Category: Cozy Mystery

Book Review

The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn

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BOOK INFO

Title: The Body from the Past

Author: Judi Lynn

Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Publish Date: September 22, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Jazzi Zanders #5

My Rating: 4/5

The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn

BOOK BLURB

A closed room in her newest fixer-upper leads Indiana house-flipper Jazzi Zanders to reopen a chilling cold case involving a high school girl . . .

Jazzi, her cousin Jerod, and her husband Ansel are preparing to renovate a charming house that reminds her of an English manor. Before purchasing it, they had inspected the house for structural issues, but now when they do a more thorough walk-through, they discover a teenage girl’s bedroom that clearly hasn’t been touched in years. Dust covers the pink canopy bed, clothes still hang in the closet, and a hope chest remains full of journals and memorabilia. They’ve stumbled on a shrine to a dead girl.

They learn Jessica was killed in the middle of her high school graduation party. The murderer was never identified, but the brother-in-law of Jazzi’s friend, who went to school with Jessica, was suspected and never lived it down. He implores Jazzi to review the cold case and finally prove him innocent. Now it’s up to the house-flipper to nail a killer who will do anything to close the door on the past . . .

The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn

MY REVIEW

Jazzi is back for the fifth book, The Body from the Past, in the Jazzi Zanders mystery series. Jazzi, her husband Ansel, and her cousin Jerod renovate homes. The house they are working on has a locked door that hasn’t been opened in years. When they get into the room, they discover it belonged to a teenage girl who died. The girl’s murderer was never found. Jazzi is curious about the case, and looks into finding who killed the girl.

This book is part of a series. I’ve read the previous books, and recommend reading this series in order. That said, this can be read as a standalone. I have some reviews for earlier books on the blog – The Body in the Wetlands (book 2), The Body in the Gravel (book 3), and The Body in the Apartment (book 4).

The Body from the Past is an enjoyable cozy mystery. Jazzi works as a house flipper, and sometimes finds herself with a mystery to solve. The reason I like this series is because I enjoy reading about the remodeling jobs the crew take on. The mysteries are light, and the characters are likable. A good read for fans of cozies. Delightful and fun.

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

Books in the Jazzi Zanders Mystery Series:
  1. The Body in the Attic
  2. The Body in the Wetlands
  3. The Body in the Gravel
  4. The Body in the Apartment
  5. The Body from the Past
  6. The Body in the Beauty Parlor
  7. The Body in the Trench
  8. The Body in the Buick
  9. The Body in the Wheelbarrow
  10. The Body in Someone Else’s Bed
Book Review

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Murder in the Bayou Boneyard

Author: Ellen Byron

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publish Date: September 8, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Cajun Country Mystery #6

My Rating: 4/5

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron

BOOK BLURB

Maggie Crozat has the Halloween heebie-jeebies in USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron’s howlingly funny sixth Cajun Country mystery.

Maggie Crozat, proprietor of a historic Cajun Country B&B, prefers to let the good times roll. But hard times rock her hostelry when a new cell phone app makes it easy for locals to rent their spare rooms to tourists. With October–and Halloween–approaching, she conjures up a witch-crafty marketing scheme to draw visitors to Pelican, Louisiana.

Five local plantation B&Bs host “Pelican’s Spooky Past” packages, featuring regional crafts, unique menus, and a pet costume parade. Topping it off, the derelict Dupois cemetery is the suitably sepulchral setting for the spine-chilling play Resurrection of a Spirit. But all the witchcraft has inevitably conjured something: her B&B guests are being terrified out of town by sightings of the legendary rougarou, a cross between a werewolf and vampire.

When, in the Dupois cemetery, someone costumed as a rougarou stumbles onstage during the play–and promptly gives up the ghost, the rougarou mask having been poisoned with strychnine, Maggie is on the case. But as more murders stack up, Maggie fears that Pelican’s spooky past has nothing on its bloodcurdling present.

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron

MY REVIEW

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard is the sixth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron. Maggie Crozat and her family and friends are back in another delightful book. When mysteries happen in Pelican, LA, Maggie, a B&B owner in Cajun Country, is quick to help investigate and find the guilty party.

In this book, Halloween is coming up, and some local B&B owners put together the “Pelican’s Spooky Past” package to draw visitors to town. The package included fun events for the visitors. It’s all good until someone spots a rougarou. More sightings start scaring off the visitors. Then someone dressed as a rougarou stumbles onto stage during a play… and dies. Maggie jumps in to solve the mystery.

I have read all of the books in this series, and have enjoyed each one. A couple of my reviews are on the blog – Mardi Gras Murder (book 4) and Fatal Cajun Festival (book 5). The mysteries for each book are standalone stories, but the personal events happening with the characters is a continuing storyline.

Quirky characters in an inviting setting. I love the Southern charm of Pelican and its residents. An entertaining read for fans of cozy mysteries.

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

Books in the Cajun Country Mystery Series:
  1. Plantation Shudders
  2. Body on the Bayou
  3. A Cajun Christmas Killing
  4. Mardi Gras Murder
  5. Fatal Cajun Festival
  6. Murder in the Bayou Boneyard
  7. Cajun Kiss of Death
Book Review

Checked Out for Murder by Allison Brook [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Checked Out for Murder by Allison Brook

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Checked Out for Murder

Author: Allison Brook

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publish Date: September 8, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: The Haunted Library Mysteries #4

My Rating: 3/5

Checked Out for Murder by Allison Brook

BOOK BLURB

Carrie Singleton and Evelyn the ghost sleuth the slayings of a starlet and a star-crossed psychic in Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook’s fourth Haunted Library mystery.

Daphne Marriott strolls into Clover Ridge and informs librarian Carrie Singleton that she’s a psychic. But had she foreseen what fate awaited her, Daphne would have steered clear of the quaint Connecticut town. Evelyn, the library ghost, tells Carrie that there’s more to Daphne than she lets on.

The mysterious woman grew up in Clover Ridge with her no-good dad, who apparently met his end at the hands of Daphne’s brother, Billy. Still, Daphne proves a welcome distraction when Carrie’s overbearing mother hits town. Mom’s much younger husband, Tom, is in a movie that’s lensing locally, and she’s there to keep an eye on him: Tom’s costar, sultry Ilana Reingold, is also his ex-fiancée, and there’s no denying the chemistry is still there. Soon after mingling with the moviemakers at a meet-and-greet, Daphne is found dead.

Carrie and Evelyn investigate, assisted by bushy-tailed library cat Smoky Joe. But the suspect list could overflow the library shelves. Has Billy killed another relative? Is their long-missing mother involved? Or Daphne’s mean ex-husband? Carrie’s sure she knows who committed the crime, but can she bind together the clues before the culprit Dewey-decimates the town?

Checked Out for Murder by Allison Brook

MY REVIEW

Checked Out for Murder is the fourth book in The Haunted Library Mysteries series by Allison Brook. In this latest book, Carrie sleuths to solve two murders. There is also some family drama when Carrie’s mother comes to town.

I’ve read the previous three books in this series and have enjoyed each one. My reviews for Read and Gone (book 2) and Buried in the Stacks (book 3) are on this blog. I recommend reading this series in order, since it helps to know everyone’s backstory. Still, this could be read as a standalone if you don’t get the chance to read the previous books.

Charming setting with the haunted library and plenty of quirky characters. Recommended to readers of cozy mysteries. Delightful and fun.

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

Books in The Haunted Library Series:
  1. Death Overdue
  2. Read and Gone
  3. Buried in the Stacks
  4. Checked Out for Murder
  5. Death on the Shelf
  6. Dewey Decimated
  7. Overdue or Die
Book Review

Handbook for Homicide by Lorna Barrett [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Handbook for Homicide by Lorna Barrett

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Handbook for Homicide

Author: Lorna Barrett

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 21, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Booktown Mystery #14

My Rating: 3/5

Handbook for Homicide by Lorna Barrett

BOOK BLURB

Tricia Miles must swim against the tide to catch a killer when Haven’t Got A Clue’s assistant manager is accused of murder in the latest entry to Lorna Barrett’s New York Times bestselling Booktown series.

Haven’t Got A Clue bookshop owner Tricia Miles’s relationship is on the rocks. After a not-so-fun vacation with her on-again-off-again lover, Marshall Cambridge, Tricia’s hoping for smooth sailing back in Stoneham. Unfortunately Booktown greets her not with blue skies but with another body.

When Tricia’s assistant manager, Pixie, finds homeless vet Susan Morris’s body behind Haven’t Got A Clue, Pixie’s checkered past makes her the prime suspect. Tricia sets out to clear Pixie’s name armed with only an anchor insignia earring found at the scene of the crime.

As Tricia digs deeper she discovers Susan was involved in a scandal right before retiring from the Navy—but since nobody in the village knows Susan, even Tricia’s one lead is in danger of drying up. With family drama brewing in the background and all of Stoneham convinced her manager is a murderer, Tricia knows she has to get to the bottom of the case soon before Pixie’s life is sunk.

Handbook for Homicide by Lorna Barrett

MY REVIEW

Tricia Miles and the residents of Stoneham are back! Handbook for Homicide is the 14th book in the Booktown Mystery series by Lorna Barrett. Tricia lives in the small town of Stoneham and runs a mystery bookstore. The town has several specialty book shops and book themed businesses that bring in visitors to the town. Tricia also has a habit of stumbling across dead bodies. She uses her love of mysteries to sleuth and find the real killers.

In this book, it’s not Tricia who finds the dead body, but her assistant manager, Pixie. The body is discovered behind the bookshop, and Tricia gets involved when it looks like one of the suspects is Pixie. The dead woman was a homeless vet, with few ties to the area. Tricia’s questions lead to wondering if the woman was killed from something in her military past or if a local was behind it.

An enjoyable cozy mystery. This book is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone. That said, I recommend reading the earlier books to better understand the relationships between the characters. A good read for fans of cozies. Delightful and entertaining.

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

Books in the Booktown Mystery Series:
  1. Murder is Binding
  2. Bookmarked for Death
  3. Bookplate Special
  4. Chapter and Hearse
  5. Sentenced to Death
  6. Murder on the Half Shelf
  7. Not the Killing Type
  8. Book Clubbed
  9. A Fatal Chapter
  10. Title Wave
  11. A Just Clause
  12. Poisoned Pages
  13. A Killer Edition
  14. Handbook for Homicide
Book Review

The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle

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

BOOK INFO

Title: The Grim Reader

Author: Kate Carlisle

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: June 2, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Bibliophile Mystery #14

My Rating: 4/5

The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle

BOOK BLURB

San Francisco book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright was hoping for a fun, relaxing weekend at a local book fair, but a murderer made other plans in the latest in this New York Times bestselling series.

Brooklyn and her new hunky husband, Derek, are excited to be guests at Dharma’s first annual Book Festival. The entire town is involved and Brooklyn’s mom Rebecca is taking charge. In addition to all of her other event related duties, she’s got Brooklyn doing rare book appraisals and is also staging Little Women, the musical to delight the festival goers. If that wasn’t enough, she and Meg—Derek’s mom—will have a booth where they read palms and tarot cards.

Brooklyn couldn’t be prouder of her mom’s do-it-all attitude so when a greedy local businessman who seems intent on destroying Dharma starts harassing Rebecca, Brooklyn is ready to take him down. Rebecca is able to hold her own with the nasty jerk until one of her fellow festival committee members is brutally murdered and the money for the festival seems to have vanished into thin air.
Things get even more personal when one of Brooklyn’s nearest and dearest is nearly run down in cold blood. Brooklyn and Derek go into attack mode and the pressure is on to catch a spineless killer before they find themselves skipping the festival for a funeral.

The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle

MY REVIEW

Brooklyn is back in The Grim Reader, the 14th book in the Bibliophile mystery series. Brooklyn is a book-restoration expert who occasionally gets involved with a murder mystery. In this book, Brooklyn and her husband are visiting Dharma, a small town in California’s wine country. They are gearing up for Dharma’s first book festival, and Brooklyn’s mother is organizing the event. Everything seems to be going well… until someone on the festival committee is murdered. Brooklyn is on the case to find the killer.

Likable characters in a charming setting. I haven’t read all of the books in this series, but it is one I try to read in order. As with most series, it helps better understand backstories. Still, The Grim Reader can be read as a standalone.

An engaging and entertaining cozy mystery. I enjoy cozies that involve books, so I usually like the books in this series. In addition to books, there is also a lot of talk about wine in The Grim Reader. A recommended read for fans of cozies featuring books and wine. Delightful and fun.

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

Books in the Bibliophile Mystery Series:
  1. Homicide in Hardcover
  2. If Books Could Kill
  3. The Lies that Bind
  4. Murder Under Cover
  5. One Book in the Grave
  6. Peril in Paperback
  7. A Cookbook Conspiracy
  8. The Book Stops Here
  9. Ripped From the Pages
  10. Books of a Feather
  11. Once Upon a Spine
  12. Buried in the Books
  13. The Book Supremacy
  14. The Grim Reader
  15. Little Black Book
  16. The Paper Caper
  17. The Twelve Books of Christmas
Book Review

Read or Alive by Nora Page [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Better Off Read by Nora Page

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Read of Alive

Author: Nora Page

Publisher: Crooked Lane

Publish Date: May 12, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Bookmobile Mystery #3

My Rating: 4/5

Read or Alive by Nora Page

BOOK BLURB

A match-made in cozy heaven for fans of Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle, and book lovers everywhere, Nora Page’s third Bookmobile mystery will (book)worm its way into your heart.

Wrongful accusations have librarian Cleo Watkins and her loved ones booked for trouble.

It’s springtime and septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins is celebrating new blooms and old books. To her delight, the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society has brought its annual fair to Catalpa Springs in honor of Cleo’s gentleman friend, respected antiquarian bookseller and restorer, Henry Lafayette. However, trouble rolls in with the fair when a flirtatious book scout makes the rounds, charming locals out of prized books.

Among the conned is Cleo’s cousin, Dot, who handed over a signed, first edition of Gone With the Wind. With no proof the scout took the valuable book, Dot is at a loss. And when the deceitful man is found murdered the very next morning, Dot becomes a prime suspect. To Cleo’s dismay, so is Henry. The scene of the crime is behind Henry’s shop and his bookbinding tool is the murder weapon. As evidence stacks up against Henry, the police aren’t alone in questioning his innocence. Even friends and family ask Cleo how well she truly knows her gentleman friend.

Although books are at the heart of the crimes, Cleo feels dizzyingly out of her depths. Someone is setting up the people she holds dearest. With the authorities on the wrong trail, Cleo has no choice but to catalog the evidence herself. Along with her trusty bookmobile cat Rhett Butler, it will be up to Cleo to book the real killer for good.

Read or Alive by Nora Page

MY REVIEW

Read or Alive is the third book in the Bookmobile mystery series by Nora Page. Cleo is back with a new mystery to solve! A conman who deals in books comes to the antiquarian book show in Catalpa Springs. He’s swindling Cleo’s friends, and things go downhill when he is found killed. Cleo knows those close to her can’t be behind the murder, so she sleuths to find the killer.

This is the third book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. However, I recommend starting with Better Off Read (book 1) and Read on Arrival (book 2).

A cozy mystery centered around books. I enjoy Cleo, her bookmobile, and the small town setting. A delightful read with an older protagonist. Fun and entertaining.

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

Books in the Bookmobile Mystery Series:
  1. Better Off Read
  2. Read on Arrival
  3. Read or Alive
Book Review

Evil by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Evil by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Evil by the Sea

Author: Kathleen Bridge

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Publish Date: May 5, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A By the Sea Mystery #4

My Rating: 4/5

Evil by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge

BOOK BLURB

Liz Holt is bewitched, bothered, and bewildered when a wicked killer objects to a wiccan wedding…

Island life can get pretty weird. Wiccan weddings, psychic brides, mermaid parades, eccentric parrots… Novelist Liz Holt has gotten used to it since moving back to the barrier island of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and once again working in her family’s hotel and emporium, the Indialantic by the Sea. But one thing she’ll never get used to is murder.

Groom-to-be and leader of the Sunshine Wiccan Society, white warlock Julian Rhodes is poisoned at his rehearsal dinner on the hotel’s sightseeing cruiser. His psychic bride, Dorian Starwood, never saw it coming. An old friend of Liz’s great-aunt Amelia, the celebrity psychic engages Liz to find out who intended to kill her intended. With her Macaw, Barnacle Bob, squawking “Pop Goes the Weasel” at Dorian’s pet ferret, and the streets teeming with mermaids in tails, Liz has got to wade through the weirdness and cast a wide net for the killer—before she’s the next one to sleep with the fishes…

Evil by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge

MY REVIEW

Liz, a novelist and amateur sleuth, works at her family’s hotel and emporium. In Evil by the Sea, a Wiccan wedding is planned at the Indialantic by the Sea. Unfortunately, the groom dies at the rehearsal dinner. Liz investigates to find the killer.

