A Wytch's Book Review Blog

Plain as Day: An Amish Mystery Short Story (An Amish Mystery #5.5) by Laura Bradford

When a mysterious rattling sound confounds the guests at Heavenly’s local inn, Detective Jakob Fisher steps in and cleverly deduces the noise’s source. But the necklace he discovers sparks an even larger mystery when Claire realizes it’s connected to the writing of a popular author who’s vanished and left her fans clamoring for a new book.

Determined to track down the necklace’s owner, Claire vows to follow the clues wherever they lead—even if it means finding someone who might not want to be found . . .

These short stories are a wonderful counterpart to the full length books, they allow a bit of background to be filled in (and they are perfect for reading whilst waiting for an appointment!), in this one Detective Jakob solves the problem of a dresser drawer rattling whenever it is moved, but solving one mini mystery leads to another which Claire is determined to solve, well worth a read for fans of this series.

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Spells & Caramels #9) by Erin Johnson

A bakehouse in the making. A dangerous ghost in the tower. Will their welcome to the neighborhood be short-lived?

Imogen wants nothing more than to complete her sweet dream. With her adoring fiancé Hank at her side, the witch and her friends dive into renovations for their new home and soon-to-be bakery. But all their efforts seem futile when they wake to find the house eerily ripped apart all over again…

As Imogen examines her humble abode's shady history, she discovers evidence for a malevolent spirit living inside. But with less-than-welcoming neighbors keeping a close, suspicious watch, she wonders if it’s not the dead but the living who pose the biggest threat…

Will Imogen root out the culprit, or will her culinary future collapse under the weight of an unsolved murder?

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs is the ninth book in the charming Spells & Caramels paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like lovable characters, chilling twists, and enchanting adventures, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s marvelous tale.

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 18 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

February 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

February 19 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

February 19 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

February 20 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

February 20 – This Is My Truth Now – REVIEW

February 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 21 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

February 22 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

February 22 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

February 23 – CelticLady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

February 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – SPOTLIGHT

February 24 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

February 25 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

February 25 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

February 26 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – SPOTLIGHT

February 27 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 27 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

February 28 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW

Murder by the Book (Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #1) by Lauren Elliott

Addie Greyborne loved working with rare books at the Boston Public Library—she even got to play detective, tracking down clues about mysterious old volumes. But she didn't expect her sleuthing skills to come in so handy in a little seaside town . . .

Addie left some painful memories behind in the big city, including the unsolved murder of her fiancé and her father's fatal car accident. After an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt, she's moved to a small New England town founded by her ancestors back in colonial times—and living in spacious Greyborne Manor, on a hilltop overlooking the harbor. Best of all, her aunt also left her countless first editions and other treasures—providing an inventory to start her own store.

But there's trouble from day one, and not just from the grumpy woman who runs the bakery next door. A car nearly runs Addie down. Someone steals a copy of Alice in Wonderland. Then, Addie's friend Serena, who owns a nearby tea shop, is arrested—for killing another local merchant. The police seem pretty sure they've got the story in hand, but Addie's not going to let them close the book on this case without a fight . .

A great start to a new (to me!) series, with a bookseller determined to right wrongs.

Addie has had upset after upset, her mother died when she was young, her fiance has been murdered and her father was killed in a car accident.  Addie then also loses her great aunt, who leaves Addie her estate, which allows Addie to stop working in Boston and allows her to open a book shop, with both new and pre-loved books being offered (and as she used to work with rare books she is also able to offer her skills with selling those to collectors on behalf of the owners).  Unfortunately on one side of her new shop is a disagreeable woman who seems determined to drive Addie away (on the other is a cafe and she soon becomes firm friends with her), then things start getting very strange as a car nearly runs her down, her house is ransacked more than once! Then the cafe owner, Serena, is arrested by her own brother for murder! Now Addie has to put the sleuthing skills she used researching rare books to find out the truth and get Serena out of pokey!

Diet Club Death (Missy DeMeanor #3) by Brianna Bates

Dieting can be deadly!

The curvy, voluptuous, big and beautiful Missy DeMeanor, scrapbooking savant, flea market flipper, and amateur sleuth has long struggled with her weight. Fed up with never getting any lasting results, Missy joins a mysterious, invite-only, hush-hush weight management group.

The first rule of Diet Club?

Nobody talks about Diet Club.

When Missy shows up to her first meeting, she has to laugh. The secretive group is anything but mysterious and lacks any semblance of order. Missy knows half the women (women only!) there, and the members all do their own thing and share results. Seems like a safe, welcoming environment, right?

