A Hodge Podge of Reviews - Cozy Mystery Edition

 

Goodreads:  Murder at the Mansion (A Victorian Village Mystery #1) by Shelia Connolly

My Thoughts: When an old friend calls Kate Hamilton in to help save her old hometown she can't help but get involved.  With her job coming to an end she finds herself at lose ends and the project will be a nice distraction - except for the fact that it just happens to involve the primary reason for why Kate fled her hometown after high school in the first place - Cordelia Walker.  Cordelia is still very much up to her old mean girl tricks which catch up to her just a few days after Kate gets into town.  Now with a mission to save the town and a murder investigation for a victim that pretty much everyone would cheerfully have murdered Kate's days are jammed packed.  The beginning was a bit slow but it was still enjoyable.  I loved the history element and I really liked that while the murder investigation was wrapped up the investigation into the old mansion at the edge of town is really just beginning.  It made me anxious to dive into the next book.  I listened to this book and really enjoyed it.  Rating:  Liked It!

Goodreads:  In Peppermint Peril (A Tea and Read Mystery #1) by Joy Avon

My Thoughts:  This was a fun beginning to a cozy mystery series.  Callie is up in Maine visiting her Great Aunt Iphy and helping out at Iphy's tearoom The Book Tea.  I loved the concept of The Book Tea where Iphy hides little hints to various stories in her treats.  One of the biggest negatives for me about this book is that basically no time is spent there and instead the setting is Haywood Hall - a mansion in town and home of Dorothea Finster.  Callie is there catering a tea for The Book Tea and not only has to come face to face with her a former love interest but his wife her former friend Sheila.  While getting used to the awkwardness there is the discovery of a missing ring quickly followed by the discovery of a dead body.  I liked Callie and Iphy and enjoyed the investigation as well as getting to know Heart's Harbor, Maine.  However, there was a bit of a chaotic feel to the book.  It's definitely one of those books that hits the ground running which is great however, I never really felt like I knew the characters or everything that was going on.  That said, I think this series has a lot of potential and I'm hoping that second book is a little more grounded.  Rating: Liked It

Goodreads:  Read and Gone (Haunted Library #2) by Allison Brook

My Thoughts:  This is one of my favorite cozy series but somehow I never managed to read the second book.  I'm so glad I took the time to go back and give it a read!  Here are stolen gems, a murdered jewelry store owner, and Carrie's father who just happens to be a career thief just happens to be back in town and in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time!  Luckily, Carrie is on the case with some resistance from local police chief John and her boyfriend Dylan who works for the insurance company that is trying to find the gems.  Everyone has a motive and no one seems to know just where the gems are located which makes for lots of searching and an extra dead body or two.  The conclusion was satisfying both for the mystery and for Carrie's personal life.  If you enjoy a good cozy read this is a fun series and a great book.  While there is a ghost (hence the Haunted Library series title) it is a very minor aspect in this book especially so don't let that scare you away if you prefer your mysteries ghost free.  My Rating:  Really Liked It!