Sealed with a Kill (A Decoupage Mystery, #3)

Sealed with a Kill by Lucy Lawrence

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book Three of the decoupage mystery series is another excellent book set in the small village of Morse point.

On a walking tour of the lake, a number of visitors to Morse Point on a "Leaf Peepers" tour, lead by Brenna, find more  than just leaves, they discover a dead body.  At first Brenna thinks she will be able to walk away from it, but it turns out that the dead person is Tenley's father's business partner. Well, so much for leaving it alone and letting Chief Baker take care of this one.

Along with the investigating, we get to learn more about the characters in the book. We watch as Matt and Tenley continue to grow their relationship, and this time they are ready to stand up to Tenley's parents and not allow them to destory the relationship.

other relationships are also growing, the relationship between Nate and Brenna starts to change.

A great book, a great story and so exciting. Loved this whole series.



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Cut to the Corpse (A Decoupage Mystery, #2)

Cut to the Corpse by Lucy Lawrence

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book two of the Decoupage Mystery finds all the same residents of Morse Point, including a few new members.

Jake Haywood and Tara Montgomery have just gotten engaged and somehow Brenna and Tenley have become friends of the bride-to-be. One night the girls head out for a bachorette party with some of Tara's friends, and although Tenley and Brenna go home early, the night gets wild. Brenna has to pick up Tara the next morning to met with tara's mom only to find Tara in bed with Jake's best friend Clue, and it gets even worse, Clue is dead.

Leave it to Brenna to stick her nose into the investigation and figure out the who and when and what.

The relationship between Brenna and Nate, and then Brenna and Dom are explored and see how they develop. Also, Matt and Tenley take the next step in their relationship, thanks to Brenna and actually go out on a date.

Of course it ends up being another well written and enjoyable book by the author. Ready to read the next.



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Stuck on Murder (A Decoupage Mystery, #1) by Lucy Lawrence

Stuck on Murder by Lucy Lawrence

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Author Jenn McKinlay, who writes the Cupcake Mystery Series and the Library Lovers Mystery series, is also the author of this, the Decoupage Mystery Series, although she writes it under the name of Lucy Lawrence. Since I had read the Cupcake Mystery Series and the Library Lovers, and enjoyed them very much, I looked for others by the same author.

Brenna Miller is a former big city gal, who has moved to the tiny village of Morse Point, where outsiders, no matter how long they have been there, are still not trusted. Nothing bad has happened in fifty years in Morse Point, until the Mayor is found in a trunk in the lake. There are those that want to blame Brenna, even though she had nothing to do with it, because she is an outsider, but even more want to blame her landlord, Nate Williams, who although he has been there for year is still an outsider.

Brenna has a hidden history that happened to her back in Boston, making her scared of an violence and untrusting of the police. We slowly learn this history in the book, and realize her fears and her motivation for investigating herself.

It is a well written book, and I enjoyed the story and the village of Morse Point. I look forward to reading books two and three to learn more about the town and the people. There are some real characters, and then there is a budding or smoldering romance between local Matt and Brenna's best friend Tenley, and Brenna's own attraction to her landlord, Nate Williams and Dom Cappicola, a former mob family man who is trying to take the family business legit.

So much to discover and enjoy.



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Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell (A Witchcraft Mystery, #1)

***MOVED TO THE NEW BL,OG********
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Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I discovered author Juliet Blackwell awhile back when I found her Haunted Home Renovation Series, and I loved that first book so much, that I researched the author to see what else she might hve written, and discovered this series, A Witchcraft Mystery.

I loved this book. Lily is our lead, a powerful witch, that we know very little about, so we discover just a little about her history, with so many more mysteries in her as a person herself yet to discover.  Bronwyn is actually a wiccan, a normal human who practices witchcraft as a religion, but not a real witch and not powerful. Bronwyn shares space in the store with Lily and can already tell what Lily is, before and without Lily telling her. She becomes something of a friend to Lily, the first of her life. Maya is a student at the Fine Arts College that is recording histories of people, and in that role finds a number of vintage clothing stashes for Lily. Se also, although being skeptical of the whole paranormal world, another friend to Lily.

In this, the first of the series, Lily and Maya met with an elder lady who isn't all that she seems, and while they are visiting to look for clothes, a young girl down the street is "abducted". Lily takes it upon herself to try to figure out what is going on and to get the girl back.

It is a well-written and charming story that weaves it's way around, introducing a number of people, giving us just a touch about them, not too much but just enough to keep us interested. So looking forward to the next book to see where each of these people go, the history and pasts that they bring to the story and where they are headed. I find myself wanting to discover more about the people.

Another great book by Juliet Blackwell.



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A Flicker of Doubt (A Candlemking Mystery, #4)

A Flicker of Doubt by Tim Myers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The fourth book in the Candlemaking series starts with Harrison enjoying a relaxing trip in his kayak on the Gunpowder River, only what he things is a tree stump he bumps in the water turns out to be his former girlfriend.

While the police are sure it was a suicide, Harrison is sure it wasn't, and with the help of his good friend Markum, he sets out to figure out what happened.

This is another good read in this series, introducing us to some new people, letting us learn more about some of the people we already know, and weaving a tale that bounds the shops in River's Edge closer together yet again.

There is still some good candlemaking advice in this book, but fewer long sessions on a particular type, just more general advice.

Still, it is worth the read.



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Tutu Deadly (A Jenny T, Partridge Dance Mystery)

Tutu Deadly by Natalie M. Roberts

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


My oldest daughter is a dancer and into musical theater. So when I saw this book listed on the Cozy-Mystery group by someone that they had just read it, i knew I had to see what it was about.

The lead character is Jenny T Partridge, and she owns a dance studio, albeit a small scale studio. She has psycho dance moms coming in and out all day, complaining that their daughters are better than they really our, deserve more front-center time, etc, etc.  On this day, she has been confronted by a psycho mom who thinks her daughter is a dancer, when she clearly could care less about dance and more about picking her nose, who proceeds to pee herself and the dance floor.  As she is cleaning up the mess, a police detective walks in and asks Jenny about a mom, who she comes to find out is dead. Jenny faints on the spot.

This is different in a number of ways from most Cozy mysteries that I have read. In most books, the lead is a capable and confident woman who purposely sets out to find out what is going on, Jenny has no desire to find out what is going on, to just live her normal life, but that is not to be.  Jenny comes across in the first few chapters as almost a brick short of a full load, so to say. She can't get a simple common expression correct and seems to be oblivious to half the world around her.

I think it was Chapter 3 or 4 when I fnally stopped getting the feel that Jenny was brainless, but just oblivious. If it wasn't for the hunky detective that shows an interest in her, and the best friend James that has no clue how to handle his mother, who is actively planning his and Jenny's wedding even though James is gay, I would have no interest in another book, but the ending of this has me on pins and needles to find out what happens with the detective and james.




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Books Can Be Deceiving (A Library Lover's Mystery, #1)

Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have been reading another series by Jenn McKinlay, her Cupcake Bakery Series, and I am waiting on the next book in that series, so I checked out information on the author and found she had a few other series, so i got ahold of this one from the library.

A Library Lover's Mystery, the lead character Lindsey is the director of the library, which reminds me of the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series, as the lead in that series is also the director of the library, but they are completely different stories.

One of the first things Lindsay did when she took over the library was to form a Crafternoon club, much to the dismay of the older library staff person, Mrs. Cole. A crafternoon club is a group that was part book club and part craft club. They met at the library once a month and read a book, which they discussed at the meeting, while crafting. In this book, they were knitting.

Lindasy's best friend from college, Beth has been the children's director at the library for ten years, and when the director position opened up she encouraged Lindsay to apply. Which came at a perfect time in her life, when the university was cutting staff, and her library position was downsized and at the same time lindsay found out her finance was leeping with someone else.

Now, in the quaint town of Briar Creek, Lindsay is settling into life, until a children's book publisher comes to town, and Beth is encouraged to show her the book Beth has been working years on. Problems start when Beth's boyfriend of five years, a children's author himself,Rick finds out. he is livid and breaks things off with Beth, and the next day when Beth shows her book to the editor she finds out why. Rick has submitted Beth's book as his own and it is set to publish that fall!  Beth and lindsay set out to confront Rick, only to find him dead!

The local small town sheriff, who has never had a murder in town, sets his sights at Beth as the murderer and refuses to even listen or look at anyone else. Good thing there is a state investigator in the case, and that Lindsay refuses to let her best friend take the fall for something she didn't do.

I felt it was a good book, well written and enjoyable to read. I loved the way the author develops the characters. I loved the first series I read by her, so I had high hopes for this series, and so far it doesn't disappoint.  I am looking forward to reading more in this series and even more book by this author.




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A Killer Collection (A Collectible Mystery #1)

A Killer Collection by J.B. Stanley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book is based on pottery collecting, it is a cozy mystery wrapped in Southern, rural North Carolina pottery making and collecting.  There is a great deal of information about the history of pottery in North Carolina, the pottery making itself and the history of different types of North Carolina pottery.

I found myself really drawn to the descriptions of the pottery pieces, and wanting to find some of these and look at them myself. The receipes for the glaze and the clay were interesting, and I found myself more entranced by it than the mystery itself, probably because i just couldn't relate to the characters that well. There were some i understood and believed and wanted to read more about, but most were so far from anything i had ever meet that I just couldn't understand or get into them.

I did like the book, not sure if there is another, it says first in the new series, but I haven't heard of any others, although i think I will look. I would probably read a second to see if I could relate more to the characters before passing judgement on the series.



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Death Waxed Over (A Candlemaking Mystery #3)

Death Waxed Over by Tim Myers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The third book in the Candlemaking series by Tim Myers. You know, i really wasn't sure i would like a male author, nothing against them, but writing a cozy mystery, I just wasn't sure. He actually got the candlemaking aspects and it works. So much so that I have breezed through books one, two and now three!

Harrison is accused of murder! A rival candle shop opens not far away, and the owner is loud and brash about hating Harrison and that she is going to "bury him", when she falls over dead at a festival, a "witness" swears that Harrison shot her, even saying she heard Harrison say he was going to bury her, well that was all well and fine, but it was actually the dead woman that said she was going to bury Harrison. Too bad for Harrison that the witness happened to be the wife of the owner of the only local newspaper.  To save his business, and his life, Harrison investigates and figures out what really happened.

This was another well-written and engaging book by Tim Myers. I liked it so much that I researched more about the author to find that her has two other series, which I am now going to have to find and work on reading. Speaking of the series, there is a post on my blog titled Author Tim Myers, and it listed the series i found and the books in order for each series, yes I have a thing about reading books out of order, so i am always working on listing books in order.




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Death by the Dozen (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery #3)

Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the third book in the Cupcake Bakery Series, and it was as well written andenjoyable as the first two!

I have enjoyed the characters, Tate, Mel, Angie, Uncle Stan, Joyce and all the DeLaura brothers! In this book, the Bakery gets an intern, Oz, that looks nothing like a baker, but turns out to have some mad skills!

The Scottsdale Food Festival is in town, and the Challenge to the Chefs is upon them. Mel and Angie entered the pastry division, and of course Olivia Puckett is entered and trying to make waves from the beginning, including standing on the stairs blocking the enterance to the office so that they can't turn in their registration, but you know that isn't going to stop Angie, not growing up with seven brothers, they have a plan and make it on time.

The contest involves baking with a mystery ingredient, and the all the judges for the contest were t culinary school with Mel, two were teachers and another student. She has a history with them all, but her favorite teacher, Vic, who helped her through her father's death is there and he is counting on her winning. On the day of the first bake-off, Vic is no where to be found, until Mel and Angie wander to the margarita tent, only to find Vic in the freezer, dead.

Baking competetion, poisionings and more keep this book jumping to the end. I loved it! can't wait for more!



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Author Jenn McKinlay

Author Jenn McKinlay has baked and frosted cupcakes into the shapes of cats, mice, and outer space aliens, to name just a few.  Writing a mystery series based on one of her favorite food groups (dessert) is as enjoyable as licking the beaters, and she can't wait to whip up the next one. She lives in Scottsdale, AZ, with her family.

Visit her website at www.jennmckinlay.com


A Cupcake Bakery Mystery
1.  Sprinkle with Murder
2.  Buttercream Bump Off
3.  Death by the Dozen


A Library Lover's Mysteries
1.  Books can Be deceiving
2.  Due or Die


Decoupage Mysteries (writing as Lucy Lawerence)
1.  Stuck on Murder
2.  Cut to the Corspe
3.  Sealed with a Kill


Good Buy Girls Mysteries (writing as Josie Bell)
1.  50% off Murder

Snuffed Out (A Candlemaking Mystery, #2)

Snuffed Out by Tim Myers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In the first book, Harrison Black inherited a Candle Making shop and an old factory turned into shops, he also solved his aunt's murder.



The second book begins with a power outage in River's Edge, the building Harrison owns and that houses a number of craft shops, including his own candle shop.  As Harrison and his handy man, Pearly investigate, they find one of the tenets, the one who owes a pottery shop, dead.  It looks to be an accident, except that there was an electric pottery wheel involved, and anyone who knew Aaron knew that he never used the electric pottery wheel. 



The flu has hit this small-town police department, and the sheriff is sure it was just an accident, but Harrison just isn't so sure and starts nosing around.



We learn more about some of the tenets, getting to know their history and general traits. we met some new people, but more we learn more about the characters. They are starting to grow on me, although there are still some I don't know or understand yet, but there is enough going on that keeps me wanting to read more.



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At Wick's End (A Candlemaking Mystery, #1)

At Wicks End by Tim Myers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Candlemaking, I've only briefly tried my hand at the simple poured candles, but a cozy mystery set in a candle shop, well that is right up my alley.



The book starts with a phone call, telling Harrison that his great0aunt has passed away and that he has inherited her candlemaking shop, along with the whole building that houses the shop, including some other craft type stores and an apartment upstairs.



The more Harrison gets to know the people and how things work, he is not so sure that his aunts death was actually an accident. Of course no one wants to believe that so it is up to Harrison to figure out what really happened.  All the while learning the candle making craft and how to be a shop owner and a landlord.



This was a short book, quick read and the characters were fairly well written, enough so that i wanted to read the next book. I am still finding a few of the characters hard to read and understand, they are being revealed slowly, but i am interested enough to keep reading.



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Author Tim Myers

Author Tim Myers:

Tim Myers lives with his family near the Blue Ridge Mountains he loves and writes about.  He is the award-winning author of the Agatha-noiminated Lighthouse Inn mystery series and the Candlemaking mystery series, as well as over seventy short stories.
Tim has been a stay-at-home dad for  the last fourteen years, finding time for murder and mayhem whenever he can.
To learn more, visit his website at www.timmyers.net or contact him at timothylmyers@hotmail.com

The Lighthouse Inn Mysteries

1.  Innkeeping with Murder

2.  Reservations for Murder

3.  Murder Checks Inn

4.  Room for Murder
5.  Booked for Murder
6.  Key to Murder
7.  Ring for Murder

A Candlemaking Mysteries

1.  At Wick's End

2.  Snuffed Out

3.  Death Waxed Over
4.  A Flicker of Doubt

A Soapmaking Mystery
1.  Dead Men Don't Lye
2.  A Pour Way to Dye
3.  A Mold for Murder

New Traditional Southern Cozy
1.  Coventry
2.  A Family of Strangers

Murder is Binding (A Booktown Mystery)

Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Set in a small New Hampshire, a dying town has been revitalized by the day-tourist trade when a quick thinking real estate business man decides to court and attract unquie and rare booksellers to fill the vacant store fronts.

Housed at number 221 is the bookstore "Haven't Got a Clue", and mystery book store selling recent novels as well as rare and collectiable older books. Next door is "The Cookery", which has cooking demostrations and sells new and collectible cookbooks.

Trish owns "Haven't Got a Clue" and Doris owns "The Cookery". No one would call them friends, but Trish tries. Bob Kelly is the real estate agent that lured all the booksellers to town, but he is not everyone's favorite person, in fact most people either love him or hate him. Trish's enstranged sister shows up in and town, and they find Doris dead in her shop next door!

Trish becomes the prime suspect, in fact the Sheriff Wendy Adams takes an immediate dislike to Trish and decideds she did it, and isn't even bothering to look at other people. In fact throughout the book, any time Trish tries to tell her something she observed or heard, the Sheriff threatens to arrest her for libel. So Trish does what she can and investigates herself!

This was a fun read. The characters were well written and you were really able to understand them and felt for them. It was difficult to figure out the murderer, there were just so many people that had motive and wanted Doris dead.

There are even some recipes in the back of the book.




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Buttercream Bump Off (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #2)

Buttercream Bump Off by Jenn McKinlay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Cozy Mystery Group is reading Sprinkle with Murder, book 1 of this series, and of course once I read it, I had to read the second book when I finished book one.

Fairy Tale Cupcakes, is a cupcake bakery owned and ran by Mel, with her best friends from grade school, Tate and Angie. In book one, they had to deal with the death of Tate's finance Christine and Mel being the prime suspect. Of course there is still the rival bakery owner, Olivia Puckett to deal with, but things are defintely better than before. Then Mel's mom comes into the store to announce that she has a date! Over 10 years after her father has passed away, Joyce is finally dating again. the date doesn't turn out too well, when someone kills her date while she is changing clothes to go hot-tubbing.

This time, Mel isn't the prime suspect, but her Mom is, and then her Mom feels that she is being watched, so Mel does what any good daughter would do and she investigates for herself, to the ire of Detective Rayburn.

This is another well written story, quick and fun read, and i am looking for book three, because I have to know what happens next. There were some decisions left up in the air at the end of book t3wo, and no I am not going to tell you about them, so i am looking for book three to find out what happens! it's nice when you get caught up in a book like that, that makes you want to read and find out what happens with the characters.



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Sprinkle With Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery #1)

Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Cozy Mystery group was reading Sprinkle with Murder this month, so i went to the library and picked up the book and the second in the series also.

Sprinkle with Murder tells the story of three friends since grade school, Angie, Mel and Tate. The three open a cupcake bakery and the story begins. There is the rival bakery owner, who drives by the store at least eight times a day, then there is Tate's finance, who is just downright mean, and no one understands what Tate see's in her. Then you have Angies seven overprotective, older brothers. Yes I said seven! In this book, I think there were only three that we learned by name, but they are all cut from the same cloth.

Tate and Christine, the mean fiance decide to have Mel and Angie do the cupcakes for their wedding. Of course this can't be easy, Christine wants five flavors for her wedding, in her colors of red, white and black, but she wants five flavors that new, that have never been created before, and to top it all off, she wants Mel to sign over the rights to the cupcake flavors to her. Mel has reservations about it, but it is a big coup for the new business and she does. She makes the five flavors and gives them to Christine, who calls to ask her to stop by the next morning to talk about them. When Mel shows up at Christine's the next morning, there is no answer and Mel soon discovers Christine's lifeless body.

Mel becomes the prime suspect, and her friendship with Tate is questioned. Mel feels she's being framed, and so she starts investigating herself.

The friendship between Mel, Angie and Tate is awesome to read about, the good friendship is wonderful, and the things that bring them together is fun. I love the flashbacks to grade school and to learn how they developed into the people they are today. Then there is one of Angie's brothers, Joe, that Mel has had a crush on since sixth grade. How does that play out? Does he realize it? Does Angie know? I'm not about to tell you, you have to read the book.

it was a great, quick, fun read! I even had to read the second book as soon as I put this one down!



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The Story of Che

The Story of Che by Justin Walling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received this book in the mail on Saturday from the GoodReads First-Reads giveaway. What a wonderful program.

I loved the book. The sing-song rhythm of the verse is so catchy and easy to follow. It is great for children and adults of all ages.

Knowing a number of friends that have adopted children, this is the perfect story to read and begin the discussion about adoption. It should not be the only thing said, but it is a great, gentle way to start the conversation.





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The Merlot Murders ( A Wine Country Mystery)

The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A few years back I read a cozy mystery involving wine, and a vineyard. when I found this book, I was afraid it might be the same book, but after reading it, I realized that it was not. It was very close, but not the same place or time or storyline.

I am not a big wine drinker, although the older I get the more I want to know more about wine and to enjoy wine. So this book has information about wine making, wine growing and history. The additional information on types of wine, the varieties, where wine is grown and how it is made is so interesting and enjoyable to read.

This story is set in Virginia, and yes, they can grow grapes there as well. We all think of france or California when we think of wine, but I live in Indiana, and we have two excellent wineries in our town, and they grow their grapes right here in the heart of the midwest.

Our lead is Luci, and she was involved in a terrible car accident about 4 years earlier, leaving her with some struggles, in fact it took awhile before she could walk again, so she took off and went to France, to a family house that was well run-down, to lick her wound and learn to live again.

An early morning phone call from her brother rocks her world and life as she knew it. Her father is dead. Her brother says it was an accident and to come home so they can sell the family vineyard. She is not so sure about the accident part, and she refuses to sell. This sets up the battle between brother and sister that carries through the book.

Luci comes home to find alot of things have changed since she left 4 years ago, yet some things are the same, and she works to discover what is going on. There are many suspects into who might want her father one, and who wants her family to sell the vineyard, and so as she works to figure it all out and what exactly is going on, she discovered the truth about people she knew.

It is a good, fun and exciting read. It took me until the end to figure out who was behind everything, in fact, when she said she knew, i was still unsure, until she told me. It was a real difference and a change and not exactly who you thought.

I so enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.





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A New Birth of Freedom: The Visitor

A New Birth of Freedom: The Visitor by Robert G. Pielke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So I received this book as a GoodReads FirstReads giveaway. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't what i got!

The book is the retelling of history with a twist. The main character travels through time, back to the Civil War, to prevent a future tragedy.

It was a well written book and I enjoyed the way everything flowed. I was so caught up in the book that before I realized it, the book was done, and it was a cliffhanger! I'll tell you that already, it was a cliffhanger, leaving you waiting for the next book to find out what happens, and I am so wanting to read the next book.

This is not my typical read, but I really enjoyed the book and look forward to the next book.




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