Murder in a Cup - A Review

 Review

MURDER IN A CUP by Lauren Elliott
The Second Crystals and CuriosiTEAS Mystery

Shay is eager to participate in the Fall Harvest Wine and Food Festival, but she's got an "inky" feeling. Trouble is coming. Before she knows it, trouble has arrived. A custody battle is about to begin over Tassi, Shay's young assistant. When a customer dies at a group tea leaf reading, Tassi's comments lead police to arrest her. Now her father is doing everything he can to destroy Shay as well. Liam's Gran is guiding Shay, but will that be enough?

My stomach was in knots with all the tension and conflict in the first part of the book. I get so upset when powerful people go after people I like in an attempt to destroy them. And that's exactly what Tassi's father does to Shay. And Shay is someone I like. It goes to show how invested I am in these characters and how much I care!

Family is a key ingredient in the Crystals and CuriosiTEAS Mystery series; the good, the bad, and the ugly. And there's plenty of ugly. On the good side, Gran is an amazing addition to the series. Wise and funny, she also can give Shay insight into her family and her gifts. I love seeing the relationships at play here, between Shay and her sister, Shay and Liam, and more.

MURDER IN A CUP ratcheted up my anxiety, giving me a tense emotional mystery and lots of family drama, before leaving me satisfied...except for a certain relationship whose timing isn't working just yet.

The Alchemist of Monsters & Mayhem - A Review

 Review

THE ALCHEMIST OF MONSTERS & MAYHEM by Gigi Pandian
The Seventh Accidental Alchemist Mystery 

After a lot of life changing moments and hard work, Zoe Faust's boyfriend, Max, is ready to open his tea shop. But before the grand opening the shop is vandalized and teas Max made from plants he and his grandmother planted are stolen. Add to the shock, his father has arrived in town and admits it was he who destroyed the shop. In order to figure out what's going on, Zoe and Max visit members of a local tea club only to discover mysterious plants and a murder. Could those plants really be monsters come to life? And why would Andrew Liu destroy his son's dream? Zoe and Dorian will have to use their little grey cells to come to the truth.

Dorian is the best! I love how this little gargoyle wants so much to make a good impression when he finally gets to meet Max in person, and how when that meeting is dashed he does his best to help solve the mystery. I get a kick out the manner in which he gets Nicholas Flamel to help him, as well as his own attempt at a Gothic novel. I was most intrigued by the possibility of plant monsters. The atmosphere and ambiance certainly made it a distinct possibility, even a probability in my mind.

The curious relationships, between Dante and Carla and members of the Posh and Punk Rock Tea Club, Andrew Liu and his family, for example, infuse the mystery with a multitude of emotions. We are witness to both good and bad relationships and see what lengths people will go to for love.

A mysterious highly atmospheric setting, family secrets, and a nod to Gothic literature make THE ALCHEMIST OF MONSTERS & MAYHEM a captivating and truly unique read. I absolutely loved it and can't wait for more books in the series.

Clocked Out - A Cover Reveal

The Great Escapes Team is happy to share with you the cover of Anna St. John's new Josie Posey Mystery. It will be released on February 6, 2024

 

Clocked Out - A Josie Posey Mystery
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Level Best Books (February 6, 2024)
Setting: A small town in Sunflower County, Kansas, named English Village

Josie Posey and her posse of Mahjong Mavens are at it again, in this cozy mystery where the retired big city crime reporter turned small town crime solver uncovers another murder in picturesque English Village.

When the clockmaker’s daughter returns home for a visit, reporter Josie Posey is assigned the task of interviewing the talented watch designer. That very afternoon the young woman falls from a ladder while inventorying antique clocks.

At first, Josie is certain the fall was an accident. Everyone loved Ella McGregor Benjamin. But Ella’s deathbed statement is a mysterious riddle that can’t be ignored. With her Old English Sheepdog Moe by her side, and an ever-growing list of suspects, Josie scrambles to identify the killer before anyone else gets hurt.

The local police chief wants Josie to help solve the puzzle, but stay out of his murder case. The editor of The Village Gazette wants an in-depth story for the next edition. And somebody wants Josie to stop asking questions. Deadlines loom.

In this fast-paced rollercoaster ride of a mystery, the clock is ticking as Josie vows to find the killer before time runs out.

About the Author

Anna St. John writes cozy mysteries featuring a mature, yet feisty, fomer crime reporter, Josie Posey, as the amateur sleuth.

Her debut novel, DOOMED BY BLOOMS, was released by Level Best Books in February 2023. CLOCKED OUT is the second book in her Josie Posey Mystery Series. It is scheduled to release Feb. 6, 2024.

A former journalist, award-winning advertising copywriter and ad agency owner, Anna is married to her high school sweetheart. She writes from her home office in Kansas, with her Old English Sheepdog by her side.

Anna is represented by Cindy Bullard, of Birch Literary Agency. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Kansas Authors Club.

Author Links Website Facebook

Buy Link

Currently Reading...

I just finished reading Murder in a Cup by Lauren Elliott. This book is the second in the Crystals and CuriosiTEAS Mystery series.  

Shay is eager to participate in the Fall Harvest Wine and Food Festival, but she's got an "inky" feeling. Trouble is coming. Before she knows it, trouble has arrived. An custody battle is about to ensue over Tassi, Shay's young assistant. When a customer dies at a group tea leaf reading, Tassi's comments lead police to arrest her. Now her father is doing everything he can to destroy Shay as well. Liam's Gran is guiding Shay, but will that be enough?

New Year Nuisance - A Spotlight

I'm still in the holiday spirit so I thought I'd start the New Year with a holiday spotlight. New Year Nuisance by Tonya Kappes is the fourth book in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series.

 

 

Blurb:

New Year’s Eve has always been a special time for the small town, Holiday Junction, with its annual tradition, the Sparkle Ball, along with the town Merry Maker spreading joy and cheer to all its residents. But this year, the joy is short-lived when local nuisance and troublemaker, Hillary Stevens, is found murdered in holiday town’s mini-village.

As the town’s resident nosy journalist, Violet Rhinehammer is determined to uncover the truth behind Hillary’s murder and bring the killer to justice. But her investigation is complicated by her own secret – she is the town Merry Maker, and must keep her identity hidden from Mae West, her best friend who is visiting for the festive town’s Sparkle Ball.

With suspects at every turn and a town full of secrets, Violet must use her keen investigative skills and determination to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again. Will she be able to solve the mystery and bring the killer to justice, or will her own secret be her downfall?

2023 - The Year in Review

It's hard to believe that today is New Year's Eve. I thought I'd take time to look back over the books I've read in 2023.

The book I was reading when 2023 began was A TRACE OF POISON by Colleen Cambridge. This was the second Phyllida Bright Mystery. The first book I started in 2023 was THE ACCIDENTAL SPY by David Gardner while my first review of the year was MOVING IS MURDER BY Nellie H. Steele. The last review I wrote in 2023 was for MURDER ON MISTLETOE LANE by Clara McKenna. The last book I finished was MASTER OF ILLUSION by Nupur Tustin and the book I am reading to finish out the year is MURDER IN A CUP by Lauren Elliot. 

I read 100 books in 2023 and wrote 97 reviews-and I still have 4 to write! The moment that made me most proud was when I learned that my review of BULLETPROOF BARISTA by Cleo Coyle is quoted in the Penguin Random House Catalog!

Things were also busy on my Cozy Up With Kathy Party Page on Facebook. In addition to the big Welcome to Winter and Halloween Spooktacular parties, I had a few smaller parties throughout the year. I plan on doing the same in 2024.

So, what were my favorite books of 2023? As I say every year, I hate to make lists as I'm sure I'll forget someone, and books read earlier in the year are harder to remember off hand.

Favorite ongoing series include, The Deep Dish Mystery series by Mindy Quigley, The Mrs. Claus Mystery series by Liz Ireland, The Phyllida Bright Mystery series by Colleen Cambridge, The Deadly Series by Kate Parker, The Rita Calabrese Culinary Cozy Mystery series by Maureen Klovers, the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series by Dianne Freeman, and the Jane Wunderley series by Erica Ruth Neubauer, to name just a few.

Several new series also introduced great new characters and stories. Some of my favorite new series in 2023 include Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters, Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts, Paw and Order by Chris Abernathy, A Grave Roast by A. N. Sage, and Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd.

I enjoyed many books in 2023 and I hope you did as well. Wishing you all a wonderful 2024 filled with lots of great reads!

Murder on Mistletoe Lane - A Review

 Review

MURDER ON MISTLETOE LANE by Clara McKenna
The Fifth Stella and Lyndy Mystery

It's her first Christmas as Lady Lyndhurst and Stella longs to bring holiday joy and some of her American traditions to her new home. Unfortunately, neither her mother-in-law, nor Mrs. Nelson, the housekeeper, or Mrs. Cole, the cook are much interested. With not very pleasant Christmas guests and missing personal items, keeping spirits bright is a bit of a challenge. Things become even more difficult when Mrs. Nelson takes ill and then is found dead. Was it a tragic accident, or something more? Stella is determined to get to the bottom of it all and ensure a very happy Yuletide at Morrington Hall.

I love the Stella and Lyndy Mystery series and really enjoyed this holiday offering. Stella is strong willed, intelligent, and caring. I'm finding I appreciate her much more than Lyndy, who is still a bit of a weak willed toff, although he is growing.

Numerous threads weaving through MURDER ON MISTLETOE LANE make for a complex mystery. Shifty characters, secrets, missing items, and more had me trying to puzzle out what was relevant to the murder...if it was a murder. There were red herrings galore and lots of surprises along the way to the conclusion. Some scandal, excitement, and scares kept the story moving.

MURDER ON MISTLETOE LANE is a craftily composed holiday mystery full of good cheer and second chances.