Review - The Forty Year Grudge

 Liza Tully lives in Boston, MA with her husband and their dog, Fred. She is a firm believer in reading escapist fiction that makes you laugh as well as think.

"When the World’s Greatest Detective reunites with her college friends, she discovers that time doesn’t heal all wounds."

I hadn't read the first book in the series, The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant, but I was able to understand any backstory easily.   

Author: Liza Tully

Copyright: June 2026 (Berkley) 352 pgs

Series: 2nd in Merritt & Blunt Mysteries

Sensuality: Some language

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy, Private detective/investigator

Main Character: Olivia Blunt, personal assistant and detective in training

Setting: Modern time, New Mexico

Obtained Through: NetGalley/publisher for honest review

Book Blurb: "It's been four decades since the women of Sigma Delta Tau were last together. The passing years, growing families, and maturing careers may have strained the bonds of sisterhood, but now a reunion at the Western ranch of one member offers an opportunity to renew acquaintances…and at least one long-standing grudge.

Still, this weekend is supposed to be a pleasant diversion for former sorority member and current private investigator Aubrey Merritt. She's come to New Mexico to reconnect with old friends and she's brought along her personal assistant, Olivia Blunt—an aspiring detective who is learning more about packing bags on this trip than about solving crimes.

The shocking murder of a sorority sister changes everything. With the local police overmatched, all eyes turn to Merritt and Blunt to crack the case. With a surprising abundance of suspects, it's going to take both of them to cut through the knot of old hurts and current grievances to find the killer."

My Thoughts:

Olivia Blunt isn't perfect, but she is learning the PI business from the best. She isn't sure of herself yet, but she is determined to improve. I liked her character and could relate.

Aubrey Merritt is precise and analytical, but this case presents personal connections, particularly the host of the reunion is a friend - and Merritt doesn't count many in the category. At times there is a hint of Merritt perhaps starting to like her green assistant/trainee.

Sigma Delta Tau sorority members attending the weekend with spouses are all interesting and the past slights and betrayals start popping to the surface. This makes for a full suspect pool.

The remote New Mexico setting ramps up the atmosphere of being isolated with a killer. A killer clever enough take advantage of a perfect situation to murder where somebody else will be the obvious prime suspect. 

This is a classic murder plot with enough red herrings to keep it interesting. The pacing kept things moving along at a good clip without feeling slow or rushed. The climax was the only part that I wished different. It seemed rather uneventful. I love a gripping killer reveal, but that doesn't happen here. It is a bit more like the old Ellery Queen show and books where the suspects are gathered together and the killer is revealed. Nothing wrong with that at all, seems I've gotten a little spoiled.

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

Have you read this or the prior book in the series? Please leave a comment on what you thought. I love comments, so share.

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Author Interview - Liza Tully

Liza Tully is a pseudonym for Elisabeth Brink, who writes dark thrillers under the name Elisabeth Elo, as well as literary fiction under the name Elisabeth Panttaja Brink. 

Before turning to fiction writing, she worked as an editor at a children’s magazine, a project manager at a tech company, and a counselor at a halfway house. A magna cum laude graduate of Brown University, she earned a PhD in American Literature from Brandeis University, and is the author of scholarly articles on diverse subjects. She lives in Boston, MA.  

“Standing ovation! Fans of Anthony Horowitz and Richard Osman will swoon to find their new favorite author.” — Hank Phillippi Ryan

“What a terrific start to a new series: Liza Tully has reeled me in.” — Criminal Element

Please give a warm welcome to Liza Tully!

Interview with author Liza Tully

I will be reviewing her newest book, The Forty Year Grudge, soon.

Why do you write? Do you love it or love having done it? What motivates you?

Writing totally engages me—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically to the extent that I almost feel in my body the things that are happening on the page. Readers feel this too—imaging tests have shown that our movement neurons (or something like that) light up when we’re reading. Maybe that’s why writers love putting in chase scenes or fight scenes or train rides with changing scenery. The sense of movement can be as engaging as the emotion.

In my life, I can’t think of any activities besides writing and reading that give that sense of total engagement, but I’m sure there are many. Maybe runners feel that when they’re running: somehow they’re experiencing much more than the rest of us imagine. They hit the trail and forget their problems. For a little while, mind, body, and spirit are all turned on and working together. Once you feel that, you probably want to do it again.

Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc.) before sitting down and writing?

I scribble in a notebook anything that comes to me--character, setting, plot, odd details. I just let my mind roam. I write lists: members of a family, suspects, plot points. As long as I’m not wedded to anything, it doesn’t matter what I put down. I sometimes ask myself general questions such as “Why do people murder?” Or “What makes siblings angry at each other?” Or “Why do people dread school reunions?” I think about it for a while and write down the answer. Sometimes I try a little outline, and if I don’t know what should come next in the story, I ask, “What should come next in this story?” and write down whatever pops into my mind.

I don’t have to use any of it. I don’t even read it over. If I lost the notebook, it wouldn’t matter. The main thing is that I scare up a lot of ideas, so when it’s time for a first draft I have almost too much material rather than too little.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?

I used to write mostly on weekends when I could. My schedule was pretty erratic. Now that I’m writing fulltime, my schedule is much more consistent. I usually write from noon to four (if I’m writing new stuff); or from noon to six (if I’ve already got a draft). If I’m doing something like editing that doesn’t require any invention, I might work from noon until seven or eight. In that kind of situation, I actually prefer to work longer hours to get it done.

I start at noon because it’s hard to concentrate if I have too many “to dos” hanging over me--things like bills, appointments, house stuff, food stuff, social stuff, exercise. I try to get as much of that out of the way as possible in the morning, so I can sit down at my desk at noon without guilt. I think this habit is a holdover from the era of my life when I felt that writing fiction was a self-indulgent activity and I could only justify the time if I wasn’t behind on anything else.

Writing a novel has taken me as long as three years, but that was when I was working, raising kids, and not very confident. My ideal time now is eighteen months. If I had a really ambitious project, which I don’t at the moment, it would probably take longer.

What in your background prepared you to write mysteries? (from her website)

The only sign that I would eventually become a writer is that I was a voracious reader as a kid. I remember riding my bike to the public library in my town and trying to fit all the books I’d borrowed into my bike basket. On the way home, I had to watch out for all the bumps in the road so the books wouldn’t bounce out onto the street. 

Back then, I couldn’t imagine ever becoming an author. It seemed like such an exotic, out-of-reach job, like being a movie star. And I couldn’t imagine sitting by myself for hours, days, weeks, months, years, or however long it took professional authors to write books. I had enough trouble doing my homework.  

But I was always writing or editing something. After college, I got a job as an editorial assistant for a children’s magazine called Cricket. It was loads of fun and I thought I would go to New York and become a trade book editor, but fate took me in another direction, and I ended up being a technical editor for, among other things, a periodical called the Swine Report (yes, it was about pigs). After that I wrote marketing material, ad copy, whatever came my way. Then in grad school, it was scholarly essays (Cinderella, fairy tale heroines, Walt Whitman). 

In my thirties, I was raising kids and working as an adjunct professor teaching English. It was a busy life, but I was restless. I needed a challenge, something to keep my mind humming and growing, so one Sunday morning, almost on a whim, I wrote the first draft of a short story. 

I’ve been writing fiction ever since. First a lot of short stories published in various literary journals; then, finally, my first novel, a comedy called SAVE YOUR OWN (an Indie Next Pick) published under the name Elisabeth Brink by then Houghton Mifflin. From there, under the name Elisabeth Elo, I wrote a suspense novel called NORTH OF BOSTON (Viking 2014) that Booklist named as one of the best debut crime novels of 2014. That was followed by FINDING KATARINA M (Polis 2019) which Publisher’s Weekly called “a tense and illuminating journey” and Elizabeth George called “an amazing accomplishment.”

Which brings me to where I am now, with my Merritt and Blunt mystery series written under the name Liza Tully. 

How did you get your first break to getting published? Was it at a writer's conference or mailing a query letter?

I started writing short stories. They’re very hard to get published, so I had to adapt to getting many rejections before an acceptance. That experience probably helped me when I finished my first novel and started querying literary agents. I expected to receive many rejections and wasn’t overly dispirited by them. However, it was still a grind. My first novel was never published; neither was my second.

I’ve had better luck since then, but there’s never been a time when I’ve felt secure. I know of too many writers whose published novels got good reviews and seemed to do pretty well, and then these writers seemed to just disappear from the scene. I doubt it was because they stopped writing. I think it was because they stopped getting published—probably for reasons they couldn’t control. Basically, this industry is brutal. You have to be crazy to do it. Turns out, quite a lot of people are. (To answer your question, I’ve relied on query letters.)

Tell us about your next book in the series - or next project? What is your biggest challenge with it?

The next book in the Merritt & Blunt mystery series is set in New York City. The mystery centers on an influential family and the theatre world. My biggest challenge is plotting the relationship between the two main characters (the famous detective, Merritt, and the rookie detective, Blunt). Most of the humor in the first two books relied on Blunt being a bit of a doofus and thus bringing out the worst in Merritt.

That dynamic can’t continue forever without becoming a rather tiring cliché that ignores the characters’ true complexity. Blunt is actually pretty smart, and Merritt does have a smidgen of affection for her protégé and a tiny streak of kindness. So now they’re depending on their author (me!) to do them justice while readers (I assume) are still expecting me to be funny. Oy vey. As one of the characters in the book keeps saying, “My nerves are frayed!”

Do you have a newsletter or blog for readers to stay informed of your news?

Sign up for her quarterly newsletter for updates, giveaways, musings, book recs, and information about new releases on her website at the bottom of the page (click here) 

Instagram (click here) 

Thank you so very much for this interview, your journey to a successful author is interesting and enlightening.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

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Review - Cat On A Hot Tin Woof

 "Spencer Quinn is the pen name of Peter Abrahams, the Edgar-award winning author of many novels, including the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Chet and Bernie mystery series, Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge, The Right Side, and Oblivion, as well as the New York Times bestselling Bowser and Birdie series for younger readers. He lives on Cape Cod with his wife Diana―and pet Dottie." 

“I have been a Chet and Bernie fan from the start.” Stephen King

Even though this is my first in the series, it was easy to pick up any back story. See what I think of my first Chet and Bernie mystery.

Author: Spencer Quinn

Copyright: April 2026 (Minotaur Books) 313 pgs

Series: 16th in Chet & Bernie Mysteries

Sensuality: Some moderate violence, swearing

Mystery Sub-genre: Private Investigator, Animal Mystery

Main Character: Bernie Little. Narrator: German Shepard Chet

Setting: Current day, Arizona desert

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb: "Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency’s next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person—only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong.

     Miss Kitty belongs to Bitty, a sweet teenage girl who lives with her mom. Bitty and her mother are struggling financially, but the arrival of Miss Kitty and the chance discovery of her social media appeal has changed everything. Bitty now has sponsors, a high-powered agent, and all the tools needed to thrive online, and real money is flowing in. At least, it was. With Miss Kitty gone, the family's income is on the line.

     The case presents a slew of challenges for Chet and Bernie. For one thing, a potential witness is a pig named Senor Piggy who may be in possession of an important piece of evidence. For another, it seems like a possible perp has been killed twice—and there's evidence implicating Bernie in the crime."

My Thoughts:

This is a unique book in that you don't often have a German Shepherd narrate the story.  It took awhile for me to get used to Chet's style.  It's like a stream of conscious with an easily distracted mind chasing stray thoughts. Sometimes it's hilarious and other times it was distracting. "Chet the Jet" wonders about human's strange ways - to a dog's way of thinking.  Chet doesn't like the latest case since he mistrusts cats... a lot.

Chet is completely loyal and adoring of Bernie, the private investigator and partner in the biz. As the story's narrator he has a touch of hard-boiled style mixed with humor.

Bernie is a determined investigator, often needing a cash infusion to cover his bills. He has a girlfriend, and an ex-wife who makes an appearance.

I liked the idea of Miss Kitty being a viral sensation who was "cat-napped" because it gets into the money deals for sponsorships to viral content makers. There are several mysteries to be solved in the course of this case which makes it quite interesting. 

If you are an animal lover, this maybe a fun series to jump into. 

Please share in the comments if you have read any of the prior books in the series and what you thought. 

Rating: Excellent - enjoyed it! Fun concept, but may not be for everyone. Perhaps look at a chapter in a book store before purchasing to ensure it is your style.

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Review - Dungeons And Danger

 Elizabeth Penney is the author of the Apron Shop Series and the Cambridge Bookshop Series, both from St. Martin's Press. She is also the author of women's fiction and mysteries for Annie's Fiction and Guideposts. This is a second installment in the Ravensea Castle Mysteries. Read on to see if this book passed the second book challenge with a win or not.

1) Bodies and Battlements (click here) 

Author: Elizabeth Penney 

Copyright: May 2026 (Minotaur Books) 290 pgs

Series: 2nd in Ravensea Castle Mysteries

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy myster, amateur sleuth

Main Character:  Nora Asquith, Herbalist turned castle B&B proprietor

Setting: Modern day, Monkwell, Yorkshire in England

Obtained Through: Publisher via Netgalley, for honest review

Book Blurb: "As Halloween approaches, Ravensea Castle is bustling with excitement as Nora Asquith welcomes the fall season guests to her family's newly converted bed and breakfast. A historian studying the movements of the Vikings has traced their exploits to Ravensea. A certain Viking woman, known as the Red Maiden, landed here and the historian believes she buried a treasure hoard before the castle was built. He is hopeful he can find the hoard now. Nora can't help but wonder if the enigmatic castle ghost she's always referred to as the woman in red could be this very Viking?

Meanwhile, a team of four ghost hunters is coming to stay at Ravensea for the filming of Britain's Got Ghosts. Former students of the historian, the group arrives with their own rivalries and baggage. They try to see who can make the most paranormal contacts and end up getting more than they bargained for.

When the historian is murdered during a Viking festival on castle grounds and his notes go missing, Nora can't help but wonder if the treasure was why he was killed . . . and could it be connected to the visiting ghost hunters? Additional "accidents" befalling the hunters raise the stakes as Nora races to find the killer—and the treasure—before another death occurs."

My Thoughts:

This is a solid second book and shows the setting and recurring characters have what it takes to carry the series.

Nora Asquith has her hands full with all these guests and the rivalries and hidden agendas. She shows her inner strength in this outing.  I appreciate how her sister, Tamsyn (a popular actress) and her father, Arthur (writing the family history) work together as a team running the castle and dealing with this unruly gang.  Nora's brother doesn't live at the castle, but he brews his own mead and in this outing he puts together what he hopes will be an annual celebration of Vikings that were part of the town's history.

Detective Inspector Finlay Cole has become Nora's boyfriend so he isn't allowed to investigate or be involved in any sense. The person running the investigation seems to have it out for Nora and her sleuthing ways.

I loved the huge Viking festival and how it added to the flavor of the setting but also made the celebration a good cover for dark deeds.  I feel the castle is again used well for a backdrop. The encounters with the ghosts were mostly fun.

The story flowed well with pacing done just right. The basic plot of a killer among a group together in an atmospheric setting has been done often but usually goes for light horror, but rest easy here. The author handles this with a true cozy light hand giving just enough to gives us some thrills while keeping it lighthearted with the resident ghosts. If anything it weaves the thread that the living are far worse than ghosts. 

The killer confrontation was plenty tense and even the wrap up had a final tense bit before all is tied up nicely. A very enjoyable and solid mystery.  Was there any treasure? You'll have to read it to find out!

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

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Review - Bodies And Battlements

 Author Elizabeth Penney also writes the Cambridge Bookshop Mysteries, which I have only read one of that series. 

Fatal Folio: Cambridge Bookshop Mysteries #3 (click here)

This is a brand new series she has started.  If you've been here long enough, you know I enjoy books set in Scotland. This book is set in England and Ireland too.  I love beginning with the debut novel, so let's see what this new addition to the mystery genre has to offer.

Author: Elizabeth Penney

Copyright: May 2025 (Minotaur) 288 pgs

Series: 1st in Ravensea Castle Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy Mystery, amateur sleuth

Main Characters: Nora Asquith, Herbalist turned castle B&B proprietor

Setting: Modern day, Monkwell, Yorkshire in England

Obtained Through: Publisher/Netgalley for honest review

Book Blurb: "Herbalist Nora Asquith is delighted to welcome Ravensea Castle’s first guests to the picturesque village of Monkwell, Yorkshire. After a thousand years of ownership, her family has decided to convert the castle into a bed and breakfast. But when Hilda Dibble, a self-appointed local luminary, is found dead in the knot garden the next morning, Nora’s business is not only at risk―she’s a prime suspect.

Hilda had opposed the hotel plan every step of the way, and although she didn’t succeed in stopping the venture, her disagreements with Nora seem to only further her motive. One of Ravensea’s guests happens to be Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new to the area and now finds himself with a murder case in his lap.

Nora and her actress sister Tamsyn decide to investigate for themselves. They look into the entangled dealings of their newly arrived guests, while also getting hints from Sir Percival, one of the castle ghosts. As they learn, Sir Percival’s tragic death centuries ago sheds light on present-day crimes. Surely they can get to the bottom of this mystery while keeping their new business afloat . . ."

My Thoughts:

Nora Asquith is the responsible daughter who is attempting to financially save the family's castle. Besides her own herbal line of products, she has opened the family's historic home to a small amount of paying guests in hopes of keeping the property in the family.  

Her sister, Tamsyn, is a popular actress home to lick her wounds after her show, Highland Lass, is canceled. Their relationship starts rough but turns to solidarity. Will, the brother who brews his own mead in town, is around sporadically.  Arthur Asquith is their father who spends his time writing the family history.

Among the first guests is Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new in town and hasn't found a place yet. He heads up the investigation into the murder. He is definitely romantic interest material.  Janet Fagan, housekeeper and cook extraordinaire and husband, Guy are the regular staff and part of the family.  English Mastiff, Rolf, and the gray tabby cat, Ruffian are ever present along with Sir Percival, the ghost of a knight make this a fun cast.

The setting is rich with old smuggling caves along shore from the shady past, Sir Percival's ghost, and the small town at the base of the hill below the castle provide a great setting with atmosphere to spare.

The plot moves along well as more suspects are uncovered. The pacing kept my interest throughout.  The killer reveal was only a little tense, but still good. Overall a solid mystery and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

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

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Review - To Slip the Bonds of Earth

 Amanda Flower is the author of "An Amish Candy Shop" mysteries, "An Amish Matchmaker" mysteries, "Farm to Table" mysteries, "Emily Dickinson" mysteries, and "Magical Bookshop" plus "Magic Garden" mysteries which I've reviewed.  She is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over thirty-five mystery novels. She currently writes for Penguin-Random House (Berkley), Kensington, Hallmark Publishing, Crooked Lane Books, and Sourcebooks.  

Of course using an actual historical figure is a high wire act but practically nobody remembers the sister of the Wright Brothers and that is what appealed to me about this book.

Author: Amanda Flower

Copyright: Mar 2024 (Kensington Books) 282 pgs

Series: 1st in Katharine Wright Mysteries

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy Mystery

Main Character: Katharine Wright, sister to the Wright brothers and school teacher 

Setting: 1903, Dayton Ohio

Obtained Through: Publisher via Netgalley for honest review

Book Blurb:  "December 1903: While Wilbur and Orville Wright’s flying machine is quite literally taking off in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with its historic fifty-seven second flight, their sister Katharine is back home in Dayton, Ohio, running the bicycle shop, teaching Latin, and looking after the family. A Latin teacher and suffragette, Katharine is fiercely independent, intellectual, and the only Wright sibling to finish college. But at twenty-nine, she’s frustrated by the gender inequality in academia and is looking for a new challenge. She never suspects it will be sleuthing…

Returning home to Dayton, Orville accepts an invitation to accompany Katherine to a friend’s party. Nervous about leaving their as-yet-unpatented flyer plans unattended, Wilbur decides to bring them to the festivities . . . where they are stolen right out from under his nose. As always, it’s Katharine’s job to problem solve—and in this case, crime-solve.

As she sets out to uncover the thief among their circle of friends, Katharine soon gets more than she bargained for: She finds her number one suspect dead with a [screwdriver] lodged in his chest. It seems the patent is the least of her brothers’ worries. They have a far more earthbound concern—prison. Now Katharine will have to keep her feet on the ground and put all her skills to work to make sure Wilbur and Orville are free to fly another day."

MY Thoughts:

Katharine is a mixed bag for me: she is smart and determined, but she also tends to be bossy, impulsive, and managing everybody which rubbed me the wrong way a few times.  The historical Katharine was said to be very charming and the character could have used a dose of charm to help me warm up a bit to her.  This story was a slow burn and it wasn't until around half way that I felt the story actually took off. There were a few instances where Katharine would ignore what she just learned that was a motive for murder and focus on a completely different motive. 

The plot was initially about finding the missing airplane plans filled with notes, but somehow Katharine decides that the murder and the missing plans must be connected so if she solves the murder, she will then find the plans.  That was illogical to me since there was no evidence to suggest they were related. I would have been satisfied with her just investigating the murder to clear her student without the plans being thrown in the mix.  Perhaps that is just me, though.

The climax wasn't my favorite, but the culprit reveals themself.  The wrapup was satisfactory and unusual. The writing style served the story well. 

I did appreciate the confronting of a few social problems of the era found in the town.  I also appreciated shining a spotlight on the Katharine Wright who was a tremendous celebrity in her time alongside her brothers, and perhaps eclipsed them.  The story seemed to force its way in a few instances and it made those parts awkward.

Rating: Good - A fun read. It was good -- it wasn't great. It wasn't for me, but I would recommend based on certain tastes. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Here is a short video on Katharine Wright, it's fascinating.

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Review - Death at a Scottish Wedding

I started with the first book in this new series:

1) An American in Scotland (click here)

The second book is released featuring a deadly wedding held in a Scottish castle.  Talk about a great setup for murder!

Author: Lucy Connelly

Copyright: January 2024 (Crooked Lane Books) 265 pgs

Series: 2nd in A Scottish Isle mystery series

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy, Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Emilia McRoy, American ER Doctor, now all purpose country physician and coroner

Setting: Modern day-- Sea Isle, Scotland

Obtained Through: Publisher for an honest review, Netgalley

 Book Blurb:  "Finally feeling like Sea Isle, Scotland is becoming her new home, American doctor Emilia McRoy is delighted when she is invited to a wedding at Morrigan's Castle. Her friends have warned her that it's a three-day party and it's bound to get wild, not to mention the impending snowstorm. Constable Ewan Campbell, owner of the castle, ensures their safety with the blizzard. What he didn’t ensure, is that all of his guests would survive the night alive. When Emilia explores the impressive castle, she finds a dead man [ex-boyfriend of the bride who wasn't invited] in one of the turrets.

 The snowstorm hits and the local police can’t reach the castle until it lets up. With no one able to leave, the family insists they carry on with the wedding, which makes Emilia's job as the coroner a bit easier—the suspects are in one place­––and complicated because the killer has Emilia in his sights. The fact no one claims to know the victim isn't helping. Why would someone no one knows be murdered at a castle in the middle of nowhere?

It’s up to Emilia to uncover the mystery who the victim is, so the killer doesn’t get away Scot free."

MY Thoughts:  Emelia is still recovering from the death of her husband and is finding Scotland healing her grief.  Best friends Mara, Angie, and Abigail are the besties we all wish we had.  Constable Ewan, the wealthy laird and constable is the potential romantic interest.  This is an extreme slow burn of a romance with some head-butting between them with obvious chemistry, I hope the author will give us a bit more in the next installment because the few hints that Ewan may like her are few and stiff.  I can see Ewan waiting to see if she is going to stick around before becoming invested in her, but throw us readers something to hang onto.

The castle is a great setting, but I wish it's atmosphere had been punched up a wee bit because I love a creepy gothic atmosphere.  All the Scottish wedding traditions are a great touch and added so much to the sense of place.  

The plot is a classic stranded with a murderer premise with the investigation trying to answer why the victim snuck into the wedding, who helped him to get into the castle, and who killed him... and is attempting to kill the bride and stop Emelia in her gathering of evidence.  All these questions have many possible answers that seem all over the place and thus confusing the investigation.

The pacing did seem a little off at times. The second in a series is always tough and the stranded setting is challenging to keep enough movement and sense of urgency.  I was still interested and kept turning the pages, though.  For me some of the wedding guests' personalities started to grate on me--as if I were stuck there with them!

Rating:  Excellent - A fun read! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

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Review - Murder Marks the Page

 The first in a new series spun off from the Daisy Tea Garden Mysteries, Daisy’s daughter Jazzi Swanson has opened her own book and tea shop, providing a variety of literature and flavored beverages for a rural New York community. But Jazzi has not only inherited her mother’s gift for brewing tasty drinks—she also has a nose for sniffing out murder.

Author: Karen Rose Smith

Copyright: March 2024 (Kensington Cozies) 272 pgs

Series: 1st in A Tomes & Tea mystery series

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy, Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Jazzi Swanson, owner & operator of Tomes & Tea

Setting: Modern day, Belltower Landing, a lakeside resort town in New York

Obtained Through: Publisher for an honest review, Netgalley

 Book Blurb:  "New York State’s Belltower Landing is a lakeside resort town where tourists spend their summer days boating, floating, and paddle-boarding on the water. It’s also the perfect place to cuddle up with a good book and enjoy a cup of tea, courtesy of Tomes & Tea. Owned and operated by Jazzi and her best friend Dawn Fernsby, the book bar is beloved by vacationers and locals alike, but browsers grabbing brews in the off season aren’t enough to help them make ends meet.

     Between brainstorming social media publicity ideas for the shop and fending off flirtatious men she has no interest in or time for, Jazzi befriends a woman named Brie who has recently made contact with her biological father. As an adopted child herself, Jazzi is more than happy to give Brie emotional support, especially as her wealthy father’s wife and children see her as a threat.

     But Brie is also looking to start a family of her own. Unfortunately, all the potential princes she’s met through a dating app turn out to be frogs. Then, when Brie is found murdered, Jazzi finds herself playing detective. With a list of suspects ranging from jealous half-siblings to less-than-suitable suitors, Jazzi may need to consult some of her shop’s bestselling mysteries to help her uncover a killer . . ."

My Thoughts:

Jazzi Swanson is out of college and co-owner of Tome and Tea bookstore and Tea spot.  She is young but determined and a reluctant sleuth because her mother, Daisy Swanson from Daisy Tea Garden Mysteries, was known for investigating murders.  Dawn Fernsby is best friend, business partner, and roommate.  In many ways Dawn and Jazzi are more like sisters.  Oliver is a local upscale pub owner from Australia and a potential romantic interest.  Parker is a bookclub participant and software applications developer who, although very subtle, I see as a potential romantic interest as well.

The mystery has plenty of suspects and Jazzi never intends to investigate but ends doing so anyway.  I like the lake setting woven throughout the story.  The climax had some harrowing moments as the killer is revealed and Jazzi is in danger.  A subplot is extra efforts to bring in more business to the bookstore which provides a touch of realism about the business through the story.  A deligtful touch is Jazzi adopting two adorable kittens.  

Rating:  Excellent - A fun read-it was good.

Review - The Curse of Penryth Hall

If you are a fan of the gothic books from the 1960s thru the 1990s by Victoria Holt, Norah Lofts, Dorothy Eden, Joan Aiken, and many others then you will likely really enjoy this novel.  This debut work won the Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel competition.  

The gothic atmosphere is deliciously laid out like a banquet.  This line sets the stage: "The old Cornish folkways predate even the Romans.  There are things that occur there no one can explain, no one dares."

Author: Jess Armstrong

Copyright: Dec 2023 (Minotaur) 329 pgs

Series: 1st in Ruby Vaughn mystery series

Sensuality: mild, innuendo, adult situations referenced

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical cozy, Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Ruby Vaughn, Heiress-prior WW1 ambulance driver and runs a bookstore for an octogenarian

Setting: August 1922, Cornwall, England

Obtained Through: Publisher for an honest review, Netgalley

 

Book Blurb:  "After the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer and house mate in Exeter. She’s always avoided dwelling on the past, even before the war, but it always has a way of finding her. When Ruby is forced to deliver a box of books to a folk healer living deep in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to the one place she swore she’d never return. A more sensible soul would have delivered the package and left without rehashing old wounds. But no one has ever accused Ruby of being sensible. Thus begins her visit to Penryth Hall.

A foreboding fortress, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby’s once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. It’s an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to depart. But her plans change when Penryth’s bells ring for the first time in thirty years. Edward is dead; he met a gruesome end in the orchard, and with his death brings whispers of a returned curse. It also brings Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought her to Cornwall, the one the locals call a Pellar, the man they believe can break the curse. Ruby doesn’t believe in curses—or Pellars—but this is Cornwall and to these villagers the curse is anything but lore, and they believe it will soon claim its next victim: Tamsyn.

To protect her friend, Ruby must work alongside the Pellar to find out what really happened in the orchard that night."

My Thoughts:  I grew up (10 years and on up) reading gothic romances of the sixities, seventies, eighties, and even nineties.  I have wanted more recent gothics with a newer writing style to take the gothic genre to new heights.  This is the best of the old gothic stories with updated takes and suspense.  

    The characters of  Ruby Vaughn (strong and flawed heroine), Ruan Kivell (the local "Pellar," in English folk he practiced Magic and Witchcraft, was a healer, diviner and breaker of spells) a compelling and mysterious man, and Tamysn (the recent widow who appears haunted and terrified) each provide layers and nuances to the story.  Although Ruby and Ruan initially butt heads, there is something between Ruby and Ruan, something ancient and mystical that I dearly hope will be further explained in subsequent books.  Mr. Owen and Mrs. Penrose are great secondary characters that I'm glad will be returning.

    The setting of Cornwall with the deep sense of history and persistant old folk ways sets the gothic atmosphere to perfection.  The plot has many twists and turns that kept me guessing.  The mystery may seem simple at first but it is actually more complex and involved.  The lurking image of a ghost, the Pellar's near magic healing abilities, and the family secrets slowly doled out are perfection and kept me reading on and on.  The climax was great with some suspense.  The wrapup ties up all the loose ends, except whether Ruby and Ruan will see each other again and figure out their strange connection.  Something to look forward to, I hope.  

     I admit the first chapter or two didn't grab me, but I'm glad I stuck with it because once Sir Edward Chenowyth is murdered the story had me in its spell and I could barely put it down to sleep.  I highly recommend.   

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

Review - A Doomful of Sugar

 Another new series for cozy mystery fans.  Who doesn't love maple syrup and beautiful maple trees??  Let's take a trip to Vermont in the autumn where murder strikes on a maple farm.

Author: Catherine Bruns

Copyright: October 2022 (Poisoned Pen Press) 278 pgs

Series: 1st in Maple Syrup Mysteries

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy mystery, amateur sleuth

Main Characters: Leila Khoury, new boss of Sappy Endings Maple Farm, cafe, & gift shop 

Setting: Contemporary, Sugar Ridge, Vermont (population 5000)

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb:  "There's nothing sweet about murder…

Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he's killed, and she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to take over his business, she starts to realize how much of his life she's left untapped.

With her brother under suspicion, her mother just barely holding it together, and police not producing any leads, Leila will have to investigate herself if she wants answers about her father's sticky end. But the more she learns, the more she worries that there won't be a sappy ending to the story.

A cozy mystery perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, this edition includes 5 delicious maple recipes for mystery readers with a sweet tooth!" 

My Thoughts: 

I have a mixed reaction to Liela since she is impatient and reacts badly in some instances (like confronting a suspect blurting out accusations--talk about stupid), then she has moments where she is caring and likeable. The mother, Selma, expected Liela to get married and be a homemaker rather than have a career and they still don't get along. I appreciated Liela's best friend, Heather as the support system for Liela.

The beginning was slow with a whole lot of backstory and descriptions with memories of her father as she is greiving. After the first few slow chapters it eventually picked up and I finally got into the story.  I actually had started the story, but was so put off I set it aside for a couple of months before coming back to it.  That is just an FYI, it does pick up and get better.

The mystery itself had some good meat to it and wasn't obvious with good red herrings.  I did enjoy it after those first rough chapters and looking back on it, it was entertaining overall.  The killer reveal was nail biting and suspenseful--my favorite.  

Rating: Good - after a slow start it improves and the mystery is worth it.

Here is a short video on how to make your own maple syrup from the tree sap.

Review - An American in Scotland

 I love finding a new series when the first book is released and I've discovered this one at the beginning of its journey.  I also love books set in England/Ireland/Scottland since that is my ancestry.  So this new series by a new author is right up my alley, in my wheel-house, etc.  Join me on a trip to a small Scottish town where murder welcomes the new doctor within hours of her arrival.

Author: Lucy Connelly

Copyright: April 2023 (Crooked Lane) 304 pgs

Series: 1st in Scottish Isle Mysteries

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy mystery, amateur sleuth

Main Character: Dr. Emilia McRoy, new American Dr & Coroner in town

Setting: Contemporary, Sea Isle-Scotland

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb:  "Sea Isle was supposed to be the fresh start Dr. Emilia McRoy dreamed of.  Far from the busy emergency room across the Atlantic in Seattle, she hoped to settle down and begin this new chapter as a small-town doctor to the quirky residents who immediately welcomed her.  When she stumbles across a dead body, she starts to think that she may not be as Scot free of the drama and intrigue as she initially thought.

Emilia soon learns she has bigger issues at hand. It starts with realizing she'll work closely with the less than helpful local constable, Laird Ewan Campbell.  Her luck continues when she discovers that part of her new responsibilities includes being the coroner for the very body she found.  Finally, when the body goes missing before she can even begin the autopsy, Emilia must convince the townspeople that a crime did, in fact, occur.  The deeper she digs into the picturesque town, the more suspicious she becomes.  And then there are her sleep issues.  It may be due to the ever-growing list of suspects, a number of threatening letters, or the surprise visitor who breaks into her house at night.  But she’s never backed down before, and she doesn’t intend to start now.

Someone doesn’t want this doctor to treat the ailments of Sea Isle, but Emilia McRoy is determined to find the murderer before they kilt again."

My thoughts:  Dr. Emilia McRoy is a well written character, she acts like a smart doctor which I really appreciate.  We've all read stories where the heroine is supposed to be smart, but sure doesn't act that way. I enjoyed how she and Laird Ewan Campbell, the head honcho of the land in Irish tradition, butt heads at first. I felt that was realistic with her being an emergency room doctor/surgeon and used to being revered in her circles.  The townspeople soon become the family she didn't know she needed and that makes this new series special.  Abigail and her autistic brother Tommy are gems and the pub owner, Mara, becomes fast friends with Emilia.  

The murder mystery is well thought out and a nice puzzle, particularly since everybody in town is new to Emilia.  The sense of a lurking threat is palpable and the suspense is high with somebody getting into her Doctor's office in the  repurposed church where she also lives. 

The Scottish sea-side landscape is vividly portrayed.  I've always wanted to visit, more now than ever. Emilia meets town's people as she employs her emergency room skills with farm accidents to delivering babies.

This new series is a perfect combination of developed, realistic characters and good plotting with a steady pace.  I have many series I follow, but this just shot up to the top of my list of must reads.  It will be hard to wait for the next in this series to release.  I can't recommend this new cozy mystery series highly enough, I think you will enjoy this too.

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