BLOOD ORANGE by Susan Wittig Albert

THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH by Susan Wittig Albert

BLOOD ORANGE

Book 24 in the China Bayles Mysteries

by Susan Wittig Albert

Paperback

As the New York Times bestselling series continues, China Bayles comes to the aid of a nurse who ends up in the hospital...
 
China is renting her guest cottage to Kelly Kaufman, who needs a temporary place to live as she contends with an acrimonious divorce, including a nasty dispute over ownership of the Comanche Creek Brewing Company. At the same time, as a nurse employed by a local hospice, Kelly has discovered instances of suspicious practices and believes that a patient has been murdered. 
 
On her way to China’s house, Kelly is forced off the road and critically injured, putting her in a medically induced coma. Who wants Kelly out of the picture? Her soon-to-be ex? His new lover—who happens to be the sister of China’s friend Ruby? Or someone connected with the corruption at the hospice? China owes it to her friend to uncover the truth—but she may be putting her own life at risk...

MY REVIEW

After twenty-four stories, the new China Bayles Mystery is as fresh as the herbs mentioned throughout.

The first thing I know about a new China Bayles book is, I’m going to learn so many new things. Practically every chapter begins with information on different herbs, spices, and whatever each individual book is about. The second thing I know is, I’m in for an exciting, fast moving read. BLOOD ORANGE lives up to all of those expectations.

This book touched on so many subjects. The everyday running of China’s many businesses, the world of beer brewing, and even hospice care. Oh, and murder. Like it or not, murder does seem to be a business for China. While that may sound to be all over the place confusing, author Susan Wittig Albert blends is all flawlessly into an intricate, and entertaining mystery that will have fans and new readers alike enthralled.

Once you red BLOOD ORANGE, you’ll understand why this such a long running series. 

Don’t forget to check out the back of the book for some tasty recipes!

📙📖📗📖📗📖📙

THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH

Book 25 in the China Bayles Mysteries

by Susan Wittig Albert

Hardcover

In this exciting new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert, China Bayles fears for her husband’s life as an escaped convict targets him...
 
Max Mantel, the killer McQuaid put away years ago, has busted out of the Huntsville prison and appears to be headed for Pecan Springs. McQuaid knows there’s only one way to stop the vengeful convict—set a trap with himself as bait.
 
China wants to stay by her husband’s side and keep him from harm. But McQuaid  insists that she get out of town and go to the Last Chance Olive Ranch, where she’s agreed to teach a workshop on herbs.
 
When China and her best friend arrive at the ranch, she learns the owner, Maddie Haskell, has her own troubles. She inherited the ranch and olive oil business from the late matriarch, Eliza Butler, but Eliza’s nephew is contesting the will. 
 
While China throws herself into helping Maddie, McQuaid’s plan backfires when Mantel executes a countermove he never saw coming. Now McQuaid’s life is not the only one at stake—and this time may really be his last chance...

MY REVIEW

THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH, is a novel packed with action. Between the chapters dealing with China, and the other chapters dealing with her husband McQuaid, readers with be hard pressed to find any down time in this story. Both characters have their hands full in their respective storylines. Splitting the chapters as she does, author Susan Wittig Albert makes her books feel like two or more stories in one, yet having them cross at times to connect everything together.

As always, I love that each chapter starts off with something interesting. In this case, each chapter featuring China, had a fact to do with olives. The chapters featuring McQuaid simply start by following a time line.

This was a story with so much energy, at times I felt a rush of adrenaline so strong that I just wanted to get to the end of the book so I could take a deep breath. In the end I was I satisfied with the outcome, and found THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH to be a great story.

I have noticed that with the China Bayles Mysteries, the author is slowly branching away from the more traditional feeling mystery, and getting closer to being considered (at least to me) a suspense thriller series. So far, you will still see cozy-ish things like small towns, an educational aspect, and wonderful recipes, but you will also see a few edgier scenes, and a bit more cursing.

No matter what genre author Albert is aiming for, the one thing that can’t be denied is her truly wonderful writing.

Paperback                                          Hardcover

Now available for pre-order.

Both books release

April 4!

You all know that as a rule, I only review Cozy mysteries. I started reviewing Susan Wittig Albert's books a few years ago. I would say they have been a slightly edgier cozy. However, I have found that they are evolving a bit more still. As always, wonderful writing, but not a true cozy in the sense of what I prefer and review, but not so edgy that traditional cozy readers can't enjoy them. There is cursing. Not one after the other "F" bombs, but lots of h*ll, d*mn, and a few others thrown in.

