Thursday, June 30, 2016


I'm working on reviews today.
I'll be back tomorrow for 
Cozy Food Friday. 





Wednesday, June 29, 2016


Lisa Ks Book Reviews blog is proud to bring to you
THE COZY TIMES

This is a weekly online publication focused on connecting cozy mystery readers to favorite cozy characters by way of their town's newspapers. 

The Cozy Times will be available Wednesdays right here on Lisa Ks blog. 
There will also be weekend editions, and special editions from time to time. So keep watch. 

Today The Cozy Times is featuring the 
FROG LEDGE HOLLAR

You'll notice this edition of the Chronicle is 
from a future edition. 

How, you ask? I thought it better not to ask.
(We went through this before with another paper's submission)

Check it out!


State’s first pet patisserie to open in Frog Ledge
By Cyril Pierce, Frog Ledge Holler

Four-legged friends will soon be able to enjoy a pastry or two with their human counterparts at a real cafe.

This December, the Pawsitively Organic Pet Patisserie, featuring treats like “Scruffy’s Scrumptious Scones” and “Duncan’s Lean, Green Doggie Cupcake,”
will open on Main Street.

“I’m thrilled to be able to offer to my locally-sourced, organic, healthy treats to even more dogs and cats,” said patisserie proprietor Stan Connor.
Conner, who moved to Frog Ledge last year, became an instant hit in town with the four-legged population thanks to her penchant for creating healthy treats that furry friends love. Not long after, she started baking treats and preparing fresh meals on demand for local residnets. She buys her ingredients as locally as possible, she says, and is constantly on the hunt for the best organic flours and other base ingredients.

“There’s nothing better than knowing you’re not only making a dog or cat happy, but you’re contributing to their healthy existence also,” Connor said.

After operating her business from her home since its inception, she had the opportunity to move into a shop. But she didn’t want it to be a standard bakery.

“I love coffee shops. There’s such a great sense of community there,” Connor said. “So I thought, why not let dog and cat lovers enjoy that experience with their babies, and cater to them?”

Connor’s shop will also offer human coffee and pastry supplied by Izzy Sweet of the local Izzy Sweet’s Sweets.

“My Milo is so excited to visit the cafe that he sits outside the door when we go for walks and watches them working on getting it ready,” said resident Carol Lynch about her Maltipoo. “He loves Stan’s blueberry bites the best and can’t wait to eat them with his friends.”

*****

*****
Police Log
September 15, 2016


A cat burglar was reported at a home on Moon Lane. The burglar entered the house through a screen on the first floor. Owners Lori and Louie Kane reported a half gallon of milk missing. They also found a bowl with traces of milk on the floor. Anyone with information should contact Resident State Trooper Jessica Pasquale.

An assault was reported at the Off-Leash Dog Park. An unsupervised poodle was reportedly pushed into a puddle of water in the large dog section of the park. By the time the poodle’s plight was noticed, the other dogs had scattered. Despite local gossip, a bully breed was not involved. Macie Friedman, the poodle’s owner, has offered a $100 reward for information on the incident.

A chicken is missing from Gray Goose Farm on Haddam Road. The chicken did not report for breakfast on Thursday morning. Anyone with information on the chicken’s whereabouts should contact the farm directly.

*****

*****
Frog Ledge sounds like quite the town
I'd love to have a pet bakery in my town!
~~~~~~
That's this week's edition of 
The Cozy Times 
I hope you enjoyed!

To learn more about the small Connecticut town of Frog Ledge and it's citizens, read the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries. 

Book Five

Coming December 27!

Kristan “Stan” Connor gladly turned tail on her high-flying job and moved to a quaint New England town to sell organic pet treats. But with her nose for solving murders, there’s no such thing as a quiet life…
 
Summer is winding down in Frog Ledge, Connecticut, but Stan’s love life and career are both heating up nicely. In between planning her new pet patisserie and cafĂ©, Stan is settling into living-in-bliss with sexy pub owner Jake McGee. Love’s on the menu for Stan’s mom, Patricia, too, who’s engaged to Frog Ledge’s mayor, Tony Falco.
 
Mayor Falco’s dogged ambition isn’t popular among locals, but it’s his executive coach, Eleanor Chang, who’s inspired a dangerous grudge. When Eleanor is found dead, there’s a whole pack of suspects to choose from. Stan has first-hand experience of Eleanor’s unsavory business tactics. But finding out who forced her to take a fatal plunge off the corporate ladder means unearthing some shady secrets…and a killer who’s too close for comfort.

 
Includes Gourmet Pet Food Recipes!

Book One                                      Book Two

Book Three                                    Book Four

About the author


Liz Mugavero is the author of the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries. The first book, Kneading to Die, is a 2013 Agatha nominee for Best First Novel. The series includes A Biscuit, A Casket, The Icing on the Corpse, and Murder Most Finicky. 

Liz has been writing stories since she could hold a pen. Before that, she would tell them to anyone who would listen (not many at the time). After deciding early on she would write books for a living, she practiced by writing bad, angst-filled poems, short stories and even a storyline for a soap opera--all by age 15. She never wavered from her goals despite all the usual questions including, "So are you going to be an English teacher with that degree in English?" or, "That writing thing sounds nice, but how are you REALLY going to make a living?"

She went on to get a master's in writing and publishing and spent time in journalism, PR, communications and presently, marketing. And she's confident this writing thing IS the way to make a living.

Aside from writing, she loves animals (has a houseful), the beach, reading other writers' masterpieces and Starbucks coffee.

Is there a cozy town you'd like to see featured in 
The Cozy Times? 
Please let me know in the comments section.


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

Follow my blog by 
clicking on the link in the 
upper right hand corner of this page.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016


CAUGHT BREAD HANDED by Ellie Alexander
ENGAGED IN DEATH by Stephanie Blackmoore

CAUGHT BREAD HANDED
Book 4 in the Bakeshop Mysteries
by Ellie Alexander


Welcome to Torte―a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the oven is heating up as high as the body count…


Jules Capshaw is still chewing over her husband Carlos’s return to Ashland, Oregon. Could there be too many cooks in the kitchen? Whatever is stirring between those two will have to wait. Despite the Oregon Shakespeare Festival being dark for the winter, the bakeshop is bustling, the dough is rolling, and there’s no rest for the weary…especially when murder is thrown into the mix.

When Mindy Nolan, the owner of a new restaurant in town, turns up dead, the batter at hand thickens. Jules knows that there was bad blood between Mindy and others in town, and tracking down the killer could prove to be an unwelcome treat. And to top it all off, there’s Carlos, who is pleading―with those delicious dark eyes and sexy Spanish accent―for Jules to take him back. Is home where the heart is or will she make a fresh start…and risk getting burned?

MY REVIEW


As delicious, and intoxicating as the pastries in Torte, CAUGHT BREAD HANDED is the perfect ingredient in this culinary mystery series!

I remember pick up the first book in this series, MEET YOUR BAKER, and thinking how wonderful it sounded. Understatement! I was hooked before I was done with the first chapter.  I’ve excitedly waited for each new installment since.

CAUGHT BREAD HANDED is a superb mystery that’s filled with excitement, fun, mystery, yummy food, great characters, a lovely location, everything readers look for in a cozy, and of course a murder victim, and enough suspects to keep you second guessing yourself.

There was only one aspect of this story, concerning a couple of characters, one in particular, I wasn’t really thrilled with. Other readers will no doubt be very happy with it. As for me, I’m waiting to see how it plays out in future books.

CAUGHT BREAD HANDED was a great book. You’re going to want to check it out, as well as the rest of the series!

You’ll find eight delectable recipes, and an expert from the next Bakeshop Mystery, all at the end of this book!

~*~*~*~*~


All appears peaceful in sleepy Port Quincy, Pennsylvania--but in this small town, old grudges die hard. .

After dumping her cheating fiancé and cancelling the wedding, Mallory Shepard can't bear another disaster. So when the former bride-to-be unexpectedly inherits Thistle Park, a ramshackle mansion in her ex's hometown of Port Quincy, it's a problem she can't afford--literally. Abound with stray cats, peeling wallpaper, and nosy neighbors, Mallory is dying to sell it off--once she finally fixes up both the place and her messy life. . .

Turns out, Thistle Park has its charms. But the honeymoon phase is abruptly cut short when an unwanted visitor is found dead on the front lawn. Enlisting the help of her sister Rachel, Mallory vows to unveil the killer before she herself becomes married to the suspect list. . .

MY REVIEW


A promising debut to the new Wedding Planner Mystery series.

All in all I enjoyed ENGAGED IN DEATH. It did take me a little while to get into it. Something with the characters just wasn’t clicking with me at first. But further into the story, as author Stephanie Blackmoore fleshed them out, the book started to move faster for me.

Ms. Blackmoore has a flare for description. I could clearly visualize each scene as though I was in the room with the characters. I could hear the sounds, and smell the aromas. 

