Heartbreaker (Montana Justice #2) by B.J. Daniels

Heartbreaker

(Montana Justice #2)

by B.J. Daniels 

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: March 24th 2020 by Hqn

Goodreads synopsis: 

He’ll risk everything to rescue her…

Ex-military man Thom Grayson has debts to pay. So when a plane crashes in the mountains near his cabin, he’s hired to find the wreckage—and the kidnapped woman believed to be the sole survivor. But when he locates Geneva, or “JJ” as she insists on being called, she’s not at all what he expected.

JJ isn’t sure she can trust the mysterious man who’s come to her rescue. But she has secrets of her own—secrets she’ll do anything to keep. So she’ll follow his instructions and keep her distance to get off this mountain alive without blowing her cover. As dangerous conditions force them together—and the undeniable chemistry between them ignites—he’ll protect her at any cost. But when the morning light comes, will the truth tear them apart?

***

5 Stars

This is the second book in the Montana Justice series by B.J. Daniels.

Both Thorne and JJ are broken people. Thorn is hiding out from a past he has shared with very few. We don’t really learn much much about him until the last third of the book. And JJ seems like the innocent victim until you realize she had been staying at Geneva’s house without her knowledge. Not that Geneva was an angel. Far from it. She was so spoiled that her grandfather took away her quite hefty allowance. 

Geneva’s grandfather calls in the big guns and asks a favor of his judge friend. And the judge is the one who puts Thorn on the case of finding JJ when she is mistakenly taken from Geneva’s apartment in the middle of the night.

I enjoyed the dual romance storyline in this book. And it did not detract from the main story at all. The Judge, Helen, the Grandfather’s attorney and the grandfather make quite an interesting secondary plot line. I really liked this aspect. And I love how it all got wrapped up at the end even for the more seasoned adults.

This was exactly right up my alley.  But those looking for the extra sexy read, you won’t exactly find that here. This is a hard won happily ever after story that I really appreciated. I think the suspense far outweighed the romance/sexy part of the book. Just how I like a book to be.

If you love a good romantic suspense, you have to 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.

Lavender Blue Murder (A Tea Shop Mystery #21) by Laura Childs

Lavender Blue Murder

(A Tea Shop Mystery #21)

by Laura Childs

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Expected publication: March 3rd 2020 by Berkley

Goodreads synopsis: 

Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede.

But as gunshots explode like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers, another shot sounds too close for comfort to Theodosia and Drayton. Intrigued but worried, Theodosia wanders into the neighbor's lavender field where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death.

His wife, Meredith, is beside herself with grief and begs Theodosia and Drayton to stay the night. But Theodosia awakens at 2:00A.M. to find smoke in her room and the house on fire. As the fire department screams in and the investigating sheriff returns, Meredith again pleads with Theodosia for help.

As Theodosia investigates, fingers are pointed, secrets are uncovered, Reginald's daughter-in-law goes missing presumed drowned, and Meredith is determined to find answers via a séance. All the while Theodosia worries if she's made a mistake in inviting a prime suspect to her upscale Lavender Lady Tea

***

4.5 Stars

This is the 21st book in the A Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs. Wow. twenty-one books in this series. Talk about longevity How cool is that? I haven’t read too many of these Tea Shop mysteries but I am totally loving them! I have a couple of hardbacks in my collection that I really need to get back to!

This was a pretty involved mystery. First a man in the hunting party gets killed and then before the next dawn there is a fire in the place many are staying. It’s just one thing after another. 

The Gone With the Wind Tea Party was a pretty clever event for the tea shop. And the Lavender Lady Tea was just so posh. If there are any tea shop owners out there, you could look to this book for inventive ways to put on tea shop events.

Theodosia is a protagonist that I think many can relate to. It is easy to see yourself in these situations and making similar choices as the mystery pushed forward. There was so much sleuthing going on that I could barely keep track of all the clues. My whodunit skills were not on point and I had no idea to the identity of the killer and what motive they might have.

One part I found a bit odd was when they wanted to do a police stakeout at a party with a bunch of people present. I though that funny since if I was the police, I don’t think I would want to put that many people in possible danger. Other than that, this was a great mystery that kept me on my toes all the way throughout. I definitely want to keep this series on my radar. I think a marathon might be in order. I hope my library has many of the older books.

If you love a good cozy mystery, you have to 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 Makes Scents (Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery #2) by Christin Brecher

Murder Makes Scents

(Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery #2)

by Christin Brecher

Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Expected publication: February 25th 2020 by Kensington

Goodreads synopsis: 

Stella Wright loves creating candles at her Nantucket store—and she also has a burning passion for justice. Now, after visiting a perfume conference, she must solve a vial crime . . .

Stella and her globe-trotting mom, Millie, have come home from a perfume industry conference in Paris, where their trip was marred by witnessing the stabbing death of a young man. It’s a relief for Stella to be back on her picturesque island, with the comforting company of her cat, Tinker. But lingering danger may have followed them back across the ocean.

After someone breaks into her candle store, the Wick & Flame, Stella starts feeling spooked. And just as things threaten to ignite, Millie suffers a blow to the head. Stella receives an anonymous note claiming that her mother smuggled a secret formula out of France—and threatening her life if it isn’t returned. Now Stella’s picked up the scent of a cold-hearted criminal and an intriguing puzzle, and things are about to get wicked . . .

***

5 Stars

This is the second book in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery Series by Christin Breacher.

What a fun ride this was! Who knew you could take a candle maker and a mother who is a perfumer at heart and make them into international spies.

Stella and her mom are in Paris at a conference where her mother is going to give a talk on detecting fragrances when a man is stabbed practically in front of them. Without them noticing before he died the man shoved a perfumers bottle into Millie’s bag. This bottle is very important to the peace conference that is going on concurrently with the perfume conference. They return homer unaware of the danger they are in.

This book was quite a hoot. Brecher made me fall in love with a villain. I knew that dude was too good to be true. I loved the pairing of the candles, perfumes, scents and espionage. Right up my alley. I was only sorry because the story ended. I wanted to live in this world for a bit longer.

I had to laugh at the super secret agent lady who kept telling Stella she was in charge and yet the bad guy kept one-upping her and besting her at every turn. I think maybe she needs a new line of work.

Stella was taken in this story from the streets of Paris to Nantucket, from a candle shop to a jump from an airplane with an unworking chute. Just loved every single second of this story. I am totally hooked. Now I need to read book one and get really caught up!

If you love a good cozy mystery, you have to 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 Bites (Country Cottage Mysteries #5) by Addison Moore, Bellamy Bloom

Murder Bites

(Country Cottage Mysteries #5)

by Addison Moore, Bellamy Bloom

Kindle Edition, 217 pages

Published January 30th 2020 by Hollis Thatcher Press, LTD. (first published January 30th 2019)

Goodreads synopsis: 

An innkeeper who reads minds. An ornery detective. And a trail of bodies. Cider Cove is the premiere destination for murder.

My name is Bizzy Baker, and I can read minds—not every mind, not every time but most of the time and believe me when I say it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

Valentine’s Day is coming right up and the Country Cottage Inn is playing host to a bevy of romantic shenanigans. The very first love-inspired event on the agenda is a night for singles to mingle. But that mass blind date with cupid goes horribly awry when one of the hosts ends up dead as a heart-shaped doornail. It certainly doesn’t make things better when I’m found holding the murder weapon—because as any good homicide detective knows, that puts me right at the top of the suspect list.

The Country Cottage Inn is known for its hospitality. Leaving can be murder.

Bizzy Baker runs the Country Cottage Inn, has the ability to pry into the darkest recesses of both the human and animal mind, and has just stumbled upon a body. With the help of her kitten, Fish, a mutt named Sherlock Bones and an ornery yet dangerously good looking homicide detective, Bizzy is determined to find the killer.

***

3.5 Stars

This is the fifth book in the Country Cottage Mysteries by Addison Moore and Bellamy Bloom.

Was this an entertaining and mad cap adventure? Yes. In some ways this was a good read. Decent. The characters are likable and fun to follow. The over-the-top-ness of it all does have its appeal for some. But in my cozy mysteries, I want to follow along with the search for the killer. And this does happen to a point. I want to be a part of the fun and in on the search. Bizzy’s mind reading super power kinda puts the kibosh on the whole cozy whodunit concept, in my opinion.

The characters in this book do a few things I would never recommend. First, the main character, Bizzy, who is familiar with dead bodies since she has solved a few murders in her day, actually picked up the murder weapon and put her fingerprints all over it. Rookie move, if you ask me. If she had been psychic, maybe she would have “known” to steer clear of a wayward gun lying on the ground. Or just using her common sense gene would have been nice enough. 

The second thing I find a little odd is the fact that Bizzy can always read someone’s mind; be them animal or human. I would find this a little more believable if her mind reading had a bit of static in the connection or sometimes she hears the wrong thing instead of what the person really means. Even really good psychics are never 100 percent accurate and I would think Bizzy’s ability would fall into that realm as well. I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough when she quickly ascertained what was going on almost from the beginning. It kinda makes a book like this one you want to set aside since the main premise of a cozy is to solve the mystery along with the protagonist. To me, the mind reading bit is like cheating.

Overall an okay read. Decent. Fun to follow if you just want to meet with the characters and see what they are up to. If you really want a solid mystery to follow, you might want to look elsewhere.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy)  from the author via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.

Here Comes the Body (A Catering Hall Mystery #1) by Maria DiRico

Here Comes the Body

(A Catering Hall Mystery #1)

by Maria DiRico

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: February 25th 2020 by Kensington

Goodreads synopsis: 

After her philandering husband’s boat went down, newly single Mia Carina went back to Astoria, the bustling Queens neighborhood of her youth. Living with her nonna and her oversized cat, Doorstop, she’s got a whole new life—including some amateur sleuthing . . .

Mia is starting work at Belle View, her father’s catering hall, a popular spot for weddings, office parties, and more—despite the planes that occasionally roar overhead on their way to LaGuardia and rattle the crystal chandelier. Soon she’s planning a bachelor party for a less-than-gentlemanly groom. But it goes awry when the gigantic cake is wheeled in and the woman inside fails to jump out . . . because she’s dead.

Since some of her family’s associates are on the shady side, the NYPD wastes no time in casting suspicion on Mia’s father—especially considering that he and the victim had a previous encounter. Now, Mia’s going to have to use all her street smarts to keep him out of Rikers Island . . .

***

4.5 Stars

This is the first book in the A Catering Hall Mystery series by Maria DiRico.

WHAT A GREAT CONCEPT FOR A COZY SERIES! I am hooked!

I have to say right off that this was quite a unique take on a cozy mystery. Mia’s family used to work for the mob. Uh, what?! And I have a feeling these ties will factor into many mystery plots in the future. The field is ripe for a cozy of this type. So refreshing!

Mia is starting anew after her husband was lost at sea. I am sure this fact will pop up in a different novel. Like I believe he is really dead. You could use all the soap opera tropes in a book like this. Back from the dead would be perfect for a future book theme. She is living with her nonna and being the catering event planner for her Dad’s catering hall venue. I t is no wonder she falls into a murder mystery. The setting of Queens and NYC is so perfect for this series! I am salivating wondering what the future could bring with this whole concept.

Her dad seems like a kind of misunderstood character. People fear him, give him what he wants but he has really gone straight. But you ponder if maybe he is still in “the business” from time to time as you read along. Mia uses this fear of her father’s past to her advantage more than once in this book. The whole thing is just a hoot and a half.

Really enjoyed this and am looking forward for more to come.

If you love a good cozy mystery, you have to 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.

Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut (Death by Chocolate Mystery #3) by Sarah Graves

Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut

(Death by Chocolate Mystery #3)

by Sarah Graves

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: February 25th 2020 by Kensington

Goodreads synopsis: 

When a pirate festival blows into their small town, bakeshop owners Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her best friend Ellie White expect they’ll be busy baking up a storm, but instead they find themselves marooned in a new murder investigation after someone kills a well-known food writer and TV personality . . .

Everything is shipshape at Jake and Ellie’s new waterfront bakery, The Chocolate Moose, especially now that the annual Pirate Festival is dropping anchor in their quaint island village of Eastport, Maine. Jake and Ellie are ready for the bounty of tourists sure to flood their shop. But their plans quickly sink when the body of celebrity foodie, Henry Hadlyme, is discovered in the Moose’s basement.

