Cozy Up With Kathy

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Death of a Bad Penny - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome A.M. Loweecey back to Cozy Up With Kathy. A.M. writes the Moonlighting Mystery series. DEATH OF A BAD PENNY is the first book in the series and was released in September.

Kathy: DEATH OF A BAD PENNY brings you back to the world of cozies after a stint writing horror. What made you decide to return?

AML: I've really missed the mystery community. Everyone's so welcoming! The business answer is: I wrote a brand-new book and Level Best offered to publish it and two more, making it a new series. Cozies are such fun to write. I haven't stopped writing horror, though--I have 2 books coming out next year!

Kathy: What do you find is the major difference between writing cozies and writing horror...or is there one?

AML: Clues! Planting them, creating red herrings, taking the reader along with the hero as they solve the mystery. My horror and fantasy writing also has heroes and villains, but mysteries require that extra level of sleuthing.

Kathy: In the first Moonlighting Mystery we meet Cordelia West, a college professor who quotes Shakespeare, at least to herself. Do you enjoy reading the classics? Do you quote the Bard as well?

AML: I'm a huge classics geek. My reading runs more to Middle English and ancient Greek drama--Chaucer, Malory, Aeschylus--but I do like a good Shakespeare experience. I can read Middle English, but not Greek.

Kathy: Cordelia's louse of a husband returns only to die in her arms, causing her even more trouble. Before he died he slipped her a cryptic artifact. Have you ever been given something that caused you trouble?

AML: Thank goodness; no. I plot things out in detail. I'm not sure I think on my feet fast enough.

Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story or the series as a whole?

AML: Honest to God, I woke up from a vivid dream of a teacher holding an unknown artifact given to her by her dead husband, and a handsome cop walks into her classroom telling her they have to go on the run because of it. I wrote it down as soon as I was wide awake and that same day started creating the characters. Sometimes my brain likes me.

Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Cordelia?

AML: Cordelia's next adventure involves a jewel thief and a chaotic musical based on one of the Canterbury Tales. With swords. And rescue dogs. And luscious desserts.

Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

AML: Yes, thank you! The second Moonlighting Mystery hits stores next September. My multi-generational novel of a family-owned traveling carnival also comes out sometime next year. And the second Renegade Exorcist book is in my publisher's hands. I love being busy!

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Review

DEATH OF A BAD PENNY by A.M. Loweecey
The First Moonlighting Mystery

After her louse of a husband drained their bank account and deserted her Professor Cordelia West had to rebuild her life. But her husband wasn't quite done with her, appearing in a spectacular fashion with a car chase and shooting, ultimately dying in her arms. Even that wasn't the end of it as he slipped an artifact into her pocket. An artifact people will kill for. Enter Detective Cesare Bruno. Cordelia doesn't trust the too good looking detective, but after being shot at, joins him and they go on the run. Determining what to do with the treasure while evading killers finds her in one dilemma after another. Will Cordelia finally be able to rid herself of her husband's bad energy, or will she join him in the great beyond?

The first Moonlighting Mystery brings elements of buddy movies, spy thrillers, and archeological mysteries together. Cordelia West is a fine protagonist. She's smart, likable, and well able to take care of herself. As she finds herself in one impossible situation after another she doesn't give up or give in, rather she takes stock and deals with the situation, using her classics background more often than not. I like that while she doesn't completely trust Cesare, she works well with him and together they make a great team. I enjoyed how they dealt with their choice of hotels and I consequently don't want to stay in any for some time! The hired muscle isn't the most competent, thankfully for the good guys. but they don't give up either. There are some nasty characters and a few surprises. I absolutely adore Bogie and Bacall and hope to see a lot more of them!

DEATH OF A BAD PENNY is an enjoyable fast paced action adventure complete with witty banter and unexpected twists.

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Death of a Bad Penny: The Moonlighting Mysteries by A.M. Loweecey

About Death of a Bad Penny

Death of a Bad Penny: The Moonlighting Mysteries
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - New York State and Washington, D.C.
Publisher: ‎ Level Best Books
Publication Date: ‎ September 8, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 270 pages

College professor Cordelia West loves her life--until her deadbeat husband returns at the losing end of a car chase and gun battle. He dies in her lap in front of a packed restaurant. Powering through the police interrogation and bystander videos going viral, Cory vows no man will ever wreck her life again.

But after finding the cryptic artifact he slipped into her pocket as he died, Cory has a new problem: the killer's after the artifact. Now she's stuck with a charming detective who insists on helping her as they go on the run. Dodging the relentless killer and the detective's suspicious behavior is giving Cory whiplash. She's seriously considering smashing the artifact over Mr. Charming's head.

About A.M. Loweecey

Baker of brownies and tormenter of characters, A.M. Loweecey grew up watching Scooby-Doo mysteries and Hammer horror films, which explains a whole lot. When A.M. isn’t finding new ways to mystify readers and make them laugh, she's growing vegetables in the garden and water lilies in the koi pond. A.M. writes the Renegade Exorcist series (starting with Demons & Ramen), the Moonlighting Mysteries series (starting with Death of a Bad Penny) has 9 books in the Giulia Driscoll, P.I., mystery series (as Alice Loweecey) and 2 stand-alone horrors as Kate Morgan: Staking Cinderella and The Redeemers. She also has several anthologized short stories.

Author Links

AM's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/author/amloweecey
Website: www.amloweecey.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amloweecey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amloweecey
Goodreads: A.M. Loweecey (Author of Demons & Ramen) | Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

Sunday, November 8, 2026

The Well-Guarded Truth - A Review

Review

THE WELL-GUARDED TRUTH by Kari Lee Townsend
The Seventh Wishville Mystery

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.

Truths kept hidden because it's just easier and the rise of rival factions power the seventh Wishville Mystery. Throughout history land has been a commodity that has been bought, stolen, and used as power. Wars have been fought over it and people have died. The land remains, but the machinations between people who want it and those who are entitled to it remain. We see that both above and below ground in Wishville.

What should be a happy event turns tumultuous as odd occurrences and murder try to disrupt Fall Wish-Fest. Many people with various agendas made the mystery complex and engrossing. One of my favorite parts of the book was seeing the residents of Wishville fight the rebel rebels without even knowing the truth behind the villains. It's fascinating to see Lulu come into her powers while Lyra's are diminishing. Both are in tune with the magic and learning to adjust, but I find it sad that the well doesn't automatically recognize Lyra anymore.

Happy days are put on hold as THE WELL-GUARDED TRUTH deals with deception, obstruction, hate, and ultimately, love.

Friday, November 6, 2026

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

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 T

IKTOK: 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

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

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.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

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

Purchase Links – Amazon B&N

Sunday, November 1, 2026

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.

Author Links:

Website: http://kimdavisauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Davis-Author-1532277473479031/

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20202599.Kim_Davis

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kim-davis-899e51b0-5661-401c-98b1-ec4c2973d58a

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kimdavishb/

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kimdavisauthor