Truffle Trouble by Amanda Flower - 5 Stars!

Summer is upon the village of Harvest, Ohio, and folks are abuzz over Bailey King’s upcoming June wedding. The Amish Candy shop owner is marrying Holmes County Sheriff Aiden Brody. At the reception, a wedding guest dies after sampling the hors d'oeuvres. Café owner and new caterer Darcy Woodin is pegged as the number one suspect. And the victim is one of Darcy's ex-boyfriends. Bailey is certain the young woman is innocent. Can she help solve it in time for her honeymoon?

I love this series and this installment is a great addition to it. I love how Bailey works with her husband to solve the mystery. There were so many diabolical characters and red herrings to make guessing the culprit a wonderful challenge, and I was surprised by the big reveal in the end. I hope there will be many more Amish Candy Shop Mysteries in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my honest opinion.

 

Spellbound By Murder by Stacie Ramey - 2 Stars!

When her grandmother suffers a fall and asks for help managing the family bookstore, single mother Veronica Blackthorne moves her sixteen-year-old daughter to Mystic Hollow, Connecticut. Hoping to save Mystic Hollow Books from a big box rival, Veronica enlists popular author Adam Whitford as the keynote speaker to kick off a literary festival. But when Adam turns up dead, Veronica becomes the prime suspect in his murder. As the local sheriff investigates, Veronica takes matters into her own hands to solve the case and clear her name. Then her gran reveals a secret: the bookstore is magical. Can Veronica use the store's magic to get her out of this predicament?

When I read the blurb, I got excited. I wanted to see how they would use the elements of magic in the investigation and solving of a cozy mystery. But what I found didn't agree with my tastes. There wasn't a lot of action in the plot and there seemed to be more of a mystery in the magic than the actual death of the victim. I loved the characters and the way they related to each other. The bookstore setting was intriguing. It's one of my favorite settings for a cozy mystery. I just felt that the magic took away from the realistic nature of finding the culprit. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my honest opinion.

 

High Tea and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs - 5 stars!

Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are tapped to cater the wedding of Bettina and Jamie. Theodosia and Drayton are setting up when they hear a crash from the greenhouse. They discover that part of the roof has collapsed trapping the maid of honor and groom. He will pull through, but she didn't make it. Can Theo find the truth behind this tragedy?

This was a beautifully written cozy mystery. Theo and Drayton are great amateur sleuths that will do anything to protect their friends. One of the things I like most about this story is the descriptions of the various tea parties at the Indigo Tea Shop. I would love to go to Charleston and visit a tea shop. The plot was very clever, and I couldn't figure out whodunit until the big reveal in the end. I will definitely read more of this series.

 

Enola Holmes and The Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer - 4 Stars!

In February 1891, Enola Holmes is attending a burial when she hears the sound of a handbell in the graveyard. When she investigates, she discovers that the ringing bell is attached to a tombstone erected over a gravesite and someone is pulling the string to ring the alarm. Enola and her companions unearth the coffin within, and free a young woman named Trevina Trairom. Enola finds herself comforting and protecting this young girl. The girl remembers very little, and has no idea who has buried her alive, or why. Can Enola find the truth about Trevina's past?

This was a great historical cozy mystery filled with scenes that made London in 1891 come alive in my mind. Enola Holmes is a wonderful amateur sleuth similar to her brother, Sherlock. The side characters were dastardly drawn and helped in creating suspense. The plot of this story was very engaging and kept me turning the pages wanting to know what would happen next. I will definitely read more of this series. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my honest opinion.

 

Tell-Tale Treats by Jennifer J. Chow - 4 Stars!

A group of high school alumnae reunite and reserve rooms at the Pixie Inn for an extended retreat. As part of their pampering package, Felicity Jin delivers a scrumptious assortment of enchanted pastries, including her new almond cookies. But the queen bee of the group is soon found dead in her bathroom after sampling the baked goods. Could Felicity’s almond cookies have set off a fatal nut allergy?

I usually don't go for paranormal mysteries, but this one is a sweet one. Not only because of all the juicy desserts described in the story, but because of the characters and their relationship to each other. It's just so sweet how the amateur sleuth relates to the detective in this story. The animal sidekicks in this story also made me giggle because they were integral in the mystery, yet at first glance, seemed innocuous. If you want a cozy mystery with a little bit of magic, look no further than this series. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my honest opinion.

 

Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle - 5 Stars!

Brooklyn Wainwright is skilled in book restoration. She learned the skill from her friend and mentor, Abraham Karastovsky. On the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration, Brooklyn finds her mentor dying. With his final breath Abraham leaves Brooklyn with a cryptic message and gives her a priceless copy of Goethe’s Faust for safe keeping. Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder, thanks to Derek Stone, the annoyingly attractive British security officer who found her kneeling over the body. Now she has to follow the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice.

I read this book years ago and always found it as one of my favorite reads. Brooklyn is a great amateur sleuth who finds herself in situations where dead bodies appear. She's an intelligent and observant person who comes from a quirky family and has great friends with mysterious connections. Derek Stone is an interesting character and love interest who helps Brooklyn with her investigations. I was surprised to see some curse words used in this story. Luckily, there wasn't many of them and it didn't Distract me from this fabulous story. I will definitely read more from this series again and again.

 

Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off by Amanda Flower - 4 Stars!

After years on her own, Millie is married again. Her best friend, Lois, is not happy that Millie didn’t have a big wedding where she could be maid of honor. So, they're taking a girls’ trip to the Amish community in sunny Pinecraft, Florida. On the tour bus, Millie and Lois strike up a friendship with a young woman. She reminds Millie of her niece, and Millie takes her under her wing. But on their first day in Florida, Millie and Lois find their new friend dead on the beach. Who would want to hurt the young woman? Clearly, vacation time is over for Millie and Lois, and it’s time to dive beneath the surface to hook a killer!

This was an amusing cozy mystery. Millie and Lois are great amateur sleuths that are exact opposites from each other. Lois made me laugh on more than one occasion with her antics. I loved how their differences didn't matter, and I felt their connection coming through the pages. They seem to be more like sisters than best friends. The plot was confounding enough that I kept on trying to figure out who did it and I was surprised in the end. The murderer was somebody I definitely didn't expect. I will definitely read more from this series. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my honest opinion.