Short but Packed with Paranormal Cozy Goodness! Available on KU!

 

This is the first book in Beth Dolgner's Nightmare, Arizona's Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series. It's on the short side, but I didn't find the story lacking or rushed. I enjoyed Olivia embracing her new environment and coming to conclusions about certain things we, the readers, knew right away. 

There are some good red herrings in this book and lots of room for growth. The location is fun. I read Beth's bio and discovered she lives near a Wild West tourist town, so this series is sort of set in a real town—minus all the paranormal elements, of course.

As soon as I finished this book, I returned it to KU so I could pick up the second book in the series. If you are looking for something fluffy and fun, this is an enjoyable read! 

Four Stars for this fun book!

This week our temperatures have been incredibly hot and we even had to cancel outdoor recess at school Last night the heatwave broke, but we also had major thunderstorms.  A large elm tree crashed down onto one of our neighbor's garage and car.  Fortunately, everyone is okay! The holiday weekend is almost here in the USA and I can't wait to do some reading and go for a run! 

#TheAccidental Alchemist Paranormal Cozy 1st in A Series

A while back I saw that The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian was free on audible, so I gave it a listen.  I've been meaning to start this series for quite some time, but for whatever reason, other books kept jumping the line. Lucky for me I got around to this book. I found it to be delightful. As you know if you read this blog I enjoy cozy mysteries with supernatural elements. In this book, Gigi Pandian does an excellent mixing of mythology as well as actual history around alchemy. She also has some mouthwatering culinary talk around vegan cooking.  Side note, sometimes vegan people can be a little judgy about us carnivores, but in this book, the vegan talk is very organic and made me want to try Zoe and Dorian's cooking. Especially Dorian's!  

The setting lends itself to the paranormal vibes, the characters are unique but not kooky, and the mystery was compelling. In the end, there is enough resolution to make me happy and enough plot threads that are still unresolved to have me reaching for book two. 

Five Stars from me! 

It's almost September so I'm getting ready for fall. I wanted to try my hand at some Halloween-y cookies and I think these turned out pretty cute. I used a Tastefully Simple Cookie Mix (Peanut Butter Bliss) as my base and then I turned Peanut Butter Blossom cookies into Spider Blossom Cookies! I think Spiders have quite a few eyes, but I thought I keep it cute and not an accurate representation!

 

Fun Cozy Mystery Audio Series, Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles

 

As autumn arrives, I am drawn to reading more paranormal stories, and I was happy to find this series of which at least a few books are included in my audible subscription.  The series has paranormal elements that we learn just a little about in this first book in the series. A couple of features of this series that made it stand out to me are that it takes place in South Dakota--not many cozies are set in the Dakotas. Secondly, our amateur slueth is a single mom with nine-year-old twins.  Single moms with young kids are also rare in cozies.  

I was concerned when I was just 30 minutes from the end of the book that one of the main storylines was not going to be resolved in anyway, but fortunately it was--this book ends without any cliffhangers and leaves you interested in what is going to happen next in Violet's life. Some reviewers found her kids annoying but I didn't mind. I would say if you don't like grade school kids in your mysteries this is probably not the series for you. 

3.5 stars from me.

#ThreeTaintedTeas #NetGalley

Three Tainted Teas is the third book in Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch Mystery series.  I enjoy a nice witchy cozy and in this addition to the series, shifters are added to the world of Magic Springs, so I think this books series is now officially a paranormal cozy series. While there are plenty of cozies that have a witch and her cat and a coven or two.  Not too many cozies expand into a more fulsome paranormal world.  I enjoy paranormal so I was pleased with the additional magical creatures in this book. 

I enjoy that Mia views all of the different magical folk as all the same species at the end of the day. This is a good perspective, she also adheres to a strong set of core beliefs that cause her to think before using her magical skills..unlike some of the spells first ask questions later witches and warlocks around her. 

In this book, weddings are on everyone's minds including Trent and Mia. Trent seems ready to make a larger commitment to Mia and I for one, can't wait for her to catch up to his view of their potential future! Mia is a planner and an organizer and while some readers might find it a little boring to read about her planning the day-to-day, this reader finds it very relaxing to read. Plus all the yummy food talk, it's a nice balance.  Murdery stuff/party planning/food talk! 

4 Starts to #ThreeTaintedTeas Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC! 

You can get this book on Tuesday April 26th! 

