America's Most Haunted Hotels, by Jamie Davis Whitmer

America's Most Haunted Hotels: Checking in with Uninvited Guests by Jamie Davis Whitmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

I love ghost stories, and I used to live in Estes Park, CO, home of the Stanley Hotel, which is widely known for its hauntings (and one of the hotels in this book). Because of that, when I found this book, I jumped at the chance to read it.

I do tend to be a wee bit skeptical about ghost hunters. Especially when they have something happen to them every place they go, but this book didn't disappoint. Jamie Davis Whitmer flat out tells her readers that hauntings aren't like a light switch, you can't turn them on when you want to. She admits it when nothing happens.

She can be a bit heavy on the "feelings" side, but not enough to make me do much more than roll my eyes. And I'm not a huge "flashlight as communication device" fan, since I've seen how easy it is to fake. For the most part, though, Jamie and her husband Bob are pretty straight forward.

One of the things I love about ghost stories is learning some of the history about the haunted location. The author gives a brief history of each hotel, especially as it relates to the alleged hauntings, separating what people can be verified through research and what is unsubstantiated tale.

I definitely recommend this book if you want a little something a little spooky with a bit of a history lesson, rather than something that will scare your pants off.

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

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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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Unraveled, by Jennifer Estep

Unraveled by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 15 in the series. It can be read as a stand alone, but I don't think I would recommend starting here. Read the previous books, they're fun anyway.

This book carries on right after Bitter Bite/Unwanted. It starts off a bit slowly, as Gin keeps an eye on her best lead to the Circle, and nearly witnesses an assassination attempt on the guy, only to find out he knows next to nothing about the Circle.

She gets a call from Finn after he inherits a Wild West themed resort and park from his mother. Gin, Owen, Finn and Gia decide to check it out for a much needed vacation and maybe a chance to get more info about Finn's mother, Gin's mother and the Circle.

What follows is a wild west romp with traps tripped, assassins thwarted and information uncovered. And all while on vacation, ha.

Once they hit the resort, I read the rest of the book straight through. There are a few moments of predictability, but plenty of action to keep things moving.

For long time readers of The Elemental Assassin series, I highly recommend it. New readers, do yourself a favor and go back to the beginning and binge read, haha.

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

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Death of a Pumpkin Carver, by Lee Hollis

Death of a Pumpkin Carver by Lee Hollis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 8 in the series, though I didn't realize it until later. Definitely can be read as a stand alone mystery.

Hayley Powell's ex, Danny, is back in town, leaving Hayley wondering what he's up to this time. When the uncle that Danny is staying with is found murdered in the local cemetery, Danny becomes the prime suspect. Now Hayley has to prove what she knows in her heart. Danny is trouble, but he's not a murderer.

This was a fun, fast read that kept me entertained all the way to the end. Hayley and her crew are amusing.

And, there are pumpkin recipes throughout the book! Yum!

*I was provided with an ARC of this book by the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.*

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Death Among the Doilies, by Mollie Cox Bryan

Death Among the Doilies by Mollie Cox Bryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

First in the series.

New crafts, new friends, new murders...

Cora and her friend, Jane, are looking forward to starting a new life in a small town running a crafting retreat business. But just as they are gearing up for their first retreat, Jane is accused of murdering the school librarian.

With the local police certain that Jane is guilty, it's up to Cora and her crew to prove that Jane is innocent and to save their new business. Suspects abound and the story has several fun twists and turns.

I enjoyed the characters and I am looking forward to more of Cora Crafts.

*I was provided an ARC of this book by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.*

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The Secret Ingredient of Wishes, by Susan Bishop Crispell

The Secret Ingredient of Wishes by Susan Bishop Crispell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will love this book. It was a sweet story of a woman with the power to grant wishes, whether she wants to or not.

Rachel Monroe tries to run from her questionable gift, and ends up in Nowhere, North Carolina, where lost things have a habit of turning up and magic isn't really considered all that unusual.

