The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor (Wales Village #1) by Lucy Connelly

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

Description:  After crossing the pond, Dr. Gwen Griffith finds herself in the quirky place she fell in love with, Dillynaidd, Wales. A former managing editor for a Texan newspaper, Gwen is ready for the next stage in her life as the head of the journalism department at the local university in town. With her best friend, Carolyn Sparks–who is also the university’s dean–at her side, Dillynaidd feels like a dream, until murder comes knocking at her doorstep.

Gwen had only just met the victim, Dr. Alice Rice, at a faculty party but that doesn't stop police detective Gareth Jones from suspecting her of foul play–after all the victim was found on her doorstep. With her journalism background, Gwen decides that it’s up to her to clear her own name. But she’ll need all the help she can get when her idyllic small town life is turned upside down in order to stay one step ahead of the killer.

This brand new series by Lucy Connelly, author of the Scottish Isle mysteries, will charm cozy mystery readers everywhere.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed this author's books in another series and the Welsh setting really caught my eye.

My Impression: I've really come to love Lucy Connelly's Scottish Isle series and I was really looking forward to diving into this one.  It didn't disappoint.  This starts out a little slower as Gwen has just moved to a new country (well returned after almost two decades away) and is starting a new job.  While the body does fall fairly quickly there is some setup as the reader and Gwen get adjusted to the new setup. 

I really liked the focus on investigative journalism and Ellis is a fantastic side kick.  He's a great journalist in his own right with big dreams and is eager to learn.  He's capable of investigating on his own and he and Gwen also really work well together.  I also really enjoyed how Gwen's relationship with the detective in charge develops.  

As the mystery goes along there are a few clues and investigative paths. I guessed the who and the why a little ahead of Gwen but it was a fun time getting to the solution.  I'm looking forward to going back to the Welsh village the author has created and seeing more from this author. 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I've really enjoyed everything I've read by this author.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you're a mystery fan this is a great start to a new series.

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

My Winter Reading Retreat Book List

 

I am not a cold weather person. I will take heat and humidity over ice and snow any day.  When it gets cold all I want to do is stay under lots of blankets with a pile of books.  Here are the ten books I would have in my stack as I sit in front of a roaring fire under a pile of blankets with a cup of hot tea.

1.  Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep - I heard this mentioned on the From the Front Porch podcast.  It was Annie's husband, Jordan's favorite book for that period of time. It sounds like a fantastic way to spend some time.

2.  The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen - I've enjoyed what I've read by this author and this sounds extra spooky.

3.  The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick - I need a lighter book to mix in with all the thrillers and this sounds magical.

4.  The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong - I love everything I've read by this author and the premise for this one really appeals to me.  Sounds like it will keep me from remembering it's cold outside!

5.  My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Books of Books, Plot Ensues by Pamela Paul - I do love a book about books and this sounds like a light quick read.

6.  A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James - And back to the spooky!  I'm not sure anyone does spooky ambience better than this author.

7.  White Hot by Ilona Andrews - I read the first book in 2025 and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  Plus, things catch on fire a lot which sounds nice and warm.

8.  All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - This has been on my TBR for a long time.  I read it when I was a kid but remember nothing about it so I'm really looking forward to revisiting it.

9.  This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Paige - I've seen such great reviews for this one and it looks like a lovely read that will be nice to mix in with the spookier books.

10.  Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey - I need a visit to the beach and given that even Florida is cold right now a virtual one is probably best.

What would be in your stack of books for a winter reading retreat?

The Whisking Hour - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Whisking Hour (Bake Shop Mystery #22) by Ellie Alexander

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

Description:  Fall is in full flush in the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, where theater director Lance’s production of Perfect Crime has been met with rave reviews. As with everything, Lance has put his own spin on the long-running Broadway classic, opting for an intimate staging and drawing the audience into a cozy New York apartment on a stormy fall night where a nefarious set of suspects pulls off the perfect murder. Jules and the team at Torte are eagerly whipping up a murderous crime scene feast for the cast party, baking a bevy of treats like panna cotta eyeballs with blood orange coulis, deviled eggs, and savory cheese fingers with pumpkin dipping sauce.


Life seems to imitate art when a storm rolls over the Siskiyou Mountains on the day of the soirée, ushering in gusty winds and unrelenting rain. But Jules and Lance are not to be deterred. After all, the show must go on. The audience buzzes with electric energy as the lights flicker and the actors take the stage. Once the actors take their final bow, the cast trickles into Carpenter Hall, ready for a night of frivolity, but when the lead actor stumbles in with a fatal stab wound, Jules wonders if she’s just witnessed the perfect murder.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been reading this series since the beginning and always pick up the newest release.  

My Impression: I always look forward to my visits to Ashland, Oregon and the Torte crew and this was no exception.  Fall is in full swing and Jules is preparing for maternity leave.  This book focuses more on the theater side of Ashland with a toxic director and a whole host of actors and crew with some interesting and disturbing methods of working.  When the director is found dead the only real surprise is how did he make it this long.  Because this focuses on the theater side of things and because there are a number of temporary staff members (whose names we don't even learn) we don't get quite as much of the inside the bakery team feel.  There are quite a number of yummy food descriptions and Andy's spiced lattes sound amazing!

There are quite a lot of misdirection and red herrings which makes for a fun investigation and I always enjoy anytime Lance is on the page.  This series is heavy on the description and the small details and subplots.  While this adds to the cozy community feel for longtime readers it can slow the pace and I would imagine be a bit tedious for readers who aren't already familiar with the Ashland world.  This is a fun series with fabulous food descriptions and likable characters.  While maybe not the best for standalone reading it is a consistently enjoyable series.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely - I've really enjoyed what I've read by this author and will continue to read her mysteries.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy mysteries this series is one you definitely need to try.

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

This Week in Reading - February 22

 

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:

Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander - This is the newest book in the Lady Emily series which I've been enjoying. (Publisher)

Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early - I've read one other MSW book by this author and really had fun with it so I'm excited to pick this one up.  (Publisher)

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe - I've been loving cozy fantasy and this is a princess stuck in a bookstore so what's not to love? (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne and A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn

Listening:  The Scrooge Conspiracy by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - This is the last book in this series and I'll be sad to see this end.

Slow Read:  The Queen Who Came In From the Cold by S.J. Bennett

This was a long week - nothing really terrible or a big deal but just lots of little grinding details.  I've just felt like I'm dragging all week.  I'm hoping to get some solid sleep this weekend and then feel more energized feeling for the week ahead. 

Have a great week and happy reading!

Death and the Dancing Footman - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  The party's over when murder makes an entrance...

With the notion of bringing together the most bitter of enemies for his own amusement, a bored, mischievous millionaire throws a house party. As a brutal snowstorm strands the unhappy guests, the party receives a most unwelcome visitor: death. Now the brilliant inspector Roderick Alleyn must step in to decipher who at the party is capable of cold-blooded murder...

Genre: Mystery - Classic
 
Why I Picked This Book:   I'm slowly reading my way through the Ngaio Marsh books and this was the next one on my shelf.

My Impression: While this is technically an Inspector Alleyn book he really doesn't show up until the last quarter.  Before that it is just the guest list of a house party designed to be absolutely awful with guests who all hate each other, a famous playwright who is a bit of an outsider, and a host who is joyfully pulling the strings.  Until things take a much more serious tone.  

This was a good and enjoyable mystery.  The victim was a surprise and there seems to be no opportunity for anyone to have been the killer.  The dancing footman is in fact pivotal to the investigation which is kind of fun.  I love an isolated house party mystery and in this one not only are they in an out of the way house but they are trapped by a blizzard and generally miserable weather.  I did guess a little bit of the how but there were still a lot of surprises in the unraveling.  Alleyn has a nice presence - just enough to put all the pieces together but not so much where he becomes the focus of the story.

I've found Marsh to be a bit inconsistent but this book and the previous book (Overture to Death) I read by her have both been so much fun.  I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I'm looking forward to my next book by her and getting the rest of the Marsh books I don't have.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes!  It's a fun classic mystery.

Friday Fives - Five Upcoming Releases I'm Really Excited About

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 looking through the next couple of months and picking books I'm really excited to read.

1.  Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict - I have really enjoyed what I've read by this author and I'm fascinated by Egyptology so this looks like it can't miss.

2.  The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst - I have really loved the previous two books in this series and I loved the character when she appeared in the previous book.

3.  Rialto by Kate Milford - I've read a few books in this author's Greenglass House series which I enjoyed so I'm curious about this one.

4.  The Midnight Train by Matt Haig - I listened to The Midnight Library back a month or two ago and was really surprised with how much I enjoyed it.  

5.  It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell - I really like Jewell's books and this one looks really intriguing.  

What new releases are you looking forward to reading?

Books from the Backlog - The Simplicity of Cider

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 Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichert

Blurb:  Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.
Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.

Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This has been on my TBR since it came out and it sounds delightful.