Lisa Ks Book Reviews

Take a look at some of the great books out this week!

There are some new to me series here, and I've already loaded the first in one of them to check the series out.

JANUARY 20

Helena Carson’s tea shop sells four things: piping hot tea, fresh-baked pastries, hand-picked antiques--and supernatural mystery! Having finally learned the name of the man seeking Cassandra’s Jewel, she and her friends Bettina, Jessamine and Gertrude face a shock when he has a second thief steal the jewel right out from under their noses. To get it back, they will have to learn about the personality, plans and history of the mysterious, power-hoarding man behind the theft.

Love an old friend's cozy mystery? You will fall in love with these ladies and their ability to solve a mystery. A Hoarder of Treasures is the fourth book in the Teatime Treasure Hunters series and can be read as a standalone book.

JANUARY 21

When librarian Charlie Harris' daughter is falsely accused of murder, he and his faithful feline Diesel must leap forward to crack the case in this all-new installment in the New York Times bestselling series.

Charlie Harris has sworn off investigating murder and mayhem after a recent close call. Instead, he's delighted to cheer on his daughter, Laura, who's starring in a production of Careless Whispers. The theater department at Athena College is debuting the play written by a fledgling playwright with local connections and Charlie's son-in-law, Frank Salisbury, will be calling the directorial shots.

Laura is upset to learn that Luke Lombardi, an overbearing actor she knew from her time in Hollywood will also be taking part in the production as a guest artist. Lombardi arrives with an entourage in tow and promptly proceeds to annoy everyone involved with the production. When he collapses and dies on stage, after drinking from a glass Laura handed him, she becomes the chief suspect in his murder.

Charlie knows his daughter is innocent, and he’s not going to let anyone railroad his little girl. So, despite his intentions to put his amateur sleuthing days behind him, Charlie has to take center stage, and with Diesel’s help, shine a spotlight on the real killer.

Circus clowns…

Wedding attire…

Dead bodies…

It’s time for a Traveler’s Bay Wedding!

Gramps and Tillie are ready to tie the knot in less than a week. Unfortunately, things aren’t going as smoothly as everyone had hoped. When Joy Braggs is murdered in front of Jaycee in a most unusual way, she recruits the girls to help her solve the murder. Between bridesmaid fittings, a bachelorette party, and circus theatrics, Jaycee and Jax must race against the clock to catch the killer…because Gramps isn’t going to let anything stand in his way of marrying his Tillie. But when Jaycee gets too close to the truth and is seriously hurt, the gloves come off, and everyone steps up to take out the bad guy. Can Jaycee and her family capture the killer before the wedding…or will Gramps be left standing alone at the end of the aisle?

The Best Man is a Dead Man

Coco is trying to get her Mad Batter Bakery off the ground by catering the engagement party of one of the wealthy families in town. But when the best man ends up dead on the bottom of one of her catering carts, Coco wonders if she'll ever be free of the taint of discovering the dearly departed.Stella and Vivian are ready to help, but these old girls might be more trouble than Coco bargained for. And when Coco attempts sleuthing on her own, will she be next on the victim list?Not if handsome deputy Logan has anything to say about it. Coco can be infuriating with her amateur detective skills, but Logan can't stay mad at her for long. Is a blooming romance in the cards for Coco? Coco finds herself in a sticky situation when two men in her life are in danger. Can she save the day or make more trouble for them?***Find out in the 2nd book in the Mad Batter Bakery Cozy Mystery Series***

The closer she gets to the truth, the more she finds herself drowning in trouble

It's an exciting time in Sweet River, Texas, and the whole town is talking. Maybe, a little too much. Former English professor Ainsley McGregor has gambled everything on her new business: Bless Your Art, an artisan market where local artists sell their wares and teach classes.

The bright, white space is filled to the brim with colorful art, yarn, jewelry, pet treats, antiques and even a few medieval weapons. Oh, and there are wine tastings. Everything is better with wine. Ainsley is surprised by how well things are going-right up until the moment her Great Dane finds a dead body. With her friend accused of the murder, it's up to Ainsley to find the real killer.

As the suspect list grows longer, Ainsley has her work cut out for her. The task is made more difficult by the fact her brother, the sheriff, doesn't seem to want her help. If she doesn't wrap up the case soon, she might be the next wine, um, one to die.

Welcome to Holiday Hills, where the coffee’s fresh and there’s magic in the air…

I have a perfect life. I recently rented the most adorable little apartment on top of my favorite bookstore coffee shop on Main Street in Holiday Hills, the charmingest of charming small southern towns. I spend my days ghostwriting a cozy mystery series for a well-known author, and maybe just a minute or two crushing on the town’s police chief. But of course, I’d never let that cat out of the bag. I'm still dealing with my recent divorce, and no matter what my bestie says, I'm so not ready for anything in the romance department.

Speaking of cats, my little Burmese, Cooper, follows me around like he’s my guard dog. Thankfully, Holiday Hills is animal friendly. Everyone’s got a cat or dog, and that crazy old woman on the back end of town has the funniest talking parrot.

Oh, that crazy old woman, she’s a local celebrity, which can be a lot of trouble for her daughter. How do I know? Because that’s me. I’m the crazy old woman’s daughter.

The good news is everyone loves my mother, including me. The bad news is she recently died, and when she did, she opened up a whole new world for me, one I’d always thought was fictional. The magical world.

Now I have witchy powers, a talking cat, and a knack for finding dead bodies in my quaint little town.

Ones that don’t die on accident.

My name is Abby Odell and I’m a witch.

Who knew? I sure didn’t. Thanks for that, Mom.

There's a New Witch in Town is the first book in the Holiday Hills Witch Cozy Mystery series by bestselling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

JANUARY 23

Murder, marriage, and muffins!

Holly Holmes is shocked when a wedding florist, Connie Barber, is found dead while attending the Audley Castle annual wedding fair. Surprised that such a young woman should simply die, she starts asking around. Could Connie’s death be something more sinister?

It doesn’t take Holly long to learn there weren’t many people who liked Connie. She was sharp, money-focused, and mean. And, she enjoyed stealing other women’s men.

When the autopsy reveals she was poisoned, Holly offers to help Campbell figure out who killed Connie, but he’s convinced he already knows who did it. The only problem is, the prime suspect has Campbell as an alibi.

Determined to find the truth and get justice for Connie, Holly keeps investigating. But with a wedding dress catwalk to take part in, a mountain of baking to do, a plogging event to run, and the surprise arrival of a family member, she’s too busy to see straight.

Will this be the case that finally beats Holly?

Welcome back to Audley St. Mary. The stories are full of desserts, murder, and puzzles. Enjoy mystery, friendship, twists and turns, and lots of tasty treats as you indulge in this delicious book.

JANUARY 25

K E O'Connor

Ava Mallory

Sam Cheever

Jenna St. James

K.M. Walker

Gretchen Allen

Loraine J Hudson

Susan Boles

Rachael Stapleton

Do you love cozies with recipes?

What about Valentine’s Day mysteries?

Then this cozy mystery collection is for you!

Love and Murder are in the air. Come join today’s best-selling cozy mystery authors as they whip up brand new mysteries, complete with mouth-watering recipes at the end of every tale.

Spend this Valentine's Day with your favorite amateur sleuth because anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch a killer.