The Five Red Herrings - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers

Rating: Just Okay (2 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  During a painting retreat, a killer takes a creative approach to the ancient art of murder...

The majestic landscape of the Scottish coast has attracted artists and fishermen for centuries. In the idyllic village of Kirkcudbright, every resident and visitor has two things in common: They either fish or paint (or do both), and they all hate Sandy Campbell. Though a fair painter, he is a rotten human being, and cannot enter a pub without raising the blood pressure of everybody there. No one weeps when he dies.

Campbell’s body is found at the bottom of a steep hill, and his easel stands at the top, suggesting that he took a tumble while painting. But something about the death doesn’t sit right with gentleman sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. No one in Kirkcudbright liked Campbell, and six hated him enough to become suspects. Five are innocent, and the other is the perpetrator of one of the most ingenious murders Lord Peter has ever encountered.

Genre:  Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the next full length Lord Peter Wimsey book and I'm trying to read my way through them.

My Impression:  Sayers and I have a bit of a rocky relationship.  I tend to either thoroughly enjoy them or find them a bit of a slog (there was one that I was really enjoying until it went off the rails at the end for an added twist).  Unfortunately, this one lands in the slog category for me.  The mystery is brilliant and the premise fantastic.  There's a wide range of rather oddball characters that all have pretty possible motives.  It's fun seeing Wimsey in the middle of an artist colony as well.  

So why was this one a slog?  The book takes place in Scotland - which is great, I love a Scottish setting - but unfortunately Sayers leans heavy into local dialect.  Every line of dialogue spoken by a Scottish person is thick with dialect and there's a lot of dialogue.  I don't mind a bit of this but this was so much that I found myself basically having to translate which pulled me out of the story every single time.  This kept me from enjoying what was really a fantastic mystery.  I think I'll avoid any of Sayers books with a Scottish setting in the future. 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I will but I won't read anymore of her books that are set in Scotland.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  Eh - maybe?  If you're a big Sayers fan or if dialect in dialogue doesn't bother you than I'd give it a try.  It also might work better as an audio.  

Friday Fives - Five Series that May Make the List For 2026

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. I've been thinking a little bit about my reading for 2026.  I read and enjoy a lot of series and my list is constantly expanding.  Here are 5 I'm hoping to have on my list for 2026.

1.  The Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien - I have read 2 books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them.  It's definitely a world I want to spend more time in and it's full of characters I'd like to get to know a bit better.

2.  Belles of London by Mimi Matthews - This is only a 4 book series and I've already read 1 (well 2 - but I want to reread that one so I'm not counting it) but I really enjoyed the story I read and want to read the rest.

3.  Amelia Peabody Mysteries by Elizabeth Peters - Barbara Michaels is one of my absolute favorite authors but I haven't read many of her books under the Elizabeth Peters name and only a couple of books in her super long running Amelia Peabody series.  

4.  Sebastian St. Cyr by C.S. Harris - I have loved the most recent books in this series and am really looking forward to reading it from the beginning.

5.  Ghost Hunters by Jayne Castle - I'm still not entirely sure what I think of this series - or where it really starts - but I'd like to read more so I can make up my mind!

Are you a series reader?  What series are you hoping to read in 2026?

Books from the Backlog - Lost and Found in Paris

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan

Blurb:  Joan Blakely had an unconventional childhood: the daughter of a globe-trotting supermodel and a world-famous artist. Her artist father died on 9/11, and Joan—an art historian by training—has spent more than a decade maintaining his legacy. Life in the art world is beginning to wear on her—and then one fateful afternoon her husband drops a bombshell: he’s fathered twins with another woman.
Furious but secretly pleased to have a reason to blow up her life, Joan impulsively decides to get out of town, booking a last-minute trip to Paris as an art courier: the person museums hire to fly valuable works of art to potential clients, discreetly stowed in their carry-on luggage. Sipping her champagne in business-class, she chats up her seatmate, Nate, a good-looking tech nerd who invites her to dinner in Paris. He doesn’t know she’s carrying drawings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But after a romantic dinner and an even more romantic night together, Joan wakes up next to her new lover to discover the drawings gone. Even more shocking is what’s been left in their place: a sketch from her father’s journals, which she thought had been lost when he died on 9/11, and a poem that reads like a treasure hunt.

With Nate as a sidekick, Joan will follow the clues all over Paris—from its grand cathedrals to the romantic bistros to the twisty side streets of Montmartre—hoping to recover the lost art, and her own sense of adventure. What she finds is even better than she’d expected.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I haven't had the best reading year and this sounds like one I'd really enjoy.  I'm hoping to shake up my reading a bit for 2026 so it doesn't feel as sluggish.

Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of authors that I've been saying I need to read and commit to reading at least one book by each of the authors in 2025.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.

Goodreads:  The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

Blurb:  Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.
At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there’s more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbors turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.

My Thoughts:  This was a seriously unsettling mystery.  Every piece of information adds more uncertainty and distrust of all the characters.  Unger does a fantastic job creating atmosphere and making the Windermere come to life with a fully realized ominous presence.  I had no idea how everything was going to work out but I flew through this book anxious to find the answers.  The solution, like the rest of the book was incredibly unsettling but ultimately satisfying.  I enjoyed this book and the author's writing style.  I'm not sure she qualifies as a must read author for me yet but I will definitely read more from her when the blurb catches my attention.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Top Ten Tuesday - Books Set in Snowy Places

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Books Set in Snowy Places.  I don't live in a place that gets much snow and I have no interest in being around snow but I really enjoy reading books that are set in snowy places.  Here are 10 of those books on my TBR.

1.  The Good Girl by Mary Kubica - This takes place in Chicago and the woods in Minnesota which are both pretty cold and snowy places.

2.  Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson - This series takes place in Iceland and it's hard to find a setting that's colder and snowier!

3.  Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey - This book is set in Alaska

4.  The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware - The previous book took place on a ship in miserably cold weather and this one takes place in a hotel in Switzerland

5.  An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena - Winter in the Catskills sounds pretty snowy

6.  Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict - This takes place on a train from London to Scotland that gets stuck in the snow.

7.  The Broken Girls by Simone St. James - There's snow on the cover and the book takes place in Vermont.

8.  This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong - Rockton is a fictional town that is in the wilds of Canada

9.  The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - This one has been on my TBR for ages and is set in Sweden.

10. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - I'm not sure there's any place snowier than Siberia.  

What books Set in Snowy Places are on your TBR?

A Grave Deception - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  A Grave Deception by Connie Berry

Rating: 
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Kate Hamilton and her husband, Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, have settled into married life in Long Barston. When archaeologists excavating the ruins of a nearby plague village discover the miraculously preserved body of a 14th century woman, Kate and her colleague, Ivor Tweedy, are asked to appraise the grave goods, including a valuable pearl. When tests reveal the woman was pregnant and murdered, the owner of the estate on which the body was found, an amateur historian, asks Kate to identify her and, if possible, her killer. Surprised, Kate agrees to try.

Meanwhile, tensions within the archaeological team erupt when the body of the lead archaeologist turns up at the dig site with fake pearls in his mouth and stomach. Then a third body is found in the excavations. Meanwhile, Kate’s husband Tom is tracking the movements of a killer of his own.

With the help of 700-year-old documents and the unpublished research of a deceased historian, Kate must piece together the past before the grave count reaches four.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I have enjoyed other books in this series and the blurb really caught my attention on this one.

My Impression: I so enjoyed this mystery.  I'm fascinated by archaeology and missing persons cases and the fact that this one had both with the addition of antiques, likable main characters, and a really solid present time mystery.  The book starts off with discussions of a major discovery - a 14th century woman buried under the chapel of a village decimated by the plague.  Along with an amazingly preserved corpse is a stunning array of grave goods.  As well, the owner of the estate where the body was found is interested in not just learning more about the grave goods but wants to know more about the woman - and who she was.  The estate owner also happens to be the center of a more modern mystery as his wife disappeared without a trace several years ago.   The murder victim is the lead archaeologist and while no one deserves to be murdered Sebastian makes a pretty good case for why he needed to be removed.  And if this wasn't enough chaos, Kate's husband, police detective Tom, is busy tracking another murderer who is on the run.

This isn't the fastest paced mystery.  There's lots of details on the places and the antiquities that are woven through the book.  This wasn't one I flew through or stayed up super late to finish.  However, it was always one that I looked forward to picking up and was always a little sad to put down.  I was curious about all the different plots and wasn't quite sure what all was going to happen until the reveal.  This is part of the Kate Hamilton series and is a series best read in order. This isn't a hardship as each book has been enjoyable.  If you are looking for a solid mystery with a bit of history and a main character you can't help but like this book and this series as a whole is a great choice.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I have really enjoyed every book I've read by this author and will definitely read anything I see by her.  I've read every book in this series except the first one which I'm hoping to read that one soon.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy a mystery read I would definitely recommend this book, this series and this author.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Monthly Reading Recap - October and November 2025

Monthly Reading Total: 25 - 17 for October and 8 for November.  I was on vacation for the bulk of November and had very little reading time so I'm not surprised my November count is so far below my usual numbers.

Type:

Print: 7

Ebook:  10

Audio: 8

Genre:

Mystery - 17

Fiction - 7

Romance - 1

Favorite Books of the Month:

October:  

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis - This is one of my favorite subjects and an author I typically enjoy so I'm not shocked that I really enjoyed this one.  The Audio was really fantastic.

Death on a Scottish Train by Lucy Connolly - This mystery series involving an American doctor in Scotland is quickly becoming one of my favorites and this one was really enjoyable.

November:

The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber - I didn't read many books in November but even if I had read 100 I'm betting this would have still been a favorite.  I thoroughly enjoyed this one from beginning to end.

Bookish Armchair Travel

Domestic Travel:  In October I visited Pennsylvania for the first time and revisited Wisconsin, South Carolina and Massachusetts (3 times)

In November I visited Alabama for the first time (which is a bit odd as I live there), Virginia, Tennessee, New York (twice), Maine, and Texas

International Travel:  In October I had quite a lot of international travel with trips to Scotland, England (4 times), Portugal, and Egypt (in multiple time periods).  In November my travel was a little less though I did go to England twice.  

How was your reading in October and November?  Where did your books take you?

Friday Fives - December TBR

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. Since this is the first Friday in December I'm planning my December TBR.  Since this is the last TBR of the year most of these books are ones in challenges I haven't gotten to yet.  As well, most of my reading this month will be trying to hit my goals as this has not been my best reading year and I'm behind by quite a bit on several.

1.  A Grave Deception by Connie Berry - One last eARC for the month and it's one I'm really looking forward to starting.

2.  Keeper of the Castle by Juliet Blackwell - This is the last one on my series challenge list and I know will be a quick read.

3.  Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh - I loved the previous book I read by Marsh so I'm really looking forward to this one.  Fingers crossed it's as enjoyable.

4.  Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart - I'm expecting this one to be a bit of a slower read but I do love Stewart's ability to create atmosphere.

5.  Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod - I've enjoyed other books by MacLeod and this one is in season which makes it extra fun.

I also have the November and December Read Christie Challenge books to read as well as 2 more of the Authors I'm Going to Read in 2025.  I have both Authors books on audio and I normally get through Christie's books at a pretty good pace so I'm not too worried.

What's on your reading list for December?  How are you doing with your reading goals?  

Books from the Backlog - The One-in-a-Million Boy

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood

Blurb:  The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don't they teach you anything at school?

So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11-year-old boy who's been sent to help her out every Saturday morning. As he refills the bird feeders and tidies the garden shed, Ona tells him about her long life, from first love to second chances. Soon she's confessing secrets she has kept hidden for decades.

