Credible Threat (Ali Reynolds #15) by J.A. Jance

Credible Threat

(Ali Reynolds #15)

by J.A. Jance 

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published June 2nd 2020 by Gallery Books

Goodreads synopsis: 

Ali Reynolds and her team at High Noon Enterprises must race against the clock to save an archbishop who faces mysterious death threats in yet another “incredible” (Suspense Magazine) installment of J.A. Jance’s New York Times bestselling series.

Years after her son’s fatal overdose, grieving mother Rachel Higgins learns that his addiction may have grown out of damage suffered at the hands of a pedophile priest while he was in high school. Looking for vengeance, she targets the Catholic Church’s most visible local figure, Archbishop Francis Gillespie. When the archbishop begins receiving anonymous threats, local police dismiss them, saying they’re not credible. So he turns to his friends, Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson.

With B. out of the country on a cybersecurity emergency, it’s up to Ali to track down the source of the threats. When a shooter assassinates the archbishop’s driver and leaves the priest himself severely injured, Ali forms an uneasy alliance with a Phoenix homicide cop in hopes of preventing another attack. But Ali doesn’t realize that the killer has become not only more unhinged but also more determined to take out his or her target.

***

3.75 stars

This is the fifteenth book in the Ali Reynolds series by J.A. Jance.

This book is about a mother seeking revenge for the treatment of her son by a local priest.

I am a big fan of Jance’s other series but this one just didn’t grab me for some reason. I thought it was good. The character development was on point and I could feel the pain of the mother who lost her son.

This is really a story for the current times. Great mystery and I plan to try my hat at other books in this series but may not do it quickly. If you love a good mystery, check this one out for sure. 

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries #1) by Vicki Delany

Tea & Treachery

(Tea by the Sea Mysteries #1)

by Vicki Delany 

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published July 28th 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis: 

In this charming new cozy mystery series from nationally bestselling author, Vicki Delany, a New York City expat-turned-Cape Cod tea shop owner must solve the murder of a local real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother out of a jam . . .

As the proud proprietor and head pastry chef of Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom on the picturesque bluffs of Cape Cod, Roberts has her hands full, often literally. But nothing keeps her busier than steering her sassy grandmother, Rose, away from trouble. Rose operates the grand old Victorian B & B adjacent to Lily's tea shop . . . for now. An aggressive real estate developer, Jack Ford, is pushing hard to rezone nearby land, with an eye toward building a sprawling golf resort, which would drive Rose and Lily out of business.

Tempers are already steaming, but things really get sticky when Ford is found dead at the foot of Rose's property and the police think she had something to do with his dramatic demise. Lily can't let her grandmother get burned by a false murder charge. So she starts her own investigation and discovers Ford's been brewing bad blood all over town, from his jilted lover to his trophy wife to his shady business partners. Now, it's down to Lily to stir up some clues, sift through the suspects, and uncover the real killer before Rose is left holding the tea bag. 

***

4.5 stars

This is the first book in the Tea by the Sea mysteries series by Vicki Delany.

Lily is running her own tea room in Cape Cod. Her grandmother is running a bed and breakfast that she is pulling away from and wanting Lily to take over the running of. Lily doesn’t really need more work to do. When a real estate developer falls to his death near the tea shop, Lily and her grandmother becomes high on the suspect list.

I thought this was a great cast and fell in love with the little tea shop and all the people who came in and out of scenes. Definitely a series I want to continue with. I am a sucker for anything tea related. This is just my jam.

Loved so much about it. If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Goodnight Moo by Mollie Cox Bryan (A Buttermilk Creek Mystery #2)

Goodnight Moo

(A Buttermilk Creek Mystery #2)

by Mollie Cox Bryan

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: August 25th 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis: 

Welcome to Shenandoah Springs, Virginia, the bucolic small town where Brynn MacAlister keeps cows, churns cheeses--and is sharper than the ripest cheddar when it comes to solving mysteries . . .

With a foster cow in her corral and a new calf on the way, Brynn MacAlister has a lot on her plate. Especially since her micro-dairy farm is hosting the first annual cheesemakers contest at this year's summer fair. A relative newcomer, Brynn's hoping the contest becomes a tradition, bonding her even more strongly to the community. But when a mysterious tractor accident looks suspiciously like murder, Brynn suspects someone is up to no-gouda . . .