In Nowhere, Rachel learns that maybe she can have a normal life after all, with friends, and even a possible romantic relationship with the cute guy next door.

This truly was an absolutely lovely story about second chances that I could not put down.

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

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Pumpkin Picking with Murder, by Auralee Wallace

Pumpkin Picking with Murder by Auralee Wallace
My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was just okay. This book took me a lot longer to get through than usual. I kept having to put it down because something in it just pulled me out of the story and it was frustrating.

Honestly, this book just wasn't my cup of tea. I expect cozy mysteries set in small towns to have some eccentric characters. that's how it is with small towns. What I don't expect is that they will ALL be that way. Every last character seemed to be "quirky," the main character, Erica, still rebelling against her childhood, she claims to care for Grady and then keeps information from him; her rich, immature and annoying best friend, Freddie, who jumps from plan to plan with no common sense and way too much money; Erica's mother, Summer Bloom, the stereotypical hippy-dippy flower child, who at this point and time is refusing to speak because she's running a silent retreat for more hippy-dippy wannabes.

And then there's Tweety and Kit Kat. They're people by the way, not dogs or cats. Tweety and Kit Kat nearly made me mark this book as DNF, just because the names made me say to myself, "Who's trying too hard to be cutesy, then?"

I finally managed to slog through it, to a decent resolution of the murder mystery. It did have some funny moments, but for the most part, it tries too hard to be funny. Sadly, I will not be looking forward to anymore books from this author.

*I was provided with an ARC of this book by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*

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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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A Story to Kill, by Lynn Cahoon

A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

A great start to a new series.

Cat Latimer is back in Colorado after surprisingly inheriting the home she used to share with her cheating ex-husband. Cat and her friend Shauna work to turn the house in to an inn of a sort, hosting writer's retreats one week a month.

In this book, the past really can come back to haunt you.

When Cat finds a guest murdered in his room, she has to dig in to his past to figure out who killed him. While Cat has to deal with the murder of a guest, there's also a mystery within the mystery. Cat also starts to come to terms with her ex-husband's cheating ways, while finding out new information about her ex. Was he really the cad he acted at the end of their marriage? Why did he have a secret room in the attic? And who is messing with Cat?

Normally, I am not a huge fan of the ongoing mystery within a mystery deal, but the mystery of Cat's ex is a subtle strand woven through out the book, rather than an in-your-face cliffhanger designed to get you to buy the next book. It didn't detract from the main whodunnit, and in this case, actually gives the reader more insight into Cat.

I'm ready for the next book in the series. I'm curious as to how Ms. Cahoon plans to continue the series without turning the writer's retreats into the Murder Inn!

*I was provided an ARC of this book by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.*

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Practice Makes Perfect, by Sarah Title

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Title
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

This was a short and sweet novella about research librarian turned erotic romance author, Helen, and her co-worker/best friend, historian Henry.

Helen finally gets a rejection letter with a reason for the rejection, and a suggestion for fixing her novel. Turns out Helen's story is great, except her sex scenes are boring. So she decides to do what she does best and research writing a good sex scene.

She's so into her research she doesn't notice Henry reading over her shoulder. Then Henry offers to help Helen with some one on one research.

It was quite short, and I wish it had been fleshed (no pun intended) out a bit more. The characters moved so quickly and suddenly I was 95% through the book and I never really felt like I got to know them. Henry's side-plot felt a little bit shoe-horned in there, just to give the story a conflict that the characters have to overcome. Despite that, it was a fun read and I found myself amused a lot.

Even though the main character was trying to write erotic romance, there was very little detail into her "research" with Henry, making it the cleanest "erotic romance" I have ever read, haha.

*I was provided with an ARC of this story by the publisher via NetGalley 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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Out of Nowhere, by Susan Dunlap

Out of Nowhere: A Zen Mystery Set in San Francisco by Susan Dunlap

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.
#7 in a Series.

Darcy is back! This time, trouble has come after her newly returned brother Mike. What was Mike up to in the 20 years he was missing? How well does Darcy really know the brother she adored?

This story is as full of twists and turns as the streets of San Francisco as Darcy digs into Mike's past to find out who wants to hurt him, and why.

It did take me a few chapters to get into, but then I was hooked. From hit and run attempts to gas leaks to actual murder, this book's got it going non-stop.

Hopefully, Ms. Dunlap won't make us wait too long for the next book!

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


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A Tough Nut to Kill, by Elizabeth Lee

A Tough Nut to Kill by Elizabeth Lee
My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Did not finish.

First in a series. Pen name for Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli.

"I was already steeped in the heavenly smell of baking pecan pies and pecan drop cookies when I hurried down, worried, from my apartment over the Nut House, the store our family owned, to find my meemaw, Amelia Hastings, known to everybody in Riverville, Texas, as Miss Amelia, behind the counter, embroiled in her weekly tussle with Ethelred Tomroy."

Holy run-on sentence, Batman! Take a breath! That's your introduction to the book. The very first sentence. One word to describe this book? Wordy.

That first sentence/paragraph set the tone for the entire book for me. I just couldn't get past it. Or the very next one, which was almost as long. It only stopped to tell you that the speaker stopped to take a breath, haha. The entire book was like that. Loooooooooooong sentence, short sentence, looooooooooooooooooooong run-on sentence. Distracting. Enough so I couldn't get past the first chapter, so I never did get to the mystery.

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Reining in Murder, by Leigh Hearon

Reining in Murder by Leigh Hearon

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


First in a series.

Horse trainer and rescuer, Annie Carson gets called to a fatal traffic accident to take care of a horse that survived. A horse that ends up being the only witness to a murder.

I love the animal aspect, Annie obviously really cares about them. My one complaint is that like a lot of animal activists, she tends to treat animals better than she treats the people around her. For a 43 year old woman, Annie comes off a bit immature (her reaction to the murder victim's husband was a little bit high school, haha) and a little thin-skinned.

The mystery part was interesting enough, and Annie's attitude improved toward the end of the book, though she was still a bit... smug, I guess is the best word.

Hopefully in book 2 the author will round out the characters a bit, smooth off some of the rough edges, make Annie a little bit more likable. Luckily, I won't have that long a wait, since book 2 comes out in October.
 



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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!

Hour 12!

Challenge: find cozies that have certain attributes:

a cozy set in a beach town- Lynn Cahoon, Tourist Trap mysteries

a cozy that includes recipes- Cleo Coyle, Coffeehouse mysteries

a cozy that has a ghost in it- Molly MacRae, Haunted Yarn Shop

a cozy where the protagonist is a business owner- Duffy Brown, Cycle Path Mysteries

a cozy that has a color in a book title or series name- Blood Orange, China Bayles series, Susan Wittig Albert

a cozy with a cat(s) that have special abilities- Sofie Kelly, Magical Cats

Readathon

They're still going strong @SaveOurCozies #Readathon! 

Me, I took a bit of a nap around 3:30 am, but I was back at it by 7.  But now I have to put the books down and deal with a broken washing machine for a bit.  *Crossing my fingers that it's an easy & reasonable fix*

I'm in the middle of Dead End Street, by Sheila Connolly.  It feels more cozy then mystery at the moment.  Nell was involved in a drive by shooting in which one woman is killed, but so far she's more focused on the epiphany she had after her near death experience than on finding the shooter.

Despite that, I am enjoying the book.  The characters are always fun to visit with.

Hour 3

I'm still listening to Molly MacRae's Last Wool and Testament, "The colors and textures displayed in the windows and the enticing glimpses of more skeins and fibers farther in lured even the most resolute," and any one who knows fiber crafters knows, we're not all that resolute, haha.

That sentence is actually what first hooked me on the Haunted Yarn Shop series, I wanted to move into the Weaver's Cat, lock, stock and barrel ;)

I love books that combine crafts with mysteries, and if that craft has to do with yarn?  I'm all over it!