Book Review: Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlay

Scottsdale, Arizona, may not be the liveliest place on earth, but it’s never been as dead as this. Hundreds of fans have gathered together for the first annual Old Town Zombie Walk, and Mel, Angie, and the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew are donning their best undead attire to sell some horror-themed desserts to the hungry hordes.
But the fun turns to fright when Mel finds a real dead body in a prop casket outside of the bakery’s truck—and the corpse looks alarmingly like a zombie of their own. Knowing that Joe, Angie’s brother and Mel’s former flame, has been working on a dangerous mob case, Mel worries that the murder is a hit gone wrong and that someone near and dear was the real target. To keep any of her friends from winding up six feet under, Mel will do whatever it takes to find a killer—no matter how scary things get...[Summary via Amazon]

The Fairy Tale Cupcake crew are concocting delicious new flavours and causing a new batch of trouble in Jenn McKinlay's latest mystery, Dark Chocolate Demise.

It's been a while since I took a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, to visit with Angie, Mel and Tate at Fairy Tale Cupcakes. Within the first couple of sentences I felt myself hanging onto the edge of my seat, as Jenn McKinlay throws the reader right into the action at the first annual Old Town Zombie Walk. The walk turns into a frightful experience when a zombie bride turns up dead in a coffin, that has been set up near their cupcake display! The girls throw themselves into the mystery, as they try to uncover secrets and find themselves getting tangled up with the mob!

The storyline in Dark Chocolate Demise, while it could be read as a standalone, follows closely the events at the end of Sugar and Iced, and I was very much looking forward to reading what was going to happen to our favourite cupcake bakers next! I wasn't disappointed, as the story unfolded and was as action-packed as I was hoping!! Angie's numerous brothers make lots of appearances in this story, and it was a laugh a minute watching them trying to keep track of Mel and Angie, and protect them!!

Dark Chocolate Demise was another fantastic book in this series, and in my opinion, the best one yet! Jenn McKinlay writes smart mysteries that leave the readers guessing right to the end, with the perfect dose of humor and romance thrown in! I would even say that she has concocted the perfect recipe for a cozy mystery. And, just like the cupcakes in her mysteries, they always leave the reader happy and satisfied!

If you haven't checked out the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries yet and enjoy culinary cozy mysteries, I highly recommend giving this series a go!

Title Information:
Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlay
Book #7 of Cupcake Bakery Mysteries
Published by Berkley/Penguin
Purchase Dark Chocolate Demise at Amazon.

Giveaway: A Bird in the Hand and When the Cat's Away (Proverbial Crimes) by Dane McCaslin

Today we are featuring one of my newest and favourite series, the Proverbial Crimes books by Dane McCaslin. About A Bird in the Hand:

Take two British expats, transplant them to upstate New York where the local HOA is worshipped and neighbors spy on each other for fun, and you have the makings of murder gone amok.

Caro Layton-Browning, an accomplished writer of mysteries, never imagined she would unwittingly stumble into a series of real-life murders good enough to be in her own books. But when the Cat Lady next door, who Caro is convinced is out to make life miserable for her, is found dead among her feline collection, Caro finds herself in trouble far more dangerous than her neighborhood HOA has ever dished out before. Suddenly she and her professor hubby, Gregory, find themselves on the trail of a murderer far more sinister than Caro's imagination could conjure up.

As the bodies begin to pile up in picturesque Seneca Meadows, Caro sees the possibility of a plot for her newest book, and the killer sees someone who needs to be moved out of the way…permanently.[summary via Goodreads]

Check out A Bird in the Hand on Amazon. Add A Bird in the Hand onto your Goodreads shelf.

A Bird in the Hand was one of my favourite new series in 2015 and I can't wait to see where Dane has taken this series in her new mystery, When the Cat's Away, which is out now:

Mystery writer Caro Layton-Browning has a bad case of writer's block and boredom—a very dangerous combination. Looking for something to distract her, she pays a visit to her newest neighbor, Meredith Holmes, the proprietor of a kitschy bookstore called Murder by the Book. When Meredith confides in Caro concerning an on-going battle with the president of the Seneca Meadows Chamber of Commerce, Caro jumps at the chance to liven things up a bit. Vowing to give "the dragon lady," Lucia Scarantelli, a piece of her mind, Caro takes Meredith downtown to confront the issue head-on.

Apparently someone else had the same idea. When Caro literally stumbles over the body of a very dead Lucia, she becomes determined to find out who did it—before hubby, Gregory, returns from a business trip to England. Teaming up with Meredith, Caro starts an investigation that uncovers a stolen goods ring which stretches from New York City to Seneca Meadows. With just enough information to make her a threat to the bad guys, Caro begins to worry that this could be her last case...and possibly the end of her life.[summary via Goodreads]

Check out When the Cats Away on Amazon. Add When the Cat's Away onto your Goodreads shelf.

Visit Dane McCaslin at her website | Facebook.

GIVEAWAY:

Today we have a fabulous giveaway donated by Dane McCaslin. She is giving readers a chance to win a fantastic prize package that includes both books, and a Caro's treats packages that includes an assortments of sweets and teas!!
To enter:
1. Complete THE FORM.
2. Giveaway is open to residents of US only.
3. Giveaway ends on March 28, 2016 and the winner will be contacted by email and announced on the blog sidebar.

Giveaway: Murder, Served Simply by Isabella Alan

Today we're giving away a paperback of Murder, Served Simply by Isabella Alan. 

Amish quilt shop owner Angie Braddock has a lot on her plate this Christmas. But things only get worse after someone develops a taste for murder… 

Angie’s parents are visiting Rolling Brook for Christmas—but unfortunately, her ex is joining them. Luckily, Angie has no time to dwell on her romantic troubles as she prepares her store, Running Stitch, for the town’s traditional progressive dinner, featuring a sleigh ride stopping at each shop for a different course of the meal. 

The meal ends with an Amish-themed Christmas play at the Swiss Valley Hotel and Barn. But the performance is cut short when an actress falls from the scaffolding to her death. After the sheriff suspects foul play, tensions between the Amish and Englisch heat up, as do rivalries among the acting troupe. Now Angie and her quilting circle must stitch together clues before they’re the ones running for cover…[summary from Goodreads]

Check out our review for Murder, Served Simply here.

To enter:

1. Giveaway is for ONE paperback of Murder, Served Simply.

2. Complete the ENTRY FORM.

3. Giveaway is open to residents of US/Canada and closes on Sunday March 27, 2016.

4. Winners will be emailed and announced on the blog sidebar.

Book Review: Murder, Served Simply by Isabella Alan

Amish quilt shop owner Angie Braddock has a lot on her plate this Christmas. But things only get worse after someone develops a taste for murder… 

Angie’s parents are visiting Rolling Brook for Christmas—but unfortunately, her ex is joining them. Luckily, Angie has no time to dwell on her romantic troubles as she prepares her store, Running Stitch, for the town’s traditional progressive dinner, featuring a sleigh ride stopping at each shop for a different course of the meal. 

The meal ends with an Amish-themed Christmas play at the Swiss Valley Hotel and Barn. But the performance is cut short when an actress falls from the scaffolding to her death. After the sheriff suspects foul play, tensions between the Amish and Englisch heat up, as do rivalries among the acting troupe. Now Angie and her quilting circle must stitch together clues before they’re the ones running for cover…[summary via Amazon]

The Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries is one of my favourite Amish cozy mysteries. While on the surface everything looks peaceful and full of harmony in this quiet town of Rolling Brook, this couldn't be further from the truth. As Angie Braddock has found, murder lies amongst her townsfolk and she's about to be embroiled in another murder mystery!

I found the storyline for Murder, Served Simply very fascinating. Eve Shelter is a local Amish girl that left Rolling Brook and is returning to perform in front of her family and townfolk, who previously disowned her when she left. The performance is sure to turn a few heads, but Eve is not expecting to be the victim of murder! With the author surprising us with a early murder in the book, I was very much on the edge of my seat as I tried to solve the mystery, alongside Sheriff Mitchell and Angie.

I love every visit to Rolling Brook. Isabella Alan truly captures the spirit of Amish and Englischers living side by side in a town, and the mixed emotions that come with it. 

I enjoyed the Christmas theme of the book and the added drama of having Angie's parents and her ex-boyfriend, Ryan, arriving in for the holidays. Angie's mom has matchmaking on her mind, and Angie is determined to stay clear of Ryan. Together with the murder mystery, both story lines entwined to create a drama filled mystery, that I loved from beginning to end.

If you haven't picked up the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries yet, I strongly recommend you start with Murder, Plain & Simple. Within a few pages, you will be wanting to read all the books in this series, and alike to me, will love every visit to Rolling Brook.

Title Information:
Murder, Served Simply by Isabella Alan
Book #3 of Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries
Published by NAL/Penguin
Purchase Murder, Served Simply at Amazon.

Audiobook Review: Agatha's First Case by M.C. Beaton

At age 26 Agatha Raisin has already come a long way. She has clawed her way up since leaving the Birmingham slum where she was born. She's lost her Birmingham accent, run away from her drunken husband, and found a job at a public relations office as a secretary. Then her boss asks Agatha to go to the home of Sir Bryce Teller to tell him that he is soon to be arrested for the murder of his wife and that the agency no longer wants to represent him.

Teller, impressed with the pugnacious Agatha, asks her to handle PR for him and even offers her an office and tells her she can hire a staff. Certainly the best thing Agatha can do for her first client is to find out who really murdered his wife and clear his name. And with her wits and gumption, Agatha sets out to do just that.[summary via Audible]

I've been reading the Agatha Raisin mysteries for the last few years and I've loved every one of them. Agatha is big on spirit and determination and regardless of your age she sure is a great model for the strong, confident woman with a "can-do" attitude! When I heard M.C. Beaton was writing a story about her first case, I was excited. I wanted to know what Agatha was like in her 20s!

In this story we get to meet Agatha when she is 26. She is just starting out at a ad agency as a general "dogsbody" and has quite made it yet. She gets thrust in the middle of a murder case, and alike to her cases later on, she bumbles around and gets everything right. She's hesitant to begin with, but her strong passion to make something of herself shines through and she starts to show the Agatha Raisin spirit that we all love!

Agatha Raisin is my all time favorite sleuth and I simply loved her first story. I'm hoping maybe one day M.C. Beaton will write more stories of her younger days, as this one was a delight.

If you're a new fan to the Agatha Raisin mysteries this would be the perfect place to start.

I enjoyed Alison Larkin's narration. Penelope Keith is my all-time favorite narrator of this series but Alison's narration was quite good too.

Definitely a A+ listen and I can't wait for the new book, Dishing the Dirt!