Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery Book 7)

Author:    Lena Gregory

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781960511584

Beyond the Page Publishing

188 Pages

$14.99; $5.99 Amazon

March 19, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Never one to let a day off work go to waste, cafe owner Gia Morelli and a friend head out for a blissful kayaking trip through the local national forest.  But the peacefulness of the day is soon shattered when they come across Cole, her head cook, standing over a dead body.  Worse still, the victim was a lifelong enemy of Cole's, and clues found on the body point to the cook as the culprit.  When the police take Cole in and subject him to an intense grilling, Gia vows to do everything she can to prove his innocence.

As even more incriminating evidence surfaces -- including when the murder weapon itself is found hidden at the cafe -- Gia knows she's up against someone brutal enough to kill and devious enough to frame Cole for the deed.  With the police ready to make an official arrest and wrap up what they consider an open-and-shut case, Gia turns for help to an old friend who's not above breaking the law himself.  Because ifs he can't find the killer, Cole may go from serving up hot dishes to serving a life sentence...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Gia Morelli is working the day at her cafe when her friend and waitress Savannah tells her that a man wants to see her.  When she goes to the front, he complains about how bad the meal was.  No matter what she offers, he continues his rant, and when her cook Cole comes to the front, he makes derogatory remarks to him about his cooking, and leaves.  Gia later finds that the man, Rusty, is an old enemy of Cole's and Rusty's never happier than when ruining businesses so he can open the same ones in the same area.

When Gia discovers that Rusty wants to open a cafe down the street, she's dismayed.  But later, while kayaking with her friend Trevor, they see Cole and his friend Cybill on the shore and Cybill looks distressed.  When they reach her, they find that Cole found Rusty's body -- and now Cole is the main suspect in his murder.  Determined to prove Cole innocent, she and Savannah set out to find clues they can give to Gia's fiancé, a homicide detective and Savannah's cousin.  But doing this might be harder than they think, since the widow isn't talking, and neither is anyone else -- for now.

Sifting through clues as they can, Gia enlists help from a computer hacker, and what she discovers only makes things more tangled.  Will she be able to untwist the lies long enough to find a killer?  Or will she finally meet her end?

This is the seventh book in the series and just as good as all the others.  Ms. Gregory is a talented writer who is able to pull you into the story and experience life with the characters.  While never having been to Florida (not sure if I want to, either, after all the critters show up), I still get an idea of the area and how Gia's life is progressing; she's happy in her new life -- until murder slows her down.

When she finally starts putting things together, she's sure she has the end result locating a killer, until an unexpected situation arises that puts her back at square one.  While I knew the killer before Gia did, this did not diminish my enjoyment of the story at all.  I loved how it played out, and in the end, we get an epilogue that gives us something to look forward to in the next book.  Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Battered-Buried-Lena-Gregory-ebook/dp/B0CW18PPSQ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6407515651

More on Lena Gregory's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/lena-gregory/

Murders At The Montgomery Hall Hotel (The Prunella Pearce Mysteries Book 2)

Author:    Gina Kirkham

Genre:      Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781504081832

Bloodhound Books

364 Pages

$8.62; $8.99 Amazon

October 31, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Prunella Pearce, Bree, and the other ladies of the Winterbottom Women's Institute are planning to spend Halloween at the Montgomery Hall Hotel murder-mystery weekend -- just as the historical venue's past comes back to haunt it.

The hotel is now in the incapable hands of Tarragon Montgomery, with its faltering finances overseen by elderly matriarch Cecily.

Meanwhile, the local actress hired to play Psychic Selma for the weekend has been replaced by an impostor.  But who is she, and what is her agenda?

Pru and Bree have some experience solving mysteries, but as Montgomery Hall is engulfed by a storm and the bodies start piling up, they may need a little assistance from Pru's delectable detective, Andy Barnes, in order to crack the case...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Prunella Pearce, librarian, has been elected as president of the Winterbottom Women's Institute, and part of her duties is planning weekend getaways for the ladies, most of whom are elderly, with a few exceptions such as Pru and her friend Bree.  

Since the two friends have just opened their detective agency, they are happy to receive their first case -- Tarragon Montgomery wants them to find out who is nicking pieces of the household.  Since they are going to be there anyway, they book a weekend for the ladies for a murder-mystery by a local set of actors.  There's going to be a psychic, and that's a plus.  It's also going to be Halloween weekend, so the ladies are looking forward to a mystery hunt as well.

When they arrive on the beginnings of what appears to be a bad storm, what can be better?  Except that Pru can't reach her boyfriend, the delectable detective Andy Barnes, who is on a case in another town.  Without cell power, they're stuck here.  Which wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a murder...or two...or three..or...

I read the first book in this series and I was pleased with it.  This is not a typical cozy, as while there is no sex, there certainly is a lot of innuendo, and not just by the younger ladies.  The elders can hold their own in that department.  Just letting you know...

I was intrigued by the fact that while the bodies do start piling up, there are some gruesome doings along with it.  Poor Tarragon is saddled with a greedy wife and son, and his longtime butler Smithers is the one holding everything together.  But the show must go on, and even with the heavy bickering between the actors, it does.  Just not the way they expected...

I thought the plot was done nicely, giving us a chance to try and figure everything out.  It actually didn't come together until almost the end of the book, which isn't a bad thing, as you have a nice mystery to sink your teeth into and try and figure out.  Even when the rain clears there is still things to be sorted, and the confusion doesn't end for DI Barnes even then.

But it does all come together, and while the ending is definitely a surprise, it is also quite satisifying to read.  I didn't feel that justice wasn't done, because it was; and I did like how it all turned out.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murders-Montgomery-Prunella-Pearce-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BJJBW1SV/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6384595838

More on Gina Kirkham's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/gina-kirkham/

A Spicy Side of Homicide (An Ivy Creek Mystery Book 14)

Author:     Ruth Baker

Genre:      Mystery

Digital Book 

ASIN #:    B0CPVY5PKY

Clean Tales Publishing

138 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

May 31, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lucy Hale is excited about helping a young lady, Selina Gomez, open her restaurant.  She remembers the challenges she faced reopening her parents' bakery and wants to relay all she knows to help Selina become a success from day one.

On the day of the highly anticipated restaurant launch, disaster strikes.  A rival restaurateur and Selina's fierce rival takes a fatal bite, his face turning a shade that's anything but appetizing.

The spicy suspect?  One of Selina's delicious but spicy yummy eidbles, rumored to be the last thing the deceased tasted.

Amidst whipsers of revenge and a recipe for disaster, Selina finds herself in hot water, accused of sering up more than just culinary delights.  With the town buzzing and Selina's reputation on the line, Lucy steps in to prove the young restaurateur's innocence.

As Lucy sifts through a myriad of motives, from culinary feuds to ancient family recipes, she uncovers a web of spicy secrets that someomne would kill to keep hidden.  But as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that the killer's appetite for revenge is far from satisfied -- and Lucy might just be the next dish on the menu.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Hale is loving her life running the bakery her parents began, and enjoying her friends and deputy boyfriend, Taylor.  When she's asked to mentor a young woman who is opening her own restaurant, she jumps at the chance.  But when Selina Gomez runs into trouble, Lucy wants to help her.  Selina finally opens the restaurant, but things go from bad to worse when a rival restauranteur is murdered right in front of everyone.  Now the restaurant is closed, and Selina doesn't know if she'll ever recover.  That is, until Lucy steps in trying to find out who killed the man...

This is the fourteenth book in the series and I have read them all.  I have also enjoyed them all.  This time Lucy is helping a young woman open her own restaurant, but when there are problems with the bank, Selina wonders if she'll lose her building, and a mysterious man offers her a large amount of money to move elsewhere, which she turns down.

Then, a rival restauranteur claims she stole his recipes, which Selina denies; and the man shows up on opening night and it looks like an accidental death.  When it's not, Lucy steps in to help the young woman find out who killed the man and wanted to frame her.

There's a lot going on regarding the restaurant, and a lot going on behind the scenes.  Lucy is wondering what her future holds, and her Aunt Tricia has a new job making Easter bonnets for local ladies, which actually ties into everything well.  You can look for the clues and find them; I figured out the murderer pretty quickly, but then again, as I state regularly, I read a lot of mysteries, so I'm an old hand at figuring things out.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it all comes together nicely, and the climax is done well.  There is an epilogue that pulls it all in a nice pile, giving us something to look forward to in the next book.  Recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book by the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Spicy-Side-Homicide-Creek-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CPVY5PKY/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6370939373

More on Ruth Baker's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ruth-baker/

Torn Asunder (A Maine Clambake Mystery Book 12)

Author:    Barbara Ross

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496735737

Kensington Cozies

256 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

April 23, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Julia's best friend and business partner, Zoey, is about to marry her policeman boyfriend.  Of course, a gorgeous white wedding dress shouldn't be within fifty yards of a plate of buttery lobster -- so that treat is reserved for the rehearsal dinner.  Julia is a little worried about the timing, though, as she works around a predicted storm.

When a guest falls to the floor dead, it turns out that no one seems to know who he is, despite the fact that he's been actively mingling and handing out business cards.  And when an injection mark is spotted on his neck, it's clear this wasn't caused by a shellfish allergy.  Now, as the weather deteriorates and a small group is stranded on the island with the body -- and the killer -- Julia starts interrogating staff and family members, and Zoey's artist friends to find out who turned the clambake into a crime scene...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Julia Snowden helps run the Snowden Family Clambake, which is given all summer on the private island her family owns.  Her best friend Zoey is marrying Jamie, another friend, and they want to hold their wedding on the island.  While is was difficult to find an open weekend, everything is planned.  Julia and her sister Livvie are in the wedding party, along with Jamie's police partner Pete and his cousin Dan.  They are the scheduled ones to stay on the island overnight.

The rehearsal dinner is a grand affair.  All the guests are invited to try the clambake dinner, and so both sides are attending.  Jamie's large family, and Zoey's friends, since she has no family left.  Julia notices a man mingling that she's never seen, and assumes he's a friend of Zoey's.  But when the man dies during the dinner, no one seems to know who he is.

But do they?  While most of the guests were able to leave before the storm hit, it is now in full force, and the remaining people are stuck on the island with a corpse.  With a man that possibly one of them murdered.  :Luckily, Julia's boyfriend Tom Flynn is there, a detective with the Maine State Police, so he can question everyone.  But will they tell him the truth?  Or will a murderer go free?...

I have read all the books in this series, and I have enjoyed them all.  They are like old friends to me.  Julia, her family members, her friends.  I have witnessed their heartbreaks and triumphs, and shared this through them vicariously.  It has been a journey that I've highly enjoyed.  A journey that has, alas, come to an end.  I would not have mentioned this, but others on social media have already popped the balloon.

But the mystery is done just as well as we expected.  People are keeping secrets, telling lies; and eventually it will all have to come out.  Someone knew the dead man.  Someone wanted him dead.  But  with so many suspects -- and they are -- which one had the opportunity.  Many had motive.  

Julia isn't sure the wedding will go on, but Zoey wants to get married, and nothing is going to stop her, not even wondering if someone she knows is a killer.  But Tom and Julia need to find that killer before the wedding.  The problem is, will they be able to do so?

In the end, we are given a bittersweet finale to this series.  There is a lot of pleasantry in it, a completion of the tale, as you will.  It is a lovely tribute to all those we've known (and loved many of them); and a fitting end to the story.  I am sad to lose this series, but the author has done a wonderful job through the years.  Thank you, Ms. Ross.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Torn-Asunder-Maine-Clambake-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CJLZF5H4/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6351630038

More on Barbara Ross's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/barbara-ross/

Death at a Scottish Christmas (A Scottish Isle Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Lucy Connelly

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639109302

Crooked Lane Books

274 pages

$29.99; $17.99 Amazon

October 15, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sea Isle, Scotland, is magical during the holiday season, and Dr. Emilia McRoy can't wait to enjoy everything her village has to offer.  Butt when the lead singer of a famous band is murdered in the village, just as they were about to launch a world tour, her holiday instantly comes to a halt.

As the band's future hangs in the balance, Emilia discovers that the victim was working on new music that has since disappeared.  Were these new lyrics worth killing for?  And if so, who is the culprit?  It seems more than one person wanted his music star dead.  Shockingly, beloved Constable Ewan Campbell becomes the prime suspect in the investigation, putting a damper on the town's festivities.

With an ever growing list of suspects, Emilia will need all the help she can get to figure out who is framing poor Ewan.  Between a secret Santa that wants her dead, stalkers, and killer holiday celebrations, Emilia must see the devil in the details and discover the truth before it's too late.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Dr. Emilia McRoy emigrated to Scotland after tragic events in Seattle.  She's not only their doctor, she's also their coroner.  But she's taken a month off to enjoy the holiday festivities and all of Sea Isle's decorations.  One of those events is watching a local band that made it big, and they've returned to their roots for a concert before a final tour.

After the band is stranded, the lead singer, Bram Stoker (not that Bram Stoker, obviously!) takes a liking to the doctor and asks her for a dance that night.  The town constable, and chief landowner, Ewan Campbell, dislikes Bram but doesn't tell Em why.  Still, she enjoys her evening and is surprised when she's called to the beach about a dead person.  Finding Bram's body, she doesn't think it was a natural one, and is conducting tests to see if she's right.

But when it's discovered that it truly was murder, Ewan, who has a past with the man, becomes the main suspect and a London officer is sent down to conduct the investigation.  After a rocky start, the two women begin to get along, although the officer has her own issues with the investigation as well.  

When there's a vicious attack on someone Em cares for, things become even messier, and she knows she has to find out who had the best motive to kill the man.  But it won't be easy, and between Christmas festivities and doing her job, someone is out to kill again...

This is the third book in the series and I quite enjoyed it as much as the last one.  It's Christmas time in Sea Isle, and the town has gone all out in decorations and festivities.  While Em is charmed by this, she's not charmed by the bitter cold and all the snow.  Still, she's promised to be a part of it, so a part of it she will be.  She also didn't sign up to find another dead body, nor that it's someone well-known and well-loved by others.

But was he, really?  In doing her job, she questions the other band members what they know about his past, and she finds that they like fighting with each other more than anything...at least that's what they do.  It makes her suspicious of each and every one of them, but could one of his band mates truly kill?  Or was it a stalker?  Or a crazed fan?

She's also dealing with people who are stuck in Sea Isle due to the snow, trying to decorate her own home, reporters trying to get an inside story, and someone else who is injured while trying to help.  Em just might be in over her head this time...

I don't want to say any more about the book in order not to ruin it for others, but I will say the story is riveting and had me reading it in one sitting.  There's a lot going on here, along with too many secrets and lies, and also quite a few suspects.  It's a fun read for the Christmas holiday (or even before); when the killer is revealed it comes as a complete surprise, which is the best part.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Scottish-Christmas-Isle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CSFGDQGH/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6332904246

More on Lucy Connelly's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lucy-connelly/

Haunting License (A Haunted Haven Mystery #3)

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496743602

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$16.95; $9.99 Amazon

June 25, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's June in Haven, Florida, a "between seasons" time in the tourism business, and Maureen's Haven House Inn is feeling the pinch.  There are plenty of ghosts in residence, but Maureen needs living guests to pay the bills.

Inspired by an old brochure she finds in a trunk she inherited along with the inn from her mysterious benefactor Penelope Josephine Gray, she gets the brilliant idea to revive a June fishing tournament from twenty years ago, hoping to reel in anglers who'd love to catch the Gulf Coast's popular kingfish and take home a trophy.  

But one fisherman won't make it to the tournament.  While walking on the beach with her golden retriever Finn, Maureen discovers a body.  When Officer Frank Hubbard arrives, he recognizes local charter boat fisherman Eddie Manuel.

Now it's up to Maureen and her spirited sleuths to sort through the red herrings and bait a hook for a killer before someone else ends up sleeping with the fishes...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maureen is learning to manage the inn that was left to her by a stranger, but she's still wondering how to make it a permanent paying business.  She loves her new home in Haven, Florida, and is becoming familiar with everything, including the fact her new plans for a gift shop on the premises is firming up.  

While walking her golden retriever Finn on the beach one morning she sees what appears to be a body floating next to shore.  She calls her friend Officer Frank Hubbard.  He discovers that the dead man is Eddie Manuel, a charter boat captain, but doesn't know why he would be there, or who would have wanted to kill him -- because he's sure it wasn't an accident.

While Maureen tries to stay out of the investigation, she digs into her benefactor's old trunk and finds enough information on an old fishing tournament that she decides to revive in order to bring business to the town and, of course, to her inn.  With the town and fishermen on her side, she has enough people to make it worthwhile.

