Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow

Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow

by CarolNo Comments
Death by Bubble Tea is the first in a series featuring Yale Yere and her cousin, Celine. Yale is not thrilled that Celine is in town for a visit and is even less excited when her father suggests the two of them work together at his restaurant's food stand at the night market in their neighborhood. The evening surprisingly goes well, until Yale finds a dead body on her way home. The young woman is lying next to one of the distinctive glasses that Yale and Celine served their drinks in, so the police view them as suspects. Of course, Yale and Celine decide they need to do some snooping around and find the cops better people to be interested in. I really wanted to like this book, but I found Yale annoying. She doesn't have a cell phone. She doesn't drive because of her mother's death. She doesn't seem to have any friends and she's given up cooking. Celine, who...
Read More
Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

by Carol1 Comment
The Floating Hotel is the Abeona, a spaceship hotel touring the galaxy. It's definitely light on technology. The Abeona itself is rather retro, with lots of wood and paper and pneumatic tubes There seems to be only one woman on the maintenance team and we never really know many details of how the ship works, just that it does and has been doing so for decades. Every chapter in Floating Hotel is written from a new character's POV. Most of them are staff or returning regulars, and each has a past, or purpose, that has led them to the hotel. We learn their backstories and see how they spend their days. The stories and characters gradually build a picture of the vibrant life on the hotel, while weaving in a few mysteries as the plot meanders along. I enjoyed the book, right up until the end. I wish the mystery portion could have somehow worked out differently or maybe been worked through...
Read More
Curds of Prey by Korina Moss

Curds of Prey by Korina Moss

by Carol5 Comments
Yep, Cheesemonger Willa Bauer has found another dead body. This time around, the murdered man is Nelson Trumbull, the nephew of the mayor and the fiancé of Summer Harrington, whose parents are the wealthy and influential new owners of All Things Sonoma magazine. He was killed at Summer's bridal shower, where Willa was providing the cheese bar, and Roman becomes a chief suspect. Roman, it turns out, dumped Summer at the altar a few years earlier and was seen arguing with Nelson. And he doesn't have an alibi. The mystery was well-paced and the new characters fit well or at least as well as entitled rich people can in a cozy mystery. We have several clues and potential suspects, but Willa definitely has to watch her step. It's not only her own reputation (and life) at risk, but also her shop, if she understands Mrs. Harrington's threats correctly. The characters are great. Willa is warm, friendly, and definitely growing as a...
Read More
Gone for Gouda by Korina Moss

Gone for Gouda by Korina Moss

by CarolNo Comments
Gone for Gouda is the second of the Cheese Shop Mysteries. This time around Willa and the other small business owners of Yarrow Glen are gearing up for the harvest festival and parade. In addition, Willa is hosting a book and cook event for Phoebe Winston, a celebrity vegan chef, at her cheese shop, Curds & Whey. Phoebe, it turns out, is quite a diva and the even is going to take more effort and money than Willa expected. Then, photos show up online of the chef eating ribs and just a few hours later she's found dead in her rental house. And Archie, Willa's employee, was the last person caught on the security system's camera. The mystery was solid. Phoebe had connections to several people in town in addition to her assistant, Thomas, who came with her but is staying at the Inn, not the rental house. Willa can't just stand back and let the police blame Archie. This time,...
Read More
Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss

Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss

by Carol2 Comments
Cheddar Off Dead is the first of the Cheese Shop Mysteries and it was fun. Willa has recently opened her cheese shop, Curds & Whey, and is hoping a good review from the local food critic, Guy Lippinger. His visit to her shop does not go well though. Even worse, later that evening, Willa finds him dead in his car, stabbed with a knife from her shop. When Willa realizes the cops are looking at her as a viable suspect, she starts poking around on her own. We have all the typical cozy mystery ingredients - amateur sleuth with an interesting job, in this case a cheesemonger; a pet fish; a small town - Yarrow Glen; quirky friends; and an attractive detective. I liked Willa. She is not great at the whole sleuthing thing yet, but she's nice, makes delicious cheesy recipes, and is someone I can root for. I don't love the potential love triangle that's developing - those...
Read More
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan

by CarolNo Comments
The Justice of Kings is a compelling mix of fantasy, mystery and legal thriller. The novel follows Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an itinerant Justice of the Empire of the Wolf. His job, and life's purpose, is to fairly uphold the empire's laws and mete out justice as appropriate. He is accompanied by his taskman and friend, former soldier Dubine Bressinger, and his clerk, Helena Sedanka, a 19 year old woman who was essentially rescued by Vonvalt from a life on the streets. The three travel to Galen’s Vale where Vonvalt takes on an investigation into the murder of a noblewoman, but the case has Empire-wide ramifications. The story  is told through the first-person perspective of Helena. We’re hearing, since I listened to the audiobook, Helena’s recounting of the past, which worked well. It showed us Vonvalt's actions and his reasoning as he discusses things with Helena, but also lets us know that he's not infallible, that Helena can't always agree with him. Vonvalt protects...
Read More