Tag: Kensington Books

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Death at the Salon by Louise R. Innes

Aimeeeliz

Death at the Salon is the second book in the Daisy Thorne mysteries, and I had a lot of fun reading it! Daisy owns Ooh La La, a local hair salon in a small English village. When one of her customers ends up dead mere hours after her (final…) appointment, Daisy has to work fast to not only clear her name, but keep herself (and her staff!) safe from a murderer on the loose.

Fans of cozy mysteries are sure to love the setting and characters of this series – I can’t wait to see what Daisy will do next!

Thank you Louise Innes for the digital ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – A Matter of Hive and Death by Nancy Coco

Aimeeeliz

A Matter of Hive and Death is the second book in the Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series, and I liked it even more than the first! Wren is a great main character and her Aunt Eloise, best friend Porsche and charismatic kitty Everett are absolutely delightful. (And, of course the tall, blue-eyed Officer Jim Hampton…)

The mystery in A Matter of Hive and Death was fantastically written and really fun to solve, with a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle by Sarah Graves

Aimeeeliz

Best friends Jake and Ellie, owners of the Chocolate Moose, are wrapping up their busy summer season. In an effort to prepare for the winter and make some extra money, Ellie takes on a big catering order. At the same time, they’ve decided to enter Eastport’s annual cookie baking contest. When the local curmudgeon ends up dead, Jake and Ellie take it upon themselves to investigate (they have a reputation for doing so…)

This is the second book i’ve read in this series, and it definitely won’t be the last. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments – Jake is an absolute HOOT. Ellie is a bit more levelheaded and the “brains” of the pair, but their friendship is adorable and their proclivity for snooping where they shouldn’t is always entertaining.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah

Aimeeeliz

There’s so much to love about this book! I was immediately interested when I found out it was set in northern Michigan (in the book, Beacon Harbor is close-ish to Traverse City). When Lindsey buys an old lighthouse in Michigan and quits her cushy job in New York City, she gets a little bit more than she bargained for.

With time, she renovates the lighthouse into a bakery/apartment and gets ready for a successful opening day. However, when her ex-fiance’s new girlfriend ends up dead after eating one of Lindsey’s donuts, she finds herself (and her brand new bakery) stuck in the middle of a murder investigation.

This was such a fun read. Darci Hannah does a great job of portraying life in a small Michigan town. The love interest in this book is DREAMY as heck and the supporting characters are a lot of fun.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Murder in an Irish Bookshop by Carlene O’Connor

Aimeeeliz

I can’t get enough of Siobhan and Macdara and the O’Sullivan Six and Kilbane. This series is definitely a favorite and I really want to go back and read the first few books that I haven’t yet picked up.

Murder in an Irish Bookshop has SUCH a fun murder to solve – when a visiting author is found dead in a newly opened bookshop, Siobhan has a long list of suspects to sort through (this author was…prickly. She made a lot of enemies.)

The investigation and reveal is SO clever – O’Connor’s ability to outline an elaborate and interesting murder never fails to amaze me.

Thank you Bibliolifestyle and Kensington Books!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – A Page Marked for Murder by Lauren Elliott

Aimeeeliz

A Page Marked for Murder was a great continuation of the Beyond the Page Bookstore mysteries! I loved going back to Greyborne Harbor to spend time with Addie and her friends. The mystery in this was interesting and fun (not too easy!) to solve. I loved the addition of Pippi (an ADORABLE dog that Addie ends up pet-sitting for most of the book) and, as always, Elliott was able to connect Addie’s passion for rare books in with the overall story.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Bookmarked for Murder by VM Burns

Aimeeeliz

I had so much fun reading this cozy – Samantha (owner of a mystery bookshop!) has spent the past few days in Chicago with her grandmother doing some post-Christmas shopping. When a passenger on their bus ride home ends up murdered, Sam, her grandmother and her grandmother’s crew of hilarious friends team up to solve the murder.

Sam is a lovely character and her grandmother (and friends!) are absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud a few times while reading this book, and it was the perfect read during my long holiday break.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders

Aimeeeliz

This book was such a pleasant surprise! Josie is new to Wilfred, Oregon, and she’s on the run after uncovering corruption at her previous job (she worked for the Library of Congress and the people after her are very scary and very powerful).

Josie intends to stay in Wilfred for a short period of time and takes a position as their new librarian. The library is located inside a beautiful Victorian mansion, and Josie’s living quarters are on the top floor. Yes, you read that right. She lives inside the library – could it get any better than that?

Wilfred is much different than DC and Josie experiences a lot of culture shock – which could also be attributed to the fact that she’s slowly discovering that she has some magical abilities. Josie discovers a dead body her first day in Wilfred and can’t help but think the victim is somehow connected to the people who want Josie dead.

This has it all – an adorable tiny town, hilarious and lovable characters, and a black cat named Rodney who may or may not be Josie’s familiar…

I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Absence of Alice by Sherry Harris

Aimeeeliz

The Sarah Winston Garage Sale mysteries have quite a few books already, but this was my first experience with this particular series. I wasn’t expecting it to be as dark and gritty as it was! Honestly, once I let go of my expectations, I ended up really enjoying this.

When Sarah Winston’s landlady, Stella, is kidnapped, Sarah finds herself in a heart-pounding race against time to save Stella’s life (and she makes some questionable decisions along the way). The stakes felt really high in this one, moreso than your typical cozy. I think if you go into it knowing that it is lighter on the charm and heavier on the “OMG!” moments, you’ll like it too.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

REVIEW – Watch Her by Edwin Hill

Aimeeeliz

Okay, i’m convinced. I need to go back and read the first two Hester Thursby novels because I am hooked! Watch Her is a sleepier contemporary mystery that really picks up after 1. A character is murdered and 2. Some family secrets all come to light in a heart-pounding final few chapters.

I really enjoyed Hester as a protagonist – she’s feisty and smart, but she doesn’t feel like a stereotype or charicature.

We get multiple perspectives in this book and that really worked to push the story along. Each character was different enough that I felt like I was getting a relatively comprehensive overview of the events of the book.

Content warnings: sexual harassment, death of a child, brief use of ableist language

Thank you Kensington Books and Books Forward PR for the ARC!