Fields' Guide to Voodoo (Poppy Fields Adventures #3) by Julie Mulhern

Fields' Guide to Voodoo

(Poppy Fields Adventures #3)

by Julie Mulhern

Kindle Edition, 250 pages

Published February 28th 2019 by J & M Press

Goodreads synopsis: 

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

The pleasure of your company is requested at the most over-the-top wedding New Orleans has ever seen…

When Poppy Fields, Hollywood IT girl and super-secret agent, agreed to be a bridesmaid, she anticipated gallons of Sazerac, memorable parties and handsome groomsmen. Instead, she’s dodging bullets.

Juggling wedding showers, exploding buildings, picnics, black magic, lunches in the Vieux Carré, and murder can be tough on a girl. Good thing Thor is there to escort her—until he disappears.

Poppy must outwit smugglers primed to flood the U.S. with a dangerous new drug (one Poppy knows all too well), save Thor, and get to the church on time. If she fails, she may end up dead. Or—worse—late to the wedding.

***

4.5 stars

This is the third book in the Poppy Fields Adventures series by Julie Mulhern.

Poppy thought she was just going to New Orleans to be in her friend’s wedding. But she stumbles into a drug smuggling operation and they call in Mark Stone aka Thor to assist her in the investigation.

This story sees the beginning of an inkling of a relationship between Mark and Poppy. Jake is still hanging around in the shadows hoping to draw Poppy back toward him but I am not sure he will ever be successful at that. I liked the addition of the New Orleans Detective who befriends Poppy.

Following Poppy in these stories is always such a hoot. I love all the action adventure and all the choices Poppy has to make. And getting a glimpse into her super star world is quite interesting. This is definitely a series I enjoy following. I was originally hooked by Mulhern’s Country Club Murders and adding this to the mix just makes it all the more exciting.

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. What a fun read!

Death on Windmill Way (Hamptons Murder Mysteries #1) by Carrie Doyle

Death on Windmill Way

(Hamptons Murder Mysteries #1)

by Carrie Doyle

Paperback, 336 pages

Published June 1st 2020 by Poisoned Pen Press (first published September 3rd 2016)

Goodreads synopsis: 

Murder in the Hamptons, from a New York Times bestselling author Carrie Doyle.

Cozy mystery fans and lovers of Louise Penny, Agatha Christie and Alexander McCall Smith should prepare a hearty snack and snuggle in for this compelling page-turner by best-selling author Carrie Doyle. Mouth-watering food descriptions, nail-biting scenes of suspense, a winning heroine, and a captivating cast of characters pack the launch of this series, one that's sure to entertain readers for years to come.

The Hamptons are known for beautiful beaches, luxurious living, millionaire mansions, and now...murder! Antonia Bingham, a renowned chef and the new owner of East Hampton's Windmill Inn, escaped to the Hamptons to get away from a harrowing past. Yet now she finds herself in more danger than ever when she discovers the inn's previous owners may have been the victims of murder. Will her overly inquisitive personality be her downfall as she digs up secrets in her attempt to solve the crime?

The Hamptons are known for beautiful beaches, luxurious living, millionaire mansions, and now...murder!

***

4.5 stars

This is the first book in the Hamptons Murder Mysteries series by Carrie Doyle.

After the sudden death of her father and a messy divorce, Antonia Bingham moved to the other side of the country and opened an Inn in the Hamptons. She is a bit oblivious to how much it costs to run an inn and also have a restaurant too. She is leaching money like crazy. Her book keeper asks her to find ways to cut back but she is a bit bull headed  about it. I think she has a bit of blinders on.

Not long after arriving, she learns that a lot of the Windmill Inn owners have died mysterious deaths. She splits her time between being the head chef, running the inn and solving the mystery. This story had a bit of a cold case feeling to it since the murder didn’t happen recently.

I can see that the author is still building her world since some of the characters had no real part to play in the actual mystery element of the book. I thought adding movie star Nick Darrow was a nice touch and I look forward to seeing how the author plans to use him in the future.

Overall, it was a pretty good book. I enjoyed myself and found the mystery interesting and fulfilling.

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. What a fun read!

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 of a Wandering Wolf (A Hungarian Tea House Mystery #2) by Julia Buckley

Death of a Wandering Wolf

(A Hungarian Tea House Mystery #2)

by Julia Buckley

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: June 30th 2020 by Berkley

Goodreads synopsis: 

Hana Keller is enjoying a day off from serving up tea and delicious pastries at her family's Hungarian Tea House when her downtime turns deadly....

The only thing Hana loves more than a good cuppa is finding a delicate porcelain treasure to add to her collection. She's usually on the hunt for teacups but when she spots a rare wolf figurine at a local yard sale, she knows it's her lucky day. Hana also knows the wolf is valuable and tells the seller that he's charging too little for it. His reaction is peculiar--he says he received the wolf from someone he doesn't trust and he just wants it out of his life.

Hana is inspecting her new prize when she finds a tiny microchip attached to the bottom of the porcelain wolf. When she shows the figure to her police detective boyfriend, Erik, Hana is shocked to learn that the chip is actually a tracking device. They decide to confront the seller about the sneaky sale but when they arrive at his house, they find him dead. Erik and Hana now must hunt a calculating killer who has no intentions of crying wolf when it comes to murder...

***

4.5 stars

This is the second book in the Hungarian Tea House Mystery series by Julia Buckley.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I really enjoyed myself. It was a fun ride. Hana Keller found some prime pieces at an artist’s garage sale. When she gets home with a wolf statue, her cop boyfriend finds a tracker on the statue and goes to confront the artist. By the time he gets there the artist is dead.

I liked watching Hana as she learned to trust her own psychic powers and learning how to trust herself as she uses them.  Then the whole relationship between her and Erik Wolf was a fun addition to the plot. I loved the whole family dynamic here. It was just real fun! Definitely a story I think cozy lovers would enjoy. Check it 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.

Double Trouble (Davis Way Crime Caper #9) by Gretchen Archer

Double Trouble

(Davis Way Crime Caper #9)

by Gretchen Archer 

ebook, 253 pages

Published June 9th 2020 by Henery Press

Goodreads synopsis: 

Davis Way Cole smells T-R-O-U-B-L-E when she’s fired from half of her part-time job at the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. The quarter-time job she’s left with is lulling her to sleep, exactly what she’s doing when Birdy James, centenarian director of the casino’s Lost and Found department, disappears. With five million dollars.

Davis just can’t help believing Birdy didn’t do it, if for no other reason, she’s too old to spend it. If Davis doesn’t find the little old lady and the money fast, she’ll lose what’s left of her job, at which point, there goes her Bellissimo everything.

What she needs is a good luck charm. What she gets is her home invaded by hard-headed women, a soft-hearted little man, and major carpet troubles, the combination of which sends Davis’s already suspicious mind into overdrive and landing her between a jailhouse rock and a very hard place.

A little less conversation and a lot more action are called for if Davis has any chance of saving herself, her family, her marriage, her job, and the heartbreak hotel she calls home.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

***

4.5 stars

This is the ninth book in the Davis Way Crime Caper series by Gretchen Archer.

I have to admit I do not like the direction this series has taken. I really enjoyed the beginning books where Davis was involved in the elite security team at the Bellissimo Resort and Casino. That whole casino spy thing was kick butt awesome. That was just amazingly fun stuff for me to dig my teeth into. 

These last few stories where Davis is a mother of twins and both her mother and ex-mother-in-law are main characters is not really my jam. It just annoys me because I know how good these books can be. I miss the Bellissimo staff and all the hijinks they had. There definitely is some of that in this book but not enough to appease me.

I can only enjoy so many awful messes Bea and Davis’s mother can get into. I want the old Davis Way stories back. I guess I am being awful. I just love this series so much. 

If you are reading this series for the first time, don’t take this review as a bad thing. This series is awesome. It is fun and it really keeps you guessing all the way through. I am just being a nostalgic Nellie, I guess. All kinds of craziness does happen in this book. There is a third look alike for Bianca who is trying to change her image and since the owners of the casino are rarely around, things tend to always go sideways at a moments notice.

Also, if you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. What a fun read!

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

Blueberry Muffin Murder (Hannah Swensen #3) by Joanne Fluke

Blueberry Muffin Murder

(Hannah Swensen #3)

by Joanne Fluke

Paperback, 310 pages

Published February 1st 2003 by Kensington (first published February 1st 2001)

Goodreads synopsis: 

Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota's annual Winter Carnival--and Hannah Swensen is set to bake up a storm at her popular shop, The Cookie Jar. Too bad the honor of creating the official Winter Carnival cake went to famous lifestyle maven Connie Mac--a half-baked idea, in Hannah's opinion. She suspects Connie Mac is a lot like the confections she whips up on her cable TV cooking show--sweet, light, and scrumptious-looking, but likely to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

Hannah's suspicions are confirmed when Connie Mac's limo rolls into town. Turns out America's "Cooking Sweetheart" is bossy, bad-tempered, and downright domineering. Things finally boil over when Hannah arrives at The Cookie Jar to find the Winter Carnival cake burnt to a crisp—and Connie Mac lying dead in her pantry, struck down while eating one of Hannah's famous blueberry muffins.

Next thing Hannah knows, the police have declared The Cookie Jar's kitchen crime scene off-limits. She's a baker without an oven--and the Carnival is right around the corner. Hannah's only alternative is to cook up a plan to save her business--by finding the killer herself...

***

4.5 stars

This is the third book in the Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke.

This has to be one of my all time favorite guilty pleasure series. I tend to not read this series in order so I am reading the books as they appeal to me. This one is one of her first when she was just establishing the series and building her Lake Eden world.

I enjoy when we get introduced to old friends of Hannah’s. That makes the story so much more rich. When a popular cookbook and tv personality gets murdered in Hannah’s cookie shop, things only get more interesting. The dynamics between Mike and Norman are stronger in this book. Usually in the later books, the connection is nothing more than friendship but here you can see how both men are interested in her and want to build something with her.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Connie Mac character. She acted all sweetness and light but was just a bear underneath it all. I almost wish she had lived longer and through a few more of the books just to put the finger under all the community giving them more of a motive to off her.

Definitely a story I enjoyed and look forward to the next Fluke book I come across!

Also, if you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. What a fun read!

Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody (Jane Darrowfield #1) by Barbara Ross

Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody

(Jane Darrowfield #1)

by Barbara Ross 

Mass Market Paperback, 266 pages

Published June 25th 2019 by Kensington Books

Goodreads synopsis: 

Jane Darrowfield is a year into her retirement, and she’s already traveled and planted a garden. She’s organized her photos, her recipes, and her spices. The statistics suggest she has at least a few more decades ahead of her, so she better find something to do . . .

After Jane helps a friend with a sticky personal problem, word starts to spread around her bridge club—and then around all of West Cambridge, Massachusetts—that she’s the go-to person for situations that need discreet fixing. Soon she has her first paid assignment—the director of a 55-and-over condo community needs her to de-escalate hostilities among the residents. As Jane discovers after moving in for her undercover assignment, the mature set can be as immature as any high schoolers, and war is breaking out between cliques.

It seems she might make some progress—until one of the aging “popular kids” is bludgeoned to death with a golf club. And though the automatic sprinklers have washed away much of the evidence, Jane’s on course to find out whodunit . . .

***

4.5 stars

This is the first book in the Jane Darrowfield series by Barbara Ross.

Jane is known for helping friends out of sticky situations. Somehow, the management at an elder condo community hears about Jane and asks her to come and work a bit undercover to find out who is disrupting the residents. Before she realizes it, one of the more popular residents is bludgeoned to death on the nearby golf course. Now her job is to find out who killed this person and what is really going on. In the meantime, she is trying to find a man for her dear friend and is interviewing candidates. Strangely enough, one of the men is just her type.

This book waffles between Jane trying to find her way in the regular world, interviewing men for her friend to date and dating a man she finds fascinating.  When she is not doing that, she is living at the condo community and getting to know the residents.

This was a pretty fun book. It did help me get my mind off of my own troubles which is always a good thing when life seems to want to intervene and make our lives crazy stressful.

Definitely recommend this book highly. Barb Ross is just a great writer that I truly enjoy.

Also, if you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. What a fun read!

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.

Witch Hunt (Full Moon Crystal Shop Mysteries #1) by Cate Conte

Witch Hunt

(Full Moon Crystal Shop Mysteries #1)

by Cate Conte 

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Expected publication: June 30th 2020 by Kensington Books

Goodreads synopsis: 

Murder isn’t always crystal-clear . . . especially when the prime suspect discovers she’s a witch.

Violet Mooney owns The Full Moon crystal shop in quaint North Harbor, Connecticut. Still grieving her beloved grandmother’s recent unexpected death, she takes comfort in her fat orange cat Monty and her work. Not everyone in town is thrilled with her business, however. When disagreeable town councilwoman Carla Fernandez picks a fight over Violet’s "voodoo shop," the two have a very public confrontation. Of course, when Carla turns up dead, Violet gets little sympathy from the police as suspect #1.

But the shock of two policemen showing up at her door pales in comparison to the sudden appearance of her estranged mother Fiona and a surprise sister, Zoe. What Fiona reveals will rock her world and her sense of self—and reawaken her long-dormant mysterious power. Good thing. She’s gonna need it . . .

***

4.5 stars

This is the first book in the Full Moon Crystal Shop Mysteries series by Cate Conte.

A lot of the books I have been picking up lately have been dealing with the death of a loved one. I know this might be a normal thing for cozies but I guess since I have been going through something similar the plot point is just standing out to me more. Violet has to deal with the death of her grandmother and at the same time, the pendent she has worn constantly broke and in the breaking released Violet from a binding spell that was keeping her and her mother apart without her even knowing. There is a whole world in her grandmother’s and mother’s life that she never knew about. One fact of which is the fact that Violet is a witch from a powerful line of witches. What a secret to keep. Wow.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a great beginning to a series. I am indeed intrigued and want more. The mystery was thought provoking and I liked all the family drama. In a lot of cozies, the family dynamic is lacking. This has it in spades.

If you are looking for a cozy with a bit of a parnormal slant, this is for you!

Also, if you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. What a fun read!

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.