Book Review and Giveaway - Lemon Curd Killer (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

My Review

Theodosia Browning, who owns a Charleston tea shop, is hosting an event tea in a lemon orchard when she discovers an unpleasant guest has been murdered. She sets about to solve the mystery, with the help of her friend and tea sommelier, Drayton.

I wanted to read this novel because of the Charleston setting, and the tea/foodie emphasis.  I have read several books in this series, but not all, but found Lemon Curd Killer worked fine as a standalone mystery.

The thing I love most about this series is how immersive it is.  Laura Childs does such a wonderful job at setting the scene in Charleston, and at the tea shop.

If you are a foodie, you will absolutely love the food descriptions in this book, like: 

“It’s lovely to see all of you today for our springtime Irish Cream Tea— and I do thank you for coming. Since you’re probably eager for lunch— and to see what our chef has dreamed up— I’m delighted to give you the rundown.” There was a spatter of applause and then Theodosia continued. “Today’s luncheon will begin with Irish soda scones served with Irish creamery butter and your choice of strawberry preserves or orange marmalade. The scones will be followed by a bowl of house -made potato-leek soup. For our main course, we’ll be serving baked brown sugar salmon with sides of caramelized asparagus and heritage tomato salad. And the tea you’re sipping right now is Irish Breakfast Tea from Simpson and Vail.” (eBook location 2633).

Theodosia is a determined amateur detective (and she's very brave, venturing out late at night looking for clues!). There were several strong suspects and I was surprised to see who the killer actually was.

I recommend Lemon Curd Killer and the Tea Shop Mystery series, for fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who has an interest in Charleston, tea, or wonderful foodie details.

Book Synopsis

High tea and high fashion turn deadly in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

Tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia Browning has been tapped to host a fancy Limón Tea in a genuine lemon orchard as a rousing kickoff to Charleston Fashion Week. But as fairy lights twinkle and the scent of lemon wafts among the tea tables, the deadly murder of a fashion designer puts the squeeze on things.

As the lemon curd begins to sour, the murdered woman’s daughter begs Theodosia to help find the killer. Tea events and fashion shows must go on, however, which puts Theodosia and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, right in the thick of squabbling business partners, crazed clothing designers, irate film producers, drug deals, and a disastrous Tea Trolley Tour.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

Author Bio

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs. 

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:  

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.  

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here! 

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links:   Website –  Facebook 

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound – PenguinRandomHouse –

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Book Review - To Win Her Hand by Jen Geigle Johnson

My Review

To Win Her Heart is the first book in the new series A Gentleman's Match. It is a historical novel set in Regency period England, about a matchmaker - Lord Featherstone - who falls in love with another matchmaker - Lady Loveluck. They both feel they need to make a wealthy match, but will they find a way to be together?

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction and especially enjoy the Regency period.

This book was a pure delight!  It is a fast paced, light historical romance with charming and witty repartee.  I really liked both Lord Featherstone and Lady Loveluck. Seeing them work as matchmakers was fascinating and then seeing them navigate their own romantic life was even more interesting!

There was a wonderful long sequence when Lord Featherstone was coaching a male client and Lady Loveluck was talking to a female client. Their advice was often at odds: 

"Lord Featherstone looked into Mr. Hartsworth’s spyglass. 'Vulnerable. But you must never lose control.' 

Lady Loveluck toyed with a feather behind Miss Anna’s head. 'We must get him to lose control. He has to want your heart more than his own breath.'" (eBook location 169)

The secondary characters (their clients and friends) were also interesting.  I especially liked the long section of the book set at a house party in the country.  So much was going on at once at that party!  All along I was pulling for our leads to find a way to get together.

I already look forward to reading the upcoming books in this series (I am wondering if they might center around Lord Featherstone's brothers?).  I enthusiastically recommend To Win Her Hand for fans of historical romance, and especially for anyone who likes a clever, well written Regency story.

Book Synopsis

An expert at winning a woman's hand. A woman who cannot be won.

Lord Featherstone has the world on his shoulders. Or at least his world. With two brothers and a failing estate he must make funds somehow. But what happens when he falls for a woman? Will his tactics work when the situation is so close and personal?

Everyone thinks Lady Loveluck is a wealthy widow. What they don't know is that she is on the brink of hiring herself out as a Governess in order to pay for her next meal. The only thing keeping her from employment is a growing reputation as a matchmaker. As long as she never falls for another man, as long as she doesn't allow herself to be fooled into marrying, she will be just fine.

But she never counted on being caught up in the beguiling tactics of London's renowned and not so secret matchmaker for men.  

Purchase Links
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS 

Author Bio
Jen Geigle Johnson is an award-winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards and LDSPMA Praiseworthy's top award for Romance, Jen has more stories circulating in her brain than can possibly be told. She discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager. History is her main jam. Her literary heroes include the greats: Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. But she has modern sensibilities as well.  

Six children and an inspiring husband keep her going and make certain she doesn't stay glued to a keyboard or lost in obscure fascinating details of old castles.  

Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure.

  WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

Book Review and Giveaway - No Small Murder (Mini Meadows Mystery) by Lena Gregory

My Review

Emma Wells specializes in helping people downsize from their large homes to smaller dwellings. She lives in a tiny house in Mini Meadows with her cat Ginger.  Then all at once, things change when her Granny Rose comes for an extended stay, a downsizing client is murdered, and Granny Rose adopts the late client's Great Dane. Emma decides to be an amateur sleuth and work to solve the murder, with the help of her grandmother and friends.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries and am fascinated by tiny houses. The addition of a cat and dog to the book is another nice perk.

No Small Murder is a fun start to a new series. Readers will get to know Emma, her grandmother, and her friends - as well as see the beginning of a potential romance for her (and maybe even one for her grandmother as well).

I loved the Mini Meadows setting. The little adjacent town even has tiny businesses, and residents travel to and from town in golf carts!  This book made me even more intrigued about the idea of spending time in a tiny house community.

The mystery aspects of the book were interesting, and there was a surprising twist to the murder.

I recommend No Small Murder for fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who has an interest in tiny houses.

Book Synopsis

Mini Meadows, a Tiny Home community in rural Central Florida, is home to Emma Wells, a downsize specialist who left her daddy’s mansion and her inheritance behind in favor of a simpler, more peaceful life in a tiny home that was once two shipping containers. But when she opens a shipping container and discovers her dead client sitting in a rocking chair, neatly wrapped and labeled, and two of her friends end up on the suspect list, Emma pitches in to help find the killer. With plenty of clues to unpack, Emma narrows down the suspect list, but as she begins to close in on the culprit, she realizes if she’s not careful she could end up in a box of her own.

Author Bio

Lena Gregory 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: 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

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Book Review - The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

My Review

The Sound of Light is a historical novel set in Copenhagen during World War II. It is the story of two different (but surprisingly similar) people - Else Jensen, an American physicist working at a research lab and quietly also working to help with a resistance newspaper, and Hemming, the assumed name of Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt, a formerly dissolute playboy and Olympic rower turned resistance hero.

I wanted to read this novel because I love Sarah Sundin's books - she is my favorite author in this genre, and I have recommended her writing so many times over to friends. I particularly enjoy historical fiction set during World War II and was curious about the Danish setting;  I knew very little about life in Denmark during the war.

This is a beautifully told story about people finding courage they didn't know they had and banding together to do good even at great personal risk.  Hemming, the Havmand (merman) rows back and forth at night with messages. Else spreads the truth about the war through underground newspapers, becoming even more involved when her best friend Laila, who is Jewish, is in jeopardy.

Hemming and Laila live in the same boarding house and slowly connect, as friends first, and then there is a spark between them that they can't ignore. Their resistance to the war is also a powerful bond.

The descriptions and writing is, as always with Sarah Sundin's books, beautiful. For example, this is a description of the Tivoli Gardens:

"They emerged from the gardens. Beside a shimmering lake, the Chinese Tower rose in red and black magnificence. Before the war, Tivoli glowed at night, with light bulbs outlining each building, strung between trees, and reflecting in the lake, topped by fireworks shows in the summer. Although the park remained open during the occupation, the lights had been extinguished" (eBook location 920).

I highly recommend The Sound of Light for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone who is interested in World War II.

Book Synopsis

Copenhagen, 1940

When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden. American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research--her life's dream--and makes the dangerous decision to print resistance newspapers.

As Else hears rumors of the movement's legendary Havmand--the merman--she also becomes intrigued by the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse. Henrik makes every effort to conceal his noble upbringing, but he is torn between the façade he must maintain and the woman he is beginning to fall in love with.

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence.

Author Bio

Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in Paris, and the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and have appeared on Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years." Sarah lives in California. Visit www.sarahsundin.com for more information.

Book Review and Giveaway - Born to Bead Wild: A Humorous Cozy Mystery (Glass Bead Mystery Series) by Janice Peacock

My Review

Bead artist Jax O'Connell goes to a beading camp in the Pacific Northwest with her friends Tessa, who will be teaching at the arts camp, and Val, who will be the camp cook for a week. They are accompanied by Val's Basset Hound Stanley.  When a murder occurs, Jax and her friends set out to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries, I've always loved Basset Hounds (the cover art is so appealing!), and am interested in beading.

This is the fifth book in the Glass Bead Mystery series but I had no problem jumping in and getting to know the characters. It worked well as a standalone mystery.

Born to Bead Wild is a fun cozy mystery.  It is fast moving and told with humor (especially involving newbie chef Val's attempts at learning how to do all natural, plant based cooking for an entire camp). As an animal lover, of course I loved all scenes with Stanley the Basset Hound!

The beading details in this book were fascinating!  I have enjoyed making some beaded jewelry but have never actually made beads, so the glass bead process was especially interesting to me.

The mystery aspect of this story was especially well done.  The friends are at a camp out in the middle of the woods, in a cabin with no locks on the doors, no cell phones, and working to solve a mystery. Jax and Tessa took some big safety risks in their detecting but of course they ultimately found the killer.

I really enjoyed Born to Bead Wild. I have the author's earlier eBooks on my Kindle and now I want to go back and read them to catch up with the rest of the series. I recommend this book for cozy mystery fans, and especially for anyone who has an interest in beading or crafting.

Book Synopsis  

Something is strange at Full Moon Farms—and it isn’t just Val’s Eggplant Surprise for dinner.

Jax, Tessa, and the rest of the arts and crafts retreat attendees are shocked when they find charred bones in a glass kiln. Are the remains human or animal?

The camp owners insist the bones in the coffin-sized kiln are from a deer, but Jax finds a clue that leads her to believe the owners are lying. After Tessa’s least favorite person turns up dead, there is no doubt that a killer lurks somewhere in the deep forest of the Olympic Peninsula. As clues lead Jax and Tessa down mysterious paths, they hope they live long enough to find the culprit and make it out alive.

Author Bio

Janice Peacock is a cozy mystery author who specializes in craft and hobby mysteries. She loves to write about artists who find new ways to live their lives and perhaps catch a criminal or two in the process. While working in a glass studio with several colorful and quirky artists, she was inspired to write the Glass Bead Mystery Series. The Ruby Shaw Mysteries, which are set in a small hillside mining town, were inspired by her trips to Jerome, Arizona, and Jacksonville, Oregon. 

When Janice isn’t writing about amateur detectives, she wields a 2,500-degree torch to melt glass and create one-of-kind beads and jewelry. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, an enormous white dog, and an undisclosed number of cats. Visit Janice online at www.janicepeacock.com.

Author Links

• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/janpeac/
• Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/janpeac/
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JanPeac
• GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8389583.Janice_Peacock

Purchase Link – Amazon

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Book Review and Giveaway - Wined and Died in New Orleans (A Vintage Cookbook) by Ellen Byron

My Review

Wined and Died in New Orleans is the second book in the Vintage Cookbook mystery series. Ricki James-Dias is happily managing her vintage cookbook/kitchenware shop in the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum when another murder takes place at the museum. After some very valuable old French wine is found on the premises, distant relatives of the house's builder start arriving to stake their claim. One of them, a particularly unpleasant claimant from France, is discovered murdered. With the head of the museum board, Eugenia Charbonnet, under suspicion, Ricki works to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this novel because I enjoyed the first book in the series so much. I love vintage cookware and cookbooks, so that is a huge plus for me with this series.

Ricki is a fun amateur detective, quirky and smart and brave. I enjoyed watching her detecting process.  I like her friends, her romantic interest, and the pair of dogs she co-owns with her crush.

My favorite features of this series, though, are the food history and vintage cookbook details, and the New Orleans atmosphere. There are great descriptions like:

"They reached the carriage house and climbed the stairs to the second floor, where Ricki found the box waiting for her. She borrowed the office box cutter to slice open the top and extracted the tureen from its nest of protection. Sleek and crème-colored, decorated with a design of raised ceramic leaves painted in warm fall tones, the tureen was stunning. The women admired it. “This may the nicest item in your shop,” Cookie said. “It’s gorgeous.” 

“I know.” Ricki examined the tureen and matching ladle with a practiced eye. “And in perfect condition. The date on this is 1958. Tureens weren’t as popular by then, so it’s pretty rare, especially in this pattern. It’s called Autumn Days. The maker is Sunbaked, a ceramics company in California that went out of business in 1959. The person I bought this from didn’t know what they had.” (eBook position 556).

This is becoming one of my most anticipated cozy mystery series, and I already am looking forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend Wined and Died in New Orleans (along with the first book, Bayou Book Thief) to fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who enjoys vintage cookbooks, food history, or New Orleans.  Lots of atmospheric fun here!

Book Synopsis

The second in a fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.

It’s hurricane season in New Orleans and vintage cookbook fan Ricki James-Diaz is trying to shelve her weather-related fears and focus on her business, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, housed in the magnificent Bon Vee Culinary House Museum.

Repairs on the property unearth crates of very old, very valuable French wine, buried by the home’s builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet. Ricki, who’s been struggling to attract more customers to Miss Vee’s, is thrilled when her post about the discovery of this long-buried treasure goes viral. She’s less thrilled when the post brings distant Charbonnet family members out of the woodwork, all clamoring for a cut of the wine’s sale.

When a dead body turns up in Bon Vee’s cheery fall decorations, the NOPD zeroes in on Eugenia Charbonnet Felice as the prime suspect, figuring that as head of the Charbonnet family, she has the most to gain. Ricki is determined to uncover the real culprit, but she can’t help noticing that Eugenia is acting strangely. Ricki wonders what kind of secret her mentor has bottled up, and fears what might happen if she uncorks it.

In the second Vintage Cookbook Mystery, Ricki has to help solve a murder, untangle family secrets, and grow her business, all while living under the threat of a hurricane that could wipe out everything from her home to Bon Vee.

Author Bio

Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery. Bayou Book Thief will be the first book in her new Vintage Cookbook Mysteries. She also writes the Catering Hall Mystery series under the name Maria DiRico.

Ellen is an award-winning playwright, and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. An alum of New Orleans’ Tulane University, she blogs with Chicks on the Case, is a lifetime member of the Writers Guild of America and will be the 2023 Left Coast Crime Toastmaster. Please visit her at https://www.ellenbyron.com/

Author Links

Newsletter: https://www.ellenbyron.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ellenbyronauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/CateringHallMysteries/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ellenbyronmariadirico/

Bookbub:

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-byron

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maria-dirico

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23234.Ellen_Byron

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19130966.Maria_DiRico

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo –

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Book Review and Giveaway - Murder, She Wrote: Death on the Emerald Isle by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

My Review

Jessica Fletcher goes to Ireland to speak at a writers' conference. While she is there, she has agreed to do a favor for her friend and neighbor, Maeve. She will deliver some paintings to her family in a small Irish village.

Jessica enjoys the conference and travels to the village. When she is out riding a bicycle, she discovers that Maeve's cousin Michael has been murdered, and she works to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this novel because I love Murder She Wrote - both the TV series and the book series.  I have enjoyed previous books in this cozy mystery series, and also love Ireland as a locale.

This was a charming read! The Irish setting was lovely and the place descriptions made me want to travel to see them.  I loved the little details too, like Jessica's friend wearing shamrock cufflinks, and the food descriptions (which made me hungry!).  I have never had a scone with clotted cream, but now I think I must.

Jessica is the consummate amateur sleuth and it is fun to solve the mystery along with her. There were several likely suspects, and I enjoyed seeing her deductive process.  The cast of characters (both Cabot Cove early in the book, and Ireland later) added a lot to my reading enjoyment too.

I highly recommend Murder She Wrote: Death on the Emerald Isle for fans of Jessica Fletcher and for anyone who enjoys an Irish book setting.  This was a delightful read from start to finish!

Book Synopsis

A trip to Northern Ireland becomes unexpectedly grim for Jessica Fletcher in this new entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series. Jessica Fletcher is quick to accept an invitation to replace a speaker who couldn’t attend a Book Festival in Belfast, Ireland. When her Cabot Cove neighbor Maeve O’Bannon hears about the trip, she asks Jessica to deliver some paintings to her family in the village of Bushmills. Happy to extend her travels and see more of the Irish countryside, Jessica agrees. The festival goes off without a hitch, and it seems like Jessica is in for a relaxing vacation. But then Maeve’s cousin Michael is discovered dead under suspicious circumstances. Jessica finds herself once again in the midst of a murder investigation, and she’ll have to dig into the O’Bannon family’s secrets to unmask the killer.

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 – IndieBound – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse –

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Daisy's Gotcha Day!

Hi friends!

It's been a year since Daisy came to live with me. Daisy is a two year old (could be a smidge younger) Corgi mix who was found as a stray and taken to the county shelter.  When I met her she immediately leaned up against me and sighed. It was a done deal - at that point I knew she was coming home with me!  The photo above is from Daisy's first night here.

Things were a bit overwhelming at first as Daisy learned to walk on a leash, potty outdoors, and to try to remember that the world is not her chew toy (she still needs occasional reminders about chewing!).  It was a difficult year for me personally, as my Mom passed away and there were many changes in my life.  But at the year went on, Daisy and I bonded more and more.

Daisy taught me the joy of long walks, the pleasure that can be found in stopping to explore nature, the happiness of making friends with animals and people as we are out exploring.   She is a loving little girl who loves to sit on my lap or right beside me, and who cuddles up in bed at night.

I am beyond grateful for her and hope we have many more happy years together!

Trish

(with much love to Daisy!)

Book Review and Giveaway - Dial M for Meow (Bookshop Kitties Mysteries) by Ruth J. Hartman

My Review

Children's book author Christy Bailey moves to a small town in Indiana to live with her aunt, who owns a bookstore. She is accompanied by her cats Milton and Pearl, who are the stars of her book series. When Christy arrives at the bookstore, she finds her aunt disoriented and upset, and a woman her aunt disliked dead. Christy is determined to solve the mystery and clear her aunt's name.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries. I liked the idea of a bookstore setting, and love books that prominently feature pets.

I have to start by saying Milton and Pearl are stars not just of Christy's children's books, but also this mystery! They are an adorable bonded pair of sibling cats and they helped with the detecting, as well as providing lots of cuteness.

This is a charming mystery and a great start to a new series. I look forward to reading more books in the Bookshop Kitties Mysteries series.  Christy is a likable protagonist - a writer and book lover with a calm nature and a knack for detecting.  She is helped by her childhood friend Janie and a certain handsome ER doctor named Micah. (I hope this relationship develops more with future books!)

There are several plausible suspects, and I enjoyed solving the mystery right along with Christy. I was somewhat surprised by the murderer, but that is what makes mysteries fun.

I recommend Dial M for Meow for fans of cozy mysteries, for anyone who enjoys bookstores or small town settings, and especially for cat lovers.

Book Synopsis

When children’s book author, Christy Bailey, receives a call from her aunt Betty to help out at her bookshop, she drops everything to go. Christy packs up her two cats—Milton and Pearl, the stars of her children’s mystery books—and leaves busy Philadelphia for tiny Green Meadow, Indiana. The timing of the call is perfect, as Christy’s letch of an ex-boyfriend has just cleaned out her savings, leaving Christy with a pile of unpaid bills and a desire to start over. And what better place to do that than a charming small town in Middle America?

But when Christy reaches her aunt’s bookshop, instead of small town hospitality she finds a dead body! Even worse, her aunt is passed out in the corner, hands covered in blood. The dead woman is an old frenemy of her Aunt Betty, and while Christy knows her aunt is innocent, the local detective isn’t so sure. With Milton and Pearl prowling for clues, Christy is determined to find the real killer and clear her aunt’s name… before her story ends in tragedy!

Author Bio

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.

Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.

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