Books from the Backlog - The Haunting of Maddy Clare

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 Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

Blurb:  1920s England. Sarah Piper's lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist an obsessed ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis--rich, handsome, and scarred by World War I--has been summoned to investigate the spirit of the nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is said to haunt the barn where she committed suicide.
Maddy hated men in life, and she will not speak to them in death. But Sarah is unprepared to confront an angry ghost--real or imagined--on her own. She's even less prepared for the arrival of Alistair's associate, rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, also a veteran of the trenches, whose scars go deeper than Sarah can reach.

Soon, Sarah is caught up in a desperate struggle. For Maddy's ghost is no hoax--she's real, she's angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Now, Sarah and Matthew must discover who Maddy was, where she came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance--before she destroys them all....

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I've read two books by this author and really enjoyed them both.  This sounds like a great spooky season read.

Mistletoe and Murder - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Mistletoe and Murder (A Kate Hamilton Mystery #4.5) by Connie Berry

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

Description:  In Connie Berry’s festive holiday novella Mistletoe and Murder , American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton has a long way to go before she gets down the aisle, but will someone stand in the way of her happily ever after?

Five days before her wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, Kate Hamilton finds her friend Sheila in need of her help. Sheila, a soon-to-be bride herself, needs Kate’s help to get Carl Curtis, her fiancé, out of Venezuela. His passport was taken from him by the authorities, and they say he owes them money. Carl says it’s a bribe, but he’s unable to leave unless it’s paid.

Sheila decides to sell her grandfather’s coin collection, including a valuable gold coin presented by Queen Victoria to her great-grandmother. Among her grandfather’s stored possessions is a letter from the Queen. When someone breaks into Sheila’s house, all signs point to even more foul play. As Kate deals with a disturbing number of wedding-plan hitches, a fire in town reveals a body. Unfortunately, the burned-out flat is next to the bridal salon where Kate’s dress is being altered. Can the cleaners really eliminate the odor of smoke?

As the clock ticks down to Kate and Tom’s “I do”s, Kate goes to Sheila’s house to help her search for the royal letter, but she’s nowhere to be found. The house has been torn apart, and Sheila is missing. Could Sheila’s disappearance be connected to the death in town? Kate will have to piece together the clues.

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've really enjoyed the previous books in the series and this cover was just gorgeous!

My Impression:   Every book in this series that I read is better than the last one and this novella is no exception.  I loved the mix of wedding activity with the different investigations.  I really like Kate and the community she has built.  Her relationship with Tom is loving and supportive and feels genuine.

The mystery in this hooked me right from the beginning.  I had some suspicions as to what Sheila had gotten herself into but I had no idea how things were going to unfold or just what Kate and Tom were going to discover next.  

This book covers several of my favorite subjects to come across in books - antiques, missing people, and scams - and was like a Christmas gift of a read.  It was fast paced with likable characters and just the right amount of twists and turns.   I flew through this in 2 sittings and really could have read it in one if non-bookish responsibilities hadn't forced me to go to bed!  While this definitely falls into the category of cozy mystery this whole series has a classic mystery feel to it with a crisp investigation and a logical sleuth.   

This is a series that is best read in order as the stories and character connections grow from book to book and might be confusing if you are jumping in with this book.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely!  There is a bit of setup for the next mystery and I'm already looking forward to reading it!

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy mysteries or classic English mysteries this is an enjoyable and satisfying series.  

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

Top Ten Tuesday - Books on my TBR with Weather Events in the Title

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 with weather events in the titles.  I'm focusing on books on my TBR.  

1.  Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley - Italian villas and mysteries seems pretty amazing.

2.  Wild Fire by Anne Cleeves - This is a book in the Shetland series and I really want to try it.

3.  Whirpool by Elizabeth Lowell - I've enjoyed previous books by this author but it has been a long time since I've read anything by her.

4.  The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine - I don't remember much about this book but I do remember hearing great things about this book.

5.  Sunrise by the Sea by Jenny Colgan - I really enjoy this author's books and this one looks really good.  

6.  The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown - This is an author I've been wanting to read and it sounds really good.

7.  Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer - This looks like such a good cozy winter-y read!

8.  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - I have heard so many great things about this book and I'm really looking forward to reading it.  

9.  Who Left the That Body in the Rain? by Patricia Houck Sprinkle - This is a mystery in a family history cozy mystery series that I'm really looking forward to reading.

