Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Harlot of St. Cecelia's by Darcy Graves. This book is the first in the Inspector Garrett Mystery series and was released earlier this year. 

As Eden Brior has no plans and wants to finish up some work she volunteers to stay and close St. Cecelia's library for the night. After witnessing some unexpected drama with a stunning French woman and a bright young thing she accidentally gets locked in the library vault with that very bright young thing, a playboy named Simon Cross. Released by the police in the morning Eden wonders how they knew to rescue them. The problem is that the police weren't there to save them, but because there was a dead body in the library - that of the French woman. Even with his supervisor leaning on him to make a quick arrest, along with saddling him with an incompetent sergeant, Detective Inspector Garrett intends to fully investigate the murder, even if the evidence is pointing to Simon Cross. Eden believes Simon is innocent. After all, he was trapped with her and simply didn't have enough time to kill the woman. Both Inspector Garrett and Eden will follow the clues to find the killer, but is that person closer than they think?

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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!

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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? 

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I'm currently reading The Hanged Man by Jane Brookwood. This book is the first in the Raven-Verse Mystery series and was released earlier this year.

When Fiona Miller keeps drawing the hanged man from her Tarot deck she certainly doesn't expect to see it come to pass literally. But Henry Reynolds Jr. was found hanging at the building site his brother, Sam, was working on. Henry Jr. was a charismatic dealmaker, could he really have committed suicide? Chief Albright suspects murder and quickly takes Sam into custody. Fiona has known the brothers since they were little boys and things aren't adding up. With the help of her friends and the grudging acceptance of the chief of police Fiona starts looking into things. Will she be able to solve the murder before something else dire happens? 

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I'm currently reading Flimflam Fairy by Elizabeth Pantley. This book is the first in the Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore series and was released last week.

After years of working best friends Lucy Young and Willa Treadwell are ready to enjoy their retirement. First on their agenda is a trip. Unsure of their destination they decide to throw darts. Throwing them simultaneously the friends are surprised when the two darts hit the same location - Thistlebloom, Arizona. Upon their arrival the pair are are delighted by the charming town and even more so by The Enchanted Pages Bookstore and Coffee Shop. Completely captivated the manager tells them the shop is looking for new owners. What he doesn't mention are the magical excursions involved. Will Lucy and Willa move to Arizona to begin a new chapter in their lives? And what will they do when they discover what the job really entails? For this is no ordinary bookstore. It is a repository of books for book clubs worldwide and it will be their job to recommend the books, or not. However, they don't read the books, they actually journey inside and become a part of the story. Lucy and Willa's first trip inside a cozy mystery takes them to Whisperglow Village. Inhabited by fairies the pair finds the place delightful. But even in a  lovely world of fairies there's a murder...and a con artist. Will Lucy and Willa solve the murder and catch the scammer? More importantly, will they recommend the book?

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I just finished reading The Ghost in the Deed by Marcin Bijar. This book is the first in the Haunted Records Mystery series and was released last month.

Clara Vale's mother left Moonfall never to return, but now Clara's back to settle her great-aunt's estate. However, Etta left secrets along with her business. Secrets the mayor wants kept. Secrets involving land and a runaway. But the records show that perhaps Nora didn't run away. And something otherworldly agrees. With the help of her lawyer and a detective Clara vows to find the truth. Will she succeed, or will someone in the town silence her for good?

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I'm currently reading The Well-Forgotten Past by Kari Lee Townsend. This book is the sixth in the Wishville Mystery series and was released yesterday.

It's time for the Summer WishFest, but things are different this year. Due to the unstable nature of the land by the well, the venue has taken to the lake. A path to the well remains for people to make their wish, but vendors and activities will be on barges tethered to the shore. One of the first presentations was a talk given by Dr. Elena Rojas. A talk hijacked by a smooth prospector, Sterling Vane.Vane is doing more than telling a scientist she's wrong. He's filing claims for most of Main Street, trying to kick the shopkeepers out to get at the water underneath. Though Lyra Wells and the rest of the Fearless Four are unaware that there was an ancient treaty even before the one currently in dispute between the human world of Wishville, Vermont and the Dwellers in Elarion. An overlooked party is starting to make its presence known. While Lyra is concerned about the land, she needs to be worried about the water.

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I'm currently reading The Soufflé Also Rises by Lauren Johnson. This book is the first in the Lizi Cleverly Midlife Badass Detective series and will be released next month.

A stifling marriage led to an acrimonious divorce and after that things got even worse. At 54 Lizi Cleverly had to rebuild her life, and finding a new job during the recession of 2008 wasn't easy. Finally landing a position at Whole Foods Lizi was making the best of it until a poor emotional reaction that included cartons of eggs ended it. Lizi then made the decision to really start over. She would move to Paris for three months to do what she always wanted - write. Unfortunately, her move wasn't without her own disasters including lost luggage and a stolen purse. She's reconnected with a former lover, but he's just been arrested...again. She's left holding his bag and what she finds inside could either solve all her problems or, more likely, create a whole new set of issues.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Troubled Water by Kassandra Lamb. This book is the first in the Aging Ain't for Wimps Mystery series and was released last month.

Amy Parker's seventy-first birthday was off to a good start. Her husband, Charles, had given her a new dishwasher and was going to prepare her a steak dinner, even though she would have preferred shrimp. Unfortunately, her birthday dinner never happened as Charles never woke up from his nap. While his death was bad enough, even worse was the arrival of her bossy older sister, Clara, laden down with baggage and her cat! Before Amy could wring Clara's neck she found her dead body. And this time, it wasn't natural causes. Not too many people would shed a tear over Clara's death, but who would actually want to kill her? With two funerals to plan, an unexpected visitor who could change everything she thought about the past, and someone trying to kill her, Amy's seventy-first year is off to one heck of a start!

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I just finished reading Where There's Smoke... by E. J. Copperman. This book is the second in the Haunted Paint Store Mystery series and was released yesterday.

Books have always been important to Laura Meehan and libraries a safe haven. That's why, after moving back to her hometown and taking over her father's paint store, she volunteers at the local library one night a week. The day after Laura learns that someone is threatening the librarians, accusing them of giving pornography to children, someone sets a fire in the children and young adult section of the library. Fortunately the library was closed at the time so no one was hurt. Unfortunately, Evelyn, the head librarian, was seen walking away from the library early that morning and no one has seen her since. While she might not consider Evelyn a good friend, Laura admires her and intends to find her, especially when the arson investigator seems to think that Evelyn set the fire herself!. With the help of her tech savvy husband and the ghost of her father, a former police detective, Laura will set out, not only to find Evelyn, but prove her innocence.

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I just finished reading The Mysterious Case of the Missing House by Michele Pariza Wacek. This book is the fourth in the Redemption Detective Agency Mystery series and was released earlier this month.

The Redemption Detective Agency is not your normal detective agency. While Emily Hildebrandt has been using her office management skills in an attempt to bring a modicum of organization and sanity to the office, she hasn't been entirely successful. Her Aunt Tilde runs it more like a hobby than a business, rarely even accepting payment. And neither Tilde, nor her friends Mildred and Nora, is a licensed private investigator. That's why Emily is filling our a job application for the school district, although she hasn't been successful in completing that either. When the phone rings with a new case it seems fairly straight forward. Tilde and Mildred's old friend Amelia Clark has been on a cruise and is worried that her niece, Brandy, hasn't been watering her rose bushes. So Emily and the others drive to Meli's house only to find it isn't there. Instead there's a country club and spa! Only in Redemption could a house disappear. With a missing house and a missing niece will the Redemption Detective Agency be able to discover what happened?

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I'm currently reading All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron. This book is the third in the Golden Motel Mystery series and will be released next week.

The towns of Foundgold and Goldsgone are celebrating the birthday of Angus Sprockles, the man made the area a historic site. From the opening of a time capsule to the Sprockles Railroad Halloween-themed fundraiser for the Historical Society featuring former child star Dougie Keefer. After a wonderful event the last of the organizers are ready to take the train ride back only to find Moses Sprockles dead on the track. With murky jurisdiction, multiple law enforcement agencies soon descend upon the scene. Dee Stern, former screenwriter and new motelier is more than happy to leave this murder to the professionals. That is until her dad asks her to investigate the death of his friend. Did the murder have something to do with the silver spike from the time capsule? Or perhaps something related to Moses' work as a notary? With the Golden Motel once again associated with murder Dee and her partner, Jeff, will don their sleuthing hats and try to solve another murder.

Currently Reading...

I just finished reading The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair by Kelly Oliver. This book is the fourth in the Detection Club Mystery series and was released last month.

Some proprieties are necessary - the reading of the banns in preparation of marriage, for example. There's no mandate on where the banns need to be read, however, so in order to avoid noisy reporters Agatha Christie decided to have her banns read for three weeks on the remote Isle of Skye. Braving turbulent seas Eliza Baker and Theo Sharp join Agatha and Dorothy Parker, along with Agatha's young daughter and secretary. What they didn't realize was that the wedding party was sharing the lodge with a hunting party led by the obnoxious Lord Blackwood. When he didn't return from the days hunt with his companions, none of his party seem concerned, least of all, his wife. But Eliza's brain is turning - nearly everyone in the hunting party had reason to want the man dead. In addition, the Reverend and people from the lodge are acting strangely. Did someone murder Lord Blackwood? With Theo by her side Eliza will sift through clues and motives, but is she ready to face the truth the island is so desperately trying to hide?

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I just finished reading A Delicious Deception by Lucy Burdette. This book is the sixteenth in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series and will be released next week.

When Sheriff’s Deputy Darcy Rogers appears at the doorway of Hayley and Nathan's new home asking for a favor Hayley is surprised and her husband is furious. Darcy wants the very pregnant Hayley to bring a young woman to the county's safe exchange place to pick up her daughter. The neutral location is also home to the county jail,with an animal farm open to the public and video surveillance so while Nathan is upset, Hayley is happy to help. After all, with all of those precautions already in place, plus Darcy nearby, what could go wrong? Quite a lot as Reba, the young woman disappears, the husband is murdered, and the little girl goes missing. Will Nathan have an aneurysm before murdering Darcey? Will Hayley solve the murder before giving birth? Grab some fresh Key West eats and find out!

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I just finished reading The Well-Broken Promise by Kari Lee Townsend. This book is the fifth in the Wishville Mystery series and was released yesterday.

Spring is a time of growth and renewal, but not this Spring. In Wishville, Vermont this Spring is bringing death. The old birch tree is dying and a schism is opening the earth disrupting the connection between the human world of Wishville and the Dweller world of Elarion. Guardian of the Well, Lyra Wells can feel the difference in the earth and subtle changes are becoming not so subtle as even Wishville residents are noticing a change. Though the Spring WishFest is in progress many people want to stop the wishes. When a flashy reporter from Lulu's past appears things get even worse as he adds flames to the fire with his inflammatory headlines. But the worst happens when a scientist, more eager than is good decides to use a probe to test and amplify vibrations. After a second unauthorized attempt in the middle of the night he's found dead beneath the birch. The Fearless Four, Lyra Wells, Police Chief Thorn, Enforcer Calderis, and psychic reporter Lulu will not only have to determine who killed him (Human? Dweller? Rebel?) but attempt to fix the rift before it destroys both worlds. 

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I just finished reading Deadly Ruse by Kate Parker. This book is the fourteenth in the Deadly Series and was released yesterday.

In July 1943 with her husband assigned to North Africa Olivia Redmond and their son Stevie are living in the Coswolds with her good friend Esther. That is until she gets a call from British spymaster Sir Malcolm. Livvy is to report to Trent Park House just outside of London. The house has been turned into a Prisoner of War Camp for German generals, completely bugged with German speakers listening in the basement. Livvy is to teach sketching classes to the generals in the hopes of getting them relaxed and talking. The first surprise is seeing Oberst, now General, Bernhard as a prisoner. The second is the discovery of one of the POWs killed and stuffed in her art cabinet. Livvy soon finds herself dealing with stolen jewels, a plot against England, and another assault. Will she be able to convince the Germans she's merely an art teacher as she tries to solve the secrets of Trent Park House and a murder? Or will she be the next to be silenced? 

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I'm currently reading Recipe for Murder by Marla A. White. This book is the second in the Pine Cove Mystery series and today is its release day!

Hurt that Jackson Thibodeaux has remained in New Orleans former LAPD officer turned innkeeper Mel O'Rourke is spending more time with Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks and is enjoying it, much to her annoyance. Jackson suddenly returns with a wild story that he found a fellow student murdered at their culinary school, the same woman his mother says he was dating. Police have ruled it a suicide, but Mel has her doubts, especially with someone taking shots at Jackson. But how can she look into the situation when she's over a thousand miles away and no longer a cop? How can she deal with both Gregg and Jackson back in her life? Not to mention plumbing issues! Mel will have to juggle it all along with her wacky family and the music festival coming to town. Finding a killer might be easier.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Death of an Antiquarian by Rose Kerr. This book is the second in the Mia Reid, Archaeologist Mystery series.

Pleased with the progress of her exhibit of Aztec artifacts at the Lakeview City Museum, archaeologist Mia Reid is happy to accompany her grandmother to a special sales event at Timeless Treasures, a local antique store. She's even happier that Luke Forbes, her significant other will be arriving in Canada soon as Interpol has him on assignment training local police about theft of artifacts. The following morning Tim Fraser, owner of Timeless Treasures, is found dead at his desk, poisoned. With ties to his family Mia becomes involved, soon discovering that Tim appeared to be linked with  a major smuggling ring. As police investigate, with help from Luke, Mia begins to receive notes threatening both her and her gran if she doesn't back off. Will they stop a smuggling ring and catch a killer or will a murderer strike again?

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I just started reading A Necessary Death by Terri Karsten. This book is the first in the Tucker’s Crossing Mystery series and was released last fall.

With changeable weather traveling in the spring of 1763 is unpleasant at the best of times and these were definitely not the best of times. After the death of her seafaring husband Penelope Corbitt lost everything, including her lovely house in Philadelphia, to his heretofore unknown gambling debts. Now she and her children, sixteen year old Nebby and nine year old Nathaniel, are forced to move to Boston to live with the sister she hasn't seen in a decade. Not only that, her boorish brother-in-law is escorting them. When the storm worsens the rain soaked road proves too much and their coach overturns. While the coachman works to get the carriage upright Penelope and her family walk to the nearest inn. Penelope's first thought is to use the necessary, but when she opens the privy door she discovers a man inside...a dead man.

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I'm currently reading Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney. This is the second book in the Ravensea Castle Mystery series and was released yesterday! 

The chill October winds bring a lot of activity to Ravensea Castle. A team of ghost hunters is staying at the castle to find proof of the Ravensea ghosts get their television series aired. Also staying at the castle is Professor Tweedy who believes a treasure is located somewhere on the property. Nora Asquith, herbalist and innkeeper, well, castlekeeper, has to keep on her toes. The ghost hunters and the professor have a history, and it's not pleasant. Plus, everyone seems to know about the possible treasure. Keeping an eye on her guests becomes a priority to prevent either ghost or treasure hunter from injuring themselves or each other on the property. In addition, Ravensea is hosting a Viking Festival. Led by her brother Will, over five hundred people will descend on the property in Viking costumes to enjoy food, festivities, and Will's mead. With her father providing  the historical details for both groups, her sister helping out with the guests, and the ghosts playing their part surely everything will work out. Won't it?