I brought my outrage to the r/CozyMystery Discord server and ended up in a discussion about how Cozy Mystery covers are losing their coziness, getting away from the beautifully drawn covers and getting into covers that look like a photoshop collage. And that makes me sad! Continue reading Cover Up…
Hemlock for the Holidays
A Fine Art Mystery #3
by Paula Darnell
I picked this one up for the r/CozyMystery Plant in the Title square on book bingo (I’m still not 100% sure if Hemlock is a flower or a plant. All I could come up with was “flowering plant” which didn’t tell me much!) This is the third book in the series, but I’d say it can easily be read as a standalone, as any mentions of prior events didn’t hamper my enjoyment or understanding. But, it was so good, I will be reading the earlier books.
This was a nice, easy read with an enjoyable community of characters, a twisty plot and all the joy of Christmas. Lonesome Valley is a typical small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business and Amanda relies on her close knit group of friends to catch her up on the backstories of the townspeople. (I’m going to quote Mint’s review, “...the town is charming, yet flawed, adding a realistic touch to the story” and I agree completely!) I have to say, in this one, the people definitely outshone the plot, which isn’t to say the plot wasn’t good (it was!) but for once I enjoyed the people more. Usually I’m all about the solving, but I just liked hanging out with Amanda and the other characters so much, I wasn’t even trying to solve the mystery. Overall, a great read and I look forward to returning to Lonesome Valley!
Published August 5, 2021 by Campbell and Rogers Press
Caution: Spoiler below reveals the ending, so don’t click on it if you don’t want it spoiled:
I was scouting around looking for a book for the r/CozyMystery Online Referral book bingo square and BeachbumBookworm swooped in on Discord with this recommendation. It had all the things I like in a cozy mystery; a deftly written plot, likeable characters, secrets (I love secret anything in books!) and the absence of tropes. Perfect! Continue reading Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries #1)
I always look forward to getting back to Holiday Bay and catching up with all the happenings at the Inn. This one had a novel plot (heh book pun) with the suspicious suicides of 2 successful celebrity women. Continue reading Portent in the Pages (The Inn at Holiday Bay #16)
…possible shenanigans at an old folks home, a sophisticated crime ring, and a mysterious house in a painting all served to compel to Tuppence that something was amiss and required further detecting. It was thoroughly enjoyable and quintessentially Christie,… Continue reading By the Pricking of My Thumbs (Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries, #4)
Fenella and Daniel are in town for Jack’s wedding to his new love Linda. When Linda’s ex-husband returns to disrupt the wedding, having left her with no notice or forwarding address years before, tempers flare and George is later found dead in a dumpster. Continue reading Roses and Revenge (An Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Book 18)
Absolutely loved this one! Fantastic from start to finish! Definitely a full 5 star read! Continue reading The Body in the Beauty Parlor (A Jazzi Zanders Mystery #6)
Gideon is in Egypt, having been strong-armed into narrating a documentary about the history of Horizon House, a museum and archaeology facility in Luxor, steps from the Sphinx. Continue reading Dead Men’s Hearts (Gideon Oliver #8)
This one was a pretty quick read, didn’t take me more than an hour to read (mostly because I skipped through a lot of the scenes with Prudence’s annoying and obnoxious family and friends Continue reading Christmas Spirit (The Middle-Aged Ghost Whisperer #1)
What I love about this series is how all these facets – beautiful Alaska scenery, the dogs, the close knit townspeople- make for such a strong foundation throughout the series. Continue reading Finding Answers (Rescue Alaska #2)
Mystereity Reviews 