Book Review: Ring in the Year with Murder (An Otter Lake Mystery #4) by Auralee Wallace

Ring in the Year with Murder

(An Otter Lake Mystery #4)

by Auralee Wallace (Goodreads Author)

Mass Market Paperback, 297 pages

Published October 31st 2017 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads synopsis:

It’s been a tough year for Erica Bloom. And with hours left on the clock and a killer crashing the party, it’s not over yet…

This New Year’s Eve, Erica’s resolution is to have a great night―even if it kills her. She is, after all, at the party to end all parties: a Great Gatsby--themed gala sure to be the talk of Otter Lake, New Hampshire. With her perfectly finger-waved hair, borrowed pearls, and scarlet flapper dress, Erica is determined to be unflappable, despite the presence of her ex, Sheriff Grady Forrester, and his hot date, a bubbly blonde who has a hard time holding her drink. Literally. . .

In a plot twist as bizarre as a game of Clue, Grady’s girlfriend almost drops dead after her drink is poisoned. Who put the killer ingredient in her appletini? Suddenly the tables have turned and the sheriff has become the prime suspect. Now Erica has until midnight to clear the man she still loves―and in so doing just maybe win him back. That’s if the killer doesn't pop the cork again… and turn a New Year’s smooch into a kiss of death…

***

4 stars

The intro of this book is very intriguing and sets the stage for the success of the entire book, in my opinion. 

Erica Bloom is doing security at a New Year’s Eve party with her BFF Freddie Ng. Freddie is quite a hoot and such a great addition to the Otter Lake cast. I would enjoy seeing who he was in book one when he was Madame F, psychic/tarot reader. (Yes, I read the books out of order.)

Erica finds herself in an odd place in her life as the story opens. She wants Grady back but he is with Candace now. She also is at odds with Candace since MRG has taken the house she wanted practically from under her feet. Then there is Matthew, who owns the house where the party is occurring. She could have a relationship with him but dare she?

The flow of the book was good but the sporadic “morning after” sections were odd and I didn’t think truly necessary. I know others seem to love that part but to me it was just a bit of overkill.  It was a bit of a flash-forward to the end of the book as the characters of Erica and Freddie looked back to what had happened in the past. I think the author thought it helped explain events to the reader. But she had already done a good job of that, I thought.

I would have liked to see a bit more of Erica’s goddess power mother playing a tarot reader but I did get a kick out of the section where Erica tapped the High Priestess card and said it meant the person was a douchebag. Priceless.

Even though Erica is at odds with Candace she finds herself coming to her rescue over and over. She has become the appointed watcher of the real estate guru since said guru can’t be trusted to take care of herself, according to her sister.

I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to any cozy readers out there. Decide for yourselves about the morning after sections. Either way, I think you will enjoy diving into the world of Otter Lake.

I bought this book with my own money.

Review of Double Up by Gretchen Archer

Double Up

(Davis Way Crime Caper #6)

by Gretchen Archer (Goodreads Author)

Kindle Edition, 262 pages

Published March 21st 2017 by Henery Press

Goodreads synopsis:

On behalf of USA TODAY bestselling author Gretchen Archer and the entire Henery Press crew, welcome aboard flight DOUBLE UP. Fasten your seatbelts for non-stop action as stiff competition blows into town and the resulting turbulence threatens to take down the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Super Secret Spy Davis Way Cole, who lives on the twenty-ninth floor of the hotel with her CEO husband and newborn twins, takes it hard. If the casino goes belly up, she won’t be a stay-at-home mom because she won’t have a home. Not to mention her husband won’t have a job. 

Davis can’t find a way to stop the inevitable end of the Bellissimo life she loves until her ex-ex-mother-in-law shows up, unexpected and definitely uninvited. Davis makes the best of a bad Bea Crawford situation and recruits her for a little corporate espionage work, which would’ve been great, had Bea not turned out to be the world’s worst spy. 

Ever. 

Seatbacks and tray tables in their upright positions as we prepare for a bumpy ride with babies, bankruptcies, besties, and shrimp. (Shrimp?) 

Enjoy your flight. 

***

4 stars

Davis Way starts out the book married to Bradley and fast-forward nine months has twin babies to care for. Needless to say, she is no longer the super casino spy girl and now a full-time mommy.

The first problem that crops up is a new casino is built next door on property previously owned by the Bellissimo. They were told it was supposed to be a football stadium but there was a bit of an illusion since the entire facility was covered until it was revealed and by then it was too late. Davis blames herself for letting the construction get so far. She was distracted by her new family and let her job fall by the wayside. The new casino was built and glitzier than ever. Not to mention, it was taking all the Bellissimo’s business including most of its employees.

Davis was in a bit of a post-baby birthing fog which was finally lifted when her ex-husband’s mother shows up on her doorstep wanting to see her grandbabies. (Even though, technically, she wasn’t related to them at all.) 

The aggravation of  having Bea around knocks some sense into Davis. She is now out of her brain fogged stupor and ready to figure out how to save the Bellissimo from financial ruin.

I have to say that I really love this series world that Gretchen Archer has created. They are filled with a lot of suspense and nail-biting drama. Bea alone can give anyone a major case of stress headaches. Reading one title makes you yearn for more. I will always recommend anything from Gretchen Archer.

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.

Review of Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier

Turkey Trot Murder

(Lucy Stone #24)

by Leslie Meier (Goodreads Author)

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Published September 26th 2017 by Kensington

Goodreads synopsis:

It’s late autumn in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, and the last surviving flowers on Lucy Stone’s porch have fallen victim to the first frost of the season. But as the part-time reporter learns, this cold November morning will claim more than potted plants . . .

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. No one knows much about Alison, except that she was the daughter of wealthy investor Ed Franklin and struggled quietly with drug addiction. Police blame her death on an accidental overdose, but Lucy can’t understand what terrible forces could lead a privileged woman to watery ruin . . . 

Alison’s funeral service is just as puzzling. Many believe Ed’s young—and very pregnant—new wife, Mireille, divided the family, leaving Alison to wither on the vine. Did Mireille truly adore her stepchild as Ed claims, or did she pit father against daughter for personal gain? 

As a state of unrest descends on Tinker’s Cove, Lucy is thrown into a full-scale investigation. Now, in a race against time, Lucy must beat the killer to the finish line—or she can forget about stuffing and cranberry sauce . . .

***

4 stars

The saying: “You never really know someone until they are gone” seems to resonate with this book. No one really seemed to know the victim well enough to make a reasonable deduction about her character traits or flaws.

The title opens with Alison Franklin going out from her morning run. When she makes the split second decision to run around Blueberry Pond, she has unknowingly sealed her fate. Little did she know there was a lot of drug activity around the pond and this fact makes many people in her life make assumptions as to why she was running there. She is approached by a woman who asks her to save her dog who had apparently fallen beneath the ice. Alison knows the ice is too thin. She doesn’t actually see said dog but she walks out anyway and of course, her fears are confirmed and she falls beneath the ice too. Not sure why this woman didn’t call the police for help but that will all wash out in the end.

Our protagonist, Lucy Stone, reporter for Tinker’s Cove local newspaper, finds the body of Alison and like any good investigator after she calls the police she calls in the story.

After the reports of Alison’s death hits the gossip grapevine, all sorts of theories as to why she died are waffled about. Everyone has a theory, even her father, who pretty much blames everyone not American in town, which is ridiculous. Most of the people he focused on were technically more American than he was.

This book was pretty good. I was able to catch the flow of the text which really speeds up how quickly I can read a book. I appreciate flow in a book. Watching the fallout from Alison’s father’s anger was kind of annoying but expected based on his assumption the Mexican drug runners had a hand in her death. Franklin’s anger and his job as a health inspector has ripple effects when a Mexican family wants to open a new restaurant in town. Franklin makes it his mission to put them out of business even though no one knows for sure if any of them or the Mexican cartel were involved. Having a mysterious killer behind it all made me evaluate everyone as I went along wondering the entire time whodunit and why.

I enjoyed this book and have already purchased a few more titles from the author. I am lucky that my local grocery store has a small offering of cozy mysteries and I pick up a few from time to time. This one was a winner for me. Kept me guessing the entire way though.

I bought this book with my own money.

Book Review: Silken Threats by Addison Fox

Silken Threats

(Dangerous in Dallas #1)

by Addison Fox (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 288 pages

Published February 3rd 2015 by Harlequin (first published January 30th 2015)

Goodreads synopsis:

Everyone has secrets, and some will kill to keep them buried...

It started with a break-in. And though normally wedding dress designer Cassidy Tate could have handled it, having Tucker Buchanan's strong arms, quick wits and great dog as backup was reassuring The former army engineer turned architect was the perfect guy in an emergency--and the fact that he was willing to pick up the pieces was even more appealing.

Because it turned out it wasn't a simple robbery. Someone was after something in the shop Cassidy and her fellow bridal boutique owners shared. Now Tucker didn't want to let Cassidy out of his sight. But was that to protect her--or claim her for his own?

***

3 stars

I have been a big fan of Addison Fox books in the past which is why I chose to read this one. But it didn’t do anything for me this time.  After reading the excellent “House of Steele” series, I felt let down with this. The quality wasn’t the same.

This title didn’t capture me and pull me full force into the world of the drama. This is sad since I really liked the author’s work previously. I just couldn’t get into the flow of the text. And I know that could be all me since I have been under a lot of stress at work and the focusing aspect of my brain wasn’t always in the fullest of effect.

I love a mystery and this had a good one. This story started off with a bang… literally. And the male point of view character was there to assist and begin the story. I personally was more interested in the mystery portion of the story than the romance. So when all the kissy-face stuff started, I was turned off immediately. 

I know you are saying to yourself “why did she pick up a Harlequin book if she didn’t like romance?”I have found in the past that the books in the Romantic Suspense series are much more suspense than romance. I guess I got used to that format and took it for granted.

The basic premise of the book is that a secret held by some old-timers, one of whom owns Cassidy’s building, comes to light and puts Cassidy and her friends in danger. Tucker’s expertise and friends come in handy to assist with solving the mystery before anyone gets killed.

Overall, it was good. Decent. A solid book. I just couldn’t catch the wave of the flow of text and that was probably my own fault. I really enjoyed the mystery and would have liked to see that fleshed out a bit more.

If you love a bit more romance than mystery in a story, then this book is for you. Otherwise definitely check out her House of Steele series. You won’t come away disappointed.

I bought this book with my own money.

Makeup Addiction Renewed

I just recently got back into makeup. The fact was: my skin wasn't looking great and I hadn't focused on any self care in years. I remembered how much better my skin looked when I was washing my face every night and putting on lotion morning and night.

I started that routine nearly a month ago and I can really see a difference in my skin's texture. It looks less creapey and more supple and nourished.

Plus, I am having fun playing with the different eyeshadow palettes i have acquired recently. See photo above from my recent Kohl's haul.

If you are interested in knowing what shadows I have been using you can follow me on Twitter. My handle is Tonispywriter.

I hope you are having tons of fun with your makeup. Sending you many blessings.

Makeup Reboot - The Armchair Beauty Sleuth is Revived

Makeup Reboot

Drugstore Makeup Haul from my first blog post in 2013.

It’s so bizarre to stand back and watch the beauty community implode one little dig at a time. Jaclyn Hill and Tati are just a few of the people everyone is talking about right now. It is hard to know who is right and who is wrong and what is truly going on.

I am a novice armchair beauty sleuth and I got into makeup in 2013 at the age of 45. Before that I barely used makeup. I think I had a pink shimmery Cover Girl single shadow. I owned a drugstore blush that I loved but never knew the name of to ever repurchase. And a blue eyeliner that I put in my waterline because that is what you did back then. 

So, to see all the drama going on in the beauty community is a little strange. Hard to believe that these people make so much money just making videos and putting them on YouTube.

