A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder - A Review

 Review

A CHRISTMAS GUIDE TO FAMILY AND MURDER by Dianne Freeman
The Ninth Countess of Harleigh Mystery 

 

It's Christmastime and Frances Hazelton, formerly the Countess of Harleigh, is delighting in the mild London weather. Her daughter and ward, however, have snow on their minds and even her husband, George, is keen to spend Christmas at his sister Fiona's home in the country where there's sure to be snow. While she'd prefer to stay in London enjoying the Christmas concert at Royal Albert Hall, Frances is persuaded and the whole family heads to Hadley Grange. However, instead of snow, they're met with a massive rainstorm on their first night. George and Fiona's husband, Robert, leave the next day to help unblock the roads. Deciding to get some fresh air Frances, Fiona, and the children decide to take a ramble only to discover a dead body in the fields. With no coroner, he's the dead body, no law enforcement or magistrate in town, all dealing with the storm damage, it will be up to Frances to determine if she needs to solve another murder!

 

What makes A CHRISTMAS GUIDE TO FAMILY AND MURDER so different from other books in the series is that Frances is pretty much on her own when it comes to solving a murder. While she has Fiona and Hetty to bounce ideas off of, and even has a little help from the children, they aren't as well versed in investigations as her husband or Inspector Delaney. Although she decries of solving this perplexing murder, she's fully capable. I was laughing when George finally returned and was ready to assist, it was Frances taking the lead.

 

I love how the whole family got involved and how the children turned a holiday writing assignment into writing a murder mystery! As the title implies, family plays a huge role in the ninth Countess of Harleigh Mystery. Parenting, marriage, and dealing with all manner of relatives combine to move the story along, provide motives, and a solution to the crime.

 

A perplexing murder in the country makes A CHRISTMAS GUIDE TO FAMILY AND MURDER an intriguing Christmas who-dun-it. I absolutely love this series and truly enjoyed this latest outing. I look forward to the next one! 

Crime and Croissants - A Review

 Review

 

CRIME AND CROISSANTS by Emmie Lyn
The First Cooking Club Murder Mystery 

Milly Rosebush's husband left her for a yoga instructor half her age. The good news is that she got the lovely lake house in New Hampshire in the divorce. With her teenaged daughter away at camp Milly and her best friend, Carla arrive at the house, Milly intending to spend the rest of her life there and Carla the weekend. But an unexpected cat leads Milly upstairs only to find her husband's mistress in her bedroom, dead. With the detective in charge eyeballing her and the quaint town looking at her suspiciously and gossiping Milly decides she needs to investigate. With her bestie, a good looking neighbor who's a bit too helpful, and a dynamic senior duo they will pull out all the stops to find a killer.

I really enjoyed meeting Milly and seeing her refresh her life. I appreciate the fact that she's in her 40s with a lot of life experiences yet a lot more to come. While I don't like that Carla doesn't like animals, surely a serial killer trait, but she makes a good foil for Milly. Brody the well known artist, is ever so helpful and readers have to question, is he really that helpful or is he the killer, or could he be a future love interest. Of course, my favorite characters, aside from Hazel the cat and Tango the dog, are Ivy and Nadine. I can't wait to learn more of their covert backstory.

The mystery was good with lots of plausible suspects. I'm not sure if adding the issues from Milly's past was a good thing. While hinting at possible future storylines I think it just muddied the waters in the first Cooking Club Mystery and didn't think it necessary.

Good food and a quaint setting help make CRIME AND CROISSANTS a delectable new mystery series. 

Currently Reading...

I  just started reading A Christmas Guide to Family and Murder by Dianne Freeman. This book is the ninth in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series and was released yesterday!

It's Christmastime and Frances Hazelton, formerly the Countess of Harleigh, is delighting in the mild London weather. Her daughter and ward, however, have snow on their minds and even her husband, George, is keen to spend Christmas at his sister Fiona's home in the country where there's sure to be snow. While she'd prefer to stay in London enjoying the Christmas concert at Royal Albert Hall, Frances is persuaded and the whole family heads to Hadley Grange. However, instead of snow, they're met with a massive rainstorm on their first night. George and Fiona's husband, Robert, leave the next day to help unblock the roads. Deciding to get some fresh air Frances, Fiona, and the children decide to take a ramble only to discover a dead body in the fields. With no coroner, he's the dead body, no law enforcement or magistrate in town, all dealing with the storm damage, it will be up to Frances to determine if she needs to solve another murder!

Harvest of Lies - A Review

 Review

HARVEST OF LIES by Marta Kowal
The Second Paczek Lane Mystery 

It's summertime and the Polish town of Miłosław is gearing up for Dożynki, the harvest festival. Lena Mazur has acclimated to the town she now calls home and is happy running Cukiernia Babci Zosi. Busy baking pączki, she's told that a film crew will be arriving to create an episode of Hidden Poland and her bakery will be featured. Fortunately, the crew is small and the producer charming...too charming. Though he asks about the bakery and food, he proceeds to inquire about the unfortunate events of the fall. Though Lena guides the conversation back to the pączki she's unsettled, especially after learning he's been asking pointed questions to others as well. Is Piotr making a charming film about the delights of Miłosław or is he trying to uncover a sordid past? 

I absolutely love this series and enjoy seeing the seasons change in Miłosław. In the second Paczek Lane Mystery we get to enjoy a late summer festival and the possibility of a television show highlighting the town. What the townsfolk get is subterfuge and someone's downfall. I appreciate the details about Dożynki and I was enthralled by the ancient traditions. I also enjoy seeing Lena and Jakub's relationship grow. 

HARVEST OF LIES shows the complexity that is the Poland. A bucolic countryside has hidden depths including some unpleasant truths. But, no matter the problems, the people gather together in strength and solidarity.  I love the addition of Polish language to the text and smiled when I saw the glossary, something I recommended after I read the first book. If I smiled when I saw that I was grinning when I read the epilogue wherein Pyza, the cat, summarizes the story.

HARVEST OF LIES is more that just a finely crafted mystery, its prose is lyrical in nature capturing the beauty of the country and the importance of relationships. 

Traditions, humor, and plenty of pączki along with a finely wrought mystery make HARVEST OF LIES a captivating story I couldn't put down. 

Crime and Croissants - A Spotlight & Giveaway

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a new series. CRIME AND CROISSANTS is the first book in the Cooking Club Murder Mystery series and was released earlier this month. Look out for my review which will be coming later this week.

 Crime and Croissants (Cooking Club Murder Mystery) by Emmie Lyn

About Crime and Croissants

Crime and Croissants (Cooking Club Murder Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - New Hampshire
Publisher: ‎ Tule Publishing
Publication Date: ‎ September 16, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 280 pages

Milly Rosebush thought the hardest part of starting over would be moving into the lakeside home she once owned with her ex-husband. In a small New Hampshire town where everyone knows her history, she’s determined to rebuild her life—with good food, fresh starts, and her best friend by her side.

Then she finds a woman in her upstairs bedroom. Dead.

Worse, a stranger walks in to find Milly holding the murder weapon—and just like that, she’s the prime suspect.

As gossip spreads faster than a kitchen fire, clearing her name means asking questions no one in Fox Hollow wants answered. Because the deeper Milly digs, the more unsettling the truth becomes.

With the help of her cooking club—a group with sharp opinions and sharper instincts—plus a too-helpful neighbor, Milly finds that every gathering comes with good food… and a side of suspicion.

But in a town built on secrets, getting too close to the truth can be dangerous.

If Milly wants a second chance, she has to catch a killer—before she ends up on the menu.

With lakeside charm, mouthwatering recipes, and a dash of danger, the Cooking Club Murder Mysteries serve up the perfect bite of cozy crime.

About Emmie Lyn

Emmie Lyn has written several cozy mystery series and a romantic suspense series.

Emmie lives in a small New England town, the kind where everyone knows your name—and your secrets. It’s no surprise that her fictional worlds are filled with the same charm: scenic, close-knit communities full of quirky, unforgettable characters. She loves crafting mysteries laced with clever twists and turns, the kind that keep readers guessing and turning pages well into the night.

She lives with her husband and a black cat who rules the house with a velvet paw and a terrible attitude. Their twelve-acre homestead is a haven for deer, bunnies, turkeys, and a chorus of songbirds. When she’s not plotting fictional murders, she’s out hiking wooded trails, or spending time with her grandchildren.

Author Links: 

Webpage: https://emmielynbooks.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmielynauthor  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/18404840.Emmie_Lyn  

Mystery on the Menu newsletter: https://authoremmielyn.substack.com  

Purchase Link - Amazon

Murder on Threadneedle Street - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on an upcoming release. Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose is the tenth book in the Wrexford and Sloane Mystery series and will be released next week.

 Blurb:

Lord Wrexford and Charlotte’s growing family ensures that life is a source of constant adventure. The addition of Wrexford’s half-sister to their household is proving an unexpected delight. But some surprises are less welcome—and trouble strikes when Hawk, one of the young boys in their care, arrives home distraught after learning that his new drawing teacher has been found murdered on Threadneedle Street.

Fletcher Campbell’s death could be dismissed as a random robbery turned violent. But as an artist herself, Charlotte suspects there’s more to the case than meets the eye. Closer examination reveals that a distinctive ring was taken from the victim’s finger. With Hawk pleading for the family to help solve the crime, Charlotte and Wrexford suddenly find themselves entangled in a fiendish mystery that harkens back to a decade-old scandal that nearly brought down the government.

It seems Campbell’s brother was the infamous leader of a counterfeiting gang that swindled the Bank of England. Most were apprehended, but forged banknotes remain a problem. Now, the Bank of England has offered £20,000 to anyone who can use the newly-invented engineering technologies to create the Inimitable Banknote—a complex design that cannot be counterfeited.

It’s a prize that could tempt anyone, and Wrexford and Sloane’s investigation turns even more fraught when one of their closest friends falls under suspicion. The deeper they probe, the more treachery comes to light. For when a lie so easily masquerades as truth, danger may be much closer than they think . . . 

Currently Reading...

I just started reading Harvest of Lies by Marta Kowal. This book is the second in the Paczek Lane Mystery series and was released last month.

It's summertime and the Polish town of Miłosław is gearing up for Dożynki, the harvest festival. Lena Mazur has acclimated to the town she now calls home and is happy running Cukiernia Babci Zosi. Busy baking pączki, she's told that a film crew will be arriving to create an episode of Hidden Poland and her bakery will be featured. Fortunately, the crew is small and the producer charming...too charming. Though he asks about the bakery and food, he proceeds to inquire about the unfortunate events of the fall. Though Lena guides the conversation back to the pączki she's unsettled, especially after learning he's been asking pointed questions to others as well. Is Piotr making a charming film about the delights of Miłosław or is he trying to uncover a sordid past?