It's Been Too Long! #TheSundayPost #MidSeptember!

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Hi Everyone! Long time no post!  I'm so happy to be writing this week!  I'm very glad we are on the cusp of fall. This summer for me was hot, long, and tiring.  I used to love summer but these last few have been, ah, less than ideal.  So onward to the beauty and crisp temperatures of fall. 

It is now less than a month until the Chicago Marathon!  As I have said before, I have been raising funds for Imerman Angels, a wonderful group that provides peer support to anyone diagnosed with cancer.  Now we are getting so close to the marathon!  Eeek!  This is the part where I start getting nervous about the big day! 

Have you watched any good shows lately?  I cannot rate Only Murders in The Building on Hulu high enough.  It's a true delight! If you enjoy murder mysteries, true crime podcasts, or cozy mysteries. You've got to watch this show! 

This week I'll be reviewing the following books: 

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you are having a wonderful September so far!

Happy Friday! My Review is Featured on Books of My Heart!

 

I am excited to share that my review of the latest installment in Books of My Heart's annual Read-Along is up!  Check it out here!

The book really started slow for me, but by the end...Wow!  So much is happening! 

This week my gig as oldest child's ride back and forth to college resumed, so I'm adjusting my schedule to a few driving days each week.  He's a senior so this will be my last year of driving him around!  He doesn't have a driver's license and has no interest in driving. Maybe that will change in the future? Who knows! Once he is done with school, he'll be looking for a job that he can take public transportation to and from, luckily we live in an area with that option. 

At the moment, I am about halfway through reading an ARC of :

 It's fun to see how Carrie has become the go-to town mystery solver. She is the Jessica Fletcher of Clover Ridge! 

Some October in August! #MrsClausandtheHalloweenHomicide #NetGalley

Having enjoyed Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings, I was excited to request an ARC of the second book in the series from NetGalley.  I know it's only mid-August, but I'm ready to start getting excited for spooky season.  

Liz Ireland does a nice job of expanding the Mrs. Claus Universe I enjoyed learning about snow monsters as part of the newfound Halloween traditions of the town.  I love how April had embraced her sleuthing tendencies and is building lasting relationships in her adopted home. 

Unlike most cozy mysteries, there is no body in the first chapter.  In this story there is a different inciting incident and then you read on with bated breath wondering is someone about to get it?  Who is going to be the victim?  The only thing I would like to see in the book would be to have Nick be a more in-depth character. I feel he is not as fleshed out as his mother, sister, or sister-in-law, or even as much as elfman Jingles.

This seasonal cozy has a great mystery and is chock-full of the Halloween spirit. 4 stars!  Or should I  say 4 🎃🎃🎃🎃!!!

 Definitely add this to your fall reading list! 

 

Death Bee Comes Her - The July Book of the Month for The Cozy Mystery Book Club!

 

 

 Join us tomorrow for the youtube live stream! There are some great DIY honey recipes in this book. I am definitely going to make the salve for the dog's paws for our dog. If you like a cozy mystery where the amateur sleuth is very connected to her cozy companion, you will like this book. If you are looking for spooky season reads, this one is pretty Halloweeny! 

 Overall I thought this was a decent first book in a cozy mystery series, I found the sheriff to be very cookie cutter and I thought the other love interest would have more to do with the central mystery. This book could have been turned into a real psychological thriller if Porsche was the murderer instead of the best friend...but don't worry this is cozy! 

I really enjoyed the honey recipes, tips, and general information about bees shared in the book. I thought Wren was likable enough, I didn't really connect with her that much. I appreciated that for a change, our main character called a lawyer instead of running around talking to everyone and waiting to get themselves arrested.  However, I felt that we don't really learn very much about Wren in this first book, lots of backstories to come I assume. 

 My star rating is 3.5. The best part of the book for me was bee talk.

Looking To Start Reading Cozy Mystery? Here's A Great Place To Start!

 

This book was published in the early 00s, so you may have heard of it.  The book is actually written by a husband and wife team and I think that enhanced my reading of the book. This book is a lot of fun, it's a little more racy than a typical cozy, so that might be a little off putting for those who don't like any discussion of anything remotely sexual, that being said this is PG. 

The Ghost in this tale is a hard-boiled detective named Jack Shepard.  I loved his voice and all the 1930/1940s noir lingo. Fun stuff!  Being a reader who prefers my cozy sleuths to be assertive, I was very glad that as this story progressed Penelope found her voice.  I look forward to seeing what happens next in this small Rhode Island town. 

This book was a hit for me based on the back and forth with the noir era and present day as well as the overarching cold case which I am hoping will be solved in books further along in the series. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure has a nice base of small town characters who are quirky and have secrets of their own. I will be continuing on in this series to find out:

1. Who killed Jack Shepard?

2. Will Pen continue to have trouble with her In-Laws?

3. Will Fiona's Gossiping get her in trouble? 

Lastly, I do want to know will Mrs. McClure find a second chance at love, and will she be awake when that happens? 

4.5 stars for this delightful read! 

The Tourist Is Toast! Low Cost, Quick Paranormal Cozy!

 

I enjoyed The Tourist is Toast by Carly Winter. Bernie is a new BnB owner in  Sedona, Arizona. She has inherited the house from her grandmother Ruby.  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Bernie has inherited the house and her grandma Ruby as Ruby is now a ghost! I enjoy the setting of this series as Sedona is a great place to have a BnB, we get to read about the natural beauty and solve murder mysteries! 

It's fun to spend time with Bernie and her colorful grandma, I like how Ruby and Bernie are now helping solve crimes with Adam, a local police officer.  Bernie and Ruby are like a twist on The Odd Couple (or Laverne & Shirley) and their natures really compliment each other. I thought this was a good mystery, In this installment, I quite liked that there were a small number of suspects and each of them had a motive. The pace of the book keeps the story moving, making for an engaging fun read. I would recommend this to anyone who loves reading cozies, especially if you like paranormal cozies. 

  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and have posted honest reviews in exchange. 

***************************************************************************

This week in marathon training it's a cut-back week so my long run only needs to be 5 miles, wahoo! Also, we are enjoying some cooler temps, which is wonderful because running when the feel like the temperature is in the 90s is TOUGH! 

I've been busy trying to write run this month and I have not been trying any new recipes lately. Next week I am getting a Blue Apron box and it will have some fancy craft burgers we can make for the fourth of July. I could eat burgers every day, well more burgers one day, tacos the next day, and pizza the day after that and repeat! 

Happy Wednesday! 

 

A Southern Cozy Book To Start the Week- Reading Between The Crimes by Kate Young - #NetGalley

 

This is a cozy that will grab your attention if you like small southern towns, a book that has book themes, and a very punny title! 

 

It has been a few months since we spent time with Lyla, our MC and in that time she has become more confident in her role as a Private Investigator in training.  The Jane Does' book club has grown and the main member has become a very close-knit group.  This month the book club has read and discussed Crooked House by Agatha Christie. This month someone was murdered at Lyla's parent's house.  Similarities between the book and real-life occur and that makes for some very fun reading.  I like the conceit author Kate Young is using in this series that we have the book club reading a book and then we have eerie coincidences between the book being discussed and what is going on in Sweet Mountain, GA. 

 

The main issue I had with book one in this series, On Borrowed Crime, was that Lyla's parents and her ex-boyfriend treated her like she was a teenager instead of a woman in her thirties who knows her own mind. It made me think twice about whether I wanted to read further in this series or just read something else.  As you can see, I decided to give the second book a go, and happily, in this book Lyla's decisions are respected. 

 

The book takes place in the fall around Halloween, but it doesn't have a strong Halloween flavor. It will be out on September 7th, the day after Labor Day, a perfect cozy to kick off the fall season.  Grab a PSL (Pumpkin Spiced Latte) and kick back and enjoy this fun second book in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series. 

 

4.50 stars I recommend this cozy and am looking forward to the next book in this series. It's really picking up steam!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All the opinions are mine!

Cozy Mystery Book Club Meets Tomorrow! Join Us on YouTube!

 Happy Monday, is this work week ending in a three-day weekend for you?  If you ask me everyone should have a three-day weekend every week.  Let's make 4 days works weeks a thing!  I'm kicking off this week with a review of the Cozy Mystery Book Club's book of the month.  This month we chose from a selection of bookish cozies and the winner was Maggie Blackburn's (aka Mollie Cox Bryan) book Little Bookshop of Murder. 