All that being said, the China Bayles series will appeal to a wider group of readers no. But true cozy purest may not care for them a great deal. 

I'll read the next one, but if they slide any further away from the traditional cozy feel, it may be time for me to say goodbye to them. 

I only bring this up because I know a lot of you who follow my blog, know to expect certain types of books in my reviews. 

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Want to follow my blog? 

Click on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page!

It's

Cozy Food Friday

That means it's time to share a recipe from 

another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring 

SPICED AND ICED

Book 2 in the Callie's Kitchen Mysteries

by Jenny Kales

The holidays can be murder! Greek-American restaurateur Callie Costas finds herself on thin ice when a colleague is killed. Recipes included!

The season is bright when Calliope “Callie” Costas agrees to contribute her Greek snowball cookies to a December bridal shower at The English Country Inn in the scenic waterfront town of Crystal Bay, WI. But when Callie finds a colleague dead, she's sucked into another murder investigation -- all while juggling her growing business and staggering holiday workload. 

As she reluctantly agrees to help the Inn’s owner track the killer, Callie is soon up to her spiced Greek biscotti in difficulties. For one thing, the hotel staff is freezing her out as she tries to uncover information, helped by her feisty Grandma Viv and her sweet but nosy aunt who’s visiting from Greece. And then there’s her deepening relationship with the suave and mysterious Detective Sands, a British expat now living in Wisconsin, who seems to have a few secrets of his own.

The icing on the cake is a host of simultaneous family mayhem including her father's surprising fixation on a real estate agent and her ex’s plans to move back to Crystal Bay. As the Inn’s annual Christmas Tea approaches, things are heating up in Callie’s Kitchen, but she’s on thin ice! Will Christmas be a festive celebration this year – or will it be murder?

Turn to the end of the book for six delicious recipes, including Greek cookies and savories, plus traditional Midwestern holiday favorites!

🥄🍴🥄🍴🥄🍴🥄🍴🥄

A word from Jenny about 

"Supper Clubs"

Welcome to the World of Wisconsin Supper Clubs!

By Jenny Kales

When I started writing SPICED AND ICED, the second book in my Callie’s Kitchen Mystery series, I really, really wanted to include a scene with a Wisconsin supper club. Luckily for me, it fit easily into the story. “The Elkhorn Supper Club” is where Callie Costas and her BFF Samantha stumble upon what could be a clue.  Or maybe not. You have to read the book to find out!

If you’re not from the Midwest (and even if you are), you might be wondering what a Wisconsin supper club is. Though they vary in décor and theme, a supper club is a Wisconsin institution where solid, hearty and most importantly, delicious, food is served, along with classic cocktails. (More on those later).

Think juicy steaks, a perfectly roasted duck with orange sauce, crispy fish fry and tender, flavorful pork chops. This is meat and potatoes fare, all the way, but with an elegant touch, if your standard of elegance is old-school dining (and frankly, that’s what I like the best).

Supper clubs are wonderfully retro with their rustic or elegantly vintage décor and yet, they are somehow never stuffy because of the friendly service and remarkable food. The food isn’t overly worked, not “avant garde” and not precious in any way: just reliable, tasty and meant to make you happy. What’s not to like?

There are a few other hallmarks of Wisconsin supper clubs. One is that steak in some way, shape or form will be prominently featured on the menu (yay). Also, you will be offered a “relish tray.” The relish tray will usually include fresh crudité like celery, carrots, cucumber and radishes as well as pickled vegetables of all kinds (beets, cauliflower, carrots, etc.), an assortment of crackers, breadsticks and a signature cheese spread (a recipe follows!) and pimento-stuffed olives. If the supper club is really retro, your relish tray will be brought to you on a glass tray with square compartments for each item and a round spot in the center (for the cheese spread).

With your relish tray, you’ll probably want to indulge in a cocktail. Traditional supper club cocktails are decidedly old-school, just like the food. One of the most common is the Brandy Old-Fashioned. Instead of the usual whiskey that’s used in a regular Old-Fashioned cocktail, brandy is used, resulting in a sweeter drink. It’s thought that the use of brandy can be attributed to the huge German population in Wisconsin’s earlier days, who preferred sweet alcoholic beverages. If you think about German wines, you can see that could have been the case.

