Wednesday, July 22, 2015


DREAM A LITTLE SCREAM by Mary Kennedy
MURDER IN THE PAPERBACK PARLOR by Ellery Adams

DREAM A LITTLE SCREAM
Book 2 in the Dream Club Mystery series 
by Mary Kennedy


The national bestselling author of Nightmares Can Be Murder once again gathers together the members of the Dream Club in Savannah, Georgia, where the book tour of a famous chef becomes a recipe for disaster… 

Behind her down-home folksy persona, celebrity chef Sonia Scott is a real Dixie diva who’s made plenty of enemies in her climb to the top of the culinary world. One of them is the newest member of the Dream Club, Etta Mae Beasley, who claims Sonia stole her family’s recipes and used them in her latest cookbook.

After Sonia’s suspicious death from anaphylactic shock at a book signing held at Taylor and Ali’s retro candy store, Etta’s revelation sows seeds of doubt in Taylor Blake’s mind. Now the Dream Club needs to put their heads together to determine if one of their own decided to give the chef her just desserts…

MY REVIEW 


Reading DREAM A LITTLE SCREAM was a dream come true! It was such a long year waiting for this book. And when I finally got it in my hands, I wasted no time opening it and settling down to enjoy. It was wonderful to be back in author Mary Kennedy’s world of dreams, murder, and retro candy. She brought back that same thrilling sensation I remember having when reading NIGHTMARES CAN BE MURDER.

I’ve adored the whole concept of a dream club from the moment I heard about it with the first book. It’s not only interesting, but such an original idea for a cozy mystery. I love the scenes when the group gathers. The members, including protagonist Taylor and her sister Ali, are all so diverse. That makes for some very intriguing interactions. And I’m envious of the goodies the group members get to enjoy during their meeting. All made by Ali and sold in the retro candy store she owns with Taylor. Their store reminds me of one I’ve visited in a small town in Pennsylvania. The only difference is, Oldies But Goodies, the shop in the book, also sells drinks and fresh made yummys as well. Another great idea of the author’s to mix the two types of stores together.

I found myself absorbed in this book from the very first page.  With the action starting off early in the story, all I could do was hold on and enjoy the ride. And enjoy I did! With twists and turns and oh-my-goodness moments, all leading up to a fantastic ending. Ms. Kennedy has penned a winning installment to what I hope will be a long running series.  

You’re going to want to add DREAM A LITTLE SCREAM to your to-be-read list. You’ll be so very happy that you did. I know I’ll be doing a lot of daydreaming while I wait for book three!

And make sure to check out the back of the book for the included Dream Symbol Guide!

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MURDER IN THE PAPERBACK PARLOR 
Book 2 in the Book Retreat Mystery series 
by Ellery Adams


The New York Times bestselling Book Retreat mysteries feature Storyton Hall, the perfect getaway for literature lovers—except when a guest tries to get away with murder…

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Jane Steward is organizing a week of activities for fans of love stories at her book-themed resort. But her Regency readers barely have time to brush up on their Jane Austen before tragedy strikes Storyton Hall. Rosamund York, one of the most celebrated authors in attendance, is killed.

Rosamund had as many enemies as she did admirers, including envious fellow novelists, a jealous former lover, and dozens of angry fans. It’s up to Jane, with the help of her book club, the Cover Girls, to catalogue the list of suspects and find a heartless killer quickly—before the murderer writes someone else off…

MY REVIEW 


Book one in the Book Retreat Mystery series, MURDER IN THE MYSTERY SUITE, was one of my favorite books of 2014. Everything I loved about that book has only gotten better in MURDER IN THE PAPERBACK PARLOR.

Storyton Hall is a place I would want to visit again and again. A quiet country retreat to spend time with other bibliophiles would be perfect wouldn’t it? But Storyton Hall isn’t all it appears to be. What with pesky murder to contend with. Never fear…the staff of Storyton can handle anything that arises, because they aren’t what they appear to be either.

You would think with fans of romance descending on the Hall so close to Valentine’s Day, things would be all love and flowers. Come on…this is an Ellery Adams book. Someone has to die! J In this case, it’s a celebrated romance author.

Author Ellery Adams lets the reader get a good way into the book before the discovery of the body. I was lulled into the story, taking in the surroundings, enjoying my stay just as much as the characters in the book. I was having a grand time with protagonist Jane, her family, the staff, the Cover Girls…I felt like I was on holiday. With her flawless style of writing and perfect sense of timing, Author Adams had me so absorbed in this fantastic book, I forgot I was reading a murder mystery. So when the death was announced, I was actually shocked. How fun is that? And before I had a chance to get over my shock, mystery, intrigue, and action took over the pages leaving me breathless.  

Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, and Jane Steward…these are the sleuths I’ll always remember when I think of mystery. You need to read this book!

Also included is a sneak peek of book seven in the Ellery Adams Books By The Bay series, WRITING ALL WRONGS.

Both of these great titles are now 
available for pre-order

Release date:
Tuesday, August 4


As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

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6 comments:

  1. Thanks, Lisa! I'm looking forward to both of these books.

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  2. I always love your reviews. Thanks so much for reviewing these two books. I will be purchasing them when they come out. Have a good day :)

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    1. Thank you, Deb! It makes me happy that you like them. You'll really enjoy the books.

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  3. Thanks for sharing your reviews. I am so excited to read Murder in the Paperback Parlor. Loved the first book!

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    1. Hi Barbara! Thank you for reading me reviews. I love the first one too.

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