Clues in the Sand

Clues in the Sand (A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery)
by Terry Ambrose

About the Book

Clues in the Sand (A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Self Published
Release Date - March 15, 2018
Print Length: 191 pages
ASIN: B078ZMZQ48

To Rick Atwood’s dismay, the police find a body on the beach near his Seaside Cove B&B. The dead woman held a pottery shard from an ancient rice bowl, which the cops believe is a clue to her murder.

The chief suspect is Flynn O’Connor, a female archaeologist known for her hatred of treasure thieves. Trouble is, Rick’s daughter Alex sees Flynn as a role model and will not believe her friend is a killer.

Alex pressures her dad as only a ten-year-old can to prove Flynn is innocent. The mayor is also making demands—for Rick to stay out of the investigation. With his daughter and the mayor at odds, Rick sees trouble brewing. He knows too well how much Alex loves sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Especially when there’s murder involved.

What I Thought:

This is the first book that I have read in this series, though the first book is in my TBR pile.  I thought this was  good cozy and I really enjoyed that one of the main characters is only 10 yeas old.  In this one, a dead body is found at Rick's B&B and a famous arechologist, whom his daugher is infatuated with is the main suspect.  So, Alexa, Rick's daughter wants him to find the real killer before she has to do it herself.  This one was well written with good despricriptions of the charactefrs.  I thought it flowed wall and the plot was very believable.  I hope to read the first in this series and I look forward to more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

Terry Ambrose is a former skip tracer who only stole cars when it was legal. He’s long since turned his talents to writing mysteries and thrillers. Several of his books have been award finalists and in 2014 his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. He’s currently working on the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery series.

Author Links:

Website: http://terryambrose.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/suspense.writer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6447968.Terry_Ambrose

Purchase Link

Amazon
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The Uninvited Corpse

The Uninvited Corpse (Food Blogger Mysteries)
by Debra Sennefelder

About the Book

The Uninvited Corpse (Food Blogger Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (March 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496715920
Digital ASIN: B073NNPM7G

Leaving behind a failed career as a magazine editor and an embarrassing stint on a reality baking show, newly divorced lifestyle entrepreneur Hope Early thought things were finally on the upswing—until she comes face-to-face with a murderer . . .

Hope’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that grab her attention—it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy . . .

One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s older sister, Claire Dixon—who, at best, saw Peaches as a professional rival. And suspicions really heat up when another murder occurs the following night. Now, with two messy murders shaking Jefferson and all evidence pointing to Claire, Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style . . .

Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!

What I Thought:

This was a great start to a new series.  I had a little trouble at first keeping all the different characters separate as we are introduced to most of them in the first part of the book.  It was interesting to read about a blogger as that is something you do not see much of in books.  I thought the book was well written and flowed well.  The plot was well thought out and believable.  There was no shortage of suspects and as I said we were introduced to them in the first part of the book.  Hope has to try to prove her sister is not the killer, when all signs point to her as the main suspect.  There were many twists and turns that kept me guessing and I was surprised by the ending.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

Debra Sennefelder, the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series, is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.

Born and raised in New York City, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companions are her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzus, Susie and Billy.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Women's Fiction Writers Association and Romance Writers of America.

Author Links:

Website – Facebook – Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Requiem for a Rescue Dog Queen

REQUIEM FOR A RESCUE DOG QUEEN by M.K. Scott, Cozy Mystery, 240 pp., $2.99
(Kindle edition) $9.99 (paperback)

Title: REQUIEM FOR A RESCUE DOG QUEEN

Author: M.K. Scott

Publisher: Sleeping Dragon Press

Pages: 240

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pre-school teacher turned private eye Nala Bonne, and her opinionated
dog, Max, have a nose for evil doings in Circle City. They’ve recently
gone to the dogs, make that rescue dogs. Not everyone in Indianapolis
has a soft spot for a homeless pup. Someone has it out for the dogs and
the people who love them. A midnight call jolts Nala and Max into action
as they rush to the aid of a local rescue dog queen, but it may already
be too late.

Order Your Copy!

Forget about it and enjoy the moment. Her hair streamed behind her as the boat
picked up speed. Even though it had been a hot Indian Summer day, going this
fast on the water chilled her. The windbreaker she brought just in case would
solve the issue but would cover up the flirty top she’d donned for the date.
Should she be comfortable or becoming?

A loud noise interrupted before she could
decide. The lake remained empty and calm, except for the wake behind the boat.
Using her flat hand as a sun shield for her eyes, she peered toward the shore
to figure out who might be playing the same trio of notes repeatedly. No one on
the shoreline, which only deepened the mystery. It sounded so familiar. In an aha
moment, she realized it was her phone. Unfortunately, the realization forced
her to open her eyes in her dark bedroom.

The red numerals on her clock indicated it
was one-thirty in the morning. It was too late or too early for anyone to call.
The sound stopped when she realized the tune had been the one she assigned to
Karly, her best friend. Karly would only call her this late if it was an
emergency. A cold canine nose touched her hand as she reached for her phone on
the nightstand.

“Go back to sleep, Max. It doesn’t involve
you.”

Even though it was dark and Max was a
black German shepherd mix, she would have sworn the dog cocked his head and
gave her an oh, really look. The damp nose disappeared with the sound of
dog nails on the wood floor as Max settled on the floor. She could hear him
mutter under his breath, “We’ll see.”

Yeah, dealing with a talking dog could be
problematic at times. Her fingers found the phone which now had a glowing dot
on the dashboard for notifications. Before she could call back, the phone rang
again, vibrating in her hand. Karly again.

“Why in the world would you be calling me
in the middle of the night?”

Her friend’s breathless voice gasped out.
“We need your help!”

           

What I Thought:

This one was a little different that what I am used to reading as it has a talking dog it in.  I thought that Max was very charming though and made the story quite interesting.  I thought it was well written and flowed well.  I wish I would have read the first in this series, but I was really not too lost.  The other characters in the book lent to making a stronger storyline.  I thought the plot was well thought out and I was left guessing till the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

M.K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries and The Talking Dog Detective Agency.
Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is
the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering
skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and
various other felonious activities. The Internet and experts in the
field provide forensic information, while the recipes and B and B
details require a more hands-on approach. Morgan’s daughter, who manages
a hotel, provides guest horror stories to fuel the plot lines. The
couple’s dog, Chance, is the inspiration behind Jasper, Donna’s dog.
Overall, both are a fun series to create and read.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Playing with Bonbon Fire

Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
by Dorothy St. James

About the Book

Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (March 13, 2018)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683314684
Digital ASIN: B074MBXLWX

Chocoholic Charity Penn must smoke out the killer to stop her newly inherited beachside chocolate shop from going up in flames in Dorothy St. James’ decadent follow-up to Asking for Truffle.

Chocolate shop owner Charity Penn is finally settling into life in the quirky South Carolina seaside town of Camellia Beach cooking up chocolate treats. She’s even helped organize the town’s lively beach music festival which has brought rollicking crowds eager to dance the Carolina shag. That is, until one of the band’s lead singers is found dead beside a beach bonfire.

While also trying to balance the amorous attention of music star Bixby Lewis, in town for the festival, and her quest to perfect a new hot flavored bonbon, Charity dives into the investigation. Though it’s more spice than sugar when she discovers a threatening note, comes across decades of age-old secrets, and Bixby comes into the line of fire when a gas grill explodes on the deck of a beachfront house.

Now Charity must turn up the heat and catch the killer before her chance melts away in Playing With Bonbon Fire, the delightful second Southern Chocolate Shop mystery served up just right for fans of JoAnna Carl and Joanne Fluke.

What I Thought:

This is the second book in the series A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery, and this one starts where the last one left off.  Charity "Penn" is still learning how to make chocolates while reeling from the revelation that Mabel was her maternal grandmother.  Penn is getting ready to help with the Summer Solstice Beach Music Festival and talks her half-sister's ex-boyfriend to come play in the festival.  When the lead singer of another band is found murdered, Penn has to find out what really happened. This one was as well written as the first in this series, and flowed really well.  I really enjoy Dorothy St. James writing style, as it grabs my attention and keeps me turning the pages. The characters just keep growing and developing and I like how the author portrays this growth.  We are also introduced to Penn’s half-sister, Tina, in this one. Penn also learns the identity of her mother, and what really happened to the woman she thought was her mother. I kind of had this one figured out, but it was still a great read and I cannot wait for the next one in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, a neurotic dog, and fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.

Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn't as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.

Known for the White House Gardener Mystery series, Dorothy is going back to her roots and setting a mystery series in a Southern beach town much like the one she’s called home for the past 20 years. The Southern Chocolate Shop Mysteries combine her love of fine chocolates, quirky Southern charm, with a dash of danger.

* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of the award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader's Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: "amazing", "perfect", "filled with emotion", and "lined with danger."

Author Links

Website: www.dorothystjames.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothystjames

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothymcfalls

Purchase Links

Indie Bound

Amazon

Kobo

Google Play

Barnes & Noble

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Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery)
by Laura Childs

About the Book

Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
19th in Series
Berkley (March 6, 2018)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451489609
Digital ASIN: B071K4DPRH

Theodosia Browning investigates a Charleston steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

While viewing the harbor's Gaslights and Galleons Parade from the widow's walk of Timothy Neville's Charleston mansion, local banker Carson Lanier seemingly tumbles over a narrow railing, then plunges three stories to his death. But a tragic accident becomes something much more sinister when it's discovered that the victim was first shot with a bolt from a crossbow.

At the request of the mansion owner, Theodosia investigates the tragedy and is soon neck deep in suspects. An almost ex-wife, a coworker, a real estate partner--all had motives for killing the luckless banker, but one resorted to murder to settle accounts.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

What I Thought:

I haven't read a whole lot in this series, but with this being the 19th in the series, I really was not lost. this can be read as a stand alone even though it is part of series.  Laura Childs does a great job with giving plenty of backstory for the characters and describing the setting.  This is a great cast of characters, and as always this one was well written and flowed well, making it a smooth read.  In this one Theodosia and her pals are watching the Gaslights and Galleons Parade when a local banker falls from a nearby roof to his death.  It is discovered that he was shot with a bolt from a crossbow.  Of course, There are many suspects in this one, which kept me stumped as to who the real killer was.  I though the reveal was great.  I look forward to more in this series and hope to be able to read some of the earlier books in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links:

Website – http://www.laurachilds.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play

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Southern Discomfort: A Southern B&B Mystery
by Caroline Fardig

About the Book

Southern Discomfort: A Southern B&B Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1s in Series
Alibi (March 6, 2018)
ASIN: B071K4DV7W
Will be up on GoodReads soon.

Southern hospitality meets deadly deception in the start of a charming new mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of the Java Jive novels.

Quinn Bellandini loves her life in Savannah, Georgia, where she runs her grandfather’s B&B with her sister, Delilah. From baking fresh scones and serving up grits every morning to ensuring the guests see the best of their historic city, Quinn can’t imagine doing anything else—even if it means dealing with nuisances like the occasional malfunctioning commode. But when Quinn drops by the local restaurant owned by her friend Drew Green, and stumbles upon a murder, her whole world comes crashing down.

Drew’s brother was always a little surly, but Quinn can’t imagine that someone disliked the prickly chef enough to kill him. The police, on the other hand, don’t believe that Quinn was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Before her guests can even digest the next morning’s gourmet breakfast, Quinn learns that she and Drew are suspects.

Drew thinks they should do some investigating of their own. Quinn is pretty sure she’s better suited to playing hostess than amateur sleuth. But with Delilah as her cynical sidekick, Quinn starts looking for the real killer—before she gets put away faster than you can say “sugar.”

What I Thought:

This was a great start to a new series.  I do not read a lot of cozies with a  paranormal element, but I enjoyed this one and I thought the character interactions with the resident ghost, Fred, were spot on.  Quinn and her sister Delilah are helping their grandfather run a B & B in Savannah (in which the resident ghost resides).  Quinn goes to visit her friend Drew at his restaurant and stumbles upon a murder.  Of course, Quinn and Drew end up being the main suspects, so they decide to investigate to see who the real killer is.  This one kept my attention and had all the aspects I like in a cozy, some great relationships among the characters, and humor.  This one flowed well and kept me guessing.  I would have liked a little more background on Quinn and Drew, but the descriptions of the city were amazing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig’s BAD MEDICINE was named one of the "Best Books of 2015" by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

Social Media

Website: www.carolinefardig.com

Blog: http://www.carolinefardig.com/blog/

Twitter: @carolinefardig

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolinefardigbooks

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play

Don’t miss Caroline Fardig’s thrilling Java Jive mysteries, which can be read together or separately:
DEATH BEFORE DECAF | MUG SHOT | A WHOLE LATTE MURDER | BREW OR DIE | MURDER OVER MOCHAS

Lethal in Old Lace

Lethal in Old Lace: A Consignment Shop Mystery
by Duffy Brown

About the Book

Lethal in Old Lace: A Consignment Shop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
1st with this publisher.
Crooked Lane Books (March 13, 2018)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683315353
Digital ASIN: B074MB9R6J

Reagan Summerside returns in national bestselling author Duffy Brown’s fifth Consignment Shop mystery, now for the first time in hardcover.

There are two social functions in Savannah guaranteed to get people talking: weddings and funerals. And just as consignment shop owner Reagan Summerside agrees to marry the hunky Walker Boone, her neighbors, sisters Annie Fritz and Elsie Abbot, step up their business as professional mourners. They are so successful that the Sleepy Pines Retirement Center has hired them as a part of their retirement package. But the celebration over good business is cut short when the residents at Pines suddenly begin dying at an alarming rate. And the sisters are the first suspects.

Reagan has her doubts, however, and begins to look into the strange phenomenon. But then something even stranger happens: a body winds up in the sisters’ pink Caddy. The evidence begins to pile up and the suspicious case of Willie Fishbine, who swindled the sisters out of a fortune and coincidentally died prior to the Pines case, is reopened.

Not wanting Willie to be buried until they can find the killer responsible for the murders, Reagan must catch the culprit in time to walk down the aisle.

What I Thought:

It was so good to be able to visit with Reagan and the other eccentric characters of the Consignment Shop Mystery Series.  It has been a while since the last installment of this series, Demise in Denim, but this one picks up right where it left off.  Reagan has agreed to marry Walker Boone, but he gets upset with her when she starts investigating the suspicious deaths of the residents of a local retirement home.  Her next door neighbors are the prime suspects, so of course Reagan has to get involved. As always the writing in this one was superb and the plot was very good and believable.  It was a fast read that flowed well and kept me turning the pages. There were many twists and turns that kept me guessing till the very end. I love this series and am so glad it is back and look forward to more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy Brown longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. Today she conjures up who-done-it stories for Berkley Prime Crime and has two series, the national bestselling Consignment Shop Mysteries set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries on Mackinac Island.

Author Links:

Webpage – www.DuffyBrown.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/authorduffybrown

Twitter – https://twitter.com/DuffyBrownCozy

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/duffybrown/

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo