eARC – Carol's Notebook

Bait and Swiss by Korina Moss

January 23, 2025January 23, 2025 by CarolNo Comments

Curds & Whey has only been open two years and Willa needs to solve a sixth murder. Willa's ex-fiancé, Pierce, and his partner, Willa's former best friend, Riley, have opened a pop-up chocolate shop in the town's revamped bakery. Willa is, reasonably in my opinion, angry that the pair has chosen her town for their newest store, but when a reporter is killed by poisoned chocolates, she knows she's not guilty, even if the police chief isn't so sure. I felt a little bad for the character who got killed. We met him, saw he was pushy, and then he was dead. There was never much consideration that he was even the intended victim. The reader has several suspects to look at, although Willa would rather not believe any of them are guilty. And was destroying the business's reputation the point, or was someone trying to kill AJ, the newspaper editor, or Willa herself? Turns out Pierce is not a very...

The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong

January 22, 2025January 22, 2025 by Carol2 Comments

The Secret of the Three Fates picks up a few months after the first in the series, The Curse of Penryth Hall, in October of 1922. This one probably works as a stand alone, but you'll have a much better feel for the characters and appreciate what we learn about their backgrounds here. This time around, Mr. Owen and Ruby are at a remote manor house in Scotland, supposedly to purchase illuminated manuscripts. Mr. Owen, however, has lied to Ruby and the two of them are actually there to attend a séance- Mr. Owen is hoping to speak to his son, Ben, who died in the War. The séance, hosted by three mediums going by the name of The Three Fates, is frighteningly real. One of the mediums, seemingly possessed by a spirit, delivers an ominous message: There’s nowhere on earth you can hide from the dead. We have not forgotten … we shall not forgive. The dead know what...

Murder at Raven’s Hollow by Louise Marley

January 12, 2025January 13, 2025 by CarolNo Comments

I love visiting Raven’s Edge, a lovely English village that leans into its history and folklore. The series is a bit cozy, a bit police procedural, and a bit Gothic. This time around, DS Harriet March and DI Ben Taylor are called in when a skeleton is discovered behind the florists. Actually, Harriet is already on the scene- she rents the apartment upstairs. Of course, the discovery leads to the reopening of a cold case involving a man who was reported missing over 25 years ago. At the same time, Iris Evergreen, a novelist with a mysterious past, has moved into Raven’s Hollow, a fascinating old mansion, and is asking questions around town about a photo of a man she found in her dead mother's belongings. Murder at Raven's Hollow focuses on Harriet. The case is intricately connected Harriet's past and her family and what she has always believed about her father. But Iris too is connected. We get glimpses of...

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany

November 13, 2024November 13, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

This time around Gemma and the gang are in London for her sister, Pippa's, wedding. Her ex-husband, Paul, asks her to meet him in his bookstore to see a rare used book, but when she and Grant arrive, they find him dead in his office. Gemma feels like she owes it to Paul to help find the killer. I've read enough of the series to know most of the characters so I didn't feel overwhelmed by all the people we only meet briefly before they get sidelined for most of the story. Gemma and friends traipse all over London, to mansions and nightclubs and coffee shops. The clues lead in several directions, but at the same time Pippa is dealing with a government situation and it's no surprise when Gemma's case and Pippa's job overlap. The story is a little far-fetched and the motive a little weak, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I would rather have been on the Holmes...

A Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

October 22, 2024October 22, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

I don't read Murder, She Wrote mysteries often, but I always enjoy them. I grew up watching Jessica Fletcher and the other characters on tv and still turn it on occasionally. It's Christmastime in Cabot Cove and everyone is gearing up for the holidays. This year, the town is going all out as it tries to be named the state's best holiday destination. Eve, however, is more concerned with selling the old Jarvis place. Her job gets more difficult by the minute, First, missing, presumed dead, Kenny Jarvis shows back up. Then, the potential buyer's wife dies, possibly murdered. This one takes its time getting to the killing, but it's fun to get caught up in all the town drama and Christmas planning. I loved the small Thanksgiving dinner and all the Christmas events, but if you're here solely for the murder mystery you might be disappointed. The mystery was fine. There were several suspects even if it was rather...

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley

August 13, 2024August 13, 2024 by Carol2 Comments

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza is the fourth in the Deep Dish Mystery series but the first I've read. I knew it centered around a pizza shop, obviously, but had a different kind of restaurant in my head. Delilah & Son is way fancier than our pizza places generally. Of course, I live in the land of Steubenville/ Ohio Valley pizza and my favorite pizzeria doesn't have any place to sit and eat, either inside or outside, but they do have a stack of napkins on the counter in case you want to eat in your car. They certainly wouldn't be catering the upscale Chrismukkah party the book opens with. The party winds down a bit early when the hosts' family drama gets out of hand and glassware is broken. The next day one of the guests is found dead in a pile of snow being used for a sculpture competition, and of course the guests and catering staff come under...