OK, you’ve had your relish tray, your cocktail and a juicy steak with a baked potato and probably a house green salad, a homemade soup and maybe even a side of cottage cheese. Now, I hope you’ve saved room for dessert and after-dinner drinks. Many supper clubs pride themselves on their homemade desserts, like chocolate cake, pies and cheesecakes. Don’t skip dessert!

You also may want to indulge in a minty Grasshopper, a dessert in itself. This frozen, light green, crème-de-menthe-based drink was hugely popular in the 1960s. Supper clubs compete to see who can offer the biggest, tallest, most impressive Grasshopper.

Some supper clubs offer live music certain nights, many offer a year-round Friday fish fry and all of them have a feeling of welcome and warmth. They’re “cozy” in the best sense of the word.

I had a fun supper club experience last summer when I visited the Geneva Lakes area of Wisconsin (incidentally, the inspiration for Crystal Bay in The Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries). My husband and I drove from Fontana, Wisconsin (near Lake Geneva) to Delavan, where we had the pleasure of visiting The Duck Inn. We drove through a severe rainstorm to get there and weren’t sure if they would be open – it was a Sunday evening and supper clubs close early on Sunday. But they were there and we were treated to a delicious meal. The cheese spread that came with our relish tray is what inspired the following recipe, which can be found in my latest Callie’s Kitchen Mystery, SPICED AND ICED. (I didn’t ask them for the recipe, but this is pretty close).

On to the recipes!

Wisconsin Supper Club Cheese Spread

All food photos courtesy of Google Images

Ingredients:

1 container cheddar cheese spread (such as Kraft Old English spread)

4 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

   In large bowl, blend ingredients using a hand mixer (or use a Kitchen Aid standing mixer). 

  Chill at least one hour and preferably longer, to blend flavors and ensure that the mixture sets and is spreadable. 

   Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator. 

  Great with crudité, crackers, bread or even on baked potatoes.

🍽Last but not least, a supper club cocktail recipe:🍽

Wisconsin Supper Club-Style

Brandy Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

2 oz. brandy (Korbel is the preferred WI brand; any light-bodied brandy will work)

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Soda water or seltzer

1 sugar cube

2 orange slices (including skin)

2 maraschino cherries

   Put the sugar in the base of an old-fashioned glass (a short tumbler or “rocks” glass) and dash the bitters onto it. 

   Add a drop of soda water to help dissolve sugar. Add the fruit and muddle, avoiding the pith, until the sugar is dissolved.
   Add the brandy and stir to combine. Add ice cubes or crushed ice. 

   Top with seltzer, or to make it “sweet,” add lemon-lime soda or a mix of lemon-lime and seltzer (this combo is known as “press”).    

   Garnish with additional fruit, such as cherries and/or an orange slice.

I hope you get the chance to visit a Wisconsin supper club someday, but if you don’t, I hope these recipes will give you a taste of what they’re all about. Thanks to Lisa for hosting me today! I hope you will check out my Callie’s Kitchen Mystery Series if you haven’t already.

Happy Cozy Food Friday! ~Jenny

🥄🍴🥄🍴🥄🍴🥄🍴🥄

About Jenny

Jenny is an avid reader, cook and baker and she’s addicted to mystery TV, especially anything on Masterpiece Mystery or BBC America. A member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, she lives just outside of Chicago with her husband, two daughters and one cute but demanding Yorkshire terrier. Keep up with author news for Jenny Kales by following her on social media: Facebook (@JennyKalesMysteryAuthor), Twitter @Jenny_Kales, Instagram (jennykales_author) and Goodreads. 

Visit her website at jennykales.wordpress.com/

📕📖📘📖📙📖📗

Please keep reading and check out my 

installments of 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

and

The Friday 56

Both the BB and 56 are from 

Book 2 in the Callie's Kitchen Mysteries

SPICE AND ICED

📕📖📘📖📙📖📗

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

"Why does anyone think it's a good idea to have their bridal shower right before the holidays?" grumbled Natalie Underwood, her long red curls bouncing pertly as she rushed about the room.

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 

(Switching it up . . .

using the first 

sentence from 

chapter 5 and the 

first from chapter 6)

(Chap 5) - Callie was too busy at Callie's Kitchen to snoop at the inn the day after ____'s death, but the following day, she promised herself she'd be there bright and early for a brief check-in.

(Chap 6) - Returning home that evening, Callie was determined to relax.

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.

Nancy Drew

Where my love for mysteries and solving puzzles began.

When I decided to rebuild my collection and reread them from the beginning, I knew I would be seeing them differently . . . through an adult mind. 

What I didn't realize was how the memories would come rushing back to me, and just how much I have missed reading these books. 

I hope you'll enjoy reliving Nancy Drew with me, or learn to love her for the first time. 

?🔍?🔍?🔍?🔍?🔍?

Nancy Drew

#2

THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE

by Caroline Keene

Current cover

After receiving a call from her friend Helen Corning, Nancy agrees to help solve a baffling mystery. Helen's Aunt Rosemary has been living with her mother at the old family mansion, and they have noticed many strange things. They have heard music, thumps, and creaking noises at night, and seen eerie shadows on the walls. Could the house be haunted?

Just as soon as she hangs up the phone, a strange man visits Nancy's house to warn her and her father that they are in danger because of a case he is working on buying property for a railroad company. This warning leads Nancy and  her father Carson to search for the missing Willie Wharton, a landowner, who can prove he signed away his land to the railroad and save the railroad from a lawsuit. Will Nancy be able to find the missing landowner and discover how these mysteries are related?

MY REVIEW

As I read THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE I recalled being a young girl reading Nancy Drew and being both frightened, but safe in knowing Nancy would save the day. As reckless as she could be, I would have followed Nancy anywhere. You know what? I still would.

Illustration One

NANCY DREW: THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE if the first “ghost” story I ever read. I couldn’t believe Nancy wasn’t afraid of ghosts! In my rereading of this classic, I now see my girl Nancy never believed there to be ghosts in the first place. She knew there were humans causing the trouble in this story. But Nancy wasn’t even afraid of them, even when she should have been. I think the only real fear Nancy ever felt was when she or someone she cared for were in direct danger. But in her search for the truth, Nancy tended to rush (no matter how cautiously) into every situation running on adrenaline more so than thinking it through.

Illustration Two

The mystery in THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE grew with every turn of the page. There was always something happening! Nancy was always on the move searching for answers. It was truly hard to put the book down at any point because I knew something else was about to happen.

Illustration Three

I often became amused that Nancy was on her own so much. During one part of the story when Nancy went outside at night to investigate, her friend Helen not only stayed inside, but she went back to bed and slept! When it came to situations like this, Nancy was kinder than I would have been. Here she was, there to help Helen and her family at their request, and her friend lets her go out into the dark of night on her own. I would have tipped Helen out of her bed and told her to get her butt dressed! ;-)

Illustration Four

I really became swept up in the excitement when Nancy finally discovered the hidden staircase. And even though I knew they would be okay, I held my breath as Nancy and Helen took those stairs in search of the answers to the mysteries around them.

Illustration Five

As wonderful a read at fifty years old as it was when I was in my “tweens”, NANCY DREW: THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE was a suspenseful, danger filled mystery that readers young, old, and every age in between will want to add to their bookshelves. 

Illustration Six

I hope you enjoyed reading me review as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The cover when I read them in the seventies/eighties

More covers and illustrations

Note the title says THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE,

but the cover photo is from THE SIGN OF THE TWISTED CANDLES

Random observation of the whole series . . .

Nancy and her friends never missed a meal!

In books, on TV and in the movies of today, people take a bite or two and then they’re done. But in Nancy Drew, they eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even follow through with the cleanup.

So fellow amateur sleuths, make sure not to miss a meal, and you too will find your minds and bodies strong and true, and ready to solve any mystery that comes your way!

Newly published retro cover

What about you?

It there a series from your childhood you'd like to reread? 

Do you still have your originals, or would you have to rebuild your collection as I am?

Let me know. I'd love to hear about it!

?🔍?🔍?🔍?🔍?🔍?

Be on the lookout for my review of 

Book #3 

NANCY DREW: THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY.

While driving a motorboat around the Twin Lakes, Nancy and her friend Helen get caught in a dangerous storm. Luckily, they are rescued by another teenage girl in a rowboat. They soon learn that their rescuer is Laura Pendleton, whose mother has recently having passed away. Laura has come to meet up with her new guardians, but something isn't quite right about them. Nancy investigates the situation, and soon she stumbles upon a shocking surprise in the cellar of a bungalow!

I don’t remember much about this one. I’m not even sure I read it. I never had the whole set. When I bought them or received them as gifts, they were out of order, according to what sounded the most exciting to me. 

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Want to follow my blog? 

Click on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page!