Melina's Book Blog: October 2021

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Murder at the Christmas Cook Bake-Off

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery) by Darci Hannah

About Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery)

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington (October 5, 2021) Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496731735 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496731739 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08RX1V293

Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewellis ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe . . .

With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition . . .

Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie!

Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.

Includes Delicious Recipes!

What I Thought!

This is the second in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, and it was every bit as good as the first one in the series. I am glad I had read the first on in the series as I do not think I would have been too lost, but being familiar with the setting and characters helped. This was a good cozy set during the Christmas Season. In this one, the owner of the Tannenbaum Shoppe (a year round Christmas shop) has gotten her celebrity chef friend, Chevy Chambers to come judge a live Christmas Cookie Bake off in Beacon Harbor. Lindsey never realized how cut throat a live cookie-baking contest could be. When the judge is found dead in the library of the hotel where the cookie bake was held. Lindsey and her friends have to investigate. There were lots of suspects in this one, and at one point I thought I had the mystery figures out, but the author wrote in some great twists and turns that got made me second guess myself. I really enjoy the setting of this series, an historic lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan. The characters are all likable and well rounded. The plot was well thought out and the story flowed well. As I said, I thought I had it figured out, but the twists and turns put me in another direction. The reveal was well written and I was a surprised by how it all went down. I will definitely be visiting Beacon Harbor again.

I received a complimentary copy of his book.

About Darci Hannah

Cozy mystery author, Darci Hannah, is a native of the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. When Darci isn't baking for family and friends, hiking with her furry pals, Ripley and Finn, or concocting her next cozy mystery, she can be found wandering around picturesque lakeside villages with her hubby, sampling baked goods and breaking for coffee more often than she should.

Author Links Website: https://www.darcihannah.com Blog: https://www.darcihannah.com/blog Recipes: https://www.darcihannah.com/recipes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarciHannah Instagram: @authordarcihannah Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3155399.Darci_Hannah Purchase Links: Amazon B & N BAM 2 Dandelions Bookstore

Monday, October 11, 2021

A Perfect Bind

A Perfect Bind (A Beloved Bookroom Mystery) by Dorothy St. James

About A Perfect Bind

A Perfect Bind (A Beloved Bookroom Mystery)

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (September 28, 2021) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593098609 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593098608 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08SJLRBJN

Librarian Tru Beckett, ardent defender of the printed word, is about to find out that keeping murder checked out of her beloved library is much harder than she thought...

Tru Beckett succeeded in building a secret book room in her now bookless library, where book lovers from lovely Cypress, South Carolina, can rejoice in the printed word. Now she's working hard to maintain the little library downstairs while keeping her "real job" upstairs in the bookless technology center. The last thing she needs is a mysterious vandal who seems intent on breaking into her secret book-filled sanctuary and creating chaos. The nasty interloper doesn't steal anything, but brutalizes the books, damaging them and knocking them off shelves.

A patron of the secret book room tells Tru that there have been creepy goings-on at the library for years, especially in the basement where the secret book room is located. He's heard rumors of a poltergeist that haunts the library, determined to scare off readers. Tru is certain it's hogwash, but she's at a loss to think of who might be vandalizing the beautiful books she fought so hard to protect. And when a dead body shows up right behind the library, Tru is certain that it's not a ghost but a cold-blooded killer that she and her trusty tabby Dewey Decimal will need to uncover.

What I Thought:

This is the second in the Beloved Bookroom mystery series. In this one, the Cypress Library is still bookless and completely digital, except for the books Tru has been able to save and secret away in the old World War II bunker in he basement. Someone has been vandalizing the beloved books and a patron suggests that it is a poltergeist who is doing the vandalizing. The body of local mechanic Owen Maynard is found dead in his truck in the alley behind the library, which puts the secret of the bookroom in jeopardy again and Tru has to investigate to find the murderer and the vandal. I thought this was another well written book by Ms. St. James that flowed well and kept me guessing till the very end. The same great characters we were introduced to in the first book are in the second and we get to learn more about them. Tru's cat, Dewey Decimal is still visiting the library everyday and staying in the secret bookroom. The reveal of the killer and the vandal was very surprising and I was left guessing till the very end. I look forward to more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Dorothy St. James

Dorothy St. James is the author of the White House Gardener Mysteries and the Southern Chocolate Shop Mysteries. She lives in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with her sculptor husband. Dorothy is a member of Mystery Writers of America (MWA) and the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sister’s in Crime (SInC). This is her second Beloved Bookroom Mystery.

Follow Dorothy Online: Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothy.stjames Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothywrites Instagram: www.instagram.com/dorothymcfalls Website: www.dorothystjames.com Purchase Links - Amazon - Penguin Random House - B&N - Kobo - Google Play - IndieBound a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 4, 2021

The Corpse in the Gazebo

The Corpse in the Gazebo (A Food Blogger Mystery) by Debra Sennefelder

About The Corpse in the Gazebo

The Corpse in the Gazebo (A Food Blogger Mystery)

Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Setting - Connecticut Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington (September 28, 2021) Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496728939 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496728937 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08RWQYH54

Food blogging is turning Hope Early into a household name. But the dead body down the block makes her a #1 suspect . . .

It seems everyone loves Hope’s blog these days, and she’s busier than ever volunteering to help other women create their own paths to success. So she’s shocked when a neighbor petitions to run Hope right out of her small Connecticut town! Set in her ways, apparently Birdie Donovan doesn’t like the chaos Hope’s sleuthing creates, the police activity and crime scenes, and it’s happening way too often lately. Eager to make amends, Hope bakes Birdie a batch of her best muffins. The delicious treats might have smoothed things over—until Hope discovers Birdie dead in her gazebo the very next day . . .

Now instead of worrying about holding on to her beloved home, Hope is trying to stay out of jail. Because suddenly she’s the lead suspect in the case. Not even her boyfriend, Police Chief Ethan Cahill, is promising he can clear her name, much less discuss the investigation with her. It’s up to Hope to get to bake new ground on the case before the lifestyle brand she’s created—and her whole life—crumbles . . .

Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!

What I Thought:

This is the fifth in the Food Blogger Mystery series but only the second one that I have read. I have read the first one in this series. but I enjoyed this one better than the first one. Even though this is a series, the author gives enough background that the reader will not be lost if they have not read the others in the series. In this one, Hope learns that her neighbor, Birdie, has started a petition to get her to move out of her neighborhood. This upsets Hope and she confronts Birdie at the library. Hope feels bad so she makes Birdie some muffins. The next morning, Birdie invites Hope over to her home to investigate. When Hope arrives she finds Birdie dead in her gazebo. Of course Birdie had been eating some of Hope's muffins, so Hope becomes the main suspect. Of course, contrary to the advice of her family and friends, Hope investigates to clear her name. I enjoyed this book and it flowed well which kept me entertained and turning the pages. There were several suspects and Hope accuses some people who get really upset with her. Hope's sleuthing also puts her danger, as well as causes her boyfriend to have to take a leave of absence from the police force. There were many twists in this one and at one point, I thought I had the mystery figured out. The author did a great job with the reveal and I was completely surprised by the reveal of the killer, which is what I really like in a cozy mystery. I look forward to reading more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Debra Sennefelder

Debra Sennefelder 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.

Her first novel, THE UNINVITED CORPSE (A Food Blogger mystery) was published in 2018.In addition to writing the Food Blogger mystery series, she writes the Resale Boutique Mystery series. 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, where she majored in her hobby of fashion buying, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in retail and publishing before becoming a full-time author. Her writing companion is her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu, Connie.

Author Links