Book Review - Twas the Knife Before Christmas

Twas the Knife Before Christmas
Author:  Jacqueline Frost
Publisher:  Crooked Lane Books
Published:  September 27, 2018
4 Stars

This book picks up one year after the end of the first book in the series, and the author does a great job catching us up with the characters from Mistletoe, Maine.  We learn that Holly’s parents are building an inn on Reindeer Games Christmas tree farm.  The inn is almost finished, and Holly is to become the innkeeper.  Her friendships with Caroline and Ray have really blossomed over the year, and she can’t imagine her life without them.  Caroline has opened her cupcake shop, and Ray is continuing his quest to become an investigative reporter.  Holly’s relationship with Evan seems to be at a standstill.  He has been both distant and elusive, and Holly is not sure where they stand.  The recurring characters in this book are all fun and easy to fall in love with.  We also get to meet some new and interesting characters in this book.

It’s less than two weeks before Christmas and many of the town residents and tourists are gathered around for the town’s annual tree lighting ceremony.  As the tree is lit, a large candy dish filled with peppermint candies is unveiled.  Much to everyone’s chagrin, there is also a body in it.  They body turns out to be that of Derek Waggoner, a successful local businessman and womanizer.  Holly’s best friend Caroline becomes the prime suspect because she had been seen arguing with Derek the night before, and he has been killed with one of Caroline’s knives which was found with only her fingerprints on it.  Holly knows her friend is not a murderer, and she has lots of questions about the case.  She starts asking her questions around town, but almost immediately starts receiving threats to back off the case.  While the threats frighten Holly, she is determined to find out who the real killer is.

I started the second book in this series right after I finished the first.  The first book got me hooked, and I wanted to see what was next for Holly and her friends.  While both books dealt with murders at Christmas, and Holly’s sleuthing, I thought the plots were different enough that I didn’t just feel like I was rereading the same story.  The mystery in the second book is very intriguing and I enjoyed the building suspense the author created.  The mystery was also as good as the first, and I’m hoping for a third book in this series.  The author unquestionably laid the tracks for another story.  There is definite character development in these books, and I would suggest reading them in order to truly appreciate what the author has created.

One of the things I like about both of these books is Holly’s intentions as an amateur sleuth.  While she does get frustrated with the sheriff’s investigation at times, you don’t get the impression that she thinks she is smarter than the sheriff.  She simply has questions that she wants answered, and she feels like she approaches the investigation from a different angle.

This is a great cozy mystery filled with the sights, sounds, and magic of Christmas.

Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #TwasTheKnifeBeforeChristmas

Book Review - The Opium Purge

The Opium Purge
By:  Elizabeth Bailey
Publisher:  Sapere Books
Published On:  November 01, 2018
4 Stars


“The cloak splashed red against the pristine snow.  Arms uplifted to the heavens, bare fingers catching at fresh flakes, the girl twirled on the vanished lawn of the Dower House, her countenance alight with pleasure.”

After taking in this scene, Lady Ottilia Fanshawe feels like she has witnessed a fairy dancing in the snow.  Soon after, Lady Fanshawe decides to go for a walk, but when she arrives at the front parlour, she finds her dancing fairy in the middle of the room with a bloodied hand.  It becomes apparent that the young girl has broken the glass in the door to gain access to the room.  From her initial interactions with the girl, Tamasine, Lady Fanshawe realizes she has some sort of mental illness.  Tamasine’s guardian, Sir Joslin Cadel, and Tamasine’s companion, Lavinia, arrive soon after in search of her.  They apologize for the disruption, and they take Tamasine back to their adjoining property.  Not long afterwards, Tamasine is back tapping on the glass to be let in.  She comes in and announces she has pushed Joslin down the steps in the garden, and that he is dead.  Lady Fanshawe can’t help but investigate Sir Joslin’s death.  Although she is hesitant to believe Tamasine’s version of events, she does suspect that he has been murdered.

The Opium Purge is the third book in the Lady Fan Series, and the relationship between Lord and Lady Fanshawe continues to be one of the charms of the book.  Lady Fanshawe is a strong-minded, intelligent woman who is determined to seek out truths.  Lord Fanshawe’s gallant efforts to protect his wife and her honor, all while giving her the space she requires to carry out her investigations, is nothing short of regal.  Throughout the story, they both show their love for each other in subtle ways, often by just a touch or a gentle word.

One of the interesting aspects of the story, and one that I found humorous, is that Lady Fanshawe asserts herself into Sir Joslin’s household under no one’s authority but her own.  She is accosted by members of the household staff who question her authority to be snooping through the house.  She lets their objections roll off her shoulders, and continues her investigations.  It’s so Lady Fan of her :) !

Her investigation starts with a death that was apparently caused by a fall but is eventually ruled a death by opium overdose.  This is but the first twist in this intriguing tale.  The house is full of secrets and Lady Fanshawe must work through each of these secrets to understand the truth behind Joslin’s death.  One of the secrets is Tamasine herself.  Should we love her innocence or fear her twisted thoughts?  Are those that surround her there to support her or take advantage of her?

The story kept me absorbed right until the very surprising ending.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to Net Galley and Sapere Books for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #TheOpiumPurge

Book Review - Death and Daisies

Death and Daisies
By:  Amanda Flower
Published By:  Crooked Lane Books
Published On:  November 13, 2018
4 Stars

Death and Daisies is the second book in the Magic Garden mystery series.  In this book, Fiona Knox is still adjusting to life in Scotland.  Her godfather has recently died and left her Duncreigan Cottage, its garden, and enough money to open up her new flower shop, The Climbing Rose.  Many of the villagers have been very welcoming, but the local parish minister, Quaid MacCullen, has expressed nothing but disdain for not only Fiona, but for Duncreigan too.  Fiona does her best to move past his anger and threats and to concentrate on her grand opening.  Her grand opening seems to be a success and is starting to wind down when the village’s police officer storms in.  He reports that he has found the dead body of Minister MacCullen.  Chief Inspector Craig is at the grand opening and immediately heads to the crime scene.  Given MacCullen’s hostile feelings towards her, Fiona fears that she will be a prime suspect, and she races after Craig to the crime scene.  Fiona injects herself into the investigation, but in doing so puts herself in danger.

This was a quaint, cozy mystery with a bit of mysticism and romance sprinkled in.  I don’t usually like paranormal stories, but this book had just enough to make it enjoyable and unique.  The author has given us a great cast of characters in this book.  First we have Fiona, our protagonist, who is trying to make a fresh start in Scotland.  She is joined by her sister Isla who has come to stay with her for the summer.  Fiona grapples with accepting the fact that her younger sister is no longer a little girl.  This creates some tension between the two young women.  Fiona also struggles with understanding her relationship with Chief Inspector Neil Craig.  She is unsure of his true feelings for her.  Fiona also gets to know some of the secondary characters in this book better.  She also meets some colorful new characters.  Her suspect list becomes a mix of old and new acquaintances.  Wether good or bad, all of the book’s characters seem genuine.

This was a smartly written, fast paced story that I found very enjoyable.  The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing all the way until the end.  There are many storylines that are left open for development in future installments. I’m looking forward to following these storylines within the context of future mysteries.  In addition, I’m anxious to read other books by this author.

Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #DeathAndDaisies

Book Review - The Christmas Cake Murder

The Christmas Cake Murder
By:  Joanne Fluke
Published By:  Kensington Books
Published On:  September 25th, 2018
3 Stars

This installment of the Hannah Swensen mystery series takes us back in time to when Hannah’s dad has just died, Hannah has decided to drop out of her doctoral program, Andrea is pregnant with her and Bill’s first child, and Michelle is still in high school.  Hannah’s mom, Delores, is struggling to deal with her husband’s death and has holed herself up in her room.  At the same time one of Lake Eden’s beloved residents, Essie, has broken her hip and is in the hospital. While there, Essie keeps talking about her first Christmas Ball and how much she would like to go back and experience it again.  Two of Delores’s friends come up with an idea to help both women.  They ask Delores to help recreate the Christmas Ball that Essie is reminiscing about.  Delores agrees to help and enlists the help of her daughters.  Hannah is put in charge of baking the cakes.  It is here that her dream for opening the Cookie Jar starts to form.

Hannah doesn’t actually stumble upon a body in this book.  Instead, the murder takes place in a story within the story.  The story comes from notebooks the girls find in Essie’s apartment.  Each night the family sits down together and listens to Hannah read from the story.  It turns out to be a mystery and everyone is engrossed in it and can’t wait to see how it ends.  The problem is that Essie never finished the story.  It’s left to the girls to figure out what happens next.

In this story we see how the Cookie Jar comes to be.  It is Hannah’s dream, but Delores helps make it all come true.  One of Hannah’s complaints about her mom though is that she tries to take control of her life.  Delores takes some pretty big actions involving Hannah’s life in this story, but she doesn’t move forward with those ideas before checking with Hannah.  Hannah seems good with all that her mother is doing to help her create a life in Lake Eden.  Andrea doesn’t play prominently in this story, but we get the first inkling about her future realtor career. We see a fair amount of Lisa and Michelle, and it was fun to see how their younger selves acted.  Although it is much like their future selves.  Lisa’s mother is still alive in this story, but she is sick, and Lisa spends a lot of time with the Swensen family.  Many of Lake Eden’s secondary characters do not appear in this story, but that’s ok.  It is a great time to get to know the Swensens better.

I loved the story within the story in this book.  I’ve really enjoyed the past installments, but it was a good change up from Hannah always stumbling upon a body.  The story is intriguing and provides a much different setting than just Lake Eden.  Just like the Swensens, I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next.

And like always, there are some yummy recipes included.

Fans of cozy mysteries and cooking mysteries will enjoy this book.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #TheChristmasCakeMurder

Book Review - Wine and Punishment

Wine and Punishment
By:  Sarah Fox
Publisher:  Kensington Books
Published:  December 18, 2018
3.5 Stars


Sadie Coleman packed up her old life in Boston and moved to the small town of Shady Creek, Vermont.  There she bought an old mill and turned it into a pub with a literary theme which she called Inkwell.  Sadie was adjusting well to life as a pub owner and resident of Shady Creek.  Things changed, however, the night that her lying, gambling ex-boyfriend, Eric showed up at her pub.  Sadie was on her way out of the apartment above the pub when one of her employees let her know that Eric was asking for her.  Sadie didn’t want to deal with him that night and continued on to the birthday party she was headed to.  On the way home from the party, Sadie noticed smoke and ran to find two stores ablaze.  By the time that Sadie finally made it back to her pub, her employees had closed up for the night, and Eric was gone.  The next day, Sadie went to head into town but found all four of her tires slashed.  She instantly thought that Grayson Blake could be responsible because she felt he seemed to have taken an immediate dislike to her.  She went to confront Grayson, and then they both ended up stumbling upon Eric’s body.  Sadie wants to find out what happened to Eric and if the other odd events are at all related.

Wine and Punishment is the first book in the Literary Pub Mystery Series.  It was a good read, and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

At the beginning of the police investigation, the police consider Sadie a possible suspect.  I believe that is what fuels her desire to investigate the case on her own.  She knows she didn’t do it, and she wants to make sure that Eric’s family gets some closure.  Like many other amateur sleuths, Sadie’s investigations lead to more trouble for herself.  Sadie then is not only trying to solve Eric’s murder, but also to protect her own life and property.  I think Sadie is a likable character except I found her a little too quick to fly off the handle with regards to Grayson Blake.  Yes, he doesn’t appear to like her, but she is downright rude to him. There are a number of other memorable characters that help bring depth to this story.

I think the author developed a great storyline that was easy to get invested in.  I was intrigued and wanted to keep reading to see what happened to Sadie, and to see if she could solve her ex’s murder.  The New England fall provides a beautiful backdrop for this story, and the literary inspired pub makes it a unique setting.

For those that are interested, the author includes the recipes for the literary inspired mixed drinks that Sadie created for her pub.  Sadie also hopes to add literary inspired menu items, and I’m looking forward to seeing those recipes in the future books.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #WineAndPunishment

Book Review - Edinburgh Dusk

Edinburgh Dusk
By:  Carole Lawrence
Publisher:  Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date:  September 18, 2018
4 Stars

Edinburgh Dusk is the second book in the Inspector-Detective Ian Hamilton mystery series.  The original cast of characters is back plus some engaging historical figures.  The story starts our with Sophia Jex-Blake, the first practicing woman doctor in Scotland, coming to the station to report what she believes was a murder by poisoning.  This would not be the poisoners only victim.  Hamilton discovers that these men who are poisoned all have one thing in common, sleaziness.  With the help of Sergeant Dickerson and a young medical student by the name of Arthur Conan Doyle, Hamilton races to find the murderer before any more unnecessary deaths occur.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and relished this second one even more.  We learn more about the characters in this book which helps us to understand them and their actions even more.  This story involves a very dark plot that is slowly wound up and then eventually unveiled.  The reader is taken along a pitch-dark ride through Edinburgh’s seedy side and through the immoral acts committed there. The ride starts all the way in the beginning and runs right through the end of the novel.

In addition to the engrossing storyline, we are also introduced to a couple of new characters that seem to have the potential of being included in the next novel.  Hamilton tries to come to the aid of a woman named Fiona Stuart.  Fiona Stuart, however, is none too happy that Hamilton intervened on her behalf, and is not too shy to tell him.  They continue to have a very tumultuous relationship throughout the story, but she is set up as a possible love interest. Hamilton is also introduced to Arthur Conan Doyle.  Doyle helps Hamilton with the medical aspects in the case, and in the process the two develop a budding friendship.  A friendship that I hope to learn more about in the next installment.

This story reminds me very much of a dark version of Murdoch Mysteries.  In fact, Doyle shows up in that series too, but is much older and is a world renowned author by then.

Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer Publishers for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #EdinburghDusk

Book Review - The Hanging Psalm

The Hanging Psalm
By:  Chris Nickson
Severn House Publishers
Publication Date:  January 01, 2019
4 Stars

The Hanging Psalm is a historical suspense-mystery novel set in Leeds in the early 1800s.  The main character, Simon Westow, is a thief-taker, a man who recovers stolen property.  Simon is hired by a wealthy businessman to secure the return of his kidnapped daughter.  Simon, with the help of his young, streetwise assistant, Jane, seek out the young lady.  The case grows into far more than a simple kidnapping though, and Simon finds himself embroiled in his toughest assignment yet.  Simon and Jane must be careful because there is danger lurking around the far too many dark corners of Leeds.

This is the first book I’ve read by Chris Nickson, and I’m very impressed.  The novel was exciting from start to finish.  It was a hard book to put down because I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.  Each chapter brought exhilarating plot developments.  The book also made me think about what defines something as right and wrong.  I’m hooked, and I plan on reading any future titles in this series.  His other books sound equally as intriguing and I plan to read them as well.

The author did a great job describing both the tangible and intangible facets of 1820’s Leeds.  It wasn’t hard to imagine the dark and gritty town that Simon and Jane are dodging in and out of.  The characters are very complex and gripping.  Simon had a hard life growing up in a workhouse from a young age.  There he was mistreated, overworked, and underfed.  Simon had to be strong to make it through those kinds of conditions.  That toughness that he acquires carried through to his adult life and it is useful as his job as a thief-taker.  Yet, that toughness does not define his whole person.  He is a loving family man and is driven by the differences between right and wrong.  Jane seems impenetrable.  She is both street-smart and street-tough.  As tough as she is on the bad guys, she is even tougher on herself.  She holds both her secrets and her past close to her chest, and doesn’t let other get close to her.

Thanks to Net Galley and Severn House Publishers for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #TheHangingPsalm