Review: By Book Or By Crook By Eva Gates

Series: A Lighthouse Library Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: NAL
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451470931

Description:
For ten years Lucy has enjoyed her job poring over rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library, but she has not enjoyed the demands of her family’s social whorl or her sort-of-engagement to the staid son of her father’s law partner. But when her ten-year relationship implodes, Lucy realizes that the plot of her life is in need of a serious rewrite.

Calling on her aunt Ellen, Lucy hopes that a little fun in the Outer Banks sun—and some confections from her cousin Josie’s bakery—will help clear her head. But her retreat quickly turns into an unexpected opportunity when Aunt Ellen gets her involved in the lighthouse library tucked away on Bodie Island.

Lucy is thrilled to land a librarian job in her favorite place in the world. But when a priceless first edition Jane Austen novel is stolen and the chair of the library board is murdered, Lucy suddenly finds herself ensnared in a real-life mystery—and she’s not so sure there’s going to be a happy ending....

My Thoughts:
This debut in the new Lighthouse Library series by Eva Gates is sure to delight readers...and not just fans of cozy mysteries!  Set against the beautiful and charming backdrop of the Outer Banks, the Bodie Lighthouse Library is a reader's getaway and that's exactly what Lucy needs at this point in her life.  But when the library's chairman is found dead and precious first editions of Jane Austen begin to disappear, Lucy suddenly finds herself in the midst of a whirlwind investigation....and as a suspect.  Filled with endearing characters and a well-developed plot with unexpected twists and turns, Eva Gates provides readers with a delightful new series.  I quickly found myself lost between the pages and dreaming of living inside the Bodie Lighthouse Library surrounded my books and the sound of ocean waves...a perfect winter escape!  I'm looking forward to the next installment and a return to the Outer Banks.  FIVE stars.

Review: A Bran New Death By Victoria Hamilton

Series: A Merry Muffin Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425258831

Description:
Expert muffin baker Merry Wynter is finally ready to turn her passion into a career. But when a dead body is found on her property, she’s more worried about cooking up an alibi…

Merry is making a fresh start in small-town Autumn Vale, New York, in the mansion she’s inherited from her late uncle, Melvin. The house is run-down and someone has been digging giant holes on the grounds, but with its restaurant-quality kitchen, the place has potential for her new baking business. She even has her first client—the local retirement home.

Unfortunately, Merry soon finds that quite a few townsfolk didn’t like Uncle Mel, and she has inherited their enmity as well as his home. Local baker Binny Turner and her crazy brother, Tom, blame Melvin for their father’s death, and Tom may be the one vandalizing her land. But when Tom turns up dead in one of the holes in her yard, Merry needs to prove she had nothing to do with his death—or her new muffin-making career may crumble before it starts...

My Thoughts: 
First in a new series from Victoria Hamilton, Bran New Death is delightful, well-written, and certainly a cozy mystery at its best! Merry Wynter's character is extremely well-developed and I quickly felt as though we were life-long friends. Struggling with the loss of her husband, a fashion career that is quickly plummeting, and now inheriting a Castle from an Uncle she barely knew, Merry suddenly finds herself int he midst of murder and mayhem in the small, quaint, village of Autumn Vale. Hamilton has filled the pages with an unforgettable cast of characters as well as unexpected twists and turns that left me guessing until the final pages. However, the most appealing aspect of this book was the ending itself. Hamilton has done an incredible job of setting up the story for the next installment in this series. The ending is truly just the beginning and has left me anxiously anticipating the next book in this series, Muffin But Murder. This is a great start to a promising new series for Cozy Mystery fans...Five Stars!

Review: A Broth Of Betrayal By Connie Archer

Series: A Soup Lover's Mystery (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425252086

Description:
Even a town called Snowflake, Vermont, has a summer season. In August, Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful serves chilled soups—celery and green onion, cream of asparagus—and salads. The shop also serves as a gathering place to talk about cold-blooded murder…

A protest to stop the construction of an ugly car wash in the middle of the town’s picturesque Village Green is interrupted by the discovery of a skeleton that may date back to the Revolutionary War. While the remains pose a historical mystery, a present-day murder shakes the town to its core when local auto mechanic Harry Hodges is found dead in his shop.

Straining the patience of Chief of Police Nate Edgerton, Lucky soon finds herself in the soup again when her dear friend Elizabeth, the Mayor of Snowflake, goes missing. No matter how much trouble she has to stir up, Lucky is determined to use her noodle to uncover a killer and recover her friend…

My Thoughts:
Connie Archer has certainly stirred up one incredible mystery filled with history, intrigue, suspense, and a colorful cast of endearing characters!  Snowflake, Vermont has quite an amazing history and its role in the Revolutionary War is celebrated with re-enactments and a festival each year.  However this years, the quaint village of Snowflake is under a great deal of duress.  A local is found murdered, a skeleton is found at a highly protested construction site, and the town mayor goes missing.  Lucky Jamieson is completely beside herself with worry and fears she just can't handle the loss of another person in her life as she continues to struggle with the recent death of her parents.  However, Lucky's fear becomes her driving force and is determined to find her dear friend, Elizabeth.  In this second installment of the Soup Lover's mystery series, Connie Archer has proven herself to be a very talented and gifted storyteller with an eye for detail and insight into the human spirit.  Not often do I find myself tearing up at the end of a cozy mystery, but with this one I needed to reach for a tissue on more than one occasion and the ending gave me a great a deal to contemplate and mull over.  A Broth Of Betrayal is a delighful, well-crafted mystery that left me ins suspense until the very end....FIVE stars! 

Review: Scandal In Skibbereen By Sheila Connolly

Series: A County Cork Mystery (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425252507

Description:
As the new owner of Sullivan’s Pub in County Cork, Ireland, Maura Donovan gets an earful of all the village gossip. But uncovering the truth about some local rumors may close her down for good…

Bostonian Maura is beginning to feel settled in her new Irish home, just in time for summer tourist season to bring fresh business to her pub. But the first traveler to arrive is thirsty for more than just a pint of Guinness. Althea Melville is hot on the trail of a long-lost Van Dyck painting.

Maura agrees to help Althea meet with the residents at the local manor house, the most likely location of the missing art. But when the manor’s gardener is found murdered, Maura wonders what Althea’s real motives are. Now, to solve the secret of the lost portrait and catch a killer, Maura will have to practice her Irish gift of gab and hunt down some local history before someone else is out of the picture…

My Thoughts:
Although I enjoyed the first installment of the County Cork Mystery series, I must admit this second installment was certainly much better than the first and I loved revisiting this endearing cast of characters as well as Ireland's countryside.  Just as Maura Donovan is settling into her new life as the owner of Sullivan's Pub and learning the customs and manners of her new surroundings, Althea Melville, an Art Historian from New York, makes a whirlwind entrance in her search for a previously unknown and extremely valuable Van Dyck painting.  However, Althea's demanding behavior and arrogance only hinders her search until Maura decides to assist Althea.  But, would Althea's determination and lack of patience lead her to murder?  When the gardener of the Manor suspected of housing the lost Van Dyck is found pushing up daisies, Maura is quick to question Althea's motives and finds herself digging into the Manor's history.  With endearing characters, wonderful historical research, a well-developed plot and sub-plots, as well as unexpected twists and turns, Sheila Connolly has created another wonderful cozy mystery.  Scandal In Skibbereen was just what I needed to chase away the winter chills!  FOUR stars.

Review: A Spoonful Of Murder By Connie Archer

Series: A Soup Lover's Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Language: English
SBN-10: 0425251470

Description:
Winter is big business in small-town Snowflake, Vermont. Tourists arrive to hit the ski slopes--and what could be more satisfying after a chilly day of carving powder than a steaming bowl of soup?

When Lucky Jamieson inherits her parents' soup shop, By the Spoonful, she realizes it's time to take stock of her life. Should she sell her parents' house or move in herself? Does she really want to run a restaurant business? And what about her grandfather Jack, who seems to be showing signs of Alzheimer's?

But her life decisions are moved to the back burner after an icy blonde tourist is found frozen to death behind the soup shop. and Lucky is bowled over when her soup chef, Sage DuBois, is led out of the kitchen by the police. As suspicion and speculations snowball, Lucky decides that the only way to save her employee and her business is to find out herself who iced the tourist--and landed her chef in the soup...

My Thoughts:
This first installment of the Soup Lover's Mystery series is sure to chase away the winter chills! Set within the small, ski resort town of Snowflake, Vermont, the By The Spoonful Soup Shop has been bringing customers in from the cold for many years...that is until a tourist is found dead at the back door and the primary suspect is the shop's very own chef himself! Pushing aside her heavy heart and desire to mourn the loss of her parents, Lucky is determined to discover the identity of the real killer and quickly finds herself in harm's way. With the wide array of possible suspects, it was a challenge to guess who the guilty party was and the killer's identity was quite a surprise in the end. Filled with a cast of endearing characters and several red-herrings, Connie Archer has created a wonderful beginning to a new cozy mystery series. I look forward to visiting with Lucky Jamieson often...she's bold, independent, and has a way of saying exactly what's on her mind, not necessarily at the most proper moments now mind you, but an asset nonetheless. And her grandfather, Jack, is just a charming as can be and is always there to lend a hand. I enjoyed this a very much and look forward to reading the next installment, A Broth of Betrayal, published by Berkley as well. In the meantime, I'm going to try some of the incredible soup recipes that were included as well as the sandwich recipes...perfect for a winter's evening all the way around! This is an excellent cozy mystery and I easily give it a Five!