Melina's Book Blog: June 2025

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

A Whale of a Crime

A Whale of a Crime (A Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery) by Mona Marple

About A Whale of a Crime

A Whale of a Crime (A Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - FLAMBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE COAST, ENGLAND Independently Published (April 30, 2025) Print length ‏ : ‎ 254 pages Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DTZ3KGWP

After ten years away, Ryan Kennedy never planned on returning to Flamborough—the tiny Yorkshire village he once called home. But when his fiercely independent gran, Iris, needs him, he finds himself back behind the counter at her chaotic seaside bookshop, wrestling with jammed tills, nosy villagers, and the memories he’s spent years trying to forget.

What Ryan doesn’t expect is to be swept straight into the heart of a murder investigation.

When a mysterious boat appears on the beach and a body turns up at the exclusive Whale Watch Weekend picnic, all eyes turn to the cliffs—and to the secrets the village has been keeping. As Ryan and Iris dig into the tangled history of the victim, long-buried truths begin to surface, not just about the case... but about the night Ryan’s own husband died.

With the tide cutting them off, a killer on the loose, and a very observant dog named Bracken by their side, Ryan and Iris must work fast—because in Flamborough, the past doesn’t stay buried, and the sea has a habit of washing everything to shore.

For fans of twisty village whodunits, seaside charm, and heartfelt mysteries with a slow-burning emotional pull, A Whale of a Crime is the unforgettable first instalment in a brand-new series.

Excerpt “He hadn't expected it to feel like this—like being punched in the gut and wrapped in a warm blanket all at once.” “Welcome home, little brother.” “Because I very much doubt Vic decided to bash his own head in with a decorative whale.” “You could dress a Flamborough lad in all the fancy clothes you liked, but the salt air would always find a way in.” “They were trapped until morning. Six suspects, one murder weapon, and Iris’ grandson caught in the middle of it all.”

What I Thought:

This is the first installment in a new series by Mona Marple. I have read some of her other books before and really enjoyed them. In this one Ryan has went back home to Flamborough ten years after the death of his husband, Jason. It is The Whale Watch Weekend Festival and when a dead body is found on the beach at the picnic the night prior to the festival, it brings up bad memories for Ryan. He and his grandmother, Iris, team up to solve the crime. In the process there is another murder and there is evidence it is linked to the death of Ryan's husband. I enjoyed the setting of this book which is the Yorkshire coast. The village of Flamborough seems charming and quaint.. Ryan and his grandmother Iris are both very likable characters. The supporting character were all well developed as well. I did get a little confuse at times about everything that was going on in this book. This will have to be read as a series in order for it to make sense as the ending leads up to the beginning of the next in this series. There were many suspects in this book and some twists that kept me guessing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Mona Marple

Mona Marple writes charming cozy mysteries filled with quirky characters, twisty whodunits, and settings you’ll wish you could visit—especially if you love a bit of seasonal sparkle. Best known for her beloved Candy Cane Hollow series, Mona creates worlds where murder meets mistletoe and sleuthing pairs perfectly with a cup of tea. When she’s not writing, Mona can be found walking her Labradoodle, Coco, plotting her next murder (on the page, of course), or hosting reader parties in her cozy online community.

Author Links WEBSITE: WWW.MONAMARPLE.COM FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MONAMARPLEAUTHOR FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332562544209625 INSTAGRAM: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/MONAMARPLE Purchase Link - Amazon

Sunday, June 1, 2025

A Witch Awakens Spotlight

A Witch Awakens: A Fire Circle Mystery by Ellis Elliott

About A Witch Awakens

A Witch Awakens: A Fire Circle Mystery Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - In the Tennessee mountains Publisher: Hawkshaw Press (May 19, 2025) Number of Pages: 238 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0F5LDHNY1

A Witch Awakens is about an accidental detective CeCe (Tennessee) Brown, who returns home to Tennessee after deciding the Big Apple just didn't suit her. While working as the local ballet teacher she helps her friend Bess to put on the annual Fall Ball. Unfortunately, during a thunderstorm the night of the ball, one of the town's most notable women is found dead. CeCe was very close to the victim, and begins to have little dizzy spells where she starts to get pictures of things around her town, and feelings compelling her to visit certain locations. Under the guidance of her grandmother and her Aunt Granny, CeCe begins to realize she shares a family proclivity for a bit of second sight. It's a story where CeCe solves a mystery, but also begins to accept who she is, and where she's from, and what makes her little town, and herself, special. She solves the mystery of herself.

About Ellis Elliot

ELLIS ELLIOTT is a facilitator of the online writing group Bewilderness Writing. She also teaches writing and ballet in an after-school arts education program. Ellis holds an MFA from Queens University. She is a contributing writer for the Southern Review of Books, and serves as an editor/workshop instructor for The Dewdrop contemplative journal.

She is the author of the 2023 poetry chapbook, Break in the Field (Old Scratch Press), which KIRKUS calls “A deeply felt collection of candid verse.” Her work can also be found in numerous publications, including Signal Mountain Review, Plainsongs Poetry Magazine/Award Poem, Euphony Journal, and the Women of Appalachia Project Anthology. Ellis has a blended family consisting of six grown sons. She resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, with her husband, Tim, and a feisty dog named Mabel. Author Links