I watched a lot of these videos in 2013 and 2014. This in turn caused me to go out and buy loads of makeup. This was makeup I knew I would never need, but it was cool to have it even if I was the only one who knew I had purchased it.

Naked 1 & Naked 2 palettes, Urban Decay Vice 2 palette, Stila “In The Light Eye” palette, Nude-tude by The Balm were just a few I dropped quite a bit of change on. Even with all these shiny new things, l lost my interest in making up my face in late 2014 and returned to my usual no makeup look. And all these products I had accumulated in a year and a half (most of which were barely used) just sat in my collection. 

In the end, I find that I am a basic drugstore makeup kind of gal. I love Maybellene, Cover Girl, Loreal, Almay, Rimmel among others. Many of my favorite staples are in these brands. I guess I really just needed to branch out and see what was there before I could appreciate what I already had.

JAMbeauty89’s Jessica Braun said recently that she was watching a decluttering video and the gal had one well loved makeup palette, one lipstick and one blush. She found that astounding since she has drawers and drawers full of makeup and continues to get more each day via PR packages from makeup companies.

I am already overwhelmed by what I currently have in my collection. I can’t imagine being a beauty guru and having all that to deal with too.

I am going to start going through my collection and weeding out the old outdated stuff and creating what Andrea Matillano calls an everyday makeup drawer. And from using things on a daily basis, I will decide what really works for me and what doesn’t.

Here are the products I have been using this week:

Saturday: Maybelline Lemonade Craze palette

Sunday: Maybelline: Burgundy Bar palette

Monday: Rimmel London Glam Eyes Trio in Orion & Wet N Wild Trio in I’m Feeling Retro

Tuesday: Loreal Treasured Bronze quad with a transition color from Avon’s True Color quad in Mocha Latte

Wednesday: Almay’s Intense I-Color Liquid Shadow for hazel eyes.

I am just easing myself into the makeup thing. I have only been doing my eyeshadow right now. Maybe later I will delve into foundation and such. Wish me luck on my journey.

Hope you’re having a great makeup day today without any controversy.

Book Review: Confessions of a Red Herring by Dana Dratch

Confessions of a Red Herring

(A Red Herring Mystery #1)

by Dana Dratch (Goodreads Author)

Mass Market Paperback, 431 pages

Published May 29th 2018 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis:

As a reporter, she’s used to covering the news.

Now she’s the headline.

Alex Vlodnachek has been a reporter for 12 years, a P.R. rep for three months, and a murder suspect for all of 24 hours. When her agency's double-dealing CEO is stabbed, scheming co-workers cast the new redhead as a compelling red herring. The story is media catnip—especially her salacious nickname: Vlod the Impaler.

Even Alex has to admit she looks guilty.

Out of a job and under suspicion, Alex is running low on cash, when she’s visited by a second disaster: her family. Soon her tiny bungalow is bursting with her nearest and not-so-dearest. To keep herself out of jail—and save what’s left of her sanity—Alex returns to her reporting roots. She goes undercover to reclaim her life, break the story, and unmask a murderer. Pretty much in that order.

What she doesn’t know: The killer also has a to-do list.

And Alex is on it.

***

5 stars

I haven’t given a five star rating in a long time. This book was that great. I could really connect with the main character who used to work for a newspaper since I still do work for a daily newspaper. (And I do have a weakness for British chaps too.)

All the situations that happened to Alex had me involved in a plethora of emotions ranging  from fear to awe. It all seemed so plausible to happen in real life that I had to set the book down for a bit to find my bearings. This writer is that good.

She was gas-lighted and forced to work a horrible job just to get the evidence she needed to prove who had really done in her PR boss. There were a lot of characters introduced which is logical since this is book one in a series. And I think the author handled that well. 

I felt bad for her brother who had almost as many ups and downs as she did during the duration of the book. I look to see him and grandma make more appearances in future offerings from this author.

Since book one was so amazing, I kind of wonder what is up for book two. I hope it is just as awesome.

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out.

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.