10. The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery - I've enjoyed Mallery's stand alone books and this looks like a fun read.  

What books with weather events in the title do you have on your TBR?

Baking Spirits Bright - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Baking Spirits Bright (A True Confections Mystery #2) by Sarah Fox

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

Description:  Winter has arrived in Larch Haven, Vermont, bringing with it holiday cheer, lots of snow, and freezing temperatures. Becca Ransom is squeezing in time to skate on the frozen canals and drink hot chocolate by a roaring fire while also whipping up new creations for her family’s chocolate shop and experimenting with holiday flavors like eggnog, gingerbread, and peppermint. At the same time, Becca is preparing for the Baking Spirits Bright holiday baking competition, a popular annual event. She’s planning to enter an edible model of Larch Haven, with a mountain backdrop made of cake, gingerbread cottages, and chocolate gondolas on sugar-glass canals.

Professional bakers and a local food blogger are also participating in the event and they aren’t about to go down without a fight. The competition quickly heats to a boiling point, with flaring tempers and mysterious happenings. When one of the entrants is found dead, stabbed with Becca’s chocolate chipper, Becca tries to salvage the season by finding the killer. But the heat is on, and Becca is in danger of getting burned.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I enjoyed the first book in this series so of course I had to pick up the next book!

My Impression:   I wish Larch Haven was real.  Is there a real Larch Haven, Vermont?  I need to go research that.  Okay - that aside this was a fun mystery.  Becca is an interesting main character, back in her hometown and with a second career as a chocolatier.  I do question how she became a chocolatier so quickly but that's really neither here nor there.

We meet quite a bit of the community of Larch Haven that we didn't meet in the first book as the baking competition starts.  Of course, I was rooting for Becca to win but there were plenty of likable contestants and a few that weren't so likable.  There is a decent amount of setup but there was enough progress in the story that I never felt like the story was dragging.  

The wrap up did seem to come a bit out of nowhere but I enjoyed the mix of Christmas-y spirit with investigation enough that that didn't bother me too much.  I really love the community and the setup for this series and will definitely be reading the next book - even though it does make me want chocolate!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I really enjoy this author's writing style and am looking forward to reading more of this series or anything else this author has written.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a fun series and one you can easily jump into.  

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

This Week in Reading - October 15

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:

The Clock Struck Murder by Betty Webb - I don't know much about this series but it takes place in 1920s Paris and involves art so I couldn't resist. (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  Mistletoe and Murder by Connie Berry and The Reef by Nora Roberts

Listening:  Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood

This was a busy week.  We got back into school and I'm starting Will on a research project.  He really should have written some kind of research paper or at least an essay by now but it was something that just got dropped.  This school year I think we are going to alternate between a research type project where we slowly build up to a research paper and book report type essays.  I'm slowly trying to figure out how to get him caught up for the time where we just survived when he was in active treatment.

As well, I got back into my obedience classes both as a teacher and as a student.  Rover and I are taking a break from agility classes while I work on him having a bit better focus and recall and are going back to obedience to work on that.  We will continue to work on agility on our own but it'll be at least a year before he's ready for agility trials.  We are ready to start showing in scent and rally but I'm not in a rush.  He will be 2 this week and Golden Retrievers are pretty notorious for being a bit slow to mature and he's extra puppy-ish!

Have a great week and happy reading!

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop - Fiction Review

Goodreads:  Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

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

Description:  Christmas comes early—far too early—to McCredie’s little Old Town bookshop in Edinburgh. It’s summer, but an American production company has decided that McCredie’s is the perfect location to film a very cheesy Christmas movie. After all, who can resist the charmingly narrow historic street with its Victorian grey stone buildings and warmly lit shop windows?

Carmen Hogan, the bookshop’s manager, is amused and a bit horrified by the goings-on, but the money the studio is paying is too good to pass up. She uses the little windfall from filming to create new displays and fend off a buyout offer from an obnoxious millionaire who wants to turn McCredie’s into a souvenir shop selling kilts made in China and plastic Nessies. Still reeling slightly from a breakup, Carmen’s not particularly looking forward to the holidays. But just as snow begins to fall and the lights of Christmas blink on, all sorts of lovely new possibilities present themselves…for McCredie’s bookstore, and for Carmen herself.

Genre: Fiction 

Why I Picked This Book:   I really enjoy this author and I loved my first visit to McCredie's.  And could the cover be more cozy and Christmas-y?

My Impression:  It's so lovely to be back at McCredie's with Mr. McCredie, Carmen, Sofie, and everyone else.  Carmen is still absolutely maddening - incredibly relatable but yet so infuriating -and Mr. McCredie is still having money problems and still pretty clueless about them.  

Colgan's books are basically coziness in a book and this one is no exception.  However, while this gives all the cozy feels not everything is unicorns and rainbows.  Things frequently don't go right for Carmen (or really any of the characters) and they definitely don't always behave perfectly.  Carmen's special skill is putting her foot in her mouth but it isn't played for laughs.  I think at some point we have all had Carmen moments in our life so even when she annoys me I can't help but root for her.

I did want to scream at Carmen and Oke to communicate for then a few times.  I loved them both but their lives would have been so much easier if they had just actually talked to each other.  All in all this was a delightful Christmas-y bookish read and I just loved snuggling up with a cup of tea and this book.   

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I always enjoy this author's books and this was so enjoyable.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Absolutely!  Though I do recommend reading the first Christmas Bookshop book.

* 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 Series I've Been Reading 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.  I'm working on catching up on series and decided to put a few reviews of them all together here.

1.  Murder's No Votive Confidence (Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery by Cristin Brecher - While I have read a later book in this series about a Nantucket Candlemaker I somehow missed the first few books.  For the most part I enjoyed this mystery involving  murder by unity candle at a candle themed wedding.  There's an interesting mix of side characters, the main character, Stella, is likable and there's a rather entertaining and persistent cat who appears on the scene.  I had two issues that kept this from being a full win for me.  Because Stella is old friends with the detective and one of the first on the scene of the murder she somehow becomes involved in the official investigation.  I'm willing to do some serious suspension of belief but when she's interfering with interrogations and yelling at suspects I had a bit of trouble with that.  As well her kind of insta love connection with one of the characters was a bit much.  Despite these issues I did enjoy this book enough to finish the series and I'm curious to see how the series develops.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

2.  Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang - Who can resist a castle on an island and especially one with a nefarious history and a modern murder investigation?   I really loved the setting of a small town in the Thousand Islands region of New York.  The murder investigation has some twists and turns and main character Shelby Cox puts herself right in the middle of everything.  There are a lot of characters that I had a bit of trouble keeping everyone straight.  As well while I enjoyed this read it wasn't one that will really stick in my memory long after I've closed the book.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

3.  The Cure For What Ales You by Ellie Alexander - I have really enjoyed this series.  I love Sloan and her family, the crew at Nitro, the town of Leavenworth and the behind the scenes at a brewery.  One of the things I have really loved has been the mystery of Sloan's past.  This was the book that answered most of the questions I had.  A murder at the local inn and a late night knock on the door really get things going and pulled me into the story.  I really enjoyed this book and I always love visiting Sloan's Leavenworth but it did leave me wanting a bit more.  I wanted more answers and more explanations and didn't quite feel like I got everything I wanted.  That said, this was a fun read from a series and an author I always enjoy and I look forward to reading the next book.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

4.  Cinco de Murder by Rebecca Adler -  This is the third book in a three book series involving Josie Callahan and her quirky family and everything surrounds the family owned Mexican restaurant in Broken Boot, Texas.  I really enjoy Josie's family and the mystery was an intriguing one.  An unlikable chili cook is killed right before the start of a chili cook-off.  However,  while I liked this better than the first book in the series it still wasn't a winner for me.  I never warmed to Josie or felt like she ever really had a good handle on the actual investigation.  As well, it also seems that the details of the investigation tend to get lost in the details leaving me questioning how certain important aspects develop but giving me too much information about things that aren't super important.  If you love the idea of this setting this is definitely a series worth reading but otherwise I think there are better foodie cozies out there.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

5.  Be Careful What You Witch For by Dawn Eastman - This is the second book in a four book series involving a small town in Michigan famous for its psychics.  Clyde is still rebelling from her family and the abilities that she doesn't want to acknowledge.  Her nephew, Seth, is back under somewhat shadowy circumstances but before Clyde can deal with that she is swept into the murder investigation of local coven leader Rafe as she tries to help her friend, Diana.  This is a fun series.  Clyde's family is definitely a collection of characters though I absolutely adore her dad.  The mystery kept me guessing and it was a fun conclusion.  This is an entertaining light cozy mystery series with a bit of psychic fun.  While this is only the 2nd book in the series I have read the last 2 books so this is my last visit to Crystal Haven.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)