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

My Review

Jessica Fletcher steps in to solve a mystery when an older lady in Cabot Cove is enamored of a much younger fitness instructor who is mysteriously killed.  When a kindly man in the neighborhood is suspected, Jessica works to find the truth and clear her neighbor's name.

I wanted to read Murder, She Wrote: Fit For Murder because I absolutely love this series of mysteries.  (And of course I loved the TV series Murder, She Wrote as well.)  The books are always such cozy reads.  I enjoy Jessica's detection skills, her details about writing mysteries, and Cabot Cove and Jessica's familiar friends.

This was a well written, well paced mystery.  There were several strong leads for Jessica to follow, including traveling to a neighboring town to do some detecting.  She even takes a chance exploring the crime scene on her own.

There was a great deal of detail about Jessica's writing process in this book, and that was particularly interesting to read.  I loved little details like her membership in Sisters in Crime.

This was a great addition to the Murder, She Wrote series, and I enthusiastically recommend it to other fans of cozy mysteries.  (I recommend the entire series!)

Book Synopsis

Jessica Fletcher learns that exercise can be murder in this new entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

Former editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette, Evelyn Phillips is back in Cabot Cove. Evelyn tells Jessica and Seth that she got a couple of really weird notes from Bertha Mae Cormier so she’s come back to town to check on her old friend. She demands that Jessica come with her to see Bertha Mae, who is a bit dithery but no more so than Jessica remembers her being in recent years.

Jessica does become somewhat concerned when Bertha Mae starts to talk about her new neighbor, Martin Terranova. He is quite charming and very health conscious and he teaches yoga and meditation in his pool house. Maureen Metzger says that she and Bertha Mae became friends in Terranova’s class and mentions how solicitous he is to his older clients.

Jessica attends one of his classes and does notice that Terranova is flirtatious with several elderly clients, especially Bertha Mae. Evelyn is becoming convinced that Bertha Mae is being mesmerized by Terranova and that he is after Bertha Mae’s money. A short while late, Martin turns up dead in his weight room. What at first blush seems to be an accident, soon proves to be murder and Jessica must put her investigative skills to the test when Evelyn becomes the prime suspect.

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 Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

My Review

Nikki Werner is still reeling from her parents' divorce when she discovers, via social media, that her father has unexpectedly remarried.  She is also wondering whether her boyfriend Isaac is the right man for her.  Since she is a teacher between school years, she goes to visit her Uncle Wes on his farm.  There she discovers her grandmother's old recipes and she begins to slowly learn about her family history ... and the truths her grandmother's memory teaches through her recipes and wisdom.

I wanted to read this book because I was interested in the mention of recipes and family food history.  The family's German heritage was also of interest to me.

The Divine Proverb of Streusel is a lovely read.  Nikki deals with some hard issues and learns about the power of grace and forgiveness.  Her wonderful grandmother, even in memory and old recipes and writing from the past, imparts strength and wisdom.

This novel is very well written.  I cared about Sara and her family in general  - especially Uncle Wes and Aunt Emma.  There is a strong faith message through the book.  I recommend this novel for fans of Christian fiction, women's fiction, and uplifting storytelling.

Book Synopsis

Shaken by her parents' divorce and discouraged by the growing chasm between herself and her serious boyfriend, Nikki Werner seeks solace at her uncle's farm in a small Missouri hamlet. She'll spend the summer there, picking up the pieces of her shattered present so she can plan a better future. But what awaits her at the ancestral farm is the past--one she barely knows.

Among her late grandmother's belongings, Nikki finds an old notebook filled with handwritten German recipes and wise sayings pulled from the book of Proverbs. With each recipe she makes, she invites locals to the family table to hear their stories about the town's history, her ancestors, and her estranged father.

What started as a cathartic way to connect to her heritage soon becomes the means through which she learns how the women before her endured--with the help of their cooking prowess and a healthy dollop of faith.

Author Bio

Sara Brunsvold is the author of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. She creates stories that speak hope, truth, and life. Influenced by humble women of God who find his fingerprints in the everyday, she does the same in her life and her storytelling. Sara's recognitions include the 2020 ACFW Genesis Award for Contemporary Fiction. She lives with her family in Kansas City, Missouri, where she can often be spotted writing at a park or library. Learn more at www.SaraBrunsvold.com.

Book Review and Giveaway - Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery) by Joyce Tremel

My Review

Kate Mulligan has recently lost her husband in an accident that also injured her.  When she unexpectedly inherits her family homeplace from her uncle, she moves to a small town near Gettysburg to open a fruit orchard and cidery.  The move changes her life - she reconnects with her childhood friend, becomes friends with a man who she could become interested in later, and, after there is a murder at her orchard, she becomes involved in solving the mystery.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries.  I was intrigued by the fruit orchard setting, and the cidery (since that is something I knew nothing about).

