Monday, July 4, 2016


TAKE THE MONKEY AND RUN by Laura Morrigan
DRESSED TO KILT by Hannah Reed
GONE WITH THE WOOL by Betty Hechtman

TAKE THE MONKEY AND RUN
Book 4 in the Call Of The Wilde Mysteries
by Laura Morrigan


Grace Wilde must use her psychic abilities to track down a pesky primate in the latest Call of the Wilde Mystery.
 
Grace Wilde is excited to head to New Orleans for her first “real” case as an animal telepath. She intends to help a woman find her missing sister, but when she attempts to communicate with her client’s cat, Coco, Grace gets distracted by the presence of a much wilder animal.
 
Coco confirms that a mysterious monkey has been swinging around the Big Easy. Grace thinks she might be able to help corral the cheeky Capuchin in addition to solving her case. But things get complicated when she receives a cryptic warning that her client isn’t what she seems. Now it’s up to Grace to separate the truth from the monkey business...

MY REVIEW


Another wonderful installment in this one of a kind series.

“If I could talk to the animals, just imagine it.” ~ Doctor Dolittle. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to know what animals are thinking. Thanks to author Laura Morrigan, I get an idea of what could be happening in their little heads.

Having already secured a following for her original Call of the Wilde Mysteries, Ms. Morrigan has read her reader’s minds, and penned the best book in the series so far, sure to bring new fans.

TAKE THE MONKEY AND RUN is a thrilling rollercoaster ride of intrigue and mystery. From page one, author Morrigan started this fantastic read off with action, and pulled me into the story. Chapter after chapter brought about new elements to this tale that kept the excitement growing all the way to the final page and the last surprising sentence!

If you love cozy mysteries, but are looking for one with a fresh twist, TAKE THE MONKEY AND RUN, and the other three books in the Call of the Wilde series are just what you’re looking for!

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DRESSED TO KILT
Book 3 in the Scottish Highland Mysteries
by Hannah Reed


The national bestselling author of Hooked on Ewe is back with a mysterious murder that leaves the Scottish village of Glenkillen shaken and stirred...
 
Winter is leaving the residents of Glenkillen snowbound, but Eden isn’t about to let the weather dampen her spirits. With only a little time left in Scotland, she’s determined to make the most of it—starting with attending a fancy whisky tasting with local looker Leith Cameron. But her classy date turns into a major party foul after a woman is found drowned in one of the vats of alcohol.
 
Eden immediately steps in as a Special Constable to help solve the case, but her investigation turns sour when she realizes that the killer could be somehow connected to her own Scottish heritage. Now, in order to find the proof she needs to put the murderer behind bars, she’ll have to take a shot at unearthing her family’s past—before she herself winds up buried...

MY REVIEW


DRESSED TO KILT is the perfect installment to this wonderful series.

Eden Elliott, the protagonist in this series, is facing the end of her tourist visa, and coming to grips with the fact she has to leave Scotland. But before that happens, you know author Hannah Reed has to give Eden one more murder to solve. And this one is a doozy!

Hannah Reed once again gives her readers a story as strong as Scottish stout. AS with the first two books in the Scottish Highland Mysteries, DRESSED TO KILT is a well plotted whodunit that’s leads the reader on a wonderfully mysterious journey to the truth of the who and the why of the murder.

Fans of Hannah Reed aka Deb Baker, are going to love DRESSED TO KILT, as will new readers to the series. 

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GONE WITH THE WOOL
Book 4 in the Yarn Retreat Mysteries
by Betty Hechtman


The national bestselling author of Wound Up in Murder spins a deadly yarn of knitting bees, butterflies, and beauty queens. 
 
Every October, thousands of monarch butterflies flock to California’s Monterey Peninsula to spend the winter there. To welcome their colorful guests, Cadbury by the Sea holds a weeklong festival complete with a butterfly queen and her court.
 
Eager to show some town spirit, Casey Feldstein finds herself fluttering back and forth between setting up a yarn retreat, baking and helping out at the festival. But when a former butterfly queen is found dead with a knife in her back after a Bless the Butterflies service, Casey must set her loom aside to hook a killer with a score to settle.


