January 12, 2021—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
I suspected he enjoyed stirring up trouble for his own amusement, and I couldn’t help but dislike him for it.
I tore off the paper, already knowing that the best present was having the company of my husband and two closest friends.
Time seemed to pass at an excruciatingly slow pace. At first I watched everyone by the light of the fire and candles, searching their faces for any sign of guilt, even as I pretended not to be studying them. After a while, it became more and more difficult to keep my eyes open, despite my worries about a killer being among us.
Sleigh Bell Tower–multifaceted plot
Sleigh Bell Tower
by James J. Cudney
Amateur sleuth and college professor, Kellan Ayrwick, and his girlfriend, Sheriff April Montague, are joined by his daughter Emma, his ward and cousin Ulan, and April’s brother Augie to become a unified household despite the slight disapproval of Kellan’s spunky grandmother Nana D. If you choose to read Sleigh Bell Tower, be prepared for one of the most complicated plots and web of characters you could hope for in a cozy mystery. Perhaps, more importantly, author James J. Cudney never misses a beat. He tosses the reader into a whirlwind of complications, but manages to sort it all out in the end with nary a mistake, an omission, or a crossing of clues. I never would have guessed the culprit.
As always with the Braxton Campus Mysteries, there is a lot of sarcasm and humor. The scene where the extended family drives around looking at Christmas lights is superbly funny; Nana D’s interactions with her grandson unfailingly provide a good time.
Another attraction in this particular book is the way April and Kellan work at combining Jewish and Christian holiday traditions. As a couple, they devise a gifting game of sorts. They work off of the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” alternating the giver and tying each gift into the song. I enjoyed reading what each one devised and how they competed to find the best gifts for each other. I did have to wonder how they found the time and energy to select and purchase these creative gifts while managing their new family, the holidays and this intense murder investigation. It probably could work because Kellan is on a work hiatus between semesters AND they bought a lot of restaurant food!
Cudney sent my head spinning with characters and conflicts for most of the book. Then he delighted me with a conclusion in which Kellan took a page from Agatha Christie’s playbook with great success. The ending has some warm fuzzies that made me smile, and as always, the author concludes with a hook that will surely draw the reader into the next book in the series.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: I recommend Sleigh Bell Tower which is #8 in the Braxton Campus Mystery Series, but not as a standalone. There is so much rich character background that plays into each book in the series that it would be hard to thoroughly appreciate this book on its own.
Publication: December 20, 2021—Next Chapter
Memorable Lines:
My grandmother, on the other hand, continued to run a profitable organic farm, serve as the mayor of our fine county, and make it her business to know everyone else’s business. Where she found the energy baffled us all.
“Mm… the cusp of nineteen is definitely elderly. We should look into long-term-care facilities soon, huh?”
I had a mystery to solve. A killer to capture. Agatha Christie would be proud of me this year!
Legally Blind Luck–uncovering the truth
Legally Blind Luck
by James J. Cudney
The discoveries, surprises, and twists just keep coming in the seventh novel in James J. Cudney’s cozy mystery series. In Legally Blind Luck there are a number of mysterious new characters including a blind woman with a bodyguard. Kellan, the main character, discovers a murder victim just as an art exhibit is scheduled to open on campus. An art treasure, supposedly bearing a curse, disappears. Kellan’s uncle who died a few months prior to the exhibit might have been involved. These events seem to be tied into South Africa’s history of apartheid. Kellan and his girlfriend April, a sheriff, have to search out the murderer and untangle relationship webs to keep Kellan and his family safe.
The many characters in the book are described in great detail. The plot moves quickly enough, but it is easy for me to get bogged down as I try to recall the characters as they reappear. Fortunately, the author, recognizing that this could be a problem, includes a descriptive character list at the beginning of the book. As usual, Kellan’s Nana D plays a role in providing humor as she and her grandson lovingly tease each other. The conclusion of the book holds many surprises that I absolutely did not see coming as well as some major hooks to draw the reader into the next book in the series.
I would like to extend my thanks to author James J. Cudney and to Gumshoe (Next Chapter) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #7 in the Braxton Campus Mystery Series. It could be read as a standalone, but the author recommends “reading the series in order because of the side stories and character progression.” I agree with him, and I have enjoyed each book.
Publication: April 15, 2020—Next Chapter
Memorable Lines:
I’d mostly felt lost and ignored, so I kept to myself—bookish nerd met prankster met Curious George.
Dr. Myriam Castle delivered a uniquely special brand of cantankerous poppycock that was best left ignored if you valued your sanity.
“I might believe her personality is on par with Nurse Ratched and Lizzie Borden, but I don’t doubt her love for you.”
