With a golden-age mystery plot, The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge is sure to bring readers fond memories of Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr. However, I’m not sure about how fair play this mystery was despite the listing of specific sentences shown in the back of the book as theContinue Reading
Meg Langslow and her crazy family and friends are back for their thirty-third humorous cozy mystery with Birder, She Wrote. This time Meg’s friends take center stage when a gentrified area of town becomes riled up about a farmer’s beehives and take matters into their own hands by poisoning allContinue Reading
A romantic getaway! A Halloween party complete with custom made costumes! A storybook wedding! It all sounds enchanting, doesn’t it? So why did I dislike the new cozy mystery, Murder in the Book Lover’s Loft, so much? Jane’s family has a long history of protecting a secret vault of uniqueContinue Reading
Step back in time to early 1970s British pop and then fast forward through punk, rockabilly, New Wave and even some country music. You are living the wacky life of a British music reporter and it’s Too Late to Stop Now! It is no surprise now to discover that EltonContinue Reading
It’s always delightful to step back into the world of Lily and her grandmother Rose in the Tea by the Sea cozy mysteries. In Steeped in Malice, it gets personal for Lily when a well-heeled guest is killed. Wesley, the victim’s new husband aka Lily’s abusive ex-boyfriend, has millions ofContinue Reading
Silver Nitrate is the latest book by the author of the excellent Mexican Gothic and the so-so The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. I was hoping this book was more like the first book. Unfortunately, it was not. My issue with Daughter was the slow pacing and the unoriginal subject matter.Continue Reading
The Block Party makes me glad I moved away from the suburbs! Everyone in the cul de sac is trying to impress everyone else at their annual block party. But they are all burdened with secrets. Secrets that come out after a murder occurs at the following year’s party. AsContinue Reading
If you have just finished your budget and realized you spend way too much money in sushi restaurants, I have the book for you. Sushi Master looks at sushi creation in the most detailed way possible. From what tools you need to clear and concise techniques to cut and prepareContinue Reading
The artwork in Dahlia in the Dark Vol. 1 is great. However, the plot is confusing. While the idea of a fairy world living side-by-side with humans is intriguing, the execution is choppy, and the characters are paper thin. It’s a shame. 3 stars. Thanks to Mad Cave Studios andContinue Reading
A Cryptic Clue is the first in the new Hunter and Clewe cozy mystery series. The author also writes the excellent Blue Ridge Library series, so I was anxious to read her latest book. The book stars 60-year-old Jane Hunter, a recently laid off librarian, who has found a conservationContinue Reading
The Centre is an exclusive and secretive language school. Twenty learners stay for ten days in residence with no connections to the outside world and no talking to the other learners or staff. When they return home, they can speak a new language like a native. The mystery is howContinue Reading
Food, We Need to Talk is the latest diet book I’ve read but it is completely different than most diet books. Instead of a diet plan full of restrictions with recipes at the end, this book is full of refreshing ideas about how, and why, plans like that don’t workContinue Reading
Intense court scenes, Hollywood backstage drama, sardonic humor, and a multitude of cute dogs fill Flop Dead Gorgeous. This legal mystery is the latest novel in the Andy Carpenter (wannabe retired, but keeps being dragged back into the courtroom) lawyer series. This time he is forced to defend a formerContinue Reading
In Misfortune Cookie, Lana is now the manager of her family’s noodle house in Cleveland, Ohio. She and her sister, Anna May, go to a restaurant convention in Irvine, California. They are also visiting their Aunt Grace, who lives nearby. During the conference, Lana overhears an altercation between a fortuneContinue Reading
The Rachel Incident is a great character-driven novel about adulting in Cork, Ireland during the Great Recession. Rachel meets James while working at the same bookstore. In the way of twenty-year-olds, they are quickly best friends and move in together. James is gay but hasn’t come out yet. He helpsContinue Reading
In Misfortune Cookie, Lana is now the manager of her family’s noodle house in Cleveland, Ohio. She and her sister, Anna May, go to a restaurant convention in Irvine, California. They are also visiting their Aunt Grace, who lives nearby. During the conference, Lana overhears an altercation between a fortuneContinue Reading