Book Review: Foul Play at Seal Bay by Judy Leigh

It's time for a new cozy adventure and this time it's a brand new series from Judy Leigh, the Morwenna Mutton Mysteries.

Morwenna comes from a family of wild and independent women. She loves her life as part-time librarian, part-time working at the family tea shop, and wild swimming enthusiast! However her quiet life in the Cornish village of Seal Bay is about to take a turn for the worse when local entrepreneur, Alex Trescott, is found murdered, just mere metres from her daughter's engagement party on the beach. With the local police determined to pin the crime on one of the Mutton women, it's up to Morwenna, with a little help from her friends, to investigate and find the real killer.

I love British books. Growing up in Australia I was raised on Agatha Christie and British comedies and that's where my reading tastes tend to go. I was thrilled to discover a new mystery series set in Cornwall. Let me say.... this one is an absolute delight!

With a very Cornish feel, it is easy to imagine yourself next to Morwenna, enjoying the picturesque landscape and trying to solve the mystery. This book is so authentically Cornish! The author provides a glossary at the beginning of the book to help with the Cornish terms, and after finishing the mystery I definitely felt like I wanted to escape to Cornwall for a weekend of mystery and mayhem!

The mystery itself was wonderful. Alex Trescott was not well liked in Seal Bay. Before his death he was trying to buy the tea room, and given how much the Mutton women didn't want to sell, they naturally became prime suspects in his death. However there was a lot of people that had a grievance against the victim, and it was fun trying to pick up the clues and solve the murder.

If you're looking for a little seaside escapism you can't go wrong with Foul Play at Seal Play. It has all the mystery and intrigue that I've come to expect from British mysteries and it's a delight from the first page to the last.

Book Review: Mischief Nights are Murder by Libby Klein

Are you ready to ditch the hot temperatures, and settle into Fall, with a side of spooky Halloween vibes? Then you NEED to read the latest mystery in the Poppy McAllister Mysteries by Libby Klein.

Poppy and her Aunt Ginny are back for more shenanigans in Mischief Nights are Murder. This time Aunt Ginny has roped Poppy into a Haunted House Tour. The only problem is their B&B isn't haunted! Before they know it they have a pet psychic, a paranormal researcher and a undercover tabloid reporter staying with them, all hoping for a piece of the paranormal action. When one of them dinner guests turns up dead, it is up to Poppy to do the impossible and find the killer!

I love visiting with Poppy, her boyfriend Gia [fictional crush alert!] and Aunt Ginny! Ginny is always causing strife. Right from the first book she's been making Poppy's life more interesting, but also full of murder and trouble! Mischief Nights are Murder is no different. This time Aunt Ginny has roped Poppy into hosting a week of Haunted House Tours and Dinners! Naturally with Poppy's bad luck of finding dead bodies, she strikes again with a cheating professor!

The mystery itself was intriguing, and I wasn't able to solve it before Poppy, despite trying to pick up clues along the way! However, I come back to this series again and again for the relationships. Not just Poppy and Gia's, but the shenanigans that Aunt Ginny and her biddies get up to! And of course Gia's family... especially his mama!

If you love a Halloween-centric mystery, you can't miss this one! It's simply delightful and perfect to curl up with and imagine we are in the cooler climates!

Book Review: A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke

For the residents of Cedar River, it's time for the annual Bluebonnet Festival. Nothing is more Texan than a day in the sunshine and celebrating the beautiful Bluebonnets. Our favourite record-loving DJs are looking forward to serving up the beats and caffeine at the festival. However, things go awry [don't they always around the Jessup girls!] when the mayor is found dead, and Tansy Jessup is suspected of murder! It will take all of Juni, Tansy and Maggie's best sleuthing skills to solve this one!

I just adored Vinyl Resting Place, the first book in this series. It was fresh and fun, and my first time reading a cozy mystery set in a record store. While I definitely listen to music, I'm not sure I could tell the difference between vinyl and streaming, and so Vinyl Resting Place was a learning experience for me!

A Fatal Groove picks right up and delivers a fun, fast paced mystery! 

I'm Australian, and have lived in Canada for 16 years. I've never been to Texas, but oh wow.... if Olivia Blacke's descriptions are anything to go by, I want to go! The descriptions of the Bluebonnets and the history behind the Cedar River Bank Robbery is absolutely delightful! Australians are no stranger to bank robberies, so I particularly loved how this storyline intertwined with the murder. 

Juni is an absolute delight. She's kind, determined and always there for her family and friends. It's an adventure a minute when the Jessup girls are around! 

If you're looking for a fun and fresh mystery, you need to pick up Vinyl Resting Place and A Fatal Groove. They're the coziest of cozy mysteries and the perfect summer reads!

Book Review: Crossing the Lines by Nancy Warren

Earlier this week, I started a new series... the Vampire Book Club by Nancy Warren. After absolutely devouring the Vampire Knitting Club mysteries this year, I needed a new Vampire mystery series. The first chapter of The Vampire Book Club kind of threw me a little. It brings you right into the action with Quinn Callahan being banished by her coven and sent to Ireland. I thought surely there is a prequel, and guess what? There is... Crossing the Lines!

Crossing the Lines is a prequel to The Vampire Book Club and it tells the story of how Quinn ends up being banished by her coven and sent to Ireland. It features sexy modern vampire, Lochlan Balfour.  If you've read the Vampire Knitting Club books you know who I'm talking about, and if you haven't read them.... what are you waiting for?

This was a fun, quick story. It explains Quinn's back story and gives readers a taste of the fabulous mysteries to follow. This prequel centres around what Quinn did to get into trouble, and also the death of a book club member.

The mystery itself was quick and fairly easy to solve. I was there more for the vampire! Aren't I always?

If you like vampires and mysteries, or even witches and mysteries, go grab this series today. The entire series [and the Vampire Knitting Club mysteries] are all available on Kindle Unlimited!

Book Review: Murder in the Book Lover's Loft by Ellery Adams

It's vacation time for our favourite couple at Storyton Hall, Jane Stewart and Edwin Alcott. They're headed to Oyster Bay for a little time in the sun. However, not all goes to plan when Jane discovers a body on the beach. The victim is Justin St James, a visiting author, who leaves a trail of very unhappy people in his wake. It's up to Jane, Edwin and Olivia Limoges to uncover the secrets of his death.

There is nothing I love more than Storyton Hall. The cozy bookish atmosphere that Ellery Adams has created in Storyton Hall is absolutely everything! Visiting Storyton Hall, among the pages, is akin to climbing into a comfortable chair with your favourite book! I am so thrilled that a new adventure is here to entice me once again!

I really enjoyed this mystery. Jane and Edwin team up with Olivia to solve the murder. Without giving too much away, this mystery really delves into Olivia and Jane's back story and it's an action packed mystery. 

I can't recommend this series enough! Honestly if you read mysteries and this series isn't on your shelves, what are you doing with your life? I love this series that much! It is definitely a series that you have to read in order, as the storyline about the "secret library" builds with each book. 

Murder in the Book Lover's Loft is the best in this series so far! I absolutely can't wait to see what Ellery Adams has up her sleeve next!

Audiobook Review: Down the Hatch by M.C. Beaton

Down the Hatch is the 32nd book in the Agatha Raisin mysteries... and wow! I've been with this series since the first book, The Quiche of Death. I often joke that Agatha is my "spirit sleuth". She is feisty, determined and will not quit! This makes her adventures very interesting!

Agatha is called in to investigate the death of an Admiral, when she stumbles upon his body. What follows is a fantastic adventure of mayhem and murder, as Agatha realizes just how many people wanted the Admiral dead!

Agatha never disappoints. She's always hopping from one case to another, and her stories are never boring. In this one she follows the trail of the dead Admiral, rescues a Quokka family, uncovers the paternity of a Lord, and is hunted down by a drug lord! All in one adventure! As I said, never boring! This is probably why the Agatha Raisin mysteries is one of my most favourite series! Set in the backdrop of the picturesque Cotwolds, I always know I'm going to enjoy the next few hours as I follow her adventures.

This adventure was particularly interesting. Alongside Agatha and her team, I tried to solve the mystery before she did. While I did pick up some of the clues, the final denouement was definitely a shock!

I listened to this one on audiobook, as I have for almost every story. Penelope Keith IS the voice of Agatha Raisin. I'm so happy she's narrating them again. If you've ever seen her show "Hidden Villages" you know she is right at home in the Cotwolds, and this comes across so clearly in her narration. If you've hesitated on this series I recommend picking up The Quiche of Death with Penelope's narration. It is absolute first class and makes a fantastic story even better.

It has been a while since I listened to an Agatha story [I'm still a few books behind!], and Down the Hatch reminded me why this series is such a firm favourite. Story aside, I loved the introduction which has an introduction by M.C. Beaton herself. Fans of the series will know she has now passed away, and it was very much a blast from the past to hear how this series and the Hamish Macbeth series began.

If you haven't started this series yet, you need to now! It's a first class cosy crime!

Book Review: The Vampire Knitting Club: Cornwall by Nancy Warren

So far this year, I have completely devoured the Vampire Knitting Club mysteries by Nancy Warren. I'm a yarn dyer by day, and a customer recommended them to me, and oh my gosh... I loved them! I have completely finished the series, so I started on the spin-off The Vampire Knitting Club: Cornwall. Amazing! Every bit as good as the original series.

Lucy Swift's best friend, Jennifer Cunningham, is helping her open a second yarn shop in Cornwall. Jennifer is at a loose end in her life, since leaving Boston and she is in no hurry to return. Being an avid knitter, she's more than happy to get the shop up and running and figure things out later. However, when she stumbles on a dead body before the shop is even open, she knows she is going to have to play amateur sleuth first.

I love, love, loved this book! Jennifer is a witch, a knitter and a person with a complicated past. She is an absolute joy to have an adventure with. Naturally in Cornwall she meets so many interesting characters, and it is such a fun, first adventure!

I like that while the mystery itself is solved by the end, there is still so many unanswered questions about Jennifer and the occupants of Tregrebi, Cornwall. Like the undead almost-pirate like Gryffn? He could have been a Lord but he prefers to spend his time in the sea. It's going to be so much fun to watch the locals stories unfold in future books!

The Vampire Knitting Club: Cornwall is simply tremendous! It can be read as a standalone, as it does introduce characters from the original series. Lucy and her undead vampire, Rafe, make an appearance. However, I'm certain after reading this one you'll want to go back and read the original Vampire Knitting Club mysteries!

Book Review: Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns

Maddy Montgomery and her Baker Street Irregulars are back for another mystery in Murder is a Piece of Cake. 

Maddy is adjusting to life in New Bison. With her bakery about to re-open and the Spring Festival just around the corner, everything is go-go-go! She's determined to follow in her Great Aunt Octavia's footsteps and win the baking contest at the Spring Festival.  However, not all goes to plan when April's husband turns up and starts threatening everyone.... even Maddy! When he turns up dead [in Maddy's bakery!], Trooper Bob starts pointing his finger at Maddy and her friends.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, and this second instalment is even better. I just flew through this book!  Valerie Burns writes a fast paced mystery that had me wanting to read faster and faster. I couldn't put it down!!

Maddy and her friends really turn it up for this mystery, as they leave no clue behind, and hit the pavement hard trying to find out who the killer is.

The ending? Well I really don't want to give it away, but it is one that you don't want to miss! If you haven't read this series go grab both Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder and Murder is a Piece of Cake now. You don't want to miss this series. It is completely unputdownable and an absolute must read!