A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke

A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke

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....
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A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

by CarolNo Comments
Anahera has returned to her hometown of Golden Cove, a small, secluded enclave in New Zealand after the death of her husband. She hasn't even settled in when a young, vibrant woman vanishes without a trace. Will Gallagher, the sole police officer stationed in Golden Cove, is quick to launch a search for the missing woman and of course, Anahera joins the rest of the town in canvassing the area. When the search proves fruitless, Will must consider that a local is responsible for Miriama’s disappearance. Will finds himself relying on Anahera to help unearth the secrets that may reveal a killer hiding in their midst.The woman’s disappearance reminds the folks in town of a summer fifteen years ago, when three female hikers also disappeared. Anahera and Will are both complex, well developed characters, who can both get a little too caught up in their pasts. I liked the relationship that developed between them and their attraction added to...
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The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge by Martin Edwards

The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge by Martin Edwards

by Carol2 Comments
The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge is set in Yorkshire in the 1930's. Nell Fagan is somewhat desperately trying to find a great story to get back in the good graces of a good London newspaper. She's on the trail of something possibly big in the small town of Blackstone Fell, looking into historic and modern disappearances as well as the local sanatorium. When she realizes the extent of her possible case, she decides to consult Rachel Savernake, our "amateur" sleuth. She is not 100% honest about what's going on however and Rachel dismisses her. Nell returns to Yorkshire to continue her investigation alone and with difficulty. Meanwhile, Rachel enlists some associates to look into the matters, too.  It's a good story with a lot going on. The disappearances are a locked room mystery, but more of a sidelight to the main plot. We've got seances, dangerous caves, and a spooky tower, and Nell was right to be suspicious of the...
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Death at the Deep Dive by Josh Lanyon

Death at the Deep Dive by Josh Lanyon

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...
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Board to Death by CJ Connor

Board to Death by CJ Connor

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...
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A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany

A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany

by Carol2 Comments
Gemma Doyle owns a Sherlock Holmes-themed bookshop, which I loved. As with most cozy mysteries, she often stumbles across the crimes in her small town, in this case West London on Cape Cod. She's also dating a police detective, Ryan Ashburn, which of cour leads to some tension. This time around, Gemma decides to help a young girl, Lauren, clear her mother of murder charges. The dead body of Anna, a well-known gardener, is found in the darkest part of the park. There were no witnesses and little evidence, but Anna and Sheila, Lauren's mom, had a major fight the morning of the murder. A Curious Incident is fun and the mystery is put together well. We have several suspects and Gemma does a good job putting the clues together. Gemma is a good character, observant, smart, and nice. Her friends add charm to the story and they all make me smile....
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