Tea and Treachery

Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries) by Vicki Delany

About Tea & Treachery

 

Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries) 

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2020) Hardcover: 304 pages ISBN-10: 1496725069 ISBN-13: 978-1496725066 Digital ASIN: B07ZPKGT3R

In this charming new cozy mystery series from nationally bestselling author, Vicki Delany, a New York City expat-turned-Cape Cod tea shop owner must solve the murder of a local real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother out of a jam . . .

 

As the proud proprietor and head pastry chef of Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom on the picturesque bluffs of Cape Cod, Roberts has her hands full, often literally. But nothing keeps her busier than steering her sassy grandmother, Rose, away from trouble. Rose operates the grand old Victorian B & B adjacent to Lily’s tea shop . . . for now. An aggressive real estate developer, Jack Ford, is pushing hard to rezone nearby land, with an eye toward building a sprawling golf resort, which would drive Rose and Lily out of business.

 

Tempers are already steaming, but things really get sticky when Ford is found dead at the foot of Rose’s property and the police think she had something to do with his dramatic demise. Lily can’t let her grandmother get burned by a false murder charge. So she starts her own investigation and discovers Ford’s been brewing bad blood all over town, from his jilted lover to his trophy wife to his shady business partners. Now, it’s down to Lily to stir up some clues, sift through the suspects, and uncover the real killer before Rose is left holding the tea bag.

What I Thought:

I am not a tea drinker, but I enjoyed Vicki's descriptions of an proper English tea, I also enjoyed the mystery in this book. Lily has come to Cape Cod to help her grandmother, Rose with her B & B, Victoria-on-Sea, while Lily runs the tea shop, Tea by the Sea. When a local developer wants to turn a neighboring property into a gold resort, Rose is firmly against the development. When he developer is found dead at the bottom of the stairs to the ocean on Rose's property, Rose is the main suspect. Rose, Lily, and Lily's friend, Bernie, investigate to clear Rose. There are many suspects, but the lead detective is set on Rose being the killer. There are many twists and turns, which threw me off as to who the killer really was. Along with a great setting and great characters, this one had a very good plot. The descriptions of the setting makes me really want to visit Cape Cod. I was totally surprised by the ending and the reveal of the killer. It took me by complete surprise. I look forward to more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Vicki Delany

i

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty-five books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Year Round Christmas mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. She is the 2019 recipient of the Derrick Murdoch award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. Vicki lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Author Links Website – www.vickidelany.com Facebook – www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor; Twitter: @vickidelany and@evagatesauthor Instagram: vickidelany Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound a Rafflecopter giveaway

From Beer to Eternity

From Beer to Eternity (A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery) by Sherry Harris

About from Beer to Eternity

From Beer to Eternity (A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery New Series Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2020) Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages ISBN-10: 1496723031 ISBN-13: 978-1496723031 Digital ASIN: B07ZPKTWCZ

A whip smart librarian’s fresh start comes with a tart twist in this perfect cocktail of murder and mystery—with a romance chaser.

 

MURDER ON TAP

 

With Chicago winters in the rearview mirror, Chloe Jackson is making good on a promise: help her late friend’s grandmother run the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle. To Chloe’s surprise, feisty Vivi Slidell isn’t the frail retiree Chloe expects. Nor is Emerald Cove. It’s less a sleepy fishing village than a panhandle hotspot overrun with land developers and tourists. But it’s a Sea Glass regular who’s mysteriously crossed the cranky Vivi. When their bitter argument comes to a head and he’s found dead behind the bar, guess who’s the number one suspect?

 

In trying to clear Vivi’s name, Chloe discovers the old woman isn’t the only one in Emerald Cove with secrets. Under the laidback attitude, sparkling white beaches, and small town ways something terrible is brewing. And the sure way a killer can keep those secrets bottled up is to finish off one murder with a double shot: aimed at Chloe and Vivi.

What I Thought:

This is the first installment in the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Mystery Series.  I enjoyed this one from the very beginning. I thought it had a well thought out plot and a good mystery. Chloe has come to Emerald Cove at the wish of her friend Boone, who was killed in action in the military, to help his grandmother run the Sea Glass. Chloe and Boone's grandmother, Vivi, do not have a very good relationship, though Vivi agrees to allow Chloe to work at the Sea Glass. When a customer is murdered, Vivi is the main suspect. When Chloe starts investigating, strange things start happening. I was very surprised by the ending of this one. I found Vivi to be a very stand offish character at first and it was hard to feel sorry for her plight. Chloe was likable from the very beginning. I enjoyed the setting of this story as it seems it would be a nice place to visit. The mystery was good and kept me guessing to the very end. I look forward to more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

 

About Sherry Harris

Sherry Harris is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series and the upcoming Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime, and a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.

In her spare time, Sherry loves reading and is a patent-holding inventor. Sherry, her husband, and guard dog Lily are living in northern Virginia until they figure out where they want to move to next. Author Links Kensington: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/39655 Website: https://sherryharrisauthor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherry.n.harris.1 Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Books - IndieBound a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dash Away All

Dash Away All (A Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery)

by Christina Freeburn

About Dash Away All

Dash Away All (A Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

3rd in Series

Publisher: Henery Press (July 7, 2020)

Hardcover: 264 pages

ISBN-10: 1635116023

ISBN-13: 978-1635116021

Paperback: 264 pages

ISBN-10: 163511599X

ISBN-13: 978-1635115994

Digital ASIN: B086TYK58V

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…Merry Winters is excited for her dream-come-true moment: Being an on-site crafter for a Christmas movie. The tidings of joy are short-lived as she finds herself becoming a referee, dealing with a raging Ebenezer, participating in a bucket brigade, and finding evidence in a “murder.”

Is someone trying to stop the production or is it tied to a secret someone has on Luna Carmichael, the star of the movie and the queen of Christmas?

When Marie, Luna’s assistant, stumbles away from a car accident and dies, Merry believes the accident wasn’t quite so accidental. Was Luna or Marie the target? Merry finds more questions than answers, but one thing is certain: Everyone has an ulterior motive for being part of the production—including Marie.

After another murder, Merry wonders if the deaths are tied to a baby born long ago and abandoned. And more importantly, will Merry live long enough to find out?

What I Thought:

This is the third installment in the Merry and Bright Mystery Series. I always enjoy reading Christina's books. I always try to support authors from my home state. In this installment, Merry has been chosen to suppy crafts for a Holiday movie. There are many squables during the filiming of this movie, and when the starts assistant dies after a car accident, Merry woneders if it was really an accident. With the help of her faithful guinea pig, Ebenezzer, Merry investigates. There were many twists and turns in this story that left me guessing. There were many interesting and well developed charaters, which made it hard to determine who committed the crime. I look forward to more in this series as it is always refreshing to read a holiday mytery in the summer.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Christina Freeburn

Christina Freeburn has always loved books. There was nothing better than picking up a story and being transported to another place. The love of reading evolved into the love of writing and she’s been writing since her teenage years. Her first novel was a 2003 Library of Virginia Literary Award nominee. Her mysteries series, Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery and Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mysteries, are a mix of crafty and crime and feature heroines whose crafting time is interrupted by crime solving.

Christina served in the US Army and has also worked as a paralegal, librarian, church secretary, and golf shop pro. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid and allergic to felines.

Author Links


Webpage: www.christinafreeburn.com


Blog: www.theselfrescueprincess.wordpress.com


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaFreeburnCraftyandCrimeAuthor/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ChristinaFreeburn


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A Sprinkling of Murder

Sprinkling Of Murder (A Fairy Garden Mystery)

by Daryl Wood Gerber

About A Sprinkling of Murder

Sprinkling Of Murder (A Fairy Garden Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Publisher: Kensington (June 30, 2020)

Paperback: 304 pages

ISBN-10: 1496726340

ISBN-13: 978-1496726346

Kindle ASIN: B07W8Y4D6R

Fairy garden store owner Courtney Kelly believes in inviting magic into your life. But when uninvited trouble enters her shop, she’ll need more than a sprinkling of her imagination to solve a murder . . .

Since childhood, Courtney has loved fairies. After her mother died when she was ten, she lost touch with that feeling of magic. A year ago, at age twenty-nine, she rediscovered it when she left her father's landscaping business to spread her wings and start a fairy garden business and teashop in beautiful Carmel, California. At Open Your Imagination, she teaches garden design and sells everything from fairy figurines to tinkling wind chimes and trickling fountains. Now she's starting a book club tea.

But the light of the magical world she's created inside her shop is darkened one night when she discovers neighboring dog-grooming business owner Mick Watkins dead beside a fountain. To make matters worse, the police suspect Courtney of the crime. To clear her name and find the real killer, Courtney will have to wing it. But she’s about to get a little help from an unexpected new friend . . .

What I Thought:

I am a fan of Daryl Woods Gerber's books and this series looked very intriguing. This is the first book that I have read that had fairies in it, and I found that very charming and entertaining. Courtney Kelly owns the shop Open Your Imagination that sells things to help people build fairy gardens. Courtney also has a resident fairy, Fiona, in her shop and a ragdoll kitten, Pixie, that can see Fiona. When neighboring shop owner Mick Watkins is found murdered in Courtney's shop, Courtney has to investigate to prove she did not kill him. I really enjoyed this story and the magical element to it as well. It has a very well thought out plot and as always with Daryl, the writing was superb and the story flowed really well. I enjoyed the setting of the story and all the characters were well developed. The mystery was a completer surprise as was the reveal of the killer and the reason the murder took place. I love a cozy that grabs my attention from the beginning, keeps me turning pages, and keeps me guessing till the very end. This story did all of that. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Daryl Wood Gerber

Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries as well as the French Bistro Mysteries. In June 2020, her new series, the Fairy Garden Mysteries debuts. As Avery Aames, she pens the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. Daryl also writes the Aspen Adams novels of suspense as well as stand-alone suspense. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, and read, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!

Author Links


WEBSITE: http://www.darylwoodgerber.com


FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber


TWITTER: http://twitter.com/darylwoodgerber


BOOKBUB: http://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber


YOUTUBE: http://youtube.com/woodgerb1


INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber


PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/darylwoodgerber
GOODREADS: http://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber


AMAZON: http://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page


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Booked For Murder

Booked for Death: A Book Lover's B&B Mystery
by Victoria Gilbert

About Booked for Death

Booked for Death: A Book Lover's B&B Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (August 11, 2020)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1643853074
ISBN-13: 978-1643853079
Digital ASIN: B07XX7PHTV

From the critically acclaimed author of SIBA Okra Pick A Murder for the Books, Victoria Gilbert embarks with a new series for perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Juliet Blackwell.

A book lover's B&B in an idyllic waterfront village becomes the scene of a grisly murder--and a ruthless battle between treachery and the truth.

Nestled in the historic waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast is a reader's paradise. Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It's the perfect literary retreat--until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey.

The victim's daughter points the finger at forty-two-year-old widow and former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed, who inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella. Charlotte is shocked to discover that the book dealer suspected Isabella of being a thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Charlotte has successfully learned the B&B business in a year, but nothing has prepared her to handle a death on the premises.

Armed with intelligence and courage and assisted by her vibrant older neighbor, a visiting author, and members of a local book club, Charlotte is determined to prove her innocence and to clear her great-aunt's name. But the murderer is still at large, and equally determined to silence anyone who might discover the truth behind the book dealer's death. Now, Charlotte must outwit an unknown killer--or end up writing her own final chapter.

What I Thought:

I thought this book was going to start out slowly, but it really did not, once I got started reading it, it flowed really well and kept my interest. I thought the writing was superb and the setting and plot were great. Who would not want to stay at a bed and breakfast that has literary themes and is a book lovers dream. Charlotte has come to Beaufort, NC to keep her aunt Isabella bed-and-breakfast running. When a guest at a weekend retreat accuses Isabella of stealing artifacts from previous employers, Charlotte begins to wonder just what her aunt Isabella had done with her life. When the man who accused Isabella is murdered, Charlotte has to clear her name. While she is investigating the murder, she also delves into her aunt Isabella past and is surprised by what all she learns. As I said, I thought this one was going to be iffy, but it took off and kept me turning pages. There were lots of suspects with many different motives. I was surprised by the reveal of the killer and the reason why the murder took place. This was a very well written book and the plot was great, I enjoy a cozy that keeps me guessing and this one certainly did that.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Virginia Gilbert

Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Victoria has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers and lives in North Carolina. This is her fourth Blue Ridge Library mystery.

Author Links:

Website/blog: http://victoriagilbertmysteries.com/

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaGilbertMysteryAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VGilbertauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/VictoriaGilbert

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriagilbertauthor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4J0jvZ-D0NVF9Qv7H2ua8Q

Purchase Links:

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No Filter

No Filter (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
by Heather Day Gilbert

About No Filter

No Filter (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: WoodHaven Press (May 26, 2020)
Number of Pages: ~280 Pages
Digital ASIN: B085BX4N96

Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java...and where murder sometimes pays a visit.

Fed up with her go-nowhere job, newly single Macy Hatfield moves back to her small hometown in West Virginia. She joins forces with her brother Bo in his crazy new venture—the Barks & Beans Cafe, which caters to dog lovers and coffee drinkers alike.

When a golf instructor is murdered at the nearby spiritual center, Macy winds up adopting his Great Dane. Just after Macy finds a mysterious message sewn under the dog's collar, her Dane is dognapped. She launches into a relentless search for her newfound canine friend, but along the way, she digs up a cruel and confident killer.

Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown...with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.

The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series in order:
Book 1: No Filter
Book 2: Iced Over

What I Thought:

Well, since I am from West Virginia, I am always partial to books set in my great state. But, honestly, this one was really good. I enjoyed the plot very much and the setting, a coffee shot that also features shelter dogs was really interesting. I enjoyed the story line and the mystery was gripping. Macy and her brother Bo were both great characters. Macy and Bo have both just moved back to Lewisburg, so neither sibling really knows the murder victim. Macy makes a visit to the neighboring town where the victim lived and ends up falling in love with his Great Dane and ends up adopting him. When Coal is dogknapped, Macy goes on a spree to find him. This takes her to Ivy Hill, the local spa and she gets immersed in all the shady doings going on there. I found this a fast paced book that kept my attention from the very beginning. I did not suspect who the killer was at all and was totally surprised by the ending. I definitely look forward to more in this great series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Heather Day Gilbert

HEATHER DAY GILBERT, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, writes contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren't afraid to protect those they love. Like her amateur sleuth heroines, she enjoys reading Agatha Christie, playing video games, dogs, and coffee.

Author Links

Website: http://heatherdaygilbert.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/heatherdaygilbert

Twitter: @heatherdgilbert

Instagram: @heatherdaygilbert

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heather-day-gilbert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7232683.Heather_Day_Gilbert

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Southern Sass and the Crispy Corpse

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse (A Marygene Brown Mystery)
by Kate Young

About Southern Sass and
a Crispy Corpse

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse (A Marygene Brown Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Kensington (May 26, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1496721470
ISBN-13: 978-1496721471
Digital ASIN: B07W4MRDKR

On Georgia’s picturesque Peach Cove Island, a killer is serving up a two-for-one special . . .

After their mama's passing, Marygene Brown returned to Peach Cove Island to help her sister Jena Lynn run the family diner, renowned for its homemade peach desserts. But Mama is never too far away—her sassy spirit haunts the island, and more specifically Marygene. Lately Mama has been warning her that the dead will seek her out to solve their murders, an idea Marygene is far from peachy keen on.

But that prophecy appears to be coming true when she goes skinny-dipping off the island and swims right into a woman's charred corpse floating in the waves. And when Marygene and her brother Sam come upon a second burned body in a wine cellar at an event they're catering, it appears they have a double homicide on their hands. It soon turns out the victims have more in common than their charred remains, and Marygene will need to double down to find a killer who has no aversion to playing with fire. Good thing Mama has her back . . .

Includes Seven Recipes from Marygene’s Kitchen!

What I Thought:

This is the Second Installment in the Marygene Brown Mystery Series about a southern girl who moves back home to help her sister run the family diner, oh did I mention her dead mother visits her often. I have read both books in this series, and I am glad I did because the first book in the series lays the background for the series. I think though, you could read this one and not be lost as to who is who and why the characters are where they are. In this book, Marygene is "swimming" one early morning when something brushes up against her. It happens to be a burned up corpse. When she is catering her best friends open house, Marygene and her brother Sam find another "cripsy" corpse in the cellar of the home. Of course, since Marygene gets visits from her dead mama, she is prone to find dead bodies, and she has to help figure out the demise of the dead bodies. Once Marygene starts investigating, she digs up a lot of old memories some would rather keep buried. I really enjoyed this book and once I got started, I did not hardly want to put it down. This was a great cozy in a great setting with a great cast of characters. The plot line was well thought out, and I was left guessing till the very end. I thought I knew who was responsible, but the author threw in enough twists and turns that I was surprised by the ending. I look forward to more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Kate Young

Kate Young writes Southern mystery novels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. Kate lives in a small town in Georgia with her husband, three kids, and Shih Tzu. When she is not writing her own books, she’s reading or cooking.

Author Links -

Website – https://www.kateyoungbooks.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKateYoung/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/KAYoungBooks

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527572.Kate_Young

BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kate-young-b3339e9c-d2e4-482d-a637-5afd7b064d73

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