Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading A Twinkle of Trouble by Daryl Wood Gerber. This book is the fifth in the Fairy Garden Mystery series and will be released next week.

Although they have a collective interest in gardening Courtney Kelly's new friends are a contentious bunch. Genevieve, a self styled influencer, has recently been panning businesses and people alike. She's even taken to bad mouthing Carmel-by-the-Sea's upcoming Summer Blooms Festival. Is it just sour grapes for not being invited to participate? Before Courtney can try to smooth things over with Genevieve, the influencer is found dead, murdered. When another in her circle becomes the prime suspect Courtney can't help but get involved.With her fairy friend Fiona by her side Courtney will dig deep to get the dirt on her new friends and find out just who's capable of murder!

A Midnight Puzzle - A Review

 Review

A MIDNIGHT PUZZLE by Gigi Pandian
The Third Secret Staircase Mystery

 

Tempest Raj survived the loss of her career as a stage magician and has discovered that she's happy with her new life, creating architectural magic with her dad and his Secret Staircase Construction Company. But all they've worked for could come crashing down when a client decides not only to sue the company, but utterly destroy them. When that same client is found dead, impaled by a booby trapped door, suspicion falls, not only on Tempest, but the ghost of her mother! Tempest will have to solve more than one impossible crime lest her whole world go up in smoke.

 

There's nothing I hate more than a bully and Julian Rhodes was that and more. Earning his money by making up lies in order to crush people and winning, not because he was right, but because he had more money. The whole idea had my stomach in knots! I certainly wasn't sad to see him murdered, but I was sad to see that his death didn't make things easier for Tempest and her family.

I love the intellectual gymnastics A MIDNIGHT PUZZLE provides. Readers try to solve the impossible crimes along with Tempest while also trying to puzzle out her mother's disappearance and her aunt's murder. It was fascinating to see things come together, with unexpected connections and more than one surprise. 

 

As the Secret Staircase Mystery series continues, its characters make more of an impact, leaving a stronger impression. The more I get to know Tempest and her family, the more I like them. Of course, Grandpa Ash is my favorite...I only wish I could taste his amazing food. (Recipes are included, but I'd rather have him cook and share with me!) I also love the oh so smart rabbit, Abra.

 

With numerous conundrums A MIDNIGHT PUZZLE gives readers' minds a definite workout while providing love and sustenance from family and friends.

Peril in Pink - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Sydney Leigh to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Sydney writes the Hudson Valley B&B Mystery series. Peril in Pink is the first book in the series and was released last month.

Kathy: In Peril in Pink we meet Jess Byrne, owner of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley. Have you ever wanted to own a B&B?

SL: I’m not the best cook so not a B&B, but a small boutique motel? Absolutely!

Kathy: For The Pearl's grand opening Jess has arranged for her ex-boyfriend, a reality singing sensation, to perform. Have you ever worked with an ex?

SL: In high school I worked with an ex-boyfriend at a restaurant. It started out a little rocky but we managed to sort things out and develop a friendship after a while.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

SL: The punny titles. I’ve always loved mysteries but when I started to notice the hilarious titles that cozies often have, I was sold.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

SL: No, I love to sprinkle in a little romance but I love the whodunnit factor that mysteries have in them.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

SL: The Hudson Valley B&B Mystery series is a modern take on a classic genre. It’s set at a B&B and follows the lives and deaths of the people of Fletcher Lake in the Hudson Valley, in particular Jess Byrne and her best friend/business partner, Kat Miller. It’s been describe as Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

SL: I really like Aunt Marnie. She’s Jess’s aunt and a former deadhead who followed around the Grateful Dead for years. Still a free spirit, she adds humor and heart to the book.

 

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

SL: There is a show on Netflix called Motel Makeover about two women who gave up their corporate careers to buy an old fishing lodge and turn it into a modern motel. It had me from the first episode and I knew it was the perfect setting for my mystery series.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

SL: I’ve always dreamed of seeing my books in bookstores and sharing my stories with readers. It’s a dream come true.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

SL: Ohhh, tough question. 1. Jane Austen 2. Agatha Christie 3. Hannah Mary McKinnon 4. Emily Henry

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

SL: Book Lovers, Emily Henry

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

SL: Aside from spending time with friends and family, I love to read, watch movies, and plot books while doing jigsaw puzzles.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

SL: Coffee, tea, fruit, and cheese.

