The Good, the Bad and the Guacamole, by Rebecca Adler

The Good, the Bad and the Guacamole by Rebecca Adler
My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars, I wasn't a huge fan.

Book 2 in a series.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. The town is cute, the location could be brilliant, but the author never really makes use of the area of Texas the book is set in, other than to talk up Tex-Mex cooking, which just left me hungry.

I just couldn't get into this book. A book that should have taken me just hours to read took me 10 days to wade through, because it just didn't hold my interest. I kept putting it down to read something new.

The fact is, I just don't really like Josie. She's bland. And I am starting to get annoyed with books that anthropomorphize animals. I don't mind the ones where the animal has a personality, or even a special talent, but when you start dressing up your dog and treating it like your baby, I have to draw the line.

Sadly, I admit to finally just skimming the rest of the book just to get to the end. I won't be reading anything else in this series.

*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.*

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Killing Thyme, by Leslie Budewitz

Killing Thyme by Leslie Budewitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars, the best yet!

Book 3 in the series.

This is truly one of my favorite cozy series! I love visiting Pepper in Seattle and the Pike Place Market, which is one of the most amazing places I have ever been. And I don't have to deal with Seattle traffic to get there!

In Killing Thyme, always busy Pepper has even more on her plate, with a visit from her mother and a blast from the past that ends in murder. Pepper vows to stay out of it, but with her mother connected to the victim and secrets from Pepper's childhood coming to light, she feels she has to find justice for the dead woman.

I read this book in one sitting, because I did not want to put it down. One thing happens after another, keeping things moving at a satisfying pace. The mystery within the mystery was intriguing, and I loved the resolution of everything. The characters are strong and well developed, and most importantly, likeable!

As always, the recipes in the book sound delicious. I really want to make the Herbed Black Bean Pasta Salad, which sounds both yummy and EASY, haha.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review*


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Apprentice in Death, by J.D. Robb

Apprentice in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars, I freakin' loved it!

The 5 star rating is based on the fact that this got me distracted through some heavy pain from surgery in the morning, and allowed the pain pills to kick in! If it's good enough to make me forget about pain, it's good enough to rate the 5th star, haha. Seriously, the only time I put this down was during surgery. It was just that good.

This time around, Dallas and crew are up against a long distance serial killer (LDSK) who strikes seemingly random targets.

Dallas and the friends get things done, even with threats of baby birthday parties and new home office designs. And as the LDSK hits close to home, the team buckles down to track down their suspect.

I'm always amazed that Nora Roberts/JD Robb can go 40-odd books in a series and still be an into the characters as she was at the start. So many authors of long running series lose interest, or worse start writing for themselves and change their characters some the dedicated fan doesn't even recognize them anymore. But Eve Dallas is still Eve, a little softer maybe, but still kicking ass and I adore her.

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Silk Stalkings, by Diane Vallere

Silk Stalkings by Diane Vallere
My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Ms. Vallere comes close to designing the perfect murder.

Polyester Monroe is certainly busy these days, between helping transform Genevieve's tea shop into a Paris nightclub for the town's Midnight in Paris party to helping the young ladies competing in the local Miss Tangorli pageant design their own dresses. Oh, and finding the dead body of the pageant's founder makes her even busier!

I really like Poly, she's a take charge kind of gal, who cares about her friends and even complete strangers. It's that caring about her best friend, Charlie, that has her sticking her nose in to this murder, as it seems to be connected to Charlie's past.

The books in this series just keep getting better. This one had a nice, solid plot and interesting action that kept me reading long after I should have gone to bed. It had twists enough that it took me almost as long as Poly to figure out who the killer was, haha.

I do have one small complaint, and that is that Charlie's "poor me" attitude is starting to get old. Hopefully, some of that is lessened with the ending of this book.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.*

ETA:  As of 9-30-16, it looks like this will be the last book in the series :( 

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Grilling the Subject, by Daryl Wood Gerber

Grilling the Subject by Daryl Wood Gerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

5th in the series. A rare 4 out of 5 stars for me, I really liked it.

Cookbook Nook store owner Jenna Hart and all of Crystal Cove, CA are celebrating with a Wild West Extravaganza this time around, complete with rope jumping, trick riding, horse racing, lots of food and of course, a murder. When Jenna's dad is named a suspect, Jenna jumps in to clear him and find out who really killed the victim.

I have really enjoyed this series. Jenna has grown a lot since the first book and has truly come into her own, running the store with her aunt, learning to cook (at least a little bit) and falling in love again. All the usual characters are well developed, likable and fun. Though it is the 5th in the series, the book stands on its own, with enough back story here and there to keep the new reader from being too in the dark.

Grilling the Subject has plenty of suspects and a twisty little plot that will keep you enthralled all the way through. I also like that Jenna is a capable, quick thinking woman (even if she can't lie worth a darn, haha) who manages to take care of herself. My only complaint is that by the time I was done with the book I was hungry for all the yummy food described in the book! Conveniently, there are multiple recipes at the end for the reader to try.

*I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

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Grace Sees Red, by Julie Hyzy

Grace Sees Red by Julie Hyzy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 7 in the series. Not my favorite in the series, but an all around fun, quick read.

I love the relationship between Grace and Bennett and the fact that Grace is there because she loves him, (and did so long before they did the DNA testing that proved their relationship) and not his money.

I enjoyed finding out more about Frances, it's easier to see where her attitude comes from, though I still don't care for her much. I do hope we see more of Percy and Kyle. I also would like to see more of Bruce and Scott again. They've been in the background long enough.

I like that Grace's personal life seems to be getting a boost, but that it's almost an afterthought, and not a major plot point.

I will admit to not being excited to see more of Liza. And I really don't like the way Grace seems to be sticking her head in the sand and hoping Liza won't find out about the blood relationship between her, Grace and Bennett. Grace has always seemed to down to earth for that kind of wishful thinking.

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Kernel of Truth, by Kristi Abbott

Kernel of Truth by Kristi Abbott

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


First in a series.

I was skeptical about this book. The cozy market is flooded with books about any tiny niche you can think of, and a popcorn shop was never on my radar. And I confess, I don't like popcorn. But this book surprised me.

The Whodunnit was a bit predictable, I had that part figured out from nearly the beginning, but I didn't completely know the why, so it was still a fun read. I love Sprocket and his human, Rebecca, isn't bad either, though she did come off as a bit immature. But I will say that if we never see Rebecca's ex again, that will be fine with me.

I will definitely be waiting for the next book in the series.



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Reading binge

I've been on a bit of a binge lately.  I'm going to have to stop soon and get my thoughts down for some reviews.

Reading List:
Reining in Murder, by Leigh Hearon
Kernel of Truth, by Kristi Abbott
Hearse and Gardens, by Kathleen Bridge
A Story to Kill, by Lynn Cahoon (NetGalley)
Out of Nowhere, by Susan Dunlap (NetGalley)

And those are just the ones that I have read (or am still actively reading) in the last week!  The TBR pile on my coffee table doesn't seem to be getting any shorter.  And we won't talk about all the books waiting on my Kindle...

There are a few more books on NetGalley I would love to request, but I have 3 more books on my new shelf to read, so I am holding off on requesting anything more until I have at least finished a few and left reviews.

By the way, the sock I was knitting on during the Readathon?  It's about to hit the frog pond.  After 2.5 repeats, I realized that the blasted chart in the pattern is not only upside down, but reads from right to left as well.  *Sigh*  This is why I usually hate charts. I shall be stealing a sheet of graph paper from my daughter and re-writing it before I start again.

Success!

I may not have made it all 24 hours, but the hourly Challenges I could join in on were great fun, and I did get a lot of reading done (a dead washing machine and a trip to the laundromat helped a bit there, even if I am still not happy about the washing machine part!).

I got finished:
Last Wool and Testament, by Molly MacRae
Dead End Street, by Sheila Connolly (review to be posted soon-ish, it's already up on Goodreads).
Pleating for Mercy, by Melissa Bourbon

I started Kernel of Truth, by Kristi Abbott and Hearse and Gardens, by Kathleen Bridge (What?  They're in different rooms of the house, bedroom versus living room reads, haha).

I did NOT finish knitting my sock  Knitting and being tired does not mix, so I just read more instead.

Thanks very much to Franz Chapman for pulling the Readathon together and to all the authors who donated both items and their time for things like Q&As.  You all ROCK!

And so it begins.

Well, soon anyway.  Because the @SaveOurCozies #Readathon starts at Midnight!  I will be all over the place, Twitter (@Morticia_Hills), Facebook, and here.  No idea what I will have to say, but I will be reading (and listening) to some old favorites who have all been impacted by the recent Berkley cuts:
Melissa Bourbon - Magical Dressmaking series
Molly MacRae - Haunted Yarn Shop series
Christy Fifield - Haunted Souvenir series
Paige Shelton - Farmer's Market series

and more, maybe?  I have more ready to go, if needed.  I have a sock on my knitting needles to knit while I listen (or not, knitting while tired is a bad thing for me!), snacks and plenty of water.  There is always coffee to be had if necessary, and I'm about to start a pitcher of iced tea brewing, though that will likely be what keeps me moving tomorrow during the day.

Edited to add: Ok, so I won't really be all over the place.  I am mostly doing Twitter & a few posts here.

A Dark and Stormy Murder, by Julia Buckley

A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was OK.

First in a series.

I had high hopes for this book, looking at all the 5 star reviews (though frankly there are some reviewers out there who seem to give everything 5 stars...), so I am kind of disappointed.

What I liked: The main characters. I like Lena and Camilla. They clicked for me.

What I didn't like: We were threatened with a love triangle.

What I did like: It was resolved at the end of the book, rather than left to drag on, and on, and on...

What I didn't like: This was a big one. Enough that I bumped the rating to a 2 star. The mystery within the mystery was interesting, but the ending pissed me off. Mystery partly solved, but now it's a bigger mystery and it might as well have, "To Be Continued" at the end of the book.

I'm sorry, but I find "cliff-hanger" endings to be a cheap money grab. Worried your series might not continue? Need to insure that the reader picks up the next book? Leave the ending open! The reader won't mind waiting nearly a year to find out what happens next, right? Yes, yes, I will mind. A lot. Previous series that have done this have lost me for good, (I'm looking at you, Debbie Macomber!) doing exactly this.

This series has now been relegated to my library list. I will pick up the next book, and give it a chance, but I'm not paying for it.

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Éclair and Present Danger, by Laura Bradord

Éclair and Present Danger by Laura Bradford

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

Book 1 in a new series.

Was this a mystery or a romance? There was a murder at the start, though it really gets swept under the rug for the most part, as the main character spends most of her time pulling together a new business and keeping her friends from pushing her at the first man available. And can I say for the record, the attitude of her friends, that she couldn't possibly be happy without a man in her life, really bugged the crap out of me the entire book?

I liked the premise (though starting a home baking business pretty much overnight seems a stretch, and if Winnie couldn't afford to keep her bakery open, where'd she get the money to kit out her ambulance?), it's a fun idea, even if most of the names of the desserts were on the corny side. And I liked Winnie. I mostly liked the rest of the characters, but found them to be a bit behind the times, shall we say. Even Renee, a young divorced mom, pushes men at Winnie, constantly. And we get that Lovey the cat doesn't really like Winnie. Enough already.

All in all, it's better than the previous book I read by the author, the first in her Amish mystery series, which was all too predictable, stereotypical and implausible. I will give book 2 a chance. But the mystery really needs boosting. Even if it's a cozy, the mystery still needs to be front and center. Less about Winnie's dating life and more "who done it?" And I didn't figure out who the killer was until the very end, purely because the killer was barely a blip in the book! And then Winnie has one of those too stupid to live moments that made me want to slap her.



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The Bluebonnet Betrayal, by Marty Wingate

The Bluebonnet Betrayal: A Potting Shed Mystery by Marty Wingate

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Book 5 in a series.

An American ex-pat in England, Pru Parke, is temporarily tasked with over-seeing the Austin Rock Garden Society as they bring a Texas Bluebonnet themed display to the Chelsea Flower Show. Once the head of the ARGS, Twyla Woodford, can get there she'll take over. But when Twyla finally arrives, Pru's relief is short lived, as the next morning Pru finds Twyla dead in their display.

This book can be read as a stand alone, but I think I would have enjoyed it a little more had I read the previous books. However, the main characters are well developed and likeable. The Texas garden crew, not so likeable, as they don't really seem interested in the work involved setting up the display, but are more into playing tourist. They don't really seem to have cared much for Twyla, either. The small local crew set up by Twyla all seem to have a personal tie to the victim, giving them possible motives.

Pru and her husband, Christopher, a retired police detective, must work together to find out who killed Twyla and why.

All in all, a good read. All books in the series are only available as ebooks, but are very reasonably priced.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



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Braking for Bodies, by Duffy Brown

Braking for Bodies by Duffy Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am absolutely enjoying this series. I totally adore how each murder ends up an island festivity, haha. With this one, Evie ends up convincing the hordes of tourists that the murder victim they've seen is actually part of a special murder mystery weekend put on by their hotel. Crews of arm chair detectives roam the island trying to find who done it. The islanders play along to keep the fudgie dollars from drying up.

But when Evie's best friend ends up the prime suspect, Evie goes in to action to keep Fiona from being locked up, all why trying to live up to her role as maid of honor in a wedding that seems doomed.

An absolutely enjoyable romp over Mackinac Island. I heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted, amusing, cozy mystery.



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The Obsession, by Nora Roberts

The Obsession by Nora Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't usually have weird dreams from things I read or watch. But I started reading this book before bed. At about the halfway point I had to put it down and go to sleep, though I didn't really want to, haha. It gave me nightmares! I dreamed of sexual sadist serial killers, just like Naomi's dad. And weird as it seems, that's a good thing. It made an impression on me, put me in the story, or I never would have dreamed about it. And having had those dreams, I picked it up again first thing in the morning as I drank my coffee. I didn't put it back down again until I read the last page.

I consider this book one of Robert's best books over the last few years.



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Hearse and Buggy, by Laura Bradford

Hearse and Buggy by Laura Bradford

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

It's categorized as a mystery, but for me the only real mystery was how the main character was so quickly accepted by the Amish, especially after they'd already been burned by the previous shop owner. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't feel authentic to me.

And the mystery? The victim wasn't even dead yet and I knew who was going to off him and why. Characters were one dimensional and boring, and the Amish were very stereotyped. I ended up skimming through the book, past long bits filled with many gasps, googly eyes between star crossed teens, and of course, the crappy, trite love triangle trope. In fact, due to the use of TWO love triangles, I honestly would give this -1 star if I could!

Seriously, if you'e looking for an Amish cozy, go with Isabella Alan's Amish Quilt Shop series. I liked it a lot more.



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