Lisa Ks Book Reviews

I'm never sure who is more excited about new release day, the authors or the readers. Either way, we can agree that it's an exciting day for us all!

Cat Latimer’s Colorado bed-and-breakfast plays host to writers from all over. But murder is distinctly unwelcome . . .

To kick off a winter writing retreat, Cat and her handyman boyfriend, Seth, escort the aspiring authors to a nearby ski resort, hoping some fresh cold air will wake up their creative muses. But instead of hitting the slopes, they hit the bar—and before long, a tipsy romance novelist named Christina is keeping herself warm with a local ski bum who might have neglected to tell her about his upcoming wedding.

Next thing Cat knows, her uncle, the town sheriff, informs her that the young man’s been found dead in a hot tub—and Christina shows up crying and covered in blood. Now, between a murder mystery, the theft of a rare Hemingway edition, and the arrival of a black-clad stranger in snowy Aspen Hills, Cat’s afraid everything’s going downhill . . .

MY REVIEW

FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT was indeed almost fatal to me. I could have died from lack of sleep from not wanting to put this book down!

Book one in the Cat Latimer Mysteries, A STORY TO KILL, was so good, I found it hard to believe that author Lynn Cahoon could improve upon it. Well, that shows you how much I know, because, FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT was superb! All of the character building, and wonderfully descriptive scenes from the first book, added such an rich essence to this tale, I felt like I was back at a favorite getaway instead of between the pages of a book.

As superb as Ms. Cahoon is at plotting, planning, and writing a mystery, it’s amazing to know she has only been writing them a few short years (but she was a writer before she started mysteries). As with book one, she drew me deep into FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT, sending me on wild goose chases, and keeping my mind so busy looking for answers, she managed to fool me until the reveal.

If you’re looking for a well written, entertaining, keep you up all night reading it mystery, you’ll find it for sure in FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT!

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Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte . . .

Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since returning to seaside Santa Sofia, California. That is, until the thirty-six-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with owner Olaya Solis, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery . . .

But Ivy’s spirits crumble when a missing classmate is suddenly discovered dead in her car. Even more devastating, the prime suspect is Olaya Solis herself. Doubting the woman could commit such a crime, Ivy embarks on a murder investigation of her own to prove her innocence and seize the real killer. As she follows a deadly trail of crumbs around town, Ivy must trust her gut like never before—or someone else could be toast!

MY REVIEW

A mouthwatering tale of bread, murder, and more bread.

I’ve been looking forward to reading KNEADED TO DEATH. I’m a self-professed breadaholic, so this book was on my radar right away. And, the descriptions of the different breads did not disappoint, and indeed succeeded in making my stomach growl. It seems like I could smell each yeasty loaf as it came out of the oven. Yum!

I had a love/I’m-not-sure-about-her relationship with protagonist Ivy Culpepper. My opinion seemed to change every chapter or so. Ivy did have an awful tragedy in her life set six months before the book’s beginning, so I’m aware she wasn’t supposed to be all happy-go-lucky. And I did love that she found peace through baking, and using her camera. Hiding behind that lens can help heal a world of hurts. I’ve done it myself, so there was a bit of a connection there with her.

There were many unique characters in KNEADED TO DEATH. I enjoyed the Solis sisters, and that they slipped a lot into their native Spanish from time to time. However, I wish there had been a few more translation moments for the readers.

The mystery was pretty solid, with plenty of suspects to keep me on my toes. The reveal of who murdered a fellow classmate in Ivy’s bread making class took my completely by surprise. There was also a twist brought in. There was another twist brought into the reveal as well.

All in all a good start to a new series. I look forward to book two, and trying to connect more with Ivy.

KNEADED TO DEATH comes with two tasty recipes at the back of the book.

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MY REVIEW

A good start to a new series.

I very much enjoyed DEATH BY CHOCOLATE LAB during the first several chapters. It was a very quick read, (I love short chapters in a book), and I found myself flying through the pages, learning about protagonist Daphne Templeton, and her sister Piper, Daphne’s petsitting business Lucky Paws (thus the name of the series), and meeting canine characters, Socrates and Artie, as well as a few townsfolk.

As I mentioned above, during the first eight or so chapters, things moved rather swiftly, making it hard for me to put the book down. However, there were slow scenes further into the story that, honestly, if the chapters had been long ones, I would have found it hard to get through them. I know most authors have a word count that must be observed, (depending on the publisher), but there were parts of the book that would have been better if they had been trimmed back.

All that being said, I think author Bethany Blake can make the Lucky Paws Mysteries into a great series. She has created some likeable characters that I look forward to seeing grow as she continues to flesh them out, and her cast of pups already have a place in my heart. Blake is a good writer, and I very much want to read the next in the series when it releases.

If you are a lover of adorable dogs, I suggest you give DEATH BY CHOCOLATE LAB a try. If you do, be sure to check out the back of the book for recipes for dogs and humans (though some of the dog recipes sounded like something I’d eat), and read an excerpt for book two the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mysteries, DIAL MEOW FOR MURDER.

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A romantic seven-day cruise is the perfect start to bakery owner Hannah Swensen’s marriage. However, with a murder mystery heating up in Lake Eden, Minnesota, it seems the newlywed’s homecoming won’t be as sweet as she anticipated . . .

After an extravagant honeymoon, Hannah’s eager to settle down in Lake Eden and turn domestic daydreams into reality. But when her mother’s neighbor is discovered murdered in the condo downstairs, reality becomes a nightmarish investigation. Victoria Bascomb, once a renowned stage actress, was active in the theater community during her brief appearance in town . . . and made throngs of enemies along the way. Did a random intruder murder the woman as police claim, or was a deadlier scheme at play? As Hannah peels through countless suspects and some new troubles of her own, solving this crime—and living to tell about it—might prove trickier than mixing up the ultimate banana cream pie.

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That ghost sure looks . . . familiar

Only a handful of people know that Emma Lee Raines, proprietor of a small-town Kentucky funeral home, is a “Betweener.” She helps ghosts stuck between here and the ever-after—murdered ghosts. Once Emma Lee gets them justice they can cross over to the great beyond.

But Emma Lee’s own sister refuses to believe in her special ability. In fact, the Raines sisters have barely gotten along since Charlotte Rae left the family business for the competition. After a doozy of an argument, Emma Lee is relieved to see Charlotte Rae back home to make nice. Until she realizes her usually snorting, sarcastic, family-ditching sister is a . . . ghost.

Charlotte Rae has no earthly idea who murdered her or why. With her heart in tatters, Emma Lee relies more than ever on her sexy beau, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross…because this time, catching a killer means the Raines sisters will have to make peace with each other first.

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Deputy coroner Mattie Winston is starting to feel like she’s in way over her head . . .

As the single mom of an energetic toddler and an investigator working for the medical examiner’s office in small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin, Mattie is used to her life being a juggling act. But now that she’s moved in with Detective Steve Hurley and his teenaged daughter Emily, and has started planning their wedding, her home life is looking more like a three-ring circus. And with her boss and friend, Izzy, suddenly having a health crisis, she could not be more grateful for the newest staff member in the ME’s office, Hal Dawson.

All too quickly her gratitude turns to shock when a floating body found trapped against a dam turns out to be Hal, but the cause of death isn’t drowning—his throat’s been slashed. Hal was supposed to be fishing on his day off with his girlfriend. And when their empty boat is found in a nearby lake, the whereabouts of the woman becomes an even more urgent question.

To find out what really happened to her coworker, Mattie may need to rock the boat. But a killer is just as determined to keep the truth from ever surfacing, even if that means making Mattie the next one to go under.

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