Category: craft

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.

 

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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.

 

 

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Liv Hadden

Screenshot 2017-06-21 15.32.23The Adventures of Juice Box and Shame is written Austin author Liv Hadden has teamed up with Mo Malone, a St. Louis tattoo artist who has inked most of Liv’s own body work, for a thriller novella with comic book illustrations.

In Liv’s words:

If you read my first book, In the Mind of Revenge, then you’re aware of the stark difference between its main character, Shame, and it’s adorable comic relief, Juice Box. If you haven’t read it, here’s the short of it:

Shame = dark, broody, cynical

Juice Box = optimistic, light-hearted, naïve

This seemingly unlikely duo presented me with an interesting challenge when I decided to write The Adventures of Juice Box and Shame, the second installment in The Shamed series. I knew it wasn’t a story Shame could rightly tell for a couple reasons: one, Shame was passed out in a coma for a good portion of the time, and two, Shame would never see the events that occurred as a true adventure. I knew taking Shame’s sarcastic comment from the first book, “I took a deep breath, and prepared for the adventures of Juice Box and Shame, day two,” and turning it into something Juice Box took seriously would be a nice contrast in the narration of the same story.

What I wasn’t prepared for was how intriguing it would be for me to write about a gender non-conforming character with a protagonist that uses pronouns! Shame’s androgyny in book one was easier to deal with writing in the first person, for obvious reasons.Always referring to Shame in the third person meant getting creative while avoiding the use of pronouns in a way readers would accept.

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Mainly Needlepoint Series by Lea Wait

Screenshot 2017-05-20 23.09.26Lea Wait has four daughters and husband.  Her husband is a painter and she is a writer.  In addition, this series she writes both mysteries and historical novels.

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Twisted Threads

Synopsis

Screenshot 2017-05-20 23.30.45 After leaving a decade ago, Angie has been called back to Harbor Haven by her grandmother, Charlotte, who raised her following her mother’s disappearance when she was a child. Her mother has been found, and now the question of her whereabouts has sadly become the mystery of her murder.

The bright spot in Angie’s homecoming is reuniting with Charlotte, who has started her own needlepointing business with a group called Mainely Needlepointers. But when a shady business associate of the stitchers dies suddenly under suspicious circumstances, case. . .

Book Reviews and 4.6 stars

This was a sad story.  Not only did Angie’s mother disappear when she was small, but she never knew her father.  Her Grandmother by all accounts was a wonderful person, but her Mom just disappeared.

Unfortunately, there is someone prying upon the Mainely Needlepointers and that is just awful.  I have serious issues with an individual who will steal from a poor, old people who are just trying to make a living.  Angie resolves it, read and find out how!

Threads and Evidence

thread of evidence

Synopsis

Angie Curtis and the Mainely Needlepointers are familiar with the Gardener estate. The crumbling Victorian mansion, known as “Aurora,” has been sitting vacant for nearly twenty-five years–and some say it’s haunted by the ghost of Jasmine Gardener, the teenage girl who died there in 1970 under mysterious circumstances…

Harbor Haven is abuzz with excitement when Hollywood actress Skye West decides to buy Aurora and sell off its furnishings.  Angie is intrigued when Skye asks her to appraise the estate’s sizable collection of needlepoint pictures.

Book Reviews

Not only did they find some interesting items in the Gardener estate. The ladies also find a mystery.  It is a very interesting book and well written. This book was better, much, better than the first one. I really enjoyed it and everyone who reads this book will as well. However, we got to get some outsiders or the population is going to go down quicker. Can’t wait for the wedding!

Thread and Gone

Synopsis

Angie Curtis and her fellow Mainely Needlepointers know how to enjoy their holidays. However, Mary Clough drops in on the group’s Fourth of July supper with a question about antique needlepoint she’s discovered in her family Colonial-era home, Angie and her revelers are happy to look into the matter.

Their best guess is that the mystery piece may have been stitched by Mary, Queen of Scots, famous not just for losing her head, but also for her needlepoint. If they’re right, the piece would be extremely valuable. For safekeeping, Angie turns the piece over to her family lawyer, who places it in her office safe.

Book Review and 4.5 stars

This was interesting to me, because I didn’t realize the Mary, Queen of Scots was famous for her needlepoint.  (I guess she had to do something while she was imprisoned.) Unfortunately has with everything else that has value, it pull all types of thieves to the piece.  What happens is awful, and the murder is someone who no one would suspect, but value is placed on the piece and the murder wants the piece of materials.

 

Tightening the Threads

Screenshot 2017-05-20 22.57.07

Synopsis

Sarah Byrne is an antique dealer who has never spoke about  the truth about her past to anyone—not even friend and fellow Mainely Needlepointer Angie Curtis. However now the Aussie finally has the one thing she’s searched for all her life—family. She has a  long-lost half-brother, Ted Lawrence, a wealthy old artist and gallery owner in town, are ready to reveal their secret connection . . .

Unfortunately, Ted’s adult children are suspicious of their newfound aunt Sarah—especially after Ted, in declining health, announces plans to leave her his museum-worthy heirloom paintings. So when Ted is poisoned to death during a lobster bake, everyone assumes she’s guilty.

Book Review and 4.5 stars

The writing is very sequential and I was totally unaware that the Ted was going to announce the fact that they were family.  Family is very important, but it is also very hurtful.  Non of the children have seen one another for over a decade and they have a new aunt to deal with, something that no one wants!  Especially since this new aunt will get a piece of the estate and it apparent that the children all want and need the original will to stand.

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A Haunted Vintage Mystery Series Review

RoseRose Pressey states on her Amazon web page that she really likes to write quirky books about the paranormal.  Her contact links are as follows: In order to receive her newsletter at http://oi.vresp.com/?fid=cf78558c2a. Or join her on Facebook for lots of fun and prizes. https://www.facebook.com/authorrosepressey

 

Cookie Chanel owns a vintage clothing boutique called It’s Vintage, Y’all.  The series began in December 2014.  The main character is  Cookie Chanel who has moved to the town of Sugar Creek, Georgia.  Cookie is always on the lookout for stylish second-hand steals and blogs about her buys, store and vintage tips. A newly murdered ghost usually attach themselves to her and she must solve that persons murder in order for the ghost to cross over.  That is, with the exception of Charlotte Meadows. Also her friend Heather (a non psychic who runs a psychic store and can’t see ghosts), her parents and newly transplanted detective and lawyer….and her cat Wind Song (really her grandmother).

If You’ve Got it, Haunt it

Synopsis

Cookie Chanel has opened her own vintage clothing boutique, It’s Vintage, Y’All, in ta small town of Sugar Creek, Georgia. At an estate sale of deceased socialite Charlotte Meadows, she gets a lot more than she bargained for when Charlotte’s ghost appears before her—offering fashion advice and begging Cookie to find out who murdered her.
In addition, psychic  cat moves into the shop. Hoping to solve the murder without dying herself, Cookie sorts through all of the possible suspects and with her psychic cat and non-psychic friend the murder is solve.

Book Review and 4.7 stars

It was a good, well written book.  Cookie seems a little lonely initially, but as the book developed I think she got more company that she hoped for, not to mention Charlotte.  Charlotte is an out spoken, strong community member, who is constantly criticizing Cookie’s dress, love life but wants her car.  Who knows?

All Dressed Up and No Where to Haunt (Book Two)

Synopsis

A film is being shot on a historic plantation, and vintage clothing store owner Cookie Chanel has been asked provide authentic period outfits for its stars. When Cookie discovers the temperamental leading lady drowned in a pond, wearing a lovely vintage dress, she’s suddenly on location for a real-life crime scene. Her psychic cat provides her with  supernatural support as Cookie looks for the murder.

Book Review and 4.5 stars

This was a good, strong book.  It provided me with insight on why I would not like to supply a movie with something that cannot be replaced.  AS Cookie stated even though her contract states that they will pay for the item, she still cannot replace the item.  Hopefully, Cookie doesn’t get to hurt as follows up on the clues that she discovers during her investigation.

Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore

Synopsis

A hot-ticket charity fashion show is the perfect chance for Cookie Chanel, proud owner of It’s Vintage Y’All, to show off her stylistic savvy for a good cause. However the ghost of a former private investigator asks for Cookie’s help, when he is murdered.  Charlotte Meadows (her ever-present ghost) develops a flirtation with the new ghost, as she offers interesting suggestions.  While all of this is going on, the private eye ghost wants his hat, try explaining that to the police.  As ever, her psychic cat provides her with clues Cookie tries to stop the feud between her cat and her best friend. Cookie works hard to prevent another murder, her own.

Book Review and 4.6

The private eye liked Cookie’s car, but couldn’t always remember his investigation in order to help Cookie solve his murder.  Heather really is bothered by the fact that she is the one running a psychic store, but Cookie is the one with the ghost, the psychic cat and other weird things that go on in her life. It is a great book, that really keeps you wanting to read it all the way through to the end.

 

Haunted is Always in Fashion

Synopsis

As the owner of It’s Vintage, Y’All in Sugar Creek, Georgia, Cookie Chanel has agreed to share her expertise with author Juliana McDaniel. But on her way to town, Juliana is shot dead, and that was all she wrote. Cookie must solve the murder in order to help one of the inquisitive ghosts to move on. As usual her psychic cat, best friend and a couple of inquisitive ghosts help her to unmask the killer.

Book Review and 4.8 stars

The author is starting to tie interesting threads together and I hope that they will explored in further vintage mystery books.  I think that any reader will enjoy the book and want to real the entire series.

If the Haunting Fits, Wear it

Synopsis

Cookie Chanel lands a dream assignment of providing vintage hats for a high-society Kentucky Derby party. She leaves her mother and best friend, Heather, to mind the store  It’s Vintage Y’All, while Cookie, her psychic cat and resident ghost Charlotte  and Ginger (a new ghost)  to Kentucky.  While she is attending her first Derby party, a murder happens, the rider of the potential Derby-winning horse, Now she’s saddled with the jockey’s ghost, who insists she find his killer.

Book Review

It was kind of quirky, funny book.  Cookie thought she was going to have a fun working vacation as she dressed one of the players at the Kentucky Derby.  At first, it seemed to play that way for her, but then the murder happened and now she has three ghosts following her around. Two she brought with her, Ginger and Charlotte, and the jockey.  It turns out that the jockey did not have the most sterling character, so there are a few to many suspects.  Topping the list is a former girlfriend/witch, who enlists her friend to make Cookie’s life miserable.  A bed and breakfast, with a funky, make that weird hostess. Then her two boyfriends show up at her place of residence.  So many events occurring before the murder is revealed.

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Definition of E-book: A Kindle

I like my Kindle.

My husband bought it for me for Christmas when they were first sold.  I gave that one to my Dad and upgraded ever since that one. NO one paid me to write this post!

I was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, the Kindle came to every medical appointment.  I would read it while I waited, and I waited a lot.  It was a lot easier to wait with the Kindle than it was to wait with two children.  Now I have a small version of the Kindle.

However, I can put my Kindle app on my iPad and my Mac.  My books come with me wherever I go and when I get tired of reading (Gasp!, yes tired) the book saves my place, saves my book and lets me set up an audio so that I fall asleep listening to my story.  It was wonderful.

There are a lot of people who want the feel of the book between their hands as they read their book.  They want to mark their book, touch the pages, and have it with them at all times.  I get that! It’s probably one of the reasons I journal on paper and my Bible for devotion and reading; it is still a hardback.

However, I would like to point out that reading is still a hard skill for many people to master and the literacy rate is still low for older generation.  The Kindle has an audio component that will help people enjoy a story without stumbling through words.

There are more e-books out there, but I like the Kindle. I still bring it to my doctor’s appointments.

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An Aurora Anderson Mystery Series by Sybil Johnson

 

Screenshot 2017-04-03 21.45.23 (1)

This is Sybil Johnson,  She is the author of an Aurora Anderson Mystery Series.

Synopsis

Screenshot 2017-04-03 21.45.23

Aurora is a computer programmer who works out of her house in Vista Beach.  The house is from her Grandma. Aurora seems to get into more trouble when she is helping her mother out.

Fatal Brushstroke  (#1)

Aurora finds a dead body in her garden and a homicide detective on her doorstep, plus a sheriff who blames her DNA…suspicion has fallen on her.

Computer programmer and tole painting enthusiast Aurora (Rory) Anderson doesn’t  live in Vista Beach, a quiet California beach community where violent crime is rare and murder even rarer.

The body—her tole painting teacher, Hester Bouquet is quite dead and in her garden.  Rory attended one of Hester’s weekend seminars, and although she likes tole painting, she will not go through another unpleasant experience with this particular teacher.  Now that Hester is dead, evidence piles up against Rory, (which the Sheriff is more than willing to help build the frame) she begins a journey to identify the killer and clear her name.

Book Review 4 . 3 stars

The whole time I read this book I kept thinking I need to read the book that come first in this series.  The first book in this series is Fatal Brushstroke.  However, once I got past that point I really enjoyed the book and throughly recommend it as a good read.

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

Paint the Town Dead (#2)

Synopsis

Aurora (Rory) Anderson, a computer programmer and tole-painting enthusiast, live in the city of Vista Beach.  It is June and decorative painters are heading to the newly built Akaw hotel to attend the Ocean Painting Society’s inaugural convention. Rory is there to help her mother with her booth as well as get together with old friends.

Rory’s old friend, unfortunately, witnesses her childhood friend collapse in class and die. Rory embarks on her own investigation on her own investigation when everyone but her thinks the her friend’s death is not an accident

Book Review plus 4.6 stars

The story was good and it was sad because her new homocide friend has a girlfriend.  Rory does her best to get over that fact and make friends with this new girl.  However, the death of her friend puts a damper on the process.  This was a good book and I learned something new.  It is a wonderful read!

A Palette for Murder (#3)

Synopsis

Aurora (Rory) Anderson, a computer and tole painting crafter live in Vista Beach, which is currently experiencing high temperatures are hard on everyone. The high temperature hit the homeless population, especially hard. Residents are doing everything they can to stay cool, including leaving windows open to catch the faintest breeze. The local air conditioner companies have waitlist for everyone who wants cool air in their home.  In addition, there are a string of burglaries is plaguing nearby towns and no one understands how they are gaining entrance.

Still, Rory doesn’t expect to find her neighbor’s body, who is homeless, just a few doors down. Suspicion falls on a friend and fellow painter,  she turns to Rory for help and help discover the truth before the police try her for murder.  As Rory investigates she finds more and more information, but the final ending is the biggest twist of all.

Book Review plus 4.8

This book had a great twist that I didn’t quite understand until the very end of the story.  I KNOW people will like the story and we will all wait for the next book in this series.

This ARC was given me by the publisher via Netgalley.

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Let’s Salute the Week

Camp NaNoWriMo and other Writing Groups

Presently I am working to finish critiquing the manuscripts that I have not completed over the past few months.  In addition, to committing myself to a writing challenge of sorts, several family and friends have died since December.

Camp NaNoWRiMo will begin on April 1, I didn’t do such a great job in November, however I have been playing with an idea and the working title is RV Mystery Series.  I am looking forward to putting it down on paper , I am have had it in my head for a such a long time, now I need to put it on paper.Screenshot 2017-03-31 19.51.58.png

Also, in March there was a Research for Reading that I glanced over, but I plan on going over and making comments. Screenshot 2017-03-31 19.54.57.pngA former critique writing group member has the Chapter Challenge going on and I am just going to have to drop out, it is not feasible.

Finally, it is time to go back to work!!! Spring break is over!

teacher-boy-copyright5

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Old Books

I have put a new album up on my Facebook page for old books.  These are books that we found in my mother in laws house.  She has a lot of nursing books, medical books, investments books you name it.  This is a field that I find very interesting! Finding old books has been a passion of mind.  I will be putting them up on the Facebook page as time goes by;  I have found a few interesting facts about old books:IMG_20170331_161004.jpg

  1. Clay Tablets
  2. Papyrus
  3. Wax Tablets
  4. Parchment
  5. Printing Press
  6. E-Books

I have been learning a lot about the history of books, especially with the invention of the printing press.  I, I did not realize how much the invention of the printing press impacted the history of the books AND the invention of the technology.  So I will be putting  this in with the reviews.

 

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A Cora Crafts Mystery by Mollie Cox Bryan (Review of Books)

Synopsis

This series is a craft retreat mystery series which is set in Gap, North Carolina (not a real place).  The main characters, Cora Chevalier and Jane Starr plus daughter, are transplants who are setting up a new life for themselves.  Actually, they are doing what they love and making a living. 

Death Among the DoiliesEath Among The Coilies

Synopsis

This is the first book in the series of “A Cora Crafts Mystery” .  Cora Chevalier and Jane Starr (and her daughter) are starting over.  Cora worked in a woman’s shelter which caused her to have a stress related condition.  Jane is getting over a violent relationship, while raising her daughter in a new environment.  They are transforming a Victorian estate into a craft retreat business. Unfortunately, their first retreat includes a murder where Jane’s fingerprints are found at the crime scene. Not to mention the fact that they are not popular among the regular town folk.  This is not a great start to their business.

A Book Review (4. 5 stars)

What I really like this about this book was Cora.  I can relate to Cora’s stress related condition, I have a chronic illness that reacts to stress.  If I don’t have my medicine handy or I don’t take it regularly plus water, I am in a great deal of pain.  This retreat plus Cora’s blogging really intrigue me and gave me pointers on my blog plus really increased my desire to get out of the classroom. 

Anyway, the book was great, I stayed up and read the book cover to cover. The book is a page turner, the concept is great.  Also, I liked the fact that it was realistic measure of how people could solve a mystery and run a business at the same time.  Wonderful read!

No Charm Intended

SynopsisNo Charm intended

This is the second book in the series “A Cora Crafts Mystery”.  Cora Chevalier and Jane Starr (plus daughter) are hosting a “wildcrafting” retreat.  However, Jane’s nanny (Gracie) has disappeared and their technology is going haywire.  The guests are going on Nature hikes in order to find things for their crafts and Jane is teaching them how to make charms.  Gracie’s boyfriend is the chief person of interest and as a result has been kicked out of his home.  The ladies take him in and proceed to uncover clues in order to locate Gracie.

A Book Review (4.3)

I wasn’t as excited about this book as I was with the first book.  That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the book, I just wish more time was spent on the wildcrafting part of the story. I know it is a cozy mystery, not a cozy crafting story, but the information about the wildcrafting was good and I liked it.  Also, the technology that was incorporated into the story wasn’t that new for me, I just didn’t like all of the drugs incorporated into the story.  It was bit over the top for me.  Once again, I LIKED THE STORY, HENCE THE STARS.  You should read it!!!!

Macrame Murder

Macrame MurderThis is the next book in the series!! Can’t wait to review it!!!

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