Batter Off Dead, by Maddie Day

Batter Off Dead by Maddie Day 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 10 in the series.

I've enjoyed this series all along, but lately Buck's way of speaking has just been bugging me. I get that it's the local Hoosier patois, but why only Buck? Is it deliberately meant to make him look like a hayseed, and therefore lesser at his job so he needs Robbie's help? It really pulls me out of the story, which is too bad.

The mystery was interesting, and I did like that in the end they were able to solve a cold case, too, and give Buck and his dad some closure. It was an entertaining, fast read for me. As always, it was nice to visit South Lick and I look forward to more in the future.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Murder on an Irish Farm, by Carlene O'Connor

Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O'Connor 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay, but....

Book 8 in the series.

This series has been rather hit or miss for me. This one was good, but right off the bat I had a major issue. You're standing at the altar, all fancied up and ready to say your wedding vows, having spent a load of money, and you suddenly decide to postpone everything to go to a crime scene?! Because that body that has been there for years was going somewhere, so you couldn't take a few minutes to say your vows? I call BS. That's some serious devotion to your job!

After I got past that, I mostly enjoyed the book, but honestly, I am still annoyed about that bit, and it's been months since I read it. I put the book down for weeks before I finally went back to finish, and almost didn't go back at all.

I'm glad they finally got hitched, (there's been so much drama in their relationship!), but really the way the author went about it nearly spoiled the whole series for me, and I am not sure if I will continue to read her books, I'm still that salty about it.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Live, Local, and Dead, by Nikki Knight

Live, Local, and Dead by Nikki Knight 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Book 1 in the series.

This was a strong debut for the series. I really enjoyed most of the characters, and the plot. The main character seemed like a smart, strong, likeable person who cared a lot about her family, her job and her town. Unlike a lot of cozies mysteries, she didn't leave her job to someone else and go haring off, sticking her nose in dangerous situations, which made me like the book all the more!

The only bit that annoyed me was the hand feeding candy to a wild moose. I live in CO, we have all sorts of wildlife. Wild animals are WILD, and experience has shown me that humans are stupid. They don't need encouragement to do dumb things to wild animals. Moose are amazing animals best enjoyed from a distance, just like all wildlife.

Aside from that, I enjoyed the book and look forward to more in the series.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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A Three Book Problem, by Vicki Delany

A Three Book Problem by Vicki Delany 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I quite liked it.

Book 7 in the series.

I quite liked this one, Gemma has grown on me through the last few books, and I liked the setting. My only complaint was I felt the mystery was too simple, as I figured out who the murderer was early on in the book and why.

But it was still a quick, entertaining, read.

I truly hope to see more of Gemma.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Crimes and Covers, by Amanda Flower

Crimes and Covers by Amanda Flower 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was just okay.

Book 5 and the final book in the series.

I've read every book in this series and enjoyed them. But this one, let's just say the series went out with a whimper instead of a bang.

I found it to be super repetitive and strangely stilted. It also didn't help that my personal opinion of Thoreau is that he'd never have really survived in solitude, since everything was done for him by family members and he was really a weanie, haha.

The plot seemed to plod along, with way too much wedding minutia and not enough mystery. In fact, for once, I picked out the killer right away. And darn it, I'd have liked to have seen more of Emerson and Faulkner! I adore the cat and crow.

All in all, it was a disappointing end to a series I loved.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Elements of a Haunting, by Brandon Alvis and Mustafa Gatollari

Elements of a Haunting: Connecting History with Science to Uncover the Greatest Ghost Stories Ever Told by Brandon Alvis 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, did not finish.

I love ghost stories. Books, TV shows, you name it, I consume it. Unfortunately, I decided a long time ago that I didn't trust Grant Wilson and by proxy, I didn't really trust his new team of Ghost Hunters. What few episodes I did watch, I didn't really care for any of the team, and now in their book, they come off as annoying and none of their "greatest ghost stories," are really all that great.

Also, might I suggest hiring someone who actually writes for a living to write anything else for you? Rambling sentences, cliches, and some really poor phrasing just annoyed the crud out of me.

I couldn't make myself finish it.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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A Fatal Family Feast, by Lynn Cahoon

A Fatal Family Feast by Lynn Cahoon 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay, but don't start the series here.

Book 6 in the series.

I honestly thought this was a book in one of Ms. Cahoon's other series, so that's on me for not reading the description better. I've only read one other book in this series, and it was only an okay read, so had I been paying attention, I wouldn't have requested this one.

This book was again, okay. I felt like the relative that only got an invite because they felt like they had to, in that I didn't know the characters or any back story, but I also didn't really feel the urge to go back and read the books I'd missed.

I'll read descriptions more carefully next time, instead of just jumping at anything by this author.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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How to Book a Murder, by Cynthia Kuhn

How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, it's a DNF for me.

Book one in a new series.

I wanted to like it. It had a bookstore and it was set in Colorado. The mean girl from high school trope is starting to get on my nerves, and the whole thing dragged. Emma needs to grow a backbone, because the client is NOT always right. I finally gave up and walked away. I started reading this in JULY, and tried again in December, closer to the pub date. Still a NOPE for me.

This is just one of a string of cozies that didn't hold my interest. I find myself thinking that maybe, I am growing out of cozy mysteries?

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Killer Words, by V.M. Burns

Killer Words by V.M. Burns 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I really liked most of it.

Book 7 in the series.

This book made me want to go back and read all of the previous books in the series. I binge read them all, before I went back and restarted this one. It could be a stand alone, but for me, I just needed to read about what came before.

I love the family/found family parts of this series, the characters are mostly fun and likeable. Nana Jo and her group of friends never fails to make me laugh. The main storyline moves pretty quickly and the wrap up was satisfying.

The one big thing that I don't particularly enjoy about this series is the "story within the story." I get that Sam is an author as well as a book store owner (though how she has time to run a business, write books, and solve murders, I do not know!) but I admit that I skimmed through the parts of Sam's writing. It just annoyed me more than moved the main plot forward.

All in all, I enjoyed the series and hope there are many more.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Short-Circuited in Charlotte, by Amy Patricia Meade

Short-Circuited in Charlotte by Amy Patricia Meade 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay.

Book 2 in the series. This is a re-issue under a new publisher with a new series name.

I didn't like this one as much as the first book in the series. Nick was pretty much a minor character in a too loooong list of characters. And Stella was a bit off-putting in this one. I found it to be rather slow moving at times, and ended up dropping it a few times to go read something else.

I still like the married couple concept, as it puts off so much of the relationship angst that a lot of cozies have. But for that to work, I need the couple to work together, rather than just having one there in a minor role. I'd also think that Nick, a ranger for the US Forest Service, would have a bit more of a law enforcement bent, since quite frankly, these days federal rangers are all law enforcement officers, in addition to being conservation officers, and have been for decades.

I'd still like to read the next in the series, especially if it's offered on NetGalley, or through my local library.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Grave Reservations, by Cherie Priest

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

First in the series.

I have to admit, I know Cherie Priest more for her stellar Twitter comebacks and pet posts than her books. I do own a few, but horror really isn't my thing. So when she announced this book, a paranormal cozy, I was quite excited.

It didn't disappoint. Leda the intermittent psychic and Detective Grady come off with a bit of an odd couple vibe, but actually work together really well. At times I laughed out loud, especially at Klairvoyant Karaoke. What a concept, haha.

All in all, this was a quirky, fun and fast read, and I am looking forward to more.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*



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Hypnosis is for Hacks, by Tamara Berry

Hypnosis Is for Hacks by Tamara Berry 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars, I loved it!

Book 4 in the series.

I love this series. Former fake psychic Eleanor Wilde amuses the heck out of me. This time she has to confront her past, when an old partner shows up while Eleanor is entertaining her visiting brother.

The plot is as usual, fast paced, funny, and well written. Eleanor is a strong character who doesn't suffer fools (though she might take advantage of them). I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one sitting. I love that Eleanor went from bogus psychic to village witch, complete with two cats and real psychic talents.

I can't wait for more in the series.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas, by Lynn Cahoon

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay.

This is a novella length story in the newish series.

Ms. Cahoon seems to be fond of novellas, (Three in this series so far, with only two full length books), but in most cases I find they're too short to do the characters justice. There was a lot of decorating for Christmas but not a lot of story. It was an okay blurb, but I'd like to have had more. Mia and her grandmother are fun characters in the full length stories, so I will just have to sit back and wait for the next one to come out to really show them off.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Slashing Through the Snow, by Jacqueline Frost

Slashing Through the Snow by Jacqueline Frost 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I didn't care for it.

Book 3 in the series.

I'm not sure what happened to the main character after the first book, but I wanted to slap Holly multiple times. She was too stupid to live way too often in this book, and I get really tired of books where the amateur sleuth completely ignores their day job to nose around. And in this case, it's a brand new business and Holly is supposedly worried about a bad review from the person who ends up the murder victim. Honey, you need to be worrying about all your guests, because you're a terrible innkeeper!

This book just didn't sit well with me. And I don't understand why Holly's boyfriend, Sheriff Evan, puts up with her. She's turned into a nosy old biddy, and was truly insufferable.

I don't think I will read anymore in the series, if there are anymore to come.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Once Upon a Seaside Murder, by Maggie Blackburn

Once Upon a Seaside Murder by Maggie Blackburn 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Did Not Finish, I'd give it Zero stars if I could.

Book 2 in the series.

I didn't finish the first book in the series, but I thought I'd give it a second chance.

Unfortunately, the main character is still condescending, rude, and absolutely unlikable, and adding a bunch of new characters doesn't help me get past that.

It's too bad, because the idea should have been fun. But I read to have a good time, not be talked down to by the main character.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Well-Offed in Vermont, by Amy Patricia Meade

Well-Offed in Vermont by Amy Patricia Meade
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 1 in a new, but old series. Confusing, right? Originally released in 2011, this is a re-issue from a new publisher. The author has mentioned that there will be 3 new books in the series as well.

It was good read, especially for a first book in a series, the series has real potential. Knowing that there are at least 4 more books in the series helps, because it means I won't get invested in characters that will quickly disappear, which is sadly all too common in publishing now.

One thing I really like is that the main characters are a married couple. There's no relationship drama, they were likeable and funny. The book was well paced and a fast read.

Looking forward to more.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Murder Outside the Lines, by Krista Davis

Murder Outside the Lines by Krista Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Book 3 in the series.

I am a big fan of Krista Davis, and this series is just getting better with every book. That said, this is my favorite book in the series, because it's set at Halloween, my favorite holiday. It has a spooky feeling to it, without being over the top. The mystery is well written, with a fun plot surrounding it. I really like Florie, and the adult coloring books she draws are a novel twist on the typical cozy profession.

I look forward to book 4 in the series.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Passport to the Paranormal, by Rich Newman

Passport to the Paranormal: Your Guide to Haunted Spots in America by Rich Newman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

This was a fast, fun read. I love reading about haunted places, and the history of a place. Why the place is supposed to be haunted is almost more interesting to me than the actual ghost story. Yes, I am a history nerd. It was interesting to read about what the author obviously considers the top haunted spots in each state.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the description of the TV program the author was filming when he had some of his personal experiences. The idea of putting an unwitting person in a haunted location and filming them, without telling them, just doesn't sit well with me. Seems like typical shock TV and and makes me question the author's motives.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Murder by the Bookend, by Laura Gail Black

Murder by the Bookend by Laura Gail Black 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay, but....

Book 2 in the series.

I still had a hard time liking Jenna in this book. It didn't help that she absolutely had a too stupid to live moment, and it made me want to scream. My favorite character in the book was the victim's dog! So while the story was okay, I just don't think the series is for me.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*


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A Fatal Feast, by Kathleen Bridge

A Fatal Feast by Kathleen Bridge
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 6 in the series.

I really like this series. Meg is always entertaining. That said, she had a few Too Stupid to Live moments in this book, which always annoys me, and resulted in me downrating the book.

Overall, the story was a good one that kept me reading. It was a fast read, I finished it in a day. I love the setting, and the bits and pieces of interior design Meg and Elle throw in, along with the descriptions of most of the food.

There were a few things that seemed a bit convoluted and out there, but I won't go in to that because I don't want any spoilers.

I am looking forward to more mysteries with Meg and Elle.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*


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