Book Review: Two Dogs Lie Sleeping by Lia Farrell

Mae December is finding herself neck-deep in crime again in her latest adventure. When her sister, July, visits the Booth Mansion she doesn’t anticipate in finding a dead body. July is one of many designers helping to restore the Booth Mansion and she’s horrified to discover the body of her ex-boyfriend, who went missing some fifteen years earlier. As the mystery unravels Mae and Sheriff Ben discover that Tommy didn’t just disappear but was driven away. But by who? And why did they come back and kill him?

I really enjoyed the first Mae December mystery. I found Mae a fascinating character, with depth and intrigue, and I was looking forward to tagging along with her and all her canine friends on another mystery.

Mae’s second adventure is even better than the first. In the first book, Mae alludes to the fact to July’s first love, but it doesn’t give away any details. In this second installment, the whole sad story is revealed. July and Tommy were in love and July really thought she and Tommy were going to get married and live their happily-ever-afters. However he went missing and that was the end of their relationship. I like how Lia Farrell has picked up this loose thread in July’s life and made a mystery out of it.

The mystery was quite suspenseful, while still fitting accurately within the cozy genre. If you’re looking for a compelling mystery, then this series is for you. I was kept guessing right till the end trying to figure it out before Mae and Sheriff Ben did.

Lia Farrell writes very character-driven mysteries. All my favourite characters from One Dog Too Many are back and there is a new canine to love. “Tater” is Mae’s new corgi puppy and she’s just adorable! Animal lovers everywhere will fall in love with Tater.

Two Dogs Lie Sleeping was another fantastic whodunnit from Lia Farrell. This series is now one of my firm favourites and I’m really excited to see where she takes the series next.

Book Review: One Dog Too Many by Lia Farrell

Meet Mae December. Not only does she have a unique name, she lives in the happiest little spot, just outside Nashville. She's recovering from the loss of her fiance a year ago, but otherwise content and happy with her dog boarding business. Well that is if Elvis' owner will come pick up. Elvis is an over-medicated pomeranian and Mae is a little worried when his owner, Ruby, fails to pick him up on time. When she goes searching for Ruby, she discovers her dead body in the grove. Mae's curiosity gets the better of her and she starts to investigate the murder, much to the chagrin of the local Sheriff.

I've said it before and I will say it again... cozy mysteries are better with animals! Whether it be dogs or cats, my favourite cozy mystery series are those that feature animals. When I saw "One Dog Too Many" I knew that this one would be a favourite, because look at the cute (albeit over-medicated) pomeranian on the cover!

However, it wasn't just the dogs in this book that make it special, it is the wonderful characters that Lia Farrell has created, and how they are all an integral part in Mae and Sheriff Ben solving this mystery!

I instantly connected with Mae December, with her love of animals. She runs a boarding kennel and also has three dogs of her own, two of which she breeds - a Corgi and a Pug! Even though Elvis is high maintenance, she loves what she does, and her love of animals shines off each and every page of this mystery.

One Dog Too Many is a suspenseful mystery that was very engaging from start to end. I found the mystery fascinating, especially with Ruby's desire to stir everything up. There certainly was no end of suspects in this case!! However I also felt like I connected with so many characters in this quaint town. I especially loved Miss Dory, who is the office manager at the police station and a complete hoot! Sheriff Ben describes her as "Miss Dory, the Goddess of Information, the Queen of all Knowledge." She's an integral part of the investigation, and she was a delight to get to know.

Reading One Dog Too Many was like finding a diamond in a haystack. There are so many indie/small press mysteries popping up every week, and it can be hard to find which ones you want to start. I recommend adding One Dog Too Many to the list of books you should read. The Mae December mysteries have quickly zoomed close to the top of my favourite mysteries, and I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the next one.

Book Review: First Degree Fudge by Christine DeSmet

Ava Oosterling has returned to her home town of Door County, Lake Michigan. Away from her career in LA as a tv writer, she is trying to get her little fudge store up and running. She's hoping an endorsement from ex-film star Rainetta Johnson, will help. However when Rainetta chokes on Ava's newest creation, Cinderella Pink fudge, Ava finds herself making less fudge and trying to stop herself from ending up in jail!

While I don't have much of a sweet tooth these days I do love fudge. Having read Nancy Coco's cozy mysteries featuring fudge (the Candy Coated mysteries) I was keen to try more fudge mysteries.

Set in Wisconsin there were plenty of Green Bay packers references, which thrilled this Green Bay fan, and I got a real feel for this small town of Door County, even though I've never visited. Christine DeSmet's descriptions of the fudge-making process and the delicious fudge that Ava makes had my mouth watering.

I did guess the mystery very early on, and wasn't too surprised when I got it right as Christine DeSmet left some pretty obvious clues for the reader. While this wasn't the strongest and best debut mystery I've read, it was still an okay read and I plan to read more books in the series. I hope the series strengthens with the next book and I'm particularly looking forward to more fudge recipes!

Book Review: The Million Dollar Bond Robbery

Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings have another mystery on their hands when they have to solve the puzzle of a missing million dollar bond that has been stolen on it's journey to New York.

I like the short stories because there a lot of them, which means a lot more Agatha Christie for me to enjoy, and also because I usually have more success solving these than I do the full-length novels. In the case of The Million Dollar Bond Robbery I did guess the mystery before Captain Hastings. However I suspect Hercule Poirot had this one solved before he even heard of it!

My favourite line from this story: "Good Lord, Poirot! Do you know, I'd give a considerable sum of money to see you make a thorough ass of yourself - just for once." I love the relationship between Poirot and Hastings.

This was another good Agatha Christie short story. If you haven't read a Agatha Christie novel yet, I recommend picking up one of her many short stories.

Book Review: Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came by M.C. Beaton

Agatha Raisin is feeling in the dumps after her failed marriage to James Lacey and even her good friend, Charles, has abandoned her and gone off to be married in Paris! Feeling like she needs a holiday she heads to a sunny island. This visit sees a murder happen on the island (wherein a husband kills his wife) and when Agatha discovers another murder on her return to Carsely, she wonders if it is the same scenario. Kylie Stokes is set to marry her fiance, Zac Jensen. However her body is discovered floating down the river, following recent flooding. Agatha believes the murder is just the same as the husband killing his wife, on the island she visits, and investigates in the hopes of pinning the murder on Zac. With no Charles or James nearby to help her investigate, she calls on her new neighbour, detective writer, John Armitage, to help.

I love Agatha Raisin. In a world where most cozy sleuths find their happily ever afters pretty quickly, she's still looking for "the one". Thankfully she realized pretty quickly that the one was not James Lacey. He's now gone to join a monastery and it's up to Agatha and new neighbour, John, to solve this case. Despite her long history with failed relationship, Agatha is an optimist and I like that about her. She's also stubborn as all heck and she never gives up on a case!!

This case sees her trying to infiltrate a disco club to find out who Kylie really was, and whether she died from a drug overdose as suicide, or was it murder. The thing I like about Agatha (and M.C. Beaton) is they always find interesting and plausible reasons for Agatha to investigate. This time she takes the angle of working on a tv show to find out more about Kylie and her friends.

Since this mystery took place near Carsely, we got to see a lot of my second favourite character - Mrs Bloxby. Mrs Bloxby is the vicar's wife and she truly has a heart of gold. I strongly believe she's the only one that really knows Agatha, and probably knows her more than Agatha knows herself. The advice she gives Agatha always rings true, and hopefully one day Agatha might take some of the advice to heart!!

Agatha Raisin and the Day of the Floods was another delightful instalment in this series. As always Agatha had me laughing at her quick mouth (and temper!) as she tries to solve the mystery, and the book was over all too soon! Luckily for me I still have plenty more Agatha Raisin mysteries to read.

Book Review: The Trouble with Turkeys by Kathi Daley

In Zoe Donovan's second adventure she's discovering that looking after turkeys aren't as simple as they seem. After being dismissed from her job at the shelter, when it closed down, Zoe feels at a loose end. When Jeremy, who also lost his job at the shelter, asks her to help him look after a few hundred turkeys she agrees - but only after she discovers that there is a murder to solve too! Charles Tisdale was a rich, old man, but he was also mean and set to write several of his children out of his will. When he turns up murdered, it could've been any one of his heirs who are responsible for his death. With Zoe's natural curiosity at a all-time high she decides to investigate.

I really enjoyed the first Zoe Donovan mystery and I was looking forward to coming back for a second dose of Zoe and all her friends. In this second mystery the plot is almost like something out of a Agatha Christie novel - a rich old man and more heirs than you can possible count!! In Charles Tisdale's case he has four children by three different wives and it seems like any one of them could've been the murderer! The mystery was sure suspenseful as I watched Zoe try and solve the mystery and also take care of the turkeys as well!

