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Til Death Do Us Party–TN wedding in Vegas
Til Death Do Us Party
by Vickie Fee
Til Death Do Us Party is classified as a mystery, but definitely crosses over to the women’s fiction genre also. It is one-third of the way into the book before there is any hint of crime. This is good because, as part of a series, the author Vickie Fee supplies an abundance of background information and develops her characters so that it works well as a standalone. It is unfortunate for the reader who wants to focus on the mystery, however. The book also ends with several more chapters of personal events after the mystery is solved; these chapters are interesting and provide closure on various situations, but again they relegate the role of the mystery to a less than primary status.
Liv is a professional party planner, but also called upon by family and friends to use her investigative skills in times of crisis. In Til Death Do Us Party, Liv, her best friend Di and assorted family and friends accompany her widowed mother to Las Vegas for “Mama’s” wedding. When the wedding officiant collapses, things go downhill for the wedding plans and Liv has to go into high gear.
The author has a fun writing style, engaging the reader with both the Las Vegas setting and the Tennessee background of the character. There is a romantic triangle involving Di, her boyfriend Sheriff Dave Davidson, and her ex-con ex-husband Jimmy. Di’s renewed attraction to Jimmy is not believable, but the outcome is acceptable.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #4 in the Liv and Di in Dixie Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone
2. The book concludes with Party Tips and Recipes for a Backyard Luau and
Movie Night under the Stars.
Publication: March 27, 2018—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
Landing in Las Vegas was somewhat akin to touching down in Oz. We’d barely left the tarmac before being greeted by the flashing lights and ringing music of the airport slot machines.
Mama, who has a penchant for drama and could have pursued a career on the stage, or as a professional mourner—she can boohoo with the best—wasted no time launching into her performance.
I’ve found if you act like you have a right to be somewhere, most people assume you do.
Uneasy Prey–preying on the elderly
Uneasy Prey
by Annette Dashofy
Zoe Chambers is an EMT whose first call after being on medical leave for eight weeks is to the home of a ninety-two year old found lying at the bottom of the basement stairs. She says someone pushed her. Zoe involves her boyfriend Pete, who is police chief of Vance. The plot gets more involved as the police try to track down a white truck with no windows, Pete has to situate his father in an assisted living facility and Zoe has to find a new home for her horses.
Who wants to prey on elderly residents of small town Vance, Pennsylvania? They are frightened, losing their valuable possessions and potentially their lives. Uneasy Prey by Annette Dashofy is a cozy mystery that tries to answer this question, but opens the door to many more. This is a good read with several surprising twists as Zoe, Pete, and a cast of characters solve crimes and help others.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery
Notes: #6 in the Zoe Chambers Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone
Publication: March 27, 2018—Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
“No, he’s not okay. He’s got Alzheimer’s. He’s never okay.”
…the resolve and underlying anger in Marcus’ eyes made Pete think there was more going on here than a simple brawl between two testosterone-driven teens with anger-management issues.
A familiar mop of short blonde hair…a flash of crimson…sent his heart plummeting. All he could hear was the echo of stillness inside his head and his chest.
A Riesling to Die–the body in the vineyard
A Riesling to Die
by J. C. Eaton
Can a New York City based screenwriter run the family winery for a year? Norrie Ellington puts that question to the test in J. C. Eaton’s cozy mystery A Riesling to Die. Norrie’s sister, who needs to leave Two Witches Winery to accompany her husband on an insect searching sabbatical in Costa Rica, convinces Norrie to upgrade her silent partner status to overseer of the winery.
Upon her arrival, Norrie realizes that the winery will not run itself—especially after the death of a local owner of a Bed and Breakfast. The mystery has lots of interesting characters, from the owners of other small wineries at Seneca Lakes, to rich developers, to her own well-chosen staff. Since the body was discovered in one of her vineyards, Norrie feels obligated to try to discover the murderer, despite the sheriff’s warnings to stay out of the investigations. A Riesling to Die is a good basic cozy that I think you will enjoy.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books (Lyrical Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #1 in the Wine Trail Mysteries
Publication: March 27, 2018 — Kensington Books (Lyrical Press)
Memorable Lines:
She brushed some wisps of hair from the side of her face and I noticed something interesting—small pierced holes for earrings. At least three. Why was she trying to look like Little Miss Sunshine when her real persona was more Madonna? Maybe our mousey little girl is a rat in disguise.
Francine’s kitchen table wasn’t a bad place to work. The only sounds were birds and the occasional motorboat on the lake, unlike the ongoing cacophony outside my apartment. Endless honking of horns, the rumbling of traffic, and oh yes, expletives that came out of nowhere, usually accompanied by doors slamming.
It was one of those warm summer nights that made people forget about the last time they had to shovel three feet of snow or scrape the ice off their windshields.
Double Dog Dare–humorous cozy mystery
Double Dog Dare
by Gretchen Archer
I was surprised to see that Double Dog Dare, a cozy mystery, is also classified by the publisher as humor…until I read it. It is hilarious; all the way through from one complication to another. The storyline starts out simply enough as Davis Way, who is part of the security team at a Biloxi, Mississippi, casino anticipates the arrival of her sister Meredith and Meredith’s friend Vree, a nonstop, stream of consciousness talker with her dog who will be competing in a canine competition at the casino.
From the moment Davis opens the door to the early arriving Vree instead of Meredith, absolutely nothing goes as planned. Author Gretchen Archer creates fun characters and really amusing dialogue. The plot is intricate and when you are not laughing, you will be saying “What???” over the latest development. There are a variety of crimes including kidnappings, impersonations, and thefts. Meredith has a moral dilemma and in trying to help her, Davis also explores ethical and legal boundaries.
While all of these complications are occurring, Davis has to role play the wife of the casino’s owner, care for her twin 20-month old daughters, manage several dogs, and not tell her husband what is going on at home while he is attending a conference in Nashville.
If you want a nonstop mystery that will keep you smiling, laughing, and shaking your head, you’ll want to grab Double Dog Dare. It is now available in Kindle format.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Humor
Notes: #7 in the Davis Way Crime Capers series, but works well as a standalone
Publication: March 20, 2018 —Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
Vree could talk the stars out of the sky. I believed she talked so she wouldn’t have to listen; there was always something Vree didn’t want to hear.
We’d wasted the half hour before that racking our brains for a doctor, a medical examiner, an EMT, a mortician, or even a Girl Scout with her Corpse Badge who owed us a favor…
“It was our constellation prize to them since our dog drew blood.”
I always thought she was just mean, as opposed to otherworldly. As it turns out, she’s neither. She wants what everyone else wants. Someone to love who loves her back. That’s it.
Six Feet Under–deadly Southern cooking
Six Feet Under
by Tonya Kappes
Six Feet Under is a cozy mystery by Tonya Kappes. I had read the first one in the series and then didn’t follow up with books two and three. Forgetting that there is a paranormal aspect to this series, I requested an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. I do not normally enjoy or choose to read anything with paranormal elements.
I have mixed feelings about the book. The paranormal comes in the form of the main character’s ghost sidekick, Poppa. Kenni is the elected sheriff in a small Kentucky town and her grandfather Poppa was previously a sheriff in Cottonwood as well. Kenni grew up discussing crimes with Poppa. In these books, his ghost provides her with clues and a sounding board for her theories. Poppa supplies humor and complexity as Kenni has to guard her conversations with him so people won’t think she is crazy.
Six Feet Under is well-crafted, interesting, and humorous. I admit I enjoyed the tale including all the “Southernisms” of the characters. The romantic interest with her deputy sheriff is good, and the side threads help keep the story going. I was surprised by the the ending. In conclusion, if lighthearted paranormal doesn’t bother you, then you will enjoy this fun cozy mystery.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series
Publication: March 13, 2018—Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
It wasn’t until I’d accepted the fact that Poppa was my guardian angel deputy from the great beyond that I realized he’d been scaring away any would-be criminals during those first two years of my term. Since then, whenever Poppa showed up, I knew there was some sort of crime about to happen. Though I loved seeing him, it made me feel sick to know the reason he was here.
…being on the front of the Chronicle was better than butter on a biscuit for Mama.
For years they’d bragged on Mama’s cooking, but I just figured they were nice compliments with underlying meanings, like our famous saying, bless your heart. It sounded good, but when you shaved back the layers, it was a dagger in the heart and you didn’t even know it.
Southern Discomfort–murder in the kitchen
Southern Discomfort
by Caroline Fardig
Southern Discomfort introduces the sweet and naive Quinn Ballandini, who was raised by her grandmother to have impeccable Southern manners. She and her more rebellious sister help their grandfather manage a successful bed and breakfast in Savannah, Georgia, where Quinn does most of the cooking.
Quinn discovers the dead body of a friend’s brother. This too trusting B & B manager tries to transform herself into an amateur sleuth to get her friend and potentially herself cleared. She is pretty bad at it, but she is persistent. There are lots of interesting characters including her magician grandfather, Papa Sal, her mother who is into drugs and auras, her older sister Delilah, and her Uncle Frank’s ghost who appears to Delilah and Papa Sal. Additionally, former high school football star Tyler re-enters her life with a love-hate relationship. There are also a lot of suspects Quinn has to interview to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Southern Discomfort was a satisfactory read but not as well written as the one other book by Caroline Fardig that I have read from a different series. I would be willing to read the next book in the series, but the extent of the paranormal in the next book will determine further readings in this series.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House (Alibi) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #1 in the Southern B&B Mystery Series.
2. There are some paranormal elements that I found more amusing than offensive.
3. A few delicious sounding recipes are included at the end of the book.
Publication: March 6, 2018—Random House (Alibi)
Memorable Lines:
Well, I’d had a fleeting moment of calm, thinking it might not be so bad to tell my sad story to my old friend Rufus. But with Detective Angrypants staring me down, my nerves frazzled again.
I’d always thought culinary reviewers were highfalutin foodies who savored their food morsel by morsel so as to taste every note and nuance of whatever they were eating. This guy was a inhaling his food. There was a no way he was savoring anything at that pace.
Her words stung me and brought tears to my eyes. Why did she have to be so stinking mean all the time? It was like I was back in high school again, getting picked on by the cool kids.
Who Moved My Goat Cheese?–starting a new restaurant
Who Moved My Goat Cheese?
by Lynn Cahoon
I am delighted to share a new cozy mystery series created by an established author, Lynn Cahoon. Who Moved My Goat Cheese? introduces Angie Turner, a chef who returns to her hometown in the Treasure Valley of Idaho after the death of her grandmother. She, along with fellow culinary expert and best friend Felicia, is opening a new restaurant, The County Seat.
Angie skillfully negotiates the ins and outs of starting a new enterprise in a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Just as she begins to progress in lining up suppliers of fresh food at the local farmer’s market, one of the suppliers dies. As Angie is one of the last people to see him, she is considered a suspect. She has a soft spot for the elderly victim, however, and although she prefers cooking, she feels forced at least temporarily into the role of Nancy Drew.
Who Moved My Goat Cheese? is an interesting cozy with just the right amount of romantic interest, investigations, and excitement. The author obviously has a love of food and animals and while these are major elements throughout the book, they are not overemphasized. I’m looking forward to Cahoon’s next book in this series.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Lyrical Underground (Kensington Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #1 in the Farm-to-Fork Mystery Series
2. A recipe for Lynn Cahoon’s favorite comfort food, a family version of potato soup, is included.
Publication: March 6, 2018—Lyrical Underground (Kensington Press)
Memorable Lines:
You developed bonds with the people you worked with in the trenches day in and day out. Those were the people you trusted.
Her day was planned. What could go wrong?
Instead of worrying about it, she went to her kitchen and did what she always did when the world didn’t make sense. She cooked.
Hummus and Homicide–mystery with a side of hummus
Hummus and Homicide
by Tina Kashian
I read and reviewed more nonfiction books in February than I usually do. While I enjoyed most of them, I emerged from the month a little drained. Just as the month was ending, however, I read a review written by prolific book blogger Betty of Hummus and Homicide. Her review made this cozy mystery appealing, and I was able to request it as an ARC shortly before the deadline. It was just the relaxing break I needed. You can go to Betty’s blog to see her review by clicking here:
Now, on to my review:
Hummus and Homicide is the tale of patent attorney Lucy Berberian’s return from Philadelphia to her hometown Ocean Crest, New Jersey. For eight years she had devoted her life to her career but had hit her head on the metaphorical glass ceiling for women. She bounces back to her family’s Mediterranean restaurant in the small New Jersey beach town. Unfortunately, a former classmate meets an unfortunate demise after Lucy serves her food at the restaurant, making Lucy a prime suspect.
To save her parents’ restaurant from closure and herself from jail, Lucy sets out to discover the killer. There are many possibilities including rival restaurant owners, a famous author, and the boss of a crime family. Along with solving the mystery, Lucy has some personal romantic entanglements to resolve as well as decisions about her career choice to make. Hummus and Homicide is a fun, relaxing read that moves quickly and has interesting, likable characters.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com 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. This is the first book in the new Kebab Kitchen Mystery Series.
2. There are recipes included at the end of the book.
Publication: February 27, 2018—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
If curiosity killed the cat, what would it do to an out-of-work lawyer sticking her nose where it didn’t belong?
Her eyes slid shut as she bit into the hot pastry. the crunch of the thin layers of buttered pastry, the sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts, blended together in a sweet ballet.
She knew how fast news traveled in town. The Internet had nothing on Ocean Crest when it came to the information superhighway.
Why I Quit My Dream Job
I was fortunate to have many years of actually being paid for doing what I loved–nurturing creative souls as they learned to love learning. Toward the end of my 34 year career, I experienced what this younger teacher discovered: all the joy was being ruthlessly sucked out of education. She expresses it well, and I am sure her departure from the field is a loss for students and families.
I can remember standing in my parent’s basement smothered in wood panelling and orange shag carpet with a dry erase board and my second grade math homework. I can remember lining all of my stuffed bears and hippos and whatever else into a strategic seating chart so they could all see the board and I could walk around “the classroom” to ensure each student was on task. I assigned homework and stayed after school to plan for the next day or at least until dinner was ready. Teaching has been my dream since I was cognizant of the fact that a career was possible for me.
I attended an elite teaching school in Colorado, took college credits in high school, made every career decision and personal to match the teaching timeline of my life.
Most recently, I moved back home with my parents, back to the shag carpet and wooden…
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I Can Only Imagine–the inspiration behind the song
I Can Only Imagine
by Bart Millard
What will it be like for a believer in Christ to die and go to heaven? Bart Millard’s answer is “I Can Only Imagine.” If you have not heard this beautiful worship song, I encourage you to go to YouTube and listen right now. Then read the memoir I Can Only Imagine written by Bart Millard, lead singer and organizer of MercyMe and writer of this song. God inspired him to write the song, and he had it down on paper in ten minutes, but as legendary Christian singer Amy Grant told him, referring to his background, “Bart, you didn’t write this song in ten minutes. It took a lifetime.”
Millard’s memoir details what a movie by the same name could only highlight. A product of a severely dysfunctional family, he suffered extreme physical, verbal, and emotional abuse followed by a long period of neglect which could still be punctuated by paternal outbursts of anger. But through it all, God had a plan. This book details Bart’s relationship with God and the dual miracles He worked in the life of Bart and his dad. How could Bart’s father morph from a monster into a role model? How could Bart forgive his father for the horrible abuses wrought on him and go on to become a kind and loving father and husband himself? The answer to these mysteries is summed up in one word—God. More exactly, the miraculous power, love, and mercy of God.
The book also shares how the band MercyMe was formed and worked its way up the ladder in the dog-eat-dog competitive music industry while remaining true to God’s calling for them. Theirs was not a path of instant success, but it was one that glorified God and reflected His plan and goals.
This memoir is well written and honestly reflects the struggles Bart had in his personal as well as musical endeavors. The part of the book that deals with abuse is, of course, difficult to read, but Millard shares enough that the reader understands the depth of what happened without being drawn into lengthy descriptions of the brutality. Millard shares his pain but also inspires with the wondrous miracle of God’s love.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Thomas Nelson (W Publishing) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Memoir
Publication: February 13, 2018—Thomas Nelson (W Publishing)
Memorable Lines:
But through all that noise in my life, whenever I heard perfect union of melody and lyric in a song, something traveled from my ears to my heart and made me feel alive.
I embraced the truth that no matter what happened or what Dad did to me, God was ultimately in control. I became more vocal about my faith, less afraid to ask questions about the Bible, and more confident to state what I believed. What I discovered is that there’s personal empowerment that comes with a relationship with Christ, and this, coupled with a newfound identity in Him, brings real healing to suffering people.
The maddening thing about verbal abuse is how the words you’ve heard replay in your head hundreds of times, even when the person is not around or has stopped saying those things to you.
We all face really hard seasons when it seems as if the entire world is against us, when we think we just cannot win. But when we keep standing strong, following the Lord, and obeying His calling, He will see us through and keep us on His path.
