Early Book Review: Little Bookshop of Murder (Beach Reads Mystery) by Maggie Blackburn

Little Bookshop of Murder is the first book in the Beach Reads Mystery series by Maggie Blackburn and is currently scheduled for release on September 8 2020. Summer Merriweather's career as a Shakespeare professor hangs by a bookbinder's thread. Academic life at her Virginia university is a viper's pit, so Summer spends her summer in England, researching a scholarly paper that, with any luck, will finally get her published, impress the Dean, and save her job. But her English idyll ends when her mother, Hildy, dies from an apparent heart attack. Returning to Brigid's Island, NC, for the funeral, Summer is impatient to settle the estate, sell her mom's embarrassingly romance-themed bookstore, Beach Reads, and go home. But as she drops by Beach Reads, Summer finds threatening notes addressed to Hildy: "Sell the bookstore or die."

Little Bookshop of Murder is a mystery that had some really great moments, but also had some aspects that really fell flat for me. I loved that as a cozy mystery there was no attempt to add a romance arch for Summer. I really works in some stories, but not in others, and I do not think it would have added anything here. I thought parts of Summer's character were very realistic- the academic scholar that looks down on popular literature- even though most of the classics were the popular literature of its day. I have run into that attitude from teachers, librarians, and others just as often as those like myself that have the attitude of Hildy that as long as people are reading (and enjoying what they are reading) the particulars are not terribly important.  Parts of the mystery were very nicely done, as were a good number of he secondary characters. However, there were moments that missed for me. There were hints about the killer from the very start, enough so that I knew something was up with them though the entire book and I never really swayed from that or was surprised by them. I kept waiting for that bookclub meeting to happen, because it was talked about so much, and for it to be the big reveal. I kept waiting for some big dramatic something, and there was, but by the time it happened I was just waiting to see if the killer ended up dead or if the police would take them in but I was no longer invested. I just wanted to see the wrap up.

Little Bookshop of Murder is a decent mystery, but I was not invested or overly impressed.

Early Book Review: Witch Hunt by Cate Conte

Witch Hunt is the first book in a new series by Cate Conte and is currently scheduled for release on June 30 2020. Violet Mooney owns The Full Moon crystal shop in quaint North Harbor, Connecticut. Still grieving her beloved grandmother’s recent unexpected death, she takes comfort in her fat orange cat Monty and her work. Not everyone in town is thrilled with her business, however. When disagreeable town councilwoman Carla Fernandez picks a fight over Violet’s "voodoo shop," the two have a very public confrontation. Of course, when Carla turns up dead, Violet gets little sympathy from the police as suspect #1. But the shock of two policemen showing up at her door pales in comparison to the sudden appearance of her estranged mother Fiona and a surprise sister, Zoe. What Fiona reveals will rock her world and her sense of self—and reawaken her long-dormant mysterious power. 

Witch Hunt is a story with a whole lot going on. Violet is still mourning the loss of her grandmother and just trying to get through life. Her best friend and neighbor is acting strange, her boyfriend is being distant, and the queen of the town council is harping on many of them about their businesses. Once said council member is found murdered everything gets even more complicated. It seems everyone has secrets, including Violet's family. A magical heritage and new dangers are added to the list of problems to be faced, and the stakes keep rising. I thought Carla's murder and the surrounding mystery was well done, and while I had some suspicions as things unraveled, it was an interesting ride to the reveal. The story line about Violet's family and witches in the world was good, but felt like it could have been its own book rather than a layer over the first murder. I felt like the witchy reveal, and the problems that it could bring, will include more murder and mystery in the next volume- but I already have a suspect in mind for several possible issues that might arise. I really enjoyed several aspects of the story, and the writing style was nice. I just think there was too much going on layered over each other for what I was in the mood for when I picked up this title. 

Witch Hunt is a well written mystery with many layers to unravel. 

Book Review: Pawsitively Cursed (Witch of Edgehill Mystery) by Melissa Erin Jackson

Pawsitively Cursed is the second Witch of Edgehill Mystery by Melissa Erin Jackson. While this mystery is unrelated to the first and can stand up well on its ow, from a character and world building standpoint I recommend reading this series in order for the fullest enjoyment. 

