Lisa Ks Book Reviews

GRILLED FOR MURDER by Maddie Day

MURDER MOST FOWL by Edith Maxwell

MURDER, SHE TWEETS by Amy Beth Arkawy

HORSE OF A DIFFERENT MURDER by Blair Merrin

BACON, EGGS, AND BOOGEYMEN by Blair Merrin

GRILLED FOR MURDER

Book 2 in the Country Store Mysteries

by Maddie Day

Robbie Jordan may have had reservations about the murder victim, but she still needs to turn up the heat on a killer if she wants to keep her new restaurant open for business…

In the charming small town of South Lick, Indiana, Robbie has transformed a rundown country store into the runaway hit Pans 'N Pancakes. But the most popular destination for miles around can also invite trouble. Erica Shermer may be the widow of handsome local lawyer Jim Shermer's brother, but she doesn't appear to be in mourning. At a homecoming party held in Robbie's store, Erica is alternately obnoxious and flirtatious--even batting her eyelashes at Jim. When Erica turns up dead in the store the next morning, apparently clobbered with cookware, the police suspect Robbie's friend Phil, who closed up after the party. To clear Phil and calm her customers, Robbie needs to step out from behind the counter and find the real killer in short order…

MY REVIEW

Flip me over and call me done, GRILLED FOR MURDER is a delicious second book in the Country Store Mysteries!

Book one in this yummy series, FLIPPED FOR MURDER, was so wonderful, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book two. I have to tell you . . .it was worth the wait! I flew through this book. I couldn’t put it down!

Author Maddie Day aka Edith Maxwell is simply a superb writer. Her stories are entertaining, perfectly penned, and excellent in every way.

GRILLED FOR MURDER is another exceptional example of a true cozy mystery. Colorful characters, picturesque small town setting, and a mystery full of twists and turns, anticipation, and a conning conclusion befitting the entire tale.

You need to pick up a copy of GRILLED FOR MURDER. Grab a copy of FLIPPED FOR MURDER too, if you haven’t read it. You’ll love reading these books back to back.

Check out the wonderful recipes in the back of the book!

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MURDER MOST FOWL

Book 4 in the Local Foods Mysteries

by Edith Maxwell

Spring may be just around the corner, but a cold-blooded killer has put the big chill on the residents of Westbury, Massachusetts. It looks like organic farmer-turned-sleuth Cam Flaherty will have to set aside her seedlings for the time being as she tills the soil for clues in the mysterious death of a local poultry maven.

With the weather getting warmer, Cam should be spending her days pruning blueberry bushes and taking care of the new batch of chicks that just hatched. But murder knows no season. So when her fellow fowl-raiser Wayne Laitinen is found dead at his breakfast table one morning, Cam must put down her trimming shears and put on her crime-solving hat.

The kind-hearted chicken farmer didn't have any enemies--or did he? A wealthy financier has been working hard to convince him to sell her his land, while a group of animal rights activists recently vandalized his property. Money troubles were threatening to sink his marriage. And a thirty-year-old scandal was driving a wedge between him and one of his oldest friends.

Murder, blackmail, cover-ups. There's a fox in the hen house. But where? With some help from her off-again, on-again flame, police detective Pete Pappas, Cam will have to crack this case before Wayne's killer flies the coop forever.

MY REVIEW

An easy yet intelligent read, author Edith Maxwell’s writing is as pure and organic as Cam’s food!

The farming way of life certainly isn’t for me. But every time I read a Local Foods Mystery, I’m ready to climb the pages and help protagonist Cam Flaherty do the chores.

Ms. Maxwell raises an interesting question at the beginning of MURDER MOST FOWL. If a large plot of land was donated to a town, what would be best for it . . . affordable housing, ball fields for the local children, or leave it as a natural green space for walking trials, and habitats for the wildlife. This very topic brings about death, and vandalism in this fourth installment of the Local Foods Mysteries.

MURDER MOST FOWL is very much a cozy in every way but one. The heroine, Cam didn’t spend the entire book putting herself in harm’s way. She wants to know the why and the who, but she doesn’t try to solve everything single handedly. She has the good sense to keep the police in the loop when she finds out something, and then lets them handle things.

In the best story of this series so far, author Maxwell really delivers the mystery. A fantastically flawless whodunit.

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MURDER, SHE TWEETS

Book 3 in the Eliza Gordon Mysteries

by Amy Beth Arkawy

College admissions can be murder! In Murder, She Tweets, the third in Amy Beth Arkawy’s award-winning Eliza Gordon mystery series, a high-profile Admissions honcho from local Quimby College meets a deadly fate. And when Eliza’s pal and sleuthing partner radio DJ Midge Sumner and her brother-in-law Jonas Gordon land on the suspect list, the former actress turned Soup Opera proprietor and amateur detective, is once again embroiled in a complicated and intriguing mystery. This time she enlists aid from her reluctant sweetheart Goodship police Chief Tom Santini and her eager assistant Dee Dee Danziger. But the murder is not the only mystery buzzing through bucolic Goodship, New York. A woman from Tom’s past arrives in town with secrets of her own and nary a departure date. And Eliza is held hostage by social media as a “fan” from her soap opera days tweets increasingly threatening messages. With pluck and humor Eliza and her cohorts wind their way through each mystery, making surprising connections and uncovering shocking revelations. Murder, She Tweets is Eliza’s most exciting adventure yet

MY REVIEW

Author Amy Beth Arkawy delivers another fantastic installment in her Eliza Gordon Mystery series!

MURDER, SHE TWEETS starts out on a funny note which had me laughing through the first pages. The rest of the story, while still humorous at times, turned into a muti-layered mystery that kept growing more complex all the way to the surprising reveal!

One of the things I really enjoy about this series is the cast of characters. Author Arkawy really brings them to life. There is a natural feel to their interactions, and their witty dialogue is so much fun! They’d be an entertaining group to spend time with.

Exceptional writing created a fast moving plot that made this page turned hard to put down. It was completely worth the time I took to read it in one setting.

This was my third trip to Goodship, and I can’t wait to visit again. Ms. Arkawy, I sure hope you have a fourth story in this series in the works!

Make sure to check out the back of the book for a couple of amazing sounding recipes!

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HORSE OF A DIFFERENT MURDER

Book 2 in the Bandit Hills Mysteries

by Blair Merrin

SUMMER PRESCOTT BOOKS is thrilled to present: Horse of a Different Murder Book 2 in The Bandit Hills Series Cassie and Dash find themselves in the midst of trying to solve a mysterious murder with the help of a local horse whisperer, after one of Bonnie's ranch hands disappears. Spooky situations are the norm in Bandit Hills, and this fast-paced tale will have you on the edge of your seat - wondering what could possibly happen next!

MY REVIEW

This is the first book I’ve read in the Bandit Hill series by author Blair Merrin. I found it very enjoyable.

Ms. Merrin has created a wonderful cozy series with likeable characters, and a delightful town perfect for cozy mysteries.

HORSE OF A DIFFERENT MURDER is a fast moving story that flowed easily from humor to mystery. The mystery aspect is well thought out making for a real guessing game all the way until the exciting end.

Para-cozy fans, you’ll want to check out this series.

I’ll be going back and read book one, and I am thrilled to be starting book three…..now! ;-)

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BACON, EGGS, AND BOOGEYMEN

Book 3 in the Bandit Hills Mysteries

by Blair Merrin

SUMMER PRESCOTT BOOKS is thrilled to present: Bacon, Eggs, and Boogeymen - Book 3 in The Bandit Hills Series When a sweet elderly woman’s husband goes missing, Dash and Cassie step in to try to figure out whodunit. Dash goes camping with Cassie on a dare, and they discover more than they bargained for at an abandoned campsite. The adventures continue, served with a heaping helping of breakfast from Tank’s diner, in this latest installment of The Bandit Hills Series.

MY REVIEW

Cozy and para-cozy fans, get ready to spend the night in a . . . haunted sanitarium!

The first several chapters of BECON, EGGS, AND BOOGEYMEN, are spent with protagonist Cassie and her boyfriend in the above mentioned haunted sanitarium. This part of the story was not only a little spooky, but it also had some real giggle out loud material! Let’s just say, Cassie’s boyfriend, Dash, didn’t really man up. ;-)

This third installment of the Bandit Hill series got better and better with every chapter. Author Blair Merrin really pumped up the mystery and intrigue until it brewed to such an exciting level, I was about to peek ahead because I just had to know whodunit! I stayed strong, and happily finished the story until its surprising reveal.

Give the Bandit Hills Mysteries a try. You’ll be happy you did!