DEARLY DEPARTED 

Book 2 in the Amy's Travel Mysteries 

by Hy Conrad

Fanny and Amy Abel, the dynamic mother-and-daughter owners of a NYC travel agency, have just booked their biggest trip yet. But with danger in the air, the itinerary may include murder... 

Paisley MacGregor, a maid to the rich, made a dying request to send all of her wealthy employers on a first-class wake to spread her ashes around the world. Amy has her suspicions about these "mourners," especially when one has a life-threatening "accident" at the first stop in Paris. And when a mysterious American stranger tagging along with the group has his ticket punched in the shadow of the Taj Mahal, Amy knows she may have a killer on her tour. 

Who was this stranger, and what's the connection to someone in her group? Digging for clues while continuing on with the trip is a lot for Amy to manage, especially when another mourner has a possibly fatal encounter with a Hawaiian volcano. Back in the States, Fanny and Amy start to piece together a secret worth killing for, but someone is hot on their trail, and ready to send them on a one-way trip--to the morgue!

MY REVIEW

You’re going to love the trip you take when reading DEARLY DEPARTED!

While this is the second book in the Amy’s Travels Mysteries, this is the first for me. Author Hy Conrad mentions enough from book one, TOURED TO DEATH, to keep the reader from feeling lost.

As witty as it is mystery filled, DEARLY DEPARTED was a fun read that I truly enjoyed. Well written, and very intriguing, this story really kept me guessing. A clever whodunit, I tried to figure out who did do it all the way to the surprising reveal.

I enjoyed series lead, Amy and her mother, Fanny. It was fun to get to see some of the world with them and the other wide variety of characters that traveled with us. Each character brought so much to the story…even characters no longer there.

If you love a good mystery, and you enjoy traveling, DEARLY DEPARTED is the perfect book for you!

Did you miss the first book in this series, TOURED TO DEATH? Check out the excerpt at the back of DEARLY DEPARTED!

Available January 26, 2016

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SCENE OF THE BRINE 

Book 3 in the Pickled & Preserved Mysteries 

by Mary Ellen Hughes

The national bestselling author of License to Dill returns with a dilly of a pickle.
 
Piper Lamb has to take a break from jarring her delicious pickles and preserves to blow the lid off a poisoner....
 
Business is booming at Piper’s Picklings in Cloverdale, New York. But not all is sweet in the life of Piper’s number one customer and friend, local caterer Sugar Heywood. Sugar is dating wealthy realtor Jeremy Porter, but his family doesn’t approve. After their unscrupulous accountant finds some dirt on Sugar, the family quickly urges Jeremy to throw her out like rotten fruit.
 
Things are further spoiled after the accountant is found poisoned, and all evidence points to Sugar’s son, Zach. With the Porter family determined to avoid scandal, it won’t be easy for Piper to preserve Zach’s innocence. And after someone falls victim to a poisoned jar of some of her brandied cherries, Piper’s got a peck of trouble to deal with herself…

MY REVIEW

SCENE OF THE BRINE is the best thing since sliced bread and butter pickles!

Author Mary Ellen Hughes is such an amazing writer, and SCENE OF THE BRINE is proof to back up that statement. She knows exactly what cozy fans are looking for, and she delivers it time and time again. I wouldn’t have thought possible, but this installment is even better than the first two!

Stellar writing combined with a killer plot made this book impossible for me to put down. Once I started reading I was propelled into the storyline right alongside Piper Lamb, and the other fantastic characters that make up the wonderful town of Cloverdale, NY. It was an amazing ride straight through the exciting reveal!

When I read the first book in the Pickled and Preserved mysteries, THE PICKLED PIPER, I declared it one of my three most favorite mysteries of that year. Here I am a few years later, having just finished book three, and I have to say this series is still on my top favorites list!

Thank you, Ms. Hughes. SCENE OF THE BRINE left me pickled pink. ;-)

Make sure to check out the back of the book for some tasting canning recipes!

Available February 2, 2016

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THREAD AND GONE 

Book 3 in the Mainely Needlepoint Mysteries

by Lea Wait

When a priceless antique is stolen, murder unravels the peaceful seaside town of Haven Harbor, Maine. . .

Angie Curtis and her fellow Mainely Needlepointers know how to enjoy their holidays. But nothing grabs their attention like tying up loose threads. So when Mary Clough drops in on the group's Fourth of July supper with a question about an antique needlepoint she's discovered in her family attic, Angie and her ravelers are happy to look into the matter. 

Angie's best guess is that the mystery piece may have been stitched by Mary, Queen of Scots, famous not just for losing her head, but also for her needlepointing. If Angie's right, the piece would be extremely valuable. For safekeeping, Angie turns the piece over to her family lawyer, who places it in a safe in her office. But when the lawyer is found dead with the safe open and ransacked, the real mystery begins. . .

MY REVIEW

Author Lea Wait has embroidered mystery and needlepoint to create a masterpiece of a cozy!

