Carol's Notebook

A Trip with Trouble by Diane Kelly

August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

I like the basic setup here. Misty owns the Mountaintop Lodge and is hosting a group of women motorcyclists for the week. And one of the bikers ends up dead, killed while they were out on a ride. Misty is naturally observant and working around the lodge gives her the perfect opportunity to talk to the women and get a peek inside their rooms. I like Misty in a lot of ways. She's nice, relatable, and does a good job of sharing information with the police. I also like her relationship with her handyman, Rocky, but I don't like her "should I / what if?"s. She's a decisive, confident woman- otherwise she wouldn't own the lodge. I also don't understand, for someone who has never ridden a motorcycle, how she knows every make and model of the women's bikes as they pull into the lot. She also jumps to conclusions quickly. She's willing to admit when she's wrong and maybe it's...

Vinyl Resting Place by Olivia Blacke

August 14, 2023August 14, 2023 by Carol1 Comment

Vinyl Resting Place is the first in the Record Shop Mysteries. It's always nice to catch a new series at the beginning. Juni Jessup and her sisters, Tansy and Maggie, open Sip & Spin Records in Cedar River, Texas where they sell vinyl records and coffee. While the sisters are cleaning up after their grand opening party, Juni opens the supply to find a dead woman. The woman is murdered and the sisters' uncle, who is also their silent partner, seems to be the main suspect. Juni is a fun character, smart and a bit quirky. She's just moved back to town and is catching up with old friends and new gossip. Her sisters are good sidekicks. Her ex-boyfriend, Beau Russel, is investigating the case, leading to several awkward encounters. I'm not a fan of Beau. We're told he's a good guy, but he seems manipulative, bossy and underestimates Juni. He's romantic interest #1. We also have romantic interest #2, Teddy,...

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany

August 9, 2023August 10, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas is a fun cozy mystery set in the quirky town of Rudolph, New York, where it’s Christmas all year round. Merry Wilkinson owns the local gift shop and knows just about the whole town. Everyone is looking forward to the local theater group's production of A Christmas Carol, including Merry's mom, Aline, a retired opera singer who is the music director. The cast, however, is arguing about everything from costumes to parts. Then the actress playing Mrs. Crachit is found dead, murdered in Merry's shop. Everyone involved in the musical is under suspicion, including Merry's mom and her shop assistant, Jackie, which gives Merry plenty of reason to start snooping around. I've read a couple in this series before. I like Merry, her family and friends, and of course her dog, Matterhorn. The mystery itself was put together well. There were several suspects and clues and it's fun to hang out with Merry and...

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah

August 8, 2023August 9, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

First of all, Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant has me craving fall baked goods - pumpkin donuts, pumpkin spice cheesecake, pumpkin scones. And apple dumplings, but those weren't in the book. Lindsey runs her bakery out of a remodeled lighthouse and lives in the keeper's section. It's Halloween and in addition to the town festivities, Lindsey's best friend, Kennedy, has invited the Ghost Guys to come to the lighthouse to film an episode for their show. Lindsey knows the lighthouse is haunted, which makes her even more nervous about the Guys showing up with all their equipment and tech gadgets. The whole things goes horribly awry when a local teacher is found dead, hanging from a tree just outside of the lighthouse. This is the third in the series I've read. I like Lindsey and her family and friends a lot. They're caring, loyal, and the appropriate amount of quirky. The mystery is well done with plenty of clues, suspects, and red...

August Cloak and Dagger Link-Up

August 1, 2023July 31, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Happy August! Summer is going too quickly here. What are your plans for this month, reading or otherwise? We're going to the lake for a long weekend which will be nice. I'm hoping to make it to Amish country for a shopping trip and go to a couple of art festivals. Amber wants to look at folks' setups so she will feel more comfortable entering next year. You can see a small sampling of her work at ajevans-art.com. I'm also planning on finishing the five books I'm in the middle of - or admitting defeat on a couple. It's not that I'm not enjoying them, I just have too many going right now. Link up your August Cloak and Dagger reads below. You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter ...

Mistletoe and Murder by Connie Berry

July 27, 2023July 27, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

I can never pass up a Christmas cozy. In Mistletoe and Murder, American-born antique dealer Kate Hamilton is all set to marry her English detective fiancé Tom Mallory in just a few days on Christmas Eve. Her dress is ordered, local friends have planned the ceremony and reception and family is flying in from near and far. Of course, nothing is ever easy and Kate and Tom are soon mixed up in a missing person case. And flights are delayed. And there's a fire and Kate's dress may have some lingering smoke smell. I read this as a stand alone and felt like the characters and setting were introduced well. I liked Kate and Tom and would consider picking up more in the series. For a novella, the mystery was well done with enough clues and suspects to keep it interesting. ...