Death Overdue, by Allison Brook

Death Overdue by Allison Brook

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

A great start to a new series.

A haunted library? I'm there! Combine ghosts and books and you've hooked me. And Death Overdue continued to keep me reeled in. With two mysteries interwoven through the book, I didn't want to put it down.

My only complaint was that at times, main character Carrie wasn't very likeable. She comes off as rather immature for a 30 year old, still caught up in a teen-aged rebellion. But by the end of the book she seems to have finally grown up and found herself and her place in the world.

I look forward to seeing what she's up to in the next book, along with her aunt and uncle, and of course, the library ghost!

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


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Purring Around the Christmas Tree, by Liz Mugavero

Purring around the Christmas Tree by Liz Mugavero
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book six in the series. I haven't read a book in the series since book 2 and while I felt like I was missing a little background, it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. It just made me want to go back and read the rest to see what I missed, haha.

Kristan "Stan" Connor is opening a store front for her organic pet items and what better time for her grand opening then right after the lighting of the town's Christmas tree?

Things go immediately wrong for Stan, her boyfriend, Jake and the town when Santa's sleigh pulls in carrying a dead Santa and the person who was originally supposed to play Santa has disappeared.

This was a fun book, even if the plot was a bit convoluted. I enjoyed spending time with Stan again, and meeting Jake, as well as Stan's mom. I did have a bit of confusion, since there are just so many characters to keep track of. Other than that, I enjoyed the book and will look forward to more.

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

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A Cajun Christmas Killing, by Ellen Byron

A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron

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

Book 3 in the series.

Another wonderful visit to Cajun country with Maggie Crozat and her family. I always love the descriptions of Pelican and the townsfolk that truly bring Cajun country to life in this series. The holiday setting in this book was fun and I enjoyed learning about holiday traditions on the bayou.

I really liked that Maggie and Rufus seem to have finally put the long family feud to rest. I've been getting tired of the "antagonistic police officer who doesn't like the main character for some reason" character that has been turning up in cozies lately.

With Maggie and Ru working together to clear her family and Bo, this book was a fun, fast read. Definitely my favorite in the series so far!

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


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Spirits of the Cage. by Richard Estep and Vanessa Mitchell

Spirits of the Cage: True Accounts of Living in a Haunted Medieval Prison by Richard Estep

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

I admit to being fascinated by ghosts. I watch all the shows, read all the books, etc. I always take everything with a dose of healthy skepticism, and just want to be entertained and a little spooked.

I have read all of Mr. Estep's books on the paranormal. He's a local guy, living along the Colorado Front Range like me, which adds to the draw. It was in fact, his book on local hauntings in Longmont, CO that first caught my attention.

I'd heard of The Cage and seen it appear in a few of the ghost shows and wondered about the woman who had tried to make it her home, but TV only has so much time, so details were few. When I saw this book available on NetGalley, I jumped at it so I could learn more about the site and the people involved.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book gives the owner's history and viewpoint as she explains how she came to own The Cage and her experiences there. Meanwhile, Mr. Estep gives the viewpoint of his paranormal team as they investigate The Cage for a week.

I got goosebumps reading of all their experiences and consider it a story well told by the authors as a result.

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

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Assaulted Caramel, by Amanda Flowers

Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

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

I truly do enjoy Amanda Flower's writing and did enjoy the mystery. The main characters are all likeable, and I found myself with watering eyes at the end.

But the cynical side of me sees a lot of authors writing "Amish fiction," using that as a selling point, but never actually scratching the surface of the culture. This book barely touched on the Amish life, other than the things that most people already know, like the fact that most Amish don't use electricity.

The other thing that is starting to bug me about cozies in general is the depiction of law enforcement. They're either hot and a potential love interest, bumbling, or have an axe to grind.

That said, I am looking forward to reading book 2 in the series.

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


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Oh Fudge! by Nancy Coco

Oh, Fudge! by Nancy CoCo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 5 in the series.

I love the setting for this series, Mackinac Island. Main character Allie McMurphy and her sweet dog Mal make me smile. The story was a good one, except for a few things that bugged me. One is the potential love triangle. I really just wish authors would stop with this trope. They're not realistic and are just annoying.

The other thing that annoyed me was Allie's amazingly too stupid to live moment at the end. She went from being a smart, strong female to a total idiot in two seconds flat!

All told, the setting and the characters make this series one that I will continue to read, since it is fun.

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

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