Murder Movie Club - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Rishard to Cozy Up With Kathy. You can find Rishard on the pages of MURDER MOVIE CLUB: MURDER ON A MONDAY by Marcy Blesy. This is the first book in the Monthly Murder Movie Club Mystery series which was released last month.

Hello. My name is Rishard. I’m a 60-year-old man who hopes to have a heck of a lot more life to live. I’ve lived most of that life in Northwoods, Michigan, a beautiful town along the shores of Lake Michigan. One might say I’ve been unlucky in love. Four marriages sounds like a bit, but I’m not giving up hope of finding that perfect mate to spend the rest of my life with. In fact, there’s even someone in the Monthly Murder Movie Club that’s caught my eye, but it’s such a beautiful friendship that Yoly and I have, I don’t know if we should mess it up. Plus, she has no idea I find her special, and she still spends a lot of time talking to Larry, her first husband. He lives on her kitchen table in his urn. It’s tough to compete against that. 

I like to stand out. Some say my style is odd, especially Roberta, but her use of nice words is few and far between. Maybe when I’m 75, I’ll be more loose-lipped, too. I hope not, though. I wear a lot of Hawaiian shirts. The brighter, the better. I have a nice assortment of Crocs to pair with my outfits. It’s not the wisest choice of attire during the brutal winters, but I like to think that I add some cheer to those with the winter blues.

I’ve recently found my people in a very odd club that meets at the Northwoods Movie Theater. We are the Monthly Murder Movie Club, though sometimes we meet more than once a month now. We have a shared interest in murder movies. The only rule is that none of us has seen the movie before. Halfway through the movie, Junior or Pamela stop the projector, well, not Junior anymore after his untimely passing in the theater’s lobby. Anyway, while the movie is paused, we gather to discuss our best whodunit theories. We write everything down. Yoly, our unofficial leader, holds on to our theories until the end of the movie. The person closest to figuring out the mystery gets to keep a cool plastic trophy for the month, unless there’s a tie. Then we have to work out the trophy’s custody. I’ve won the trophy a time or two. The last time I won, I tied with Vicki. She wanted to keep her trophy at her beauty salon. She likes to boast, but she means well, so I had to turn it over to her there. She touched up my hair for free.

There’s a new member of our group. April is a single mom who just had her first baby in her 40s. She’s struggling, but she’s smart. I know she will figure things out. Plus, Giana is everyone’s adopted grandchild. I think she is a very lucky baby if you ask me.

All and all, we get along great and have so much fun trying to outwit each other. There are a lot of amazing murder mystery movies out there. What a fun genre! Recently, our movie-watching has taken a pause as some unfortunate real murders crossed the path of our movie club. But have no fear. We’ll solve those mysteries, too.

Life in this new decade is proving to be amazing!

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 Murder Movie Club: Murder on a Monday (Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery) by Marcy Blesy

About Murder Movie Club

Murder Movie Club: Murder on a Monday (Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Michigan
Independently Published (February 21, 2025)
Print length: ‎ 119 pages

Murder: best served with popcorn. That’s the mantra for the members of the Monthly Murder Movie Club at The Northwoods Movie Theater. Every month, this eclectic group of northern Michigan residents gather to watch a murder mystery movie on the big screen. After stopping the projector in the middle of the movie, the members gather to discuss the crime and suspects, each making a whodunit pick before resuming the movie. The hair dresser with the scissors? The jilted lover with poison? But nothing is normal on this Monday morning when the club members find the ticket-taking popcorn maker John E. Cash in the lobby of the theater, deader than any actor in their beloved movies. Using their unique talents and eccentricities, the Monthly Murder Movie Club members work collectively to solve the crime before the Northwoods Police force does. Members strive to protect the reputation of their beloved theater--and to protect their Monday meetings--because what each member is discovering is that there is so much more to their Monday club than a good old-fashioned murder mystery. Found family, new friends, and murder investigations!

About Marcy Blesy

Marcy Blesy is the author of over thirty books including the popular cozy mystery series: The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series, a hilarious misadventure in amateur sleuthing. Her adult romance mystery series includes The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach, set in Michigan. The Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, featuring a sleuthing kindergarten teacher in Michigan was recently released. Children’s books include the best-selling Be the Vet series along with the following early chapter book series: Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat.

Marcy enjoys searching for treasures along the shores of Lake Michigan. She's still waiting for the day when she finds a piece of red beach glass.

Marcy is a believer in love and enjoys nothing more than making her readers feel a book more than simply reading it.

Author Links: 

Website www.marcyblesy.com  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550966870826  

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

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223057736-murder-movie-club?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9rEZT9BRRK&rank=1  

Purchase Link - Amazon 

 

The Library Game - A Review

 Review

THE LIBRARY GAME by Gigi Pandian
The Fourth Secret Staircase Mystery 

 

Former stage magician Tempest Raj has gone through many challenges and changes recently, but she's content now, working with her dad in his Secret Stairway Construction business. One of their current projects is transforming Gray House into a library. Before they complete the project, it will become a stop on Hidden Creek's summer stroll where visitors will participate in an interactive murder mystery event. But when the disappearance of one of the actors turns into murder, it's more than one impossible crime that has Tempest and her friends perplexed. Someone is toying with them, but who is playing games? Will Tempest be able to solve the mystery and prove that the impossible is truly possible? 

 

An invisible intruder, sabotage, and a missing actor will have you scratching your head as you try to solve the mystery of THE LIBRARY GAME. Is Lucas dead? Is Harold alive? Just who is pulling the strings? Just when you think you have the answer, you realize there are more questions. It's like trying to fight the Hydra!

 

I really like how Tempest, Ivy, Gideon, and Sanjay work together. True friends, they complement each other and also call one another out. I also appreciate how they use their combined talents and brain power to solve the mystery. My favorite character remains Ash, Tempest's grandfather. Aside from being a font of information and a truly kind person, I wish I lived near him so that I could enjoy some of his food, knowing he would send me cookies if I was having a bad day!

 

Confounding mysteries converge in THE LIBRARY GAME creating a puzzle reminiscent of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Grab something good to eat and flex your mental muscles to see if you can solve this tricky mystery!

Essence of Foul Play - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Daryl Wood Gerber back to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Daryl starts a new series with ESSENCE OF FOUL PLAY. The first in the Aroma Wellness Mystery series it will be released next week.

Kathy: You start a new series with ESSENCE OF FOUL PLAY. What led you to create a wellness venue as your backdrop?

DWG: My editor and I discussed this at length. At first we thought we wanted a series that focused on a flower business, but while I was writing the opening chapters, she said the publisher decided they didn’t want that theme after all. She suggested I write something focusing on “wellness.” I was enthralled with the concept. I get massages. I do self-care. So I researched the various aspects of a wellness spa and landed on this idea, which includes a gift shop and café.


Kathy: If you were to visit Emma's Aroma Wellness Spa, what offering would you be most excited about trying?

DWG: I hope everyone will try a sound bath. For the uninitiated, a sound bath is a meditative experience where attendees are awash in sound waves produced by running a crystal rod around the inside of different sized crystal bowls. It’s super relaxing. I’ve had one!


Kathy: Before writing this series were you interested in New Age topics? Aside from fairies, of course. ;)

DWG: I can’t say I was interested in “New Age” per se, though I’ve had a crystal reading (by you!) which made me study more about crystals and their origins and powers. I do like to meditate and I do get massages and facials, but learning about the various minerals and essential oils one can use to give these treatments is a whole new world. Gaining a wider, deeper understanding over the course of writing the book has been enlightening.


Kathy: The Aroma Wellness Mystery series is set in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. What made you choose the same town as your Fairy Garden Mystery series?

DWG: My editor and I both wanted the new series to stay in Carmel. It’s a lovely, spiritually grounded town. I knew she didn’t want me to include any sleuth-solving fairies, but when I asked if I could include a few characters from the Fairy Garden Mysteries as regulars in the new series—specifically Lissa Reade, the librarian at Harrison Library—she agreed, and Lissa sees fairies. So, fairies return to this series. They simply will not help Emma solve crime. However, they might nourish her garden, and they might frolic with her beautiful Birman cat, Vivi.


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this series?

DWG: Like I said, my editor suggested the idea, and then poof, like magic, my interest blossomed into something close to obsession. It seemed a logical pursuit after writing the Fairy Garden Mysteries. Digging into the spiritual side of wellness has been inspirational for me. It does not go against any of my regular faith beliefs, either. It simply enhances it.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

DWG: MURDER BY THE MILLIONS, the 2nd in the Literary Dining Mysteries, is coming out in October.

Here’s a teaser: Feast for the Eyes bookstore manager and Allie’s best friend, Tegan, is hosting a book club soiree and wants it to be a glittering affair based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic Jazz Age-set novel, THE GREAT GATSBY. Soon, Art Deco table settings and visions of flappers are dancing the Charleston in their heads. Even Tegan’s prickly sister, Vanna, is on board. And surely, Allie’s tuxedo cat, Darcy, thinks it’s the cat’s meow.

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Review

ESSENCE OF FOUL PLAY by Daryl Wood Gerber
The First Aroma Wellness Mystery

With the help of Nana Lissa and her cousin, Sierra, Emma Brennan is ready for the grand opening of her spa, Aroma Wellness. While there are other spas in Carmel by-the-Sea, Emma's is unique, offering sound baths and aromatherapy in addition to massages, manicures, and pedicures. The spa also has a cafe with healthy options run by Sierra and a gift shop carrying crystals, massage oils, and other goodies. Despite Emma previously sharing this information with her frenemy, Willow, Willow, who happens to run a traditional spa on the other side of town, is livid. And Willow isn't the only person angry. Indy and Palmer hate the idea of anything New Age and would like nothing better than for Emma's new business to fail. When Willow is found dead Emma is the one everyone remembers having an argument with her. Believing that she's the prime suspect Emma is determined to prove her innocence and find the real killer!

In ESSENCE OF FOUL PLAY Daryl Wood Gerber has created a close knit community of holistic healers adding to the charm of Carmel by-the-Sea. While I'm not one for traditional spas, no mani/pedis for me, I would love to spend time at Aroma Wellness Spa! I'd adore a sound bath and would even be willing to try a prickly pear massage. I know I'd also be doing some retail therapy in the gift shop and indulging in something from the cafe-hey, it's healthy! While Emma strives to make her spa a place of peace and serenity reality comes crashing in, literally and figuratively. It's sad that some people are so close minded when it comes to alternative healing and spiritual beliefs.

The mystery itself was intriguing with many suspects and possible motives. I appreciated Emma's method of sleuthing and enjoyed seeing her grandmother take the lead a few times. While several of the characters are downright nasty, there is a core of good-hearted people with whom you enjoy spending time. I also liked seeing several old friends from the Fairy Garden Mystery series.

A complex mystery with several moving parts ESSENCE OF FOUL PLAY is a feel good tale in more ways than one. Take some deep cleansing breaths, choose your affirmation, and make room in your library for this great new series!

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Essence of Foul Play (An Aroma Wellness Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

About Essence of Foul Play 

Essence of Foul Play (An Aroma Wellness Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies (March 25, 2025)
Paperback: ‎ 320 pages

Emma Brennan may have her head in a cloud of eucalyptus, but her feet are firmly planted on the ground in breathtaking Carmel, California, as she prepares to open her new spa business, Aroma Wellness. But all the reiki, shiatsu, and massage in the world can’t help her relax when she’s accused of murder . . . Everything is going smoothly as Emma prepares for the grand opening of the spa. The therapy rooms are painted. The sales shop and café are stocked with meditative and delicious goodies, from essential oils to avocado masks and prickly pear massages. The fountain in the Courtyard of Peace is burbling with good vibrations. In fact, there isn’t a whiff of trouble until that morning when Emma is shocked to learn that a rival spa owner has been bludgeoned . . . with an item from the goodwill basket Emma gave her. Worse, a witness is pointing the finger at Emma . . . With the police treating Emma like she’s the only suspect, and the town’s anti New Age anything posse badmouthing her every step of the way, she’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Incensed by the accusations but empowered by her cousin, her nana, and her trusted Birman cat, Vivi, Emma reviews the potpourri of possible suspects, determined to uncover the essence of foul play—before she’s cold-pressed for murder . . .

About Daryl Wood Gerber

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well-received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams suspense novels. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. 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: httsp://darylwoodgerber.com

Author Links: 

WEBSITE: https://darylwoodgerber.com  

FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber  

BOOKBUB: https://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber  

YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/woodgerb1 

 INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber  

GOODREADS: https://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber  

TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@daryl_wood_gerber  

AMAZON: https://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page  

NEWSLETTER: https://darylwoodgerber.com/contact-media/  

Purchase Links AMAZON BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSHOP.ORG KOBO MYSTERIOUS GALAXY 

 

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Library Game by Gigi Pandian. This book is the fourth in the Secret Staircase Mystery series and was released yesterday.

Former stage magician Tempest Raj has gone through many challenges and changes recently, but she's content now, working with her dad in his Secret Stairway Construction business. One of their current projects is transforming Gray House into a library. Before they complete the project, it will become a stop on Hidden Creek's summer stroll where visitors will participate in an interactive murder mystery event. But when the disappearance of one of the actors turns into murder, it's more than one impossible crime that has Tempest and her friends perplexed. Someone is toying with them, but who is playing games? Will Tempest be able to solve the mystery and prove that the impossible is truly possible?

Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder - An Interview

I'm pleased to welcome Brandi Bradley to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder is Brandi's most recent book and it was released last week.

Kathy: Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder is a noir novel set in an outwardly charming Southern town. What makes discovering dark secrets so intriguing?

BB: I don’t know the psychology of it, but I do know it’s why Dateline is still so popular. Around the time that the Murdough case was on everyone’s feed – like everyone I knew sent me an article about it – I remember going to my whiteboard and slapping a post-it on it that read, “The myth of the good Southern family.” Everything looks so pretty on the outside, but the inside is gross and sometimes rotten. And there is a sense of glee when powerful people fall or witnessing the process of taking down people who get too big. I think it affirms those suspicions that all those images of perfection were just a performance.


Kathy: In the book a young entrepreneur is killed and everyone points the finger at his ex-girlfriend Gabbi, a "New Age, neo-hippie, miracle-manifesting, smokeshow". That's quite a description! As someone who could also be branded as New Age and woo woo, I wonder why do these terms raise ire and cause people to assume the worst?

BB: I am also a little woo woo and I think it works on both levels. I think some people are going to be annoyed and roll their eyes, while others are going to be intrigued. Living in the south is interesting because the same people who might refer to someone as being a New Age neo-hippie with ire, are also collecting crystals or visiting a psychic once a week.


Kathy: The book is told through the shifting perspectives of three women, Lindy, Gabbi, and Jenna. Why choose to do this instead of focusing on one point of view?

BB: I always knew I wanted to write from multiple viewpoints because I wanted to show how alike and different all these women were. And I liked being able to write from a biased perspective – their idea of what they witnessed and how it’s different from what another person witnessed. Years ago when I read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, I loved how she had each chapter a different perspective and knew I wanted to try that.


Kathy: What first drew you to noir?

BB: I like noir because there is an inability to trust anyone, and yet, the detective is almost always foiled because they trusted the wrong person or because of assumptions they made. I like noir because women are both sexy and smart– even if they are inclined to stab you in the back when they pull you in for a kiss. I like that mysteries are solved even if there is no justice. I don’t love the cynicism, but you can’t have it all.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

BB: I’ve written a few memoir pieces that I am proud of. And I have written a ghost story once, although I would never call myself a paranormal writer. When I first started to get a handle on the kind of writer I wanted to be, I was always drawn to stories that people would gossip about from the viewpoint of the people dealing with the fall out. And often, that’s what mysteries and noirs are. People dealing with the fall out of someone else’s choices. And now I realize how much I love working in the mystery genre. There are so many different approaches to mystery that I am excited to explore.


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

BB: At some point, all the characters were my favorite, especially the more shady ones. I had a lot of fun writing Ned Rockford, this charming guy who’s been propped up by the Good Old Boy System for a long time. These guys always have a plan – either coordinating their legacy or digging themselves out of a hole they got themselves into, but they’re almost always forgiven because they are charming and entertaining. And everyone knows they can’t trust them. Writing that character was a lot of fun.


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

BB: Often I will have these little inspirational triggers where I will read or watch a story and I’ll think, I want to write that, but not that. So I’ll make a note on my whiteboard that will say something cryptic like “Woman on Woman stalking with a witchy vibe”. When I started Pretty Girls, I was reading a lot of stories about women who were being labelled “crazy” by ex-boyfriends and families of ex-boyfriends. And it grew from there.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

BB: I got tired of waiting to be “discovered”. I’m not a 20-year-old literary ingénue with a patience problem. I am a 40+ woman who has written novels before, gone to school for an MFA, a Ph.D., and yet could not get the literary world to pay attention.

I traditionally published some short pieces, but when it came to getting an agent for my novels, I kept coming up against road blocks.

For decades I had been walking around waiting to be seen as a novelist, waiting to be discovered, waiting to be chosen and eventually I was like, “This is exhausting. I’m choosing myself!”

I sat down and made a list of what I would need to make it happen for myself. I started an LLC, I bought ISBNs, and I contacted editors and designers. I set a launch date and spread the word.

And now, this is the second book I have published myself, and the best part was I didn’t have to ask permission or run my ideas through a committee.

It’s the hardest job I have ever had, but it’s also all mine, every good decision and bad decision. And that’s so liberating.


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

BB: Megan Abbott, Joyce Carol Oates, Donna Tartt, Charlotte Bronte.

But I am too much of a fan girl to be expected to act like a reasonable human being around writers I admire. More than once, I have made an ass out of myself at a conference for rambling or spontaneously crying, so I have resigned myself from appreciating them from afar.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

BB: I just downloaded The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano because I want to read it before I watch Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix. Right now I’m consuming a lot of stories about medical fraud and factitious disorder.


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

BB: Lately I’ve been baking a lot of bread. I love to be in my kitchen, and I’ve been watching short videos on no knead bread.

I like to crochet blankets and knit scarves as gifts. Many people who saw me at book festivals this year probably saw me knitting or crocheting.

I’m a planner person, so I adorn my Filofax with stickers and washi tape. It keeps me organized and decorating it gets me excited to review a to do list.


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

BB: Chalula hot sauce, Rancho Gordo heirloom beans, Junior Mints, Seltzer, Topo Chico when I splurge, but more likely Kroger brand for everyday


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books?

BB: I want to write something in the same universe as Pretty Girls, but not the same characters. It’s another Southern small town noir, but with an amateur detective/writer who chooses to help a local high schooler search for a missing man. It’s my loving tribute to Murder She Wrote, but darker.


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

BB: I’m never bored. When I run out of content to consume, I can always make my own. And all that content I’d been consuming is research for future projects. So it feels very cyclical. I read things and then turn them into new things.

I have always taken the advice from Toni Morrison that if no one is writing the book you want to read, you should write it yourself. And lately I have been burned out by all my content – books, podcasts, TV shows – and it’s not because there isn’t anything good out there. I mean Yellowjackets just dropped a new season. I just know it’s time for me to write a new book.

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 Blurb:

When a young entrepreneur is killed, everyone in town points fingers at his New Age, neo-hippie, miracle-manifesting, smokeshow of an ex-girlfriend, Gabbi – including the victim’s best friend, Jenna. As detective Lindy D’Arnaud and her partner Boggs search for a motive, they begin to wonder if this is a case of jealous violence or shady business dealings gone sour.

In Lindy’s personal life, things aren’t much clearer. When Lindy’s wife’s ex-boyfriend–and sperm donor to their baby–decides to move back to town, she finds herself competing for her wife’s affection. Can they be postmodern in Western Kentucky where living as a queer person is tenuous enough already?

Told through the shifting perspectives of Lindy, Gabbi, and Jenna, “Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder” is a twisty page-turner for fans of Southern noir and NBC’s “Dateline.” 

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Brandi Bradley is an indie author and educator who lives in the great city of Atlanta, Georgia. She writes short stories and novels about crime, family drama, flea markets, cowboys, rowdy girls, and gossip. She has had short stories and essays published in Juked, Louisiana Literature, Carve, and Nashville Review. She teaches writing at Kennesaw State University. Mothers of the Missing Mermaid (2023) is her debut novel of secrets by the sea in Destin, Florida. Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder is her second book. Learn more at: www.brandibradley.com

High Tea and Misdemeanors - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

 

HIGH TEA AND MISDEMEANORS by Laura Childs
The Twenty-Ninth Tea Shop Mystery 

It should have been a glorious autumnal wedding, even if Delaine Dish was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop, and Drayton Conneley, her friend and tea sommelier had the catering well in hand and the dining space was all set up in the greenhouse when a mighty crash sent the pair rushing out to see what happened. The walls and roof of the greenhouse collapsed killing a bridesmaid and seriously injuring the groom who was sent to get her. This was no accident, however. A killer fully intended to disrupt the wedding. Theodosia, never content to sit by the sidelines decides to run her own shadow investigation. The killer hasn't finished and Theodosia just might become the next victim.

HIGH TEA AND MISDEMEANORS pits a killer against tea shop owner and sleuth Thedosia Browning. What's unusual is that readers are privy to part of the killer's point of view. Although not given the exact motivation or plans, readers are privy to some of the thoughts, ideas, and actions, as well as the killer's thoughts about Theo! I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel as it brings something fresh to the twenty-ninth book in the series! 

One of my favorite aspects of this book, indeed the whole series, is the description, be it the scenery, design, and architecture of Charleston, or the amazing food, teas, and events at the Indigo Tea Shop! Those food descriptions, as well as the recipes and tips found at the end of each book, make my mouth water and have me dreaming of my own tea parties.

The mystery was compelling, but yet again Theo takes matters into her own hands, running her "shadow investigation". Asking questions is one thing, but it seems she thinks breaking and entering is fine now. She's even cajoled Drayton into helping her against his better judgement. I wish she'd stop breaking the law in order to solve the crime. She's also developed a know it all attitude which is off putting. I wish she'd take a vacation and let Drayton and Miss Dimple solve a mystery on their own!

HIGH TEA AND MISDEMEANORS is a fast paced thrillzy that will have you wondering just who-dun-it as your mouth waters over the delectable food and tea offered by Theo and her friends at the Indigo Tea Shop.

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 High Tea and Misdemeanors (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

About High Tea and Misdemeanors

High Tea and Misdemeanors (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 29th in Series
Setting - South Carolina
Publisher: ‎ Berkley (March 4, 2025)
Hardcover: ‎ 320 pages

When a wedding is tragically averted by the death of the bridesmaid, Theodosia is determined to prove that it was murder in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series. Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are tapped to cater the elegant wedding of Bettina and Jamie. Theodosia and Drayton are setting up when they hear a crash from the greenhouse. Shockingly, they discover that part of the roof has collapsed trapping a bridesmaid and the groom. He will pull through but the bridesmaid is no more. Theodosia is convinced it was murder. INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that takes place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links:  

Website – Facebook  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Bookshop.org - PenquinRandomHouse 

 

The Medusa Murders - A Review

 Review

THE MEDUSA MURDERS by Joy Ann Ribar
The First Bay Browning Mystery 

 

It wasn't bad enough that Professor L. L. "Bay" Browning's ex-con sister unexpectedly shows up. Or that her "always hides from a problem" father says it's good that the sisters live together. But when a mix-up with her dry cleaning turns out to be an intentional switch involving her with a serial killer it's worse than not being prepared for a new semester. As an English professor and a potential next victim of the Medusa Killer, Bay begins to work with the police. Will Bay be able to discover her connection to the killer before becoming the killer's next target?

 

I really enjoyed my introduction to Bay Browning and her first mystery! Bay is not a sweet or soft protagonist. She's a bit brusque, not overtly friendly, and doesn't suffer fools gladly. She's whip smart, interesting, and genuinely cares for the well being of her students. Her sister, Cassandra, was starting to grow on me...until I read what she planned to do at work and did while she was in prison. To me, that's unconscionable. I love the concept of the Pig Squeal and really like Mandy. It was also fun seeing how Bay and Downing interacted. I'd love to see more of the Fabulous Fiona!

 

My favorite aspect of THE MEDUSA MURDERS was how mythology and art were combined. I appreciated the way in which Art History Chair and Bay's friend, Jennifer Yoo, helped by introducing several works of art and also discovering a major clue. She made me want to go down that same rabbit hole and search these paintings out, if only online.

 

The mystery was compelling. Why on earth was Bay targeted? It was fascinating to see the reasons slowly unraveled with an exciting culmination and confrontation as well.

 

Smart writing and a unique story captivated me from the get-go making THE MEDUSA MURDERS a captivating start to a new series.