I have a confession to make.... Having not grown up in Northern America I'm not that much of a turkey eater. I didn't even know there were so many different types of turkeys!! I found all the "turkey" information fascinating and I don't think it will make me eat more turkey, but it was interesting.

Whether or not you enjoy sitting down to a big turkey at Thanksgiving, I think readers will really enjoy this Zoe Donovan mystery. The main mystery was very well done and I'm getting more and more enthralled with what is happening in Zoe's personal life. I will definitely be reading Christmas Crazy, the next Zoe Donovan mystery.

Book Review: Grace Interrupted by Julie Hyzy

Grace is the curator of the Marshfield Manor. She's used to having day visitors and even overnight guests and all the small issues that come with them staying at the Manor. However these newest guests are something completely different. A group of Civil War re-enactors have camped out and Grace is slowly learning more than she ever wanted about Civil War re-enactors. When one of the re-enactors ends up dead, it looks like they have a murderer in the mix. The worst part? Her friend Jack, is their chief suspect. Grace must once again put her sleuthing skills to use to clear Jack's name.

I quite enjoyed the first book in this series, Grace Under Pressure, and have been looking forward to continuing with this series. Grace first started as assistant curator at Marshfield Manor and due to earlier events is now the head curator. With this jobs comes lots of responsibilities. I like Grace for the fact that she never pretends to be perfect. She's been cast into the position as head curator earlier than she thought and as she tells Jack's brother, she's hopes she's doing everything okay and one day it might be true! I think a lot of readers will relate to Grace. While she appears to have a great life now it hasn't been easy and I found I was able to relate to Grace very well.

I didn't know very much about civil war re-enactment before I started Grace Interrupted and I found all the information and scenes about the re-enactment very interesting, including what they consider big no-no's. For example: like using coolers to chill drinks and other things that wouldn't have been around during the civil war. It was my first time reading a mystery that involved a re-enactment and I found it very interesting.

Grace Interrupted was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Grace and Bennett, who owns Marshfield Manor, have a growing friendship that is more akin to uncle and niece. I'm really enjoying watching this friendship blossom.

For readers that like a good mystery with lots of interesting secondary characters, you will find the Manor House Mysteries a joy to read. Along with some memorable characters that were first introduced in Grace Under Pressure, Julie Hyzy also introduces us to Bootsie, an adorable tuxedo kitten that has decided to adopt Grace. Whether it's for Bootsie's charm or the fascinating mystery, I highly recommend this series.

Book Review: Thread and Buried by Janet Bolin

Welcome to Elderberry Bay, otherwise known as Threadville. As you take a drive thru this picturesque town you will notice all the embroidery, fabric and yarn stores. It's a crafters paradise! For local residents it's heaven as they get to introduce new customers to the arts of embroidery, knitting and other crafts everyday. With all these crafts some would think life in Threadville could be a little dull, but Threadville is certainly not dull. In this third adventure, Willow and her friends have not just one but multiple mysteries to solve. First Clay, Willow's very close friend, digs up some old bones, believed to have belonged to Snoozy Gallagher, who is rumored to have stolen the hotel's treasure many years before. Next they uncover the jewels, but no accompanying money. However within a week Threadville has not just one murder but two on their hands. Are they related? Only Willow and her crafty friends will be able to get to the bottom of this!

I'm a crocheter, knitting, embroider, and I love everything to do with crafting. For this reason the Threadville Mysteries are one of my favourite series. They aren't just crocheting or knitting, they are a little of everything and for the multi-project crafters like me that is heavenly! I always love visiting Threadville, not just for the mystery, but for Willow's embroidery hints, and to find out what is happening in the other Threadville stores. This time Janet Bolin throws something fun into the thread mix - with yarn bombing. For those that haven't heard of yarn bombing, its the act of covering everyday objects with a crocheted or knitted creation. For no other reason you should read Thread and Buried to find out what object in Threadville is covered in yarn!

The mystery in Thread and Buried is great fun! After all who doesn't like the idea of buried treasure? The treasure in this instance is filled with diamonds and jewels! As Willow and Haylee piece together the clues, I started to solve the mystery alongside them. As always Willow was always one step ahead of me!!

For fans of this series there is a beautiful side-plot involving Haylee's mom, Opal, that was just beautifully weaved together with the main story. When I read cozy mysteries I feel like I'm part of the town, and Janet Bolin has written these characters so well that I felt the joy and triumphs with Opal and her family in this book.

Thread and Buried was another great instalment in this series and I can't wait to see what is in store for us in Night of the Living Thread.

Book Review: The Sleuth Sisters by Maggie Pill

After retiring early from being a big-city lawyer, Barbara (Barb) Evans is at a bit of a loose end. Sure she has her part-time gig of fixing other people’s grammar mistakes – even if it means doing it under the cover of night. When her sister, Faye, approaches her about starting a detective agency she’s not sure the idea is for her. However Faye wins her over and together they start the Smart Detective Agency. Small cases start rolling in, but they finally hit the big-time when they are approached to find Meredith Brown’s brother, Neil. Neil was accused of killing his wife and brother-in-law six years ago and has been a fugitive ever since. Meredith wants to find her brother and try to clear his name. With some help from little sister, Retta, Faye and Barb set about to solve this case.

I like my cozy mysteries a lot! I also like trying out new-to-me authors in the hope that I will find one that will end up on my favourites list. When I first picked up The Sleuth Sisters I liked the idea of a detective agency run by two sisters. With the eye-catching shoes on the front cover, it looked like a promising read. What I didn’t bargain on was becoming completely captivated by the mystery it contained.

The mystery that Faye, Barb and Retta have to unravel pulled me in and I couldn’t let go of it until I had turned the last page. In a way it is a dead end case, in that the father of the murder victims is certain that his son-in-law killed his daughter and son. Since Neil Brown ran off on the day of the murder he looks like the guilty party. However, when Faye and Barb start to hunt down Neil they make some people uneasy, particularly the real murderer. It was fun trying to piece together the mystery and figure it out before Barb, Faye and Retta did.

Faye and Barb are not just sisters but best friends, even finishing each other’s sentences. Retta is the youngest and feels a little left out, especially with Barb not wanting Retta to be a part of the detective agency. In The Sleuth Sisters Maggie Pill has introduced us to three sisters, sisters that you might recognize from your own family or friends you might know. The family dynamics were very believable, and they are all different and I felt interested in their backgrounds and the adventure they were going on together.

The Sleuth Sisters is a great debut. It was fun tagging along with these girls as they solved their first major mystery and I can’t wait for the second book in the series.

Book Review: The Goodbye Witch by Heather Blake

It’s time to take a visit to the Enchanted Village. In the Enchanted Village you can wander the cute, quaint stores, like Lotions & Potions and As You Wish, but can you guess who the witches are and who are mortals? Witch Darcy Merriweather lives in the Enchanted Village, with her sister Harper and Aunt Ve. She’s a wishcrafter, which means she has the power to grant wishes, and loves working side-by-side with her Aunt Ve at As You Wish. She’s dating police officer, Nick, and her life is pretty perfect right now. When her best friend, Starla, bursts into As You Wish claiming her ex-husband, the same one that tried to strangle her and ran away as a fugitive, is back in town, life is about to change. Starla’s life is turned upside down as Will tries to contact her. When Will turns up dead, all evidence points to Starla and it looks like Starla will end up spending life in prison. That is unless Darcy can find the killer!

Ever since I read It Takes a Witch (the first book in the series, check out my review here) I’ve fallen head over heels for Darcy Merriweather and all the witches and mortals in the Enchanted Village. I’ve been [im]patiently waiting for the next book in this series to be published and I knew that I would be reading The Goodbye Witch as soon as it hit the shelves!

In the first three books Heather Blake took my breath away with this magical town full of interesting people and even more fascinating familiars. So the bar was set pretty high for the fourth book in the series, and I have to say that she exceeded all expectations I had.

In The Goodbye Witch, Darcy and the readers learn more about the sweet town and inhabitants than we thought we knew. We learn about Starla’s past and more about the different crafters in the Enchanted Village. As usual Heather Blake provides a flawless plot as she weaves new elements into the village, mixing with the elements about the crafters that we already knew. Most cozies are not known for world building, but Heather Blake has shown she sure knows how to build a wonderful fictional world. She’s created a fictional village, alive with magic, that is as believable as any real cozy town.

I couldn’t put The Goodbye Witch down. Even when I had to reluctantly put it aside for real life errands [and sleep] I was constantly thinking about the characters and wanting to get back to the investigation with Darcy and Nick. This series has that effect on me. Even after the last page is turned I am still thinking about my next adventure in the Enchanted Village.

If you are looking for a new series to devour this summer I highly recommend picking up It Takes a Witch and starting on a adventure with Darcy Merriweather in the Enchanted Village. It will be one adventure you won’t forget in a hurry!

Book Review: Boiled Over by Barbara Ross

Boiled Over is the second book in the Maine Clambake Mysteries by Barbara Ross. In the first book, Clammed Up, we met Julia Snowden and her family. Her family has run the clambake on Morrow Island for generations, and is in financial trouble. She relocates to Maine to help out her family and ends up solving a murder. In the second book in the series it seems that someone else in town has murder on their mind, when a charred body is discovered in "The Claminator", a contraption they use to bake clams on the pier for the Founder's Weekend celebration. When one of her employees is accused of murder, Julia decides it's time to investigate a murder again.

I'm not a seafood person. This might sound weird since I grew up in Australia and eating seafood is as natural as breathing to Australians, but I've never liked the flavour. However, this hasn't stopped me from enjoying this series! I love the way Barbara Ross describes the clambake and I think one year I need to journey down to Maine to try it for myself! With the mouth-watering recipes at the back of the book and the delicious mystery, Barbara Ross certainly is going to have a lot of readers wanting to discover Maine and clambakes.

I liked the murder mystery a lot. With Cabe Stone, who works for the Snowden family, running away from the scene of the crime, and the victim not being who they thought he was, it was a very tangled web to unweave. Julia sticks to it like a dog with a bone, and eventually solves the murder and even provides a few other answers that were left hanging in the air.

Boiled Over was a very good mystery, but I have to give Barbara Ross credit for something other than the mystery and the delicious food descriptions. She takes the reader back over the last few months between Clammed Up ending and Boiled Over beginning. While most of the flashbacks involve the mystery, she has given the reader a more detailed view of the residents of Busman's Harbour. Between these two books I feel like I know these characters better and I absolutely can't wait to set foot back there again and dive into whatever mystery Julia Snowden has to solve next!

If you enjoy culinary cozy mysteries don't hesitate to add Clammed Up and Boiled Over on your summer reading list.

Book Review: Dorothy Daisy by Una Tiers

The third book in the Fiona Gavelle Mysteries sees Fiona dealing with a difficult elderly lady who wants to create a trust for her assets. Dorothy Daisy is more than a little strange. When Fiona first meets her she seems like any normal elderly lady, but she starts acting weird and one day Fiona gets a call that Dorothy has been kidnapped!! It's going to take all of Fiona's best sleuthing and lawyer skills to try and untangle this one.

I try not to judge a book by its cover but when I first picked this one up I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. Well let me say I won't be ever judging a book by its cover again, because this delightful story thrilled me from beginning to end. I liked Fiona Gavelle a lot. Most lawyers wouldn't be bothered in trying to track down Dorothy. After all Dorothy had already paid her bill and it isn't up to Fiona to be responsible for the elderly lady's welfare. However, she does her best to try and unravel the mystery and make sure Dorothy is okay.

I really liked this story. It kept me guessing the entire time. Even though it was only a novella length (71 pages on my ereader), Una Tiers certainly packs a punch within this length. I didn't have a clue as to the real mystery behind Dorothy's disappearance, and thoroughly enjoyed reading the conclusion to the events.

Una Tiers is now on my list of indie authors to watch, and eagerly await for more books in this series.

Book Review: Jailhouse Glock by Lizbeth Lipperman

Jailhouse Glock is the second book in the Dead Sister Talking Mysteries. I really fell in love with this series when I read the first book in this series, Heard It Through the Grapevine. For readers that haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend starting with the first book so they can discover this great town of Vineyard and find out why the Garcia’s sisters have their dead sister, Tessa, as their own friendly ghost.

In Jailhouse Glock, we get an adventure featuring Maddy. Maddy is a widower and a cop. She’s alarmed to see Tessa one day, who says she is here to help Maddy out, but Maddy’s not in trouble… yet! One night on her shift a prisoner is shot with her own gun and of course suspicion falls on her! With the help of her sisters, both dead and alive, they must clear Maddy’s name before she receives life in jail!

I love, LOVE, LOVE this series. The five sisters are all fabulous, and I love seeing each book featuring a different sister. In the first book it is Lainey’s story and now we get Maddy’s story. Each sister is unique and has their own baggage, and we learn more about Maddy’s life, as the girls try to clear her name.

Lizbeth Lipperman packs a powerful punch with this adventure. It kept me on the edge of my seat and when I thought I had everything figured out, she swung a storyline I wasn’t expected. I love when a story keeps me guessing and this one definitely did! Jailhouse Glock was everything I was wanting and more, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.