Tasha Tudor illustration |
Hi friends!
I will be taking a blogging break until mid-January. I wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas, a happy holiday season, and a Happy New Year!
Trish
A southern girl chatting about books, ephemera, life, love, dogs and all things vintage!
Liz Adams is preparing for Christmas in Charleston with her husband Brad when she becomes involved in solving a mystery. Her friend Lou, an event planner, is having an issue with missing Christmas decorations - first in one area and then all over town!
I wanted to read A Christmas Conundrum because I love cozy mysteries and like Christmas settings.
This was a fun short read (novella length). The mystery is very light - missing decorations, not murder or an act of violence. The Charleston setting is charming.
This book is part of a series but it worked fine as a standalone.
I liked Liz, her family, and her friend Lou. She also has a lovable lab dog named Duke. Liz is a professional private investigator, with a specially equipped van and a white board at home where she sorts out mysteries. I found her process of detection fascinating.
Fans of cozy mysteries who are looking for a short holiday read will enjoy A Christmas Conundrum.
Book Synopsis
Nancy Drew meets How the Grinch Stole Christmas in this delightful cozy mystery set in Charleston, SC.
Who’s stealing the holiday decorations? They’re disappearing like Christmas cookies from PeggyLou Designs, and Lou’s newly launched event planning service is in trouble. He implores his neighbor and friend, Private Investigator Liz Adams, to bring the thief to justice.Stacy Wilder has traveled to six out of seven continents Books have shaped her life and her travels. Her love of mysteries began with Nancy Drew.
A Christmas Conundrum is the third book in the riveting Liz Adams Mystery series. In addition to mysteries, Stacy writes children’s stories, short stories, and poetry. She and her husband live in Houston, Texas, with a totally spoiled Labrador retriever, Eve.
Author Links
Website www.storystacy.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wilderstacy
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/authorstacywilder/
YouTube https://youtu.be/VR7kKOxAsjU?si=_jaX1EuELeFKEMqQ
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/stacy-wilder
Purchase Links – Amazon E-book – Amazon Paperback – Amazon Hardback – Barnes and Noble – Bookshop.org –
Giveaway
The Warsaw Sisters is a historical novel set during World War II. Twin sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska see their father off to war, and then endure the bombing of their beloved city. Antonina's love Marek is sent to the Warsaw ghetto because he is Jewish. Both women get involved in the Resistance movement as a way of fighting back.
I wanted to read The Warsaw Sisters because I love historical fiction, and am especially interested in the World War II time period. I had never read a book set in Poland during the war, so this was particularly interesting to me.
This is a sprawling novel that spans the time period of 1939 - 1945. The author delves into historical detail to depict the war in Poland. This was a time of great brutality and cruelty (especially toward the Jewish people) and some of the descriptions are hard to read.
The author does a great job at delineating the two very different personalities of Antonina and Helena, and we see both their perspectives. Descriptions of Antonina's work to save Jewish children was especially compelling.
The historical detail and descriptions in the book are vivid and the author's writing style is fluid.
Fans of historical fiction who want to read about the years of World War II in Poland will find The Warsaw Sisters of interest.
Book Synopsis
A richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and resilience
On a golden August morning in 1939, sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska send their father off to defend Poland against the looming threat of German invasion. The next day, the first bombs fall on Warsaw, decimating their beloved city and shattering the world of their youth.
When Antonina's beloved Marek is forced behind ghetto walls, along with the rest of Warsaw's Jewish population, Antonina knows she cannot stand by and soon becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. Meanwhile, Helena finds herself drawn into the ranks of Poland's secret army, joining the fight to free her homeland from occupation.
But the secrets both are forced to keep threaten to tear them apart--and the cost of resistance may prove greater than either ever imagined.
Amanda Barratt is the bestselling author of numerous historical novels and novellas, including The White Rose Resists (a 2021 Christy Award winner) and Within These Walls of Sorrow. She is passionate about illuminating oft-forgotten facets of history through a fictional narrative. Amanda lives in Michigan. Learn more at AmandaBarratt.net.
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo
Olivia Penn is enjoying her return to the small town of Apple Station, Virginia. Olivia is working as a writer, living with her father, and she has a new romantic interest. When a stranger accuses her new boyfriend's parents of a crime, she becomes involved in solving the mystery. Things escalate when there is a murder as well.
I wanted to read Under the Cocoon Moon because the description sounded appealing. I love small town mysteries and liked the holiday setting. I have not read the two earlier books in this series, but found this mystery worked fine as a standalone.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery and want to read the earlier books now as well! Olivia Penn is a likable protagonist. Her writing work is interesting and I also liked liked her father and friend Sam, who help her detecting. There is even a cute beagle named Buddy! (I am a great fan of mysteries that include pets.)
The mystery aspect of the book was interesting and briskly paced. There were enough little twists to keep me up late reading!
I recommend Under the Cocoon Moon for other fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who enjoys small town settings and holiday themes.
Book Synopsis
A dead body in the woods … A rare sapphire is missing … The connection changes her life forever.Olivia Penn is looking forward to spending time with her friends and family over the holidays in her hometown of Apple Station, Virginia. The Christmas season’s spirit has sparked a new romance, and all is looking merry and bright, until she is mistaken for a dead woman.
When a stranger makes a wild accusation involving the parents of the man she’s falling for, Olivia faces a no-win situation. As evidence mounts supporting the claim, a mysterious murder occurs near his father’s cabin that attracts the attention of the FBI. Wedged between mother and son, Olivia investigates to clear his family’s name while matching wits with a legendary thief.Author Links
Webpage: https://kathleenbaileyauthor.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/kathleenbailey
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathleen-bailey
Purchase Links – Amazon – All Retailers –
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Synopsis
When a film crew’s location shoot delivers an actual shooting, Clare Cosi finds herself at the scene of a true crime in this showstopping entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
Only Murders in Gotham, the smash-hit streaming program, is famous for filming in authentic New York locations and using real New Yorkers as extras. For its second season, they’ve chosen to spotlight the century-old Village Blend and its quirky crew of baristas. Shop manager and master roaster Clare Cosi is beyond thrilled, especially when her superb bulletproof coffee lands her a craft services contract for the production.
Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the landmark shop, reveals an old kinship with the star of the show, comedian Jerry Sullivan. Now a Hollywood legend, Jerry frequented the Blend during his early years performing in Greenwich Village comedy clubs. But the past may hold more than nostalgia for Jerry. Suspicious accidents begin plaguing his shoot. Then a real bullet is fired from a stage gun, and Clare becomes convinced something sinister is afoot.
While Jerry’s production moves to exciting new locations, Clare keeps the coffee flowing—and her investigation going—even as a murderer lurks in the wings. But can she root out the rotten player in this Big Apple production before the lights go out on her?
Includes a stellar menu of surefire recipes!
Webpage: https://www.coffeehousemystery.com/
Free Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/cleocoylerecipes/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleoCoyle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CleoCoyle
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cleo-coyle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51488.Cleo_Coyle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleocoyle_author/
Book Synopsis
A joyful Christmas festival turns deadly when a corpse ends up as the chilling centerpiece. Can an amateur sleuth unwrap the tinsel-tangled mystery before the merry cheer melts away?
Talented antique enthusiast, Dotty Sayers, is thrilled to be organising a Christmas display at a Yorkshire country house. She enjoys decking the halls, but the season is far from jolly when the chief guide is found dead, her body as cold as ice.
When cops dismiss the death, Dotty turns to her prickly American colleague, only to learn he has his own secrets to solve. But when he disappears, this amateur detective fears the festive charades have become far deadlier.
Can Dotty string together the clues and bring to light the killer?
Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. After following her military husband around the world, she drew on her life’s experiences, and a love of Agatha Christie, Father Brown, and Murder She Wrote, to write British-based cozy mysteries.
Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful and quirky teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and realistic. As you’re compelled to keep turning the pages, you’ll be irresistibly drawn into a world where you’ll experience surprises, humour, and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.
Do you like tea, mysteries, and books? Then why not join Victoria’s TeaCozy Club for regular news and updates, and download the free prequel to the Dotty Sayers Antique Mysteries series as a gift by visiting VictoriaTait.com
Who doesn’t like tea, cake, and a slice of murder?
Author Links
Website: https://victoriatait.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/victoria-tait
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriataitauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/VictoriaTaitAuthor/_saved/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20373879.Victoria_Tait
Purchase Links Book2Read Amazon
Giveaway
https://kingsumo.com/g/j5htq4/cozy-christmas-baubles-giveaway
Scarlett Gardner is happy in her life as a bookstore owner in a small beach community in Southern California ... that is, until she goes for an early morning walk and finds a body under the pier. The murdered woman turns out to be someone who was bequeathing a great deal of money to Scarlett ... making her the chief suspect.
I wanted to read Murder by the Seashore because I love cozy mysteries. I especially enjoy bookstore settings, and the beach locale was an added bonus.
This is a terrific start to a new series. I really liked Scarlett as a bookstore owner - and also an amateur detective. I enjoyed following her sleuthing on this case. The author does a great job at introducing the new characters, the bookstore, and the feel of this beach community.
I recommend Murder by the Seashore for fans of cozy fiction, and especially for anyone who enjoys bookstore or beach settings. I look forward to reading more in this new series.
Book Synopsis
Southern California is where dreams come true—or so Scarlett Gardner thought. When she moved there and opened the Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop, she thought her boyfriend and business partner would be part of the story. When he leaves her for a better job, Scarlett finds herself struggling to keep her new business afloat. That’s not the only thing she has to worry about—she discovers something underneath the pier by her bookshop that she didn’t outline for her life’s story: the dead body of a book-buying customer.Author Links
Website https://samarayew.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/samara.yew.books
Twitter (X) https://twitter.com/samarayewauthor
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/samara.yew.author
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24259604.Samara_Yew
Purchase Links – Amazon – PenguinRandomHouse – B&N – Chapters Indigo
Giveaway
Cora Matthews returns to Moonberry Lake when her mother passes away suddenly. She discovers she has inherited her grandparents' lodge, a place she loved as a child but hasn't visited in many years. The lodge is in great disrepair, and as she sets about restoring it, she discovers a new community in this quirky little Minnesota town.
I wanted to read On Moonberry Lake because the story resonated with me. My mother also recently passed and I am working on a beloved old house restoration. I enjoy small town fiction and found the lakeside lodge setting appealing.
This book was a delight from start to finish. I love small towns that become almost a character themselves - like Mayberry or Lake Wobegon or Stars Hollow. There is a rich variety of quirky but lovable neighbors that Cora becomes acquainted with, and I loved meeting every one of them too.
The story of the lodge restoration held great interest for me, but I also enjoyed reading how Cora restored her soul and sense of place as she settled into this little community. There are a couple of twists and turns and even a sweet love story.
There is also great humor, as seen in the "Sightings and Satire" column of the local newspaper, with tidbits like:
"It’s that time of year again for the fire department to check and flush the fire hydrants. As torrents of water are released, residents are encouraged to use the water wisely by participating in public bathing. Come wash your dogs, cars, and children. Note that nudity is prohibited. Although all creation is to be celebrated, some is better left covered" (eBook location 5202).
It appears that On Moonberry Lake is going to be the first in a series, and I hope it is a long series - as I intend to read every book. I cannot recommend this charming and uplifting novel highly enough.
Book Synopsis
Cora Matthews's life is a mess. A broken engagement and the unexpected
death of her mother have left her wondering if things will ever return
to normal. Whatever "normal" is.
It certainly isn't what she
finds at Moonberry Lake. After she receives her family's dilapidated
lakefront lodge as an inheritance--with a surprising condition
attached--Cora finds her life overrun by a parade of eccentric neighbors
who all have something to say and something to teach her.
As
Cora works to put her life back together, she must decide if she is
willing to let go of the past, open her heart to love, and embrace the
craziest version of family and home she could ever have imagined.
Holly Varni is a native Minnesotan of strong Norwegian descent, who was raised in the Lutheran Church that Garrison Keillor made a career depicting. Between the lutefisk, grumpy grandparents, and crazy neighbors who mowed their lawn wearing pajamas, the seed to becoming a storyteller was planted. Though she, her husband, and their three sons live along the Central Coast of California, her beloved Midwest roots continue to haunt everything she writes. She hosts the Moments from Moonberry Lake podcast where she shares more stories of her beloved characters. Learn more at www.hollyvarni.com.
Carrie Singleton is working at the small town library she loves in Clover Ridge, Connecticut, planning her wedding to Dylan Avery, and helping her uncle recover from a heart attack. Then she suddenly becomes involved in two cases - counterfeit art, and a murder at the local art gallery. She works to solve them with the help of her ghostly friend, Evelyn.
I wanted to read Overdue or Die because I love the Haunted Library mystery series. I have enjoyed the other books in this series and always await the next in the series!
This was a wonderful read. Carrie is always a smart, intuitive detective, and I love the way Evelyn helps her with clues in the cases. The mystery is well paced with several plausible suspects. It was fun detecting along with Carrie.
I also enjoy Carrie's relationships with Dylan, her aunt and uncle, her friends - and her kitty Smokey Joe! I always especially enjoy cozy mysteries with lovable cats or dogs.
I recommend Overdue or Die - and the whole Haunted Library series - to fans of cozy mysteries, and especially to anyone who enjoys a library setting or small town atmosphere.
Book Synopsis
Carrie Singleton has a wedding to plan, a killer to catch, and a conspiracy to uncover in this charming seventh novel of Agatha Award-nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mysteries.
Carrie Singleton has more than her fair share on her plate: her job at the Clover Ridge Library, preparing for her wedding to Dylan Avery, and hoping that the local art gallery doesn’t steal away one of her part-time employees. Her fiancé Dylan accompanies her to the beautiful home of Victor Zalinka—art collector and successful businessman—to select paintings for an art show at the library. While Carrie muses that Victor’s home would be the perfect wedding venue, Dylan spots a forgery among the paintings in Victor’s collection.
Then Martha Mallory is found murdered in her art gallery. With the assistance of Evelyn, the library ghost; the resident cat, Smoky Joe; and the office manager of Dylan’s private investigation company, Carrie comes up with a suspect list long enough to rival the size of an encyclopedia. During her investigation, Carrie stumbles across a terrible truth: Martha’s murder was part of something far bigger and more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. And it all leads back to the art gallery.
How far will Carrie go to find the killer and uncover the truth? If the killer finds her first—will Carrie finally be taken out of circulation?
Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.
Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.
Author Links
Website and Sign Up for My Newsletter: http://www.marilynlevinson.com
Facetime: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson; https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allison-brook
My Amazon Page: http://amzn.to/K6Md1O
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
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My Review
In 1958 Manhattan, Evelyn Murphy is hosting a big fundraiser party at her family's Pinnacle Hotel. When a wealthy guest is found dead in the parking garage, Evelyn decides to find the killer.
I wanted to read this book because I love historical mysteries. I was also intrigued by the New York City setting and the time period. I rarely see mysteries set in the 1950's or 1960's, so that was a big draw.
Evelyn is a very interesting character. She's a spoiled heiress with a sassy personality - and she is an agoraphobic. She's working to conquer this, but it certainly presents challenges to her with her sleuthing. Evelyn is in a romantic relationship with Mac Cooper, but there are complications when her father insists she break the relationship off - and later Mac ends up in jail.
I enjoyed this read very much. The tone was fresh and unique, and the period setting was a delight. I have not read the first book in the series, but this worked fine as a standalone. I recommend The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating for fans of historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, and Mid-Century New York City settings. You will enjoy this book!
Book Synopsis
Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver, the second Pinnacle Hotel mystery finds another murder that strikes too close to home, and hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy knows she’s the only one who can save the hotel before it’s lights out.
New York, 1958. Even though Evelyn Murphy has made progress conquering her agoraphobia by leaving the Pinnacle, she still feels most comfortable in her father’s hotel. With Malcolm Cooper, her new boyfriend and fellow employee at the hotel, Evelyn feels prepared for whatever happens next. In this case, it’s throwing a big fundraiser with the who’s who of New York City.
The night is a success, and Evelyn finally takes up Malcolm’s offer to finally visit his apartment in Yonkers. As the party ends, they sneak away to the garage to get Evelyn’s car. But Evelyn’s always been good at finding things, and she discovers the dead body of a guest, Judge Baker, in a car—with a needle in his arm.
Detective Hodgson and his new partner, Detective McJimsey, arrive on the scene, but before they can begin to question Evelyn, they are startled by another mysterious discovery: there’s a woman in the trunk of the car, and she screams as soon as she sees Evelyn’s face. Tangled up in the police investigation, Evelyn’s got another problem, too—her father insists she break off her relationship with Mac. The next day, her father is found attacked just like the judge, only this time the detectives find a dead woman nearby.
With Mac accused of the attacks and in police custody, Evelyn will have to find the killer on her own before she’s checked out of the hotel—this time, for good.
Author Bio
S. K. Golden is the author of the Pinnacle Hotel cozy mystery series. Born and raised in the Florida Keys, she married a commercial fisherman. The two of them still live on the islands with their five kids (one boy, four girls — including identical twins!), two cats, and a corgi named Goku. Sarah graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Administration and has put it to good use approximately zero times. She’s worked as a bank teller, a pharmacy technician, and an executive assistant at her father’s church. Sarah is delighted to be doing none of those things now. Follow her across all platforms @skgoldenwrites.
Author Links
Website https://www.skgoldenwrites.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SKGoldenWrites/
Twitter (X) https://twitter.com/skgoldenwrites
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/skgoldenwrites/
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22010011.S_K_Golden
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org
Giveaway