For the past fourteen years Amber Blackwood, has been haunted by her parents’ deaths. The whole town knows about the tragedy, but the details remain a mystery even to Amber. From her tiny studio apartment above her shop, The Quirky Whisker, Amber can see her partially rebuilt old house out on the edge of town. Although she now has a good life—delighting children with her magically infused toys, concocting healing tinctures for Edgehill’s residents, doting on her cats, Tom and Alley, and sitting on the committee for the town’s annual Here and Meow Festival—she feels stuck in the past. Amber suspects the fire that killed her parents was set deliberately by a witch from the cursed Penhallow clan, from whom no one has heard even a whisper since the night her parents died. The clan’s sudden disappearance is no coincidence to Amber, but her aunt Gretchen refuses to believe there’s a connection and urges Amber to stop looking for someone to blame. So Amber is shocked when Aunt Gretchen shows up unexpectedly, claiming the Penhallows have resurfaced and that one of them is heading for Edgehill with Amber in his sights. Aunt Gretchen knows more about the fabled clan than she’s letting on. Amber is determined to find out what her aunt is hiding, and what the Penhallow seeks, before the same treacherous force that took Amber’s parents’ lives claims her own.

Pawsitively Cursed is a wonderful continuation of Amber's story. This book is just as much about Amber's growth and fears as it is the actual mystery. She has insecurities, worries, and doubts that everyone can relate to on some level- and then there is the added worry about magic secrets that just might be the death of her and others. The unveiling of the mystery and the way her double life impacts her social life and the safety of the town was well paced and compelling. Getting to know more about Amber's past, and her remaining family was nice, and I think added a greater depth to her character. I like that wile Amber was putting herself out there and trying to date- and I enjoyed the honesty in the awkward moments- I was relieved that that part of the story never overwhelmed the mystery and magic that kept he story line moving forward. The mystery and danger aspects of the story were also well done. I was almost constantly on edge waiting for one character or another not to be who they appeared.  The tension was very well maintained. I really did expect an extra twist at the end, and was fairly pleased that the epilogue went in a completely (though not unexpected) way to tease for the next book.  I am very eager for that book, and will definitely be following this series onward. 

Pawsitively Cursed is even better than the first book in the series, and I am eager to see where the story, and its characters, go from here. 

Early Book Review: Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder (Main Street Book Club) by Amy Lillard

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is the first book in the Main Street Book Club series by Amy Lillard. It is currently scheduled for release on October 29 2019. 

As Sugar Springs gears up for its all-class high school reunion, Mississippi bookstore owner Arlo Stanley prepares to launch her largest event: a book-signing with the town’s legendary alum and bestselling author, Wally Harrison. That’s when Wally is discovered dead outside of Arlo’s front door and her best friend is questioned for the crime. When the elderly ladies of Arlo’s Friday Night Book Club start to investigate, Arlo has no choice but to follow behind to keep them out of trouble. Yet with Wally’s reputation, the suspect list only grows longer—his betrayed wife, his disgruntled assistant, even the local man who holds a grudge from a long-ago accident. Between running interference with the book club and otherwise keeping it all together, Arlo anxiously works to get Chloe out of jail. And amidst it all, her one-time boyfriend-turned-private-eye returns to town, just another distraction while she digs to uncover the truth around Wally’s death and just what Sugar Springs secret could have led to his murder.

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is a murder mystery that had a lot going on. Arlo joined the town community in high school, so knows all the major players but still feels a bit like an outsider. She has some serious history with the town, and is smart enough to understand what she does not know and who to ask for help.Her loyalty to Chloe and navigating of small town relationships was well done. Her book club group has just the right mixture of spunk and compassion to keep things on track, and interesting.I could have done just fine without the set of for possible future romantic interests for Arlo, but that was better handled that I feared when I saw it start develop. I did enjoy the complexity of the actual mystery- and how every time I thought I had it a new twist or idea would pop up and make me question myself a little more. There was an awful lot to unpack in Wally's personal life- and I feel like while we got to the bottom of the important parts there was likely even more in the author's headcanon about what he was up to when out of his wife's sight. I liked the secondary characters, and thought that the small town was well developed- maybe too well developed with the amount of other important information.  I have to admit that I had trouble getting into this one, and after putting it down for things like cooking meals I had to remind myself to pick it up rather than being eager to. Part of this could be because of the amount of background information that was needed to start of a small town mystery series, and that did fade a bit as the story progressed, but not as much as I hoped. 

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is a small town murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns. It kept me guessing through the entire read. 

Book Review: Past Due for Murder (Blue Ridge Library Mystery) by Victoria Gilbert

Past Due for Murder is the third book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series by Victoria Gilbert. I do suggest reading the series in order for personal character connections, but for the mystery portion new readers should have no problems catching up.

Spring has sprung in quaint Taylorsford, Virginia, and the mayor has revived the town’s long-defunct May Day celebration to boost tourism. As part of the festivities, library director Amy Webber is helping to organize a research project and presentation by a local folklore expert. All seems well at first—but spring takes on a sudden chill when a university student inexplicably vanishes during a bonfire. The local police cast a wide net to find the missing woman, but in a shocking turn of events, Amy’s swoon-worthy neighbor Richard Muir becomes a person of interest in the case. Not only is Richard the woman’s dance instructor, he also doesn’t have an alibi for the night the student vanished—or at least not one he’ll divulge, even to Amy. When the missing student is finally discovered lost in the mountains, with no memory of recent events—and a dead body lying nearby—an already disturbing mystery takes on a sinister new hue. Blessed with her innate curiosity and a librarian’s gift for research.

Past Due for Murder let me down a little. The characters and mystery were good. There were some fun twists and turns, and some painful emotional moments along the way as well. I still like the small town feel of Taylorsford and how the group of family and friends that Amy has around her. I had two problems with the book. First, I had a good idea of who the bad guy way, and some of the related why's very early in the book. I might have missed a couple little twists, but I was almost right on point way too early for my peace of mind. I was also a little annoyed with Amy's insecurities and the way some of the romance part of the book happened. The final chapters of the book fixed it, but by that point I was not really all that interested in the Amy and Richard drama. Frankly, I am much more interested in Sunny, Kurt, Lydia, and the rest of the secondary characters and how they move forward than I am in Amy and her future. 

Past Due for Murder is a good story, but not one that left me eager for more. I might just be done with this series for now.

Book Review: Elementary She Read (Sherlock Holmes Bookshop) by Vicki Delany

Elementary, She Read is the first book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series by Vicki Delany. Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, co owns and manages her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod. The shop--located at 222 Baker Street--specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche, and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body. The highly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman's suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it's a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.

Elementary, She Read is a fun and entertaining read. While managing a Sherlock Holmes themed book shop Gemma thinks much like the fictional detective. She is intelligent, but like most Sherlock based characters is lacking in social graces, which makes her life both highly entertaining and occasionally cringe worthy. I liked  the spirit and execution of the character. I also enjoyed the flighty nature of her great uncle, and her enduring friendship with the forthright Jayne. The mystery is well built, with several layers and twists, some of which were completely unexpected and others that were emotional satisfying. I really enjoy the read, and want to read more about Gemma, and her fellow residents of West London.

Elementary, She Read is a solid beginning to a series, and I am interested in the characters and the town. I think Sherlock fans, of all eras, and cozy or hobby mystery fans will enjoy the read as much as I did. I look forward to seeing where Gemma goes from here.

Book Review: Dead and Breakfast (Merry Ghost Inn #1) by Kate Kingsbury

Dead and Breakfast is the first book in the Merry Ghost Inn series  by Kate Kingsbury. Melanie West is getting her life back on track after a messy divorce when her grandmother, Liza Harris, asks her to open a B&B with her. Together, Liza and Melanie purchase a purportedly haunted mansion on the Oregon coast and jump right into clearing out the cobwebs. But while attempting to remove wallpaper in an upstairs bedroom, the new B&B owners stumble upon a very real skeleton in their closet. The police suspect the skeleton is that of the wife of the previous owner of the B&B, but no one in town seems to want to say much about her. As the inn owners try to juggle renovations with their own amateur investigations, their grand opening looms closer and closer--and a friendly ghost in their walls starts playing tricks. But it all comes crashing to a halt when a new body is found stabbed to death on the beach below the inn--the victim chillingly close in resemblance to Melanie herself. It seems someone doesn't appreciate newcomers prying into the small town's past, and now it's up to Melanie and Liza to get to the bottom of these murders to save their business and their lives.

Dead and Breakfast is a cozy mystery with lots of charm. Melanie is getting her life back on track, with the help of her grandmother. They are working hard together on the venture of remodeling and running a bed and breakfast. As you might imagine, things do not go quite as planned. I liked that our main characters never really wallow in the delays and problems those delays bring to them. Instead they work on making the changes and put in the effort necessary to help themselves. I also like that while the possibility of future romance, and the threatening ex-husband make an appearance- the guys are really a minor part of the story. It is more about the character development and setting building needed for a series starter, and the murder mystery at hand. I still think my favorite part of the story was the inclusion of the dog, while it could be seen as a little trite, it worked with the story and character development so much that it worked. I liked the combination of independence, intelligence, and vulnerability in both Melanie and Liza and look forward to what every mysteries await them in the future.

Dead and Breakfast is a fun and entertaining read, and a series that I am likely to continue. I liked the characters and the set up, and think there is room for many interesting adventures and character growth in the future.