A Crafty Killing (A Victoria Square Mystery, #1) by Lorraine Bartlett

A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Crafty Killing is the first in the Victoria Square Mystery series, and if the first book is as good as the rest, this is going to be one wonderful series.

Katie Bonner is young, and had big dreams, dreams of a bed and breakfast for her and husband Chad, and he was on board, then he got into Artisan's Alley, which was an antique and craft market, although some vendors wanted no crafts and others did, it wasn't doing too well, but Chad saw visions for it. It created some in fighting between Chad and Katie, and just when it looked like she might be starting to listen to his thinking, he was killed in a car crash. Katie inherited Chad's part of Artisan's Alley and didn't really do anything with it, until the fateful day that Ezra, the owner of Artisans Alley was found dead, now Katie, still in shock and grief over losing Chad, is confronted with owning a whole building she resents, still feeling it caused Chad's death, and having to take over that building and make it work.

Along with trying to make the store profitable and a success, she has to mend some bridges with the community that Ezra burned, and she starts understanding Chad and his desire to get into this now, instead of waiting for the time when they could open a B&B, and trying to figure out what really happened to Ezra, only to find another dead body in the building. Now she really needs to know what is going on, and the one person that befriends her only turns out to be more and more involved in it all as she goes along. When will it end, will she ever figure it out, and will she quit resenting the building and let it become her dream?

I just wanted to hop in the book and hug Katie at times and at other times wanted to slap the whining little girl. I felt she was so wrapped up in the dream of the B&B, that she couldn't or wouldn't listen to Chad about other options and things that might actually be more their style and to their advantages than a B&B. I loved the twists and turns in the plot and how it all turned round in the end, it was not who you ever expected in the beginning, and still to the end it was not who I expected.

It was well-written and I found myself feeling like I was there, rooting for this town and the creative area of town, and just really even dreaming myself of where it could go and what it could become. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, really wanting to see where it goes and how it changes.

I hope that I was able to share enough to get you interested in the book, but not too much as to spoil the story for you, but I do hope you will take a chance and read this one, you won't be disappointed. Thanks!

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Feint of Art (An Annie Kincaid Mystery) by Hailey Lind (Juliet Blackwell)

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Feint of Art by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Feint of Art is the first book in the Annie Kincaid Mystery series which is written by Hailey Lind, which just happens to be a name created when Juliet Blackwell and her sister write together. Now, I happen to love Juliet's books, and I am not sure what name her sister writes under normally, or if she does, but I would be happy to say that she is just as good as her sister, if this book is any indication. I loved it!!

The story revolves around our main character, Annie Kincaid, she is the grand-daughter of a master art forger, spent time learning from him and passing some pretty good forgeries herself, but she went straight, now owning a studio that deals in faux finishes and murals and even some restoration of a old piece, which I am thinking who better to clean up and fix a master than a forger, really. She is scrapping by, but their are still people in the art world that want nothing to do with her, but more of them want her knowledge, because when it comes right down to it, when you spend a great deal of money on a painting that is suppose to be an old master you want it verified, and if I was verifying an old master, who better than a master forger to tell me if it is real, or one of their works. Of course, they all want it kept on the down-low that they are using her services and she is fine with that for now.

The story begins with Anne being called by an old flame to verify a new painting at the gallery he works for, only for Anne to have to tell him it is a fake. The old flame makes plans to met back up with her in a couple hours and she waits at the coffee shop only to be stood up, what else is new. So on her walk back to her truck, she sees police lights and finds out that the security guard that let her out just an hour ago is dead and there is no sign of her old flame anywhere. When she can't reach him still days later, she begins to look into what is going on out of concern for the guy, which leads her into a whole mess of things she never imagined!

This was just so well-written and so easy a story to follow, I just loved it and I look forward to more in this series, because I was blown away by all the art information that was tucked into the book, it never seemed like a "teaching moment" but more like real conversation and it was so neat and interesting. I really liked it and I hope you will take a chance on the book and give it a read!

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Deadly Notions (A Southern Sewing Circle, #4) by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Deadly Notions by Elizabeth Lynn Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Deadly Notions is the fourth book in the Southern Sewing Circle Series, which is a cozy mystery series. One of my favorite feel-good type of books to read when I am down is a cozy mystery, and when it is set in a small town in the south, even better; add in a little sewing and I am in a wonderful place.
This summer I set down one rainy afternoon, while the kids were playing games together on the computer and read this little number.

I have loved this series from the start, and am always anxious when I get ahold of the next book in the series, and it just happened to come in the mail from a swap so I was able to spend the time involved in the book, while it rained.

Tori is the head librarian at the Sweet Briar library, and transplant from Chicago. The Sewing Circle took her in the minute she arrived and have been helping her learn the souther ways to her new home town, like never, ever bring lemonade to a meeting, even if you did squeeze if by hand, all southern ladies drink sweet tea. But this time, the sewing circle has it's hands all tied up helping Melissa with a birthday party for her daughter Sally, but this can't just be a normal birthday party, no it has to meet the high standards and expectations of one mom in the group, Ashley Lawson, who just happens to be a wonderful dress designer, and would do anything in the world to make her daughter, Penelope, the net big thing. She has a way of talking down to all the other moms, and their party attempts, and heaven forbid you don't invite her child, well lets just say she has power in that tongue of hers. The bigger problem is that all this worship of her small daughter has lead to a massive chip on Penelope's shoulder, and none of the kids really like her, but they are forced to deal with her, or worse her mother.

With the Sewing Circle's and Tori's help, including the use of the library as a location it turned out to be quite the party after all, and everyone went home happy. Hummm, I wonder if our local library would be willing to let people use the reading room for dress up and book reading for a party? It actually sounded like a really cute and fun party idea for a seven year old. Until the next morning, when there are police at the library and Ashley Lawson is dead. The problem, there wasn't a soul at the party that didn't say something negative about the Mom, but none of them would have wanted to hurt her would they? Now it becomes Tori's job, along with those wonderfully helpful and noisy ladies of the sewing circle to find out who really killed Ashley and protect Melissa, one of their own and host of the party.

I am telling you, this is a delightful book. Lots of touches of southern charm, mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, followed with more southern charm. As the series continues, the relationships of the women of the sewing circle are deepened, even Rose and Tori and getting along better, and understanding each other better. And then there is the relationship between Tori and milo, even that is growing, in spite of some miscues and sabotage in this book. It was so much fun to follow the twists and turns and the rocks and bumps and finally to the end, where everything worked out for the best.

I just love this series, and I hope I didn't say too much about it to spoil the reading, but yet enough to encourage you to take a chance a try the book. I love to share good books I have found, and I hope you find it enjoyable too. Now, off to find the next book in the series!

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Murder In Miniature by Margaret Grace

Murder in Miniature by Margaret Grace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murder in Miniature is the first book in the A Miniature Mystery Series, and although it was a good book, i can't say that I am climbing the walls looking for book two. The story was fine, and I enjoyed the details of the miniatures world, but something about it made it difficult for me to read.

Maybe it was having grandma as the heroine, but I don't think it was that, but no matter how I tried i just could not relate to this book.

Geraldine is a grandma who lost her husband two years ago, and gets caught up in the only two murders in her small town in forever, while her granddaughter is here for a visit. She reasons through the questions and makes wonderful conclusions, not far fetched jumps, but yet at the same time I couldn't get into it and I find I am even having a hard time writing about it! Wow, that almost never happens with a book.


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A Pour Way to Dye by Tim Meyers (A Soapmking Mystery #2)

A Pour Way to Dye by Tim Myers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Tim Meyers has become one of my favorite authors, and to think, I wasn't sure to begin with that I would like a male cozy mystery writer.

I began with his Candlemaking series, and was amazed at how well written and how well he understood the candle making craft when writting that series.

Now I have moved on to his soap making series, and the Perkins family clan. I am again amazed at how well he understands the craft of soap making, and then there is the family clan, that I can just imagine being a part of in each book.

This series is also well written and just so easy to get into, to want to read and to be part of the book and to enjoy the craft of soap making. There are tips at the end of the book on making your own soap, and at this time of year, I think I might just have to try them.

As I finish this series, Tim Meyers has another series I am working on collecting so that I can read them, the Lighthouse Inn Mystery.



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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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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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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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Barbie's Dream Townhouse

I was never much of a Barbie girl growing up. I mean I had a few, but I never really played with them like they advertised on tv, and I never had the Dream House, or the Camper or the Car or any of that stuff. Fastforward 30 some years and I now have two daughters of my own, and I am learning Barbie all over again.

My girls play Barbie like I never did. Maybe it is because there are two of them, and they can play together, nicely, for hours with the Barbies. I mean they love them, they have elabrate lives for these dolls and works and school and it is just amazing to listen to them.

So this year for Christmas, my youngest wanted the Barbie 3-story Dream Townhouse. I really was not in the mood to buy something like that, but she really wanted it, but when I went to look for it, it was sold out everywhere. Now she ended up getting new dolls and clothes and she was happy, but she really wanted that house. She also got money for Christmas, and she decided to buy the house herself. So I placed the order online at walMart and it arrived at the store last night, so I am off to pick it up today.

We did have a deal about this house, if she got this, then she would get rid of all the other little house things she had, like the old Dora playhouse that they never use. She was all for that, so before I heard to the store to pick up the house, all the old things are going out.

I have to say, one good thing about my girls loving their Barbies, is that when they think of something they want for them, their first thought is "Mom, can you make....." and that makes me feel good. I crocheted backpacks, that you could actually put stuff in, for the Barbies a couple of weeks ago, and two coats last week. I have made rugs and blankets, pillows and such in the past. I've done a dress and a hooded cape, so it makes me feel good to have the girls ask me to make stuff, and it feels good to think and design something on the fly that will work.

I think I am enjoying the Barbies more now than I did as a kid, but for a whole different reason now. I love being asked to help, to make things for them, and I love watching the girls play with the things I have made them. It makes me feel good as a person and as a mom. Maybe having girls isn't all that bad.