I started this series with book two, THREADS OF EVIDENCE and instantly fell for this delightful series. Protagonist Angie Curtis and her group of Mainely Needlepointers are a great cast of characters. The setting of Haven Harbor, Maine sounds like just the sort of place I’d love to visit.

With THREAD AND GONE, author Wait has penned an excellent mystery that kept me rooted to my chair. The intrigue started right away, and I wasn’t about to stop reading until I knew all the answers. With an exciting conclusion that lasted for at least two chapters, I was out of breath by the time I finished they story!

On a side note…I love that each chapter starts with a quote or tidbit. They’re fun and interesting to read.

Make sure to check out the back of the book for a yummy recipe, and an excerpt of  DANGLING BY A THREAD, book four in this wonderful series!  

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DEATH BY TEA 

Book 2 in the Bookstore Café

by Alex Erickson

Mystery lovers have descended on Pine Hills for this year’s book club competition, to be held at Krissy Hancock’s bookstore café. But the killer in their midst seems determined to outwit all the armchair sleuths—and send Krissy to the remainder bin forever.
 
Just before two dueling book clubs are set to square off at Death by Coffee, one of the competitors turns up dead—bludgeoned with the silver teapot that was to serve as the prize. Suspicion immediately falls on Krissy, who was seen skulking around town in dark clothes on the night of the murder.
 
To clear her name and find the real killer, Krissy turns to an old flame, Officer Paul Dalton. But even Paul can’t ignore the trail of evidence that seems to point in her direction. And with Krissy’s personal nemesis, Officer John Buchannan, working overtime to pin the murder on her, it will take an amazing feat of detective work to close the book for good on an elusive killer.

MY REVIEW

The second book in the Bookstore Café mystery series was a good read.

Author Alex Erickson has created a wonderful setting for his series. I’ve wanted to own a bookstore café for a very long time. So the scenes in the store were fun for me as I pictured the shop in my mind, imaging spending my days there.

This was a well written mystery with a plot that kept me guessing. Also, it had good reveal that was nicely thought out.

There were some good characters in DEATH BY TEA, but I have to be honest…I do not care for series protagonist, Krissy Hancock. I find her to be juvenile and whiney. I don’t expect all female leads to be super women, but I do want to find them likeable. As this series goes forward, I hope to see some growth in Krissy.

I like this series okay, but I want to love it. My 4 star rating is on Mr. Erickson’s ability as an author. Not for the overall piece.

There is an excerpt in the back of the book for the third book in this series, DEATH BY PUMPKIN SPICE.

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A MURDER IN MOHAIR 

Book 8 in the Black Sheep Knitting mystery series 

by Anne Canadeo

In Anne Canadeo's cozy eighth Black Sheep Knitting Mystery, a cold-hearted murder in Plum Harbor leads the knitters to investigate a new psychic who may be far more dangerous than she seems…

When Jimmy Hubbard, the manager of the local cinema, is murdered in a robbery gone wrong, the residents of Plum Harbor are mystified. Everyone liked Jimmy, and the struggling theater seems an unlikely target for burglars.

The Black Sheep Knitters are surprised and saddened by the crime, but are more suspicious of psychic-medium Isabel Waters, who has recently set up shop in town. Isabel has hoodwinked one of their friends into shelling out big money every week to keep the memory of a lost loved one alive. Determined to reveal Isabel as a fraud, the knitters are pulled in the web of Isabel’s world and find themselves in a tangle of secrets and lies. They must solve two murders before the truth about all of Isabel’s clients—past and present—are revealed.

As in her previous books A Dark and Stormy Knit, The Silence of the Llamas, and Knit, Purl, Die—which Publishers Weekly praised for its “fast-paced plot that will keep even non-knitters turning the pages”—Canadeo brings her trademark style to this entertaining mystery that will psych you out and leave you wanting more.

MY REVIEW

A MURDER IN MOHAIR is a wonderful addition to the ever growing Black Sheep Knitting mystery series.

It’s always a fun, if murderous trip when visiting Plum Harbor! Lucy and the rest of the gang are always into something, and I’m not talking just knitting!

Author Anne Canadeo has an easy style of writing that makes her stories flow at a wonderful pace. With A MURDER IN MOHAIR, I found myself drawn into the story from, page one. Chapter after chapter I hung on every word I read. With plenty of twists throughout the story, this mystery wrapped up with a well thought out reveal that caught me off guard.

If you’re not a knitter, no worries. You don’t have to know a thing about knitting to enjoy this story or series. I’m needle work challenged and I was able to enjoy the story with no problem at all.

Make sure to the back of the book for a special feature that includes some tasty recipes! 

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MERRY CHRISTMAS 

JOYOUS HOLIDAYS

HAPPY READING

THE SILENCE OF THE CHIHUAHUAS 

Book 5 in the Barking Detective Mysteries

by Waverly Curtis

Includes a Bonus Story

“Savvy sleuths come in small packages…”

Pepe, aspiring P.I. Geri Sullivan’s muy clever Chihuahua, has stopped talking. But why now, with Geri’s best friend Brad missing and her ditzy sister in grave danger? Geri’s lost without Pepe’s dogged detective work, especially when a client of Brad’s expires under very murky circumstances.

