Murder at Meadows Lake Clubhouse

Soup the Supernatural Kitten Mysteries, #1

by

Debbie De Louise

A fun start to this new cozy mystery series with an unusual premise and engaging main characters.

Murder at Meadows Lake Clubhouse is the first book in the new paranormal cozy Soup the Supernatural Kitten Mysteries by veteran (and one of my all-time favorites) author Debbie De Louise. The plot features a recent widow who relocates to an over-55 community in South Carolina and the unusually gifted kitten she discovers in her brand-new home. Convinced to sell the home she shared for more than 30 years with her husband Harvey, Rose Fairchild decides to make a fresh start in a new setting and moves to Meadows Lake, South Carolina. But on her first full day in her new home, she is greeted by the news that there has been a murder in the community’s clubhouse: the victim being the head cook at the restaurant there. She is equally surprised when her new acquaintance, the local sheriff, asks her to accompany him on his rounds to question potential suspects. However, neither of those surprises tops the moment when she discovers her new kitten, Soup, has supernatural abilities and is able to talk! 

Rose Fairchild is a sweet woman in her sixties, and while still deeply grieving her recently departed spouse, she is otherwise quite unflappable in the face of numerous shocking revelations. She is a kind and thoughtful person and quickly attracts the attention of two of Meadows Lake’s most eligible bachelors, real estate agent Grant Davis and Sheriff Blake Conor. Both are gentlemanly but have pleasant plans to spend time getting to know Rose. It’s going to be a tough choice for her in the future. 

I liked the paranormal aspects of the story, as well as Soup’s fun personality, focus on meals, her ability to talk to Rose as well as animals, and her telepathic ability. Not only do they find comfort with one another, but they also make a pretty good team when it comes to getting answers. 

The plot hits the ground running, with the murder occurring early in the story. Because the victim was universally disliked, there are several good suspects to cross off the investigative list. I enjoyed the story but thought the premise of the sheriff inviting Rose and Grant into the crime scene to view the body of the victim and for her to join the investigation shockingly implausible. But with one of the main characters being a resurrected, talking cat, how can one even start to draw a line for what’s plausible or not? Readers should be prepared to suspend their belief in reality, trust the process, and have fun. 

I recommend MURDER AT MEADOWS LAKE CLUBHOUSE to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy more mature main characters, amateur sleuths, and cat-centered stories.

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Beds, Breakfasts, and Beta Blockers

Three Dog Mysteries, #1

by

Jann Franklin

New, fun and quirky, dog-centric cozy mystery had me laughing almost the entire book!

Beds, Breakfasts, and Beta Blockers is the first book in author Jann Franklin’s new series, the Three Dog Mysteries, and it is a delightful visit to small-town Louisiana, where everyone knows your name and your business. After Ro Bergeron’s grandmother passes away, she decides to turn her family farm in tiny Belle Bayou, Louisiana, into a bed and breakfast targeting guests who travel with their dogs. However, the engaging heroine with her quirky family, while absolutely adorable, is woefully underprepared to embark on her new venture. 

Ro is such an innocent and optimistic young woman, and she is completely convinced that everything will be great as she opens her home for business, even though she doesn’t know how to turn on her new oven, let alone cook breakfast. She’s good-hearted, and thankfully, so is her close-knit family, with whom she depends to help smooth out her first attempt at successful innkeeping. Otherwise, she has a good head on her shoulders, which comes in handy when her first guests, a couple of true crime fans, prove to be more interested in the investigation into the recent murder of her former high school math teacher than anything else. 

Ro’s twin maiden aunts, Min and Win, are quirky whirlwinds throughout the story, and her cousin Marshall, surrounded by the women in his life, is an often put-upon but loving family man. To set the stage for her dog-friendly B&B, Ro adopts the three dogs of a local man, sadly relocating to a New Orleans senior facility at the behest of his son. Having never owned a pet in her life, Ro experiences a quick “Come to Jesus” when two of the dogs prove to be rambunctious, untrained labs, and the third is an aging senior dog. 

The plot is well-paced, with the author introducing readers to Ro, her family, friends, and other supporting characters and developing a pretty robust backstory for all. While the death of the victim occurs early in the story, Ro doesn’t become directly involved until her true-crime, social media-obsessed guests arrive and strong-arm her into a meet & greet with the investigator on the case, Ro’s secret high school crush. The clueless guests, the antics of the aunties, and Ro’s miscalculations and delightfully funny inner voice had me laughing throughout the entire book. 

I recommend BEDS, BREAKFASTS, AND BETA BLOCKERS to cozy mystery readers.

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Under the Gulf Coast Sun

by

Skip Rhudy

A quick trip back in time to the beginning of a new young love.

Under the Gulf Coast Sun is a lovely historical romance by author Skip Rhudy and features the young adult surfing culture of mid-1970s Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf coast and the beginning of one made-for-each-other couple’s relationship. Connor O’Reilly and Kassie Hernandez had met the previous summer when she and her family were vacationing in his hometown of Port Aransas. Hitting it off, they’d kept in touch when she and her family had returned home to Midland through heartfelt letters, sharing their hopes and dreams as they completed their senior year in high school. When summer returned, so did Kassie, an event that the shy, inexperienced surfer boy Connor had dreamed about all year. Now faced with the reality, he’s filled with self-doubt that this beautiful girl whom every guy in town wants would want him, believing instead that she is out of his league. 

What a good story! Connor is a genuinely nice guy and falls hard for Kassie. But with his recent history, the departure of his mother with a lover to pursue her own dreams, which didn’t include her only son, he’s got trust issues. Watching other guys hanging around and trying to catch Kassie’s eye is particularly difficult for him. 

Kassie, whip-smart and with a full-ride scholarship to UC San Diego in hand, is certain Connor is different from other guys, interested in her for their common interests and not just for her hot physical attributes. However, his differences could be a two-edged sword, and she worries that her interest in him could divert her from her plans for the future. Thankfully, they eventually talk about their concerns, but not before there is a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING that causes a course correction on their journey to a HEA. 

Told from multiple points of view, readers are privy to the inside skinny on the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and true motives. There’s a bit of repetitive “is she really into me” thinking on Connor’s part, but that seems to be a result of the emotional fallout from his mother’s actions. Kassie both abhorred and enjoyed the attention her physical appearance attracted, but she was only 18 years old when navigating through this. 

The plot includes a lot of interesting descriptions and discussions of surfing, surfing legends of the era, and Connor and Kevin’s work aboard the crew boat. Connor’s time in the Gulf is suspenseful, and I thought the author did a great job of not telegraphing how this scenario was actually going to work out. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The story has a lot of humorous moments as well, many centered around Kevin Stamford, but the party at the very beginning of the book had me laughing out loud. 

Set as it is in the mid-1970s, these characters would have been my contemporaries, so I could relate to a number of things mentioned. Women’s roles were still in transition, and Kassie’s father’s warnings about what she could expect as a woman in a university science program were accurate. Even the assumption that women would naturally consider higher education at that time would have been false. But other aspects of the “historical” (really?) setting were fun and nostalgic, such as the music, the lower drinking age, and no cell phones, to name a few. 

With its engaging characters, authentic descriptions, realistic dialogue, and suspenseful plot, I recommend UNDER THE GULF COAST SUN to readers of historical fiction and romance.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

Relentless

Kate Preacher Thriller, #1

by

Michael Maloof

A fantastic debut for this thrilling new series featuring former CIA analyst Kate Preacher!

Relentless is the first book in author Michael Maloof’s thrilling new series featuring former CIA analyst Kate Preacher, and what a debut it is! With its honorable and sympathetic protagonist and breathtaking plot, this book needs to be on the top of every thriller lover’s wish list! 

The main character is Kate Preacher, a former CIA analyst who left the business when a mission went horribly wrong. As a result of the mission, though, she met her husband and the love of her life, Jake Church, a retired SEAL and now owner of an elite executive protection firm. Kate now uses her vast technological skills to support litigation at a downtown Richmond, Virginia, law firm. At times, those skills satisfyingly end up helping the little guy but, for the most part, assist in protecting the assets or reputation of the firm’s wealthy, high-profile clients who have something to hide. Lately, she’s been second-guessing her career choice and what her future holds, but a deadly terrorist attack in Paris ultimately takes the decision out of her hands. Kate is a dynamic character, going from crippling grief to fully harnessing every skill and tactic in her repertoire to follow up on what Jake was secretly investigating and tracking down those responsible for the Parisian café bloodbath. She’s smart and determined and swallows her pride in calling on all her old connections for favors, even those she swore she’d never deal with again. I quite literally ached for what Kate had experienced in her past and for all she was going through in the present. 

The story opens tragically and violently, establishing an atmosphere of dark, brooding menace always lurking in the background. The resulting sorrow is interrupted by adrenaline-fueled action sequences that had me gasping, and scenes of military honors, traditions, and ceremonies had me trying to hold back tears. The plot thickens with unexpected twists and turns and high-tech shenanigans. Still, with both Kate’s and Jake’s backgrounds, an amazing array of creative and envy-inducing technological and tactical hardware is available to Kate for her to fight back. The story was mesmerizing, and I didn’t want to put the book down. My only regret is that there isn’t a prequel detailing the Syrian mission. 

I recommend RELENTLESS to readers who enjoy thrillers with international connections, technological creativity, and capable, strong female protagonists. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

CAIO

Limerent, #1

by

L.S. Delorme

Dark, shocking debut novel for The Limerent series!

Caio is the first book in author L.S. Delorme’s Limerent dark fantasy series and really sets the tone, pace, and a high bar for what’s to come in the following novels. With its engaging, sympathetic main character and compelling plot, I was completely drawn into the protagonist’s life and couldn’t look away if I wanted. 

Sarah Baker is the main character and is a paralegal by trade, though a fully qualified attorney before the story even starts. Hers is a tale of a depressing, downtrodden life, the result of the abuse of those who should have had her best interests at heart and known better. She is a doormat, and her gradual growth after Caio enters her life is ultimately a story of redemption and success. However, there are several tough topics encountered along the way that readers sensitive to these issues should be aware of. 

The author’s writing is compelling and so easy to read, and I was absorbed by this story and this very realistic heroine. The supernatural and magical elements were creative and elevated Sarah’s tale to one that was even more special and unpredictable. The scene descriptions were vivid, and I could practically see the action unfolding as I read. I am still somewhat surprised by how I sank into this story, and time passed by without me realizing how long I’d been reading before I needed to take a break. Of course, I must read the next in the series as soon as I can! 

I recommend CAIO to readers of dark fantasy, romantic paranormal, thrillers, and tales of the mysterious and unknown. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.