A Wytch's Book Review Blog

All That Shines (Glitter Bay Mysteries Book 2) by Diane Bator

When Sage Miller’s sister Laken decides to host a fashion show as a grand opening for the new location of Vintage Sage, she’s not amused. Even less so when she discovers her sister hired a Hollywood fashion designer to help. Not only does the designer show up in the middle of renovations, but he drags along his protégé.

Then she finds Sebastian Hayward III, dead in her store.

Suddenly it seems half of Los Angeles—all unwelcome guests from Laken’s past—appear in Vintage Sage seeking something Sebastian had in his possession. Sage has to deal with renovations, a fashion show, and a murder before she and Laken come unglued.

 

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

My full name is Sage Willow Miller.

What is your Profession?

I have owned and operated a boutique called Vintage Sage for the past 5 years. 

What is your current favourite book or movie?

I love old movies. Thanks to this latest adventure, I’m watching Mata Hari with Greta Garbo again. I haven’t had a lot of time to read lately thanks to renovating and moving my store, but I hope to sneak in a few lazy days! I’m not exactly a mystery buff. I prefer romance or biographies.

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

My sister Laken and I used to watch lots of old movies with our Grandma Sadie when we were kids. I adore the old black and white movies, but my guilty pleasure is any Hallmark movie. Please don’t tell Laken, she’ll tease me mercilessly!

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?

Millie Bobby Brown, Emma Watson, or Daisy Ridley. They’re all tough women with a soft side. I’m more like a soft woman with a tough side! Ha! Whoever it is, they’d have to become a redhead!

If I could be a character in a book it would be Willy Wonka. All that chocolate!!!

What is your ideal evening?

Lately, it’s been hanging out at home with my sister watching movies and eating popcorn (or ice cream if one of us has just broken up with someone!)

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS 

March 22 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 22 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

March 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 23 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

March 23 – Literary Gold – REVIEW

March 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 24 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT

March 25 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

March 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 25 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 26 – I Read What You Write  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 27 – Ms. Cat’s Honest World – REVIEW

March 27 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 28 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 28 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Farm to Trouble (Farm to Table Mysteries #1) by Amanda Flower

Shiloh Bellamy cashed in her big city job and 401K to return home to Michigan to save the family farm, but turning Bellamy Farms into a sustainable, organic operation is no small feat. Especially when her new investor is found dead at the farmers market not long after the contract is signed, a contract that the whole town knows her father was wholeheartedly against.

Now, Shiloh must clear her family's name and track down the real killer before her farm dreams wilt before her very eyes. But with her father trying to stop any progress on his land, her cousin belittling her every effort, and the whole town believing her family at fault, Shiloh has to carry the investigation on her shoulders or risk all her dreams drying up before they begin.

An interesting story, but a bit rambling in places (err much like some of the plants on the farm!), we have Shiloh arriving back in town and on her farm after 15 years in Hollywood (15 successful years it must be said), she had always planned to come back but when her father asks if she can she steps up the timetable, finds out her father owns massive amounts of back taxes (she had covered mortgage payments) and so she has sold her apartment, cashed in whatever she can and paid that off.  The problem is she needs seed money (literally) to get the Bellamy Farm back up and running ... and the only person willing to invest is someone her father hates with a vengeance, even so Shiloh doesn't expect to find him dead at the market, for herself and her father to be accused of killing him, and to find she is being shunned by her cousin and some old friends (not all of them thank heavens).

Now to keep her Dad from dying in jail, her family farm in ... well the family, and her own reputation out of the mud, she is going to have to harness all the police procedural programmes she has ever produced and find a killer.

Murder in First Position: An On Pointe Mystery by Lori Robbins

Ballerina Leah Siderova knows the career of a professional dancer is short. But rarely is it as brief as that of her rival, Arianna Bonneville, whose rise to stardom ends when she is stabbed in the back.

New York City police detective Jonah Sobol fixes upon Leah as the prime suspect. After all, she was the one who found the body, she had the most to gain from Arianna’s death, and it was her name Arianna whispered, just before she died.

Leah is desperate to clear her name, and she begins her own investigation, collaborating with her best friend and her ballet coach. As the three dancers sort through backstage intrigues, attempted blackmail, and a tangle of romantic liaisons, the noose around Leah’s neck grows tighter.

Ballet, with its merciless discipline, is all Leah has ever known. Is that enough to keep her one step ahead of the police—and the killer?

 

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

My name is Leah Siderova. It used to be Leah Feldbaum, but my mother changed it after she divorced my father. I’m a dancer, and she thought Siderova, which is her maiden name, would look better on a Playbill. It’s not uncommon for dancers to change their names, and I’m happy with mine.

