Death at the Door (Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries #2) by Olivia Blacke

 

Death at the Door (Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries #2) by Olivia Blacke - 352 pages

Ruby Young is slowly adjusting to her new life in Boston. A big part of that is her unexpected roommate—the ghost of the woman who lived there before. For Cordelia Graves, she may no longer be breathing, but it’s still her apartment and Ruby is the somewhat unwanted houseguest. They’re both happy they’ve managed to become friends, which is a miracle considering they struggle to communicate with each other. Cordelia even set Ruby up with her old job.

When Ruby discovers the body of a delivery guy at work, the new life she’s been building hangs in the balance. The last time Cordelia dragged Ruby into a murder investigation, it was almost two ghosts living in the apartment, not one. Determined to protect Ruby, Cordelia tries to shield her from the investigation, but Ruby has other ideas. It will take both of them working together to navigate the fine line between the dead and the living to bring a killer to light.

This is such a good cozy mystery series, I really hope the author comes out with more.  I was hoping she'd dive in a bit into Cordelia's death but she doesn't.  Fingers crossed that there's a third and it's handled in that one.  

Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

 Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage - 329 pages

The Golden Girls in action as true crime solvers.  If you have ever watched the iconic TV show The Golden Girls, this cozy mystery is right up your alley.  Rose, Blanche, Sophia, & Dorothy are pulled into a murder investigation when a first time date of Dorothy's turns up dead at Rose's cousin Nettie's wedding venue.

While Rose is trying to plan a traditional St. Olaf wedding in Miami with all the St. Olaf family and friends in attendance, a gentleman that Dorothy met for a one-time date turned up dead in the hotel freezer.  Dorothy becomes the main suspect.  The four women are tasked with helping Rose try to pull off a unorthodox wedding, with resistance from the groom's family, and prove Dorothy's innocence at the same time.

The story is set back in the 80s just like the series.  The terms, clothing, music, etc. are all true to the 80s era.  The Golden Girls are true to their characters.  You can almost hear their voices when reading the book.  I would have enjoyed the book even if I had not seen the series, but knowing the series and the characters does help bring the book to life.  I hope the author continues this series.

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas | 312 pages | 2020

Piper Jane Mackenzie, mayor of Honey Creek, won’t let a major scandal rip her quirky hometown apart, or jeopardize her dream of one day running for higher office. So she’s willing to welcome undercover detective Colby McBride, hired to help solve the mystery behind her wannabe fiancé’s disappearance. Colby’s cover? That he is an old boyfriend now begging Piper for a second chance—always when there are plenty of townsfolk around to witness his shenanigans.

Piper hardly knows whether to laugh or cry, especially when she finds herself drawn to the handsome rascal. He's not the only newcomer she has to deal with. There’s a new interim preacher in town, Sam Cassidy. Drifting from one assignment to another since his one love died, Sam isn’t sure he’s the right fit for Honey Creek. But as Piper knows, this is a place chock-full of surprises. And if she can keep her town—and her heart—from going completely off the rails, there may be a sweet, unexpected future in store.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Death of a Spy (Hamish Macbeth #36) by M.C. Beaton, R.W. Green

Death of a Spy (Hamish Macbeth #36) by M.C. Beaton, R.W. Green-240 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth is back at it again. All he wants is to live a quiet life in his small town in the Scottish highlands. He never seems to succeed at it, though. There's always something going on. This time James Bland, the American who previously saved Hamish's life, comes on as his Constable to try and sniff out a spy ring. Also, a burglar is on the loose in Lochdubh that Hamish can't seem to locate. The burglar may be hiding in plain sight. Will Hamish and Bland break up the spy ring? Will they find and apprehend the burglar? I always enjoy a visit to Lochdubh and I liked this one like all the rest I've read.

A Murder for the Books, Gilbert | 352 pg

When an older woman is murdered in the library archives, librarian Amy gets on the case, uncovering the history of two separate historical tragedies in addition to the current killings. Add a side of romance with the hot neighbor (conveniently a contemporary dancer) and some sweet friends/family moments, all around it's a charming cozy mystery.

It's solidly a "cozy"... don't expect brilliance, just a charming romp through a series of implausible events where a lot of people should have used more logic.

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales, 352 p.

"Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township--she is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters-- beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she'd be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever.

For her family's sake, she's vowed to put her obsession behind her. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family's estate, and they will be ruined or, even worse, forced to move to France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior . . . which is made difficult when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.

Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire's infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires--before anyone else is murdered."--Amazon blurb

What a fun story! Seales plops you right in the middle of regency England with so many rules between the sexes and classes, but Beatrice bucks them all. She wants to be an investigator and right in the middle of the case is where she belongs! Romance sub-plot was just alright, but overall I really enjoyed this book.

 

Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury

 Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury - 288 pages, ⭐⭐☆☆☆

While going through a messy divorce, Melanie West helps her grandmother, Liza, fix up an old house, with plans to turn it into a bed and breakfast.  Their plans are put on hold, however, when they find a dead body in one of the walls.  As the bed and breakfast will remain closed until the case is solved, Melanie and Liza take it upon themselves to solve the case so they can open before they run out of money.  There's also a ghost who occasionally laughs and moves things around, freaking everyone out a bit.

It's a cozy mystery, but more cozy than mystery.  Most of its 288 pages are taken up with shopping, cooking, worrying about running out of money, and Liza pressuring Melanie to get together with a hunky local cop.  The ghost does even less than Liza and Melanie, and when something supernatural does happen, the main characters are spooked for a moment, then they shrug and decide to go shopping or something.  There is a mystery, but it's so bland and underwhelming that it makes the book feel even more like a waste of time.  

Why is this two stars and not one, then?  Liza's 'find yourself a man' mentality aside, I did like her character.  She reminded me of Betty White.  Melanie also adopts a dog in the second half of the book, and he's adorable.  The dog and Liza's spunk, however, are the book's only redeeming qualities.  There just isn't much reason to read Dead and Breakfast.

Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae

Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae | 279 pages, Hardcover

Una Graham, aka Ugh, has been murdered in a shed, and there are as many motives as characters in this book. A genre-conforming cozy mystery set in a bookshop in the Scottish Highlands town of Inversgail.

The pros: Instead of one protagonist, the role is filled by 4 female friends all working together on a restart to life. 3 Americans and 1 Inversgail native; all met in Illinois and are in the process of moving (or moving back) to Scotland. I love this setting and their big ideas. And who doesn't like a book about books!

The cons: There are far too many characters, all of whom are suspects. I found my mind wandering and losing track of who is who. The book is fine but didn't catch me the way MacRae's Haunted Yarn Shop series did.

Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke

 

Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke - 210 pages    

The holidays have arrived, and Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. But before anyone can say “Bah, humbug!” a Santa-sized sackful of trouble ensues. Like the fact that Lisa’s husband will be playing Mr. Claus to his ex-girlfriend Phyllis Bates’ Mrs. Claus. Or that before the curtains even go up Phyllis is found dead in the snow—wearing a costume that the real Mrs. Claus would put on the naughty list. Soon after the suspects pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, while a merry murderer remains on the loose. With clues even harder to find, it might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays . . .

This is my first cozy mystery book since I decided to read something out of my normal genre of horror/thriller.  This book was ok; it's like a Hallmark murder mystery, I can see why some like them.  In addition to the mystery the book includes several delicious sounding recipes for sweets.

A Clue In The Crumbs by Lucy Burdette

 

  A Clue in the Crumbs by Lucy Burdette - 304 pages

I am a fan of the Key West Food Critic Mystery series so I was thrilled for another book in the series to come out. As usual Haley and Miss Gloria are on the case of yet another murder in Key West with a little help from 2 sisters (the Scottish Scone Sisters) from the UK.  A good cozy mystery, but be sure to start the series from the beginning or you will miss out on the back stories of most of the usual characters.  Looking forward to the next Haley Snow adventure.

Outfoxed by David Rosenfelt

 (Andy Carpenter #14)

326 pages / 7 hrs, 30 mins

"Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter spends as much time as he can working on his true passion, the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization he runs. Lately, Andy has been especially involved in a county prison program where inmates help train dogs the Tara Foundation has rescued to make them more adoptable, benefiting both the dogs and the prisoners. One of the prisoners Andy has been working with is Brian Atkins, who has 18 months left on a 5-year term for fraud. Brian has been helping to train Boomer, an adorable fox terrier the Tara Foundation rescued from a neglectful owner. Brian and Boomer are clearly a terrific match. In fact, Andy hopes that Brian will adopt Boomer himself, once his sentence is up. But one day, Andy arrives at the prison to discover that Brian has used Boomer to make an ingenious escape, and man and dog are both in the wind. The next day, the man on whose testimony Brian was convicted is found murdered. Brian is caught and arrested for the crime, though he forcefully protests his innocence. Suddenly, Andy finds himself with a new client in Brian and a new dog in Boomer. And as he starts to dig deeper into the murder and the events leading up to it, Andy realizes he might be putting them all in far more danger than anyone had realized."  --from the publisher

Another entertaining installment in a solid series. Four out of five stars for me.

Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn

(Chet and Bernie Mystery #13)

320 pages / 9 hrs, 13 mins

"When Chet the dog, “the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction” ( Boston Globe ), and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, are approached by a down-and-out older man with a cardboard sign at an exit ramp, Bernie is shocked to discover the man is a former teammate from his high school baseball team. Chet and Bernie take Rocket out for a good meal, and later, Bernie investigates Rocket’s past, trying to figure out what exactly went wrong.

"Then, Rocket goes suspiciously missing. With his former teammate likely in danger, Bernie goes back to his old high school for answers, where much that he remembers turns out not to be true―and there are powerful and dangerous people not happy with the questions Bernie is asking.

"Bernie soon learns that he misunderstood much about his high school years – and now, Chet and Bernie are plunged into a dangerous case where the past isn’t dead and the future could be fatal."  --from the publisher

I love this series, and this installment was very entertaining. Four out of five stars for me.

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavari, 352 p.

"1920s London isn’t the ideal place for a brilliant woman with lofty ambitions. But research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to beat the odds in a male-dominated field at the University College of London. Saffron embarks on her first research study alongside the insufferably charming Dr. Michael Lee, traveling the countryside with him in response to reports of poisonings. But when Detective Inspector Green is given a case with a set of unusual clues, he asks for Saffron’s assistance.

The victims, all women, received bouquets filled with poisonous flowers. Digging deeper, Saffron discovers that the bouquets may be more than just unpleasant flowers— there may be a hidden message within them, revealed through the use of the old Victorian practice of floriography. A dire message, indeed, as each woman who received the flowers has turned up dead.

Alongside Dr. Lee and her best friend, Elizabeth, Saffron trails a group of suspects through a dark jazz club, a lavish country estate, and a glittering theatre, delving deeper into a part of society she thought she’d left behind forever. Will Saffron be able to catch the killer before they send their next bouquet, or will she find herself with fatal flowers of her own?"--Amazon

This was a fun and engrossing next book in the series. Khavari writes with whit and vulnerability, taking us with Saffron as she navigates an enthralling mystery all while trying to navigate personal feelings. I did miss Alexander in this book and wasn't a huge fan of the love triangle aspect of it, but that's just not a trope I enjoy in general. I will be looking forward to more in this series!

 

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #1) by Kate Khavari, 262 p.

"London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn’t expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.

Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition's departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor's name cleared, she’ll have to do it herself. Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list?"--Amazon

Great new historical mystery series with a smart female lead. Gave me Veronica Speedwell vibes, and there's nothing wrong with that! Also, maybe you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in the past few years. 

