Book Review and Giveaway - Buried on a Sundae (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries) by Lena Gregory

My Review

Dani Delany is trying to figure out where her possible romance with detective Jake Barlow stands when she finds herself in the middle of a new mystery.  She goes out to a new nightclub with her friends Gwen and Eli and witnesses a confrontation between Jake and a mysterious woman named Angelique.  When Angelique ends up murdered, Dani decides to prove Jake's innocence - with the help of her sister Meghan, Gwen, and Eli. 

I wanted to read this book because I like all Lena Gregory's mysteries, and especially enjoy the Coffee & Cream Cafe series.  

This is a fun, fast paced mystery.  Dani may own a vintage malt shop, but she thinks like a detective!  It was great seeing her work so closely with her best friends and sister on this case as well.  I didn't guess who the murderer was on this case, so I particularly enjoyed watching Dani solve the case.

My one and only wish was for more scenes at the malt shop.  There seemed to be fewer in this book.

I highly recommend Buried on a Sundae - and this entire series - for other cozy mystery readers.  You are sure to enjoy this book!

Book Synopsis

From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new mystery…

Things have been looking up for Danika Delany’s business—her uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island. But for her love life? Not so much. After a disastrous date with Detective Jake Barlow, Danika lets her best friends, Gwen and Eli, talk her into a night out at the hottest new nightclub in town. Only, while there, Dani finds her sort-of boyfriend secreted in the shadows on the beach behind the club with crime boss Patrick Johansen’s wife, Angelique! An upset Dani leaves without giving Jake a chance to explain, but when he doesn’t get in touch the next day, she takes a long walk along the beach to reevaluate her love life. That’s where she suddenly stumbles across Angelique’s body buried in the dunes near where she last saw her with Jake. Sure that Jake is innocent—of murder at least—Danika and her friends set out to prove Jake had nothing to do with her murder and stop a killer…before they strike again!

Author Bio

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links

• Newsletter: http://lenagregory.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9765d0711ed4fab4fa31b16ac&id=49d42335d1.
• Website: http://www.lenagregory.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lena.gregory.986
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Lena.Gregory.Author/?fref=ts
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/LenaGregory03
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14956514.Lena_Gregory?from_search=true
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lenagregoryauth/

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – 

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Book Review and Giveaway - Booked on Murder (A Haunted Library Mystery) by Allison Brook

My Review

Booked On Murder is the eighth and final book in the Haunted Library cozy mystery series.  Small town librarian Carrie Singleton is planning her wedding to Dylan Avery when they find a body on the grounds of their wedding site.  As they look into the mystery, there is another mystery that pops up involving a very old, historical diary of a woman who was persecuted for witchcraft years ago. As always, Carrie's ghostly friend Evelyn and her library friends all play an important part in the story.

I wanted to read this mystery because I absolutely love this series!  I have recommended it so many times to friends, and have loved reviewing the previous books in the series here as well.

This is one of my favorite books in this series!  I am sad the series is ending but this conclusion was absolutely perfect.  The author did a wonderful job at balancing Carrie and Dylan's story with the different mysteries in this book.  And this novel was mystery packed!  There was one case after another ... with questions of how they were related.

The mystery aspect of this novel was well done, with several strong suspects.  I guessed the suspect, but enjoyed watching Carrie solve the mystery (with a very dramatic denouement!).

I highly recommend Booked on Murder - and the whole series - for fans of cozy mysteries.  Readers who enjoy library settings, small town locales, and a light friendly ghost element will particularly like this series.

Book Synopsis

Librarian Carrie Singleton must catch a killer before she can say “I do” in the 8th delightful installment in Agatha Award-nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mystery series.

Carrie Singleton is ready to kiss the single life goodbye. Her wedding to Dylan Avery is just a few weeks away, and a happy ending is about to be hers. But when a body is found on the lawn of their wedding venue, happily-ever-after is looking deadlier than ever.

The victim turns out to be Billy Carpenter, a young man recently released from prison after serving time for a bank robbery. The stolen money he’d buried is gone and Carrie and the police suspect Billy’s two alleged co-conspirators, his friends Luke Rizzo and Tino Valdez. But then Luke is murdered and Tino is nowhere to be found.

With no leads and only a week to go before her big day, Carrie is on the hunt for clues. She hopes to wrap up this investigation with a neat bow before she and Dylan tie the knot. Carrie has something old, something new, and something borrowed ready for her walk down the aisle. Now she needs to find the killer without becoming the ‘something blue.’

Author Bio

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook, she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up the Ghost. Her romantic suspense, Come Home to Death, was released on April 30, 2024, and her romantic suspense, Dangerous Relations, will be republished in 2025.

Marilyn’s juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice and recently appeared in a new edition. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Her YA horror, The Devil’s Pawn, came out in a new edition in January 2024.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids, and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet.

Author Links
Website:  http://www.marilynlevinson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10?ref=ts&fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarilynLevinson ; https://twitter.com/AllisonBrookML
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson; https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allison-brook
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marilynlevinsonauthor/

Buy links:
Amazon  Penguin Random House   B&N    BAM   Bookshop.org    Hudson Booksellers   Powell’s      Target      Walmart

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Book Review and Giveaway - A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

My Review

Courtney Kelly owns a fairy garden shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.  She also can see fairies - and has a little fairy friend named Fiona.  When one of her gardening group friends is murdered, and then another dies the same way, she immediately works - with a little fairy help - to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries and I find the Fairy Garden Mystery series delightful!

There is so much to like about this book.  Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming setting, combining small town charm and a beach.  Courtney is a likable protagonist, and I also liked her relationships with her friends, father, boyfriend, cat Pixie, and fairy friends.

Courtney, the daughter of a retired police detective, is a natural amateur detective.  I especially enjoyed reading about her deductive process which includes using a white board to list clues.  The mystery is well paced with quite a few strong suspects.  

I recommend A Twinkle of Trouble for fans of cozy mysteries ... and especially for readers who enjoy a little whimsy like the fairy storyline in this series.  Gardening enthusiasts will also love the garden details!

Book Synopsis

Carmel-by-the-Sea garden shop owner Courtney Kelly sees things others can’t—like fairies, and hidden motives for murder . . .

Courtney is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree. When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal—aka the cat door—the three set off for a busy day. Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business. Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth . . .

But the murder of Courtney’s friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival. Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she’d been building a career as an influencer. She was perennially opinionated—but in her new role she’d become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews. That’s landed a couple of Courtney’s other friends on the suspect list—including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores. And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne’s innocence sprout in Courtney’s mind. With only a germ of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer . . .

Author Bio

Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling mysteries, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams series. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com

Author Links

WEBSITE    FACEBOOK       BOOKBUB      YOUTUBE    INSTAGRAM     PINTEREST     GOODREADS     TIKTOK    AMAZON    NEWSLETTER

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop –

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Book Review and Giveaway - Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

My Review

Jessica Fletcher travels to Edmonton, Canada with some of her Cabot Cove friends.  Her lookalike cousin, Emma MacGill, has traveled from Great Britain to Edmonton to appear in a play there, and Jessica looks forward to a leisurely vacation catching up with her cousin.  When they stumble upon a murder at the theater, Jessica decides to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage because I love Murder, She Wrote (both the classic TV series and the wonderful series of mystery novels).  I also was intrigued by the theater setting.

This was such a fun read!  It has a lot going for it: Jessica and friends visiting a new place and exploring the history and culture of Edmonton, a theater setting, lively scenes with Jessica and her cousin Emma, and of course, an interesting mystery to solve.

The mystery aspects of this novel were well done, with events and clues popping up at a lively pace.  The characters were interesting and well rounded.  Jessica and her friends were like old friends - exactly as expected.  The answer to this mystery surprised me, which was fun as well.

I recommend Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage - and this entire series - for fans of the Murder, She Wrote TV series, and for anyone who enjoys well written cozy mysteries.

Book Synopsis

The newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

Jessica Fletcher’s British cousin, Emma MacGill, will be traveling to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, to perform with internationally famous star of stage, screen, and television Derek Braverman in an old-fashioned musical review. Emma would love for Jessica to join her there and suggests she bring along some friends. Having just finished her latest book, Jessica is ready for a vacation and is delighted to agree. Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger are huge fans of Braverman, so they are eager to tag along, and their fanboy behavior gives Jessica and Mort’s wife, Maureen, more than occasional cause to roll their eyes.

Upon arrival in Edmonton, Jessica is quickly outed as mystery writer J. B. Fletcher, and despite numerous protests, a hotel staffer arranges a book signing for her. This and touristy adventures arranged for the group make for a much busier trip than Jessica was expecting. When a hotel bartender, who also happens to be a stagehand for Emma’s play, turns up dead backstage at the theater, Jessica’s fun and relaxing vacation quickly becomes anything but.

Author Bio

Along with Jessica Fletcher, Terrie Farley Moran co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series including  Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court. She is the author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer Awards, Moran has published numerous mystery short stories. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren.

Author Links – Webpage   Facebook 

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse – 

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Book Review - Just for the Summer by Melody Carlson

My Review

Just for the Summer is a beach read about two very different women.  Ginny Masters has a high pressure job managing a boutique hotel in Seattle.  Jacqueline Potter manages her grandfather's rustic fishing lodge in Idaho.  Both are unhappy with their lives and sign up at a job swap site.  They swap jobs for the summer - and find a new perspective on life as a result.

I wanted to read this novel because I enjoy Melody Carlson's books.  They never disappoint!

Ginny is a very sympathetic character, hard working and sincere.  She learns to relax and enjoy life more when she goes to work at the fishing lodge that needs a lot of freshening up and new energy.  She also meets a handsome river guide and romantic sparks fly!   Jacqueline is much less sympathetic.  She is someone who loves the finer things in life and she has not wanted to really work for those things in the past.  She is challenged when she goes to work in Seattle at the always busy hotel - with a very demanding boss.  She also encounters a possible romantic match.

This was a fun novel and a fast read.  It would be perfect for a weekend read or as a true beach read.

Book Synopsis

If you lived in a different place and had a different job, couldn't you have a different life?

Ginny Masters manages a popular boutique hotel in Seattle and manages it with aplomb. But the daily challenges and irritations of a fast-paced job and a demanding boss are starting to get to her.

Jacqueline Potter manages her grandfather's fishing lodge in Idaho because it was the only job she could find after graduating with her hospitality degree. She's grateful for the work but longs for a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan life she's just not going to find in this backwoods town.

The solution to both their problems seems obvious. Just for the summer, they'll swap jobs and lifestyles--and even love interests. But they'll soon find that there's more to finding happiness than just switching up the scenery.

Author Bio

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long has been made into a Hallmark movie, and the movie based on her novel The Happy Camper premiered on UPtv in 2023. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at MelodyCarlson.com.