Friday Fives - Five Reviews for Series I'm Currently Reading

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'm working on catching up on series and decided to put a few reviews of them all together here.

1.  Between a Wok and a Dead Place by Leslie Budewitz - This is the 7th book in the Spice Shop series, and I really enjoyed that this one explored a little of Seattle's old West history as well as the lives of Chinese immigrants.  When a not so historic corpse is found in an abandoned historic building Pepper becomes involved in figuring out just what happened - especially since there are links to someone from her boyfriend Nate's past.   I had a little bit of trouble keeping up with some of the names, but I really enjoyed it, and the motive and murderer were quite a surprise.  I also really enjoy the world that Pepper lives in with her family, friends, and the crew of the spice shop at Pike Place Market.  It's a world I really enjoy visiting and look forward to visiting again.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander - I love a historical mystery and this series with it's gorgeous covers and interesting settings has been on my TBR for ages.  Emily is recently widowed after the husband she barely knew died shortly after their wedding.  She is trying to figure out how she wants to live now that she has the freedom of being a widow with a nice fortune behind her.  As she does this she discovers her husband is not the man she thought he was and there may be more to his death (and life) than she could have imagined.  I did guess a bit of the solution but I enjoyed Lady Emily's progress through all the details of a life she really didn't understand.  The pacing is a bit slower because there are a lot of characters to introduce and relationships to explain.  However, despite that, I enjoyed this mystery and am looking forward to reading more of Lady Emily's adventures.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

3.  Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower - I am really enjoying this series.  I love the mix of English and Amish cultures and how they interact.  This had a couple of interesting plot points regarding the different cultures that I found really interesting.  The mystery itself had me guessing up until almost the very end and the final confrontation had me absolutely hooked.  I liked the introduction of Puff the rabbit and was very pleased with how the storyline resolved.  It did have me craving Easter candy and all kinds of chocolates and whatnot.  I'm looking forward to continuing with the series and spending more time in Bailey's world.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

4.  Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams - I have a complicated relationship with this author's books.  I love her Secret, Book, and Scone Society series but have been meh on 2 other series I've read by her.  This first book in a series involving a book themed manor house did not help uncomplicate things.  I love the setting but was iffy on the characters.  It also went in a direction I was absolutely not expecting which at first seemed ridiculous but then I came around to finding it fun.  The mystery had a satisfying ending and the pacing was good.  If I had more books from this series sitting on my shelf I would continue reading it and if I find the next book in the series at a bookstore I'll probably pick it up but I'm not sure I'm going to go out of my way to find the next book.  My Rating:  Liked It (3 Stars)

5.  Mrs. Jeffries On the Ball by Emily Brightwell - This is my favorite one yet!  This is an incredibly long running series and while I have read and enjoyed the later books the early books haven't sucked me in quite as much.  I thoroughly enjoyed this one and loved getting to reconnect with some of my characters.  It really felt like the author has really figured out who the characters are and their personalities and motivations really shine through in this one.  Smythe and Betsy's relationship is especially sweet though she's not entirely aware of it yet.  The mystery is such a good one and kept me guessing right to the end.  There's quite a bit going on so it's best to read the series in order so you learn the characters.  This one reminded me just why I enjoy the series so much and I'm so looking forward to reading the next book!  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)