M/M Romance – Carol's Notebook

Body at Buccaneer’s Bay by Josh Lanyon

January 18, 2022January 19, 2022 by Carol4 Comments

Ellery once again finds a dead body, this time while diving with his boyfriend, Chief Police Officer Jack Carson. The body is sealed into an old diving suit they find in a shipwreck. Then, Odette Wallace, a wealthy widow, hires Ellery to find out who is trying to kill her. Apparently, she's a big believer in the ability of amateur sleuths. Of course, the two mysteries are connected The mystery was interesting. Everyone on the island has an idea about who the man in the suit was, but no proof. Odette and the step-children are not the nicest people, and Ellery probably shouldn't have taken the case but he needs the money. Ellery figures out the solution in the end, just a step or two behind Jack. The wrap-up was a bit anti-climactic though. Ellery is his usual smart, but bumbling self. Jack is very competent, and to me his concerns regarding Elliott getting swept up in cases make sense. I...

Scandal at the Salty Dog by Josh Lanyon

July 19, 2021July 20, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. It's light and fun with just enough tension thrown in. Of course, it does have everything a cozy should have - an amateur detective, a bookstore, a dog, a quaint town, quirky secondary characters, and a sexy love interest. And of course, Ellery finds himself in danger on a semi-regular basis. This is a series best read in order. While the mystery is confined to this book, you'll understand the characters' backgrounds and relationships better if you start from the beginning. This time around Ellery finds himself in the middle of two mysteries. First, someone's breaking into the Salty Dog pub and stealing food. Second, Mrs. Blackwell is being haunted, well, maybe not haunted - Ellery doesn't believe in ghosts, but someone uninvited has definitely been in her house. Of course, the two are connected, but it takes a bit to figure out how. Ellery and Jack are finally kinda dating in this one, which is nice....

Mystery at the Masquerade by Josh Lanyon

July 15, 2021December 3, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

Mystery at the Masquerade is the third in this engaging cozy mystery series. I have to say reading them in order really is best to give you a full picture of the characters and the town of Pirates Cove. This quick, entertaining read finds our amateur sleuth, bookshop owner Ellery Page, dragged into another murder investigation. This time the murder occurs in the middle of the Marauder’s Masquerade, the town's most highly anticipated social event of the year, and, again, Ellery is there when the body is discovered. For once, he's not the main suspect but a new friend is. I thought the mystery was well-done. Honestly, this is the best in the series so far. Yes, maybe it was a bit easy to figure out the culprit, but it is a cozy, the characters and relationships are as important as the plot. We get to know more about Jack in this one and I like how the relationship between Ellery...

Secret at Skull House by Josh Lanyon

July 14, 2021July 13, 2021 by Carol2 Comments

Secret at Skull House is #2 in the Secrets and Scrabble series. It could work as a stand-alone but as with so many series it's best to read Murder at Pirate's Cove first to get a better feel for the characters and setting, Things are starting to settle down for Ellery. That is until the news that a famous author of supernatural mysteries – Brandon Abbott – has purchased Skull House, a large, dilapidated house outside of town. Well, almost everyone is excited. Nora, Ellery's assistant, had hoped the place would be the new home of the local historical society. Ellery is also not thrilled. He and Brandon had been in a relationship several years earlier that didn't end well. Ellery doesn't want to see him again, but it's a small town and that's impossible. It only gets worse when Brandon is found dead on the rocks below the house. Once again, Ellery is the main suspect and starts asking...

Murder at Pirate’s Cove by Josh Lanyon

July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

Ellery Page moves to Pirate Cove after inheriting a book store and a huge house from his great great great aunt Eudora, whom he had never actually met. It's actually a great time for Ellery to start a new life, after his ex cheated on him and his screenwriting career is not going great. But of course, it's not smooth sailing. The house is in need of endless repairs and the bookshop is in the red. Ellery is facing pressure from Trevor Maples, a mayoral candidate to sell, but he doesn't want to. And then Trevor ends up dead, murdered, laying in a pool of blood in the bookstore. And, of course, Ellery is the main suspect and as in any good cozy mystery starts investigating on his own. I like Ellery. He's charming and funny and sweet and I love his dog. Police Chief Carson I'm not sure about yet. He's a good guy, steady and honest, and the...