Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle

Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle

by Carol4 Comments
I have not read any of the previous Fixer-Upper mysteries, but I have watched a couple of the Hallmark shows, so I kind of felt like I already knew the characters and town. Shannon owns a construction company, and she's been hired by a good friend to help renovate one wing of The Gables, a former institution. The entire property is being revitalized, and Rachel is overseeing the project. Rachel has convinced Shannon's boyfriend, Mac, a famous writer, to become one of the investors. When Shannon and Mac do some exploring, they find a mysterious stranger running around the abandoned property. Later on, he shows up as part of a group of protestors against the project. Even later on, one of those protestors ends up dead, the body found by Shannon of course. How are the secrets of The Gables past threatening people now? The Gables is an interesting location, and I enjoyed all the descriptions and scenes that took place...
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The Diva Haunts the House by Krista Davis

The Diva Haunts the House by Krista Davis

by CarolNo Comments
This is the first Domestic Diva Mystery I've read. I won it from Krista Davis' Facebook page, and it's a perfect read for this time of year. The fact that I jumped in with #5 in the series. The characters were introduced well and we're given enough backstory to get to know how people fit together, but not so much that it's boring. The Diva Haunts the House has everything I want in a seasonal cozy. Halloween is present on almost every page, including costume parties, haunted houses, holiday recipes (included in the back of the book), and ideas for decorating and party-planning at the beginning of each chapter. We've got a cast of entertaining, quirky characters, including several suspects, and even a couple of adorable pets. There were a lot of kids in this one. They were all 12-year olds and they did help move the plot along and kept it entertaining; I just don't really enjoy reading about kids...
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Murder by the Book edited by Cynthia Manson

Murder by the Book edited by Cynthia Manson

by Carol6 Comments
Like a lot of anthologies, Murder by the Book is a mixed batch. All the stories have some literary connection, whether it be books, or a character or is a writer or whatever, and most have a crime that needs solved. Several authors I've read before and was not surprised that their stories were good like Dorothy L. Sayers (even though I don't think I'll ever be a Wimsey fan), Edward D. Hoch, Margaret Maron, Bill Pronzini, and Lawrence Block. I really enjoyed the "Jane Austen Murder" mostly because the main character was a hoot. I will be on the lookout for more by Knowlden. In "A Women's Voice," Hansen did a great job of letting us get to know the characters, even though it's a short story, and surprising me with the whodunnit. I didn't care for "In the Bluebell Wood" or "Body Language." Overall, though, I enjoyed the collection. I think I need to pick up a Halloween...
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Thursday’s Tale: Wickedly Magical by Deborah Blake

by Carol6 Comments
"Wickedly Magical" is a re-working of the Baba Yaga lore. As you may know, Baba Yaga is a strong, powerful, frightening witch who comes to us from Slavic folklore. She often lives in a hut that  stands on chicken legs and is sometimes surrounded by a fence with a skull on each pole. Sometimes the hut has a door which is not revealed unless a magical phrase is uttered. In most tales, Baba Yaga is portrayed as an antagonist; however, some characters have been known to seek her out for her wisdom. She often fulfills the function of donor; that is, her role is in supplying the hero, sometimes unwillingly, with something necessary to further his quest. Seeking out her aid is a dangerous act though. Any hero, or heroine, who seeks her out needs to be properly prepared and pure of spirit. He or she also needs to be polite. It is said she ages one year every time she is...
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