Tell that to Karen Wise, one of Missy’s oldest friends from grade school, who turns up dead in the guest bathroom.

The police discover Karen was on a bizarre diet and are quick to determine the death was a result of natural causes. But Missy’s not so sure. She and Karen have been friends forever and she knows in her heart of hearts Karen would never have gone on such an extreme diet.
Determined to uncover the truth, Missy sets out to prove it was murder and bring the killer to justice. But the deeper she digs, the more secrets she discovers about her friend, Karen, the woman she thought she knew.

Missy is still struggling with her weight, when an old friend (who has the same problem) says she is a member of a ladies only, secretive diet club Missy is prepared to give it a go, mind you she isn't prepared for the oddness of the meeting and none of the ladies there are prepared for a sudden death! Karen hadn't been well before the meeting started and she went to the bathroom, only she never came back as she has keeled over dead.

The local police force (not her ex on this occasion!) have deemed it a death by natural causes, Missy is fairly certain it is a death by Unnatural Causes - namely murder, with the police having closed the case Missy starts digging deep to find out the truth, and ends up finding out more than she planned.

Book Club Bloodshed (Missy DeMeanor #2) by Brianna Bates

Who knew Book Clubs could be so dangerous?

Not Missy DeMeanor. At last week’s meeting, her best friend Noreen nearly came to blows with Anne Baxter over the merits of the book they were reading. After that unprecedented outburst, Missy never in a million years thought Anne Baxter would turn up dead in the middle of the next meeting.

Everyone immediately suspects Missy’s best friend, Noreen. Even her high school sweetheart and the current chief detective, Tyler Brock, thinks Noreen is guilty, leaving Missy no choice but to once again assume the mantel of private (but unpaid) investigator, only this time to prove her best friend’s innocence.

With the odds against her, Missy embarks on an investigation that dredges up long-standing grudges and some of the town’s deepest, darkest secrets. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, can Missy exonerate her friend…and keep off the ten pounds she just lost?

Books and bloodshed - Oh My! One of the book club members (Anne Baxter) seems to find fault with any book they read that isn't her choice, Missy's friend, Noreen, isn't happy and the two of them nearly end up physically fighting, the members decide to take a break and cool down, but when the re-convene 10 minutes later Anne isn't there, and then they find her dead, very dead, outside.  Now Noreen has been arrested, no bail is allowed and she is going to trial in a week! Missy knows her friend can be hot headed but she also knows she isn't a killer, with Tyler (Missy's high school sweetheart) being told to wrap the case up quickly Missy sets about finding the true killer so Noreen can be released as soon as possible.

Flea Market Fatal (Missy DeMeanor #1) by Brianna Bates

Missy DeMeanor just found the perfect cabinet to repurpose for next week’s Tri-County Flea Market. Too bad she also just found the owner of said cabinet dead in his house.

She hasn’t seen her high school sweetheart, Tyler Brock, in years, and under normal circumstances she’d be excited to reconnect with him. But these aren’t normal circumstances because Missy is the prime suspect in the town’s first murder in years.

Now with the help of her best friend, Noreen, and her mother (assuming Mom will actually share everything with her), Missy must prove her innocence and find the killer. But as she delves deeper into the investigation she uncovers some shocking secrets about the town, and her own family.

Can this big, beautiful woman find the killer in time…and still be ready for the Flea Market?

What a fun start to what looks to be a great series, these are novellas rather than full length but no worse for that, they are still page turners!

Melissa DeMeanor (aka Missy) works at a second hand book shop (Books and Crannies) and whilst it is a great job it isn't the best paid in the world and so she also does up furniture for selling at a local flea market.  She has managed to negotiate a decent deal on a cabinet but when she goes to pick it up and pay for it she discovers the owner dead! Now with her high school sweetheart in charge of (what turns out to be) the murder, her own mother getting arrested and herself being the prime suspect she needs to figure out who wanted the man dead and why (oh and try and lose some weight at the same time!) unless she wants to be sewing mail bags whilst wearing an orange jumpsuit.

Herbs and Homicide (The Faerie Apothecary Cozy Mysteries #1) by Astoria Wright

Settle into the cozy countryside of Moss Hill, where house-elves rent rooms, sprites live in gardens, a leprechaun is the best tailor in town, and a half-elf/half human named Carissa Shea owns a pharmacy known as The Seelie Tree Apothecary shop. Life couldn't be more idyllic for Cari, but healing humans and fae folk proves challenging at times, especially when secrets unfold in The Faerie Apothecary Mysteries.

About Book 1: Herbs and Homicide
In the small town of Moss Hill, customers of all kinds visit Carissa Shea's Seelie Tree Apothecary Shop. That includes tall and short, young and old, human and faerie. Being half-elf/half-human herself, Carissa personally knows and cares for them all. So, when a grumpy brownie, a type of house faerie, named Miss Morgan dies in her shop, Carissa is devastated. As she learns more about her customer's death, she realizes Miss Morgan might have been the only thing standing between the Seelie, faeries of light and goodness, and the Unseelie, faeries of darkness and evil. On top of it all, the Sidhe guard, protector of all fae residents, rule it a murder and name Carissa as a suspect! Now she must prove her innocence and find the real culprit before it's too late - not just for her but for all of Moss Hill.

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

Carissa Shae.

What is your Profession?

I am an apothecary who specializes in herbal remedies. I own the Seelie Tree Apothecary on Gorse Street, next to Gooseberry Café. That’s in Moss Hill – a little island off of the UK that may not be on your maps. I run the shop with my assistant, Maren, who is a lifesaver since we’re the only pharmacy in Moss Hill that specializes in herbal medicine. We also serve people from the village of Vale, who are a little…different and need remedies with more of a magical touch, so to speak.

What is your current favourite book or movie?

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and her second book Spark Joy are both favorites of mine. They made the series a tv show too! Keeping a tidy space keeps me calm in the chaos of my life lately.

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

There’s a television show called The Good Witch that I find uplifting. The characters and town are charming and each episode ends on a positive note. It’s heartwarming.

What would be the character you would want to be in a book?

I’ve always admired Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. It would be amazing to have grown up with a school like that and to have all that magical knowledge.  

What is your ideal evening?

I like to keep things simple. The best thing in the world is eating out at the local pub with one or two friends and watching the sun go down by the pier. Moss Hill has incredible views of the ocean! It’s the most beautiful island in the world, in my opinion.

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 14 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW*

February 14 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

February 15 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW*

February 15 – Ascroft, eh?  – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 16 – Mythical Books – GUEST POST

February 16 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

February 17 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

February 18 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW*

February 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW*

February 19 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 20 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 20 – Lori’s Reading Corner – GUEST POST

February 21 – I’m All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST  

February 21 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW

February 22 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 23 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 24 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

February 25 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

February 26 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 26 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

February 27 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

February 27 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A Reel Catch (Lotus Bay Mysteries #2) by Lorraine Bartlett

Though it's not yet summer, things are heating up on Lotus Bay.

Swans Nest Inn is about to open, and Kathy Grant solicits her BFF, Tori Cannon, to help spruce up her property at the marshy end of Lotus Bay, only they didn’t count on finding a body. Who was he? What’s his connection to their friend Paul Darcy? Meanwhile, two entrepreneurs with vast business ties are interested in helping Tori reopen the Lotus Lodge, and their real motives are as murky as the bay after a storm. Will Swans Nest open on time? Will the Lotus Lodge reopen at all?

Lorraine Bartlett has crafted a fantastic tale of female friendship, entrepreneurship and tales from the past - I wasn't sure if With Baited Breath could be topped but this proved me wrong!

Kathy is nearly ready to open the Swan's Nest B&B, the run down house has been brought up to scratch thanks to hard work from Kathy herself, her best friend (and the friend that she is currently living rent free with whilst everything gets ready) Tori and their other great friend (and general female contractor extraordinaire) Annissa (oh and not forgetting Noreen who keeps them fed and watered .... err supplied with drinks at the local bar next to The Swan's Nest), whilst Annissa is finishing some bits inside Kathy and Tori decide to tackle some of the overgrown foliage, and in doing so find a dead body in the water! Now with trying to figure out what happened to the dead man (and why Noreen's husband Paul isn't happy), Tori being threatened by a developer (oh and one of her cousins has crawled out of the woodwork now there is money in the family), oh and Kathy's pre-dry run of the B&B going horribly wrong, the three friends really need to hold together to keep themselves safe and sane.

On the Chopping Block (A Callie's Kitchen Mystery #1) by Jenny Kales

Building a small business has been murder, but Callie Costas didn’t expect to be confronted with an actual body. The 36-year-old Greek-American proprietor of “Callie's Kitchen,” a meals-from-scratch business in an idyllic small town, has been busy creating a post-divorce life for herself, her young daughter and her Yorkie, Koukla. After a lot of hard work (including staving off her father’s continual advice), she’s got the locals and tourists clamoring for her delicious Mediterranean dishes and Midwest comfort food classics. Recently, she’s started a budding romance with a fellow foodie, the wealthy owner and chef of Crystal Bay’s most popular bistro.

However, success is as fleeting as one of Wisconsin’s glorious autumn days. As local businesses begin to shut down due to a slow economy, Callie is struggling not to become another statistic. A contest with a hefty cash prize seems like the perfect chance to fix her financial woes, until a shocking murder threatens not only her livelihood – but her life.

When she’s targeted as a prime suspect by an attractive expat British detective, Callie’s situation becomes more delicate than her Greek egg-lemon soup. She’s got to find the killer and fast if she wants to protect her daughter, save her business and stay alive.

Greek food and murder, one heck of a combination!

Calliope "Callie" Costas has started dating again after her divorce (but hasn't told her young daughter or her father, her father is rather overly protective being a) Greek and b) having brought Callie up pretty much single handed after the death of her mother), it should all be going swimmingly, but ends up in stormy weather when Callie discovers her romantic interest well and truly dead!

Now with the police (in particular a rather attractive Detective Sands) looking at her as the main person of interest, Callie needs to cook something up quickly if she in't going to be cooking in a prison kitchen!

Past Due for Murder (Blue Ridge Library Mysteries #3) by Victoria Gilbert

Has a curse fallen on the small town of Taylorsford, Virginia? After a young woman goes missing during a spring bonfire, library director Amy Webber must wade through the web of lies only to find a truth that she may not want to untangle.

Spring has sprung in quaint Taylorsford, Virginia, and the mayor has revived the town’s long-defunct May Day celebration to boost tourism. As part of the festivities, library director Amy Webber is helping to organize a research project and presentation by a local folklore expert. All seems well at first―but spring takes on a sudden chill when a university student inexplicably vanishes during a bonfire.

The local police cast a wide net to find the missing woman, but in a shocking turn of events, Amy’s swoon-worthy neighbor Richard Muir becomes a person of interest in the case. Not only is Richard the woman’s dance instructor, he also doesn’t have an alibi for the night the student vanished―or at least not one he’ll divulge, even to Amy.

When the missing student is finally discovered lost in the mountains, with no memory of recent events―and a dead body lying nearby―an already disturbing mystery takes on a sinister new hue. Blessed with her innate curiosity and a librarian’s gift for research, Amy may be the only one who can learn the truth.

This is a snuggle down and keep turning the pages book, we have local folklore and murder intertwined and only Amy's training will find the truth.

In the run up to a May Day festival the local girl scout group is having a bonfire with a local folklore expert (Ramona Raymond know as Mona) telling tales (and then s'mores etc), four students are supposed to be helping out but only three have turned up, when the fourth one turns up a few days later incoherent and near the dead body Mona the town is on high alert again.  Amy does what she does best which is research (which also takes her mind off the fact that Richard is being very distant), now she needs to sift the facts from the fiction and help the local police find out the truth (even if the truth hurts).

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

Kurt Edward Kendrick (Full disclosure: This is a name I adopted later in life. My birth name was Karl Lee Kloss.  I changed it when I altered the trajectory of my life from runaway and small-time drug dealer to art dealer and entrepreneur).

What is your Profession?

I am an art dealer who buys and sells primarily high-end paintings and sculptures, although I sometimes also handle antiques. I own an art gallery in Georgetown, D.C., as well as a gallery space at the top of a skyscraper in New York City, and a historic home outside of Taylorsford, Virginia.

What is your current favourite book or movie?

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson.

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

I’m not much for comfort—I prefer my arts challenging. But in terms of mainstream films, I will admit a fondness for Christopher Nolan’s Inception.

If someone was to play you in a movie who would it be? OR what would be the character you would want to be in a book?

I think Ted Danson would be perfect playing me. He’s about my age, tall, and—excuse me while drop any pretense of false humility—possesses the appropriate charm and good looks.

What is your ideal evening?

Sitting in my beautiful living room, surrounded by fine pieces of art, drinking an excellent brandy, and talking art and philosophy with good friends.

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 11 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

February 11 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST

February 11 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

February 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

February 12 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW

February 12 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

February 13 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

February 13 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

February 13 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 14 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

February 14 – Rae’s Books and Recipes – SPOTLIGHT

February 14 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT

February 15 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

February 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

February 15 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

February 16 – Laura`s Interests - REVIEW

February 16 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 16 – That's What She's Reading – REVIEW

February 17 – StoreyBook Reviews - SPOTLIGHT

February 17 – Curling Up by the Fire – REVIEW

February 18 – The Bookwyrm's Hoard – REVIEW, GUEST POST

February 18 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 19 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 19 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 20 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 20 – Here's How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

February 21 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

February 21 – The Book Diva's Reads - CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 22 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW

February 22 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT