Review - Revenge Served Royal

I love this description of the book: "Bridgerton meets The Great British Baking Show. Lots of plot twists, and lots of fun." ―Kirkus Reviews

I began with the first book in the series, but I have only reviewed one of those. I don't know why I didn't review the second one.  But let's see how I liked the third in the series.

1) Think Like a Lady, Act Like a Lord (click here)

2)  All's Fair in Love and Treachery (read but no review)

Author: Celeste Connally

Copyright: Nov 2025 (Minotaur Books) 328 pgs

Series: 3rd in Lady Petra Inquires

Sensuality: very mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical cozy, historical amateur sleuth

Main Character: Lady Petra Forsyth, 24yo independent daughter of an Earl

Setting: 1815 Regency era, Windsor Castle-England

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb: "September, 1815. Autumn is in the air as Lady Petra Forsyth and some of the most illustrious members of the ton descend upon Windsor Castle for a week of royal celebrations, with the highlight being Queen Charlotte’s inaugural patisserie contest for the best bakers employed by England’s finest houses. Not only is Lady Petra’s own cook one of the contestants, but Her Majesty has requested that Petra herself serve as one of the judges.

Petra’s happiness at tasting delicious cakes and biscuits only increases at finding her beloved Aunt Ophelia in attendance at Windsor, as well as Sir Rufus Pomeroy. As England’s most famous former royal chef-turned-cookbook author, Sir Rufus is slated to present his best recipes to the Queen during the festivities, with Petra being granted an early viewing in the royal library.

Yet upon arrival, Petra instead encounters a frantic housemaid pointing to a body of one of Her Majesty’s guests—and to the valet still tugging at the silk ribbon used to strangle the victim. What’s more, the valet turns out to be Oliver Beecham, the ne’er-do-well brother of Petra’s own lady’s maid, Annie. But as Oliver is hauled away to the dungeons, he protests his innocence, claiming the late guest argued with several aristocrats, including the Prince Regent and Petra’s Aunt Ophelia, and boasted about hiding a potentially scandalous document within the vastness of Windsor Castle.

When some poisoned tea meant for Petra is consumed by one of her fellow judges, it’s clear the real killer is still walking the castle’s halls. Indeed, in order to prove the innocence of Annie’s brother and find the incriminating document, Petra will need to act like a lady, eat like a chef, and think like one of Her Majesty’s best spies before a murderer can turn the celebrations from sweet to royally deadly."    

My Thoughts: This was nice having Windsor Castle for the backdrop of the mystery. I felt like I was walking through history as Lady Petra investigated. The "Author's historical notes" go into some of her research and was interesting of itself. The royal palace is also a grand yet spooky setting and worked so well to place Petra out of her norm.

Lady Petra is growing even more courageous in this addition to the series.  She even tackles some tricky family involvement in the case.  I thoroughly enjoy her character.

Petra's personal maid, Annie, is the sister of the man who was quickly railroaded for the murder of the famous former royal chef. So Petra has a vested interest in solving the crime. 

Petra is joined by her best friends: Lady Caroline, Lottie, who is known for her hobby of training dogs, Frances Bardwell, who owns an apothecary practice and thus becomes a valuable asset, and her Aunt Ophelia who knew the former chef quite well.  

Duncan Shawcross, the illegitimate son of Marquess of Langford, is the romantic interest. I like this character quite a bit as he clearly loves Petra for her genuine self.  Chef Antonin Carême is a true historical figure (as well as Queen Charlotte) who was arguably the first real celebrity chef. He flirts with Petra occasionally. Recently, AppleTV has a streaming series loosely based on him (titled Carême) that is pretty steamy and portrays him as a spy (highly doubtful) as well as a chef. 

The plot had a beginning that was providing information and setting up the murder. Once that was all done and the murder occurs, it becomes a twisty mystery filled with surprises and a hair-raising climax. The killer confrontation is filled with tension, danger, and excitement. Very well done on that score.  The wrap up had sweet moments and was very satisfying.

It was an overall solid mystery, great setting, solid characters, and taut climatic killer-reveal for a great historical cozy.  I highly recommend.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list.

Here is a short video overview of Chef Antonin Carême:

And this one is a quick overview of Queen Charlotte and recent portrayals:

THANK YOU for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Join my author newsletter: Click Here  

Musings - Mystery Reading Bingo

Today I am sharing a Mystery Reading Bingo for 2026. Starting as soon as you want, put a small post-it over, or cross out with a pen, each block that you have completed.  You can get your books from TBR stack, through the library, used book stores, or ebook library (Libby app etc.) so you aren't spending a lot of money.

Your goal is to cover 4 or more squares in different configurations:

• Regular Bingo in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row (4 squares)
• "X" (both diagonal directions 8 squares)
• The form of a "C" on your card (8 squares)
• The Picture Frame where all sides filled in like a frame (12 squares)
• The Black Out where all your squares are crossed off (all 16)

Download Bingo (click here) you will get a redirect notice, just click on the "tinyurl" link and you will get the bingo sheet to download and print.

Why do this Bingo?  The idea is to expose you to different types of mystery books than you normally gravitate towards, to get out of your comfort zone.  You can use the search feature on my blog to get some ideas for books if you are stumped.  

Your reward for completing each configuration mentioned above until you have a blackout is you get to reward yourself  with a book for each one of the five configurations.  If you want to just do one or two configurations, that works too.

Please comment with how you like this Bingo and what books you discovered.

THANK YOU for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Join my author newsletter, get a recipe booklet for subscribing: Click Here.       

Review - Scared Stiff

 Annelise Ryan is a former nurse and the USA Today bestselling author of the Mattie Winston Mysteries and the new Monster Hunter Mysteries.  I have previously reviewed one of the Monster Hunter mysteries, A Death in Door County, (click here). This will be my first foray into the Mattie Winston mysteries, below you'll find my thoughts on this book.

Author: Annelise Ryan

Copyright: December 2011 (Berkley) 320 pgs

Series: 2nd in Mattie Winston Mysteries

Sensuality: Swear-words sprinkled throughout

Mystery Sub-genre: Suspense, Amateur Sleuth

Main Character: Mattie Winston, former nurse now Deputy Coroner

Setting: Modern day - small town of Sorenson, Wisconsin

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb:  "When Deputy Coroner Mattie Winston and her boss/best friend, Izzy, are called to the home of waitress and part-time model Shannon Tolliver, they find the ghoulish Halloween decorations a bit too authentic. Among the fake blood and skeletons is the corpse of Shannon herself. Since the whole town knows Shannon recently had a very public spat with her estranged husband, Erik, he's suspect #1. But Mattie happens to know Erik truly loved his wife, and is simply incapable of the brutal act—even if he owns the exact same caliber handgun as the murder weapon. . .

Determined to unearth the truth, Mattie puts her scalpel-sharp medical skills to work, and digs a little deeper. What she uncovers is stranger than anyone could have imagined. . ."

My Thoughts:  

Mattie is recently split from her cheating Doctor husband and  reinventing herself. In general, I liked her and could relate to her.  The potential romantic interest is Detective Hurley who has some rough edges and I had little interest in.  

Then there is Bjorn, the Lyft/Uber-type driver with bladder issues she resorts to when her car is out of commission. This provides some interesting situations.  Another secondary character who appears in a few scenes is "William-not-Bill," an obsessive-compulsive, germophobic accountant blind date who she tries to match-up with somebody else.  Bjorn and "William-not-Bill" provide some of the humorous scenes, but humor is very subjective and it wasn't hitting me as funny as other readers found it.

The killer confrontation is quite dramatic and kudos on it. The exciting scene really ratchetted up the suspense and was a surprise.

Things I would have changed include how it seemed Mattie was the object of much attention from men as if many were lusting after her, then she is (quit literally) lusting after Detective Hurley, which both were a detractor for me. References to "burning between the thighs," and the "pup tent in his crotch" quickly wore thin, so be warned.  Her brother-in-law and his extreme-chauvinistic comments that she lets slide where a hard pill to swallow for me and perhaps the biggest complaint I have with the story. These factors may not bother others, so you be the judge.

Subjective humor, enjoyable mystery, some good plot twists, and somewhat-romance, all wrapped up as a bit of a light-hearted read.  This is good for when you need an escape without it being too serious and don't mind swearing and chauvinistic comments.

Rating:  Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying. 

If you have read this book or any in the series, please share your thoughts in the comments!  

Here is a short video of Annalise Ryan, very interesting:

THANK YOU for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Join my author newsletter, get a recipe booklet for subscribing: Click Here.  

Review - The Last Hope

This is the final book in the Maggie Hope series and I have been a devoted fan since the very beginning, reviewing each book on this blog. I hate to see it end, but eleven novels are a lot and Maggie deserves a break from the war.  Find out what I thought of this final book.  

While it works as a stand alone novel, the character of real life Coco Chanel first appears in the seventh novel, The Paris Spy, and is nice to have read it going into this book, but not vital. Here are my reviews in order.

#1 Mr. Churchill's Secretary (click here) 

#2 Princess Elizabeth's Spy (click here) 

#3 His Majesty's Hope (click here) 

#4 The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (click here) 

#5 Mrs Roosevelt's Confidante (click here) 

#6 The Queen's Accomplice (click here) 

#7 The Paris Spy (click here) 

#8  The Prisoner in the Castle (click here) 

#9 The King's Justice (click here) 

#10 The Hollywood Spy (click here)

Author interview 2012 (click here) 

Author interview 2017 (click here)

Author: Susan Elia MacNeal

Copyright: May 2025 (Bantam) 304 pgs

Series: 11th in Maggie Hope Mysteries

Sensuality: Adult topics without details

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical intrigue, suspense mystery

Main Characters: Maggie Hope, American now British Secret Service

Setting: 1943, primarily in Madrid, Spain

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb:  "Maggie Hope has come a long way since she was Mr. Churchill’s secretary. In the face of tremendous danger, she’s learned espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. But things are different now that she has so much to lose, including the possibility of a family with John Sterling, the man who’s long held her heart.

British Intelligence has ordered Maggie to assassinate Werner Heisenberg, the physicist who may deliver a world-ending fission bomb for Germany. She’s shaken. An assassination is unlike anything she has ever done. How can the Allies even be sure Nazi Germany has a bomb? Determined to gather more information, Maggie travels to Madrid, where Heisenberg is visiting for a lecture.

At the same time, couturier Coco Chanel [of the clothing and perfume empire], a spy in her own right [for the Nazi's as agent F7124 codename Westminster]… has requested a mysterious meeting with the British ambassador in Madrid—and has requested Maggie join them. As the two play a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Maggie tries to get a better understanding of Heisenberg, but is faced with betrayal and a threat more terrifying than losing her own life.

Maggie desperately wants to find her happily-ever-after, but as the war reaches a fever pitch, the stakes keep rising. Now, more than ever, the choices she makes will reverberate around the globe, touching everyone she loves—with fateful implications for the future of the free world."

My thoughts:  

Maggie has been through a lot over the prior ten books, and this book has a deep personal impact on her as well. In this addition to the series, Maggie's assignment seems rather simple on paper, but it turns out anything but.  She doesn't even make it to Madrid before an assassination occurs near her. Not only is it far more dangerous than believed, but she is emotionally and physically pushed to her limits. She must rely on her instincts through much of the twists.

John Sterling, Maggie's early love and former fiancé, is back and is working for Churchill again. They have reunited. We see him before Maggie's undercover operation and after.  We also have a lovely scene with her other friends Charlotte "Chuck" Ludlow and toddler Griffin, plus David and Freddie.  I loved this and had missed her "found family" in the last few books.

While in Spain Maggie has a cast of characters besides Coco Chanel.  There is Maggie's Spain contact, Miguel "Angel" Ramos, and Tom Burns, Press Attaché to the British Embassy in Madrid.  I loved the subplot of the famous bullfighter and celebrity, Juanito Belmonte, liking Maggie and wanting to date her. It was a lighter thread to all the danger and subterfuge.

Madrid during WWII is vividly brought to life and provides a deep sense of isolation where Maggie is essentially cut off and on her own not knowing who she can truly trust.

This is a solid spy/intrigue novel that had me in its grip throughout. 

I know this is supposed to be the final book in the series, but the ending setup another mission for Maggie. Could the series continue as self published, as so many other historical series have done?  Please let it be true!

The "Historical Notes" are fascinating alone. I have failed to mention these in each of the books in the series, but they are great and I eagerly read them each time. 

This is a stellar novel with intrigue, danger, twists and turns, while providing sweeping historical touches and heart wrenching parts. I highly recommend.

Rating: Near perfect - Loved it! If you haven't read it yet, get two copies. One for you and another for family or friend. 

Here is a video on Coco Chanel's connections with Germany during WWII

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Join my author newsletter: Click Here 

Review - A Death in Door County

Annelise Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple mystery series, including the Mattie Winston Mysteries and now the Monster Hunter Mysteries.  I'll be reviewing the first in the Mattie Winston Mysteries later.  Let's check out this unique concept of a cryptozoologist (a person who studies/searches for undiscovered or legendary animals known as "cryptids, that haven't been verified by mainstream science) who is becomes an amateur sleuth.  Read on to see how this unique hobby is used as the basis for the storyline.

Author: Annelise Ryan 

Copyright: Sept 2022 (Berkley) 334 pgs

Series: 1st in Monster Hunter Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild, mature topics

Mystery Sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth, cozy mystery

Main Character: Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore

Setting: Modern day in Door County, Wisconsin

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb:  "A Wisconsin bookstore owner and cryptozoologist is asked to investigate a series of deaths that just might be proof of a fabled lake monster.

     Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin, has a hobby. When she’s not tending the store, she’s hunting cryptids—creatures whose existence is rumored, but never proven to be real. It’s a hobby that cost her parents their lives, but one she’ll never give up on.

     So when a number of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with injuries that look like bites from a giant unknown animal, police chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help. A skeptic at heart, Morgan can’t turn down the opportunity to find proof of an entity whose existence she can’t definitively rule out. She and her beloved rescue dog, Newt, journey to the Death's Door strait to hunt for a homicidal monster in the lake—but if they’re not careful, they just might be its next victims."

MY Thoughts:  The cryptozoologist angle is a fascinating premise, but in lesser hands could have been cheesy or mired in wacky conspiracy theories. Instead, Ms. Ryan gives us some emotional depth in heroine Morgan Carter that makes her interest in, and skepticism of, cryptids a more realistic view that balances out the story to make a solid cozy mystery story while feeding the imagination. This book has a deep sense of place, thanks to the author living in Wisconsin. This story, and I suspect the rest of the series, is intertwined fully with the setting so that my memory of the book immediately brings up the beautiful-yet-dangerous lake setting. I love that.

The plot is solid murder mystery with a few turns and the pacing stays gentle but steady to keep interest.   

Besides Morgan, the key characters are her faithful and beloved dog, Newt (short for Newton), a Labrador and Golden Retriever mixed with St Bernard, possible romantic interest in police chief Jon Flanders, and the gruff boat captain, Martin (Marty) Showalter.  I love Newt, a lot.  All the characters are nicely developed and draw you in.

Overall, I'm hooked and will be reviewing more of this series as well as her others. Good cozy mystery with tense moments, exciting killer confrontation, and nicely used tropes.

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Join my author newsletter, get a recipe booklet for subscribing: Click Here https://tinyurl.com/3fwb6tkz