Murder at the Culinary Showdown

Murder at the Culinary Showdown: A Clementine Harper Cozy Mystery Book 4

Lorna St. James

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Clementine Harper was looking forward to hosting a cooking showdown at the Honey Hollow Inn. But when one of the judges turns up deceased, Clem’s culinary contest turns into a murder mystery. There are plenty of suspects and Clem, along with her friends Mabel and Finn, become entangled in the investigation. Will they find the killer before they strike again?

This story started strong. It has a good premises and the characters are likable. There were some red herrings that made it hard to guess the killer. However, midway through the book, it seemed like the plot became repetitive and I had a hard time staying focused on the story. I thought the reveal at the end was surprising and I do like the camaraderie between the main characters. Overall, I liked this book and feel it is a solid 3.5 stars. I was gifted a copy of this book and all opinions expressed are my own.

Harvest Dance Dilemma

Harvest Dance Dilemma: Mysteries a la Mode

Tammy Beck

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This cute novella takes place in the 1960’s in Harmony Bay. Frances Desmarais is assisting at the annual Harvest Dance when an heirloom locket goes missing. Frances uses her skills to investigate to help locate the locket and return it to its rightful owner. The storyline is sweet and simple and it is a very quick read. You don’t get to know the characters as well in a short book but it does spark my interest to check out the rest of the Mysteries a la Mode series. I think readers who like their cozies charming and clean-cut will enjoy this story. I was gifted this book and all opinions expressed in this review are mine.

Suspicion in Elvis Town

Suspicion in Elvis Town: A Ted Sherlock Cozy Mystery, Book 1

P.M. Mahoney

⭐️⭐️ 1/2

The book begins with the main character, Ted, being bullied as a child at a talent show where he and his step-father were performing as Elvis. This background information helps to explain Ted’s dislike of Elvis as an adult. Now grown up, Ted is a journalist sent to cover an Elvis festival in a small Australian town. Throughout the story, Ted is besieged with bad luck, the worst being a witness to a murder that no one believes happened. Fearing for his own wellbeing, he is eager to unmask the killer before he becomes the next victim. 

I was gifted this book and I’ve got to be honest, in was rough reading for me. First of all, most of the characters were hard to like. The main character, Ted, was whiny, self-absorbed and somewhat of a wuss. His coworkers were either bullies or jerks. The one character I did enjoy was Skye, who helped her dad run the caravan park. The premise itself was not bad, it just seemed as if the plot was all over the place and there were too many subplots. Also, every time Ted turned around, something bad happened and over the 290 pages, it got to be monotonous. There was a little bit of language and sexual innuendos (which is not necessarily bad, just a heads up for readers). The mystery itself had a clever plot twist at the end and I had to laugh when the author referred to a group of Elvis impersonators as “Elvii”. Bottom line, I found this book to be a bit sophomoric and one that I probably would not recommend to others.

Devil’s Margarita

Devil’s Margarita: Livvy Mercer Mysteries, Book 3

Brett Monk and McKenna Langford

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After having a fall out with her best friend/roommate, Livvy Mercer was desperate to find a place to stay. Her estranged father offered to let her house-sit while he’s out of town on business. Livvy reluctantly agrees, but soon finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when an employee of her father is killed. Can Livvy solve the case before she becomes the next victim?

This book was a fantastic read! I felt that the characters were realistic and relatable. As a daughter who’s estranged from her father, I could really relate to what Livvy was going through. The plot was fast paced and engaging. There was mystery, humor, romance and many twists and turns that kept me captivated. The ending was a surprise to me! This is a stand alone story, but I encourage readers to start at the beginning to get the full effect. I can’t wait to read the next installment!

*I was gifted a copy of this book and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Murder at Maisie’s

Murder at Maisie’s: Silver Pines Mysteries #1

Lyla Blue

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clare Garner has returned home to run her family’s furniture gallery. She works closely with her former high school boyfriend, Jackson. Everything is going well until her ex-boyfriend from college (Blake) arrives in town to attend an estate sale. This puts her in somewhat of an awkward situation. To make it worse, there is a murder and Clare, Jackson and Blake are all suspects. Clare is determined to clear all of them and find the real killer before it’s too late.

I was gifted an audiobook of this story and I was hooked from the beginning. Blue uses very descriptive language for her scenes and it makes the reader feel as if they are there. The character development is strong and the story telling is spot on. There is mystery, suspense, humor and a slow-burn romance that kept me engaged throughout the entire book. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook and think mystery lovers will be entertained.

Twinkling Tree Trouble

Twinkling Tree Trouble: Succulent Sleuth #2.5

Iris March

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Garden center owner Molly Green is preparing the shop for Christmas tree sales. One night, someone sneaks into the tree area and decorates some of the trees with lights. Molly wants to find out who was behind this sweet gesture, so she begins to question her “suspects”, hoping to solve the mystery. This is a short and sweet Christmas story that has a festive ending. I like that the focus is on family, celebrating and goodwill. Definitely a great read to start the holiday season. I was gifted a copy of this book and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Flour Power

Flour Power: Bluebird Bakery Cozy Mystery, Book 2

Amber Ward

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Bakery owner Lily Fairchild becomes entangled in a murder when florist Mabel Maynard is found dead in her greenhouse. Though the police think it is accidental, something doesn’t sit right with Lily. Along with her quirky friend Penelope and local vet Jack, Lily is determined to find the truth and bring justice for Mabel.

I was gifted this book and wanted to write an honest review. This book has both pros and cons to it. First of all, Ward does a fantastic job of describing the settings throughout the story. I can almost picture it in my mind. Also, the plot line is pretty solid, it’s a good story that cozy readers will enjoy. However, I did have some issues with the book. One thing I noticed was that it seemed as if Ward was trying too hard to make Penelope quirky. For me, that was distracting me from the story. Also, there were a few times that there were gaps in the storyline, that caused me some confusion . Overall, this book is a solid 3.5 stars and I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.