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Pralines and Creamed

Sweet Dreams Mystery, #2

by

Elizabeth Maria Naranjo

 

Nancy Drew meets Mystery, Inc!

 

Pralines and Creamed is the second book in author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s fun and cozy teen/young adult Sweet Dreams Mystery series featuring high school senior Genevieve Winterland, her best friend, Brandon Summers, and her canine sidekick, Butterscotch. When Brandon’s family-owned bookstore hosts a book signing on Halloween for well-known mystery/horror writer and serial womanizer Jack Kelley, there’s friction between his parents due to some unpleasant history with the man. But when he’s murdered in the signing line, Brandon’s father quickly becomes the police’s number one suspect. Genevieve is compelled to investigate and clear Mr. Summers’s name. 

Genevieve has her hands full, splitting her time between her senior year classes and working at her family’s ice cream shop; however, she is determined to solve the murder at the bookstore. When her mother arrives for an unannounced week-long visit, she’s caught off guard and soon realizes she’s doing everything she can to avoid spending time with her. Up until now, her long-distance relationship with her mother has seemed to work for both of them: occasional calls and short visits two or three times a year kept them in touch with each other. But her mother’s sudden desire for more upsets the balance they’ve established, and Genevieve finds herself backing away. Genevieve does some soul-searching to process her reaction, and young readers may be able to relate to their relationship with a distant parent. 

Genevieve and Brandon make a good team and are especially kind to his younger sister, Charlotte, even dressing up as Velma and Fred from her favorite cartoon show, Scooby-Doo. However, during this case, Genevieve often prefers to pursue her ideas alone, even misleading her friend about her plans to avoid being slowed down or having to wait for him to become available to join in. Consequently, she makes some mistakes and takes some obvious risks, meeting solo with potential suspects and people she already believes may be a murderer. In the end, the resolution makes sense, and there is an exciting confrontation where the author works, “And I would have gotten away with it too…” into the beaten villain’s dialogue. 

I recommend PRALINES AND CREAMED to readers of teen and young adult cozy mysteries. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author.

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Adventures of the Miso Mice

How It All Started & Adventures 1 – 5

written by the Miso Mice as told to Annette Czech Kopp

 

Cute story with simple, sweet graphics about five adventurous mice and their special pirate ship.

 

Adventures of the Miso Mice, as told to Annette Czech Kopp, is a fun little episodic story about five adventurous female mice on a magical sailing ship. (Magical because it can travel on water or into space!) Their journeys take them to exotic islands and star ports, where they meet interesting beings who quickly become their friends. But even on their sunny excursions, there lurk some shady characters. 

The plot is simple, the story is cute, and the characters colorful and endearing, many with fun, clever names. My favorite name, hands down, belonged to the gangsters, though: Lobsta Clamdestino, Oysters Rockefella, and Big Tuna. 

There are five mice: Polly Hedron, Curiosity Launch, Suzy Butterfly, Shelly Beachcomber, and Catalina Awesome, each with their particular interests and skills. Before they became the Miso Mice, they were magical little sprites. When the sprites discovered a treasure chest containing a number of useful items, they also found an intriguing button labeled “PressTheButton” with instructions to ask a question, press the button, and get an answer. Their first inquiry helped them establish their identities, and the next sent them on to a new adventure. I loved how everywhere the Mice went, they met a plethora of cool, new friends-to-be.

While the story is simple, the vocabulary often is not, indicating this story is most likely for an older audience. However, I think it could be shared as a read-aloud with children with the expectation that there will be questions.

 

See this and my other book reviews at Boys' Mom Reads!

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Boomsters

by

David Marks

 

An absolute laugh riot of mystery, suspense, and that little bit of retirement reality.

 

Boomsters is a new mystery by debut author David Marks, himself a retiree who has spectacularly followed up on that common vow to someday write a book! The story grabbed me from the start with its humor, surprising, twisty plot, and underlying realism of what it can be like when retiring after a long and active career that mattered. 

When David Blazen retired, he and his girlfriend, Mary, who was doing the same, had a vague plan of spending quality time together and traveling. While she slips comfortably into her new life, David quickly finds himself at loose ends; he feels like their togetherness is peaking and soon discovers he can only spend so much time at his gym people-watching before someone complains he’s creepy. A creative mind with a knack for observation and deduction, a taste for the vintage PI television shows of his youth, and an ingrained belief in truth, justice, and the American way, he impulsively decides to become a private detective. Without any real preparation, he jumps in with both feet, eventually finding trouble with a capital “T.” 

David is engaging and likable, but the people who know him question his choices and sanity and are dragged along on his adventure. And for me, it was Blazen’s, or BLAZE’S, personable narrative, humorous delivery, and sparkling dialogue that really set it apart from the average mystery. I laughed out loud and couldn’t help compiling a mental list of friends I needed to share this with. 

His voice energizes the plot, as do the unforeseen twists and mounting suspense. The city of Chicago, its history, and its reputation for crime and criminal organizations provide the location for the story. The author’s descriptions are vivid and evocative, creating clear images of the settings, people, and actions. 

The book literally weighs in at over 500 pages, and I admit the length was daunting initially. However, once in the story, the pages flew by: I needed every page. So, don’t let its tome-like appearance intimidate you; like BLAZE, jump in with both feet. 

I recommend BOOMSTERS to readers of mystery, thrillers, and suspense, especially those who appreciate a lot of humor in their stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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I Thee Dead

Wedded Bliss Mystery, #1

by

Christine Lawrence

 

What a fun start to this new wedding planner mystery series!

 

I Thee Dead is the first novel in author Christine Lawrence's new Wedded Bliss Mystery series featuring wedding planner Leah Jordan, her two best friends, and TWO potential love interests. When a member of a wedding party is murdered during a rehearsal dinner, the bride's parents sue, and her best friend is initially arrested for the crime, Leah has nothing to lose and everything to gain by finding the real killer herself. 

Leah Jordan, the owner of Wedded Bliss, the wedding planning business started by her late mother and aunt, Sissy, is under a lot of pressure to keep her family's business solvent and make sure that high-profile and highly lucrative society weddings, which are fundamental to her success, go off without a hitch. While Leah is, from all appearances, skilled at what she does, she retains a load of doubt in her mind that she's up to the task. She's capable but vulnerable, and her latest clients, who are a pair of very wealthy and very influential doozies, aren't helping. I actually enjoyed the bride, who has all the makings of a deluxe bridezilla but is really just wildly enthusiastic and wide-eyed over the possibilities for her special day, having unlimited funding to make it happen. The finance, on the other hand, surprised me with his swings of temperament, which, as the story unfolds, became even more confounding. I do feel Leah's character would have benefitted from a wee bit more development and backstory exposition, though. 

The author must build her small-town setting from scratch, so there are scads of people introduced, some from Leah's past and others who are encountered during her investigation. However, a couple of these minor characters felt like they popped up unnecessarily and out of nowhere. Readers are provided a light overview of what the town has to offer through Leah's interaction with Caleb Hamilton, a hunky wedding guest who is later revealed to be a retired police officer turned undercover private detective hired by the bride. 

The plot is lively, first with wedding preparations, then with the murder and subsequent amateur sleuthing. While I enjoyed the overall story, especially the romantic side storylines, plot holes that were relevant to the investigation really bothered me. The unusual murder weapon, while referenced, is never questioned, nor is the report that the groom had been receiving threats recently ever addressed. The threats were serious enough for the bride to secretly hire Caleb Hamilton to join the wedding party, masquerading as her "old friend who was like a brother," to keep an eye on the groom's safety. (By the way, Caleb, you had one job….) There were also some continuity issues, a problematic timeline, and instances of sentences repeated in their entirety in the same or subsequent paragraphs, but all fixable things. This book appears to be the author's debut novel, and with its intriguing premise and underlying structural foundation, it has all the makings of an outstanding cozy mystery series. 

I recommend I THEE DEAD to cozy mystery fans, especially those with a soft spot for weddings and romance. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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Microphones and Murder

Podcasting Sisters Mystery, #1

by

Erin Huss

 

A new true crime podcast team investigates a missing person cold case.

 

Liv Olsen was working on the number one true-crime podcast program in the nation, Cold in America, when she learned about the 10-year-old missing person's case of Amelia "Millie" Clark. Based on this case, she pitched the idea of a new podcast, Missing or Murdered, to her Cold in America boss, who not only turned her down flat but added insult to injury by scoffing at the idea of Liv as the host. With hurt feelings and injured pride, Liv quits her job and goes all-in to bring her dream to fruition, taking her younger stepsister, Camry Lewis, along as her assistant. 

Camry has relatives in Santa Maria, where Millie had lived, so the girls set up a home base for their investigation and interviews for the show at Camry's Great-Aunt Hazel's home, which eases the strain on Liv's minuscule operating budget. Hazel is delighted to host the sisters, as her life has become somewhat quiet since her husband passed away. As she learns more about the girls' project, Hazel enlists the aid of her grandson, Oliver, who is a successful YouTuber with over 5 million subscribers to his channel. 

Together, the four start looking into Amelia's disappearance, with their first step being to interview the original detective on the case. Now retired, he is anxious to see that his only open case is resolved. When one clue after another results in dead ends and Amelia's father changes his mind about the podcast reinvigorating interest in his daughter's disappearance, Liv worries that the podcast she has staked everything on is going down in flames. 

Microphones and Murder is the first book in author Erin Huss's fun Podcasting Sisters Mystery series, and I was immediately drawn to the likable young narrator who decides to follow her dream of hosting her own show. The premise of the true-crime podcast is timely and exciting, and her characters are engaging. The story is told from Liv's perspective, and her narrative is witty, fun, and entertaining. I liked that Liv's character, although competent and confident, also has a very real vulnerability as she second-guesses her decision to go out on her own and follow her dream. Stepsister Camry is young, flirty, and sassy but has her vulnerabilities as well. I felt the mystery was sound, and Liv's investigation made sense. I'll definitely be reading more of this author's work. 

With its topical premise, non-stop plot, and engaging characters, I recommend MICROPHONES AND MURDER to cozy mystery readers who like young, savvy female protagonists. 

 

See this and other reviews at Boys' Mom Reads!

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A Tainted Heart Bleeds

House of Croft, #2

by

Sophie Barnes

 

Another killer is on the loose in London!

 

A Tainted Heart Bleeds is the second book in author Sophie Barnes's dark and moody House of Croft historical mystery series, and as before, another killer is loose among the ton of London. Only four months after Lady Evelyn Croft's murderer was dealt with, another young debutante is murdered in her own home. The girl's distraught father is bent on revenge and implores Adrian Croft to find the person responsible for her death. Great characters, an exciting, complex plot, and an atmospheric London setting combine to make this book one you'll not want to put down until you know all the answers! 

Samantha and Adrian Croft are newlyweds, but their pre-wedding passion abruptly disappeared before they consummated their marriage. Samantha is guilt-ridden over keeping secrets from her new husband and fears his change in demeanor means he's found out all about her mission to gather intelligence that would lead to his arrest and execution. Adrian, determined to break free from his criminal past, had counted on Samantha to help him leave that part of his life behind until he discovered her deceptions. Their growing distance was swift, and their despair palpable. It was suspenseful waiting to see if this couple, who had so much chemistry together in the previous book, would be able to find a way back to each other. 

The year is 1815, and the plot is gritty, involving the gruesome murder of a young, engaged debutante. A side storyline features Izak, the ten-year-old street urchin who previously served as a courier between Samantha and Chief Constable Peter Kendrick, and is dark and terrifyingly realistic. As the Crofts team up to rescue Izak and the other children with him, they also chase down any source of information about Lady Eleanor Marsh to identify a motive for her murder and suspects. I was glad to see Samantha finally realize that she was just a means to an end for both Harlowe and Kendrick, so maybe her heart could start to mend over their emotional betrayal. With each discovery they make, another plot twist increases the intrigue and suspense. 

With its engaging characters, compelling plot, and atmospheric setting, I recommend A TAINTED HEART BLEEDS to historical mystery fans. While this book can be read as a standalone novel, it would be best enjoyed after having read the first book in the series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

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Final Cut

Hollywood Mystery, #1

by

Marjorie McCown

 

Murder on location at an already troubled movie production.

 

Final Cut is the first book in author Marjorie McCown’s fascinating new Hollywood Mystery series, and it features Hollywood costumer Joey Jessop as the unlikely and reluctant amateur sleuth. Joey’s latest job is as the key costumer for a new superhero epic, a film she had doubts about accepting because her ex is the assistant director, and the director, while a hugely successful moneymaker, has a problematic reputation for creating a toxic working environment. From the first day of photography, Joey’s doubts appear to have been well founded, but things go from bad to worse when she discovers the body of the second assistant director, her ex’s new love interest, in the surf on the beach near the shoot. Suddenly, Joey, who lives her life pretty lowkey, is in the media’s spotlight and is attracting a lot of attention from the police. 

I loved Joey: her personality, her expertise, and her ability to navigate so well in such a highly charged work setting and demanding career. Her running explanations of what goes on behind the scenes to costume a film were fascinating, and her care and concern for her coworkers, staff, and actors made me like her even more. Due to the early trajectory of the police investigation, she is almost obligated to get involved in investigating Courtney’s murder and determine the truth behind what’s going on with the film. She did a good job gathering information and putting things together. 

She’s joined in the story by a cool variety of secondary characters, some involved in the film or the film industry, but a few are not. There were some strong personalities at work throughout the story, and several quirky individuals, as well as real celebrities, made an appearance or were mentioned, keeping the story interesting and current. The Malibu/Hollywood/LA setting is familiar, but the author’s descriptions were vivid and fresh, and I almost felt like I was seeing these places in person for the very first time. 

The plot moves quickly, first with prep for the film and then picked up even more as tragedy strikes the set and the murder happens. I was so absorbed in the story I was surprised at how much time had flown by as I’d read. This cozy mystery is perfect for a relaxed, kicked-back with a book evening. 

I recommend FINAL CUT to cozy mystery readers, especially those interested in behind-the-scenes Hollywood stories and filmmaking.

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For You I’d Break

Peace Falls, #1

by

Hannah Jordan

 

This exceptional second-chance romance kicks off a new series!

 

For You I’d Break is the exceptional first novel in author Hannah Jordan’s wonderful new Peace Falls romance series, and I’ve never encountered a better treatment of the second-chance romance plot. Great characters, a charming small-town setting, and complex, realistic emotions and problems all combine for a fantastic series debut. 

The female main character, Rowan Stevens Norris, has returned home after discovering her husband cheating and to recover from injuries sustained during a freak accident with a person riding a Segway. Cal Cordoba is the leading man whose past has caused him to reject emotional commitment in relationships. He’s returned to his hometown of Peace Falls to join an established medical practice as a physical therapist. Although the two went to the same high school, they did not run in the same social circles; Cal was the football star, and Rowan was the invisible introvert. They reconnect when Rowan’s mother schedules her for PT with the now-Dr. Cordoba and the sparks fly. 

Both Rowan and Cal are surrounded by good friends or family, most of whom also have their own emotional burdens. Cal and his friends, Adrian and Theo, share a past tragedy that they are all still paying for physically and emotionally, and their daily struggles are realistic. Lauren, Cammie, and even Avery have their own heartbreaks to overcome. 

There is conflict between Rowan and Cal from the start but there is a ton of chemistry as well. While I enjoyed the push-pull of their relationship, I couldn’t put the book down until I got to the HEA. The dialogue throughout the story absolutely sparkles and is a major highlight of the book. I laughed out loud quite a few times because the banter was so witty. The author does a wonderful job creating the town of Peace Falls and populating it with memorable people without killing the plot with details and exposition. I am already looking forward to catching up with these characters as the series continues. 

I recommend FOR YOU I’D BREAK to romance readers, especially those with an affinity for tales of second-chance romance.

 

Check out this and my other book reviews HERE and register for the giveaway before it ends. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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A Small Town Christmas

by

Florence Witkop

A lovely Christmas novella with a slow-build romance, a starting-over plot, and a little touch of danger.

When Leah is unexpectedly laid off from her accounting job, her only choice is to take up residence in the old Victorian mansion her great-grandmother left her in her will. Her plan is to renovate and sell it and fund the next chapter in her life. However, the dilapidated condition of the old house immediately sidetracks those plans; Leah doesn’t have the kind of money needed to even get it ready to give away let alone make a substantial profit. Thankfully, there’s a steady income from the renter of the carriage house on the old property, and the hunky Knox just happens to specialize in renovating the type of Victorian homes that this Christmas town is famous for. Still, Leah is going to have to find a job to supplement her income to get the old house back in shape and on the market so she can get on with her life.

A SMALL TOWN CHRISTMAS by Florence Witkop is quite a lovely holiday-themed novella with a slow-build romance, starting over plot, and a little touch of danger. The author’s storytelling put me right with the characters as they work together to remodel a dilapidated old Victorian home left to the heroine by her great-grandmother and keep their day jobs going.

When the owner of the Christmas shop where Leah is employed suffers a medical emergency, she and Knox step up to keep his beloved business going despite her apprehensions and relative inexperience in retail and the spate of business burglaries that are starting to plague the Christmas town. There is such a warm hometown feel to this story: a closeness among the neighbors and shop owners that it feels like the possible start of a series. (I’d vote yes!)

I recommend A SMALL TOWN CHRISTMAS to readers of romance, especially those who enjoy a holiday-themed story.

Available on Amazon.

 

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Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe by Ernesto Joel Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratus; Illustrated by Dana Sanmar 

A delightful introduction to the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Juan Diego, and her annual veneration. 

Las Mañanitas is a wonderful children’s picture book that explains the story of the appearances of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the religious observations (and the title of the book) that occur in December. It introduces and gives the background circumstances of Juan Diego, the first Catholic saint born in the New World. 

The story is told from the viewpoint of a regular family with children participating in the events for the first time, and it is delightful, straightforward, and colorfully illustrated. Grandpa recounts the inspirational and historical tale while Grandma prepares the traditional costumes her young grandchildren will wear during the celebration. Best of all, the book provides the entire story in realistic but simple dialogue in both Spanish and English, side by side or one above the other on the page. Language students could use the book for a simple and interesting reading comprehension exercise and a glimpse into this cultural aspect of Catholicism in Mexico and other Latin American countries or communities. 

I recommend LAS MAÑANITAS: THE BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION OF OUR LADY OF GUADELUPE to young children and their families, especially those interested in Our Lady and the Saints. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy via Netgalley.