Cozy Mystery – Page 13 – Carol's Notebook

Treats, Tricks, and Trespassing by Kathleen Suzette

October 23, 2023October 23, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Treats, Tricks, and Trespassing picks up six years after the Pumpkin Hollow Mysteries left off. I haven't read any of the Pumpkin Hollow books, but this sounded like a perfect Halloween-ish read, so I picked it up. The author does a good job of introducing the characters, although there are a lot of them. The town itself is fun and quirky, embracing Halloween all year round. Mia and Christy are candy makers and have a cute shop in town. When a local woman is killed in the abandoned mansion, Mia's husband, Detective Ethan Banks, is put in charge of the case, but Mia and Christy decide to do some snooping, and trespassing, on their own. I didn't love the characters, maybe because I didn't know them well. The mystery was okay, with several suspects and a good mix of clues and red herrings. It was fun enough as a seasonal read, but probably not a series I'd pick up outside of...

Dead to Rights by Jasmine Webb

October 18, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Who wouldn't love to find out they've inherited a house and bookshop near the sea in Cornwall? And from a relative they didn't even know? Sign me up. It's not going so great for Mack, though. First, someone else is living in her house - a grandmother she never knew. Then, there's a dead body in her bookstore, and somehow the police have settled on her as a main suspect. I liked a lot of things about Dead to Rights. Mack is a good character - funny, tenacious, a bit snarky. Her grandmother is a hoot. The two make a good team and even their bickering is funny. I like the town with the bookstore, Ugly Mug coffeeshop, and amazing hiking trails. I even like the cat. I didn't like how stupid the cops seem to be. Yes, the detectives in cozy mysteries tend to be a bit bumbling, but this was over the top. I didn't like how Mack trusted a...

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

October 4, 2023October 4, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! is # 34 in the Meg Langslow series, but the first I've read. Honestly, the bird titles just never grabbed my attention. But this one takes place at Christmas and I always love a fun Christmas mystery. It worked fine as a stand-alone, although I assume I would know the characters way better if I had started at the beginning. Meg is a wife, mother, and blacksmith - which really has nothing to do with birds. She has been roped into competing on Blades of Glory, a weapon-making reality show being filmed at Ragnar's house right before Christmas. The show has a variety of competitors, all men except Meg, some of whom are nice and some are total jerks. The two producers and the director are not so great either and want to keep any holiday feel out of the show. Sabotage, an attack, and a murder occur on the set,...

A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke

September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 by Carol1 Comment

This second Record Shop Mystery is a fun, breezy, cozy mystery read. In the first book, we met Juni and her sister, Maggie and Tansy who have opened a record album/ coffee chop is Cedar River, Texas. This time around the mayor has been murdered and of course the Jessup sisters are in the thick of it. Tansy is the one who brewed the coffee that killed him and Juni is the one who discovered the body. I like the sisters. They support each other, but can also be a bit snarky. Their family and friends are well-developed too. And of course, we get a couple of cute animals, including a cow. The mystery itself is good. I did guess who the killer was, but there were plenty of red herrings for distraction. The treasure hunt side plot was a nice addition....

Death at the Deep Dive by Josh Lanyon

August 24, 2023August 24, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

I thoroughly enjoy this series for the characters, mysteries, and setting. Ellery is such a nice guy and I've enjoyed his relationship with Police Chief, Jack. They make a good pair. Pirates Cove on Buck Island is a small town with quirky residents, as befits any good cozy, and Buck Island's pirate history adds a unique flavor. Ellery finds a back of Spanish coins tucked away in the bookstore. Apparently sixty years ago, Vernon Shandy did discover the famed Blood Red Rose treasure before he was killed. By now Ellery has built a bit of a reputation for his amateur detective work, and Vernon's sister Vera, matriarch of the Shandy clan, asks Ellery to solve the murder, offering a list of suspects that includes Ellery's great aunt Eudora. The mystery was put together well. We had several suspects, but the solution is actually a bit sad. The ending of the book was quite sweet, however, and I'm looking forward to the next in...

Board to Death by CJ Connor

August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

I play board games - a lot, which is what drew to Board to Death. It's set in a game store/ cafe which I thought could be super fun. That's also the portion I was most disappointed in. The plot revolves in part around a collectible classic board game, which worked. However, the only "modern" board games that were mentioned were Gloomhaven, Pandemic, and maybe Catan - I'm not sure. I don't know if the author doesn't actually play board games or assumes the reader doesn't. The characters played battleship and had a Connect 4 box fall on them and sold Rummikub. No wonder the shop is having trouble. I did enjoy learning about Nertz, a card game the local business association played. The rules were explained in the back of the book and I may have to make people try it, assuming we have enough different decks for everyone, which I think we might. I did like Ben, though. He's...