cozy mystery

I am thrilled to bring you my review for Broadcast 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton

Release Date: 10/27/20 Kensington Publishing Company

About the Book:

In J.C. Eaton’s seventh Sophie Kimball Mystery, Sophie’s kooky mother, Harriet, is gearing up to become Arizona’s newest radio star as the host of the Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour. But when she ends up broadcasting herself discovering a dead body live on air, it’s up to the reluctant sleuth Sophie to find the killer…

Phee’s mother Harriet is going to be a star! At least, that’s how the Sun City West retiree describes her chance to host a live radio program of her book club’s Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour on Arizona’s KSCW. But instead of chatting about charming cozies, Harriet ends up screaming bloody murder over the airwaves after discovering the body of Howard Buell, the station’s programming director, in a closet–with a pair of sewing shears shoved into his chest.

The number one suspect is Howard’s ex-girlfriend Sylvia Strattlemeyer who believed she was going to host a sewing talk show before Harriet was offered the spot. But not only do the fingerprints found on the scissors not match Sylvia’s, they belong to a woman who passed away twenty years ago at the age of ninety-seven. Now, with the whole town on pins and needles, it’s up to Phee to stitch together enough clues from the past to uncover the identity of a killer in the present..

Miss W’s Review:

Broadcast 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is Book number Seven in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series.
This is such a fantastic series!

Sophie is employed by a private investigative agency as the accountant. Her romantic interest, Marshall is one of the investigators. The relationship between these two has evolved over the course of the series and I really like it.

Sophie’s mom Harriet is going to be on a radio station and she is excited to tell her daughter.

Once recording has begun, the program director is found dead. A second body shows up and Harriet is moving to the top of the suspect list and Phee (Sophie) is investigating to save her mom from jail.

There were two very well written mysteries in this book. A few twists and red herrings that were perfectly paced and plotted.

The characters are well developed, quirky and fun.

A little romance and humor and this is the perfect recipe for a fantastic cozy mystery.

HIGHLY recommend!

Learn more about the author at :

https://www.jceatonmysteries.com/

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

Today on the blog, I am bringing you my review of Southern Sass & A Crispy Corpse by Kate Young!

About the Book:

Publication Date: 5/26/2020

Kensington Publishing Corp.

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!

Miss W’s Review:

Five Charming Stars!!!!!

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse is the second book in the Marygene Brown Mystery series.
I LOVED the first book Southern Sass and Killer Cravings and the second book was just as good!

As we recall from the first book, Marygene has moved home to Peach Cove Island after a BAD marriage. She is the baker at the family restaurant that she co-owns with her sister. She lives in the house that her mom left to her after her passing. Speaking of her mom, I LOVE that her moms ghost helps Marygene with the murder mysteries.

I love the character of Betsy who is Marygene’s friend at the restaurant. These two have a strong female bond. I like the relationship with Alex, which is off and on.

This story has everything I am looking for in a great cozy mystery. Well developed, complex, REAL characters, a bit of romance and a lot of mystery.

Add to that the great family dynamics, this makes for a winner! I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!!!

*** This can be read as a stand alone book, but I do recommend reading the first book because it is great ****

About the Author:

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.

Preorder your copy HERE!

 

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

About the Book:

Release Date: 2/12/2020

Is there a murderous poltergeist on the loose?

When an Oxford caretaker is killed by a fall down the library stairs, and a professor attacked, rumors fly that it’s the work of a poltergeist who’s been causing havoc at the college.
The prof is a knitter, and a customer at Lucy Swift’s shop, Cardinal Woolsey’s. But Lucy thinks a very human killer is shifting the blame onto a ghost who can’t defend themselves and she’s determined to trap the real killer and get justice for the dead man.

 
However, danger lurks at the college where old secrets and new crimes collide. Vampire and old book expert Rafe Crosyer has been called in to value the college’s literary collection, and he witnesses first hand how angry the ghost really is.

 
Furious enough to kill? Or is there something else the tantrum-throwing spirit is trying to tell them?

And will they decipher the message before it’s too late?

This is book 9 in the best-selling Vampire Knitting Club series of paranormal cozy mysteries. Each book can be read on its own and there’s no gore, bad language or sex in these books, just a lot of humor, quirky characters and, of course, Oxford. “This series just gets better and better.”

Miss W’s Review:

5 AMAZING STARS!!!!

Popcorn and Poltergeists is Book 9 in the fantastic Vampire Knitting Club Series.
I have been highly addicted to this fun series since reading Book 1.

Lucy Swift and her gang of Knitting Vampires are back involved with a new mystery.
I love how descriptive the writing is , I feel like I am right there in Oxford.

The characters are so well developed and complex. The mystery is well written and perfectly paced.

I really enjoy the budding romance between Lucy and Rafe and the interactions with Rafe’s assistant Wiliam.

I was determined to put my sleuth cap on and figure this one out, but I never saw the end coming.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Pick up your copy HERE!

 

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

When I heard that Nancy Warren had a new cozy paranormal series out, I was SO excited, I could not wait to get my grabby hands on a copy!!!!

About the Book:

A baker with secrets

Witches in trouble

The cameras are rolling

On your marks, get set, die!

Poppy Wilkinson is thrilled to be chosen as a contestant on The Great British Baking Contest. As an American with English roots, winning the crown as Britain’s Best Baker would open doors she’s dreamed of. In more ways than one. Appearing on the reality show is her chance to get into Broomewode Hall and uncover the secrets of her past. But strange things are happening on the show’s set: accusations of sabotage, a black cat that shadows Poppy, suspiciously unsociable residents at Broomewode Hall—and the judges can be real witches.There are murmurs that Broomewode is an energy vortex. It certainly makes Poppy see and do things that aren’t exactly normal, and seems to draw interesting characters to the neighborhood.When a fellow contestant dies in mysterious circumstances, Poppy has more to worry about than burned pies and cakes that won’t rise. There’s a murderer on the loose and it’s up to Poppy and her new friends to solve the crime before it becomes a real show-stopper.

From USA Today Bestselling Author Nancy Warren, this delicious series of cozy paranormal mysteries will have you guessing until the end.

Miss W’s Review:

5 Stars from Miss W !!!!!! 

The Great Witches Baking Show is the first book in a new cozy paranormal series by Nancy Warren.

I absolutely LOVE the author’s Vampire Knitting Club Series and I was so excited for a brand new series, and this series did not disappoint!!!!

Have you watched the Great British Baking Contest? I love it and that made this book even better.

We meet Poppy Wilkinson, who has worked REALLY hard to get a spot to compete in the Great British Baking Contest. Poppy has more than one reason she wants to be in the contest, but no spoilers form me!

There is alot of action going on in this book and it is perfectly paced. I absolutely loved the secondary character Gina, who is Poppy’s best friend and hair stylist.

One of the contestants is murdered and Poppy is determined to find out what happens.
All this and a mysterious cat that keeps showing up and you have the recipe for success!

Speaking of recipes, the author includes a recipe for Lemon Tarts , aka Tarte au Citron and I cannot wait to try this recipe.

I am so excited for the next book in this great new series!!!!

Grab your copy on Amazon  !!!!

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

 

Today on the blog I am reviewing Two Bites Two Many by Debra H. Goldstein.

About the Book:

Far from a domestic goddess, Sarah Blair would rather catch bad guys than slave over a hot stove. But when a dangerous murder boils over in Wheaton, Alabama, catching the killer means leaving her comfort zone …

Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce. Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her modest law firm receptionist job and–if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts–lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end …

When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands–the Blair girls’ sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle. Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block?

Includes quick and easy recipes!

Miss W’s Review : 

Two Bites Too Many is Book 2 in the Sarah Blair Cozy Mystery Series.
I absolutely loved this book . This acts as a stand alone book , but I highly suggest reading the first book in the series, “One Taste Too Many” which is equally fantastic!

This story has relatable , well developed fleshed out characters. The secondary characters really added to the overall story as well.

The story was so well written, and the mystery had enough surprises that I did not guess who the murder was. The author has a fantastic talent for capturing the reader’s attention and maintaining it through her incredibly fantastic descriptive writing.

This book was hard to put down, and I cannot wait to see what this author writes next! 

About the Author:

DEBRA H. GOLDSTEIN is the author of the Sarah Blair Mysteries as well as “Should Have Played Poker,” a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jong Players Mystery and the 2012 IPPY Award-winning “Maz in Blue,” a mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus. Her short stories and essays have been published in numerous periodicals and anthologies, including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. A judge, author, litigator, wife, step-mom and mother of twins, Debra is an involved community volunteer, MWA member, and serves as a national board member of Sisters in Crime, as well as being the SinC Guppy Chapter’s President. 

Praise for Debra H. Goldstein’s work:

“A romp of a page turner—with an engaging heroine, an eccentric mom, a touch of romance, a charming-but-wacky cast of characters and a rock star cat! This smart cozy–full of heart and humor and surprises– has everything a mystery lover could ask for.” 

— Hank Phillippi Ryan, national best-selling author of “Trust Me,”
on “Two Bites Too Many”

Pick up your copy today on  Amazon  !

Be sure to check out the first book in the series as well!

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

 

I am so beyond excited to bring you my review of the first book in a brand new cozy mystery series by Tonya Kappes!!!!!!! Y’all you know I got my grabby hands on it a little early!!!!!

I love this cover!!!!!

About the book:

Discover the southern life of Bernadette Butler, along with the eccentric and lovable citizens, along with all the fur babies, who live in Sugar Creek Gap in this NEW southern cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes.

 
Everyone in Sugar Creek Gap has tried to fix up widow and beloved mail carrier, Bernadette Davis on several dates. They say she has to be lonely.

What they don’t know is how Bernadette’s life is filled…filled with everyone’s hidden secrets and obsessions. After all, she does deliver their mail and hears all the dirty laundry southern folks love to sweep secrets under the rug.

While on her route, Bernadette finds out the beloved Sugar Creek Gap Country Club is being sold and turned into condos. The developer is Bernadette’s best friend, Mac Tabor and right now he’s not very popular.

The entire town is against the development and eager to vote it down, vowing they will do whatever needs to be done to stop the sell of the country club to Mac Tabor.

Chuck Shilling, majority owner of the country club, and Mac have a public fight because Chuck is rethinking of selling the club to Mac. When Chuck is found dead, Mac Tabor is the number one suspect.

Bernadette discovers she’s got a penchant for discovering clues that just might help STAMP OUT a killer who is on the loose while trying to save Mac Tabor from going to prison for a murder he didn’t commit.

Miss W’s Review:

5 Stars from Miss W !!!!

I wish I could give this 10 stars! I could not put this book down. Bernadette (Bernie) is my new favorite character! I love that the author has written a middle aged character that for me is so relatable. It is clear to this reader that the author has done her research about the postal service and that authenticity adds to the character development and story line.

The setting of Sugar Creek Gap is one where I want to live with such a great community of people supporting one another. The mystery is so well written with so many twists and turns I had my sleuthing cap on but I wasn’t even close to guessing who the murder was.

I love Bernie’s rescue kitty Rowena. The author writes animals into her stories seamlessly yet so integrated that they truly are one of the characters.

And let me just say that the ending BLEW me away.

The characters are so well developed and fleshed out with a well written mystery.

I am SO excited for the next book in this series to see what Bernie and Sugar Creek Gap is up to next.

Release date: 10/29/19!!!!

Click HERE to order your copy now!!!!!! You will not be disappointed!!!!

Visit Tonya Kappes on Facebook and Join in all the fun!

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

 

Indulge yourself with this collection of delectable cozy mystery novellas from 6 of today’s most beloved authors!

 

SIX MERRY LITTLE MURDERS includes brand new stories from Lee Strauss, Karen MacInerney, CeeCee James, Nancy Warren, Molly Fitz, and Addison Moore.

This anthology includes the following stories: 

 
Lee Strauss – MURDER BY PLUM PUDDING

There’s nothing more fun than a festive holiday dinner party and Ginger Reed, the former Lady Gold, has Hartigan House decorated and the gramophone playing. Dressed in her finest Parisian low-waisted gown, feather-topped tiara, and T-strapped Italian leather shoes, Ginger is ready to host the delectable event.

It’s a jolly good time, until someone chokes on the pudding.

Is it an accident or is it murder? And can Ginger unravel the mystery before the church bells ring and New Year’s Day dawns?

Karen MacInerney – SLAY BELLS RING

It’s Christmastime on Dewberry Farm, and homesteader Lucy Resnick is busy bundling mistletoe bunches and cedar swags for the Buttercup Christmas Market when a neighbor’s houseguest keels over right next to her peach orchard. Was it a stray bullet from a hunter that took him out? Or did a guest at the fancy ranch next door decide to scratch somebody off his or her Christmas list? It’s up to Lucy to unwrap the mystery… before the holiday killer strikes again.

CeeCee James – CHRISTMAS AT BAKER STREET

In this Baker Street spin-off, Oscar and Cecelia find themselves and the guests snowed in this Christmas holiday. What should be all sugar cookies and hot cocoa takes a drastic turn when one of the guests turns up cold—as in stone cold dead. With no help in sight, the two hope to find the killer before anyone else gets iced out, including them.

Nancy Warren – CAT’S PAWS AND CURSES

In this classic closed room mystery, someone is murdered during a knitting class. But how was it possible? Lucy Swift and her band of undead knitters must catch the culprit before there’s a second Christmas catastrophe!

Molly Fitz – MEOWY CHRISTMAS MAYHEM

It’s Angie’s first Christmas as a pet owner, and she can’t wait to celebrate with Octo-Cat, Paisley, and Nan. All it takes is a little finely-crafted trickery to get her crabby tabby into the local pet supply store for a special photo opportunity with Santa. Unfortunately, the jolly old soul is found dead in the stock room before he ever gets the chance to say “cheese.” Angie and her motley crew of sidekicks need to work fast to find the culprit and prevent any further suspicious holiday slaying… Otherwise, the most wonderful time of the year could end up becoming the most murderous season Blueberry Bay has ever seen.

Addison Moore – CHRISTMAS FUDGE FATALITY

My name is Lottie Lemon, and I see dead people. Okay, so I rarely see dead people, mostly I see furry creatures of the dearly departed variety, aka dead pets, who have come back from the other side to warn me of their previous owner’s impending doom.

The holidays have arrived and the Jolly Holly Tree Lot is hosting a special event that has the entire town bustling to get a picture with the jolly old elf himself. And I’m just as anxious as anyone to get to the front of the line, but that body I stumble upon threatens to take the joy right out of the sea.

I was so honored to receive an advanced copy of this anthology and I have read EVERY single book. They are all 5 stars from Miss W!!!

One of my favorite things about anthologies is trying new authors and let me tell you I found two new authors that I am looking up ALL their books now!!!! An anthology is a great taster for an authors work and writing style and I am truly in love with all these stories!!!!

Can you believe you get all 6 stories for only $.99????

Click HERE to get your copy !!!!!

Tell me have you ready any of these fantastic authors????

This was such a fun collection, I am thrilled to share it with you all today.

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

 

 

Y’all!!!! I am so excited for Valley, Vehicles & Victims by Tonya Kappes! I got my grabby hands on an early copy and let me tell you 5 amazing stars!!!!!!

Publication Date 9/27/19 Free to read in Kindle Unlimited

This is Book 9 in the Campers & Criminals Cozy series and this series is so dang good!

About the Book: 

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky where nothing is normal!

The Daniel Boone National Forest is gorgeous in the fall. The leaves have painted the sides of the mountains with yellow, oranges, reds and browns you won’t see anywhere else. That’s why it’s such a popular destination for weddings!

When a wedding party show up at Happy Trails Campground, Mae West is thrilled. She’s all things girly and excited to assist the bride in all things southern, which is what the bride is hankering for.

Mae recognizes the parents of the bride when they arrive. They are from her past. The past she’s been desperately trying to escape…especially since it was the time she was married to Paul West. This just isn’t any couple, it’s the owners of the famous Moonbucks Coffee Company.

Determined to get the happy couple married off and on their way, hoping to see some of her past drive off forever, Mae volunteers herself and the Laundry Club ladies to become the wedding coordinators.

The wedding is set to take place in the beautiful wedding barn at the Old Train Station Motel, only Gert Hobson, the owner of Trails Coffee Shop and providing the coffee for the happy couple, has decided there’s no way she’s going to help out with Tom Moon’s daughter’s wedding since she claims how years ago Tom Moon STOLE her coffee blend recipe known today as the special Moonbucks blend.

A public fight between Gert and Tom leaves Gert a prime suspect after a member of the wedding party is found dead at the wedding venue. There might not be a happily ever after for the bride to be or Gert Hobson if Mae West and the Laundry Club ladies don’t solve the murder before the wedding party’s RV rolls out of town.

Miss W’s Review:

Valleys, Vehicles, & Victims OH MY!!!!! This is Book 9 in the Camper & Criminal Cozy Series!

I absolutely loved this book. We are back in Normal Kentucky. I was so thrilled to learn more about Mae. I loved a Bridal Party showing up at Happy Trails campground.

The characters in this series are so real y’all. I really want to live there, except for all the murders, ha! The mystery was so great and I loved little flashbacks of earlier adventures.

This could totally be read as a stand alone thanks to the author and her ability to intertwine key elements from previous stories. I do think you will have a better time if you read them all though because they are fantastic.

Take a visit to Normal Kentucky, where everyone is family. I do love how the community rallies up to help Mae. Such a well written story with twists as great as the characters!

Get your copy HERE !!!!!

Did you all know that Tonya Kappes now has a store on her website? I was SO excited and I HAD to order me some Campers & Criminals goodies!!!!!

Check out this amazing mug and bag! I was so excited to get these in the mail today !!!

Go visit Tonya Kappes store and you can get these goodies and SIGNED books!

You can visit her store here!

Have you read the camper & criminal series yet??? Its so good!

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

 

 

When I first became a blogger, my first ever blog post was about cozy mysteries. I talk to so many people that don’t know what a cozy mystery is. I love all genres but cozy mysteries is my go to genre on the daily! So lets chat cozy mysteries with Miss W today!

If you look at my blog you will see that at least fifty percent of my blogs are cozy mystery books or series.

So what is a cozy mystery?

Cozy mysteries , also called “cozies”, are a subgenre of crime fiction where sex and violence are treated humorously. The characters in these books are almost always amateurs and almost always women. The murders take place off screen and the violence is never described in the book. Sexual activity, even between married characters is only slightly implied and sometimes it is often avoided completely. These are clean mysteries that also feature animals and there are many that are culinary themed.

A popular sub-genre of the cozy mystery is paranormal cozy mystery which involves anything magical like ghosts, witches, fairies, wizards, you name it!

I am a huge cat lover, and that’s how I found the cozy mystery genre actually. I was going through a difficult time and I wanted to read a mystery that maybe had a cat in it and so I put “cat” and “mystery” in the amazon search field and WOW I got so many cozy mysteries returned. I read my first one and I was hooked !

Another fantastic thing I love about cozy mysteries is I would say the majority of them are a series so you get to follow your favorite characters as they evolve and grow and find more bodies, ha ha.

Cozy mystery authors are award winning, talented and hard working.

I have a list of my go to Cozy Mystery Authors that I am always dying for the next book to come out. I want to share with you my top picks for cozy mystery authors. This list is far from inclusive and I am sure you will find your own. Need a light fun mystery? Pick up a cozy mystery and become a sleuth!

Miss W’s Picks: 

Tonya Kappes, Carolyn Ridder Aspenson, Morgana Best, Mona Marple, Annabel Chase, Elle Adams, Sam Cheever, Ava Mallory, Jenna St. James, Summer Prescott, Susan Boles, Kizzie Waller, Lynn Cahoon, Ceecee James, VM Burns, Kathi Daley, Stephanie D’ Amore and Ruth Hartzler.

There are SO many great cozy authors out there! Who am I missing out on? Tell me have you ever read a cozy mystery?

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

 

 

I am always on the search for a new author and when I heard about Murder on the Bluegrass Bourbon Trail by Scarlett Dunn I was excited to read an early copy.

Cover Love!!!! I really was drawn to this cover!

About the book:

Murder in bourbon country . . .

Honey Howell returns to Bardstown, Kentucky to work with her grandfather in his legendary bourbon distillery. What she never expected to find in the small, quiet town was murder. When she discovers her friend, master distiller K.C. Cleary with a knife in his chest, she’s determined to bring the culprit to justice. She soon learns her genteel hometown has dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of their polite society.

Sam Gentry is Bardstown’s newest detective, and when he meets Honey he falls in love at first sight—with her bloodhound, Elvis. Sam and Elvis are a match made in heaven—both are relentless in their pursuit of a murderer. When Honey finds another dead master distiller on the dinner train, Sam and Elvis work together to sniff out the truth. Sam’s greatest challenge is thwarting amateur sleuth Honey from interfering with his investigation while he keeps her safe.

Miss W’s Review:

This book was FIVE stars from Miss W!

I really loved the protagonist Honey Howell, she is a well developed , charming but fierce southern woman. Elvis is Honey’s bloodhound and he steals the heart of Sam, the town detective. Some of the scene’s were so laugh out loud funny and I really enjoyed the well written dialogue. I thought the dinner train was so well described I felt like I was going for a ride on it myself. Though I am glad I wasn’t because a body was found there.

The mystery was very well crafted with not one but two dead bodies. There were a few twists which lead the reader on an adventure with no lack of suspects. I had my sleuthing hat on and I didn’t not figure out the killer until it was revealed.

I SO hope there will be more books in this series as it was a wonderful cozy mystery that I really enjoyed.

---

About the Author: 

Scarlett has written stories most of her life, but she was an entrepreneur before becoming a published novelist. She has authored seven historical romance novels, this is her first cozy mystery. Having an adventurous spirit, and a love of history, she has written several novels set in the old west.

There is a special place in her heart for those who possess a bold spirit and a willingness to see the possibilities in life. When not engrossed in writing, Scarlett loves to travel. She lives in Kentucky, and greets each day expecting good things to happen. She may be Disneyesque!

Murder on the Bluegrass Bourbon Train releases on 7/26/19.

Preorder it by clicking HERE !

Stay in touch with Scarlett Dunn on Social Media:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

I would love to know what you think about this cozy mystery. Drop a comment below !

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda