A Classic Case of Murder - A Review & Giveaway

Review

A CLASSIC CASE OF MURDER by Daryl Wood Gerber
The Third Literary Dining Mystery 

Bramblewood, North Carolina is getting into the holiday spirit and what better way than to celebrate with the classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Personal chef and caterer Allie Catt is helping out at a special event at the Amber Lantern, an inn owned by her best friend's mom, with food Dickens described in the classic itself. To make the event even more special Erwin Scroggie has lent his cherished first edition of the novella to Noeline to display. But when a dead body is found and the book has vanished Allie knows she has to help her boyfriend, Detective Zach Armstrong, crack the case, whether he appreciates her help or not. 

A festive atmosphere imbues A CLASSIC CASE OF MURDER despite theft and murder. Holiday decorations, winter weather, and Dickensian dressed characters bring to mind Christmases of long ago and an added coziness.

My favorite aspect of the third Literary Dining Mystery is the ties to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Not only does the plot include a first edition of the novella and a bust of Dickens himself, but other nods to the classic story are included. Every chapter starts with a quote from the novella and historical facts about the book and Dickens himself are woven through the storyline. There's even the character of Erwin Scroggie, a curmudgeonly moneylender who was once happy and jovial until the young woman he loved left him. Sound familiar? He even has a nephew named Freddie who has a sickly child. 

I also enjoyed the mystery itself with multiple suspects who avidly accuse one another of the crime and the way that Allie was able to sift through motives, clues, and personalities to figure out how the crime occurred as well as who did it! 

Get in the holiday spirit with A CLASSIC CASE OF MURDER where delicious dishes combine with books and murder, all with a Dickensian twist! 

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 A Classic Case of Murder (A Literary Dining Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

About A Classic Case of Murder

A Classic Case of Murder (A Literary Dining Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: ‎ October 27, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 320 pages

Personal chef and caterer Allie Catt combines her love of fiction with her love of food in the scenic North Carolina mountains—but amid her latest themed event, based on Dickens’s beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, a rare-book expert’s goose is cooked…

In the charming town of Bramblewood, not far from Asheville, Allie’s preparing for a special seasonal soiree: a literary-themed dinner party that’s a tribute to Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. It’ll take place at the Amber Lantern, the quaint inn recently opened by her best friend’s mother, Noeline—and the holiday spirit has even led a Scroogelike local businessman to lend his prized first edition of the nineteenth-century novella for the event.

With the voices of carolers ringing in the air and the community theater staging a special performance, it looks like it will be a happy Christmas—until the priceless book disappears and someone murders the expert who authenticated it. And if the police have their way, Allie’s lawyer friend Freddy will be dragged away in chains like Marley’s ghost…

The crime has also cast a shadow over Noeline’s fledgling business, so Allie feels doubly obliged to find the real killer among the gathered guests and local visitors—and put an end to this nightmare. It’s time to investigate them all, every one . . .

About Daryl Wood Gerber

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, Aroma Wellness Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels, including the well-received Accidental Murder, The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams trilogy. Daryl has published a standalone Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays, a mystery anthology, and a children’s illustrated rhyming book. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading A Classic Case of Murder by Daryl Wood Gerber. This book is the third in the Literary Dining Mystery series and was released last week.

Bramblewood, North Carolina is getting into the holiday spirit and what better way than to celebrate with the classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Personal chef and caterer Allie Catt is helping out at a special event at the Amber Lantern, an inn owned by her best friend's mom with food Dickens described in the classic itself. To make the event even more special Erwin Scroggie has lent his cherished first edition of the novella to Noeline to display. But when a dead body is found and the book has vanished Allie knows she has to help her boyfriend, Detective Zach Armstrong, crack the case, whether he appreciates her help or not.

A Tail of Two Murders - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Nick Charles to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Nick on the pages of the Nick and Nora Mystery series. A Tail of Two Murders is the ninth book in the series and was released last month.

A Day in the Life of.....

Feline Detective Nick Charles!

