Driedels and Dead Ends - A Book Blast!

 

An Excerpt:

Retracing her steps, she realized she’d missed a turnoff from the kitchen. It led to a storage area for fine bone china and glassware, a dumbwaiter for delivering food to the second floor, and a wine cellar down a short flight of steps. She could smell the barrel-aged wine even from here.

Wait, what? Florida homes didn’t have basements. In her mind’s eye, she regarded the house from the outside. It had been built on a slope, presumably allowing for a lower level.

The owner must have stashed his bootlegger liquor there. In that case, the cellar might have a tunnel leading away from the house. And this inner door would have been disguised to hide its true purpose during a raid.

For that matter, where was the vault hidden? Upstairs in the master suite?

A brilliant thought hit, and she smacked her head. If she or Dalton had thought of it earlier, they could have obtained a blueprint of the place. Too late now, but that would have made things a lot easier. Now she just had her own intuition to guide her.

She peered down the stairs to the dark cellar but didn’t hear any voices coming from that direction. Quietly, she shut the door. Dread pressed upon her shoulders as she realized she’d have to go upstairs. This hadn’t been in her game plan. If she were wise, she’d wait outside until Dalton could get there. Or she could grab a defensive weapon just in case Sierra was in trouble and continue to search for her.

Dalton had once given her pepper spray for her purse, but she was afraid she’d end up breathing in the fumes herself if she used it. Nor had she wanted to learn how to use a knife or a gun like he’d suggested. Her wits would have to suffice, and so far, they’d served her well.

A solid bookend from the library might serve her purpose. She reentered that room and scanned the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that lined the walls. As she listened to a clock ticking in the background, she heard those faint voices again.

She glanced around for a bookend and spotted a heavy flashlight on one shelf. She lifted the bulky tool and turned on the beam, scouring the shelves. If the house did have hidden passages, this would be a good location for one.

She hesitated when something struck her as peculiar about that panel in the middle. As she splayed her beam back and forth, she noticed it seemed wider than the other sections. Moving closer, she pressed her fingers around the edges, but nothing happened. Then she tilted each book on the shelves one by one.

Would the titles make a difference? She squinted at them, trying to read the faded print. They looked like stories from classic literature.

She’d read some of these titles in school, but none of them struck her as fitting the action-adventure genre. Instinct told her she was onto something, especially when she heard voices murmuring again.

Wait a minute. You have a literature professor in the family. Text Reed for a clue.

She hastily composed her query and sent it off, hoping he was near his phone. Remembering to put hers on silent mode, she paced back and forth while waiting for a response.

A few moments later, she suppressed a whoop of triumph. Reed had responded with just the info she needed.

Oh, man. She could really use a directory to the library. Shivering in the air-conditioning, she went back to studying the book titles and examined the ones nearest the panel that appeared a tad too wide. There! King Solomon’s Mines.

“Reed, you’re a genius.” She tilted the book outward. Immediately, a click sounded, followed by a rumbling noise.

 **************************************************************

Dreidels and Dead Ends (Bad Hair Day Mysteries) by Nancy J. Cohen

About Dreidels and Dead Ends

Dreidels and Dead Ends (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 19th in Series
Setting - Florida
Publisher: ‎ Orange Grove Press
Publication Date: ‎ June 23, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 246 pages

A daring holiday heist at the local history museum sends hairstylist Marla Vail on her most tangled case yet. When salon owner Marla Vail agrees to speak at the local history museum’s gala opening for a new exhibit, she expects applause—not a catastrophe. But shortly after she takes the stage, a thief steals the featured diamond-studded hairbrush, leaving behind an empty display case and a badly injured security guard. Marla’s friend, museum curator Becky Forest, begs for her help in recovering the prized heirloom before the mayor uses this scandal as an excuse to cut their funding. To make matters worse, the antique hairbrush comes with a curse, and suddenly bad luck is spreading through town faster than a botched dye job. As Hanukkah festivities begin, Marla would rather be lighting candles than chasing clues, but with Becky’s job at stake, she takes on the case. Her trail leads to a knot of suspects including the hairbrush’s owner, his greedy cousin, shifty museum staff, and a reclusive collector of mystical antiquities. Instead of enjoying menorah lights and latkes, Marla discovers murder, lies, and larceny. She’ll need sharp wits and a holiday miracle to save the museum and to keep the truth from being brushed aside.

About Nancy J. Cohen

 

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards and the RONE Award, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook, have won the FAPA President’s Book Award, the Royal Palm Literary Award, and IAN Book of the Year. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.