Evil by the Sea is the fourth book in the By the Sea mystery series. I recommend reading this series in order – Death By the Sea, A Killing By the Sea, and Murder By the Sea. There are a number of characters, and their relationships progress through the series.

An entertaining cozy mystery series. Quirky characters. Charming setting. Fun and light read. A recommended read for fans of cozy mysteries.

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

Books in the By the Sea Mystery Series:
  1. Death by the Sea
  2. A Killing by the Sea
  3. Murder by the Sea
  4. Evil by the Sea
  5. Buried by the Sea
Book Review

Murder in the Wine Country by Janet Finsilver [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Murder in the Wine Country by Janet Finsilver

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Murder in the Wine Country

Author: Janet Finsilver

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Publish Date: April 28, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A Kelly Jackson Mystery #6

My Rating: 4/5

Murder in the Wine Country by Janet Finsilver

BOOK BLURB

Weeding out killers wasn’t part of the job description…

Kelly Jackson, manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, is excited to participate in an event to raise awareness for the plight of struggling veterans in their Northern California coastal community. Local wineries are sponsoring tastings, and to prepare for a culinary competition, professional chefs will forage for wild edible greens. Kelly plans to come along, despite a warning to beware of poachers, who have been stealing the highly valued succulent Dudleya farinosa. The senior sleuths who call themselves the Silver Sentinels join forces with environmental activists known as the Succulent Saviors to thwart the poaching operation. When a consultant for the sale of a local winery is murdered, the poachers are suspected—but so is a wine merchant, Kelly’s friend Phil. As Kelly and the Silver Sentinels attempt to root out the real killer, what she digs up might just put her permanently underground…

Murder in the Wine Country by Janet Finsilver

MY REVIEW

Murder in the Wine Country is the sixth book in the Kelly Jackson Mystery series by Janet Finsilver. Kelly Jackson is the manager of Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast. In this book, Kelly is happy to be involved with an event to help struggling veterans. During the event, chefs are foraging for edible greens for the culinary competition and local wineries are sponsoring tastings.

Kelly joins in with some of the activities, and all goes well until crime happens. The crimes include theft and murder. In the previous books, a lot of the sleuthing is done by the Silver Sentinels, a group of crime-solving senior citizens. In this book, Kelly takes on more of a sleuth role.

An entertaining cozy mystery series. Charming setting. Interesting characters. Well-crafted plot. Delightful and fun.

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

Books in the Kelly Jackson Mystery Series:
  1. Murder at Redwood Cove
  2. Murder at the Mansion
  3. Murder at the Fortune Teller’s Table
  4. Murder at the Mushroom Festival
  5. Murder at the Marina
  6. Murder in the Wine Country
Book Review

Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Proof of Murder

Author: Lauren Elliott

Publisher: Kensington

Publish Date: April 28, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #4

My Rating: 4/5

Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott

BOOK BLURB

Bookshop owner Addie Greyborne must solve a locked-room murder in a supposedly haunted mansion to recover a priceless Sherlock Holmes original…

The seaside New England town of Greyborne Harbor is home to many grand estates, including the Queen Anne Victorian Addie inherited from her great aunt. Now one of those mansions is holding an estate sale, which is just what the bookshop owner needs to replenish her supply of rare editions—even if the house is rumored to be haunted. Assisting an overwhelmed insurance appraiser with the inventory, Addie discovers an 1887 magazine containing Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, which she estimates to be worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

But when Addie later finds the appraiser dead in the estate’s private library, with the door bolted from the inside, and the priceless edition missing, it’s a mystery worthy of the Great Detective himself. She’s certain the death and the robbery are connected—but who, other than a ghost who can walk through walls, could have gotten in to do the deed? It’s up to Addie to find the key to the crime—before she’s the next one cornered by a killer…

Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott

MY REVIEW

Proof of Murder is the fourth book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. Addie is back with another murder mystery in the quaint town of Greyborne Harbor. While helping appraise items for a local estate sale, Addie discovers a first edition of A Study in Scarlet, the first Sherlock Holmes novel. When Addie returns to the estate later, she discovers the appraiser has been killed and the valuable edition is missing.

A locked room mystery. Due to Addie’s involvement with the appraisal, she’s on the short list of suspects. Addie wants to solve the mystery to prove her innocence and find the real killer.

I’ve enjoyed each book in this series, and was happy to see Addie was back for another mystery. The small town setting is great, and I especially enjoy Addie’s bookstore. A series worth checking out for fans of cozies.