ENGAGED TO DEATH was a solid mystery, with a well done reveal. There were just enough suspects to get me guessing until the reveal. I was close, but has changed my mind at some point. That will teach me to second guess myself. ;-)

Make sure to check out the back of the book where you will find some tasty recipes, and an excerpt of boo two in the Wedding Planner Mysteries, MURDER WEARS WHITE.


Both of these great titles 
are available today!


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

Follow my blog by 
clicking on the link in the 
upper right hand corner of this page.

Monday, June 27, 2016


GRACE SEES RED by Julie Hyzy
READ TO DEATH by Terrie Farley Moran

GRACE SEES RED
Book 7 in the Manor House Mysteries
by Julie Hyzy  


The New York Times bestselling author of the Manor House Mysteries and the White House Chef Mysteries is back with another nail-biting murder mystery for curator Grace Wheaton. 
Grace Wheaton, curator and manager of Marshfield Manor, and her benefactor, Bennett Marshfield, are discussing how to help her roommates Bruce and Scott with their wine shop troubles when Grace’s trusted—if testy—assistant, Frances, calls, saying she needs some assistance of her own. Arriving at the address Frances has given them, they find a coroner’s van and police cars parked outside an upscale assisted-living facility called Indwell.
 
One of the elderly residents has been found dead under suspicious circumstances, and Frances, seen arguing with the man earlier that day, is now a person of interest. It’s up to Grace to clear her assistant’s name and find the real killer—before another Indwell resident checks out early...

MY REVIEW



Author Julie Hyzy has penned another fantastic installment in the Manor House Mysteries!

With every new book in this delightful series, author Hyzy adds new layers to her characters, giving us a new peek into their lives. This serves to keep each new story fresh, and enticing.

GRACE SEES RED, as with past books in the Manor House Mysteries, was an intriguing read that moved at a brisk pace. Each new chapter so well written, I was encouraged to keep turning page after page until I found myself at the exciting reveal!

Seven must indeed be a lucky number, because GRACE SEES RED is one of the best books in the series!

~*~*~*~*~

READ TO DEATH
Book 3 in the Read 'Em And Eat Mysteries
by Terrie Farley Moran


The national bestselling author of Caught Read-Handed revisits Fort Myers Beach, Florida, where the proprietors of a local bookstore cafĂ© occasionally take a stab at solving murder...
 
At their seaside Read ‘Em and Eat bookstore cafĂ©, Sassy Cabot and Bridgy Mayfield offer fresh scones, great books, and excellent detective work…
 
With their book club season wrapping up with The Florida Life of Thomas Edison, Sassy and Bridgy decide to take their group on a day trip to the beautiful Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Hiring driver Oscar Frieland, who’s known for his colorful stories  and love of the cafĂ©’s Robert Frost fruit tartlets, the bibliophiles set off for a day of sunshine and history.
 
After a lovely excursion, the club returns to the cafĂ© for lunch and a book discussion, but the group falls silent after Oscar is found dead in his van. The sheriff’s deputies have some questions of their own for the group, and if the ladies don’t find some answers soon, the next book they read might be from a prison library.

MY REVIEW


Having long anticipated this third book in the Read ‘Em And Eat Mysteries, I was thrilled to see author Terrie Farley Moran did not disappoint!

I have adored this series since the since chapter one of the first book, WELL READ, THEN DEAD. Author Moran has a writing style that is so light and fluid, reading her stories is a pure joy.

I was ecstatic to be back in Florida and the Read ‘Em And Eat bookstore cafĂ© with Sassy and Bridgy, and all the wonderful characters in this amazing series. As with the two books before, READ TO DEATH was a fun, and exciting mystery that I couldn’t put down! The plot for this story was so extremely well done. It pulled me in and kept me captivated as I tried to guess the who and why.

You need to add READ TO DEATH! And if you haven’t already, get the first two books as well. You will not be sorry!

Take a peek in the back of the book and you’ll find a savory, and a sweet recipe sure to my your tummy growl! 

Pre-order today
Release date: 
June 28

Pre-order today
Release date: 
July 5


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

Follow my blog by 
clicking on the link in the 
upper right hand corner of this page.

Sunday, June 26, 2016



I'm thrilled to have author
Dianne Harman
back at the blog today!


Dianne is celebrating the release of 
Book 6 in her Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery series 
MURDER AT THE BIG T LODGE


What could go wrong at The Big T Lodge, the most prestigious and expensive hunting club in the United States? Well, murder for starters! When Roger Langley tells his wife, Liz, that they’re leaving for Texas in three days for an unexpected hunting trip at the club, neither of them has a clue that Liz will spend most of her time looking for a murderer. Specifically, the person who murdered Roger’s law school friend, Milt Huston, who just happens to be the Attorney General for California, and a candidate for Governor of California. There’s no lack of suspects, but who did it, and what was their motive? Anger from Milt’s former lover? Revenge from the lover’s husband? Milt’s proposed cigarette tax increase despised by a North Carolina tobacco farmer? The California State Senator who wants to be Governor of California? Or the chef’s assistant who hates Milt’s liberal views? Join Chef Wes, Liz, and her new doggy friend, Sam, a huge bullmastiff, as they search for the murderer and the motive. As always there’s plenty of action, quirky characters, and mouth-watering recipes in this page-turning cozy mystery. 


*****!!!GIVEAWAY!!!*****

Dianne is giving away 3 Kindle copies of 
MURDER AT THE BIG T LODGE!


Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter for your chance to win!
Giveaway open to US and Canada.

You can find a full list of Dianne's titles here. 



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

Follow my blog by 
clicking on the link in the 
upper right hand corner of this page.

GOOD LUCK!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway