Scrapbook of the Dead by Mollie Cox Byran

This book is the latest in the Cumberland Creek Mystery series by this author.  This book will be released September 29, 2017

Synopisis

Reporter Annie Chamovitz is a former investigative journalist who is now a stay at home Mom.  In order to get more adult communication and out of the house, she is part of Saturday night crop group called the Cumberland Creek Scrapbook Crop.  They are making new scrapbooks for Halloween. However their new member is a little mysteries, the victims are sisters and there are gangs in the area who may have something to do with this crime.

Scrapbook of the DeadBook Review plus 4.3 stars

This is a very new read for me  because I was introduced to the author via her Cora Craft series.  However, I like cropping (don’t have a lot of time) and I like the fact that the main character has some experience.  Plus, this group of ladies is interesting.  I think it is a great read and a page turner.

 

Book Review: Cluttered Attic Secrets

Synopsis

Professional organizer Tina Shaw rushes to her best friend’s ancestral home to determine if Leslie really saw a ghost. Tina doesn’t see one in the cluttered Newport, Rhode Island, Victorian attic, but she does hear strange noises. As she tries to reassure Leslie, the police and firefighters arrive because a murdered man has been found in Leslie’s side yard.

A note in his pocket reads My name is Joshua Young in childish printing. Leslie’s father’s name is Joshua Young, but the men are about a decade apart in age, and this man was killed outside the house where Leslie’s father grew up. Tina must help her friend find the answers to who the murdered man really was and why he was killed. And to what’s making the noises in the attic.

Book ReviewScreenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

This book was good, I really want to read the series associated with Jan Christensen.  I think that it is well written, just the kind you need a night when sleep is so far away.  It reminds you that there are friends, but that there are other people who are just idiots. This is a very enjoyable read and I encourage you to read it all the way to the end.

This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: A Toast to Murder

Synopsis

As Milwaukee counts down to New Year’s Eve, bar owner Mackenzie “Mack” Dalton has but one resolution—unmask the dangerous mastermind who has been taunting her and killed bouncer Gary Gunderson. Mack and her fellow barflies have fleshed out a suspect and arranged an invite-only party to put a cork in the murderer’s game for good. But when the clock strikes midnight and their suspect is found cold and stiff on the basement stairs, it seems the celebration may have come too soon. Now Mack must rely on her special talents to find the real criminal among the crowd of revelers—or someone won’t survive until last call . . .

Book Review:  Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

This book was an interesting read.  I don’t mean that in a good way.  I had a difficult time reading the book because the MC: Mack was very self-centered.  I mean every three chapters we heard about her background, how she got her gift and on and on. . . .I almost made it a three, but the author did such a nice time in writing the book and I did like her friend that help her solve the mystery.

 

Book Review: Bearly Departed

Synopsis

Thirty-one-year-old Sasha Silverman leads a charmed life as a manager of the family teddy bear shop and factory. Well, except for the part about being a single divorcée with a ticking biological clock in small-town Silver Hollow. There is Will Taylor, the sales rep who’s set on making drastic changes to the business her parents built from scratch—with or without Sasha’s approval and making her feel like she is not worth consulting.

Unfortunately, someone has left Will’s dead body inside the factory. Now Sasha hot-tempered Uncle Ross is suspected of murdering him.  Sasha knows her uncle would never do such a thing, and she’s launching her own little investigation to expose the truth.

Book Review Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

Nice book, to many characters in it though, but I did like the premise of the bear making factory in the story.  Sasha is a good character.  However it is a good start to a fun series.

Book Review: Nic & Nigel Mysteries by Tracy Kiely

 A Perfect Manhattan MurderScreenshot 2017-09-07 17.03.07

Synopsis

Thrilled that their playwright friend’s Broadway debut was a rousing success, Nic and Nigel are trying to enjoy the A-list after-party with their pal Harper. Unfortunately, all the champagne and repartee in the world aren’t enough to overlook the churlish behavior of Harper’s theater-critic husband, Dan. (Not a nice person) Nic is shocked the next morning when she learns that Dan’s been murdered. Nigel thinks the world may be a better place without him.

Still, Harper is their friend and they’re intent on helping her any way they can.

Book Review Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

I did like this book and felt so sorry for Harper.  He was not a nice man.  He took full advantage over the fact that his wife was a lovely, well connected and RICH person.  Harper’s friends weren’t to happy with Dan, but well.  . . . read the book and enjoy!!!

 

Murder with a TwistScreenshot 2017-09-07 17.02.06

Synopsis

Visiting New York to attend a cousin’s birthday gala, Nic and Nigel Martini are looking forward to cocktails with old friends and a pampered stay at the Ritz. But when the birthday girl’s gold-digging cad of a husband goes missing, the Martini family worries that the social event of the season may turn into a story for the scandal sheets.

Nigel’s condescending aunt begs former detective Nic to find sleazy Leo, despite the fact that it would be better for everyone if he just stayed lost. Trailing a “married bachelor” with a penchant for trouble isn’t pretty; in fact it’s downright deadly. Assisted by Nigel and their newly adopted Bullmastiff, Nic must tangle with her old underworld connections if she hopes to hunt down the dirtiest Martini

Book Review Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

The Bullmastiff made that story.  He sounds like such a cute dog.  I kid you not.  Every time Nic was supposed to be doing something that dog bailed him out.  He is a huge dog by the description, however, I digress.  I felt same way about the missing husband as Nic did and I really didn’t blame him for his lack of care towards him.  But you have to read the story, if only to get to know the Bullmastiff. 

Killer Cocktail Screenshot 2017-09-07 17.01.11 

Synopsis

Walking the red carpet at the Academy Awards with a bow-tied Bullmastiff draws Nic and Nigel Martini plenty of attention from the press. But that’s nothing compared to the attention they receive at the A-list after party, when Hollywood royalty learn they’ve discovered behind-the-scenes footage from an acclaimed film that left one of its stars dead.

Returning home after the party, Nic and Nigel find their house in shambles and their employee DeDee Evans beaten within an inch of her life. And when the weapon used to pummel DeDee implicates a beloved actress, Nic and Nigel drink and banter their way into a modern-day version of a golden-age crime caper.

Book Review Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

 

These books are so much fund and Tracy Kiely really know how to connect the two main charcters.  It was a lovely story and and the series just gets better and better.  Can’t wait for the next book.

Book Review: Black Sheep Mysteries

Black Sheep Mysteries by Anne Canadeo    

The Black Sheep Knitting shop of Plum Harbor, Massachusetts is owned by Maggie Screenshot 2017-09-06 14.34.41Messina who leads her fellow knitters in some amateur detecting. Each book contains a fun mystery solve among friends, recipes and a knitting pattern.  On this day, this blog will review the following books:

  • 1 .  A Stitch Before Dying (Gallery, 2010)
  • 2 .  Till Death Do Us Part (Gallery, 2012)
  • 3.    A Dark and Stormy Knit (Simon and Schuster, 2014)

A Stitch Before Dying

Synopsis:

The third mystery in Anne Canadeo’s winning Black Sheep Knitting series, featuring a group of  five friend who have a knack for knitting—and sScreenshot 2017-09-06 14.34.41olving crimes…

Maggie Messina, owner of the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, has been invited to give knitting workshops at a Berkshires spa resort, she manages to negotiate a cottage that fits all five of the Black Sheep for what promises to be a weekend of knitting bliss. But while the friends are expert at counting stitches, they haven’t counted on murder.

Guests and staff at the Crystal Lake Inn are as varied as a mixed bag of yarn, but most colorful is certainly the owner, charismatic self-help guru and former psychiatrist Dr. Max Flemming. The doctor may have told all in a revealing autobiography, but from his ex-wife to the widow of his former business partner—both employees at the inn—Max seems mired in shad­ows from his past. And when a killer strikes during a mountaintop retreat, the Black Sheep wonder what the good doctor might be hiding. Now who is going to be the victim of the third murder?

Book Review: Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

This book was a good read!  Although I have to admit I don’t how they (five women) shared one cottage during this time.  Yes they are friends but really?  The book was my favorite to date. I enjoyed the storyline, the location, the familiar characters mixed with the new ones and it was a good solid story.
The Hotel is owned by a former Psychiatrist, Dr. Max Flemming. His is a sad story indeed. He wrote a book about his trials and re-birth as a holistic follower. Maggie finds she is teaching classes such as ‘Random Knitting” and “Mindful Knitting”, which were actually very interesting concepts.  In addition New Age knitting there were other’ practices that the women found good for their body, by going on various hikes and receiving body treatments. Maggie finds herself liking the classes.

The only glitch is Dr. Max is murdered!

Till Death Due Us PurlScreenshot 2017-09-07 15.44.13

Synopsis

The fourth in this wonderful knitting mystery series that  features Maggie Messina and her close circle of knitting-club friends, who must unravel another murder in their cozy coastal town of Plum Harbor, Massachusetts.

The Black Sheep Knitters new project is helping a bride-to-be knit shawls for her upcoming wedding. Days after the ceremony, the groom dies in a freak accident. As the knitters comfort the family, many secrets and betrayals—both business and romantic—are revealed. When the groom’s body turns up after the funeral in a motel room, dead again, the newlywed widow is the prime suspect, The Black Sheep must prove her innocence and find the real killer among a large circle of family, friends, and foes.  

Book Review Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

I have read a majority of the black sheep knitting mysteries. Some I have really enjoyed and other not as much, but all the books are well written.  I really like the bond that the women have together. That bond is what really makes this series come together.  They are all different except that they love to knit.

A Dark & Stormy Knit

Synopsis

In the sixth novel in the series the Black Sheep Knitters must work to solve the mystery of the disappearance of their friend—and figure out who is trying to kill her before it’s too late.

Curiosity Killed the Cat 

Knitting graffiti, in Plum Harbor? Maggie Messina doubts it could ever happen in her quiet village. Until the new parking meters on Main Street are found covered with cat-faced cozies. In the dark of night, the mysterious Knit Kats have struck again! The infamous gang of stitching graffiti artists are totally harmless, and their pranks all in good fun. Or so Maggie and her friends think. Until a yarn-covered corpse is discovered a few days later—the tangles identical to Knit Kat handiwork.

These threads of evidence should be easy to follow. But the clever Knit Kats hide behind a website and secret identities. The murderer could be anyone. A familiar face in town, even a copy Kat.

Book Review Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

This book is the sixth in the Black Sheep Knitting Mystery series. The series features the support and friendship of members of the knitting group, with Maggie Messina as owner of the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, and plots with plenty of suspense and satisfying conclusions. A Dark and Stormy Night lives up to its title: it’s a bit “dark,” owing to the phantom group of “graffiti knitters” who appear initially to be involved in the crime. It’s quite a contemporary theme for a knitting mystery, and in this way it is quite original.

Anne Canadeo is a wonderful writer. She consistently comes up with very original and unique themes for her stories.

 

 

Book Review: I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere

I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere but the Pool by Francesca Serritella

and Lisa Scottoline

Synopsis:

The bestselling and “perennially hilarious” mother-daughter team is back with a new collection of stories from their real lives, guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Join Lisa and Francesca as they regret drunk-shopping online, try smell-dating, and explore the freedom of a hiatus from men – a Guyatus. They offer a fresh and funny take on the triumphs and facepalm moments of modern life, showing that when it comes to navigating the crazy world we live in, you’re always your own best lifeguard. (summary from the Publisher)

Book ReviewScreenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

This is a new style of book for Lisa Scottoline (at least that is what she says in the book), but I think it just a fun project for her and her daughter.  Writing can be all consuming task and it is fun to share with a family member.  This book was a fun read and I think of it highly.  Enjoy!!

I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

Book Review: Cirak’s Daughter

Cirak’s Daughter by Charlotte MacLeod

Synopsis

Nineteen year old Jenny Cirak has moved  into her DAd’s house under an assumed name. However, she didn’t really know her Dad, which is one of the reasons she has moved to Meldrum, Rhode Island to figure out her Dad.  Why did he leave her everything ?  Why is he dead?

Unfortunately one person does not want her to know the answers to these questions.

Book Review: Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

I do like Charlotte MacLeod as an author.  I had thought it would be a little better, but I can’t say it was bad.  I think you should read it an decide for yourself.

 

 

 

Book Review: Death Overdue: A Haunted Library Mystery

Screen Shot 2017-07-24 at 2.23.34 PMDeath Overdue: A Haunted Library Mystery byAllison Brook

Synopsis

Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut, she is the family that is the black sheep of her her family.  However, she is offered a job as the head of programs, mainly thanks to her aunt and uncle who are really the only family that she has who care about her.  The library comes complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who dies.

The medical examiner reveals that poison killed him and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Carrie’s determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it’s the same person who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side.

Now Carrie has a – ghost

– a mystery

-an enemy in Death Overdue,  A Haunted Library Series by Allison Brook.Screen Shot 2017-07-24 at 2.32.28 PM

Book Review  Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05     Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05   Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05  Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05

I really liked the story right up to the last half of the last chapter. That is why I only gave it 4 books.  It really was well written, really enjoyable, so much so that I stayed up half the night in order to finishing the book.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series in order to see what ahppens next, which is what I think you should do. . read the next book

Room for Doubt by Nancy Cole Silverman

Synopsisroom without a doubt

Reporter Carol Childs is called to a crime scene in the Hollywood Hills at five thirty in the morning, and she’s convinced this is a  publicity stunt to promote a new movie. The police are quick to rule it a suicide, but something doesn’t add up for Carol, espcially since someone named Mustang Sally confesses to the murder on the air and threatens to kill again.

Book Review and 4.0 rating

This book was not as good as the previous one because it seemed as if she was following a trend that I have seen in other cozy mysteries.  The idea of the psychic was okay, because this is her friend.  This book however seemed to follow along with her job as a reporter.  This was cool!

A WordPress.com Website.

Up ↑