The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series #1-3 by Marcy Blesy

The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series #1-3 by Marcy Blesy

Rosi is recently divorced and out of a job. She heads from her home in Illinois to Tucson to help out with her dad, who is having knee surgery, planning to stay for a couple of weeks. Her parents rent a house for the cooler months in the Tucson Valley Retirement Community. She meets a few of the locals, but of course it's not long until she finds a dead body, Salem Mansfield, the bookstore owner. Rosi doesn't think Police Officer Dan Daniel is up to the task of finding the killer, so does some investigating of her own. I like Rosi. She's funny and smart and the relationships between her and her mom and dad felt real. She also connects with the local landscaper, her potential love interest, and gets an adorable puppy. All the good ingredients in a cozy. I will say that even though the mystery was good, the characters stole the show. Rosi has, of course, decided...
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A Canadian Werewolf in New York by Mark Leslie

A Canadian Werewolf in New York by Mark Leslie

A Canadian Werewolf in New York is a fun book. Michael Andrews is a best-selling author living in New York who is also a werewolf. He's just back from a night roaming the city as a wolf when his ex-girlfriend shows up at his apartment, asking him to help find out what her fiancé is involved in. Michael has heightened smell and strength, thanks to his wolf half, which is helpful when it comes to tracking down the fiancé and the bad guys he's dealing with. This is a light book - some adventure, some humor, some bad guys, a potential love interest that knows he's a werewolf and is okay with that. I was looking for a werewolf book that wasn't a romance or horror and maybe had a bit of a mystery. This was a perfect pick....
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Turkeys and Thanksgiving by Leena Clover

Turkeys and Thanksgiving by Leena Clover

Turkeys and Thanksgiving was my first visit to Pelican Cove, but it was a cute story. Mr. Harrison's prize turkey is missing and he asks Jenny, our amateur sleuth, to find it after the police don't take him seriously. Jenny and her friends, the Magnolias, seem fun and like the type to get into predicaments. I like how the town seems to pull together, like for a Thanksgiving potluck. The mystery itself wasn't terribly complicated, but this is a novella so I wouldn't expect it to be. It was a good holiday read and a nice introduction to the series for me....
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Candy Cane Conspiracy by Cate Lawley

Candy Cane Conspiracy by Cate Lawley

Candy Cane Conspiracy is fun and cute. I did read "Tea with a Demon" first, which is a short story telling about the book Trixie and her grandmother are updating, All Things Magical and Bumpy Things in the Night. It's also the first time Trixie meets Sylvester, a very handsome, very gentlemanly, very knowledgeable demon who plays a major role in the Candy Cane Conspiracy. Trixie has moved to Idaho to escape her magical creature problem, but of course, it's not that easy. The local furry fairies who look a lot like squirrels have been bothering her. And then one day close to Christmas, she comes out of her house one morning on her way to work to discover that her bushes and trees are filled with candy canes, thanks to the fairies. Turns out there's been a murder in town. A local witch is dead, stabbed with a candy cane just like the ones in her yard. Sylvester, newly arrived...
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Halloween Party Murder by Leighann Dobbs

Halloween Party Murder by Leighann Dobbs

Halloween Party Murder is a fun novella. Juniper Holliday throws the best parties and this year's Halloween party is gearing up to be fabulous — until the cops cut it short after a dead woman is found in the guest house. Juniper is funny and eccentric and not afraid to speak her mind. I enjoyed the tension between her and the dective on the case. There's a touch of paranormal: a few helpful ghosts, and some friendly neighborhood werewolves. It was funny, the mystery was clever, and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. The next in the trilogy will come out just in time for Thanksgiving....
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The Snowman Killer by Wendy Meadows

The Snowman Killer by Wendy Meadows

I have to admit I was less than impressed by the beginning of The Snowman Killer. It was a bit confusing at first. Sarah, a former homicide detective, has moved to a small town in Alaska for a fresh start. She now owns a coffee shop and writes mystery stories under a pseudonym. But someone is using the plot of her own book to threaten her. And there's a new detective in town who knows more about her than she's comfortable with. Once I settled into the story though it was enjoyable enough. The plot moves along quickly and takes some twists and turns or jumps depending on how you look at it. There are several characters to keep straight and we don't really get to know them well because it is so short. It was free, which was nice too. As a series, it has potential. I'll probably at least give the next one a read....
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