One Saturday, the boy doesn't show up. Ona starts to think he's not so special after all, but then his father arrives on her doorstep, determined to finish his son's good deed. The boy's mother is not so far behind. Ona is set to discover that the world can surprise us at any age, and that sometimes sharing a loss is the only way to find ourselves again.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I picked this up a number of years ago but when Will got sick I couldn't read it.  I think now is the time to give it a try.  It had absolutely glowing reviews.

All My Bones - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  All My Bones (An Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries #2) by P.J. Nelson

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Madeline Brimley recently inherited a bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, is embarking on her second career, after her first one (acting) founders upon the metaphorical rocks. Settling in, Madeline recruits her friend Gloria Coleman, the local Episcopal priest, to help her plant azaleas in the front yard of the old Victorian that houses the bookstore. Turning the soil, however, uncovers the body of one Beatrice Glassie, a troublesome woman who has been missing for the past six months.

When her friend Gloria is arrested for the murder, Madeline is determined to prove her innocence and, as she quickly finds out, there aren't many people in town who hadn't wanted to kill Bea Glassie at one point or another. And the very expensive and rare first edition of a particular volume of Grimm's Fairy Tales—ordered by the victim and her sister is somehow tied to the grim death. With the help of her not-quite-boyfriend, a local lawman, and her deceased aunt's best friend, Madeline plans to set a trap to catch the real murderer—before she becomes the next victim.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I read the first book in the series and enjoyed it.  

My Impression:  This has all the hallmarks of a cozy - small town setting, main character owns a bookstore, amateur sleuth, cat sidekick, and a community of unusual characters.  But it doesn't quite read as a cozy to me.  The topics touched on are a bit darker and the setting and characters are a bit grimmer.  As well, while I enjoyed this book, Madeline's world isn't one I'd like to visit nor are the characters people I'd like to be friends with.

The mystery was an interesting one involving a skeleton buried in a front yard, a beloved character maybe not being who they seemed.   There's also some family pressure for a quick arrest that spurs Madeline into investigative action with a little help from her friends.  The pacing was great and kept me engaged from beginning to end.  I wasn't sure just who would end up being the killer - and why but motives and suspects definitely kept me guessing.

This is one you could really start with this one though there is a bit of setup that will help a few non-plot related things make a bit more sense.  If you're looking for a good read somewhere between regular mystery and cozies this would be a good pick.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I've enjoyed the first two books in the series and look forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're a mystery reader this is a good series and a good one to pick up.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I Want to Read in 2026

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a Freebie and since 2026 is fast approaching I'm looking through my lists and picking books I want to be sure to read.  Here are 10 on my list for 2026.

1.  The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay - I have read and thoroughly enjoyed two books by this author and her more historical fiction/espionage books are really calling my name. 

2   The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong - I meant to read this one right after it came out.

3.  Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn - I read and enjoyed the first book in this series and am very curious to see how the author develops the series.

4.  Year One by Nora Roberts - I'm not much of a fantasy/scifi reader but I've thoroughly enjoyed everything Roberts has written so I figure I should give this trilogy a try.

5.  The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor - This author is one I've read quite a bit from and really enjoyed all her books but somehow I've never read this one.

6.  The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst - I adored the first book in this world and am so excited to read this one.

7.  Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams - I've read the first two books in the Schuyler Sisters trilogy and am really hoping to finish up in 2026.

8.  The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell - This was the first book by Jewell that really caught my attention and somehow I've yet to read it.

9.  A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey - I read and loved a book by this author last year and really loved it and this one has really been calling my name.

10. Killing Trail by Margaret Muzushima - This series is on book 10 I think and seems to keep getting stronger.  I've had this one my shelf for years and 2026 seems like the year to read it.

Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of authors that I've been saying I need to read and commit to reading at least one book by each of the authors in 2025.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.

Goodreads:  Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

Blurb: Rose Mae Lolley's mother disappeared when she was eight, leaving Rose with a heap of old novels and a taste for dangerous men. Now, as demure Mrs. Ro Grandee, she's living the very life her mother abandoned. She's all but forgotten the girl she used to be-teenaged spitfire, Alabama heartbreaker, and a crack shot with a pistol-until an airport gypsy warns Rose it's time to find her way back to that brave, tough girl . . . or else. Armed with only her wit, her pawpy's ancient .45, and her dog Fat Gretel, Rose Mae hightails it out of Texas, running from a man who will never let her go, on a mission to find the mother who did.

My Thoughts:  As someone from Alabama the fact that I haven't read Joshilyn Jackson seems a bit like a crime so I'm glad to have finally corrected my transgression.  This was quite a ride. I'm not sure I liked any of the characters (other than Fat Gretel (the dog) and a few minor side characters) but I very much enjoyed reading this story.  The audio was fantastic and the narrator's Southern accent was well done (and I'm picky about my accents).  This was fun in a bit of a dark and twisted way and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Friday Fives - Five Quick Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

 

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  Every Single Secret by Christina Dodd - I really enjoy this author's books but if you are not able to suspend belief (as in take belief and lock it a box in a closet while you're reading it) this will not be the book for you.  It's plot and the setup are absolutely bananas.  There are crime lords and secret assassins and all kinds of dramatic intrigue and tragedy. I loved the appearance of Gothic in this book and am hoping for another book set there soon.   It was a fun roller coaster of a read that kept me entertained which is kind of the point of this kind of story.  This is a fun bit of escapist reading that will keep you turning pages.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars) 

2.  The Collector's Apprentice by B.A. Shapiro - I didn't enjoy this one.  Maybe if I had more of an appreciation for art I would have enjoyed it more with all the art mentioned and the time spent in the art scene both on the collecting end and with the actual artists.  My main issue was I disliked all of the characters and the story didn't engage me enough to make up for it.  I don't think this author is for me.  I didn't care for the style of writing or how the characters were developed.  My Rating: Not For Me (2 Stars)

3.  The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill - I had read some mixed reviews for this one so my expectations were pretty low going into it and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.  It's definitely a bit unique with one part being a more traditional mystery and the other being an exchange between the woman who is writing the story and a fan.  As the story goes on both plots become more and more unsettling and I had no idea how either would end.  The audio version was fantastic with Katherine Littrell's narration really adding to the experience.  I will be on the lookout for more from both the narrator and the author.  My Rating:  Really Liked It (4 Stars)

4.  The Body on the Beach by Simon Brett - Carole Seddon is incredibly sensible and her neighbor Jude (just Jude) is decidedly not.  However, it is sensible Carole that stumbles upon a body on the beach and gets caught up in an investigation she never had any intention of taking part in.  Who else can she reach out to for help but Jude?  This was a fun very classic feeling English village mystery.  I really enjoyed watching the friendship between Jude and Carole develop and the mystery itself unravel.  This is a series and an author I'm looking forward to reading more from.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

5.  We Solve Murders by Richard Osman - I read and enjoyed a previous book by Osman and I loved the sound of this one.  I went with the audio version and Nicola Walker did a fantastic job with the narration.  The cast of characters is quite the mix involving professional assassins, super tough security, retired police officers, a hodge podge of village residents, oh and a professional author with quite a lifetime of experience.  The mystery is a cat and mouse game through multiple countries with serious stakes and hijinks galore. This was a fun read and I had no idea how things were going to unfold until the end but I enjoyed watching unfold.  I'm looking forward to read more from this author and this series.  My Rating: Really Liked It!  (4.5 Stars)

Books from the Backlog - The Man Who Died Twice

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  While I didn't love the first book in the series I did enjoy it and it's a series I'd like to read more of.  

What I'm Reading - November 26

 I always have a few books going.  Here is what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about them.

Print:

A Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle - I'm desperately trying to finish up my series reading for 2025 and this is the next book on the stack.  So far I'm enjoying it though I'm not very far in.  I've had some mixed results with this series so I'm hoping for the best.

Ebook: 

All My Bones by P.J. Nelson - I liked the first book in the series and am curious to see how the series develops.  

Audiobook:

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson - This is one of my must read authors for 2025 and this book is more than a little bonkers but so far a pretty good time.

Slow Read: 

The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers - This is proving to be a bit of a slog.  I'm not a fan of large quantities of dialogue written in heavy dialect and that is definitely slowing this one down for me.

What are you reading right now?

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books That Take Place on Thanksgiving

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a Thanksgiving Freebie and I'm picking ten books (mostly cozies) that take place on Thanksgiving that I'd like to read.

1.  Drizzled with Death by Jesse Crockett - Pancakes and cozy mysteries sound like quite a good combination!

2.  Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower - I really enjoy this series and a Thanksgiving mystery sounds perfect.

3.  The Good House by Ann Leary - I have had this on my TBR for ages.

4.  A Deadly Feast by Lucy Burdette - Thanksgiving in Key West.

5.  Murder, She Wrote: A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain - These books are always so cozy so a Thanksgiving mystery sounds great.

6.  In the Blink of a Pie by Catherine Bruns - Pies, cozy mysteries, and the orange cat on the cover!  

7.  Feast of Murder by Jane Haddam - I haven't read anything by this author but I've been wanting to try something by her and this looks like a fun one.

8.  Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet - This looks a bit more classic mystery and this is a series I've really been wanting to read.

9.   The Diva Run of Thyme by Krista Davis - This whole mystery centers around a Thanksgiving meal.

10. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - Another non-cozy that takes place around family drama and Thanksgiving.

What books set around Thanksgiving are on your TBR?  

Vows and Villainy - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Vows and Villainy (The Cambridge Bookshop Series #5) by Elizabeth Penney

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  It’s wedding season in Cambridge, and Molly Kimball is thrilled that it's almost time for her best friend's special day. With the help of her boyfriend Kieran Scott, she is determined to be the best maid of honor for Daisy and Tim. Daisy’s heart is set upon a Shakespeare-themed wedding to be held at Hazelhurst House, Kieran’s family’s home. The Scotts are also hosting a Shakespeare troupe for the summer, and the actors have kindly agreed to be part of the festivities.

But all goes awry with the discovery of Sir Jordan Peck, a famous actor with a checkered past and present-day misdeeds, floating dead in the moat with flowers strewn around him, à la Ophelia. When Kieran’s brother Alan becomes a top suspect, Molly and company must investigate to uncover the ugly truth behind this picturesque scene . . . before more bodies keep piling up.

Can Molly solve the murders before Daisy and Tim say “I do”?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed the previous books in this series so of course I had to pick this one up.  

My Impression:  Molly is spending more time at the castle as she helps her boyfriend, Kieran's, family organize the library and prepare for the wedding of two close friends.  On a beautiful morning she and Kieran's mother, Lady Asha, and the bride to be, Daisy stumble upon a body in the moat in full Ophelia mode.  Molly is quickly pulled into the investigation both to get things settled before Daisy's wedding and to keep Kieran's brother, Alan, out of trouble.

This is a fun series that is so cozy it feels indulgent.  I mean there's a library in a castle, a 400 year old family owned bookstore, and a cat. What not to love?  Add in a hefty dash of Shakespearean actors (some with rather scandalous pasts and all with hidden agendas) and an assortment of likable main characters and I always enjoy my visit to Molly's world.  There's a side plot involving Molly's aunt which I very much enjoyed as well as some regular life scenes.  

The mystery is enjoyable and I always love catching up with the characters.  The series isn't one that really sticks with me but it is one I always look forward to reading.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author and look forward to reading more.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you are a cozy mystery fan this is definitely a fun series to try though I do recommend starting from the beginning of the series.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *