Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage by Jessica Flecher & Terrie Farley Moran

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

Description:  Jessica Fletcher’s British cousin, Emma MacGill, will be traveling to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, to perform with internationally famous star of stage, screen, and television Derek Braverman in an old-fashioned musical review. Emma would love for Jessica to join her there and suggests she bring along some friends. Having just finished her latest book, Jessica is ready for a vacation and is delighted to agree. Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger are huge fans of Braverman, so they are eager to tag along, and their fanboy behavior gives Jessica and Mort’s wife, Maureen, more than occasional cause to roll their eyes.Upon arrival in Edmonton, Jessica is quickly outed as mystery writer J. B. Fletcher, and despite numerous protests, a hotel staffer arranges a book signing for her. This and touristy adventures arranged for the group make for a much busier trip than Jessica was expecting. When a hotel bartender, who also happens to be a stagehand for Emma’s play, turns up dead backstage at the theater, Jessica’s fun and relaxing vacation quickly becomes anything but.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I love the show and have been really enjoying the book series.

My Impression:  I'm pretty sure this series is the ulimate in cozy reading.  This was such a fun read because not only is Jessica on vacation but she has Seth, Mort and Maureen with her.  I like seeing Mort especially as a character but in a nonofficial capacity.  As well, I always loved when Jessica's cousin showed up on the show and it was just as fun in fiction form.   This was also definitely a case of don't meet your heroes.  

The theater and hotel were a fun setting for this mystery with lots of different characters and interesting scenarios.  A number of people have a reason to want the victim out of the way and Jessica is on top of figuring out the whos and the whys (as well as ducking an unwanted author signing event).  I really enjoyed reading this mystery and it was well paced from beginning to end.  This is truly a series you can jump in anywhere and any time spent with Jessica Fletcher is always a good time!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely!  I'll be looking forward tothe next book and I'd love to go back and read the earlier books.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries you really should try this series.  

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

This Week in Reading - March 31

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle - I've been wanting to read more from this author (or rather this author under this name) so when I saw this book I couldn't resist picking it up.  It looks really good.  (Publisher)

The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard - This one looks interesting if a bit different but I really liked the books it was compared to so I'm excited to give it a try.  (Publisher)

The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle - I've heard good things about this author and this sounds like an interesting read.  (Publisher)

Made for You by Jenna Satterthwaite - I got this one by accident.  It looks interesting though very different from my usual reading so fingers crossed!  (Publisher)

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black - I read a later book in this series last year and enjoyed it but was definitely feeling like I was missing context so I decided to pick up the first book in the series.  (Purchased)

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas - I've been wanting to reread this one and since I've reread it several times I decided it was time to purchases for the Keeper Shelf.  (Purchased)

Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas - Ditto above (Purchased)

The Chocolate Castle Clue by JoAnna Carl - I've been slowly collecting books from this series so when I saw this one at the used bookstore I couldn't resist it.  (Purchased)

Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton - This is a series I've been wanting to read for years and so when I saw the first book at the used bookstore I had to pick it up. (Purchased)

Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle - This was the only book in the home renovation series that I didn't own and that my library didn't have so another one I couldn't leave at the used bookstore.  (Purchased.

Currently:

Reading:  The Clock Struck Murder by Betty Web and Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

Listening:  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This week I kind of accidentally did some bookshopping.  The first was when I picked up a few things for Will for Easter at a store that has lots of Funko Pops and what not but also has a large used book section.  Then while J and I were waiting for our dinner reservation we went into the bookstore nextdoor and I bought a couple of books.  It was just a week that called for books I guess!

We are almost done with this season of Drive to Survive on Netflix and since there's no F1 race this weekend I think we are going to start the newest season of The Great British Bake-Off.  

Have a great week and happy reading!  And a happy Easter to those that celebrate.

Rhythm and Clues - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Rhythm and Clues (Record Shop Mystery #3) by Olivia Blacke

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

Description:  It’s been five whole months since the last murder in Cedar River, Texas, and Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie have been humming along when disaster strikes again.

Their struggling vinyl records shop/coffee nook, Sip & Spin Records, is under pressure from predatory investors, though the Jessup sisters aren’t ready to face the music and admit defeat. But the night after their meeting, the sketchy financier is killed outside their shop during a torrential Texas thunderstorm that washes out all the roads in and out of town. Now the sisters find themselves trapped in Cedar River with a killer, and Juni is determined to solve the case.

When the river spits out an unexpected surprise, Detective Beau Russell asks for Juni’s help, never predicting her investigation will spin her into danger. Up until now, the Jessup sisters have been playing it by ear, but with
the whole town watching, can they catch a killer before he strikes again?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read the previous two books in the series and enjoyed them.

My Impression: So far I've enjoyed this series about three sisters running a record store in a little town in Texas.  The sisters are still struggling to keep their head above water running a small business in a small town and always feel like they are teetering on the edge of disaster.  I really like that the record store isn't immediately doing amazing and the sisters are having to come up with different marketing ideas and other things to keep the business running.  This includes spending time with a potential investor who happens to be an irritating man child that Juni briefly knew in college.  Things of course come to a rather catastrophic ending with a power outage, a terrible storm and the irritating man child being found dead in front of the record store.  

I like Juni's relationship with her sisters and watching them run the business.  Things aren't always sunshine and rainbows but (other than random murders of course) the level of drama is fairly realistic.  As well, the mystery kept me interested and I enjoyed getting to the big reveal.  Juni can be a bit immature sometimes but mostly with her sisters which fits with her being the youngest sister.  The two things that keep this series from being a winner for me is a love triangle between two good guys who I'm really starting to feel deserve better than being "casually dated" by someone they both want to seriously date.  The other is probably a just me thing but Juni rides around town on an adult trike which is fine but it just gets mentioned SO many times throughout the book that it gets a bit eye rolly.

Overall, this is a fun mystery series with a bit of music and a bit of coffee and a lot of small town quirky.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would!  While the series isn't perfect, overall, I really enjoy it and will be keeping an eye out for the next one.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a fun series to start and it's one you could jump in  here without having to go to the beginning.  

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

Friday Fives - Five Short 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.  The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth - This was my first Sally Hepworth and it definitely won't be the last!  This was a twisty turny story and I was never quite sure what would be revealed next.  I found both different POVs fascinating and compelling.   I was hooked and couldn't wait to find out just what all had led up to that final moment but I wouldn't necessarily call this a thriller.   The pacing was fast and once I got settled on one theory something would happen to change my mind but I never felt that claustrophobic feeling that really scary thrillers give me.  I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.  My Rating:  Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  The Obsession by Nora Roberts - This is one of Roberts' romantic suspense stand alone titles and one I remember enjoying right after it came out but not much other than that.  This was an intense listen that starts out when Naomi is just 11 years old and discovers her father is a serial killer.  Fast forward to present day where she is a photographer who has focused on keeping the past in the past and not putting down roots - until she finds a house with a view she can't resist and a town where she can't help but want to stay.   Roberts never disappoints with pacing and this one kept me hooked from beginning to end.  I loved all the characters - especially Tag the dog.  The suspense is definitely creepy and I enjoyed the unraveling.  My only wish is that we could have gotten a book about Naomi's brother Mason as I loved his character.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

3.  Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick - I always enjoy Quick/Krentz's romantic suspense and this was a fun one with legends and rumors and misdirection.  Slater Rockton has quite the reputation after essentially rising from the dead and surviving on a thought to be deserted island.  Ursula Kern has made a reputation as running one of the best secretarial firms in London with high standards and exceptional results but she's not who exactly who she says she is.  I enjoyed their meeting as well as watching them get more and more involved in the mystery surrounding Ursula's employee's death.  This was a good quick entertaining read. Nothing that will really stick with me but it was lots of fun from beginning to end.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

4.  Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas - This is the first book in the Hathaway family series that involves oldest sister Amelia and Cam who is the manager at Jenner's - the club featured in The Devil in Winter.  Cam's heritage is a mix of Romany and Irish which makes him feel like he fits in neither world and he's perpetually restless - that is until he comes into contact with the Hathaways.  The family, to put it nicely, is a mess.  The brother, Leo, has recently inherited a title that is supposed to be cursed, very little money, and a falling down manor house.  Leo is on a path of self-destruction after the loss of his fiancé and things in general are just not going well.  I loved getting to know the family.  The sisters were entertaining, Leo was maddening, and Amelia was frustrating though I heavily sympathized with her.  Cam is an interesting character trying to figure out exactly who he is and what he wants.  The romance wasn't my favorite.  It was very physical attraction forward and Amelia never really seemed to settle on what she wanted.  That said I enjoy Kleypas's books and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the family - and how Leo gets redeemed.   My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

5.  Murder in the First Edition by Lauren Elliott - I read the first two books in this cozy series about a bookstore owner a year or two ago and then never continued.  After picking up the third book I remember why.  The mystery looks interesting.  Addie, the main character, owns a bookstore and inherited a rambling old house from her aunt.  The town, Greybourn Harbor is cute and cozy and has everything that makes for a good cozy series.   The main problem is I really don't like Addie.  She has To Stupid To Live syndrome in spades and never seems to learn.  The mystery was an interesting one and the the reveal was solid but I was so annoyed by Addie's refusal to listen or believe anything anyone else tells her (including the police chief, Mark).  As well, there's one of my least favorite things in a book - the dreaded love triangle.  To be honest both Mark and Simon could do much better than Addie.  My Rating: Not For Me (2 Stars)

Books from the Backlog - And Only to Deceive

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:  And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander

Blurb: For Emily, accepting the proposal of Philip, the Viscount Ashton, was an easy way to escape her overbearing mother, who was set on a grand society match. So when Emily's dashing husband died on safari soon after their wedding, she felt little grief. After all, she barely knew him. Now, nearly two years later, she discovers that Philip was a far different man from the one she had married so cavalierly. His journals reveal him to have been a gentleman scholar and antiquities collector who, to her surprise, was deeply in love with his wife. Emily becomes fascinated with this new image of her dead husband and she immerses herself in all things ancient and begins to study Greek.

Emily's intellectual pursuits and her desire to learn more about Philip take her to the quiet corridors of the British Museum, one of her husband's favorite places. There, amid priceless ancient statues, she uncovers a dark, dangerous secret involving stolen artifacts from the Greco-Roman galleries. And to complicate matters, she's juggling two very prominent and wealthy suitors, one of whose intentions may go beyond the marrying kind. As she sets out to solve the crime, her search leads to more surprises about Philip and causes her to question the role in Victorian society to which she, as a woman, is relegated.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I've been buying multiple books in this series and have yet to read even the first book.  I need to read it before I buy any more books!

Overdue Reviews -The Pleasures of Passion + The Beekeeper's Daughter

 

Goodreads:  The Pleasures of Passion by Sabrina Jeffries

Blurb:  When Niall Lindsey, the Earl of Margrave, is forced to flee after killing a man in a duel, he expects his secret love, Brilliana Trevor, to go with him, or at the very least wait for him. To his shock, she does neither and sends him off with no promise for the future. Seven years and one pardon later, Niall returns to England disillusioned and cynical. And being blackmailed by the government into working with his former love to help catch a counterfeiter connected to her father doesn’t improve his mood any. But as his role as Brilliana’s fake fiancé brings his long-buried feelings to the surface once again, he wonders who is more dangerous—the counterfeiter or the woman rapidly stealing his heart.

Forced to marry another man after Niall was exiled, the now widowed Brilliana wants nothing to do with the reckless rogue who she believes abandoned her to a dreary, loveless life. So having to rely on him to save her father is the last thing she wants, much less trusts him with....But as their scheme strips away the lies and secrets of their shared past, can she let go of the old hurt and put her pride aside? Or will the pleasures of their renewed passion finally enable them both to rediscover love?

My Thoughts:  I have mixed feelings about this book.  I enjoy second chance romances typically and I really liked the way Bri and Niall communicated.  There was some hesitation that made sense but for the most part they were able to talk and listen to each other.  I really liked Bri.  She's been through some really tough times and has come through it all with resilience.  I was not as fond of Niall.  His reasons for getting involved in the duel and for leaving England are honorable and even his loss of faith in Brilliana makes sense.  That said his attitude was a bit too imperious at times and I just never fully connected with him.  As well, I didn't love how fast the physical aspect of their relationship developed and how much it seemed to control Bri especially.  Overall, while I didn't love this one I did enjoy it and will read more from this author in the future though she won't be an auto-buy for me.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

Goodreads:  The Beekeeper's Daughter by Santa Montefiore

Blurb: Dorset, 1933: Grace Hamblin is growing up on a beautiful rural estate. The only child of the beekeeper, she knows her place and her future - until her father dies unexpectedly and leaves her bereft and alone. Alone, that is, except for the man she loves, whom she knows she can never have.

Massachusetts, 1973: Grace's beautiful, impetuous daughter Trixie Valentine is in love. Jasper is wild and romantic, a singer in a band on the brink of stardom. Then tragedy strikes and he must return to his home in England, promising to come back to Trixie one day, if only she will wait for him…

Weighed down by memories, unaware of the secrets that bind them, both mother and daughter are searching for lost love. To find what they are longing for they must confront the past, and unravel the lies told long ago…

My Thoughts:  This author has a gift for making her settings and characters come to life. I felt like I could see the gardens in Dorset and then coastal Massachusetts and I could see Grace with her bees and Trixie listening to music on the beach.  The story grabbed my attention and kept me pulled in though at times I didn't really like any of the characters.  There are definitely several plotlines involving affairs which is a fingernails on a chalkboard plotline for me but I enjoyed the author's writing style so much that I was able to get past it.  This is an author that I would definitely read more from.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

Ten Series on My Radar

 I do love a good series and there are so many I want to read so I kind of keep a running list of series that are on my radar.  That way when I finish one up or get caught up on one I have another one to add to the list!

1.  The Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto - A stand alone book by this author was in my top ten favorites for 2023 so I really want to try this series. It sounds like chaos mixed with mystery.

2.  Molly Murphy by Rhys Bowen - I really enjoy other books by Bowen but for some reason have never read this historical mystery series set around Irish immigrant, Molly Murphy.

3.  The Hathaways by Lisa Kleypas - I read this historical romance series ages ago but I've really been wanting to reread it lately.

4.  An American in Paris by Colleen Cambridge - This mystery series about a woman connected to Julia Childs sounds like a lot of fun.

5.  Krewe of Hunters by Heather Graham - I love all the books in the series that I've read but there are so many that I've missed that I want to read.

6.  Charles Lennox Mysteries by Charles Finch - I read the first book forever ago and even though I really enjoyed it I haven't continued with the series.

7.  Sunrise Cove by Jill Shalvis - I took an unintended break from Shalvis' books and I really want to read all the books in this series so I can get to know Sunrise Cove.

8.  Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chien - I read and loved the first book last year and am now a bit afraid this series is going to get lost in the shuffle.

9.  Vera Stanhope by Ann Cleeves  - So many people love this series and this author and I have yet to read any of her books.  I really need to try to get to know Vera.

10. Lady Emily Mysteries by Tasha Alexander - This series is heading into dangerous territory where I am collecting the books but haven't read any of the series.  I do this regularly and there have been several times when I don't end up liking the books.  I need to start the series so I can decide if I need to stop collecting the books or not!

Have you read any of these series?  What are some of your favorite series?