An entertaining cozy mystery. Well paced story. Complex mystery. Interesting characters. Delightful and fun.

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

Books in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series:
  1. Murder by the Book
  2. Prologue to Murder
  3. Murder in the First Edition
  4. Proof of Murder
  5. A Page Marked for Murder
  6. Under the Cover of Murder
  7. To the Tome of Murder
Book Review

The Stolen Letter by Paige Shelton [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
The Stolen Letter by Paige Shelton

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

BOOK INFO

Title: The Stolen Letter

Author: Paige Shelton

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: April 7, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Scottish Bookshop Mystery #5

My Rating: 3/5

The Stolen Letter by Paige Shelton

BOOK BLURB

New York Times bestselling author Paige Shelton returns with the next installment of The Scottish Bookshop Mystery series, The Stolen Letter

Delaney Nichols is confident she’s doing what she loves—case in point, just one day after returning from her fabulous European honeymoon, she’s eager to get back to the Cracked Spine, the bookstore where she works. But as she disembarks her bus and hurries toward the shop she and another woman collide, sending a stack of books the woman is carrying to the ground.

Delaney’s hapless victim’s name is Mary, and the two women can’t help but notice that they bear an uncanny resemblance to one another. According to Mary, they both also look like the long-beheaded Mary Queen of Scots. Even stranger, Mary believes she is the reincarnation of the Scottish queen. But peculiar as Delaney’s doppelganger is, she doesn’t have time to dwell on it: on her arrival to the bookshop, she learns the Edinburgh city council wants to close the Cracked Spine, citing code violations, and she’s determined to stop them.

But when Mary’s husband dies in a car explosion—and Delaney learns he was the very member of city council who proposed that the city take a closer look at the bookshop’s construction—she starts to wonder if her meeting with Mary wasn’t an accident. Edinburgh has become as filled with intrigue and deception as any European court, and Delaney is determined to get to the bottom of this royal mystery.

The Stolen Letter by Paige Shelton

MY REVIEW

The Stolen Letter is the fifth book in the Scottish Bookshop mystery series. The main character, Delaney, is an American woman who relocated to Scotland to work in a unique bookshop, the Cracked Spine. Also, Delaney occasionally helps solve mysteries. She comes across a murder mystery to solve.

I recommend starting with the first book in this series, The Cracked Spine. Each book in the series has a unique mystery, but the relationships between the characters grow throughout Delaney’s time in Scotland.

In The Stolen Letter, Delaney runs into Mary on the way to the bookshop. The women immediately notice they look a lot alike, and Mary says they look like Mary, Queen of Scots. Turns out, Mary knows a lot about the dead Queen, and even believes she is the reincarnated Queen Mary. Delaney is intrigued with Mary, but, unfortunately, Mary’s husband is trying to close down the Cracked Spine. When Mary’s husband is killed, Delaney searches for answers.

An enjoyable cozy mystery series. This book, along with the earlier ones, includes a touch of paranormal in the story. While this isn’t my favorite book in the series, I did find it entertaining. The characters are likable and the story is interesting. Delightful, fun, and quirky.

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

Books in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series:
  1. The Cracked Spine
  2. Of Books and Bagpipes
  3. Lost Books and Old Bones
  4. The Loch Ness Papers
  5. The Stolen Letter
  6. Deadly Editions
  7. The Burning Pages
  8. Fateful Words
  9. The Poison Pen
Book Review

The Body in the Apartment by Judi Lynn [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
The Body in the Apartment by Judi Lynn

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

BOOK INFO

Title: The Body in the Apartment

Author: Judi Lynn

Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Publish Date: March 17, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Jazzi Zanders Mystery #4

My Rating: 3/5

The Body in the Apartment by Judi Lynn

BOOK BLURB

The charming homes of River Bluffs, Indiana, make perfect projects for house-flipper Jazzi Zanders. Less charming is her hothead brother-in-law, who’s a bit of a fixer-upper himself.
But could he also be a murderer?
 
Jazzi married her gorgeous contractor Ansel—not his family. But somehow she keeps living with them. So she’s delighted to help Ansel’s brother Radley move out of their home and into his own place, in the same building as his work supervisor, Donovan. But when Donovan is shot and his apartment ransacked following an argument with Ansel and Radley’s older brother Bain, their sibling becomes a suspect—especially after his missing gun turns up as the murder weapon.
 
Told not to leave town by Detective Gaff, big brother moves in with . . . Jazzi and Ansel. Now Jazzi needs to prove Bain’s no killer, not only to keep him out of jail—but to get him out of their house. What was the killer looking for in Donovan’s apartment? And what will happen to the next person who gets in the way?

The Body in the Apartment by Judi Lynn

MY REVIEW

This is the fourth book in the Jazzi Zanders mystery series by Judi Lynn. Ansel’s brother Radley has decided to stay in town, and Jazzi and Ansel help him move into his new apartment. During the move, Ansel and Radley’s brother Bain shows up to try and convince Radley to return to the family’s dairy farm. Unfortunately, Radley’s friend Donovan, who lives in the same apartment complex, is killed while everyone is there. Bain becomes a suspect. Jazzi helps solve the murder.

I’ve read the previous three books in this series and recommend reading them in order: The Body in the Attic, The Body in the Wetlands, and The Body in the Gravel. They can be read out of order though. The personal stories are continued, but the mystery is standalone for each book.

Jazzi, Ansel, and her cousin Jerod flip houses. I enjoy the idea of a house flipper amateur sleuth, so this cozy series is a good one for me. Jazzi also likes to cook and enjoys hosting meals for her family and friends. She seemed to cook more in this book, and there are a few recipes included at the end of the book. I’m still perplexed why the detective on the cases always includes Jazzi in the investigation, even bringing her to interviews. Still, it’s a fun and entertaining series.

A light, cozy mystery. Likable characters and a good mystery.

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

Books in the Jazzi Zanders Mystery Series:
  1. The Body in the Attic
  2. The Body in the Wetlands
  3. The Body in the Gravel
  4. The Body in the Apartment
  5. The Body from the Past
  6. The Body in the Beauty Parlor
  7. The Body in the Trench
  8. The Body in the Buick
  9. The Body in the Wheelbarrow
  10. The Body in Someone Else’s Bed
Book Review

The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate

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BOOK INFO

Title: The Bodies in the Library

Author: Marty Wingate

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: October 8, 2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: First Edition Library Mystery #1

My Rating: 4/5

The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate

BOOK BLURB

Hayley Burke’s fresh start as the curator of The First Edition Society’s library in Bath, England, is about to take a rotten turn in this charming new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.

Hayley Burke has landed a dream job. She is the new curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling’s First Edition library. The library is kept at Middlebank House, a lovely Georgian home in Bath, England. Hayley lives on the premises and works with the finicky Glynis Woolgar, Lady Fowling’s former secretary.

Mrs. Woolgar does not like Hayley’s ideas to modernize The First Edition Society and bring in fresh blood. And she is not even aware of the fact that Hayley does not know the first thing about the Golden Age of Mysteries. Hayley is faking it till she makes it, and one of her plans to breathe new life into the Society is actually taking flight–an Agatha Christie fan fiction writers group is paying dues to meet up at Middlebank House.

But when one of the group is found dead in the venerable stacks of the library, Hayley has to catch the killer to save the Society and her new job.

The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate

MY REVIEW

The Bodies in the Library is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Marty Wingate. The First Edition Library Mystery series features Hayley Burke, the new curator at Lady Georgiana Fowling’s First Edition library in Bath, England. The library is a mystery lovers dream, especially since it contains many Golden Age mysteries. Hayley is attempting to modernize the library; however, she’s hiding the fact that she doesn’t know diddly about the mystery genre.

The cast of characters is quirky and relatable. In addition, Hayley is a likable protagonist – smart, witty, and hard-working. After starting as curator, one of her actions was to open the library up to a group of Agatha Christie fan fiction writers. When one of the members of the group is found dead in the library, Hayley turns amateur sleuth to find the murderer. Hayley is concerned about the image of the library, and she wants to make sure the library’s name is not smeared due to the murder.

In short, The Bodies in the Library is a charming new cozy mystery with entertaining characters and a lovely location. In addition to the mystery, there are some things going on in Hayley’s personal life – she’s got a daughter in college, an ex-husband, and a boyfriend. Hayley looks to be a fun amateur sleuth, and I’m looking forward to following along with in this series. A good read for fans of cozies, especially ones that feature books and libraries.

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

Books in the Bibliophile Mystery Series:
  1. The Bodies in the Library
  2. Murder Is a Must