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Deception–things are not as they seem
Deception
by Patricia Bradley
Action and tension are abundant in Patricia Bradley’s Deception, the fourth book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers Series. Madison, the protagonist, is a special agent with the Investigative Services Branch. After the bust of a human trafficking ring in Big Bend in which Madison’s partner is killed, she decides to switch gears and work in a white collar crimes division. She is good at both jobs.
In Mississippi she goes to visit her beloved grandfather, a retired judge, and things turn ugly and violent. A woman who could be Madison’s doppelgänger is attacked. Who is she and which one of the two was actually targeted? There is also a missing girl who was being rescued from her pimp. Could she have been the target? Madison is convinced that a suicide being investigated is in fact a homicide. This novel borders on being a police procedural as there are so many agencies involved.
The book has some romance as Madison is helped by Clayton, a former childhood friend, who is now a ranger in charge of a district in the Natchez Trace. Another interesting character is Nadine, the judge’s longtime housekeeper. She is in her eighties. She doesn’t say a lot, but she is a very careful observer and has great hearing.
Deception has lots of twists to the plot, and the characters not only have secrets, but many really do actively deceive. Madison turns to Clayton to try to understand forgiveness. He explains how he has forgiven others who have hurt him: “Because God forgave me for all the ways I’ve hurt others.” “I didn’t [do the forgiving]. God did it in me. But I had to give up my right to be angry and resentful.”
A huge part of the plot involves adoptions and family history, but all of these seemingly disparate threads tie together quite dramatically when the mysteries are resolved. Deception is my first exposure to this author. I definitely plan on reading more by her. It was an exciting book, and I like the way she gently wove Christian beliefs into a suspenseful tale.
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: Suspense, Christian, Romance
Notes: #4 in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers Series. It is enjoyable as a standalone, but I wish I had read the first ones. The first chapter dives into a previous time frame that sets up Madison’s reason for turning to white collar crime investigation and is easily understood. Then as the plot turns to current events, a lot of characters are introduced (or maybe reintroduced?). I pushed through that and because the plot is the focus, it all sorted itself out. I’m glad I persevered for a few chapters.
Publication: August 2, 2022—Revell
Memorable Lines:
“He was this important businessman, and Mom always told me not to bother him. When he was at home it was like tiptoeing on eggshells, but at least he wasn’t home much.”
Sister. She loved the way the word wrapped around her heart. It sounded as though neither of their lives had been rosy, but perhaps this could be a new start for both of them.
He got the impression Madison didn’t trust many men. And after meeting her father, he could understand why. And then there was a the FBI agent who tried to ill her.
Peanut Butter Panic–complicated, but humorous, mystery
Peanut Butter Panic
by Amanda Flower
I always enjoy the novels in Amanda Flower’s cozy mystery series The Amish Candy Shop Mysteries. Peanut Butter Panic is no exception.
Bailey, an Englisch chocolatier, is co-owner with her grandmother of Swissmen Sweets in the tourist town of Harvest. There is a lot going on for Bailey. Margo, the town event coordinator, has organized a Thanksgiving celebration for the whole area that unifies the Amish and the Englisch in one big celebration. The arrival of Margot’s mother Zara, a fierce retired judge who is remembered for the harsh sentences she passed on Amish defendants, arrives suddenly and is unexpectedly accompanied by a much younger boyfriend. Her appearance throws Margot into a panic as Zara has made it clear that Margot has never lived up to her standards. When a murder occurs at the dinner, both Margot and Zara appeal to Bailey who has a reputation as a successful unofficial sleuth.
Other complications in the plot for Bailey include the intense sales period of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is difficult to produce enough sweets for all of these events in addition to the Jethro bars made for tourists in honor of the pot-bellied pig Jethro who has appeared on Bailey’s cooking show. Add in the difficulties of Bailey’s semi-long distance relationship with Aiden who has accepted a position with the Ohio BCI. She is also considering expanding Swissmen Sweets which would be a big change for her and for her grandmother.
There are a lot of twists and turns as hidden relationships and identities emerge. When the book appeared to be at a point of closure, I found myself wondering if I had missed something as I read. I still didn’t know whodunnit! But the last pages hold yet another surprise, the mystery is solved, and some real justice is done.
Characters are vital to this story. The reactions of people to Margot and to her mother Zara speak volumes. There is animal humor in the book as Jethro the polka-dotted pig plays an important role along with Puff the rabbit and a new character, Gator, a rather vicious little purse dog. Another character I enjoy is Charlotte who has a recently decided to leave the Amish way and is gradually transitioning to the Englisch way of life. This is a fun cozy with interesting characters and a good plot. I recommend the whole series.
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: #7 in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, but could be read as a standalone
Publication: August 23, 2022—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
Amateur sleuthing required a great deal of balance I realized. Enough meddling to get the answers but not so much as to obstruct justice or negatively impact the prosecution of a criminal.
I did notice that the shouts and cheers for the little bacon bundle were a tad more jubilant than they had been for me. I understood. I wasn’t an adorable little comfort pig. It was difficult to compete with such cuteness.
“…Zara was the kind of person who could have a terrible time just about anywhere. She complained about everything, even when it was done just as she liked it. She found fault with just about everything I did.”
Marriage Can Be Mischief–cold case surfaces
Marriage Can Be Mischief
by Amanda Flower
Millie, a widowed member of the Amish community in Harvest, Ohio, supports her modest lifestyle by making quilts. Her extra talents are matchmaker and sleuth. Lois, her Englisch best friend from childhood who loves being her sidekick, calls her the Amish Marple. The two have some wild and sometimes dangerous adventures in the pursuit of truth.
In Marriage Can Be Mischief, a human skull is found at the bottom of a ravine. This discovery leads to the reopening of a cold case in which forty years ago Samuel Zook, a disagreeable buggy maker, was found dead at the top of that same ravine in his buggy. His wife Galilee had disappeared. As Millie and Lois investigate, they find several people with strong motives for wanting Samuel dead. The sheriff closes the case again when the skull is identified, but Deputy Little and Millie think it is important to pursue it to give justice to the victim.
There is a lot of humor mixed into the story as Phillip and Peter, Millie’s two pet goats, continue their mischievous antics. When Lois inserts references to media in conversations (e.g. James Bond), Millie is totally lost as to the meanings. Media is just not a part of the Amish lifestyle.
Ruth Yoder, the bishop’s very particular and exacting wife, plays a recurring important role in the story. When Millie matches up Phoebe, Ruth’s granddaughter, with Lad Zook who will one day inherit his family’s buggy business, Ruth must insert herself into the relationship. Millie has a love interest of her own when an old flame moves to the area. She has to decide if she is ready for a new relationship. Her husband Kip has been dead for twenty years, but she still loves him.
This is a very busy book, but the parts tie together nicely. I felt like I was in the middle of the community, and I cared about the characters. The contrast of the Amish and Englisch ways, without passing judgement on either, is well done.
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, Christian
Notes: This is #3 in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series. It would be OK to read this book as a standalone, but it would be worth your time to read the first two for character backgrounds and humor. This also ties in with another Amish mystery series by Amanda Flower which is also set in Harvest, but although some characters from that series make cameo appearances in this one, the two series are independent.
Publication: November 30, 2021—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
…the light was breaking through the trees. I let out a breath. Sunrise was my very favorite part of the day. Each morning offered new opportunity and ways to give thanks to Gott for this life.
She sniffed and patted the white prayer cap on the back of her head as if to be sure it was perfectly in place. Of course it was; a prayer cap would know better than to move on Ruth Yoder.
“Who is your wife’s cousin?” “The sheriff. He’s no friend of the Amish, I can tell you that. If he knew we had an Amish man living on our farm, he would be fit to be tied. Honestly, we don’t talk to him much. He’s a sour person. Life is too short to be around people like that.”
On Spine of Death–hidden bones
On Spine of Death
by Tamara Berry
Tess, a thriller writer, believes in using real life as an inspiration for her fiction. Sometimes that means investigating real murders that happen in her newly adopted small hometown, even on her own property. She also sets up scenarios to see if a situation is possible even if not probable. She is quite successful and has been able to renovate (i.e. make livable) a cabin she inherited from her grandfather. Newly divorced, she lives there with her teenage daughter Gertrude. In this book there are an assortment of interesting characters including two undercover FBI agents: Nikki who acts as a bookmobile librarian and Jared, a strapping young man who works construction for Tess as she tries to transform her grandfather’s wreck of a hardware store into a bookstore. Jared doesn’t do well as an undercover agent because he can’t “lie his way out of a paper bag.”
It is during the demolition of parts of the store that skeletons are discovered. Judging from similar hatchet marks on the bodies, it seems there has been a serial killer at work. The plot takes off from there as the story becomes more and more complicated. It appears the murderer has returned and is trying to frame either Tess’ family or the sheriff.
Woven through the mystery there is a lot of humor in situation and dialogue. There is also some romance and sabre rattling as Jared and Sheriff Boyd are both attracted to Tess.