Luckily, Pepe turns out to be an excelente blogger, and his nose for clues soon has the detective duo chasing down leads. But they’ll have to put a bite on crime quickly, because danger’s afoot – and it’s making tracks in their direction . . .

MY REVIEW

Paws down, the best installment of this series!

The Barking Detective mystery series is one of the funniest cozy series there is. No matter your mood when you’re reading one of these stories, Chihuahua, Pepe, is more than sure to bring a smile to your face.

Author(s) Waverly Curtis has out done all past books in this series. THE SILENCE OF THE CHIUAHUAHS is filled with book bursting mystery and fun! Honestly, every chapter was better than the one before. And every suspense filled, witty page led to an action packed reveal that had me wide eyed and holding my breath!

In between the chapters are mini chapters that are Pepe’s Blog. They are absolutely priceless!

If this is your first time reading a book in this series, be prepared to be thoroughly entertained. Returning readers, you will not be disappointed. All readers are in for a barking good time!

As if this book isn’t wonderful enough, A CHIHUAHUA IN EVERY STOCKING, a short story originally only available in eBook format, is included at the back of the book!

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A WEE DOSE OF DEATH 

Book 2 in the Scotshop mystery series

by Fran Stewart

A second dose of Scottish charm from the author of A Wee Murder in My Shop.
 
While business is booming at the ScotShop in Hamelin, Vermont, proprietor Peggy Winn doesn’t have time to toast her good fortune thanks to her hot-tempered, fourteenth-century Scottish companion. Being thrust into the modern world hasn’t been easy for Dirk, but Peggy is at her wit’s end trying to keep the ghostie galoot in line.
 
But when the local police chief finds the body of Peggy’s friend Karaline’s college professor in a deserted mountain cabin, everyone is thrown for a loop. It seems the secretive professor may have been killed over his ecological work, an idea that’s only reinforced when Karaline herself is shot. Now Peggy and Dirk must set aside their differences to put the cold-blooded killer under loch and key...

MY REVIEW

Author Fran Stewart has penned a wonderful second installment to her Scotshop mystery series. If you like your cozy mysteries with cranky ghosts, you’re in for more than a wee bit of fun with this delightful story.

Rather you have read the first book in this series, A WEE MURDER IN MY SHOP, or you’re starting with this title, fans of para-cozies will be thrilled with this wonderful read.

Protagonist Peggy Winn and her gruff ghostly companion, Dirk, are back in another exciting story that is sure to delight readers. While I found Dirk’s way of speaking a little distracting at time (but that’s just me), I applaud author Stewart for keeping her fourteenth-century Scotsman ghost authentic. I look forward to seeing if twenty-first century speech will ever start to creep its way into his vocabulary.

A real page turner, A WEE DOSE OF DEATH is filled with mystery and intrigue that carries through the entire story right up to the last chapter. With an exciting ending that will find you holding your breath the whole way through, you’ll be looking forward to the next installment before you’re even finished this story. 

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Release Date: January 5, 2016

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A GHOUL'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

Book 10 in the Ghost Hunter Mystery series 

by Victoria Laurie

Medium M. J. Holliday battles demons in the tenth Ghost Hunter Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of No Ghouls Allowed.

M.J., Heath, and Gilley, are back home in Boston, where their new film is sure to be a monster hit!  To promote the film, the studio is sponsoring a special exhibit of supernatural artifacts at a local museum. Unfortunately, Gilley—whose mind is engaged with wedding plans—gets talked into donating to the exhibit the very dagger that keeps the dangerous ghost Oruç and his pet demon locked down in the lower realms. Before M.J. can recover the bewitched blade, there’s a murder and a heist at the museum, and the dagger is stolen.
 
Now Oruç is coming for M.J. and her crew, and he's bringing with him some fiendish friends from M.J.’s haunted past. She, Gilley, and Heath are certain to be in for a devil of a time. M.J. may even need to recruit a certain skeptical Boston detective to help stop the paranormal party crashers from turning Gilley’s wedding bells to funeral knells. . . .

MY REVIEW

Author Victoria Laurie finishes her Ghost Hunter series with thrilling action!

Fans of this series are in for a bittersweet time when reading A GHOUL’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, This last book in the long running Ghost Hunter series is the best of the bunch. Author Laurie has given fans her all with this one.

A killer plot that will draw you in instantly, just keeps getting better with every wonderfully written chapter. And it all leads up to an exciting conclusion, and a fond farewell to characters M. J., Gilley, and Heath.

If you followed this series, you don’t want to miss out on this one.

Victoria Laurie is also author of the Psychic Eye mystery series. You’ll find an excerpt from book one, ABBY COOPER, PHYCHIC EYE at the back of the book.  

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Release Date: January 5, 2016

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