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Mason, a Gen Z adrenaline junkie, and Mann, an ex-con, ex-actress, and lawyer turned sleuth, have already solved one murder together. United by their commitment to sarcasm and general disappointment with the human race, they now face a second crime that’s way too close to home. Alexa Rousso keeps having accidents, and no one but her thinks it’s a coincidence. Could her checkered past be coming back to get her? Mason and Mann’s investigation takes them to the Bay Area, to the Central Coast, and – of course – to the hippest spots in Los Angeles. Will the Berkeley boho vibe convert Mann from vintage couture? Will the wine snobs of Ojai drive Mason to drink (or to vinicide, which isn’t even a thing)? More importantly, will they solve the mystery before the murderer’s sights settle on the detectives themselves, or will this new challenge also be their last?

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MY REVIEW

Natasha Mason and Julia Mann have a friendship based on sarcasm. They met at an AA meeting in the first book in this series, One Death at a Time. Mann was accused of murder, and Mason helped prove her innocence. In Deadly Does It, they work on solving another mystery together.

Their latest mystery is finding who is trying to harm Mason’s AA sponsor, Alexa. When Alexa starts being more accident prone, she suspects someone is trying to hurt her. Mason and Mann travel the Bay Area, Central Coast, and Los Angeles looking for answers.

Deadly Does It is a light and witty mystery. Sharp and snarky characters with a fast-paced plot make for an entertaining read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Some secrets are deadlier than others

1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she’s stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington–a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Vera dances around London like she owns it, taking Frances with her.

Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura’s new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest.

Annie is no stranger to murder–after all, she’s solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She’s read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way.

As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura’s doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she’s next. With her mother’s life on the line, can Annie find the killer before it’s too late?

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MY REVIEW

How to Cheat Your Own Death is the third book in the Castle Knoll Files series. This book can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the previous books in there series.

In the 1968, Frances is living it up in London with her new friend Vera. In present day, Frances’s great-niece, Annie, visits her mother in London, and finds a dead body. A death that is similar to Vera’s murder that Frances wrote in her diaries.

How to Cheat Your Own Death is told through two points of view and timelines – Frances in the past via her diary entries and Annie in the present. This book has plenty of suspects and an enjoyable plot.

How to Cheat Your Own Death is a light and fun cozy mystery.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Castle Knoll Files:

1. How to Solve Your Own Murder
2. How to Seal Your Own Fate
3. How to Cheat Your Own Death

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September, 1815. Autumn is in the air as Lady Petra Forsyth and some of the most illustrious members of the ton descend upon Windsor Castle for a week of royal celebrations, with the highlight being Queen Charlotte’s inaugural patisserie contest for the best bakers employed by England’s finest houses. Not only is Lady Petra’s own cook one of the contestants, but Her Majesty has requested that Petra herself serve as one of the judges.

Petra’s happiness at tasting delicious cakes and biscuits only increases at finding her beloved Aunt Ophelia in attendance at Windsor, as well as Sir Rufus Pomeroy. As England’s most famous former royal chef-turned-cookbook author, Sir Rufus is slated to present his best recipes to the Queen during the festivities, with Petra being granted an early viewing in the royal library.

Yet upon arrival, Petra instead encounters a frantic housemaid pointing to a body of one of Her Majesty’s guests—and to the valet still tugging at the silk ribbon used to strangle the victim. What’s more, the valet turns out to be Oliver Beecham, the ne’er-do-well brother of Petra’s own lady’s maid, Annie. But as Oliver is hauled away to the dungeons, he protests his innocence, claiming the late guest argued with several aristocrats, including the Prince Regent and Petra’s Aunt Ophelia, and boasted about hiding a potentially scandalous document within the vastness of Windsor Castle.

When some poisoned tea meant for Petra is consumed by one of her fellow judges, it’s clear the real killer is still walking the castle’s halls. Indeed, in order to prove the innocence of Annie’s brother and find the incriminating document, Petra will need to act like a lady, eat like a chef, and think like one of Her Majesty’s best spies before a murderer can turn the celebrations from sweet to royally deadly.

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MY REVIEW

Lady Petra is looking forward to the queen’s patisserie contest for the best bakers. Petra will be serving as a judge, one of the contestants is her own cook, and Petra is happy to see some familiar faces in attendance. Unfortunately, Petra arrives when another guest has just been killed. It does not take long to discover that someone wants Petra to stay away from investigating the murder.

Revenge, Served Royal is the third book in the Lady Petra Inquires series. Petra is a smart, strong protagonist. The cast of characters is interesting. and the setting is lovely. This is an entertaining addition to a charming series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Lady Petra Inquires Series

1. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord
2. All’s Fair in Love and Treachery
3. Revenge, Served Royal
4. Murder of a Merry Gentleman

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It feels like kismet when Sarah Jones, newly relocated to Minneapolis after abruptly calling off her engagement, gets invited to join a group of women who share her same (very common) name. For years Sarah has received all types of correspondence intended for different Sarah Joneses, but now it seems that this mistake has given her the opportunity for an instant community.

What starts as a low-stakes meet-up called “The Sarah Jones Project” soon turns sinister when another local Sarah Jones is found dead, under suspicious circumstances, at the base of the downtown Minneapolis bridge. After fielding numerous calls from concerned loved ones ruling out their Sarah as the victim, the surviving Sarahs decide to take matters into their own hands.

Aided by the dead woman’s nanny, a newly commissioned (and very handsome and eligible) FBI agent, and a cloistered nun with a complicated past, the motley crew of unlikely friends are determined to get to the bottom of the murder of one of their own.

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MY REVIEW

Sarah Jones is new in town, and she’s invited to join a group of other women named Sarah Jones. Then, a Sarah Jones is killed, and the other Sarah’s decide to find the killer.

Making Friends Can Be Murder is told through multiple points of view – Sarah Jones (30), an FBI agent, and through transcripts and text messages. A fun cast of characters and an entertaining mystery.

A delightful cozy mystery. Good for readers who enjoy light mysteries with humor and quirky characters.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

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When Julia Mann, a bad-tempered ex-actress and professional thorn in the side of authority, runs into Natasha Mason at an AA meeting, it’s anything but a meet-cute. Julia just found a dead body in her swimming pool, and the cops say she did it (she already went to jail for murder once, so now they think she’s making a habit of it). Mason is eager to clear Julia’s name and help keep her sober, but all Julia wants is for Mason to leave her alone.

As their investigation ranges from the Hollywood Hills to the world of burlesque to the country clubs of Palm Springs, this unconventional team realizes their shared love of sarcasm and poor life choices are proving to be a powerful combination. Will secrets from their past trip them up, or will their team of showgirls, cat burglars, and Hollywood agents help them stay one step ahead? Are dead piranhas, false noses, and a giant martini glass important clues or simply your typical day in Los Angeles? And will they manage to solve the crime before they kill each other, or worse, fall off the wagon? Trying to keep it simple and take it easy is one thing—trying to find a murderer before they kill again is a whole other program.

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MY REVIEW

Julia is a former actress who recently found a dead body in her pool, and is suspected of murder. Mason is a young woman figuring out what she wants in life. When they show up at the same AA meeting, Mason offers to be Julia’s sponsor. Julia is not keen on the idea, but goes along with it. Mason is determined to prove Julia’s innocence, and the adventure begins.

One Death at a Time is a light and fun mystery. Sharp and snarky characters, and a fast-paced plot make for an entertaining read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

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Ever since a man was found dead in Vera’s teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly’s girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn’t be ungrateful, even if one is slightly…bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena’s, Vera finds a treasure trove: Selena’s briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for. 

Online, Xander had it all: a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can’t seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander’s murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn’t do for her future daughter-in-law.

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MY REVIEW

Vera Wong is back with another mystery to solve. This time, she meets a young woman looking for a missing friend. Vera’s snooping reveals the missing friend is dead, but it’s unclear on the real identity of the individual.

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) is lighthearted mystery. Vera is in her 60s, and overlooked by many. An intriguing mystery and a fun cast of characters, make for an entertaining read.

Tea, food, and friendships are strong in this novel. Good for readers who like lighter mysteries that also focus on family.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Vera Wong Series:

1. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
2. Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping [on a Dead Man]