Here is the publisher's description for your reference: 

New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon returns with the third installment of her enchanting Kitchen Witch Mysteries starring aspiring witch and culinary entrepreneur Mia Malone, who must dispel a deadly plot to wreck her clients’ wedding!
 

Aspiring witch and culinary entrepreneur, Mia Malone, must dispel a deadly plot to wreck her clients’ wedding in this charming continuation of New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon’s Kitchen Witch Mystery series.
 
Business is bubbling at Mia’s catering service and cooking school, Mia’s Morsels, but toil and trouble are not far behind. Mia just accepted her toughest gig yet: last-minute wedding planner for Magic Springs’ own Romeo and Juliet. Though the small town is fairly accepting of magic, two families have been locked in a vicious feud spanning generations. Unfortunately for both families, they’re about to become in-laws! Amethyst and Tok are excited to wed in a few weeks and somehow Mia must ensure the event is flawless.
 
But when she goes to pick up paperwork from the couple’s previous wedding planner, Mia discovers the woman murdered in an apparent attempt to stop the contentious union. Now, not only is Mia a prime suspect, as the new planner she may also be the killer’s next target. Backed by her squad, her charms—literal and figurative—and a protective amulet from her Grans, it’s up to Mia to save the star-crossed couple’s wedding, her professional reputation…and maybe even her life!

Fries and Alibis! First in a Fun Paranormal Humorous Cozy!

 

I received a digital copy of this book for free because I joined the Cozy Mystery Tribe. For more info on that click here.   This was the second free book for the month of January. Fries & Alibis is the first book in Trixie Silvertale's Mitzy Moon Mysteries series. 

This book is novella-length, nice for a quick weekend read on a snowy, winter weekend. If you like cozies with a ghost, cozies that have a borderline magic pet companion, and a bookstore that is featured prominently, then you must read this series.

Mitzy is in her early twenties and has been an orphan for some time when we begin the book. Mitzy is a bit of a mess and this is a plus in my opinion, how many of us were a bit of a mess as we officially entered adulthood. The book is written as if we are sitting at the town diner and Mitzy is telling us the story of how she arrived in Pin Cherry Harbor and was accused of murder.  

The book is rich in humor and the town of Pin Cherry Habor is delightful.  The town is filled with anachronistic adventures for Mitzy.  For example, the bank uses passbooks, and Mitzy's apartment has a rotary phone. There is no explanation of why this is the case in the town and that, in my opinion, makes it more fun for the reader. 

I hope Trixie Silvertale had a lot of fun writing this book because that is how it came across in the reading.

3.75 Stars to this first book in the series. 

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! 

Sharing Sheltering Spirits - A Lola Blog Tour!

 

Sheltering Spirits (A Mallory McGrath Mystery #1)
by Lori Allison
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 6 October 2020

Blurb:
Orphaned at a young age, all Mallory McGrath wants is a place to call home, the companionship of friends who have become her family and to keep her Basset Hound, Elmer, from wrecking everything she owns.

A simple life.

And things are going her way until a sudden encounter with the bumper of a car driven by the intriguing new coroner in town leaves her with a head injury that unlocks a strange new talent.

Now Mallory is dealing with ghostly roommates, a dead body on her property and finding herself under suspicion of murdering the town’s matriarch. Not to mention the angry poltergeist trashing her attic!

To save all she holds dear, Mallory must catch a killer who has her in his sights … and to make sure her supply of peanut butter doesn’t run out.

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        This is fun, short cozy!  You can read it during an afternoon sitting by the pool or over a few summer nights.  Mallory is a great MC, she is smart, kind, and not afraid to do some sleuthing! I liked the paranormal aspects of the ghosts they were (for the most part) like Mallory's guardian angels.  Elmer and Luther were wonderful cozy companion characters. LizzyAnne,  Mallory's BFF was pretty over the top, but her heart is clearly in the right place so she started to grow on me. 

I really like the budding romance and I liked how the town funeral home is a feature in this book. This is definitely a cozy to add to your TBR and I'm looking forward to book two!

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon

About the Author:
Lori Allison has had a life-long love affair with books, both as a reader and a writer. Lori is the mother of 3 grown children and has a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of New Mexico. She managed the construction company her family owned for 17 years before retiring to pursue writing full time.

Lori lives in a small town in New Mexico with her husband, Jeffery, and their three dogs.

Author links:
- Website
- Facebook
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Instagram