The ending is dramatic and full of action. There is resolution of the mysteries but also a hook to make the reader want to read of Tess’ next adventures which will assuredly include some of both the romantic and investigative varieties. She may even find time to reach some of her publisher’s deadlines for her next book. Be ready to suspend reality and enjoy some over the top humorous situations in On Spine of Death.
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: #2 in the By the Book Mystery Series. I recommend reading this series from the beginning rather than trying to read this book as a standalone. It is a series where you will benefit from meeting the characters and watching their relationships develop.
Publication: November 29, 2022—Poisoned Pen Press
Memorable Lines:
She also knew that the more exhausted the sheriff was, the more likely he was to cave. That was a trick Gertrude used all the time. Requests for increases to her allowance always occurred with greater frequency whenever Tess was approaching a deadline.
There was no telling how or why rumors spread so quickly in a place like this, where social media existed mostly in the form of the church calling tree and chance encounters at the grocery store, but there was no denying that they did. No one went so far as to throw stones at her or start waving pitchforks in her face, but the hostility was palpable.
Tess had always assumed that hackers were social misfits, living off Mountain Dew and whole bags of Doritos in the dark. A humorous hacker who could manipulate her like playing a drum opened up a whole new world of possibilities.
Riverbend Gap–looking for love
Riverbend Gap
by Denise Hunter
I didn’t think a romance could be an actual page-turner for me, but Riverbend Gap surely was. Although there are a few dangerous, dramatic scenes, that was not the cause of my reluctance to put the book down. It was the characters!
All of the main characters are seeking love, stability, and trust. Katie, who spent most of her life in the foster care system, moves to Riverbend Gap in search of her biological mother. After the death of her brother, she needs a new start. She needs the love of a family. When Cooper, a deputy, finds her in a precariously balanced car on a cliff after a near-miss with a deer, they make an emotional connection. Unbeknownst to Cooper, Katie is dating his brother Gavin. The brothers have tried to live above the reputation of their alcoholic father all their lives, but it is not easy in a small town. Gavin has other personal issues that are devastating. No one wants to see him hurt even more. Clearly, there is romantic conflict as Katie and Cooper try to stamp out the sparks in their relationship while Gavin is initially oblivious to their attraction.
The Robinson family was blended when Cooper and Gavin’s mom remarried giving the brothers a sister Avery. Avery is a doctor who is also Katie’s boss in Avery’s medical clinic where Katie works as a nurse. The Robinsons are fiercely loyal to each other and well-respected in the community. Problems pile on as Cooper runs for sheriff, and the rumor mill in Riverbend Gap operates at full speed. The community is challenged when part of the Appalachian Trail is closed for repairs. Many businesses in the area depend on thru-hikers who stop to rest up, enjoy a good meal, and restock their packs.
The plot is well played out. I really wanted good things for Cooper, Gavin, and Katie, but it was like watching a train wreck and being unable to predict anything except a collision. Afterwards, how will they pick up the pieces? Will the Robinson family survive betrayal? Will Katie experience rejection once more by her mother? Can Cooper’s campaign for sheriff be salvaged at the ninth hour? The answers are all delightfully found in Riverbend Gap.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. Discussion questions are included.
2. This is #1 in the Riverbend Romance Series, a trilogy.
3. My next review will be on #2, and (sneak peak) I really liked it too!
4. Clean romance.
Publication: October 19, 2021—Thomas Nelson Fiction
Memorable Lines:
He stared into blue eyes that were as convincing as any he’d seen. But he also had an alcoholic dad, and he knew they were capable of lying to themselves—not to mention others—quite convincingly.
He sank deeper into the sofa cushions, wishing he could disappear into the crack with the Doritos crumbs.
Feeling like something a cat coughed up, she locked the door and turned off the light. Her chest was heavy with the crushing weight of Gavin’s pain. The hollow ache of guilt.
Killer Comfort Food–family you choose
Killer Comfort Food
by Lynn Cahoon
There are lots of threads in Lynn Cahoon’s Killer Comfort Food. Angie Turner is a chef who owns the County Seat restaurant in River Vista along with her friend Felicia, a pastry chef who also excels in front end management of the restaurant. Angie’s initial problem is that a developer wants to buy her beloved home for a soybean plant. Complications arise as Barb, owner of the Red Eye bar, needs her help in finding her missing daughter Susan from whom she is also estranged. Susan had every reason to not just disappear, but an argument with her husband causes suspicions to lie heavily on his shoulders.
There are many other threads in this complex plot, but through them all are two shining themes. Frequently in her books, Cahoon stresses the importance of family, especially the kind of family created by people who have bonded together as a work unit or as a community. She also mentions family heritage a lot in this book, including recipes, relationships, the land worked by a family, and the memories forged there. The other theme is generosity as Angie and her friends go out of their way to support each other and extend that same kindness to people they don’t know.
Lynn Cahoon is one of my go-to authors for cozy mysteries You can even start one of her series in progress as she excels at providing background information. I recommend both this book and this series.
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 Farm-to-Fork Mystery Series, but great as a standalone.
2. Cahoon reached back through the memories of her childhood and included the recipe for Quick Cookies, a cookie that requires a few minutes on the stovetop, but no baking.
Publication: January 5, 2021—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“No worrying. Not yet. Save your worry for tomorrow.”
“Hate’s a strong word. I just want Todd sent to live on the surface of the sun so I don’t have to think about him ever again.”
…she was surrounded by people who cooked when they were nervous and who also knew that food made everything just a little more bearable.
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.”
Death, Dismay and Rosé–opportune timing
Death, Dismay and Rosé
by J. C. Eaton
Norrie is a screenwriter and part owner of Two Witches Winery on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. She is counting the days until her sister returns from Costa Rica to take over the winery again and she can return to her lawyer boyfriend Bradley and her urban life.
Unfortunately, Norrie finds herself, yet again, in the middle of a murder she needs to solve to get a friend released from jail. The situation is not simple, however. Although Norrie is not superstitious, one of her staff members and lots of tourists are. Now Norrie has to deal with a local, two hundred year old curse that supposedly takes effect when a full moon and the summer solstice occur on the same night. The results could be deadly.
Neighboring winery owners Don and Theo and entomologist Godfrey are Norrie’s friends and are dragged reluctantly into her investigations which are not always legal and are sometimes dangerous. The clock is ticking as time draws near for the solstice to occur and for the local police to give up on their murder investigation. Will Norrie be able to solve the crime before another death occurs, Alex is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, some thieves get away with a stolen Porsche engine, or Norrie and Godfrey are arrested? So much is riding on her investigation. Fortunately, Norrie is both spunky and determined.
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: #6 in the Wine Trail Mystery Series, but OK as a standalone
Publication: September 29, 2020—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
It’s never good when someone says they hope something doesn’t upset you, because inevitably, it will upset you. I held my breath and waited for her to continue.
“Do you have any idea what kind of danger you’re putting yourself in? And I don’t mean the skunk. The mess you’re getting into won’t be solved by a can of tomato juice and a hose!”
Funny how food can make people forget whatever else is on their minds, because for a brief respite, I found myself immersed in a whole other world…
Death by Jack-O’-Lantern–vets helping vets
Death by Jack-O’-Lantern
by Alexis Morgan
Ostensibly a Halloween cozy mystery, Death by Jack-O’-Lantern by Alexis Morgan is so much more. In addition to a great mystery, there is a budding romance between Tripp Blackson and his landlady Abby McCree and lots of small town activity as Snowberry Creek in the Pacific Northwest pulls together to make their Halloween Festival a success. In the midst of a murder investigation, pumpkins carved to resemble townspeople crop up all over town, produced by an anonymous artist. There are lots of supportive new friends for Abby as she tries to settle into her new town, but there are also some puzzling characters. The overarching serious questions are important ones: How can we help returning veterans with PTSD? To what extent does a person go to help and protect his friend?
Abby goes too far in her investigations, stirring up danger for herself and anger in Tripp and the local law enforcement officers as they fear for her safety. Zeke, her mastiff mix, plays a recurring role as her buddy and protector. Abby, an excellent manager and organizer, spends a lot of her time coordinating volunteers for several committees. She also loves to bake, especially for her friends, and to consume copious amounts of caffeinated coffee and sweet treats.
I enjoyed this top notch cozy mystery, and I’m looking forward to the next one in the series. Kudos to the author as this story’s ending was one I didn’t see coming!
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: #2 in the Abby McCree Mystery Series. It would be OK to read as a standalone, but I think it would be more enjoyable if you read #1 in the series first.
Publication: August 27, 2019—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
“Connie has a real talent for ‘volunteering’ people. I swear, you walk into city hall to ask a simple question about property taxes and somehow walk out in charge of a major town event. You’re even grateful for the chance to help out.”
Abby used artificial sweetener in her coffee to help compensate for the huge chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies she’d ordered. Yeah, it was a bit silly, but logic didn’t play a big part in her need for chocolate in times of stress.
She’d let Zeke outside for his usual morning patrol around the yard, but he hadn’t come trotting back in to inhale his breakfast…When she finally spotted him, her heart almost broke. He was sitting on Tripp’s front porch and staring at the door as if sheer determination would make his friend appear. How on earth was she supposed to explain to him that his buddy had been locked up in the people pound?
education pathways 