What is your Profession?

I’m a professional ballet dancer with American Ballet Company. It’s the only life I’ve ever known. It’s the only life I’ve ever wanted.

What is your current favourite book or movie?

I love mysteries. Right now, I’m reading the last book in Judith Flanders’ series, A Howl of Wolves. It’s funny and smart. As for movies, my all-time favorite is Casablanca. Lots of romance and intrigue.

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

Pride and Prejudice never gets old for me. And my comfort movie is the 1940 version of that book, with Greer Garson and Sir Laurence Olivier. Although the movie version doesn’t precisely follow the book, it gets the mood exactly right, and it’s hilariously funny.

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’d like Rachel Brosnahan to play me. I love her role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She’s skinny, and she’s got a great wardrobe!

What is your ideal evening?

My idea evening is performing to an adoring audience. After the last curtain call, I’d want a champagne dinner and two desserts. In a perfect world, I wouldn’t have to worry about the calories.

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 18 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

March 18 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

March 18 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

March 19 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 19 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 19 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

March 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 20 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 24 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

March 24 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – REVIEW

March 25 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 25 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 26 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

March 26 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

Truffles and Tragedy (Down South Café Mystery #6) by Gayle Leeson

Down South Cafe owner Amy Flowers learns her chocolate truffles might not be the only things her patrons find "out of this world."

When her cousin, Jackie, asks her to give a presentation to her online class, Amy thinks all she has to worry about is speaking before a group. But then the nitpicky professor collapses. He has been murdered, and hot-tempered Jackie is the prime suspect. Some online forums are even speculating that the professor was an extra-terrestrial, so Amy must sort out fact from fiction to get to the truth.

Certain the real killer is setting Jackie up, will Amy be able to outwit the killer and save her cousin?

Gayle Leeson grabs your imagination and whisks you away to the Down South Cafe before you can blink!

Things seem to be going smoothly at the Down South Cafe, Jackie has settled into the routine of college and cafe and Amy is happy with her family (both by blood and the staff and regulars at the cafe), then things start to take a downturn, a rather snooty lady finds the cafe "underwhelming" for an afternoon tea and Jackie is disgruntled with her professor (who has marked her down two grades because she didn't format a paper exactly to his standards!), all this is nothing compared to seeing the same professor die on screen during an on-line presentation!

Now Jackie is the Prime Suspect when it turns out to be murder - so Amy decides to find out the truth before her cousin Jackie swaps the Down South Cafe for a cell!

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

I’m Amy Flowers.

What is your Profession?

I’m a professional chef and entrepreneur. I own the Down South Café in Winter Garden, Virginia.

What is your current favourite book or movie?

My favorite book is Joy of Cooking, by Irma S. Rombauer. There’s a reason it’s a classic!

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

Waitress, starring Keri Russell. 

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?

After seeing her brilliant performance in The Queen’s Gambit, I’d choose Anya Taylor-Joy to play me in the movie. She’s a couple of years younger than I am, but she’d be fantastic.

What is your ideal evening?

My idea of a perfect evening is having dinner—sometimes dinner out because I like to get fresh ideas—followed by cuddling on the sofa with the pets and my boyfriend Ryan either watching TV or just talking.

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 16 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 16 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 16 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 17 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

March 17 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

March 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

March 18 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 19 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 19 – Maureen’s Musings -SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

March 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

March 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy -REVIEW

March 21 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 22 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 22 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

March 23 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 23 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

March 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

March 24 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

March 25 – Lisa Ks Book Review – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 25 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

March 26 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 26 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 27 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

March 27 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 27 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

Murder by Page One (Peach Coast Mystery #1) by Olivia Matthews

Marvey’s a librarian from Brooklyn who makes book-themed jewelry as a hobby, looks after her cranky cat, and supports events for readers and authors. She’s still adjusting to quirky small-town life in Georgia—and that’s before she discovers a dead body in a bookstore.

When her new best friend becomes a suspect, Marvey develops a new hobby: solving a murder mystery. With her talents for research, her knowledge gleaned from crime novels, and a whole lot of determination, she pursues the truth. But even as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist?

 

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

Marvella “Marvey” Marie Harris

What is your Profession?

Librarian

What is your current favourite book or movie?

My current favourite book is Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery by Olivia Matthews.

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

My go-to comfort movie is The Librarian: Quest for the Spear.

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 would most want to be the quirky sidekick in a book.

What is your ideal evening?

My ideal evening would be spent curled up on the sofa with a book and a cup of hot chai tea.

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 18 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

March 18 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 18 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

March 18 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

March 18 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

March 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 19 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW  

March 19 – Books to the Ceiling – SPOTLIGHT

March 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

March 19 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

March 19 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

March 20 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 20 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

March 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

March 20 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

March 22 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

March 22 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

March 22 – Reading Reality – REVIEW

March 22 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

March 22 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

March 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

 

Candy Slain Murder (Country Store Mysteries #8) by Maddie Day

As December sweeps through South Lick, Indiana, Robbie’s life seems merry and bright like the string lights glistening around town. But strange happenings signal a bumpy ride into the holidays. First a man raises eyebrows at Pans ‘N Pancakes when he claiming to be the long-lost half-brother of Robbie’s assistant. Then a fire destroys the home of a controversial anesthesiologist, exposing skeletal remains in his attic. Helplessly intrigued, all Robbie wants for Christmas is to stop her winter wonderland from becoming a real nightmare. With a decades-old mystery taking shape, can she run as fast as she can in pursuit of a killer who’s harder to crack than a stale gingerbread man?

Ah Christmas, a time of feasting, merriment, family ..... and murder! We have a young man claiming to be the illegitimate son of the Mayor (spoiler time .. he is! oh and he is welcomed into the family), a corpse discovered in the attic of a house, and then the corpse's sibling dies.  The problem is neither the corpse nor the sibling appear to have died of natural causes and when it comes to the latter fingers are being pointed at the new person in town, namely the illegitimate son.  Now Robbie needs to keep her Festive Spirits high and her wits about her to help her old nemesis crack this case open, without ending up as dead as a 6 month old Christmas tree.

A Game of Cones (Ice Cream Parlor Mystery #2) by Abby Collette

Bronwyn Crewse is delighted that Crewse Creamery, the ice cream shop her family has owned for decades, is restored to its former glory and serving sweet frozen treats to happy customers in the picturesque small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. But when a big city developer comes to town intent on building a mall, a killer with a frozen heart takes him out.

After literally stumbling across the body, one of Win's closest friends becomes the prime suspect, and to make things worse, Win's aunt has come to town with the intention of taking command of Crewse Creamery. Even though Win has a rocky road ahead to help her friend and keep her ice cream shop, it'll take more than a sprinkle of murder to stop her from solving the crime and saving the day.

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

Bronwyn Crewse. But practically everyone calls me Win.

What is your Profession?

I am an ice cream maker. Although I have an MBA, I am presently the manager of my family’s ice cream shop.

What is your current favourite book or movie?

I am learning to like shows about amateur sleuths and murder mysteries because they seem to be happening in my real life. But right now, I think my favorite is Knives Out.

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

I don’t have a lot of time to watch movies. Running an ice cream shop is a full-time business. And before I came back home to Chagrin Falls, I was super busy at a New York ad agency.

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?

If someone was to play me in a movie, it would be Ruby Barker.

What is your ideal evening?

Listen to music on the jukebox in the ice cream parlor and making ice cream because both of those things remind me of my Grandma Kay.

Sweet Revenge (Dewberry Farm #7) by Karen MacInerney

Fall into another sweet Dewberry Farm adventure! When Priscilla Jordan, a wealthy descendant of Buttercup's new living history museum's historic owner, turns up dead in one of the museum's cabins, the police finger local meadery owner Serafine Alexandre as the killer. There's bad blood in Priscilla's family--a disgruntled husband, a disinherited cousin, and a ne'er-do-well son--but the local police don't seem to care. Dewberry Farm homesteader Lucy Resnick's desperate to help her friend... but someone's warning her off the case.

When an intruder pins a threatening note to the farm's back door with a knife, Lucy knows she's getting close to the the truth... and if she doesn't figure it out fast, she may be next on the chopping block. With a twisty historical mystery, easy, delicious honey-themed recipes and beeswax projects you can make at home, and a cast of fun characters--both animal and human--you'll love this new visit to Buttercup!

Phew Karen MacInerney has done it again! Things seem to have settled down in Buttercup, the only problem Lucy has is a couple of her new hives don't seem to be thriving. One of the local meadery owners has come (along with the Meadery's intern) to see if she can solve the problem, the diagnosis is good (a couple of new Queen Bees are needed) but after Serafine and Chloe have left Lucy discovers a Voodoo doll, made out of beeswax, nailed to a fence post and her cows and goats let loose and in her crops and orchard! Lucy cannot believe that Serafine would do either deed, but she and her sister Aimee are the only followers of Voodoo in the area. As if that isn't bad enough the next day/evening Lucy overhears a couple of arguments, both involving one person (Priscilla Jordan), and then Lucy and her friend Quinn find Priscilla dead in a new addition to the living history museum.  When the somewhat inept police chief arrests Serafine for the murder Lucy needs to step up and find out the truth - after all there are plenty of other suspects that the police aren't even looking at!