Book Review and Giveaway - Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

My Review

Allie Cat is a chef in Asheville who puts together literary theme parties.  When her best friend's aunt is murdered in the bookstore she owns, Allie works to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read Murder on the Page because I love Daryl Wood Gerber's Fairy Garden and Cookbook Nook series.  I love classic literature and foodie books, so I am definitely the target audience for this cozy mystery!

This is such a fun cozy mystery.  I so enjoyed Allie's love of both literature and cooking!  The book references were great and added a lot of enjoyment to the storytelling.

I really like Allie, her friend Tegan, and the other characters in this book, and look forward to reading about more of their adventures in future books in this series.  

The mystery was well paced and well developed and it kept me guessing!  I enjoyed Allie's skills as an amateur detective.

Murder on the Page has three features I absolutely love in a mystery:  a cast of characters, a map of the town, and recipes for foods mentioned in the book.

Five enthusiastic stars from me for Murder on the Page!  I recommend this book for other cozy mystery fans, and especially for anyone who loves literary references and foodie details.

Book Synopsis

Featuring twin hooks that cozy readers can’t get enough of—classic books and delicious food—this new series from the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of several much loved series, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the French Bistro Mysteries, is a delicious treat for mystery lovers, especially fans of Ellery Adams, Krista Davis, and Lauren Elliott.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more.

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues.With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .

Author Bio

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the 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 suspense novels. 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: httsp://darylwoodgerber.com

Author Links

WEBSITE: https://darylwoodgerber.com

FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber

BOOKBUB: https://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber

YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/woodgerb1

INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber

GOODREADS: https://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber

TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@daryl_wood_gerber

AMAZON: https://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page

NEWSLETTER: https://darylwoodgerber.com/contact-media/

Purchase Links 

AMAZON    BARNES AND NOBLE     BOOKSHOP.ORG    KOBO      MYSTERIOUS GALAXY

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Review and Giveaway - Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

My Review

When a wealthy business tycoon wants to buy an old Cabot Cove homestead, things spiral out of control.  First one of the owners who was presumed dead shows up alive.  Then the tycoon's wife is murdered.  Jessica Fletcher steps in to solve the case.

I wanted to read Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas because I love the Murder She Wrote series of cozy mysteries.  This book has the plus of having a Christmas setting!

I have read several recent Murder, She Wrote books set in different locales but the books set in Cabot Cove are always my favorites.  This series is a true comfort read for me;  I love the town, the townspeople, and, of course, Jessica Fletcher's detective skills.

This was a well written, quick paced mystery, and such an enjoyable read.  I recommend Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas for other fans of cozy mysteries, Christmas mysteries, and of course for anyone who loves the Murder, She Wrote series.

Book Synopsis

It’s Christmastime in Cabot Cove, but there’s more homicide than ho-ho-ho in the newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling their childhood home.

Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Rose Marie, to meet the leading citizens of the town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest—not Santa but Kenny, who threateningly promises Rose Marie she will never live in his house.

When Rose Marie is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn′t so sure he′s on the naughty list . . .

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 - The Christmas Tree Farm, A Christmas Novella by Melody Carlson

My Review

Madison McDowell comes home from teaching abroad to work on her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. She is part owner of the farm with her sister Addie.  She doesn't count on Addie wanting to sell the farm, or her first love, Gavin, being widowed and living next door with his youngest daughter.

I wanted to read The Christmas Tree Farm because I love Melody Carlson's Christmas novels.  I try to read them each year.

This novel was one of my favorite of Ms. Carlson's recent Christmas books.  I loved the setting of the Christmas tree farm and the old fashioned house there.  

I also really liked the cast of characters - especially Madison, who loves working outdoors and is determined to make the Christmas tree farm a community fixture again.  I also liked Gavin, who is sweet and a bit eccentric (he lives in a trailer by the lake while building a house).  His daughter Lily, an 11 year old dirt bike enthusiast, is delightful.  Part of the conflict early on is based on Gavin and Lily building a dirt bike track on their property - right next door to the Christmas tree farm.

I highly recommend The Christmas Tree Farm for fans of Christmas reads, picturesque holiday settings, and heartwarming storytelling!

Book Synopsis

Christmas is the perfect time for old memories, new beginnings, and second chances

When Madison McDowell returns from teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, Madison's former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break her heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.

With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will require a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a Christmas miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

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.

Book Review - Meddling with Mistletoe A Red Door Inn Christmas Romance by Liz Johnson

My Review

Meddling With Mistletoe is the story of Whitney Garrett, who is baking homemade pies to fund her culinary school tuition.  When her oven breaks, she works out a deal with the owners of the local bed and breakfast to bake pies there in exchange for babysitting and cooking breakfasts daily.  While working at the inn she meets a guest named Daniel, who is in town to visit his aunt -- who is an eccentric antique shop owner determined to make a match between Daniel and Ruby, the woman buying his aunt's antique store.  Whitney is convinced, though, that Daniel and Ruby are not an ideal match . . . and she has an idea of a better match for him.

I wanted to read this novel because it sounded like a Hallmark movie in book form.  It is!   It is a delightful Christmas story, with lots of holiday atmosphere.

I liked Whitney as a protagonist and admire her determination to pursue her dream.  I also like Daniel and I thought from early on that they would be an interesting match.  Their story is very heartwarming with some light faith references.

I recommend Meddling for Mistletoe for readers who enjoy Christmas reads, heartwarming love stories, and cozy settings.

Book Synopsis

The recipe for romance is simple: sweets, treats, and mistletoe meets

Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, if she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees, with a catch: Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

The inn is busy with holiday guests--including Aretha Franklin Sloan's perpetually single nephew Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is not the right woman for Daniel--and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

Author Bio

Liz Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 novels, including Beyond the Tides, The Last Way Home, and Summer in the Spotlight, as well as the Georgia Coast Romance and Prince Edward Island Dreams series. She works in marketing, makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona, and daydreams of summer days on PEI's shores. Learn more at LizJohnsonBooks.com.

Book Review and Giveaway - Halloween Parade Peril: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait

My Review

Halloween Parade Peril is a cozy mystery featuring Dotty Sayers, an antique expert who often travels with her work.  She is in Dublin to attend a prestigious auction and purchase antiques for a castle that is being converted into a hotel.  When she witnesses a murder at a Halloween parade, she becomes involved in sleuthing, especially since she knows some of the suspects.

I wanted to read Halloween Parade Peril because I love this series of mysteries.  I find the antique details fascinating!  The Halloween theme and Dublin settings were also intriguing.

I read this novel over two days because I couldn't put it down.  If I had a spare moment, I was reading!   I loved the details of the auction (so many fascinating antique details in this mystery!) and the Irish folklore featured through the book.

There were several plausible suspects, and I didn't guess the real murderer until the case was solved.  Like the other books in this series, the mystery was well plotted and the short chapters make this a fast paced read.

I enthusiastically recommend Halloween Parade Peril for other fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone interested in antiques.

Book Synopsis

A spooky spectacle turns deadly when a singer’s voice is silenced forever. Does an amateur sleuth have the ghost of a chance to unmask the killer before the jack-o’-lantern’s candle is snuffed out?

Emerging antiques expert, Dotty Sayers, is excited about traveling to Ireland for a prestigious auction. Alongside her friend, Sergeant Keya Varma, Dotty revels in Dublin’s iconic sights and finds herself spellbound by haunting melodies at the Bram Stoker Festival. But a Halloween parade turns tragic when a musician’s last melody leads to his final breath.With the police operating a skeleton crew, Keya expresses grave concerns while Dotty carves up excitement at the auction, bidding for a pumpkin full of Irish treasures. But when one of their friends ends up behind bars and another confesses to the crime, this duo of detectives realises the witching hour is near.

Can Dotty piece the eerie puzzle together and unveil the villain before the plot thickens like a witch’s potion?

Join Dotty and her friends in Dublin for the latest instalment of the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series. If a cauldron of quirky characters, bewitching puzzles, and enchanting Irish folklore is what you crave, then Victoria Tait’s spellbinding narrative will keep you captivated until the final page.

Make no bones about it – read Halloween Parade Peril today!

Author Bio

Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, and never expected to travel the world. She’s drawn on her life’s experiences of following her military husband, and a love of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Murder She Wrote, to write British-based cozy mysteries.Her determined and hard-working female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and evocative.  As you’re compelled to keep turning the pages, you’ll be irresistibly drawn into a world of intrigue, surprises, and humour, as well as a delectable helping of mystery, because tea and intrigue are a perfect blend.

Author Links

Website     Bookbub    Instagram    Pinterest    Goodreads 

Purchase Links

Amazon   Books2Read 

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Book Review and Giveaway - French Quarter Fright Night (Vintage Cookbook) by Ellen Byron

My Review

Ricki James-Diaz is enjoying life in New Orleans, working in the little vintage cookbook shop she owns (located in the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum), and preparing for Halloween at the museum shop.  When an old acquaintance of her husband who is a famous actor comes to town and situates himself next door to the museum, things begin to go bad.  Blaine Taggart has an exceptionally difficult assistant named Miranda.  Miranda is found dead in a Halloween display, and Ricki is determined to find the killer.

I wanted to read French Quarter Fright Night because I enjoy Ellen Byron's cozy mysteries, and especially love the Vintage Cookbook series.  I collect vintage cookbooks and also sell them online, so I love the little vintage cookbook/cookware details in these books.  I also enjoy the New Orleans setting!

I think this is my favorite of the series so far.  The Halloween setting added a lot to the atmosphere.  The staff at Bon Vee has become a tight group of friends, as well as colleagues, at this point and they all want to have this murder solved.  It was fun watching their progress on the mystery along with the Halloween festivities at the museum.

There were a number of good suspects for this murder, and I enjoyed Ricki's sleuthing.  This is a fast paced mystery with some snappy dialogue and little touches of humor.  

Of course, I also loved details about Ricki's shop, like:

"After placing bids on a handful of cookbooks being sold via an online auction, Ricki went through every bookshelf to confirm each cookbook was in its proper place. She organized them first by decade, then type, followed by theme. She found a couple of 1960s community cookbooks on the 1950s hardcover shelf. One featured appetizer recipes, the other was all about fondues. She moved them to their proper locations. ‘I have more cookbooks from the 1960s than any other decade,’ she said to Red, the only other shop occupant. ‘That’s my new go-to destination if anyone ever invents a time tunnel.’" (eBook location 927).

I highly recommend French Quarter Fright Night for other fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for readers who have an interest in New Orleans or vintage cookbooks.

Book Synopsis

The third in the fabulous cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron.

Welcome to the Bon Veeevil Festival of Fear! Prepare for the spookiest night of your life . . .

It’s Halloween in New Orleans, and the staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum is setting up a fantastic haunted house tour for their visitors. But when flashy movie star Blaine Taggart and his entourage move into the mansion next door, gift shop proprietor Ricki James-Diaz gets a fright of her own.

While Ricki is excited about the potential business the tours will bring to her vintage cookbook shop, she’s less thrilled by former friend Blaine’s arrival in town. Then Bon Vee’s prop tomb becomes a real tomb for Blaine’s nasty assistant, and suddenly everyone at Bon Vee is a murder suspect. There isn’t a ghost of a chance one of them committed the crime, but with NOPD busy tackling the mischief and mayhem generated by the spooky holiday, it falls on Ricki and her friends to catch the killer.

As the Big Easy gears up for the Big Scary, it seems everyone has skeletons in their closets. Can Ricki reveal the shadowy killer before someone else becomes part of the Halloween horror show?

Author Bio

Ellen Byron is a USA Today bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, and Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico). Her new series, The Golden Motel Mysteries, recently debuted. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. Visit her at Cozy Mysteries | Ellen Byron | Author

Author Links 

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

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

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

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

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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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