I liked this book more than I thought I would at first blush. I thought that the author does a good job of showing Summer's grieving process.  The murder victim in this book is Summer's mom who we do not get to meet, we only learn of her via other people's memories. The killer in this book is pretty easy to figure out, so if being wholly surprised by who did it is important to you, then you might be disappointed. 

Maggie Blackburn takes a big risk in this book by making the protagonist a scholar who has no use for popular fiction, especially romance and mystery which she thinks is complete dreck.  Readers might be put off by Summer's disdain for the very books they love to read. However,  Summer's life in academia isn't all it is cracked up to be, and the bookstore she inherited isn't the terrible navel-gazing place she made it out to be in her youth. I enjoyed Summer slowly having to eat her words and realize that romance and mystery books are quality reads.

Some readers prefer cozy mysteries that don't have a romance component.  While this book talks about romance novels, there is not a romance plot in this book. If you love a unique cozy companion, this book features a bird named Mr. Darcy!

You can join us for the Book Club Live Stream tomorrow May 25th at 7pm EST! I'll be in the comments sharing my two cents! 

#TheSundayPost for May 23rd! What's Going On?

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Purple Irises began blooming earlier this week!  The hubs bought a bunch of vegetable and flower starts for the garden.  The raised bed is planted, the big planter is filled with herbs and I have filled all the containers from last year with flowers.  So I bought a few more containers, some for the front porch and a couple for extra tomato plants in the back yard. 

Upcoming this week I'll be reviewing this month's Cozy Mystery Book Club selection. Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn (aka Mollie Cox Bryan) 

You can join us for the live stream on Tuesday via YouTube.  Here is the link join us! 

How beautiful is this cover! 

And Friday I'll be sharing a review for Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh --I've been hoping that Dev Santos who we meet a couple books ago would get getting his own book! I was sure he'd make a great main character! You can join the Read-Along by clicking here! 

I'm not feeling this cover, it's a little too action movie starring Steven Sagal -esque! I have every confidence that the book is better than the cover! 

I Took A Vacation to Ireland Over The Weekend!

 The weather was gloomy Friday and Saturday, so I turned to reading and found myself quickly in the midst of murders and ghosts in Ireland. 

The first book I read, on my imaginary trip to the Emerald Isle, was Death in D Minor by Alexis Gordon.  This book is the second book in Dr. Gordon's  Gethsemane Brown Mysteries series and right off the bat, I found this book to be even better than the first. It is available free on Kindle Unlimited, or like me, you can probably find it at your local public library.  

One of the most enjoyable parts of this series is the focus on Fine Arts. In this book in addition to Gethsemane's classical music background. we learn about textile artwork and schoolgirl samplers. This isn't your average murder mystery: there is also an international art fraud ring!  

Here are some examples of schoolgirl samplers from the website Colonial Sense

Cleverly, this murder mystery takes place in a different town than the first book so we meet a whole new crop of shady characters.  We also get to meet one of Gethsemane's family members and Inspector O'Reilly and Frankie the math teacher are back.  Will there be a romance with either of them?  If not I don't mind because I do find their characters enjoyable on their own merits.  This second book cemented my affection for Dr. Gethsemane Brown. She is bold, tenacious, and unflappable. Plus she can see ghosts! 

5 stars for the second book in this series!  It's like a fine arts seminar wrapped in a murder mystery!  I loved it! 

The second book I am reading from Ireland is The Guest List by Lucy Foley. I'm about 60% finished as of Sunday afternoon so I am going to dive back into it and I'll share a review on Wednesday! 

#TheSundayPost My Belated Mother's Day!

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Last Sunday we celebrated Oldest Son's birthday with his favorite pizza, so I opted to request any Mother's Day celebration for me to be moved this Sunday. Since I recently went to Love's Sweet Arrow and purchased a nice stack of books for myself, I don't really need any presents for Mother's Day.  Instead, I'm expecting my family to put up my pool. 

 I was planning to get a pool last summer to celebrate being done with cancer treatment and the momentous occasion of being alive for half a century; however, the global pandemic caused a run on pop-up pools and also ruined my plans to have old lady backyard pool parties. 

I bought a pool and all the supplies necessary for it, about five minutes after President Biden signed the stimulus bill and now tomorrow is the day my wonderful family can get that pool set up!  The forecast is calling for temperature in the 80s later this week...and I can't wait to float in my pool with a book in my hand! 

How are things by you?  I hope you had a good week! Comment below and share any fun summer plans you have coming up! 

What I'll be reviewing this week:

What's A Kitchen Witch? Magic in the Kitchen and a Cozy Review!

 What is a kitchen witch? It can be a handcrafted doll that is used as a good luck charm in Scandanavian kitchens or it can be someone who practices magic centered on the craft of cooking and all things related to food.  One can be a kitchen witch who practices in the Wiccan tradition. In my opinion, if you cook with love and talk to your plants, and have a green thumb and secret recipes for delicious cookies that you won't share- I probably think you are a kitchen witch. 

In paranormal fiction, various types of witchcraft are as popular (i.e. Harry Potter)  as vampires and werewolves.  Of course, I don't think vampires or werewolves exist, but paganism and Wiccan practices have been around for millennia and only got a bad wrap when men took over religions.  Under the cozy mystery umbrella is the subgenre of paranormal cozies.  Paranormal cozies are chock full of many different types of witches!  

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon is a series featuring Mia who is a kitchen witch and is working on starting up a catering business, only to have a murder pop up right before her first catering gig! This magical cozy is light on the magic and heavy on the sleuthing and traditional cozy themes, so if you haven't read a magical cozy yet, this could be the perfect foray to see if you like it. 

I enjoyed the fresh tone of the book, Mia has common sense and a dogged determination to get her fledgling business off the ground.  She also has a terrible ex, a grandmother who holds secrets and a potential new boyfriend. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Two Wicked Desserts,  which I will be reviewing next month thanks to a copy from Net Galley. 

Solid 4 Stars!  A series I will continue!

As you know from reading my blog, I'm an aspiring cozy writer myself.  I love the idea of a kitchen witch protagonist and I have been doing research and have an idea I am working on, I also have an 80% complete rough draft for another cozy mystery series idea.  What I need to do is focus, finish one of these books and then go from there! 

This is a beautiful book filled with recipes and rituals to be more connected to the Earth. 

Pierced Peony Silver Dagger Blog Tour Giveaway! - New Cozy!

 

 

Pierced Peony

Motts Cold Case Mystery Book 2

by Dahlia Donovan

Genre: Cozy Mystery

On a casual walk along the Cornish Coast, Pineapple “Motts” Mottley stumbles upon a body and a perilous new murder case in the second novel in the Motts Cold Case Mystery series.

As spring rolls into summer, Motts settles into her cottage. She’s enjoying a daily stroll when a body in the sea destroys her peace and quiet. It brings yet another mystery for her to solve.

How does a woman who vanished from Polperro three years prior wind up battered by waves?

Motts is drawn into the investigation despite her best attempts. She finds a family in turmoil and loads of suspects. With no easy answers, she tumbles further into chaos and ever closer to danger.

Can Motts find the killer before she’s the one put on ice?

Will she survive a bone-chilling brush with death?

***

I'm very pleased to be part of the blog tour for this book.  When I read cozies, sometimes I'm fully focused on solving the mystery, and other times I am rooting for the main character in all things.  This is one of those series where I am hoping for all the good things for Motts.  I hold my breath when she decides she needs to venture out and speak to someone new, I cheer her on when she stands up for herself, and I smile when she gives special treats to Moss and Cactus.  This series is one that I will preorder and follow the author. 

A quote from the book that I enjoyed (Motts inner monologue): 

"Why is my cat obsessed with brooding police types? Is he trying to tell me something? Do detectives smell like catnip?"

I hope that you check out this series and that you too root for Motts an unlikely amateur sleuth!

Add to Goodreads

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Poisoned Primrose

Motts Cold Case Mystery Book 1

"Wonderful mystery with a unique and special heroine!" - A Cozy Cup of Murder

Meet Motts and the quirky cast of characters in her world. Poisoned Primrose is a quintessential cosy British mystery and an all-round fun story to throw yourself into.

Autistic, asexual, and almost forty, Pineapple “Motts” Mottley flees London with her cat and turtle to a quaint cottage in Cornwall. She craves the peace of life in a small village. The dead body buried in her garden isn’t quite what she had in mind, though.

Unable to resist her curiosity, she falls directly into a mess of trouble and runs head-first into the attractive detective inspector, Teo Herceg. She tries to balance her business with the investigation, but as the killer focuses on her, staying alive becomes trickier than advanced origami.

Will Motts survive the onslaught of murderously bad luck?

Can she solve the mystery before it all spins out of control and off a cliff?

I enjoyed this new cozy series. The story is located in England which is a different location for me, as all the cozies I've read so far this year have taken place in the United States. Motts is easy to love, she is on her own for the first time and is working so hard in this new phase of her life. Being neurodiverse, she is unique among cozy sleuths and I am a fan of reading stories centered on unique protagonists.  Motts makes a living creating intricately designed origami floral displays. What a clever craft, flowers for those who are allergic or who want flowers that won't die.  I could picture the lovely bridal bouquets Daliah Donovan describes.  

Motts is surrounded by a kind and funny cast of friends and family that one must have to establish that cozy vibe. I look forward to continuing to read this series.   

Add to Goodreads

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Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * Newsletter

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Judging A Book By Its Cover #RubyRedHerring #NetGalley

 

Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner is the first book in her new Avery Ayers Antique Mystery series.  I chose to pick up this book from NetGalley because I loved the cover. The title is also a perfectly punny cozy title! 

Our Amateur sleuth is Avery Ayers. Avery and her sister live in the family home with their Aunt following the death of their parents in a car crash a year prior to the series beginning.  We quickly begin to wonder if the car crash was an accident or if foul play was involved.  Lilac Grove is a small suburb of New York City.  So we have the small-town setting where Avery and her family live, and then we also Manhattan where the family business is located.  The family business is an appraisal business that is focused on antiquities and artifacts, we find out the business has suffered since the deaths of William and Anne.  Things are now on the upswing due to a couple of contracts Avery's partner Sir Robert has acquired. 

My only exposure to the world of appraising antiques and artifacts has been through watching Antiques Roadshow on PBS. Tracy Gardner explains the appraisal process in an interesting and easy-to-understand way. I like the variety of character ages in this book.  Avery is 25, her sister is a senior in high school, Aunt Midge is sixty, and the people who work with Avery at the museum span the decades from the late 20s to late 50s.  A nice mix of points of view.  

Tracy Gardner does a very good job highlighting Avery's struggles with mental health after the deaths of her parents.  She is seeing a therapist and working on anger issues as well as grief, I appreciated that her pain and her struggle wasn't glossed over in pursue of the mystery plot.  

4 Stars to this new cozy series, this one takes some liberties with the standard cozy tropes, and I'm always open to reading new twists on cozy mysteries! 

I received an ARC of this book, it may change some when it is in final form.  All my opinions are mine!

Food Talk and Today's Cozy Review, Spotlight Scandal by Stella Bixby

 

About every six weeks, I'll treat myself to a couple of meals from Blue Apron. This past week was that week.  We got Pork & Marinated Cucumber Steam Buns which turned out to be completely delicious and now that I have made it and have the recipe, I am going to make it on my own in the future. It was so good I forgot to take a picture. The second meal I made was Steaks & Black Bean Butter Sauce. This meal was also very yummy.  The only thing was the kale became too wilted.  Weird. 

Now on to today's book review.  This book takes place near Christmas, so if you like holiday cozies, add this to your collection when it comes out May 11th, 2021, and then read it come December!  I might re-read it too!  I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I enjoy Stella Bixby's writing style so I am a member of her 'review crew' This book is the third book in the Magical Mane Series.  The books are novella length and lend themselves to fun weekend reading. 

I was very happy that Xander the warlock from book two has returned in this installation and that we get to meet Katie's daughter the actress Melody.  Additionally, Bonnie who seemed like a cold-hearted villain in book one has become a much more complicated and sympathetic character which I am happy to read. Maybe one day she will wind up with Jake? Or will Ellie's mom return and Jake and Emily will have their HEA.  I am going to keep reading and maybe we will find out! 

The book begins with Ellie not being able to say her one line in the Christmas play. We are left to wonder, will she get over her stage fright?  Why is she stuck on this sentence?  I liked the small mystery over Ellie saying the line, it compliments Ellie's struggle to feel like she is part of a family. (biologically or found)  

I think it works well to have Ellie as an unofficial consultant to the police department.  It makes sense to have her and Jake work together than to have Jake be a foil for Ellie.  Lastly, I have to say, I want to know more about Xander!  What's his deal!  Sigh, I'm going to have to wait and keep reading.  I'm confident the payoff will be worth it! 

4.25 stars to Spotlight Scandal!  Add this book to your Goodreads or order on Amazon it's out May11th! 

Cozy Review for Wednesday #ReservedforMurder from #NetGalley

 Before I share my review for Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert, I must show you a picture of the breakfast muffins I made.  These muffins were supposed to be Blackberry Breakfast Muffins, but I didn't have blackberries, so I used blueberries.  I also added about 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts to the mix, which was a very good call on my part! The recipe is from the back of the book Color Me Murder by Krista Davis.  The muffins are 5 stars and I do recommend them! 

Now on to today's book review.  Reserved for Murder is the second book in the Booklovers B&B 

Gosh, I really enjoyed this book! The murder mystery not only involves an author, but it also involved fan fiction, Goodreads reviewing, and the pressure of publishing.  It was the most bookish of book mysteries I've read to date!   I also really enjoy how Victoria Gilbert weaves the real-life history of Beaufort into her series, from Blackbeard's sunken ship to the Olde Burying grounds--the actual town of Beaufort is seamlessly a part of her series. 

The murder mystery of the book is one that will keep you guessing, there are a handful of suspects that all could be the killer. The overarching mystery continues as we learn more about Charlotte's great-aunt, international woman of mystery, Isabella. 

I was happy to read about Charlotte's growing relationships with Alicia and Damian. Charlotte is slowly growing roots in the community and I want her to be surrounded by good friends, she deserves it. I think she also deserved love, so we will see if that develops as the series moves along.  Mind you, I don't need any sort of love triangle, but Charlotte is still young and written in such a way that you want her to find a partner to share her life.

Because this is the most bookish of book mysteries and because Victoria Gilbert integrates Beaufort, NC so well in her fiction, I rate this book a full 5 stars.  If you like a cozy read, you've gotta read this series.  The book will be out June 8th!  Add it to your Goodreads shelf here or ask your local library to order a copy! 

I received an ARC of this book from #NetGalley all the opinions are my own.  The text of the book might change a little before publishing so I don't have any quotes to share.  

#ReservedforMurder #NetGalley

The Sunday Post! This Week I Make My YouTube Debut!

  

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Here is the link to join the live stream! We will be talking about this month's Book Club Book!  Color Me Murder by Krista Davis. The live stream is Tuesday, April 27th at 7PM EST!

Please keep your fingers crossed that all goes well for me on the live stream!  Eeekkk! 

This past week I listened to Boyfriend Material By Alexis Hall.  I recommend it, it's a sweet romance. I also participated in a blog tour with a giveaway, which is still open so enter here.  And on Monday I shared a free book click here. 

This past week my local public library posted that they are accepting applications for an open Trustee position. I threw my hat in the ring.  I don't know if I have a shot or not, but I've loved public libraries since I was a wee lass, so I had to try, right?  

In other media, We've been watching The Circle on Netflix.  It's a surprisingly engaging game show centering around social media and players who don't actually see each other in real life while playing.  I recommend it! 

That's what's going on in my neck of the woods, how are things by you?  Comment and share! 

Cozy Mystery and Spicy Stew! #2021AudioBookChallenge

 If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I suggest following the Crooked Lane Books website. They publish a wide variety of entertaining new cozies.  A bit more modern than the traditional cozy, but still well within the guidelines of the genre.  They are typically fast-paced and have colorful covers On Borrowed Crime by Kate Young is a prime example of what Crooked Lane publishes in the cozy mystery genre. 

On Borrowed Crime is the first book in Kate Young's Jane Doe Book Club series. The series takes place in a small town located north of Atlanta, Georgia.  Lyla Moody is our amateur sleuth, but maybe not so amateur as she has just begun a job working as an assistant to her Uncle who is a P.I. 

What I liked about this book is that it blended a cold case and true crime into a cozy mystery. Additionally, Lyla doesn't put herself into dangerous situations and her best friend is not over the top silly or 'sassy' The book is fast-paced and if you are a fan of mysteries, you'll likely enjoy how Kate Young incorporates Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None in this mystery.  

Lyla is single in this book and for those who look for romance in their cozy reading, this book is virtually romance-free. I could see romance featuring potentially in the future, but it isn't a feature in this book. 

I don't know if this was on purpose or just happenstance, but this book reminded me of Charlaine Harris's book Real Murders in that both take place in small towns north of Atlanta, both involved members of a crime related book club, and in both books, characters talk about how unseemly and weird it is that the main character is interested in true crime. 

Overall this was an enjoyable book, and the reason it's closer to a 3 than a 4 for me is that reading the scenes with Lyla and her parents you would think this book was taking place in 1971, not 2021.  The dated attitudes towards women were just too much. 

Stars 3.5, I will probably read the second book in the series to see where things go. I really felt like Lyla's parents and a few other people treated her like she was 14, not 31, if that is a continuing theme then the series isn't for me.  I like women in their 30s to be treated as such.  

If you are looking for an easy spicy meal for a weekday dinner, I recently made this recipe and the Hubs loved it.  It's from Real Simple Magazine, Spicy Chorizo Chili

Bungled! Out today! Who knew Sport Fishing Was So Deadly?

I was enjoying reading about the upcoming fishing tournament, the reality TV show being filmed in town, and Rylie's upcoming wedding so much that I didn't even care if there was a murder to solve!  

Stella starts Bungled: A Rylie Cooper Mystery out with a great hook, George the part-time park ranger explains to Rylie how to get yourself out of zip-tie handcuffs.  Well, now I need to drop everything and read this book to find out if and when Stella is going to need to get herself out of handcuffs.  As if that wasn't enough, then there are all the comments by friends and family members asking Rylie if she's sure she should get married. What a great distraction of a book! 

I appreciated how Stella made a fishing tournament interesting for someone who doesn't fish. Her descriptions of how a fishing tournament works and ways one might try to cheat are seamlessly part of the narrative making sure they don't become information dumps for the reader. 

The mystery keeps you reading and guessing about who did it and why, and the side characters are properly quirky.  The book ends with Rylie questions her life choices and that is a good place to end things and get the reader interested in what will come next! 

4 stars for Bungled: A Rylie Cooper Mystery.  The perfect book to take with you fishing! Click here to add it to your Goodreads TBR.

It is available on Kindle or in Paperback and is included in a Kindle Unlimited Subscription! 

The March Cozy Mystery Book Club Book! Who's Joining Us For the Live Stream Tomorrow?

 This month the Cozy Mystery Book Club is reading the first book in Alexia Gordon's award-winning Gethsemane Brown Mysteries series!  I have been waiting to read this book with the Club for a while now I am glad that the time finally arrived! Not only did I enjoy the writing, I also enjoyed the distinctive signature look of the covers in this series. 

I greatly enjoyed this cozy and am looking forward to immediately reading the next book in the series, not only because there is a cliffhanger that I need to find out more about but also because it's an engaging story. 

 Alexia Gordon is just brilliant, her descriptions are evocative reminding you that Ireland is an old and mystical place, so much so that it doesn't seem shocking at all when Gethsemane runs into a ghost or when the bodies start to pile up.  The mystery and the language used in Murder in G Major kept me on my toes.  I had to look up definitions for more than a couple of words and phrases in this book and I appreciated the opportunity to learn new vocabulary, as well as the proper pronunciations of Gaelic names.  

Gethsemane Brown makes for a wonderful amateur sleuth.  She starts out reluctant to get involved, she's an outsider and her background as a music scholar provides her with great researching skills and the ability to think outside the box.  Now that I think about it, Dr. Gethsemane Brown shares some traits with Sherlock Holmes; both play the violin, both are blunt in their words, and both are doggedly determined to find out who done it.  

This book has just the right of twist and turns and also a gothic flair.  Who has even heard of a church with a poison garden?  As Gethsemane says, only in Ireland. 

4.0 Stars to Murder in G Major. The only reason it wasn't a 5-stars for me was the motive and I have some qualms with how the killer was depicted not a fan of that particular trope. I don't want to say too much and give anything away.  

I loved Gethsemane and Eamon. Really nice duo!