A Deadly Edition–much anticipated wedding
A Deadly Edition
by Victoria Gilbert
Although A Deadly Edition is plot driven, the importance of the characters should not be understated. Some of these characters are regulars from the previous three books in the series, but author Victoria Gilbert handily reintroduces each one. There are also a number of new characters who converge on Taylorsford for the much anticipated garden wedding of Amy Webber, the town’s head librarian, and Richer Muir, a dance instructor at Clarion University.
We dive into the seamy side of the upper crust with those who make their fortunes from the sales of art and books with a few frauds and forgeries thrown in. These same collectors and dealers could have ties to the even more dangerous world of drugs.
A murder precipitates Amy’s investigation that she hangs on to like a pit bull, hardly having time for her wedding preparations. As a consummate researcher, she uncovers motives for a number of people. Some are close to her, making her inquiries more painful. She is, for the most part, upfront with Brad, Chief Deputy, who both warns her for her own safety and appreciates her contributions.
A Deadly Edition has a strong plot with lots of threads. We follow Amy’s investigation and reasoning as she works through the many red herrings thrown in. The surprising climax has action, and then the book closes with a kinder and gentler focus on family and friends.
I had one irritation with the book. There were twelve instances of various characters responding to another with a light-hearted salute—usually called “mock salute,” but sometimes employing other adjectives. Seven different characters use the little salute so it isn’t one character’s trademark gesture. This repetition was definitely a minor annoyance; other readers might not even notice it. It certainly does not affect my recommendation of this quite involved cozy mystery.
I would like to extend my thanks to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series, but would be fine as a standalone.
Publication: December 8, 2020—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
Sometimes chocolate is the only thing standing between me and murder.
I needed to find a way to untangle the sticky threads of coincidence that seemed to be entrapping the truth.
“And one thing I’ve learned, after all these years, is that there are many kinds of love. Not all of them end in marriage, or are even romantic, but all can mean quite a lot. Or at least”—he released my hand and sat back, his focus shifting to the stage—“enough.”
Wine Tastings are Murder–death on a wine tour
Wine Tastings are Murder
by Libby Klein
Welcome to the world of Poppy McAllister, a plus-sized, forty-something pastry chef with self-esteem issues. And commitment issues (ask Tim and Gia). And food issues. Food calls her name and sticks to her like a long lost twin. Her latest effort is the kale diet where she discovers that a kale frittata is like “an omelet full of yard clippings.” Also, and you need to think this one through…our featured pastry chef can’t eat gluten!
Wine Tastings are Murder is full of madcap adventures that will keep you laughing through a serious and complicated murder investigation. What in the world are Aunt Ginny and her octogenarian friends doing in the evenings that leaves them cackling, smirking, and sitting on bags of frozen vegetables?
Poppy is owner of the Butterfly Wings B&B, a new business that she is trying to launch. She agrees to cooperate with a company sponsoring a wine tasting at a local winery, but one of the guests has an apparent heart attack—or was the medical event more than that? Suspicion falls on other guests and on winery personnel. Poppy needs to find out if they are who they claim to be and what motives they might have.
The eighty year old “biddies” are not the only source of humor. Poppy hires “Victory,” a chambermaid from Eastern Europe, who does not understand guest privacy, the basics of inn housekeeping, appropriate attire, or the nuances of English. It also gradually occurs to Poppy that Victory has narcolepsy.
Figaro, Poppy’s cat, has met his nemesis in Tammy Faye, a teacup Pom who is the treasured delight of guest Sunny Baker. The two chase each other all over the house leaving a trail of destruction. Technology joins the fun as Aunt Ginny’s new toy Alexa demonstrates that she is always listening. Aunt Ginny doesn’t know how to use Alexa who sounds alarms and speaks at the craziest of times.
On the personal front, you’ll adore little Henry, Gia’s four-year old son. He has Poppy on emotional speed dial without even trying. Amber, a local police officer who has been at odds with Poppy since high school, might be softening just a tad. Then there is the romantic conundrum. Readers are anxious for Poppy to choose between “hunky” Italian coffee shop owner Gia and long ago love, Chef Tim. Read Wine Tastings are Murder to see if there is resolution in either love or murder. I guarantee the outcome will be a surprise.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. # 5 in the Poppy McAllister Mystery Series. You could read this as a standalone. It is better to have read the first four for the background, but Klein fills you in well, and the read is worth it if you aren’t able to backtrack on this series.
2. The end of the book contains lots of recipes (6 gluten-free and 1 paleo) that will have you drooling, even if you don’t need gluten-free.
Publication: December 1, 2020—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
I was all for eighty-year-olds going “a-courting,” but Royce Hansen had the short-term memory of a fruit fly and Aunt Ginny could do crazy all on her own.
The biddies all nodded and smiled sweetly. “Have fun, honey.” They waved as I left the room. They’re not fooling anyone. They’re definitely up to something.
She made me feel like I was back in the eighth grade again. Fat, awkward, and foolish. Gigi even made my baking, the only talent I had in life, sound like I was adding water to a boxed cake mix and cooking with a high-wattage lightbulb.
Courting Can Be Killer–partially requited love
Courting Can Be Killer
by Amanda Flower
Millie Fisher, the “sedate Amish woman,” and Lois Henry, the “flamboyant Englisher,” join forces again to solve a murder, one quite personal to Millie. Don’t worry If you missed the first book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series as author Amanda Flower is quite skilled in providing background information. There are also tie-ins to Flower’s Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, but the two function independently of each other.
In Courting Can Be Killer, Millie and Lois were childhood friends and are now in their sixties. They are as opposite as possible, but they complement each other and prize their friendship. Lois loves being the sidekick of the “Amish Marple” and is a bonus to the relationship because she is not bound in her investigations by the strict Amish code, sometimes stretching the truth until it breaks. Her driving a car and having a cell phone are quite handy as well.
When a fire breaks out in a flea market, Millie’s “adopted nephew” Ben is found dead. Rumors spread fast in the Amish community that Ben, who recently moved to the area and is therefore considered an outsider, is responsible for the fire. The duo set out to defend the young man’s reputation. In the process, Millie comes under attack although the long-suffering Deputy Sheriff Aiden has warned her numerous times that her interviewing various suspects is dangerous. Lois, however, is delighted as she see the assault as a sign that they are getting close to discovering the murderer.
Woven into the main plot are some potential romances as Millie is known as the local matchmaker. Animals provide both chaos and humor as Jethro the potbellied pig makes an appearance, and Millie’s two mischievous Boer goats, Phillip and Peter, cause havoc and provide protection. The Amish are not immune from having dysfunctional families, and we meet several in this cozy mystery. The ending is a surprise and justice is served. The epilogue gives closure for the characters with a little positive philosophy thrown in as well, and the sound advice is from the Englischer!
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #2 in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series
Publication: December 1, 2020—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“…in this life one should always be willing to take a chance and roll the dice.” She grinned. “That sounds like one of the Amish proverbs you recite all the time, doesn’t it?” “It doesn’t.” I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“I knew when my second husband bought a singing bass for our living room wall that there were no more rules when it came to good taste.”
A feeling of peace came over me. I knew the Good Lord had moved Lois to come and check on me. It gave me comfort to know this, and the fear I had been holding onto all evening started to melt away.
The Malt in Our Stars–investigation by a nosy parker
The Malt in Our Stars
by Sarah Fox
When Sadie Coleman steps out of her car at the historic Shady Creek Manor in Vermont, several dreams are about to come true. She will get to view first hand the beautiful and expensive renovations to the elegant, three-story home converted into a hotel and its extensive grounds. She will also get to meet one of her favorite authors, Linnea Bliss, who is scheduled for a talk and book signing at Sadie’s literary-themed pub, the Inkwell. Their initial meeting goes well, but life suddenly get complicated as a murder occurs on the hotel’s grounds. There are many characters with possible motives. Sadie, a self-proclaimed nosy parker, has an insatiable need to investigate.
Side issues to the plot include the May Masquerade Ball, a hot-tempered local historian, a production crew filming an episode about a local brewery, and a blossoming romance with the brewery’s owner. Also, Sadie’s Aunt Gilda has received a marriage proposal which, if accepted, would cause her aunt to move.
Although the plot of The Malt in our Stars is quite busy with lots of threads, including the possibility of hidden treasure, I was a little disappointed in some aspects. Sadie’s investigations are rather drawn out as she goes over and over her mental list of suspects nitpicking to get more information on each one, often coming up empty handed. She frequently puts herself in danger and steps over the bounds into what is certainly trespassing. I like food as much as the next person, but too much time is spent on what Sadie eats and her trips to get yet another fancy coffee when coffee is readily available at her bar.
My favorite part of the book is the gentle romance developing between the hesitant Sadie and the handsome, understanding Grayson who enjoys teasing her—always with a flirty twinkle in his eye. The best part of the plot is the exciting discovery and capture of the murderer.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #3 in The Literary Pub Mystery Series, but works as a standalone.
2. Cocktail recipes included at the end of the book.
Publication: November 24, 2020—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
Eleanor whipped around and her beady eyes landed on me. The glower she sent my way was almost intense enough to make me wilt right there on the sidewalk. She stormed up her front steps and into her house, slamming the door behind her.
Some people might have considered it too early in the day to eat chocolate cake, but I didn’t let that bother me. It was, as the saying went, five o’clock somewhere.
I really couldn’t tell if he was feeding her a load of donkey dust. He sounded so sincere. That ignited a flicker of worry inside of me. If he was lying to Eleanor so convincingly, how would I ever know if he was lying to me?
Sleigh Bell Tower – Murder at the Campus Holiday Gala (Braxton Campus Mystery #8) by James J. Cudney
James J. Cudney has just revealed the cover for his latest installment in the Braxton Campus Mystery Series and it is Christmas themed! I’ll show the cover which is so cute, but you really need to go to his post and read an except from the book. The passage quotes Nana D, the main character’s sassy grandmother, who is my favorite character.
The Deeds of the Deceitful–diverse group, common goals
The Deeds of the Deceitful
by Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe
Richmond, Virginia, is the setting for this delightful cozy mystery The Deeds of the Deceitful by a team of two authors, Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe. I could tell at once that I had jumped into the middle of a series, but the authors did a great job of identifying the main characters. Cooper Lee is a manager at Make It Work! where she is in charge of office machine repairs. She is also part of her church’s Sunshine Bible Study, a group who gathers to study the Bible but somehow finds itself in the middle of crime investigations. Currently, the diverse group is studying the book of Proverbs and are amazed at how often they can apply Biblical wisdom to solving crimes and in their personal lives.
The Sunshine Bible Study is invited to a soft opening of the Atwood Inn. There are issues between the two owners, and one has a car accident under suspicious circumstances during this special weekend. Another crime occurs there that same night. Are they related? There are several major suspects, and the Sunshine Bible Study group feels compelled to investigate as friends come under scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Cooper is trying to help with her boss’ marriage vows renewal, and she meets an attractive chef at the inn. She is thirty-five, single having broken off two engagements, and can only afford to live above her parents’ garage as she pays off her cancelled wedding reservations. Her mother’s emerging pastry business may be ruined, especially if the Atwood Inn can not recover from all of the bad publicity.
Cooper is one busy lady and a very likable main character. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series. It’s clean, has interesting characters, and moves forward at a fast pace. The interaction with the police is believable as the police do not overshare and the Sunshine Study Group keeps the authorities in the loop with their discoveries.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Beyond the Page Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #6 in the Hope Street Church Mystery Series, but worked great for me as a standalone.
2. Includes 3 recipes at the end.
Publication: November 10, 2020— Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“Hiring staff and dealing with Chef Mayberry has been like juggling meatballs with one hand tied behind my back.”
Perhaps it was divine appointment, because each time they were able to support someone who desperately needed their help and didn’t have anyone else to advocate for them.
“Any big plans for the holiday?” “If dead-heading marigolds is big plans, I’ll be knee-deep in the fun,” she said.
Broadcast 4 Murder–mystery with lots of humor
Broadcast 4 Murder
by J.C. Eaton
Get ready to solve several mysteries, laughing your way through the pages of J.C. Eaton’s Broadcast 4 Murder. Sophie (aka “Kiddo” to her boss, “Phee” to her mother, and “Hon” to her boyfriend Marshall) gets pulled into a murder investigation when her mother discovers a dead body at the Sun City West radio station as she prepares to broadcast a show about cozy mysteries. As soon as Sophie’s mother enters the scene, the reader can expect demands on Sophie to nose around, daily phone calls, and wacky shenanigans as the residents of this Arizona senior community interact. Streetman, her mom’s chiweenie, gets a delightful starring role.
The first murder is not the last, and other crimes are discovered in the process of the investigation. Lots of characters are implicated as possible suspects, but they don’t appear to fit all the requirements—motive, means, and opportunity. These crimes are a puzzle to local detectives as well as the private investigators Sophie works with. She is not a private investigator; she is an accountant. In this book, however, she is able to do some informal forensic accounting along with on the ground sleuthing to catch some crooks. Broadcast 4 Murder is funny, has a complicated plot, and will keep you turning pages while you just don’t want it to end.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #7 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series, but you can enjoy this cozy mystery as a standalone. This husband/wife writing team does an excellent job of beginning the action simultaneously with providing pertinent details of the backstory. They never miss a beat.
Publication: October 27, 2020—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
“Someone misplaced an apostrophe on some boxes? That’s the trouble these days. Schools no longer teach the important things. They’re too busy with social skills and self-esteem building. How can anyone build self-esteem if they can’t write a decent sentence?”
“You don’t have to worry about social media. She doesn’t use it. She prefers yenta media. It’s faster and commands a larger audience.”
It played out during the entire week with more and more salient details every night. It was as if we had our own version of Telemundo, only instead of seasoned actors, we had greedy retirees.
education pathways 