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Review: Dim Sum of All Fears (A Noodle Shop Mystery #2) by Vivien Chien
Earlier this year I got in on the ground floor of this sweet and sour mystery series and I loved it. The Noodle Shop Mysteries offer something on the exotic side when it comes to cozy mysteries as they have a distinct Asian flare—-if you couldn’t tell from the title! What I love about Chien’s writing style is that she is to the point and brisk but not so brisk that she’s impersonal. This was just the light murder mystery that I needed as the summer days become shorter. Welcome back to Ho-Lee Noodle House, where you can get fantastic take-out. . .unless you get taken out first. Lana Lee…
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Review: Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding (Her Royal Spyness #12) by Rhys Bowen
The Royal Spyness mystery series is one that has been gifted and recommended to me more times than I can count. I literally have three copies of the first book from my mom because she keeps forgetting that she already recommended it to me. So clearly it’s a book that people want me to read. I just haven’t thought about it when I am looking for something to read. I am no stranger to Rhys Bowen’s books though. She writes beautifully and I love reading her stand alone books! Finally, after all this time, I picked up a Royal Spyness mystery…..about twelve books too late!
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Review: The House at Saltwater Point (Lavender Tides #2) by Colleen Coble
I like books with interesting mysterious titles. This book, in combination with the cover, said mystery to me. I love the dark, brooding colors and scenery on the cover of this book and in many ways, it reminded me of a more modern Mary Stewart novel, so I was eager to read it. Ellie Blackmore is making a name for herself as a house flipper. But when her sister Mackenzie disappears, Ellie can’t focus on anything but uncovering what happened. Her only clue is the bloodstain on the deck of Mackenzie’s boat. Ellie knows her sister isn’t on the best of terms with her ex-husband, Jason, but he wouldn’t kill…
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Review: Murder at the Mansion (Victorian Village Mysteries #1) by Sheila Connolly
This is a new series but definitely not a debut novel for Sheila Connolly (she is already a nest selling author). I personally haven’t read any of Connolly’s books but I was intrigued by the summary of this one and the fact that it was a brand new series. Not going to lie the fact that it said ‘Victorian’ in the series title also was a contributing factor. I love all things Victorian and when I saw it in the title I was immediately saying ‘sold’ loudly in my head. Katherine Hamilton’s goal in high school was to escape from her dead-end hometown of Asheford, Maryland. Fifteen years later she’s got…
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Review: The Anatomy of Death (Dr Dody McCleland #1) by Felicity Young
This book caught my eye right after Christmas. I was coming off of a historical mysteries binge and I was eager for another new heroine. I was so excited to read this one but I had to get through a couple of other books on my review calendar before I indulged. Then the urge disappeared and I didn’t pick it up again for a couple of months. I was finally ready for something new and was eager to get to know Dr Dody McCleland. Not only is this book based in the Edwardian era (my favorite) but Dody is also a medical examiner and I thought that would be an…
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Review: Lost Books and Old Bones (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #3) by Paige Shelton
Full disclosure….I read this one simply because I liked the title and cover. Yes I was lured in by a pretty cover with the word ‘books’ in the title and I loved the sweet dog. I can never resist a book with a cute dog on the cover. I’m terrible. I didn’t care if it was the third book in a series, or if it an over the top cozy. I just saw the cover and title and I just had to read it! Delaney Nichols, originally of Kansas but settling happily into her new life as a bookseller in Edinburgh, works at The Cracked Spine in the heart of…
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Review: Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1) by Vivien Chien
I love getting in on a new mystery series from the ground up. This book was not only a new series but it also had an intriguing title…..a noodle shop mystery??? Yes please! When I first saw that cover I was totally sold. Not only did it sound like an interesting read but I also immediately wanted Chinese take out to commemorate the reading of this book! Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . . The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out,…
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Review: The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover (The Darling Dahlias #7) by Susan Wittig Albert
I have only read one book by Susan Wittig Albert and for me it was just ok….a little too cozy for my taste. So why read another one by her? I’ll tell you why, she has written so many books and has so many fans that I am willing to go on a little faith and see if something else by her appeals to me. This book came across my desk for review and I was willing to give it a shot based on the fact that Wittig Albert has so many fans and I am bound to find something that I like in her works. So why not give…
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Review: Another One Bites the Crust (A Bakeshop Mystery #7) by Ellie Alexander
I recently reviewed one of Ellie Alexander’s novels and I loved how she incorporated unique locations in her book. One of her books was based in Leavenworth Washington which is basically the Christmas town of the Pacific Northwest. That was the reason I agreed to review this one….this time Alexander has us in Ashland Oregon. I live in Oregon (in Salem, the capital) which is about 5 hours north of Ashland but I have been to Ashland many times and I loved the charming town. They host a yearly Shakespearean festival there which I have attended before and the quality of acting is superior to man festivals. Plus the theater…
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Review: Death Below Stairs (Kat Holloway Mysteries #1) by Jennifer Ashley
This book kept hoping up all over my Twitter feed and I had my eye on it for so long. I had been searching for something a little different from the usual high society murder mystery series. And this looked like the perfect combo, cook from a big house tuned sleuth…sounds intriguing. So I was thrilled when I got the chance to review an early copy! Highly sought-after young cook Kat Holloway takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat is unbothered by the family’s eccentricities as long as they stay away from her kitchen, but trouble finds…