Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett (A Booktown Mystery, #3)

Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In the third book in the Booktown Mystery Series, Angelica has opened a diner in addition to her bookstore, the Cookery. Tricia's friend from college is in town, out-staying her welcome, and the local food panty is moving into a new home, only Tricia never knew the town even had a food pantry.

This was well-written, as Tricia realizes that she has no idea what is going on in her new town, that she spends so much time in the bookstore, she had no idea there was a food pantry, or anything, and she finds herself exploring this world of other people in order to find out what happened to her college roommate, who is found dead behind the diner.

Sheriff Wendy Adams is missing in this book, in fact she never appears to investigate the murder, she sends a new police officer, and finally Tricia feels that maybe the sheriff's department might be capable of handling this investigation on their own. But then again, she ends up getting drawn into the investigation, not out of fear that the new guy won't do his job, but just the past experiences won't let her relax and let it go, she has to figure it out.

This was another great book. I loved getting to know more about Stoneham and the people there and the history and events of the town. It was a lot of fun, I really enjoy these books!



View all my reviews

Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett (A Booktown Mystery, #2)

Bookmarked For Death by Lorna Barrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Bookmarked for Death is the second book in the Booktown Mystery Series by Lorna Barrett. I loved the first book, and this second one did not disappoint me at all. I enjoyed reconnecting with Tricia and her sister, Angelica, coming back to Stoneham, or otherwise known as Booktown.

Tricia owns and runs a mystery bookstore called "Haven't got a Clue", while her sister owns and runs the bookstore next door called, "The Cookery". Although Tricia and Angelica haven't had the greatest of relationships, it is nice to read along and watch them discover new things about each other and bond and build a better relationship than what they had before.

The town of Stoneham, that was dying out, but revitalized when its focus on book sellers and tourist trade was shaped. It just sounds like a place I would love to visit! A town full of bookstores! I mean really, what could be more perfect for someone who likes to read?

Tricia talks a local author into a book signing at her store, but before the night is over finds the author dead in her bathroom. Of course, Sheriff Wendy Adams is still mad at Tricia, and has alot of problems looking past those issues into the murder, wanting to find Tricia guilty, even when he isn't so of course that just means that Tricia will be doing some investigating. What she turns up, shakes her and the town. The best selling books were not written by the author, but by another woman, with a mystery in her life.

I loved this book. I love the idea of Booktown and I enjoy going there in the books. I enjoyed meeting the townspeople, learning more about ones I already knew and growing the town. It has been a blast. I find the mystery and Tricia to be pretty believable as a person and that makes it easier to get into the story.



View all my reviews

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris (A Harper Connelly Mystery, #1)

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed Charlaine Harris as an author, so i thought I would check out this series, the Harper Connelly Mystery series.

Harper and her step-brother Tolliver, travel around using Harpers unique gift to solve mystery's. At the age of fifteen, Harper was struck by lightening in her bathroom, and when she survived, she was left being able to find dead people. Not only can she find them, but she "sees" the last moments, telling her their cause of death, but she is not able to see who did it.

The people Harper and Tolliver met on their travels are mixed, some see her gift as a curse some a blessing, some like it and other hate her for it, but then again, what else would you expect of people. Some people are more open minded and open to things of this nature, and others, who don't understand it, just aren't willing to accept it.

Harper has been called to a small town Sarne to find a missing girl. Her boyfriend at the time was found dead in a field, and no one realized that she might be with him for a number of days. His death was ruled a suicide. Walking the field, Harper was able to tell them where the girl was and how she died, and the fact that the boyfriend most definitely did not kill himself. Her job done, she was ready to move on, only to be called back to Sarne. Harper finds herself having to solve the mystery of what is going on, why these deaths and what secret all these people held in order to get herself and her brother free of Sarne so that they can move on.

I found the book well-written and enjoyable. I wanted to get to know Tolliver and Harper more, to learn about them, in fact I found myself feeling for Harper, rough life add a strange gift, and it can be lonely, and I wanted her to find happiness. It was such a draw, and I found I wanted to journey with them, learn more about them, even fight for Harper.

Can't wait to gt ahold of the second book and continue learning about them.



View all my reviews

A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris (An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, #2)

A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So after finishing Book one of the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series, it wasn't bed time and so I started on book two!

A Bone to Pick is the second book in the Aurora Teagarden Mystery and in this we find Roe attending her mother's wedding to a former Real Murders Club member, then attending the wedding of her former boyfriend and Real Murders club member, Arthur Smith, only to be shocked by the very visibly pregnant bride, then the funeral of a friend and former Real Murders club member. To add to her bewilderment, she is contacted by the attorney only to find out that the friend left everything to her! Everything being a house, a sizable bank account and a mystery.

Roe decides that she must solve the mystery, it is what Jane would have wanted and she proceeds to work on that. All the while trying to decide if she wants to give up her comfortable, and rent free townhouse for the ownership of the little house on Honor Street, only to find out that the house across the street is the new home of Arthur and his wife! As Roe ponders and puzzles her way through another mystery, she answers questions and makes decisions for her life and her future.

Again, this is so well written that it draws you in, I could almost see myself walking around the little house on Honor Street, I could feel the eyes of the neighborhood, and feel for Roe. I was pulled into the story and into her life and I wanted it to keep going. I wanted to know more and to find out more about Roe, even after the mystery was solved. Guess that means I have to find book three!



View all my reviews

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris (An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, #1)

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed author Charlaine Harris's Vampire books with Sookie Stackhouse and so I decided that I wanted to try some more of her books, so I got ahold of some of the Aurora Teagarden Mystery books.

Real Murders is the first book in the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series and begins with the monthly Friday night meeting of the Real Murders Club. This is a group of people that get together to study, read and analyze old murders, argue for the conviction or against, or present suspects if never solved. It is all very scholarly, and they are an unlikely bunch that probably wouldn't be friends otherwise. This week, Aurora is leading the discussion of the Wallace Murder in England in 1931. Funny thing happens on the way to the meeting, as Aurora enters the VFW Hall, where they hold their meetings, the phone on the wall rings, and someone asks for Julia Wallace. Ok, now that is enough to freak out little Aurora, or Roe to her friends. She mentions it to another member but they shrug it off, and along the meeting goes, as each member arrives, until Roe is getting concerned. Maime Wright was suppose to open the building, and her car is here but she isn't. Finally Roe decides to check the other rooms for Mamie, only to find her in one room, murder in exactly the same way and staged exactly like Julia Wallace! ACK!

Roe is a down-to-earth librarian and she has never been around anything like this in her life before, and it becomes unsettling to her. Then when a box of poisoned chocolates how up on her door step, addressed to her mother, Roe is even more concerned. What is happening to their little town and why her?

As Roe continues through, she thinks about what is going on and puzzles and ponders over the murder, first one, then a second and so on. As a scholarly person, she puts bits and pieces together that seem logical to her in her studious mind, but not so logical to the police, only for her to find the true murderer before the police do.

I would not consider this a cozy mystery, it' just a mystery. It is well written. I come to like Roe, I feel for her as a person and what she is going through, and I want to see her come out on top. I enjoy the Southern life and the charm of that place in the book, and it is a good book and a good read. She is not a nosy-body, she just puzzles and ponders, she isn't really out to investigate but she just can't get it out of her mind. She is a likable character.

I enjoyed this book, and moved on to the next in the series.



View all my reviews

Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames (A Cheese Shop Mystery, #3)

Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Clobbered by Camembert is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series, and in this one Charlotte's old boyfriend comes back from France, which stirs up trouble with Jordan.

This book find us in the middle of winter, a Winter Wonderland Faire is starting, the whole town is excited, except that there is a new lady in town, and she is making enemies at every turn, stirring up old memories and making Charlotte question the truth about her parent's death.

We find Matthew and Meredith working on planning a wedding, and learning to deal with Slyvie living in town. Jordan and Charlotte and back from a vacation together, and she still has more questions about who Jordan is, and with Chip reappearing in town, it makes her wonder if he is the right man for her or not, but not that she would ever take Chip back, that is truly over. Rebecca and Ipo have started dating and they are finally going to have their first kiss, which has Rebecca all a-fluster, growing up Amish, she is not sure about this, but it will work out.

Blackmail, divorce, intrigue and murder all wrapped up in a tidy little book, so much going on and so much more to find out.

Loved the book (hated the last couple of paragraphs - cliffhanger notice) but over all well written, in fact I never guessed who the murder was until about the same moment that Charlotte did, and it was not who anyone thought~

Of course, there is the town grievances, the fued between Slyvie and Matthew, the power struggle over the twins, just a whole lot of fun stuff going on all around the murder, and while you are at it, a lot of good information about cheese and wine! I think those are my favorite parts! I love hearing about the flavors and taste of different cheeses, makes me want to write a list of the ones I want to try and keep it with the book. Same with the wines!



View all my reviews

llan Lokos

Pocket Peace by Allan Lokos

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received a copy of Pocket Peace from the GoodReads FirstReads program! Thank you very much!!

I liked this book, and it came at a time when I was going through some issues that I wasn't sure how to handle. I am still not sure how I will end up handling the issues, but I do know that I have found that there are a number of little tips in this book, that effect they way I look at each day and to make it better from my side.

Pocket Peace is filled with a number of small things each of us can do each day to change how the world around us effects us and how we effect it. One of the simplest, smile at everyone you see. If you tried that just for one day, what do you think you would find happening? You would be in a better mood and so many people around you would be in better moods!

There are more complex and detailed ideas that help you to focus on you and to make peace with the world, mediations and such, but over all I think it is a handy little book that everyone should read at least once!



View all my reviews