But one of her guests is a photographer for a small birding magazine -- and once Maureen meets his boss, she thinks the man is creepy.  Another guest who is an archaeologist, puts thoughts in Maureen's head that things around there aren't on the up and up, and Eddie might have stumbled across something he shouldn't have.  Should Maureen stay out of it and just plan the tournament?  Or should she go with her gut feelings and put herself in harm's way?...

This is the third book in the series and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I love books that have friendly spirits in them, and even if the scenes were sparse, they were still fun to read.  At times, Maureen's ghosts do give her the information and unexpected turns that she needs.  I'd love to say more on the subject, but I don't want to spoil the book for others.

The plot was done very well, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested throughout.  I love how the author weaves together different storylines that connect somehow, and eventually the key to finding the truth shows up in an unusual way.

By this I mean that when the climax does come, it is unexpected, although we are given a clue a little earlier on by what actually might occur, but it still surprises, and the ending itself is rather a treat to read.  There is also an epilogue that tells us the outcome, and gives us something to look forward to in the next book, of which I eagerly await.  Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Haunting-License-Haunted-Haven-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CK5BGLGM/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6319306113

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/

The Happy Housekeeper's Guide to Homicide (A Barbara Hollis Mystery #1)

Author:    Blythe Baker

Genre:     Mystery/Historical

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798873064908

Independently Published

242 Pages

$12.99; $3.99 Amazon

December 26, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bloody murder is the last thing on Barbara Hollis's mind when she agrees to travel to a sleepy little town to keep house for her widowed brother.  Aside from chasing after her irritating young nephews, she thinks the biggest challenge she'll face is learning to cook a proper souffle.  But a bizarre encounter on a train quickly draws her into a more complicated and dangerous future than she bargained for...

When a local woman turns up dead, and Barbara's sheriff brother is too inept to solve the case, Barbara finds herself joining forces with a handsome deputy in search of a cold-blooded killer.  But her new hometown is crawling with secrets, and Barbara just might discover that unmasking one villain is only scratching the surface...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Barbara Hollis left the big city to go to a small town in Georgia to keep house for her widowed brother and his two twelve-year-old twin boys.  She's sure that she's not going to like it much, but since she left behind her luxury apartment and lost her job, she hasn't got much of a choice.  It's a good thing her brother Craig doesn't know the reason she left, as she doesn't want to discuss it.

But when she arrives, she's a bit downcast, since her room is smaller than she imagined, and she thinks she'll be bored here.  So she decides to give herself a spa day and heads to the only hair salon in town, Sharon's.  Since no one is out front, she spots a woman under a hair dryer, and wishes she didn't.  The young woman is dead, and at that opportune moment, Sharon arrives and starts screaming.  After Barbara calls Craig, she waits to be questioned by his deputy -- who wonders if she killed the young woman.  

But Craig will have none of it, and the town over arrests Sharon for the murder.  Neither Craig nor Barbara believe it (even though she's just met the stylist); and Barbara decides to surreptitiously help her brother by gathering clues.  It might not be her greatest idea, but if she can avoid the killer in town that she knows is still loose, she might be able to find them.  Unless they find her first...

This is the first in the series, and I thought it sounded interesting, so I wanted to read it.  First off, I must say that the blurb is wrong.  Craig is not inept; he's just never dealt with a murder before, and the town's police department consists of him and his deputy. He just believes the other town would be better equipped to handle it, and he comes to regret his decision quickly.

Secondly, I really had no idea that this took place in the 1950's while reading it.  I did wonder about the lack of cell phones, but aside from descriptions of a few cars, there wasn't really anything that pointed to the year this takes place.  So that was the reason I took off one star.  In future books I would like to read about some of the things occurring during that time; something to draw us into the story timeline. 

Other than that, I found this interesting, even if it was a short book.  I would like to see more character development, but in stories this short, you aren't going to get much of that.  However, I am not dinging the author for it, since I died enjoy reading this quite a bit.  In fact, I read it in one sitting, and I hope that others will enjoy it as much as I did.  In the climax, it all came together quickly, and everything was tied up nicely.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Housekeepers-Homicide-Barbara-Hollis-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CQZCDM57/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6305678063

More on Blythe Baker's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/blythe-baker/