Some folks say the lead suspect was just defending his underage daughter from a suitor more mature than a vintage provolone, but Brynn isn't buying it. Especially when another dead body turns up and Brynn's top cheesemaker falls under suspicion. It's enough to make a girl bluer than her best Stilton. But not enough to stop Brynn from getting to the bottom of things. What she discovers is the small town harbors some pretty unsavory characters. And the closer Brynn gets to the killer, the deeper she gets into danger . . .

***

4.5 stars

This is the second book in the A Buttermilk Creek Mystery by Mollie Cox Bryan.

Brynn runs a cheese making business and they are about to go into fair season and have a big cheese contest. When someone ends up dead and her bestie cheese making friend is fingered, she is moved into action to help. But she is sidelined by a concussion that affects her through the whole of the book. I thought the mystery was on point. The cheese making background could have been added to but I thought the concussion aspect was very important and told the reader that if something like this ever happened in their lives, this is what you should do. Don’t be like Brynn and over do it. Take it easy and rest. Brynn had to rely on all her friends to help her out with this one and that is what made this book really stand out for me.

Definitely want to continue with this series. Loving Mollie Cox Bryan’s books.

I totally recommend this.

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Deadlock (FBI Thriller #24) by Catherine Coulter

Deadlock

(FBI Thriller #24)

by Catherine Coulter

Hardcover, 480 pages

Published July 28th 2020 by Gallery Books

Goodreads synopsis: 

This exhilarating FBI thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter finds Savich and Sherlock confronting two baffling mysteries.

A young wife is forced to confront a decades-old deadly secret when a medium connects her to her dead grandfather.

A vicious psychopath wants ultimate revenge against Savich, but first, she wants to destroy what he loves most—his family.

A series of three red boxes are delivered personally to Savich at the Hoover Building, each one containing puzzle pieces of a town only FBI agent Pippa Cinelli recognizes. Savich sends in Cinelli to investigate undercover but someone knows who she is.

Savich and Sherlock are up to their eyebrows in danger, but can they figure out the red box puzzle and the young wife’s secret before it’s too late?

***

4.5 stars

This is the twenty-fourth book in the FBI Thriller series by Catherine Coulter.

Originally, I thought this was more of a Sherlock series. But as I have read more and more books in this series, I realize it is really focused more on Savich. And I really like that idea.

Coulter’s stories always seem to focus in first on the characters that come in for this specific plot and whodunit. That seems to throw me a bit but I am getting used to it. A young wife whose grandfather was a politician and who is married to a politician is lured to a medium who tries to extract information from her. When she doesn’t fall for the ploy, they try to deal with her in a different way. This is where Savich steps in and saves the day when she is about to be kidnapped from her home.

I thought this plot was great and I was really invested in knowing what was going on. Loved the addition of Pippa. She really kept the plot moving. This story really used the FBI guys and we got to see a lot more of what they were all about. So happy to see that aspect.

Just a great all around awesome piecer of detective fiction. I totally recommend this.

If you want to read a good mystery, police procedural, or detective fiction, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Night Shift (A Helping Hands Mystery #2) by Annelise Ryan

Night Shift

(A Helping Hands Mystery #2)

by Annelise Ryan

Paperback, 368 pages

Expected publication: July 28th 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis: 

When social worker Hildy Schneider commits to an after-hours side job, she finds herself drawn into the darker side of small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin—and the twisted mind of an unnamed killer . . .

Strange things have been happening since Hildy started moonlighting with local police, but a desperate late-night call involving a former patient from Sorenson General Hospital tops the list. Although Danny Hildebrand has been tormented by hallucinations for years, he swears he’s being haunted for real by the victim of a grisly murder . . .

The rambling ghost story seems like another delusion. But after a body turns up in a neglected farmhouse crawling with secrets, Hildy and the magnetic Detective Bob Richmond rush to explain Danny’s knowledge of the incident. As the crime-solving partners unwittingly grow closer while examining a series of eerie leads, they realize that surviving past sunrise means shedding light on a criminal willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the shadows . . 

***

4.5 stars

This is the second book in the A Helping Hands mystery by Annelise Ryan.

I was quite captured by this book. Hildy had a job where she worked at the hospital as a social worker for a bit during the day and then worked with the police during the dead of the night.

Her friend’s brother who has mental problems is admitted to the ER in order to balance out his medications and he tells them about a murder that they think is all in his head. Then later, they come across a scene eerily similar to what he claimed he saw all the way down to the purple dinosaur.

Definitely an interesting read that I found engaging and interesting. I definitely want to keep following this author and maybe even pick up the first book in this series just to give myself a bit of back story.

If you want to read a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Knot of This World (A Quilting Mystery #8) by Mary Marks

Knot of This World

(A Quilting Mystery #8)

by Mary Marks

Paperback, 336 pages

Expected publication: July 28th 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis: 

Quilter Martha Rose must patch together the clues to solve the murder of a cult leader in the California mountains . . .

Has Martha's fellow quilter and dear friend Birdie Watson become unraveled? Birdie and her new husband have decided to join the Mystical Feather Society, a spiritist group living on a commune in the mountains of Ojai, California. Before her free-spirited friend makes a huge mistake, Martha organizes a surprise visit to check out the commune. While white-robed members conduct a seancé in a glass yurt, their leader--Royal St. Germain--is nowhere to be found . . . until, that is, Martha and her friends discover him shot in their Winnebago. Now Martha must track down the killer and debunk the cult--before it's bye bye Birdie . . .

***

4.5 stars

This is eighth book in the A Quilting Mystery by Mary Marks.

This book is a little different than some cozy mysteries. Martha is trying to convince her friends Birdie and Denver to not join a cult called the Mystical Feather and leave them all their worldly goods and possessions. When they go and visit the campus where they will be living the leader who convinced them to come is found shot to death in their camper.

I have to admit that I had a little anxiety reading this book. The plot was well done and I could easily resonate with what was going on. I definitely loved all the quilting knowledge that was dropped here and there during the mystery. I loved how she quilted when she needed to think through something.

I am definitely putting this on my must read series list for sure!

If you want to read a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Gobble, Gobble Murder (A Lucy Stone Mysteries #7 & #24) by Leslie Meier

Gobble, Gobble Murder 

(A Lucy Stone Mysteries #7 & #24)

by Leslie Meier

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: September 29th 2020

Goodreads synopsis: 

For Lucy Stone, Thanksgiving in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, is more than just gathering friends and family in gratitude. It’s also about catching a killer or two . . .

Turkey Day Murder #7

Tinker’s Cove has a long history of Thanksgiving festivities, from visits with TomTom Turkey to the annual Warriors high school football game and Lucy Stone’s impressive pumpkin pie. But this year, someone has added murder to the menu, and Lucy intends to discover who left Metinnicut Indian activist Curt Nolan deader than the proverbial Thanksgiving turkey . . .

Turkey Trot Murder #24

Besides the annual Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day, Lucy expects the approaching holiday to be a relatively uneventful one—until she finds beautiful Alison Franklin dead and frozen in Blueberry Pond. As a state of unrest descends on Tinker’s Cove, Lucy is in a race to beat the killer to the finish line—or she can forget about stuffing and cranberry sauce . . .

***

4.5 stars

This is one of those books that is a bind up of two books both featuring the Thanksgiving holiday. Book 1 was quite complex and I thought well plotted. The whodunit was quite on point. This book really resonated with me considering everything that is going on nowadays in the media. The story really stuck with me.

The next book I had recently read back in 2018 and still remembered much of the plot. Meier’s books just have that timeless quality about them that keep you coming back for more.

If you want to read a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

The Devil's Bones (Sarah Booth Delaney #21) by Carolyn Haines

The Devil's Bones

(Sarah Booth Delaney #21)

by Carolyn Haines

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published July 21st 2020 by Minotaur Books (first published May 12th 2020)

Goodreads synopsis: 

Spunky southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney tackles a thorny murder while away on a girls' weekend.

Sarah Booth and Cece are in Lucedale, Mississippi, where the newly-pregnant Tinkie is treating her friends to a girls' weekend at the fabulous new Bexley B&B. The facials, organics, food, and fitness coaches are supposed to be phenomenal, but Tinkie's primary aim is to attend the Sunrise Easter Services at the incredible Palestinian Gardens, a miniature Holy Land that spreads over 20 acres and has recreations of all parts of Jerusalem—and to speak with the Biblical scholar, gardener, and creator of the Palestinian Garden Daniel Reynolds.

After waking up at the crack of dawn for the service the three friends wander around the gardens, taking in the wonder of entire cities in miniature and the acres of the Holy Land, with the River Jordan winding through it all. The day is brightening when the find themselves at the Mount of Olives—with a dead body.

Daniel identifies the dead man as local lawyer Perry Slay, who was well known for his sly and underhanded dealings, and had plenty of people out for his blood. When Erick Ward, a local pharmacist, is arrested, Sarah Booth takes the case.

As the bodies pile up like a pillar of salt and the suspect list grows as long as the River Jordan, Sarah Booth, Cece, and Tinkie must resurrect the truth before their own lives—and that of Tinkie's unborn child—are endangered.