Totally Pawstruck by Sofie Ryan

 (Second Chance Cat Mystery #9)

288 pages / 7 hrs

"Although Sarah Grayson is often tending to the contained chaos of her delightful secondhand store in North Harbor, Maine, plus dealing with the quirky personality of her rescue cat, Elvis, she still takes an occasional night off. But her evening out comes to an abrupt end when Sarah discovers Stella Hall, a member of the library board, standing over a body in the street.
 
"Although Stella admits that she and the victim had fought about several things including library funding, she is adamant that she is innocent and the real killer is on the loose. Sarah is eager to help, but even with the assistance of Charlotte’s Angels, the senior citizen detectives who rent out part of her shop, there is still a vast amount of circumstantial evidence linking Stella to the crime. The odds may be stacked against them, but Sarah and Elvis, along with the Angels, will work hard to check out the suspects and catch a killer."  --from the publisher

I thought it was an average cozy mystery. There isn't anything particularly interesting about the plot or characters. I give it three stars out of five.

On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry

 (By the Book Mysteries #2)

408 pages (mass market paperback), 7 hrs, 49 mins

"In the aftermath of solving their first murder, bestselling author Tess Harrow and her teenage daughter Gertrude have decided to stay in Winthrop permanently. Now that they've made some updates to their cabin in the woods, they're turning to the family hardware store that Tess inherited and converting it into the town's first independent bookstore. But when renovations unearth bones from a cold case and send them toppling—literally—onto Tess's head, the work comes to a grinding halt. With the whole town convinced that her grandfather was a serial killer, Tess has to call in a fellow horror author for reinforcements. Together, they'll come up with a perfect story to make all the clues fit...and solve a mystery more than thirty years in the making."  --from the publisher

I enjoyed this lighthearted mystery with its highly-imaginative, but endearing, protagonist. This would be a good vacation/weekend read. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Crimes and Covers by Amanda Flower

 

Crimes and Covers by Amanda Flower - 296 pages

Even as Violet and police chief David Rainwater are about to get married, they still can not escape another murder happening in their town.  A women's dead body floats by the Niagara River during their reception.  Once again Violet draws on the magic of the book shop along with the help of Emerson her cat and Fualkner the crow to solve this mystery. 

This is the last in Amanda's Magical Bookshop series.  I hate to see the end of this series.  I really enjoyed it.

Prose and Cons by Amanda Flower

 Prose and Cons by Amanda Flower - 352 pages

This is the second in the Magical Bookshop Mystery series.

During the annual Food and Wine Festival in Cascade Springs, Daisy asks Violet and the local writing group (the Red Inkers) to give a reading in the back garden of the shop.  Everyone eagerly agrees; but when one of the members is found dead at the event, the shop magically tells Violet she will need to rely on the works of Edgar Allen Poe to solve the murder.

Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower

 

Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower -368 pg.

I am a huge fan of this Amanda Flower series.  Amanda a former librarian herself turned author.  This is probably my favorite cozy mystery series.  This is the first in her Magical Bookshop Mystery series.

  Violet rushes home to the small town of Cascade Springs to sit with her ailing grandmother Daisey just to find her in perfect health.  Grandma Daisey wants Violet to help her run her magical book shop "Charming Books". Violet soon finds there is more than meets the eye with this book shop.  The books choose the patrons. They actually fly off the shelf.  Violet has no intention on staying until there is a murder and poor grandma Daisey is the suspect.  Violet along with the help of a cat named Tuxedo and the magic book shop must keep Daisey from being booked for good.

Death on The Shelf by Allison Brook

 Death on The Shelf  by Allison Brook 320 pg

Fifth in the Haunted Library Mystery series.  Poor Carrie can't even escape murder at her best friend's wedding.  When two family members of the bride are found dead, one in the chocolate fountain, Carrie is determined to find the killer.