Publisher: Berkley

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Review: Dead to the Last Drop: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle + Guest Post + Giveaway

December 7, 2015 Giveaway, Guest Post, Review 17 ★★★★½

Review: Dead to the Last Drop: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle + Guest Post + GiveawayDead to the Last Drop: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle
Series: Coffeehouse Mystery series #15
Published by Berkley on December 1st 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Heat Rating:one-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Grind comes a new installment in the Coffeehouse Mystery series.After the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi to consult on the coffee service for a Rose Garden Wedding, she discovers a historic pot was used as a CIA “dead drop” decades before. Now long-simmering secrets boil over, scalding Clare and the people around her…   Clare’s visit to the nation’s capital is off to a graceful start. Her octogenarian employer is bunking with her in a charming Georgetown mansion, and she's invited to work with a respected curator on the Smithsonian's culinary salute to coffee in America.   Unfortunately, Clare’s new Village Blend DC is struggling to earn a profit—until its second floor jazz club attracts a high-profile fan, the college-age daughter of the U.S. President. Clare’s stock rises as the First Lady befriends her, but she soon learns a stark lesson: Washington can be murder.   First a stylish State Department employee suspiciously collapses in her coffeehouse. Then the President’s daughter goes missing. Is she a runaway bride or is something more sinister in play? After another deadly twist, Clare is on the run with her NYPD detective boyfriend. Branded an enemy of the state, she must piece together clues and uncover the truth before her life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness come to a bitter end.     Includes great American recipes!

ADDICTIVE BOOKLOVE coverlove mystery refreshing

Cleo Coyle strikes again as she brings a new exciting release in her Coffeehouse Mystery Dead to the Last Drop. Clare Cosi has taken a major step by moving to DC to be closer to her boyfriend Mike Quinn. In DC she is managing a new location of Village Blend, DC opened by her owner. Things aren’t going so great for Clare. The opening day was a bust and her Chef with his ironclad contract is causing Clare lots of problems. The problems start to seem minor when the First Daughter, going by the musician’s name on Abby Lane shows up at the coffee house to perform with Gardener and his band mates. Suddenly Clare gets more than what she was willing to bargain for. People who work for the government dying, and the violent kidnapping of the First Daughter has Clare wanted and on the run. Not to mention Mike Quinn, Clare’s boyfriend is having his own share of troubles with his boss and as the two find themselves on the run from special agents, they must find not only the person who committed the crime but also how Quinn’s boss might be connected to it.

Wow! This book literally started out in the middle of the action, hooked me and did NOT let me go. It was fun, it was entertaining, and for book 15 of the series, it was NOT boring.

Somehow Clare moving to DC has opened up like a new chapter not only in Clare’s life but also in the series. It definitely felt like a small revamp, but it was also oh so good.

Coyle really knows how to bring it, with well fleshed out characters that keep you smiling. Her writing has become so familiar, it’s like coming home with each new book, and catching up with old friends.

Clare and her employees are as spunky as ever. Clare and Mike are as wonderful as ever and fear not long time lovers of the Coffeehouse mysteries because Coyle has found and clever way to enfold the old characters into the new book and the new scene. So not only does Matt make an appearance in the book, but the banter between him and Clare is as easy, familiar, and funny as ever.

I loved the writing style. It was fast paced and the chapters are short which is great for a mom like me that absolutely hates putting the book down in the middle of a chapter. There is a lot going on, there is a bit of action, a mystery, and I enjoyed the scenes of Clare and Mike on the run as Clare is retelling Mike the events that happen prior to the kidnapping as they are trying to find who did it before Clare is brought in by the agents.

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries and have not yet read this series, I strongly suggest you give this one a shot. What are you waiting for?

 

guestpost

On the Run in Washington with Cleo Coyle’s new Coffeehouse Mystery

There are worse fates than being on the run with a handsome federal agent—like spending the rest of your natural life in a federal penitentiary. That’s the dilemma Clare Cosi is facing when White House officials come to believe she aided and abetted kidnappers of the President’s daughter and conspired to end the life of a State Department employee.

These capital crimes are the last thing this hard-working single mom and coffeehouse manager expects to be accused of when she opens a new shop in our nation’s capital, but she must solve both mysteries—and discover who framed her—or she may discover firsthand…

Washington is murder.

If you are new to our long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series, don’t hestitate to pick up DEAD TO THE LAST DROP. You can read it as a stand-alone story, and if you like the ride, you have fourteen more in our series to enjoy. But don’t miss this Washington entry. It’s embedded with twists, turns, and hidden secrets about our nation’s capital that were inspired by my own experiences while living, studying, and working in D.C.

1cTo read the prologue and first chapter, click here.

DEAD TO THE LAST DROP is also a culinary mystery, with an appendix of more than 25 wonderful recipes, including a fantastic version of Black Magic Cake with a “secret ingredient” chocolate frosting to die for.

To see the book’s free Recipe Guide, click here.2c

Here are some of the places Clare Cosi
will take you on her visit to Washington…

3c

THE WHITE HOUSE

Clare makes two trips to this grand destination, one at the request of the First Lady, who shares a private lunch with her in the Diplomatic Reception Room, a magnificent oval-shaped space famously redecorated by Jacqueline Kennedy and once used by Franklin D. Roosevelt for his legendary fireside chats.

 

GEORGETOWN4c

This picturesque neighborhood boasts some of the finest examples of Federal period architecture in the country. Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Graham Bell, and John F. Kennedy are among the past residents. It’s here that Clare lands a posh housesitting gig on “Cox’s Row” in a charming mansion that was once part of the Underground Railroad.

 

 

5cTHE SMITHSONIAN

A glittering black-tie party brings Clare to “America’s Attic,” the nickname of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Clare witnesses a fateful meeting here, in front of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, one of the many fascinating artifacts that celebrate American culture, creativity, and cuisine. Yes, cuisine! As a master roaster and expert on the bean, Clare is asked to contribute her ideas to one of the museum’s newest exhibits, Coffee and the Presidency.

6c

THE JAZZ SPACE

This fictional location is based on a real jazz club in Washington called Blues Alley. The mouthwatering menu of our Jazz Space becomes an important plot point in DEAD TO THE LAST DROP, and the recipes for many of the menu’s items are included in the book. You can even visit our Jazz Space online. Come to our website CoffeehouseMystery.com to learn more.

CLEO’S NEWSLETTER: Contests, recipes, news, fun facts, and videos. To sign up, simply write an e-mail that says “sign me up” and send it to CoffeehouseMystery@gmail(dot)com You will receive a reply with links to past newsletters that include free recipes.7c
TITLE CHECKLIST: Get a free title checklist with mini summaries of all 15 Coffeehouse Mysteries. To download the list as a PDF document, click here.

.

Rules

  • Must be 13 years old or older to enter. (People under must have a parent enter for them)
  • Must be a follower of the blog
  • Winners will be notified by e-mail within 72 hours of the giveaway ending and will have 72 hours to respond to that e-mail or else a new winner will be chosen. So please do not skip the option of putting in the e-mail that you check most frequently.
  • Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLEO’S NEWSLETTER: Contests, recipes, news, fun facts, and videos. To sign up, simply write an e-mail that says “sign me up” and send it to CoffeehouseMystery@gmail(dot)com You will receive a reply with links to past newsletters that include free recipes.

About Cleo Coyle

CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating over ten years in print. Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, D.C., and New York City, and has written young adult and children’s books. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, including the national bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.

PHOTO CREDITS:

1 – Black Magic Cake photo by Alice Alfonsi

2—Alice Alfonsi and her husband, Marc Cerasini, who write as Cleo Coyle. Photo by Alice Alfonsi

3 – White House photo courtesy HiraV, Wiki Commons

4 – Cox’s Row of Georgetown courtesy Library of Congress

5 – Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers courtesy Wiki Commons

6 – Jazz Space photo, no credit

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Review: Fear the Dark by Kay Hooper

November 11, 2015 Review 48 ★★★★

Review: Fear the Dark by Kay HooperFear the Dark by Kay Hooper
Series: Bishop/Special Crimes Unit #16
Published by Berkley on October 20th 2015
Genres: Mystery Thriller
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Source: Own Copy
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars
Heat Rating:one-flame

In New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper’s new novel, an SCU team investigates a troubling string of disappearances. But how do you find someone who has vanished without a trace?
Something strange is happening in the small mountain town of Serenity, Tennessee. People going on routine errands never reach their destination. It’s as if they simply disappear. Over the past few weeks, it’s happened to five men and women—and now a child.
The local police chief calls the FBI, and a team from the Special Crimes Unit is immediately sent in. Agents Lucas and Samantha Jordan, partners in work and in life, have very different abilities. Samantha is clairvoyant and Lucas possesses a unique ability to find the lost or abducted. With them are new partners Dante Swann, a medium, and Robbie Hodge, a telepath.
The town is already on the edge of panic, but the mysterious events take a sinister turn when a body unrelated to the missing persons case surfaces and one of the SCU agents vanishes. Now, the team’s hunt for the lost has turned into something very personal…and very dangerous. 

mystery PAGETURNER paranormal refreshing TBRPile thriller

Fear the Dark was my first novel by Kay Hooper and therefor an introduction to the authors writing style.

At first glance, Fear the Dark looks like a thrilling mystery with a suspenseful storyline and captivating characters, and it was exactly everything I hoped for.

I picked this one up thanks to a wonderful review by Sophia @ Delighted Reader and boy was I glad I did that. I stepped into a world of atmospheric and spooky mystery with a criminal that had a thirst for revenge.

When people of Serenity, Tennessee start to disappear one by one into thin air, Jonah the local chief of police comes to a conclusion that he is way over his head and calls in Bishop SCU. Arrive at the scene two couple sent over by their boss to investigate the strange disappearances that seem to pulse with sinister energy. Lucas, Samantha, Dante, and Robbie are the four couples that must work together and use their hidden and special abilities in hopes of bringing the man behind these disappearances to justice.

The author does an excellent job setting up the small town and everything that was creepy behind this entire mystery. It literally left goosebumps on my arms anytime we got experience the tragic evil that drove the criminal to do what he had done. The story ended up being gripping and sad, and I couldn’t help but feel for Jonah and how he was connected to the entire thing.

Though there were couples in this book, I didn’t really get any sense of romance and I was okay with that. I liked seeing how each couple cared for their partner and the length they went to protect them. Lucas and Samantha are together and the care and connection between them is genuine and apparent. Robbie and Dante are a couple that started working together and Bishops main goal is for the couples to come to trust and rely on each other.

I love learning about their special abilities as mediums and how they used to uncover the culprit behind the disappearances. Each couple was different with their own special skills that aren’t perfectly refined but that is what makes the characters appear human, flawed and interesting.

The ending threw me. I was not expecting what had happened. Thought the conclusion felt a bit distressing, I too was a little surprised how quickly everything escalated and then ended so suddenly - I think an agreement Sophia and I shared on this.

Thought despite the sudden ending and what happens, I don’t believe this is the last book in the series.

This can be read as a stand-alone, I had no problems jumping in.

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Review: Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany + Giveaway

November 9, 2015 Review 43 ★★★★

Review: Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany + GiveawayRest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany
Series: A Year-Round Christmas Mystery #1
Published by Berkley on November 3rd 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Christmas
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars
Heat Rating:half-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
In Rudolph, New York, it’s Christmastime all year long. But this December, while the snow-lined streets seem merry and bright, a murder is about to ruin everyone’s holiday cheer…
As the owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, Merry Wilkinson knows how to decorate homes for the holidays. That’s why she thinks her float in the semi-annual Santa Claus parade is a shoe-in for best in show. But when the tractor pulling Merry’s float is sabotaged, she has to face facts: there’s a Scrooge in Christmas Town.
Merry isn’t ready to point fingers, especially with a journalist in town writing a puff piece about Rudolph’s Christmas spirit. But when she stumbles upon the reporter’s body on a late night dog walk—and police suspect he was poisoned by a gingerbread cookie crafted by her best friend, Vicky—Merry will have to put down the jingle bells and figure out who’s really been grinching about town, before Vicky ends up on Santa’s naughty list…

2015 ADDICTIVE coverlove MURDERMYSTERY PAGETURNER

If you are looking for a warm cozy with a lot of heart, some Christmas joy and mystery mayhem, look no further! Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany, was everything I lately wanted out of a holiday cozy mystery wrapped up in a package of a new series that holds a lot of promise for the future books. Merry, the main sleuth of this series is absolutely wonderful and delightful. Her devotion to the town and loyalty to her friends is very heart warming and admirable.

“In Rudolph, we lived and breathed Christmas all year long. You might think that would make us hard and cynical when it arrived, but somehow it made me love the real thing all the more.”

It’s Christmas time in Rudolph, New York a self proclaimed Christmas town and while its citizens are preparing for the influx of tourists that happen every time during this particular part of the year - the town it’s running its own festivities starting with a morning parade. Merry’s float ends up coming in last, causing a few glares from the locals since Santa was supposed to be last in line and in no time disqualifies her from winning anything for her float. While people are enjoying cider and free cookies at the after party, the last thing anyone would have suspected was for something deadly to happen in their safe little haven of a town. When a traveling journalist shows up to do a piece on Rudolph for an international media, everyone in town is excited, so when Merry discovers his cold body in the park not too soon after his arrival - her friends Vicky’s cookies might have been the cause of his death. Now Merry must find a way to clear her best friend’s name and solve who is responsible for trying to ruin their little town’s reputation.

Filled with amusing characters, holiday cheer, and mystery, Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen is not a cozy to pass up on this season. Merry is a fresh new voice that I have fully found myself invested in and thoroughly engrossed with. I am looking forward to seeing what else she will have in store for us in future books. Vicki Delany handles the mystery with skill and her writing is so wonderful, the book was not only hard to put down, but very easily I found myself lost in that before I knew it, I was done.

Detective Simmonds was a great addition to the story, and I can’t wait to learn more about her. I think she and Merry bounced off each other well and I liked the fact that she seemed to really care about getting to the bottom of this murder unlike the local cop Candy.

Simmons stopped so abruptly that Mattie ran into her. “Are you physically disabled, sir?”
“No,” Russ said, snapping a picture of her.
“Good. Because if you aren’t behind the tape in ten seconds I’ll be taking you in. Got it?”

I couldn’t stand Candy. I think just because you are a cop it does not give you the right to treat people the way she does and she is particularly not fond of Merry and her friends. It was nice seeing her put in her place once or twice through the book. I hope I can eventually learn to understand her issues a bit more, but as of right now I do not condone her actions.

Did I mention I loved the author’s hints of humor here and there spread out through the book?

“If this isn’t Ryan Gosling calling for a date, you’re a dead man,” said a sleepy voice.
“It’s not Ryan, but you need to hear this,” I said.
“Go ahead,” Vicky said with a groan.
“Nigel Pearce, remember him, the English guy from World Journey?”
“Of course I remember him. If you are calling to tell me he wants a date you really are a dead woman, Merry.”

Honestly the only thing that isn’t sitting well with me is the romance in this book because it feels like it’s heading for a triangle. You know me, I love my romance in cozy mysteries, they add a whole new level of excitement. But I can do without a triangle no matter what kind of genre I am reading. But, I also know it can be done quite differently in cozy mysteries, so it will still be interesting to see where this will go.

Seriously can’t wait until the next book in this series and have you seen the cover? It’s adorable.

Rules

  • Must be 13 years old or older to enter. (People under must have a parent enter for them)
  • Must be a follower of the blog
  • Winners will be notified by e-mail within 72 hours of the giveaway ending and will have 72 hours to respond to that e-mail or else a new winner will be chosen. So please do not skip the option of putting in the e-mail that you check most frequently.
  • Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified.
  • Sent by the publishers, so US only.

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Review: Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue (Gaslight Mystery #18) by Victoria Thompson + Giveaway

November 2, 2015 Giveaway, Review 59 ★★★★

Review: Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue (Gaslight Mystery #18) by Victoria Thompson + GiveawayMurder on St. Nicholas Avenue by Victoria Thompson
Series: Gaslight Mystery, #18
Published by Berkley on November 3rd 2015
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars
Heat Rating:half-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The author of Murder on Amsterdam Avenue returns to nineteenth-century New York City to find Christmas in the air, a police detective and a midwife with love in their hearts, and a wealthy newlywed with blood on her hands…
Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy and Sarah Brandt are not the only ones who have recently tied the knot. Family friend Mrs. O’Neill was delighted when her daughter Una wed the seemingly wealthy and charming Randolph Pollock. She didn’t wonder why such an affluent man would want to marry a poor Irish girl, no matter how pretty she was. But now Mrs. O’Neill has a problem.
Pollock’s servants have found their employer bludgeoned to death with Una cradling his body. Rendered mute by the horror of her husband’s death, Una cannot explain what happened, so the police have charged her with murder and locked her away in the Tombs to await trial.
Mrs. O’Neill would like Frank to investigate the case and save Una, yet with Frank and Sarah still on their honeymoon, it’s up to the other members of their newly formed household to do some detective work. But solving the mystery behind Pollock’s death means first discovering the truth about who he really is…

ARCREVIEW coverlove historical mystery PAGETURNER

When a woman shows up on Franks Malloy’s doorsteps, his midwife Maeve is weary of her appearance and think that this is just another person from her employers old neighborhood looking for a handout. When it turns out that Mrs. O’Neill is there on behalf of her daughter Una seeking Frank’s help to rescue her daughter for being accused of murder, Maeve jumps into the Malloy’s spot to handle the situation (as Frank is on his honeymoon and is unavailable). As Maeve tries to find the real killer, it will take the help of a few other friends in order to clear Una’s name, including the help of Gino Donatelli, a cop who happens to be very sweet on Maeve.

Excellent story, I thoroughly enjoyed Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue. Victoria Thompson does an amazing job of combining historical fiction with mystery, into a novel that’s so compelling, it is hard to put down. Character driven and fast paced, I found the 18th book of this series totally engrossing. Maeve was an excellent character. Do not be fooled by the blurb, though it does mention Frank and Sarah Malloy, the usual due of Gaslight mysteries, this one really stars Maeve and Gine. Maeve is fierce, out-spoken and tough as nails. She was such a joy to follow around this mystery and her relationship and banter between Gino Donatelli was both amusing and heartwarming. I loved the little romance brewing between these two.

“This is so much nicer than a cab,” Maeve said, stroking the fine wool lap robe.
“Much more private, too,” he said, remembering his claim that Maeve was his girl and wishing it were true.
He thought she gave him a look, but it was too dark to be sure. “Yes, we don’t have to worry about little ears hearing what we say. I think that’s why Mrs.Decker suggested we go to their house.”
Gino managed not to sigh his disappointment that she didn’t get his hint.

The story also featured a curious Mrs. Decker, who loves to butt in and her husband, Mr. Decker that finds his wife’s involvement, very amusing especially when she tries to hide it. I love their relationship mainly because of the way Mr. Decker reacts to his wife’s involvement, especially when he finds out that she is doing to sneak behind his back. He teases her, and lures her just to watch her reaction when she realizes that he knows her antics all along. Their interaction is easy, teasing, and can really put a smile on my face.

“How very clever,” Mrs.Decker said. “I must remember that.”
“Why?” her husband asked. “Are you planning to murder someone?”

The mystery was fun, and like I had already mentioned a bit hard to put down. Una is the woman accused of bashing her husbands head in. As we learn more about Mr.Pollock, her husband, you can’t help but feel a kind of resentment for the man and all of his wrong doings. Una was a really hard character to like, so if that was the case that Thompson was building, she had accomplished it because not only did I not like her, I downright hated her by the end of the book.

“But I didn’t kill him,” she repeated. Maeve would’ve been angry by this point, but Una just pouted prettily.

The woman grated my nerves, especially when throughout the entire book she was using her looks to sway people and to me she just seemed like a total nutcase.heh.

The only thing that disappointed me was that I was hoping for a bit more of a holiday feel to the book because the cover suggested that, but I didn’t get much of that at all.

Overall, if you are a fan of historical mystery, Victoria Thompson is a master at writing with memorable characters that grow with every book, an engrossing mystery and just simply wonderful writing.

The publisher is offering one copy to a US winner.

Rules

  • Must be 13 years old or older to enter. (People under must have a parent enter for them)
  • Must be a follower of the blog
  • Winners will be notified by e-mail within 72 hours of the giveaway ending and will have 72 hours to respond to that e-mail or else a new winner will be chosen. So please do not skip the option of putting in the e-mail that you check most frequently.
  • Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified.

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Once Upon a Grind (Coffeehouse Mystery #14) by Cleo Coyle

October 10, 2015 Review 49 ★★★★½

Once Upon a Grind (Coffeehouse Mystery #14) by Cleo CoyleOnce Upon a Grind by Cleo Coyle
Series: Coffeehouse Mystery series #14
Published by Berkley on September 1st 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 464
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Heat Rating:one-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Billionaire Blend—a mystery with a sleeping beauty that is “so much fun to read.”*
It’s Fairy Tale Week in New York City, and Clare Cosi has given her coffee truck a “Jack and the Beanstalk” makeover for the Central Park festival. Her ex-husband has contributed a bag of African coffee beans with alleged magical properties, and his octogenarian mother is giving out readings of the grinds. But Clare remains skeptical—until she receives a vision that helps her find a young model’s body in the park’s woods.
The police dismiss “sleeping beauty” as the victim of a drug overdose. But when Clare uncovers evidence that points to murder, she winds up with a dangerous predator on her heels and an investigation that leads right back to her own NYPD detective boyfriend. If she doesn’t solve this mystery fast, those magic beans predict an unhappy ending.
*Once Upon a Romance

It’s a Fairy Tale Week in New York City and Central Park is hosting the festival. To get into the spirits, Clare Cosi has given her coffee truck and its employees a Jack and the Beanstalk appeal. For the most part everything seems great until her boyfriends ex shows up and insists Clare watches the kids, her own ex-husband brings magic beans with supposed magical properties, and his mother wants to give a Clare reading of the grind. Clare doesn’t want to believe it, until she has her own vision that leaves her unsettled.

When Mike’s kids go missing, it’s up to Clare to try to find them. Going by the hunch of her visions, Clare makes her way into the park’s woods in hopes of finding Marks kids. Her search not only turns up the kids, but looking for their little dog after had also led her to a pink princess body. Her ex Matt is immediately a suspect when the cop on the job jumps into the conclusion that just because Matt had to play her prince for the day, he must have been the only person who has seen her, and thus the last person in her presence.

Filled with interesting fairy tale visions, magic coffee beans, great characters, and crystal keys, Once Upon a Grind is an excellent read. I am from New York City myself, which is what originally appealed to me about this book. I was so curious, I found myself pleasantly surprised at how well Cleo Coyle handled the New York City culture and blended it seamlessly into a great story.

It made me smile and it made me laugh. Clare is an awesome character. Thought caring, kind, and determined, she is not immune to flaws. Clare has her own internal battle going on about her relationship with Mike and mowing to Washington D.C, which means giving up what she has in NYC, can she do it for the man she loves or does she stand to lose him?

I personally liked the addition of the magic beans into the story. It made it sort of enchanting, and really interesting. I looked forward to the visions because they were so creatively handled. I think Coyle did a remarkable job blending them into the story, where it almost made it sort of believable.

The secondary characters were awesome and really contributed to the whole story. I liked some of the sideline plots that were going on. Like personal issues with Clare’s employees, and Clare meets some interesting characters. I think it added to the book and made the background secondary characters come to life. I couldn’t help but allow the cast to grow on me. Thus probably why I couldn’t stand Mike’s ex wife Leila. I found her irresponsible and selfish, but at the same time I understood that she does the things she does because she is so self-centered that she does not know how else to live her life. When the time came to protect her children, she was one wild mother bear and that made me respect her more.

Enough of my rambling, this book was great. I found Once Upon a Grind to be a cozy mystery with a lot of heart. If you love cozy mystery with a bit of fairy tale and magic beans mixed into it, give this one a shot, you might not regret it. Though well over 400 pages, I found that I wasn’t bored with the story at all and already missing it.

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ARC Review: The Skeleton Haunts a House (A Family Skeleton Mystery) by Leigh Perry

September 25, 2015 Review 16 ★★★★

ARC Review: The Skeleton Haunts a House (A Family Skeleton Mystery) by Leigh PerryThe Skeleton Haunts a House by Leigh Perry
Series: A Family Skeleton Mystery
Published by Berkley on October 6th 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars

Sid the Skeleton bones up on clues to solve a Haunted House homicide in this mystery from the author of The Skeleton Takes a Bow…

What holiday could bring more warmth to a skeleton’s chest cavity than Halloween? And when you’re a living skeleton who’s not supposed to be seen outside the house, it’s a welcome chance to get some fresh air and rub bony elbows with people. That’s why Sid doesn’t mind wearing a full-body dog suit and going as Scooby-Doo along with Georgia Thackery’s Velma to the Halloween Howl.

Sid can’t wait to go through the Haunted House—but he gets rattled for real when a genuine dead body is discovered. Trapped inside as the police quickly seal off the crime scene, Sid makes no bones about dropping the dog suit and posing as an actual skeleton. This murder is a skull-scratcher, but as long as Sid is on the inside, he might as well case the joint to figure out who used the cover of darkness to commit the perfect crime…

Well, this was a fun read for this time of year! I was kind of glad I picked up this book, especially since Leigh Perry is a new author to me, but lately, almost every author that I have picked up has been new to me. Still, I wanted something for the upcoming Halloween and I definitely got that with this book. With Halloween only days away, Sid cannot wait to go through a staged Haunted House. He dresses up as Scooby-Doo and Georgia Thackery as Velma. Of course he has to wear a full-body dog suit because Sid is well a walking and talking skeleton.

Unfortunately the night turns even more scary when a genuine dead body is discovered at the haunted houses. When Deborah, Georgia’s sister ends up feeling responsible that the death has happened during her watch, she asks Georgia and Sid to snoop into the murder. Especially since the police might be looking in all the wrong places.

Okay, this was actually a totally fun read. Sid was animating and kind of amusing. Love all the bone jokes, they kind of grow on you. Sid and Georgia are an amazing duo. They complement each other very well and part of the reason why I love original and creative, cozy-mysteries such as this one. I mean really, who wouldn’t want a real live talking skeleton as your friend? Okay, admit a little creepy, but for this series I found it fresh, exciting and definitely something new.

Pretty’s writing and storytelling were well developed and actually really good. I kind of liked the fact that I was able to figure out who the killer was half way into the book and be right about it, even if the killer killed for a different reason than I originally thought. I was never able to do that, but I had enough clues to lead me in the right direction, which was exciting.

I love that there is now a love interest and Brownie is great! The connection between him and Georgia is there and it’s exciting. I always love a bit of love thrown into my cozy mysteries, it really adds more dimension to the story, makes the character’s related-able and add a dynamic that would not be there otherwise. I am excited to see what Leigh Perry will have in store for us next.

 

 

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