Review - An Eggnog to Die For

I'm just now getting into some holiday themed mysteries that I had planned on reviewing a few weeks ago.  I am just going to roll with it, which means even after the 25th I will probably still be reviewing some to stretch out the holiday season!  First up is a foodie themed holiday cozy mystery, check this out.

Author: Amy Pershing

Copyright: November 2021 (Berkley) 320 pgs

Series: 2nd in Cape Cod Foodie mystery series

Sensuality: mild, kissing

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy mystery, Amateur sleuth

Main Characters: Samantha Barnes, chef turned restaurant critic for Cape Cod Clarion

Setting: Contemporary, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Obtained Through: Netgalley for honest review

Book Blurb: "Professional foodie Samantha Barnes has a simple Christmas list: a quiet holiday at home with her dog and a certain handsome harbor master; no embarrassing viral videos; and no finding dead bodies. Unfortunately she’s got family visiting, she’s spending a lot of time in front of the camera, and she’s just stumbled over the lifeless body of the town’s Santa Claus.

 

Plus, Sam’s plans for Christmas Eve are getting complicated.  There’s the great eggnog debate among her very opinionated guests.  There’s the “all edible” Christmas tree to decorate.  And there’s her Feast of the Five Fishes prepare. Nonetheless, Sam finds herself once again in the role of sleuth. She needs to find out who slayed this Santa—but can she pull off a perfect feast and nab a killer?"

Samantha is 6-foot tall, extroverted, clever, sarcastic, and easily relatable with a relentless curiosity-but she does some risky things.  She has an overly large dog name Diogi, always a hit.  Friends include Helene Greenberg, her nextdoor neighbor and the town librarian, Jenny Snow Singleton is a friend since childhood,  Miles Tanner is an old high school friend and local organic farmer, and Krista Baker is the publisher of the Clarion and old friend.  Her parents, Robert and Veronica Barnes, were the prior Clarion editor in chief and senior journalist, burst into town for the holidays.  Dad is secretive about something he spends time on and Mom is asked to do an article on the murder who thinks there is promise in a mob angle--further complicating Sam's holiday.  Introverted Jason Captiva is her old and new boyfriend who is the town harbormaster.  Sam's extroverted ways are struggling with Jason's introverted tendencies.

The main plot is finding the killer who killed Santa.  There are several subplots including keeping her mother out of trouble as she writes an article on the murder for the local paper, hosting and cooking a multiple-course Christmas Eve dinner, and navigating her confusing relationship with Jason.  Bad Santa knew a lot of people's secrets and had plenty of victims lined up to stop with his sanctimonious "doing the right thing" ways.  So there were plenty of red herrings.  Sam takes risks with her suspected killer suspects, which is out of character for an otherwise smart woman.  She goes through a few people she is convinced is the killer before she hits on the real killer. 

 

The killer confrontation is an example of best laid plans going awry (Sam was going to confront the killer safely). This provided a few tense moments that I enjoyed.  The wrap up finished up with family and friends.  It left me feeling a bit empty without all the characters that filled the book

My thoughts: If you enjoy cozies with lots going on outside of the sleuthing, then this will be a good book for you.  There is the still developing relationship with the harbormaster and her visiting parents to juggle, holiday errands, baking cookies and decorating them for the tree with her friend and three boys.  Additionally, her working for the paper and trying to keep her mother from investigating the mob angle while planning the details for a big holiday feast with friends invited keeps her busy.  Then her parents are going through her house and attic cleaning and rearranging etc.  Foodie talk with cooking tips/hacks are interspersed throughout the book, which I suspect most readers will enjoy.  

The characters are well drawn and portrayed with a mystery that keeps you guessing who did it.  The only downsides are how I found I didn't like that Sam refers to her parents as her ‘rents which is very annoying to me.  Am I the only one who doesn't like "sich/sitch" short for situation and 'rents short for parents etc?  Sam does do some risky things with who she suspects as the killer, but I still enjoyed her character.  Overall, I am glad to have discovered this new series and I'm looking forward to the next installment.  

Rating:  Excellent - Fun and entertaining holiday mystery, give it a try.

Review - In the Company of Witches

I found this when I was gathering Halloween-ish reads and didn't finish it soon enough.  But this book doesn't need the spooky holiday to read it.  The author, Auralee Wallace, also wrote the Otter Lake mystery series with St. Martin's Press that I will have to dive into now.   I am delighted to share my review of this new mystery series with you.

Author: Auralee Wallace

Copyright: Oct 2021 (Berkley) 336 pgs

Series: 1st in Evenfall Witches B&B Mystery series

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Paranormal Cozy mystery, amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Brynn Warren, Widow and witch who can commune with ghosts 

Setting: Contemporary, Evenfall Connecticut

Obtained Through: Netgalley for an honest review

Book blurb: "For four hundred years, the Warren witches have used their magic to quietly help the citizens of the sleepy New England town of Evenfall thrive. There's never been a problem they couldn't handle. But then Constance Graves--a local known for being argumentative and demanding--dies while staying at the bed and breakfast Brynn Warren maintains with her aunts. At first, it seems like an accident...but it soon becomes clear that there's something more sinister at work, and Aunt Nora is shaping up to be the prime suspect.

There's nothing Brynn wants more than to prove Nora's innocence, and it hurts her to know that even two years ago that might have been easier. Brynn, after all, is a witch of the dead--a witch who can commune with ghosts. Ghosts never remember much about their deaths, but Constance might remember something about her life that would help crack the case. But Brynn hasn't used her powers since her husband died, and isn't even sure she still can. Brynn will just have to hope that her aunts' magic and her own investigative skills will lead her to answers--and maybe back to the gift she once thought herself ready to give up forever."

Brynn Warren, has withdrawn from the world ever since she lost her husband, not really dealing with her grief. As a result, her ability to speak with the dead has left her.  Aunt Nora (Evanora) Warren is a garden witch, bold, rebellious, opinonated, and stubborn.  Aunt Izzy, is a kitchen witch, is nurturing, and kind.  Then there is Uncle Gideon who can see both the past and the future but it overwhelms him so he stays indoors like a hermit.  Nixie is a witch hunter who attempts to make friends with Brynn, claiming she just wants to be friends and see magic. Then there is the contentious family of the deceased Constance. Faustus is the family's Maine Coon cat and Dog is the crow that hangs out with the family.  They are fantastic additions.

Ivywood Hollow B&B is a lovely victorian home, yet Constance's Graves House, while being nearly a mirror of Ivywood is creepy and dilapidated.  The homes provide great settings for the story to unfold. Small town Evenfall sees its residents picking sides with either the Warrens or the Graves family as the finger points to Nora.  This does feel like a small town indeed.

The mystery is well done and unfolds amid Brynn dealing with her grief and anger over never getting to see her husband's ghost to say goodbye, and Nora's stubborness digging her hole deeper. Brynn's investigation moves forward as tensions rise in town.  Everything happening keeps the pages turning.

 The killer confrontation was simple but effective and showed the Warrens sticking together.  The wrap-up was touching and bittersweet.

My thoughts: There is a subtly presented drama about family and the difference between a supportive and nurturing family verses destructive interpersonal problems. This gave the cozy a bit more depth, along with Brynn dealing with her grief, without becoming too serious.  The witchy aspects are more like a lighter version of the movie "Practical Magic" if you removed the scary haunting. This is a great example of the character driven cozy mystery.  It's a delightful and well written story that demonstrates cozy mysteries are developing into a genre with more to contribute than solely a fun read.

Rating:  Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. 

Here is a very short introduction to the author.

https://youtu.be/-CmPWQ1-BGw

Review - Fillet of Murder

I love fish 'n chips - it is a splurge for me.  I saw this new mystery series featured a mom-and-pop fried fish dinner and a New England setting, I had to give a try.  I am glad I did.  

Author: Linda Reilly

Copyright: May 2015 (Berkley) 296 pgs

Series: 1st in Deep Fried Mystery series

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy

Main Characters: Talia Marby, works at Lambert’s Fish and Chips 

Setting: Modern day, Berkshires in Maryland

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Talia left a miserable job, and a broken relationship in Boston and has returned to her hometown in the Berkshires.  She picks up a job in Lambert's Fish & Chips to help out the owners since one is in the hospital.  Lambert's is just one business in a shopping plaza that resembles an old English village.  But Phil Turnbull, the owner of a lighting store is on the rampage to prevent a comic book store from opening in the plaza.  Phil turns up dead and Bea is suspected.  Talia vows to clear Bea's name and in the process finds out many unpleasant things about Phil.


Talia is kind-hearted and mending from a break-up and quitting a job. We see her come into her own in the course of the story.  I found her an easy character to like and identify with.  Bea, a sweet grand-mother type who runs Lambert's Fish and Chips.  There are a variety of shop owners: Suzi Sato runs the bath and body store, Jill Follansbee owns the tea shop, Jim Jepson, her former Geometry teacher has the pottery store, Cliff Colby and others.  Rachel is Talia's BFF and some comedy relief.  Ryan Collins, an old high school classmate now a software designer (not a cop!) and potential boyfriend.  I don't often think the romantic interest is a stand-out, but Ryan is a great character and I am looking forward to more of him.  I can't forget to mention the sweet little calico cat Bojangles that Talia entices into her home.

The Berkshires was a good setting for the story, made me want to visit. Am I the only person with a vacation wish list resulting from story locations?  The plot proceeded with the reader thinking the story and murder is about one thing, to be surprised that it is all about something completely different, even with the clues right there.  Excellent plot written well to give a great surprise.

   The pacing was perfect, my interest was maintained and engaged throughout and I zipped through it as a result.  The climax and killer reveal was unique and tense, had me on the edge-of-my-seat. The wrap-up was heartening and paves the way for more adventures. 

This is a cozy mystery done right!  Good characters, not too quirky but developed and enjoyable with a tantalizing mystery that delivers a great twist.  I want more.

Rating: Near Perfect - Couldn't Put it down. Buy two copies, one for you and one for a friend.

The California Wine Club - Handcrafted, Quality Wines from "Mom & Pop" Wineries. No Bulk Wine.

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