This is the first book in a new series and I have to say it is my favorite start to a cozy series in a long time!  Kate is a likable, smart, independent protagonist.  She has been through a lot but she approaches life with optimism and a resilient attitude.  I also liked her friends, her potential love interest, and the little town itself, which was charming, with all the little shops and businesses.

The cidery business was fascinating!  The author included details through the book that let the reader learn more about the world of cider production.

This mystery has a strong link to the past and to town history, and I loved that aspect of the book as well.  I especially enjoyed when Kate was uncovering local history as part of her sleuthing.

There is even a lovable pet, a sweet cat named Blossom who adopts Kate when they both need companionship.

I enthusiastically recommend Deadly to the Core for fans of cozy mysteries.  I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did!

Book Synopsis

Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Julie Anne Lindsey, when Kate Mulligan inherits her great uncle’s fruit orchard, she quickly realizes that apples aren’t the only thing that can have rotten cores.

After losing her husband in a terrible car crash, thirty-five-year-old Kate is left to pick up the pieces of her life alone. Although she has physically recovered, she worries her spirit never will. But when she learns that she has inherited a fruit orchard in a small town just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from her great uncle Stan, she takes this as an opportunity ripe for the picking. Kate knew immediately what to do with it: open a cider house. Her hopeful plans fall far from the tree when she finds the body of the orchard manager, Carl Randolph, leaving her to figure out who is at the core of this murder.

She had been in correspondence with Carl, who had agreed with her brilliant idea of opening a cider house. But not everyone is so quick to buy what she was selling—Uncle Stan’s lawyer, Robert Larabee, paints a less rosy financial outlook of the orchard’s past, present, and future.

Kate discovers that Carl had large, unexplained deposits to his bank account and it becomes clear that either he was blackmailing someone, or someone was paying him to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Kate and her neighbors receive offers to buy their property from a mysterious buyer. And there’s more than meets the eye with the neighboring orchard owner, Daniel Martinez, although Kate can’t quite put her finger on if it’s sweet or sour.

Will she be able to pick out the bad apple among the bunch before it’s too late?

Author Bio

Joyce Tremel was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. In addition to the Cider House Mysteries, she wrote the Brewing Trouble Mysteries. As Joyce St. Anthony, she writes the Homefront News historical mysteries. She lives in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania with her husband and two cats named Hops and Lager.

Author Links

Website www.joycetremel.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/JoyceTremel

X/Twitter www.twitter.com/JoyceTremel

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13746162.Joyce_Tremel

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

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Book Review and Giveaway - A Bean to Die For (A Coffee Lover’s Mystery) by Tara Lush

My Review

Lana Lewis is the co-owner of a coffeehouse named Perkatory in Devil's Beach, Florida.  When a body is found in the community garden and an acquaintance is accused of murder, she decides to work to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this mystery because I love cozy mysteries and the coffeehouse setting was appealing. This is the fourth book in the series A Coffee Lover's Mystery. I have not read the earlier books but had no problem jumping in and enjoying A Bean to Die For as a standalone mystery.

This was a fun, fast moving read!  Lana is an amateur detective to like and pull for.  I enjoyed her relationships with her family, barista Erica, boyfriend Noah, and adorable Shih Tzu Stanley.

The mystery was well paced, with several solid suspects.  It was interesting investigating the case with Lana as she followed different clues.

I look forward to reading more books in this series.  I recommend A Bean to Die For to other fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who enjoys a coffeehouse setting.

Book Synopsis

Perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette, reporter-turned-barista 

Lana Lewis is back on the case when a body is dug up in the community garden.

Lana Lewis is brewing up new concoctions at Perkatory, a popular café in Devil’s Beach, when she decides she wants to try her hand at growing her own coffee. She secures a gardening plot in the community garden, thanks to her father and the garden’s owner, Darla. Darla’s list of rules is long, but that doesn’t stop someone from leaving Jack Daggett’s body amongst the gardening plots.

Jack, an environmental activist, had been banned from the garden previously, because of his many fights with Darla about organic produce. Lana promises her boyfriend, police chief Noah, that she’s going to stay out of this case, having been too involved in previous cases. But when she learns that Jack died from an accidental overdose, and Darla is the top suspect because of her shady past, Lana can’t help but poke around in an attempt to clear Darla’s name.

As Lana dives deeper into the case, she learns that Jack had more enemies than she realized. When Darla turns up dead, Lana has to turn up the heat on her investigation. With Lana on the case, it won’t be long before someone spills the beans to crack this case wide open. But will she able to find the killer before they strike again?

Author Bio

Tara Lush is a Florida-based author and journalist. She’s an RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and the winner of the George C. Polk Award for environmental journalism.

She was a reporter with The Associated Press in Florida, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations under the name Tamara Lush.

Tara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband and two dogs.

Her debut mystery series is published by Crooked Lane Books.

Author Links

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/tamlush
WEBSITE: https://taralush.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the.book.lush/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/20274256.Tara_Lush

Purchase Links – Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Bookshop.org

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Holiday Blogging Break

 

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