Includes knitting patterns and a recipe!

MY REVIEW


Author Betty Hechtman has knitted up another delightful tale in this addition to the Yarn Retreat Mysteries!

GONE WITH THE WOOL isn’t just another Yarn Retreat Mystery . . . it’s the best in the series. Ms. Hechtman really made use of her thinking cap (wonder if it was knitted?) when she penned this one!

I loved the October setting for the town of Cadbury by the Sea, and the monarch butterfly imagery. I felt like I was at the center of it all.

The search for who stabbed the former butterfly queen, and all the mayhem along the way, made GONE WITH THE WOOL hard to put down. With plenty suspects to sort through, and many things to throw off your guesses, you’ll be lost in the pages of this book, and not want to put it down.

Returning fans, and new readers alike are going to enjoy GONE WITH THE WOOL. And, no worries . . . you don’t have to know how to knit to read this series.

Make sure to check out the back of the book for fun knitting patterns and a yummy recipe! 


All three of these wonderful titles are available for pre-order!
Release date
June 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, July 3, 2016


A DARK AND STORMY MURDER by Julia Buckley
TOASTING UP TROUBLE by Linda Wiken

A DARK AND STORMY MURDER
Book 1 in the Writer's Apprentice Mysteries
by Julia Buckley


An aspiring suspense novelist lands in the middle of a real crime, in the first in a captivating new series by the author of the Undercover Dish Mysteries.
 
Lena London's literary dreams are coming true—as long as she can avoid any real-life villains...
 
Camilla Graham’s bestselling suspense novels inspired Lena London to become a writer, so when she lands a job as Camilla’s new assistant, she can’t believe her luck. Not only will she help her idol craft an enchanting new mystery, she’ll get to live rent-free in Camilla’s gorgeous Victorian home in the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana.
 
But Lena’s fortune soon changes for the worse. First, she lands in the center of small town gossip for befriending the local recluse. Then, she stumbles across one thing that a Camilla Graham novel is never without—a dead body, found on her new boss’s lakefront property.
 
Now Lena must take a page out of one of Camilla’s books to hunt down clues in a real crime that seems to be connected to the novelist’s mysterious estate—before the killer writes them both out of the story for good...

MY REVIEW


There are many things I can say about this first book in the new series by author Julia Buckley. The first thing that comes to mind? That would be . . . WOW!

A DARK AND STORMY MURDER is a brilliant mix of the feel of Agatha Christie, Caroline Keene, and also a little bit Hitchcocky, but wonderfully balanced by Julia Buckley. This extraordinary story is cozy in all senses of the word, but with a certain something that makes it stand apart.

From the third page I had already clicked with protagonist Lena London, and her friend Allison. By the end of chapter two, I was fascinated with Lena’s writing hero, Camilla Graham. As I kept reading, I couldn’t wait to see who I was going to meet next!

Ms. Buckley has penned an amazing story of classic mystery, suspense, and intrigue. Her writing is so on point, I could smell the rain hanging in the dark clouds.  Every description pulled me further in, leading me through more than one mystery, and holding my in its grip until the wonderful conclusion. With the way this book ended, the next installment promises to be just as amazing!

Check out the back of the book for an excerpt from, THE BIG CHILI, book one in Julia Buckley’s Under Cover Dish Mysteries.

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TOASTING UP TROUBLE
Book 1 in the Dinner Club Mysteries
by Linda Wiken


A delicious new cozy mystery series featuring the Culinary Capers Dinner Club—who are fearless when it comes to cooking up new dishes and putting the lid on crime...

Event planner Jennifer “J.J.” Tanner has a full plate, but that’s the way she likes it. First, it’s her turn to choose the recipe for the next meeting of the Culinary Capers Dinner Club, a gathering of foodie friends who experiment with entrées for their creative and gastronomical pleasure. Second, she’s organizing an Italian princess party for the twenty-one-year-old daughter of a high-tech millionaire.
 
But one thing J.J. didn’t plan on is that the caterer for the event—hotshot chef Antonio Marcotti—would end up murdered the night of the party. Or that she’d end up being a prime suspect after having had a heated argument with the unscrupulous chef. Now it’s up to J.J.—with help from her fellow Club members and a handsome if mysterious private eye—to turn the tables on the real killer...

MY REVIEW


A delectable first course in what is sure to be an equally delicious series!

I was thrilled when I heard there was going to be a series by Linda Wiken. I’m already a huge fan of her Ashton Corners Book Club series written as Erika Chase. And like her books written as Chase, Wiken does not disappoint!

Ms. Wiken has penned an amazing story in TOASTING UP TROUBLE. I had a great time reading about the event planning business Jennifer “J. J.” Tanner is a planner for. I also loved the Culinary Capers dinner club meetings, and the fun group of characters.

This story has every aspect of a cozy mystery readers look for. Murder, mayhem, fun, and great food are all present and accounted for in TOASTING UP TROUBLE. This fast moving tale was an exciting read all the way to a reveal that I never saw coming.

If you’re looking for a wonderful book, you can’t beat the superb writing of Linda Wiken, and TOASTING UP TROUBLE!

Don’t close the book after you finish the story, or you’ll miss out on some tasty recipes, as well as an excerpt from book two in the Dinner Club Mysteries, ROUX THE DAY!


Both of these great titles are available for pre-order!
Release date
June 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.

Friday, July 1, 2016


It's
Cozy Food Friday

and a

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

That means it's time to share a recipe from 
another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring a recipe from
Book 8 in the Whales and Tails Mysteries
THE GREAT CATSBY
by
Kathi Daley


Come for the Murder Stay for the Romance Whales and Tails is a cozy mystery series set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. In this eighth book in the series, Cait's friend Alex returns to Madrona Island a vastly changed man from when she had just seen him six months prior. It seems that his newly found wealth has made an impact on his personality and not in a good way. During one of the legendary parties Alex has become famous for throwing, one of the guests dies and it looks as if Alex may have blood on his hands. Cait and Cody set out to prove Alex's innocence with the help of Ebenezer, the cat we met in The Cat of Christmas Past.

To find out more about Kathi and her books

 

visit her web site 

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

Win a copy of 
THE GREAT CATSBY

Giveaway is open to both US and CANADA
US winner - choice of print or Kindle copy
Canadian winner - Kindle copy only

Use the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post to enter 

On to the recipe!

Cheesy White Chicken Enchiladas


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

Mix in a bowl:

3 large chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup sour cream
8 oz. diced green chiles (Ortega)

Fill 8 medium flour tortillas with chicken filling.


Sauce:

In a medium saucepan combine:

1 stick butter, melted over medium heat
4 oz. cream cheese, added to melted butter and stirred until smooth
1 cup heavy whipping cream, stirred until blended
1½ cups grated Parmesan, stirred in slowly to avoid lumps

Pour over tortillas and top with 16 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated.



Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes. 

Broil for a few minutes to brown


You could change this on up lots of ways. 
Ground beef instead of chicken. 
Or your favorite veggies for a vegetarian version.

Mmmmm.....I may have to have 
Mexican for dinner tonight! 
What about you?


Available today!

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Please keep reading and check out my 
installments of 
Book Beginnings on Fridays
and
The Friday 56

~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Book Beginnings and Friday 56
 for this week are also from 
THE GREAT CATSBY


Book Beginnings on Fridays is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader
Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading

My Book Beginnings

This could just not get any worse. If the gates of hell opened up and 
swallowed me whole it wouldn’t be worse.

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda's Voice
Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's okay.) *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you. *Post it.

My Friday 56
(Page 56 is blank - this is from page 57)

Somewhere along the way, in the midst of solving a string of local murders, I’d gathered a sleuthing gang. There were times when certain members were more involved than others, but when there was a mystery that needed to be solved, you could bet that at some point I’d get together with Cody, Tara, Siobhan, Finn, and Danny to build theories and test hypotheses.


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!

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