Jake and Ellie are horrified, but their shock turns to dismay when Jake is pegged for the murder. Now, to clear Jake’s name and save the shop, Jake and Ellie must swashbuckle down and figure out who among Henry’s numerous enemies scuttled him in the cellar. Was it a long-ago jilted sweetheart’s vengeful relative? His long-suffering personal assistant? Or perhaps some bitter-as-dark-chocolate unknown enemy, now aboard the mysterious ship lurking in Eastport’s harbor?

Alas, dead men tell no tales, so Jake and Ellie will have to get to the bottom of the case on their own and find the real killer before anyone else is forced to walk the plank . . .

***

4.5 Stars

This is the third book in the Death by Chocolate mystery series by Sarah Graves.

You could just sense it on the wind that when a some-what popular podcaster is found dead that Jacobia, “Jake” for short, would end up being the one fingered for the crime. I mean, come on! The body was found in the basement of the bakery of Jake Tiptree and Ellie White own. It was an only natural assumption, right? The name of this dynamic duo’s bakery just cracks me up: The Chocolate Moose. So cute and so appropriate for the locale! They are hoping the business gets noticed a lot more since the Pirate festival is right on their doorstep. But I don’t think the notoriety in the form of a dead body is what they were thinking.

I thought this was a well written mystery that really kept me guessing. I have to admit that I had no clue as to the identity of the killer. No surprise there, right? The author’s always fool me. Dang red herrings! There is a lot of backstory which I thought was good since this was my first foray into the world of Death by Chocolate! Even though the premise says Jake and Ellie co-own the bakery, I felt like Jake was the main character here. I really resonated with her and her quirky personality. What a likable gal! And that is what you want in a story, people you resonate with whom you can follow and solve the mystery with. Enjoyed the heck out of this. Looking forward to book 4 (and books 1 & 2!)

I really think Graves and Alex Erickson should get together and do a collab. I mean Death by Chocolate and Death by Coffee. What a great match that would be!

If you love a good cozy mystery, you have to 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.

Egg Drop Dead (A Noodle Shop Mystery #5) by Vivien Chien

Egg Drop Dead

(A Noodle Shop Mystery #5)

by Vivien Chien

Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: February 25th 2020 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads synopsis: 

In the fifth in Vivien Chine's Noodle Shop delectable mystery series, the Ho-Lee Noodle House takes its business to the next level―only to end up in hot water.

It was supposed to be a fancy, intimate dinner party by the pool. Instead, Lana Lee’s first-ever catering event turns into full-course madness when a domestic worker is found dead. Is the party’s host Donna Feng, the sweet-and-sour owner of the Asia Village shopping plaza where Ho-Lee is situated, somehow to blame? That’s what Lana―whose plate is already plenty full with running the restaurant, pleasing her often-disapproving mother, and fretting over her occasionally-serious boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau―must find out.

Before the police arrived at the crime scene, Donna had entrusted an odd piece of evidence to Lana: a thumb drive shaped like a terra-cotta soldier. Now it’s up to Lana to lead her own investigation, digitally and in real life, into a world of secrets involving Donna’s earlier life in China, whether the victim had a dark agenda, and if the killer is still out there. . .and plans to strike again.

***

4.5 Stars

This is the fifth book in the A Noodle Shop mystery series by Vivien Chien.

Lana Lee is back and smack dab in the path of another dead body. Her first ever catering event turns memorable when a domestic worker is found dead. And the lady running the party gives Lana a thumb drive and that gives her the compulsion to go into investigative mode much to her boyfriend’s dismay. Lee just can’t resist a mystery and as she searches for the killer, she puts herself into the path of a lot of danger.

Everything isn’t always what it seems in this mystery. It is the type of story where you feel like you have the killer in sight and then something else gets thrown in and then…. NOPE! You have no idea to the identity of the bad guy. I love it when books surprise me. And this one surely did. What a well-crafted piece of work. Dialogue was on point and the characters were so fully blown that I thought I was reading about real people. I really look forward to these Noodle Shop mysteries when they come out. Definitely a series I want to continue to follow.

If you love a good cozy mystery, you have to 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.