Merow! Many people have expressed an interest in just how a super sleuth feline spends his day! I have decided to let all you humans in on the secret....just what does a super sleuth feline do on a typical day?

Let’s find out!

4 a.m. I’m usually risen from a kitty slumber by my human, Nora Charles, getting up to start her day at Hot Bread. Sometimes she will sleep till 5, but if there’s something special she has to prepare for the day’s menu – or if she’s tracking down a clue (she’s a sleuth too!) She’s up and at ‘em – and so am I.

6 a.m. Even though Nora’s put out a bowl of kibble for me in her upstairs apartment, I usually manage to beg a little something extra to eat (after all, I'm a big boy!). Her lobster salad is my favorite. Yum!

7 a.m. Hot Bread’s open for business. When I’m not lounging in front of the refrigerator, I’m out on the counter, looking over things. Or, sometimes, out in the garage, chasing the occasional mouse that dares to invade our domain! (Hey I am, after all, a cat!)

8 am. One or both of Nora’s boyfriends usually arrive for their morning bagel before heading off to the FBI office where they work. I give them the once-over, make sure they are treating my girl right!

9-10:30 a.m. I hide under the table in the kitchen during the busy breakfast rush! If we’re on a case, I’ve also been known to dispense my Scrabble tiles with clues-some of which aren’t obvious to Nora at first, but bless her heart, she usually manages to figure them out!

11 a.m. I help Nora prepare for the lunch crowd. (and hopefully get some leftovers in the process), How do I help? Why, I am the official Hot Bread taster, of course! Nora has tried out many a new recipe on me, and I’ll either give it my meow of approval, or a thumbs down. I’m happy to report there are very few thumbs down!

2 p.m. Things in the shop start to wind down. If we’re working on a case, this is prime time for Nora to get out her whiteboard and start narrowing down suspects – with my help, of course.

3 pm. To Whenever!– Hot Bread’s closed for the day, and this is when Nora and I do our best sleuthing! This is prime time for tracking down suspects, running down clues, and – need I say it – Occasionally putting ourselves in dangerous situations. Fortunately for my human, I do seem to have a knack for getting us out of said situations!

Anytime between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. – Depending on how invested we are in a case, bedtime can be anywhere in there! And I certainly need my beauty sleep to recharge my batteries when we’re on a case!


I hope this has given you some insights into a typical day. Of course, things change drastically when we’re hot on the trail of a suspect, like in our latest adventure, A TAIL OF TWO MURDERS. Now there was a complicated case! I”d tell you more, but I don’t want to spoil it for you! You’ll have to read the book to find out just what Nora and I are up to now......


Nick Charles is a tubby, opinionated tuxedo cat who stars (along with his human) in the Nick and Nora mystery series. Their latest adenture, A TAIL OF TWO MURDERS, is out now! For more info on them, visit ROCCO’s blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com, or the author’s website, www.tclotempio.net and sign up for our newsletter! 

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 A Tail of Two Murders (Nick and Nora Mystery) by T. C. LoTempio

About A Tail of Two Murders

A Tail of Two Murders (Nick and Nora Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 9th in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: ‎ Beyond the Page Publishing
Publication Date: ‎ October 20, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 279 pages

It was the best of crimes, it was the worst of crimes, and Nick and Nora are dead-set on catching a killer without losing their heads . . . When local police suspect that a dead body found in the woods is tied to an unsolved heist of rare gold coins, Nora Charles and her sidekick cat Nick are dying to get involved. But she’s got a catering gig to plan for at her friend Lance’s bar, and it looks like that might present a world of trouble all its own. The sleazy former owner of the bar has blown back into town and is aggressively harassing Lance to sell the bar back to him. Nora’s worried her friend is in real danger—until the former owner is found dead and Lance is pegged for the murder. Certain that her friend is innocent, Nora begins digging into the victim’s seedy past to figure out who would have wanted him dead. Then a sudden spark of inspiration tells her that the murders and the unsolved heist are all connected, and that someone is knocking off their fellow thieves to get all the loot for themselves. After tracking down every person even remotely connected to the heist, Nora’s still baffled by who’s behind it all. But that’s about to change, because now she and Nick are all that’s standing between a killer and a fortune . . . Includes mouthwatering sandwich recipes!

About T. C. LoTempio

 

T.C. LoTempio is the award-winning, nationally bestselling author of the Nick and Nora Mysteries, the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries, and the Cat Rescue Mysteries. Born in New York City, she now resides in Phoenix, Arizona, with her two cats, Maxx and Rocco. Rocco prides himself on being the inspiration for her Nick and Nora series! For more information, check out her and her cat Rocco’s blog at www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com and visit her website at www.tclotempio.net

Author Links Webpage Blog Facebook Twitter/X GoodReads  

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Essentials of Homicide - A Spotlight & Giveaway

Essentials of Homicide (The Aromatherapy Apothecary Series) by Kim Davis

About Essentials of Homicide 

Essentials of Homicide (The Aromatherapy Apothecary Series)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: ‎ Harbor Lane Books, LLC.
Publication Date: ‎ September 8, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 284 pages

Hollywood has descended on Oak Creek Valley to film a murder mystery. Carissa Carmichael, owner of the Aromatherapy Apothecary, has a front-row seat to the bad-boy leading man’s escapades as she works with the production to bring soothing essential elements to the stressed-out crew.

When the movie set becomes a true crime scene, Carissa’s best friend becomes the star suspect. Instead of enjoying the thrills of lights, camera, and action, she’s thrust into untangling the secrets of the glamorous actors who all seem to hide something. While working behind the scenes to sniff out clues and clear her best friend’s name, Carissa must apply pressure and find the killer before someone else is written out for good.

About Kim Davis

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series, along with The Board Game Chronicles, a middle-grade fantasy series. She is also one of the bloggers at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, where she indulges her passion for food and creating unique cupcake flavors. She lives in Southern California with her husband and very rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines… that is, when Missy lets her sit down to write. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

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Sneak Peek - The Well-Guarded Truth

I had hoped to post my review of The Well-Guarded Truth today, but I haven't quite finished it. But here's a sneak peek!

Fall WishFest is here, but that's not the most exciting thing happening in Wishville, Vermont, at least for Lyra Wells and the Fearless Four. A question has been popped and Chief Elder Vaerion has ventured from the underground world of Elarion. His departure gives rival factions the perfect opportunity to set a boundary claim in motion. In the human world of Wishville suspicious things are happening within the Historical Society with interest in certain historical documents. Not only that, subtle differences are occurring throughout the festival, copies that aren't quite right and sabotage in the chili cook-off tent. But more than that, Harrison Pike who came to town to check certain historical documents is found dead at the bottom of the stairs of the Historical Society building, and his fall was not natural. Lyra, Guardian of the Well, will work with the rest of the Fearless Four to discover who wanted history erased and why, before both worlds collapse and chaos reigns.

The Ghost and the Dead Librarian - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN by Cleo Coyle
The Tenth Haunted Bookshop Mystery 

It was Dory McKenna's time to shine and Penelope Thornton-McClure's bookshop was lighting the way. Celebrating her book launch at Buy the Book Dory, the former Quindicott head librarian, earned the moniker "the dead librarian" as she created a database of obituaries and even wrote current ones for the newspaper. But not everyone was happy with some family secrets and embarrassing deaths that Dory shared in her book. Pen overheard at least two arguments and when it was time to cut the cake there was no sign of the guest of honor. Pen found her in the history section only it was Dory who was history. Dead with her own obituary in her hand. Pen is pretty sure Dory didn't commit suicide however. With Jack Shepherd, the ghost of a private investigator who died in that very bookstore, guiding her, Pen will do her best to solve the case of the Dead Librarian.

I'm so excited to see Jack Shepard again! You may have noticed that I call this the tenth Haunted Bookshop Mystery while others call it the first. It's both. THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN is a reboot of the series by a new publisher. The characters and their backstories remain the same, but there's a notable difference at the end of the book showing a slight change in direction, and one in which I heartily approve. For readers who have read previous books in the series, you'll love this seamless continuation. For those who are joining for the first time, you won't feel lost at all, as the author masterfully shares important backstory that flows into the new story.

I love the mix of cozy mystery and noirish hardboiled PI. You wouldn't think those two genres would mix well, but they do. The ghost of Jack Shepard brings that noir hard edge as he shares cases from his life. But nothing is too dark so as to scare cozy fans away. At the same time, the cozy modern story isn't too saccharine sweet, but it's perfectly cozy. I enjoyed both mysteries, the modern one which included some nifty plotting and Jack's 1947 case he uses to teach Pen. There are also plenty of laughs and a great new character. I enjoyed how Pen finally one ups her sister in law.

With wit and heart THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN brings cozy and hardboiled together creating a brilliantly fun mystery.

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 The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (A Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery) by Cleo Coyle

About The Ghost and the Dead Librarian 

The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (A Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 1st in the Series - Spinoff of the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries
Setting - Rhode Island
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: ‎ September 29, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 384 pages

A LIBRARY JOURNAL "MYSTERY PICK OF THE MONTH" In an utterly charming new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle, a small-town Rhode Island bookshop owner investigates the death of an eccentric librarian with the help of a wisecracking, 1940s gumshoe ghost.

As a young widow, Penelope moved back to her quaint Rhode Island town to give her young son a safer home and her aunt's dying bookshop new life. Using her late husband's insurance money, Pen polished the store into a local treasure. But her updates did more than attract new customers. They roused a dead private eye from his big sleep.

With Pen's affection for hardboiled detective stories, it's no surprise she's developed a fondness for the wisecracking yet oddly likeable spirit. Sure, Jack's cold spots are exasperating, along with his proclivity for putting noir fiction in the cozy section. But murder was Jack's business in life, and his PI skills come in awfully handy when the body of an eccentric librarian is found amid the bookshop's aisles.

For years, Dory jokingly called herself "The Dead Librarian" because of her hobby of collecting and writing local obituaries. Now, in death, she's discovered with her own eerily pre-written obit. Was it a suicide note? Jack and Pen say no and their certainty takes them from a ghost town's ancient cemetery to a posh Newport mansion. When another body drops, a mysterious stranger makes Pen a shocking offer, one that may change her life—and Jack's afterlife. But unless Jack can help Pen prove who "checked out" the librarian, a ruthless killer may close the book on her.

"This spin-off of Coyle's 'Haunted Bookshop' series blends cozy mystery, supernatural intrigue, and classic noir influences into a suspenseful small-town murder mystery....Combining humor, literary references, ghostly interventions, and layered community drama, the novel explores how hidden truths from the past continue to haunt the present." —Library Journal (*Starred Review)

About Cleo Coyle

 

CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating more than 20 years in print, and the national bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. With more than one million books sold, their works have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; received multiple Best of Year selection honors from reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, wrangle their rescue cats, drink a lot of java, and cook like crazy. Connect with Cleo at CleoCoyleBooks.com

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Currently Reading...

I just finished reading The Ghost and the Dead Librarian by Cleo Coyle. This book is the tenth book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, however, it now has a new publisher and they reset the clock, so you may see it as the first. You definitely need not have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one, but you'll enjoy it even more if you have. 

The night was Dory McKenna's time to shine. The former Quindicott head librarian, Dory earned the moniker "the dead librarian" as she created a database of obituaries and even wrote current ones for the newspaper. She was celebrating her book launch at Buy the Book with a book signing and party. But not everyone was happy with some family secrets and embarrassing deaths that Dory shared. Penelope Thornton-McClure overheard at least two arguments as she led the event. Things quieted down, but when it was time to cut the cake, there was no sign of the guest of honor. Pen found her in the history section of her shop, but it's Dory that's now history. She's dead with her own obituary in her hand. Pen is pretty sure Dory didn't commit suicide however. With Jack Shepherd, the ghost of a private investigator who died in that very bookstore, guiding her, Pen will do her best to solve the case of the Dead Librarian.