Author Links

Website Blog Facebook Twitter / X LinkedIn Instagram BookBub Pinterest Goodreads YouTube

Add to Your TBR Wish List: Goodreads BookBub

Purchase Links - Universal Link - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Bookshop.org - Apple - Google Play

Masher of Ceremonies - A Review

 Review

MASHER OF CEREMONIES by Victoria Hamilton
The Thirteenth Vintage Kitchen Mystery 

 

Unwilling to let Queensville's traditional Tea with the Queen die Jaymie Müller is determined to make this year's fundraiser the best ever, even if it kills her! Jaymie's already busy life gets even more chaotic when Nigel, her event partner and new owner of Stowe House, tells her he's being blackmailed and asks for her help. Does the dead body have something to do with the blackmail or is something else going on? Between making sure the Tea with the Queen is a success, dealing with volunteers old and new, including Nigel's entourage, opening her own shop, and caring for her family, Jaymie will also puzzle out just who killed Queensville's latest victim.

 

Jaymie has so much going on in the thirteenth Vintage Kitchen Mystery I don't know when she has time to breathe! I enjoyed reading about her many activities including opening her own shop and tea room with her best friend and seeing her home life, simple acts of cooking a meal and getting her daughter ready for school or watching her play with her cousins. These looks into Jaymie's life give readers a sense of who she is-someone who can organize and solve problems, whether it's where to locate  a vintage kitchenware pattern, how to deal with volunteers, or how to solve a murder!

 

MASHER OF CEREMONIES is a bit different in that the first major problem, aside from reining in was the blackmail situation. We know the identity of the blackmailer, we just don't know what he's capable of. The murder doesn't happen for quite some time and the motive, as well as the killer, is unknown. I like how Jaymie involves the police and asks for advice and help, yet still remains strong and independent. While events move at a slower pace, there are some heart pounding surprises and a few fast paced thrills.

 

With lots of moving parts MASHER OF CEREMONIES is a delightful blend of Michigan summer life and murder. 

The Diva Hosts a Murderer - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Cyril Chevalier to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Cyril on the pages of THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER by Krista Davis. This book is the nineteenth in the Domestic Diva Mystery series and was released last week.

Cyril Chevalier: 

You might know Sophie Winston. She was kind enough to include me when she invited her family to stay with her over the Fourth of July. I’m honored to be thought of as a member of the family.

I went to high school with her dad, Paul, his sister Melly, and Sophie’s mom, Inga. We had a grand time growing up together! We went our separate ways in our college years. I became a professor of engineering, a job to which I was married. I took it very seriously and was always there for my students. I was all in when it came to special events on campus. I was the dependable go-to guy whenever anyone needed help.

But now that I’m retired, I’m really sorry that I didn’t think about a social life outside of my job. So many of my friends, like Paul and Inga, have each other now. Someone to share fun times with, to travel with, even just to sit on the porch and rock with on a warm summer evening.

I told Sophie that I feel like the song On Top Of Old Smoky was written about me because I courted too slow. Or, in my case, not at all. Now, I don’t want you thinking I never met the right woman. I did! But she married someone else.

I wonder sometimes if it’s wrong to tell an engaged woman that you’re in love with her. I backed away and watched as she married and went on with her life. But what if I hadn’t? What if I had told her the truth about how I felt? It would have been her choice then. Him or me? Maybe she would have chosen him, but at least I would have tried. I would have known that she didn’t feel the same way about me.

So, I went about my life for decades, seeking someone else. But she held my heart the whole time. It wasn’t easy watching her with her husband. But that was my lot. And it was all my fault because I never let her know how I felt.

Her husband passed away about a year or so ago. I was in a quandary because I knew she needed time to heal. Time to come to grips with the loss of her husband. I certainly didn’t want to make a move too fast. That would have been most distasteful! So, once again, I carried on, waiting, waiting, waiting for the right time to ask her out on a date.

But wouldn’t you just know that she went on a vacation to Las Vegas with a man who was new to town, and they came back married! Once again, I missed the timing. And now I’m back to watching her with another man.

I have a bad feeling that he’s a worm. But I can’t just walk up to her and say that! Can I? 

****************************************************************************

Review

THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER by Krista Davis
The Nineteenth Domestic Diva Mystery 

Sophie Winston is planning a big Fourth of July celebration and has opened her home to a variety of family and friends. Although she's happy to spend time with her parents and Aunt Melly, she not quite sure about Melly's new husband, Gus. In the days before the holiday Sophie has arranged plenty of tours for the group. For the most part everyone seems to be having a good time, but it all changes when the tour guide is found dead and Sophie's dad becomes the prime suspect. In addition to being a superlative hostess, Sophie will have to revisit her role as a cunning detective in order to keep her family safe and find a killer!

With the nineteenth Domestic Diva Mystery I find myself once again envying Sophie's casual style and ease of entertaining, effortlessly whipping up scrumptious dishes while putting everyone at ease. That being said, she can keep her houseload of guests! One of the things I enjoy most about the Domestic Diva Mystery series is how the author seamlessly weaves together great food, household tips and crime solving with ordinary daily life. All while having an active social life and working! In addition this book also provides a warning for women, especially older women.

I enjoyed the variety of characters in THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER. The majority have secrets, but just which secrets are dangerous? I really liked Dollie and hope we see more of her in future books. Natasha is her usual obnoxious self and I'm glad she was primarily just brief comic relief in this outing. I love how Sophie and her core crew work together and I really appreciated the two final surprises...ok, three final surprises.

This Independence Day fireworks are exploding all over Old Town Alexandria in THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER with volatile relationships, suspicious behavior, and murder!

*****************************************************************************

 The Diva Hosts a Murderer (A Domestic Diva Mystery) by Krista Davis

About The Diva Hosts a Murderer

The Diva Hosts a Murderer (A Domestic Diva Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 19th in Series
Setting - Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: ‎ May 26, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 336 pages

Old Town Virginia’s entertaining guru and occasional sleuth Sophie Winston – a young Martha Stewart in the making – juggles Fourth of July fireworks, a houseful of guests, and homicide in the latest Domestic Diva culinary mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis.

With a big crowd descending on her Northern Virginia home, it’s a good thing event planner Sophie Winston is an expert at entertaining. Whipping up patriotic pastries is as easy as pie for her, though meeting the man her widowed Aunt Melly just impulsively married in Las Vegas is a little more awkward. Especially when Melly’s longtime, now-heartbroken secret admirer is there too, which could lead to some fireworks.

But the house party really gets explosive when Sophie’s favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer—and evidence points to Sophie’s own father. Will DNA really incriminate her dad? And what’s the real story with her new uncle-by-marriage and the mysterious pal he’s brought along with him? Some of the secrets Sophie’s discovering are raising flags—and while the police department casts suspicion on her father, she has to declare her independence as a detective to find the real culprit, and serve justice along with her red, white, and blue cupcakes . . .

Includes delicious recipes, fabulous decorating tips, and easy entertaining hacks!

About Krista Davis

New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Domestic Diva Mystery series. Krista lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with two cats and a brood of dogs. Her friends and family complain about being guinea pigs for her recipes, but she notices they keep coming back.

Author Links: 

Website www.KristaDavis.com 

Instagram www.instagram.com/kristadavisauthor  

Facebook www.facebook.com/KristaDavisAuthor  

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1555579.Krista_Davis  

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

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/krista-davis  

Delicious Mysteries https://www.facebook.com/groups/1573601592919093  

Purchase Links Amazon Apple Barnes & Noble Books A Million Bookshop Hudson Booksellers Indigo Rakuten Kobo Tantor Audio Target Walmart

A Poisonous Pour - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a recent release. A Poisonous Pour by Maddie Day is the third book in the Cece Barton Mystery series and was released this week!

 

Blurb:

It’s Memorial Day weekend and Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley is buzzing with activity. For Cece, business at Vino y Vida is going great, as is her romance with new beau, Benjamin. Meanwhile, Cece’s neighbor, Richard Flora, is stirring up controversy with his newest article, an exposé of Regan Greene, power-hungry director of a valley district organization. Also in the mix is the town’s big classic car show, paired with wine tastings . . .

At the show, Cece spots Regan, who is displaying her restored green ’72 Thunderbird convertible. As Cece pours tastes, she witnesses several heated discussions with Regan—including an argument with wine afficionado and new Colinas hardware store owner Greg Jardis. Otherwise, all goes smoothly—until Sunday brings shocking news. Regan has been murdered . . .

Rumors fly that Richard may have orchestrated the homicide—or even committed it. But Cece knows that’s absurd. And others in Cece’s orbit seem to have discomfiting connections to Regan, from Cece’s employee, Dane, to her winemaking teacher’s sister, Yolanda, to Colinas Mayor Guittierez. And after Yolanda visits the wine bar, Benjamin says he recognizes her from a road race.

Determined to clear Richard’s name, and failing to extract any clues from detectives, Cece once again enlists her twin, Allie, as her partner-in-sleuthing. But they’ll have to act quickly, before the trail goes
sour . . .