***

4 stars

This is the twenty-first book in the Sarah Booth Delaney series by Carolyn Haines.

There were a lot of deaths in this book and in a way I felt like that was a bit of overkill. Every time you turned around someone else was dying. The setting, however, was pretty unique and worked well with the plot. I liked the characters a lot and the dynamics between the main cast was nice.

I enjoyed the read but felt like it was a bit overwhelming at times. Just when you could wrap your head around one death, there was another one. I kept getting the victims confused. The one through line is that Eric, the pharmacist was the one who was getting framed for the deaths. That made things a bit easier but a whole lot convoluted.

I will definitely want to read more books in this series since the cast was so good. 

If you want to read a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Murder with Honey Ham Biscuits (Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery #4) by A.L. Herbert

Murder with Honey Ham Biscuits

(Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery #4)

by A.L. Herbert

Hardcover, 272 pages

Expected publication: July 28th 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis: 

As the owner of Mahalia's Sweet Tea, Halia Watkins is famous in Maryland's Prince George's County for her down-home cuisine. But when she has the chance to showcase her talents on national TV, she becomes the star of a murder mystery that's too hot to handle!

When Halia is invited to serve as a guest judge on the popular cooking competition show Elite Chef, she's delighted to add some extra flavor to the mix. But as filming ramps up in Washington D.C., there are too many fiery personalities in the kitchen. Halia discovers that pulling off her small screen debut unscathed means contending with a longtime competing restaurant owner, an infamously crass hospitality mogul, and a group of cutthroat contestants vying for culinary glory . . .

The competition sizzles with only a few finalists left standing--and goes cold when the gorgeous young frontrunner is found dead. As murder accusations are slathered over a recently eliminated contestant, Halia, with some bungling assistance from her wise-cracking cousin Wavonne slides into an investigation of their own. A little snooping reveals the victim burned lots of bridges, leaving a slew of alleged affairs and stolen recipes in her wake. With a fast-rising list of potential suspects, Halia must sort through mindboggling clues to fry the flaky culprit before someone else gets baked to a crisp . . .

***

4.5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Mahalia Watkins Soul Food mystery series by A.L. Herbert.

The murder here happens a good way into the book after we are introduced to all the main characters and the basic plot of the story.

Basic premise: There is a cooking contest and Halia is asked to fill in as a judge. One of the contestants ends up dead and Halia has to know whodunit. She is assisted by her friend, Wayonne who is quite a hoot.

Very interesting story. Great plot. I like how intricate it all was when they were figuring out how the murder could have been committed and by whom. Loved that part. Not a normal cozy ending but it felt real and authentic to me.

Definitely a series I want to continue on with. 

If you want to read a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

What the Hatmaker Heard (Missy DuBois Mystery #6) by Sandra Bretting

What the Hatmaker Heard

(Missy DuBois Mystery #6)

by Sandra Bretting

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: July 28th 2020 by Lyrical Underground

Goodreads synopsis: 

When a groom gets murdered, Louisiana hat maker Missy DuBois must look behind a veil of secrets on a former sugar plantation . . .

Bride-to-be Lorelei Honeycutt is brimming with excitement over the elaborate headpiece Missy has created for her wedding but fears she won't be able to maintain her balance when she walks down the aisle. She’s asked Missy to assist her during the rehearsal at Honeycutt Hall, a once grand sugar plantation now used as the family's home. Missy’s trying to keep a cool head herself, as her own wedding is coming up in three short weeks on the Riverboat Queen. But after the rehearsal, she overhears the bride and groom quarreling. The next morning, Wesley Carmichael is missing. After searching the house and grounds, Missy discovers the groom lying at the bottom of an old, unused sugar silo—and now it's up to the mystery-solving milliner to find an unbalanced killer . . .

***

4.5 stars

This is the sixth book in the Missy DuBois mystery series by Sandra Bretting.

Missy travels with the bride to a fancy plantation where her wedding is to be held. Not longer after they arrive, the groom ends up dead, they find that he has a gambling problem and there are so many suspects I can’t keep track of them all.

This is one of those mysteries that keeps going round and round until you feel dizzy and can’t decide whodunit. I was flummoxed the entire time.. The author really fooled me.

Loved the storyline and characters. I sometimes wonder how Missy even gets involved in these deaths.. It is like she is a death magnet or something. 

Keep reading until the end so you get to witness the wonderful wedding between Ambrose and Missy. So sweet! Definitely a series I want to continue on with.

If you want to read a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.