Tantor Audio – Page 3 – Carol's Notebook

The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton

August 25, 2022 by Carol2 Comments

The Burning Pages is the 7th in the Scottish Bookshop series and I think you need to have read at least a few of the others to really enjoy this one. It relies a lot on you caring about the characters and having a feel for the backstories. Yes, everyone is introduced and explanations given, but it's not the same as growing to know them from the first book. As you read in the blurb above, Hamlet is the prime suspect in a murder case, so of course, Delaney is determined to prove he didn't do it, a task made more difficult when Hamlet disappears. As always, I liked Delaney. She's caring and loyal and usually has at least a decent reason to be investigating. She also has a good relationship with Inspector Winters and shares information better than a lot of amateur detectives. Her friends and coworkers are the requisite quirky, protective bunch. The plot of the book flows well and does...

A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette

February 11, 2022February 11, 2022 by Carol2 Comments

A Deadly Inside Scoop is the first book in the Ice Cream Parlor mystery series. Bronwyn "Win" has taken over the family ice cream shop, and she is off to a rocky start with the weather and then finding a body in the snow. It starts to look like her father is a suspect. Win and her friend Maisie team up and do some amateur sleuthing to find out who killed Stephen Bayard, a con man who has a past with Win's family. I love the ice cream shop and the flavors Win comes up with. I also like that it's set in my home state. I've never been to Chagrin Falls, but it sounds like a cute town. I liked Win and her family well enough, especially her grandfather. Win has two best friends, Riya and Maisie. Riya has quite a temper and Maisie is a little ditzy and maybe watches too many mystery tv shows. They are both mostly...

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah

December 4, 2021December 3, 2021 by Carol8 Comments

The Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off cover is absolutely adorable and honestly may have been the reason I picked it up. It's the second in the Beacon Bakeshop series but worked fine for me as a stand-alone. Lyndsey wants a perfect Christmas, she's got tons of lights for her lighthouse bakeshop, her family is coming, and her bakery is filled with all kinds of goodies. Then, of course, things start to go awry. The town announces a Christmas cookie contest with a celebrity judge, hoping to draw more tourists and their money. Every business that wants to participate, and everyone does, must have a signature cookie set out for visitors, then there's voting and a live finale. Except, most business owners don't bake or don't have time to, so Lyndsey's phone starts ringing off the hook for "signature cookies." She is overwhelmed until Carol Nichols arrives out of the blue and takes over most of the baking. And then the...

Reindeer Runes by Danielle Garrett

November 17, 2021November 16, 2021 by Carol4 Comments

Reindeer Runes is the second in the Winter Witches of Holiday Haven series, but it stands alone. It's written by a different author and features different characters, but takes place in the same world. Rudolph and Jack Frost are missing! In this fun Christmas cozy mystery Lumi and Corbin, Jack Frost’s brother, must find the missing icons before Santa finds out Rudolph is missing and before Jack misses his coronation as the Frost king. Lumi and Corbin are likable and their interactions feel real. Corbin is powerful but funny and a good detecting partner for Lumi, who is smart and quiet, and laid back. Their blossoming attraction didn't feel forced or overly rushed. The mystery was well-done. We had several possibilities and the "deadline" added some urgency. The supporting cast is a colorful collection, including pixies. With mystery, magic, and a bit of romance this book is a perfect read for this time of year. ...

Sleigh Spells by Bella Falls

November 12, 2021November 22, 2021 by Carol2 Comments

Mystery, magic, and romance at Christmas - Sleigh Spells is such a fun, sugary book. Aurora has a bit of a history, but serving probation in Holiday Haven has given her a fresh start. I love Holiday Haven. It's one of the towns near the North Pole and it is all about Christmas, even more so when the holiday is just days away. Then Santa's sleigh goes missing and none other than Mrs. Claus asks Aurora to investigate. Aurora is a witch, but wary of her magic — ice and especially fire can cause plenty of damage. She makes several new friends, most of whom are a little magical. My personal favorite is Nutty, her roommate who is a talking squirrel and also on probation, for stealing nuts of course. She also has a potential love interest. It's nice to see Aurora have a group of people she can rely on for help, it's something she hasn't had before in...

An English Murder by Cyril Hare

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

An English Murder is a typical, country house, murder mystery common in Golden Age mysteries, with a slightly different feel. Although the set-up is one of my favorites – a group of guests snowed in at a country house over the holidays – the modern world is beginning to impinge. Domestic staff is harder to get hold of and Briggs, the butler, valiantly does his best to keep up standards with far less help than he previously had. Meanwhile, the house is suffering from a lack of staff and money. It looks impressive, but maintenance is expensive and the present Lord Warbeck’s son, Robert, is unlikely to be able to afford his inheritance. Lord Warbeck is old, and ill, and wants to have his family with him at Christmas. His guests include his son, Robert, who is the President of the League of Liberty and Justice, a an antisemitic and anti-socialist organization; Sir Julius Warbeck, Chancellor of the Exchequer; Mrs. Carstairs,...