 

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

SL: I’m working on the second book in the Hudson Valley B&B series. I also have a brand new series publishing with Level Best Books coming out in June.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

SL: Creating characters and sharing stories.

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 Peril in Pink (Hudson Valley B&B Mysteries) by Sydney Leigh

About Peril in Pink

Peril in Pink (Hudson Valley B&B Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Hudson Valley, New York
Publisher: ‎ Crooked Lane Books (March 19, 2024)
Hardcover: ‎ 304 pages

Everything is coming up rosé for innkeeper Jess Byrne until a murder on opening weekend gives her B&B’s killer vibe a whole new meaning.

Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building in this sparkling debut mystery.

It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, and owner Jess Byrne has prepared the ultimate, Insta-worthy welcome, complete with her ex-boyfriend—reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong—performing live. As guests check in and mimosas are poured, Lars arrives with his stepdad-turned-manager Bob in tow. But things go south when Bob is found dead, and Lars is the prime suspect.

After a desperate plea from Lars, and knowing the reputation of her B&B is at stake, Jess agrees to help clear Lars’ name, but the more she digs, the less sure she is that he’s innocent. Especially when he’s found at the scene of another murder.

With the guests under lockdown, the B&B in the press for all the wrong reasons, and a killer on the loose, Jess is in over her head. With the help of her best friend and business partner Kat, Jess is determined to uncover the truth before Lars is put behind bars and The Pearl is permanently cancelled.

About Sydney Leigh

Sydney Leigh spent several years running a seasonal business, working in the summer so she could spend cold months in cool places. Now she writes modern cozy mysteries and thinks about murder. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and served on the board of Crime Writers of Canada from 2018-2021.

Author Links: 

Website https://sydneyleighbooks.com/  

The Stiletto Gang https://www.thestilettogang.com/2023/09/26/peril-in-pink-a-new-series-by-sydney-leigh/ (I do a blog post once a month on The Stiletto Gang) 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lynn.mcpherson.7186  

Twitter/X https://twitter.com/SydneyLeighCozy  

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173476021-peril-in-pink  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sydneyleighmystery/  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Bookshop.org - Koko - 

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The Sulpher Springs Cure - An Interview & Review

I'm pleased to welcome Jeffrey Round to Cozy Up With Kathy today. THE SULPHUR SPRINGS CURE is his latest book and it was released last month.

Kathy: THE SULPHUR SPRING CURE encompasses two different time periods: 1939 when Violet first arrived at the Sulphur Springs Hotel and 2009 when she returns. Was one time period easier to write than the other? Was one more enjoyable to immerse yourself in?

JR: Of the two time periods, 2009 was sometimes the harder to write because of the rapid advances in technology in this century. For instance, I had to remind myself that Facebook was then a relatively new invention and therefore something Violet (my protagonist) could legitimately claim not to know about when her niece, Claire, first mentions it. As well, I had to recall what was entailed in airport security clearances at the time. The scene where Violet’s hip replacement pin sets off the scanner is one I lived through when my mother and I travelled to Nova Scotia, just a few years later than when it occurs in the book.

The chapters set in 1939 were a joy to create. It’s this sort of writing that sets my imagination on fire because I can really invent. In an effort to be factual, however, many of the details were taken from real life, either from photographs taken at the time or actual objects now in my possession. The Marconi radio mentioned in chapter 20, for instance, was a model introduced in 1939. One of these was purchased by my mother’s family, who at the time lived in Noel Shore, Nova Scotia. It now resides in my home in Toronto. The Victrola Enid Browne plays so reverently each night after dinner was similar to one owned by my family when I was a child. Although LP records were the norm by then, I used to enjoy going through a box of 78 RPMs and playing those.

Kathy: Violet and her parents originally came to the hotel for the waters’ restorative properties. Many places through the centuries have touted healing waters. Have you ever availed yourself of any?

JR: Good question. I am recently back from a trip to the La Fortuna region in Costa Rica. During a three-week period, I visited three different thermal springs, the waters of which are heated by the Arenal volcano. And yes — I am sold on their restorative qualities!

Kathy: What first drew you to mysteries?

JR: My friends, the Hardy brothers, Frank and Joe. We were best buddies from the time I was ten to around the age of twelve.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

JR: I like to say that each book is its own genre and try not to force books into categories. I am also a playwright, poet and songwriter. I think it’s more interesting to explore a story in whatever way it wants to unfold and then let people tell me what they see or hear in each work.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

JR: Violet McPherson is not yet a series, as this is her debut story. She is eighty-four when the story opens, and is clearly haunted by something that happened when she was fourteen. I explore her story in both timelines. I have sketched out a sequel, but one with an independent storyline that takes place on a vacation resort in Havana. We will see where it leads.

I have two other characters who can legitimately claim to be in a series — one is four books in total, to date, while the other is seven. The Bradford Fairfax mystery series is a sort of cozy, because there are always murders to be solved, although Bradford himself is a secret agent. These books are comedies. Again, there is that crossing of genres that makes them hard to define. The second is the Dan Sharp series, for which I won a Lambda Award. These are more hard-hitting and closer to what a noir mystery series entails.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

JR: Strangely — or perhaps not — I don’t have a favourite character. Or, rather, my favourite happens to be the one I’m writing at the time.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

JR: Generally, they involve travel. THE SULPHUR SPRINGS CURE started as the result of a day trip to the ruins of the former Sulphur Springs Hotel in Dundas Valley, near Ancaster ON. As I walked along, I felt as though the grounds were talking to me. I stopped to listen to what they had to say, and this book was the result.

The first Bradford Fairfax book, THE P-TOWN MURDERS, came about as the result of a vacation to Provincetown, MA. While there I came across many quirky, real-life characters who I felt deserved to be in a book. So I put them in one.

The first Dan Sharp book, LAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN, came about as the result of a sailing trip. While passing through the Bay of Quinte in Prince Edward County, I looked up at the ridge of a promontory and felt a shiver when I was told it was called Lake On The Mountain. When I returned home I began to research the area.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

JR: THE SULPHUR SPRING CURE had been sitting on my desktop for a while when I got a message from Cormorant’s publisher, Marc Côté, asking if I had anything along the lines of the Bradford Fairfax books. I hadn’t, but it put me in mind of this book and I offered it to him instead. It was Marc’s suggestion that I focus a bit more on the book’s literary qualities that gave me the final push to polish it.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

JR: Shakespeare would be first on the list. I recall saying this while on a panel of mystery writers and being labelled pretentious as a result. But who better to discuss murder, mayhem, and devious characters? I would also love to talk with John Le Carré, whose books enthral me even when I want to chide him for writing so many awkward sentences. Of living authors, I would invite Kate Atkinson, with whom I once had dinner and found her personality to be sparkling, and Pat Barker, author of the extraordinary “Ghost Road Trilogy.” They would all give good lip.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

JR: This question would take up a lot of space, since I can take years to complete a book, but I’ll give you the short list:

1: AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare — the first of his plays that comes fully alive for me

2: INSOMNIA by Stephen King — dreadfully overwritten, but the characters are compelling

3: PROUST'S DUCHESS by Caroline Weber — an impressively researched book about the women on whom Proust based his Duchesse de Guermantes

4. THREE-WAY RENEGADE by Keith Garebian — poems about the early gay activist Samuel Steward

5: THE FOURTH COURIER by Timothy Jay Smith — a political thriller I discovered through an on-line podcast hosted by author Brad Shreve

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

JR: I had to pause to think. I don’t have hobbies because I take everything too seriously. It’s all or nothing. I am a nature lover and gardener, however. Does that count?

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

JR: I am stuck on the Cs: cheese, chocolate, chillies and cilantro are mainstays. Perhaps I should add cooking — another C word — to my list of hobbies.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

JR: The Dan Sharp series is probably complete at seven books. I have four more volumes sketched out in the Bradford Fairfax series. As for Violet, she will let me know when she wants to pay another visit. She is always welcome.

Kathy: What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

JR: Good reviews! Not for the ego boost, but as an affirmation that I am doing my job as a writer. It’s a nagging feeling most of us get. Also, I love hearing from people about my books. It doesn’t happen often enough. It doesn’t always have to be a compliment. I learn from people’s reactions. In fact, I have probably learned more from well thought-out criticism than outright praise. I think writers need to stay in touch with what informed readers are saying. 

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For more information click here!

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Review

THE SULPHUR SPRING CURE
By Jeffrey Round 

 

Violet McAdams knows she's coming to the end of her life. Her husband dead, her body slowing, she's preparing to sell her house and move into a home for seniors. But memories are bothering her, the dead reminding her of her past and the secret she kept from that time seventy years ago. The time spend at the Sulphur Springs Hotel. The time she was involved in murder. With the dead becoming more insistent she decides to take one last trip. Accompanied by her youngest niece Violet heads back to Dundas, Ontario to discover the truth once and for all.

 

Part mystery, part coming of age story THE SULPHUR SPRINGS CURE is a unique and beguiling book. I appreciated the melding of the two time periods, the more recent past of 2009 and that of 1939. The historical part of the novel was fascinating with references to the upcoming war and compelling details of life at the Sulphur Springs Hotel. Invalids who nevertheless dressed for dinner, nightly dancing, the fact that personal time pieces weren't allowed, as well as the freedom given to the young girls all added to the ambiance and made it seem as if you were actually there, smelling the sulphur in the air, feeling the heat of the summer, and witnessing a girl growing up.

 

I really like Violet. She's a precocious youth and a headstrong senior. She knows her own mind and isn't afraid to speak it. Yet she's also naive and somewhat vulnerable. I enjoyed seeing Violet as both a fourteen year old and an elderly woman, how she's changed and adapted as well as how much she remained the same.

The author's use of foreshadowing lent a heaviness, a quietly oppressive atmosphere to the time spent in 1939. Knowing that before long something very wrong would happen, but not knowing exactly what kept me enthralled. So many mysteries, what was actually wrong with Violet's mother, what was Willoughby up to, and more. I was also captivated by the way the eighty-four year old determined the truth of what happened that fateful summer. It's interesting to note the use of tenses chosen by the author, with the modern section written in the present tense. I'm not a fan of present tense, but it did provide a notable change from Violet's past.

With wry humor and a distinct sense of time and place THE SULPHUR SPRINGS CURE is not only a mystery, but an intriguing story of a woman's search for truth and redemption.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Sulphur Springs Cure by Jeffrey Round. 

Violet McAdams knows she's coming to the end of her life. Her husband dead, her body slowing, she's preparing to sell her house and move into a home for seniors. But memories are bothering her, the dead reminding her of her past and the secret she kept from that time seventy years ago. The time spend at the Sulphur Springs Hotel. The time she was involved in murder. With the dead becoming more insistent she decides to take one last trip. Accompanied by her youngest niece Violet heads back to Dundas, Ontario to discover the truth once and for all.

The Jammed Judges - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome D. S. Lang to Cozy Up With Kathy today. D. S. writes the Doro Banyon Historical Mystery series. The Jammed Judges is the third book in the series and was released last week.

Kathy: The Doro Banyon Historical Mystery series is set in 1920s Ohio. Why did you choose this location and era for your series?

DSL: The town in the series, Michaw, is based on my dad’s birthplace. It disappeared from the maps many years ago, and it is now part of a large community: Sylvania Township. I live in (and love) the area and make my home in the City of Sylvania. The era fascinates me because life changed dramatically during the Roaring Twenties. Prohibition went into effect in 1919, and women got the vote in 1920. The latter also affected women’s roles, which is an underlying theme in the series. Doro is a college librarian, and she’s confronted with more than one dilemma in regard to being a female. She and the campus security officer work together and share ownership of a stray puppy, but Doro hesitates to get further involved with him. Married women are not employed at her college, or at many other places.

Kathy: Historical mysteries require an extra special brand of research. What's your favorite method to research this time period?

DSL: The internet has great resources, so it is easy to research slang, dress, automobiles, customs, and household matters there. I also like to use books from the era, when I can find them. One is a 1920s cookbook from General Electric. It touts recipes for their new electric refrigerator. There are a lot of gelatins!

Kathy: In The Jammed Judges two judges fall ill after eating extra portions of a jam roll at the town's May Day celebration. Do you enjoy baking? Or are you more apt to enjoy others efforts, perhaps even indulging in extra portions yourself?

DSL: I used to bake a lot. It’s a fun hobby. I can’t wait to make the shortbread in my current book. The recipe is a genuine Scots one, shared by a friend.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

DSL: I enjoy whodunits without graphic violence, obscenity, or profanity. Cozies provide intriguing puzzles, interesting characters, and fun settings. They make nice escapes.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

DSL: No, I don’t.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

DSL: Both of my series are a blend of history and mystery. My Arabella Stewart series, set in Ohio near Lake Erie right after the Great War, features a female sleuth just back from serving as a United States Army Signal Corps operator. The town constable, her childhood friend and girlhood crush, served as a lieutenant with the American Expeditionary Force. The two of them are at odds over her sleuthing and his refusal to talk about her brother, who died in the war. Through the eight-book series, they work out their difference and solve many crimes.

The Doro series is cozier and features some fun old-fashioned events in the books. The Jammed Judges takes place during the town’s May Days festival, so I got to include a cakewalk, May baskets, and a picnic basket auction.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

DSL: Mac from my series is a favorite of mine. He is Bella’s partner and honorary grandfather. He’s a golf pro, originally from Scotland.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

DSL: Imagining what life was like 100 years ago, especially in small towns, interests me. Creating a town, loosely based on one that existed, gives me a chance to travel back to a fascinating decade in America.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

DSL: I’m always looking for historical cozies, and I know others are, too.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

DSL: Helen MacInnes, who wrote wonderful suspense novels.

Isak Dineson. I loved Out of Africa.

Phyllis Whitney, who also wrote great suspense novels.

Harper Lee, I’d like to know more about the book that published she died.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

DSL: I am reading Sisters of the Rising Sun, which is based on a true story. The women are prisoners of the Japanese during World War II. It’s heart-wrenching.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

DSL: I grew up playing golf, but don’t play anymore. I enjoy swimming and walking my dogs. Of course, I read a lot!

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

DSL: Yogurt, hummus, grated cheese, and braunschweiger (for dog pill pockets!)

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

DSL: The next book in Doro’s series will be out in late summer.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

DSL: I love making up stories. Like Doro, I have a vivid imagination.

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 The Jammed Judges: Doro Banyon Historical Mysteries by D.S. Lang

About The Jammed Judges

The Jammed Judges: Doro Banyon Historical Mysteries
Historical Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - Ohio
Publisher: ‎ Debra Sue Lang (April 2, 2024)
Number of Pages - Approx. 310

Journey back to the Roaring Twenties in small-town America and join Doro Banyon, college librarian and armchair detective, as she confronts another mystery.

Spring in the air, and Doro is looking forward to her hometown’s May Day celebration. When her friend Aggie wins the baking contest, their celebration is short-lived because the two local lawmen—judges for the competition—fall ill after consuming extra portions of Aggie’s jam roll. Rumors run rampant, especially when the town doctor pinpoints the cause as arsenic poisoning.

With the constabulary down for the count, the two friends must unravel the mystery. As they study possibilities, Doro and Aggie find plenty of dangling threads and likely suspects. Is someone trying to make Aggie look bad or get even with her? Or do area bootleggers want the police out of their way while a big load of illegal liquor is transported through the area? Doro resolves to crack the case before more trouble hits town.

About D.S. Lang

D.S. Lang is a former teacher, tutor, mentor, and program manager. As an only child, she often created stories to entertain herself when she didn’t have her nose in a book. She is still making up stories, but now she puts them in writing.

She writes historical mysteries set in small-town America during the Roaring Twenties. Her books feature women amateur sleuths dedicated to solving crimes, along with a team of colorful characters—often including a local lawman.

Author Links: 

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21325652.D_S_Lang  

Facebook https://facebook.com/p/Author-DS-Lang-100064024056297/  

Website https://dslangbooks.com  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Apple - Kobo - Smashwords 

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Luck of the Irish - A Review

 Review

LUCK OF THE IRISH COZY MYSTERY ANTHOLOGY
Edited by Kate Darroch and Jessica Thompson

LUCK OF THE IRISH is an anthology comprised of ten short stories all with the theme of St. Patrick's Day and luck. The stories are varied; two are historical, Gilded Age and 1960s, and all have different locales including Tennessee and outer space! All of the proceeds of this anthology go to the non-profit RAICEStexas.org who help immigrant, refugee, and asylum seeking families, especially the children.

With such a diverse group of stories, it's only logical that some I liked and some I didn't care for as much. I really enjoyed "A Caterer's Guide to Leprechauns and Lies" by Jessica Thompson, "A Tale of Fickle Fortune" by Amy Grundy, and "A Foliage Farewell" by J. R. Lancaster, even though the protagonist deems it unthinkable to have a litter box in the house and lets his cat outside. My favorite story by far, was "A Fatal St. Patrick's Day" by Kathleen Marple Kalb that featured characters from her Ella Shane Mystery series. This historical series is one of my favorites and this short story ably captures the personality of the characters as they solve another mystery in Gilded Age New York City. I also really appreciated the recipes included at the end of the book.

If you're in mind of a quick read with a St. Patrick's Day bent and want to help a charity as well, LUCK OF THE IRISH COZY MYSTERY ANTHOLOGY might be just your cup of tea.