REVIEW: Murder Off the Books

 Murder Off the Books
Author: Tamara Berry 

All good things come to an end. 

As I was reading this 3rd book in the By the Book Mystery series, I discovered that it is also the last book. The author doesn't intend to write any more books in this series.

But, that's ok. I enjoyed the three books that do exist and will move on to other series. 

In this final book, Tess Harrow is opening her new bookstore and gets an unexpected visit from her mother. Her mother brings another unexpected guest to town -- an infamous serial killer. Soon, Tess' grand opening event is completely eclipsed by a famous podcaster and....a murder. 

I enjoyed this last story. Tess really knows how to get herself into trouble. But, she also knows how to solve a murder! 

This series is fun to read. The characters are great. And I love the mix of humor and amateur sleuthing. Plus the cover art is colorful and awesome!

I wish there were more books! But I have plenty of other series to read. Just hard to say goodbye to characters I really like. 

REVIEW: On Spine of Death

 On Spine of Death
Author: Tamara Berry 

On Spine of Death is the second book in the By the Book Mystery series. I'm loving these books! 

Tess Harrow is a best-selling novelist famous for her thriller detective novels. She's moved to a small town in Washington State to  live in her late grandfather's cabin. They have updated the place and made it home. Now, she's renovating her grandfather's former hardware store to turn it into a bookstore. Things seem to be going along nicely.....until a skeleton is found in the old store building. And then another one......

Uh oh. 

The mystery moves along at a nice pace. There is some interesting character development, and the plot is sprinkled with just the right balance of humor and sleuthing. This second book is just as enjoyable and entertaining as the first one! 

 I can't wait to read book 3 to see what trouble Tess finds herself in next! 

Overall, a fun and very entertaining series!

 

REVIEW: Buried in a Good Book

 Buried in a Good Book
Author: Tamara Berry

Tamara Berry is a new-to-me author. And, I have to admit I bought the first 3 books in the By The Book Mystery series because I love the cover art. I took one look in the bookstore....saw the cute, outdoorsy covers on this series and all 3 of the books they had on the shelf jumped right into my basket. I didn't even read the book blurb -- I had to read this series! 

So, yeah, I have to admit that I buy cozy mysteries at times just because the covers are amazing. ;) I also bought my car because it's my favorite color of blue. Thank God it's actually a good car.....   And I'm pleased to announce that book one of this series was a fun read! I can't wait to read the other two books! 

The basics: Tess Harrow is a best-selling crime fiction novelist. Freshly divorced and rebooting her life, Tess and her teenage daughter move into her late grandfather's cabin. No electricity. No internet. No running water. And things start off with a boom.....literally. Tess really didn't expect their summer adventure to start out with a dismembered body.....or a sheriff that looks almost exactly like her fictional detective from her books. Their Cabin in the Woods summer suddenly becomes much more exciting than she expected! And dangerous.....

At first, I was not a big fan of Tess Harrow. I kinda found her annoying. But.....as the story progressed, I found myself liking her more and more. The mystery moves along at  nice pace. There are plenty of suspects, interesting side characters, and lots of twists and surprises. I enjoyed this story! And, I changed my mind about Tess. 

Moving on to book 2! I'm hooked!!

REVIEW: Snow Place for Murder

 Snow Place for Murder
Author: Diane Kelly

Snow Place for Murder is the 3rd book in the Mountain Lodge mystery series. I like this series. It's set in an area of NC where I used to live. The plots are fun and entertaining. And, I like the characters. 

This time, Misty Murphy's sons are at the lodge helping out for the holidays and spending time skiing. And, the lodge is full up, hosting a investors meeting for a development firm. The developer wants to build a large resort in the area. Some locals are very vocal and more than a bit threatening regarding their opposition to the project. When a dead body is discovered outside in the snow, Misty and her friends find themselves investigating yet another less-than-natural death. Who was mad enough about a proposed resort to kill? 

I don't ski, but I loved reading this book about the holiday season at Misty's lodge. It's too bad that a murder had to add darkness into their enjoyment of skiing and the holidays. There was one part of the discovery of the body that was both really gruesome and a bit funny at the same time. I felt guilty for laughing a bit....but the mental picture brought out my dark sense of humor. Readers will just have to read the book to find out what scene I'm talking about. You'll know it when you read it! :) 

I love snow, so the cover art for this book really made me happy. :) 

Great addition to this series! I can't wait for the next book!

REVIEW: Furever After

 Furever After
Author: Sofie Kelly

I have read every book in this series. The stories are always entertaining and fun! Furever After is the 16th book in the Magical Cats Mystery series, and I'm going to keep reading each book until the series ends.

Kathleen Paulson is a capable and intelligent main character. Her two cats, Owen and Hercules, are furry, magical awesomeness! I like the setting, background plot and the side characters. It's just a mystery series I like coming back to again and again. I love how her two cats help her solve all sorts of mysteries!

This time, Kathleen is trying to run the library and plan her wedding when a dead body (in the library, of course) creates quite a problem. Turns out he was trying to steal something in the library that Kathleen didn't even realize was valuable! Soon she finds herself, and her two magic felines, on the case to find a killer. Who knew being a librarian could be so dangerous?!!

Love this series! And this newest book is a great addition! I enjoyed every word. Takes a lot to make me laugh out loud...but I did several times while reading this book. Plus, the cover art is always so colorful and cute!

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Can't wait to find out what the magical felines and their librarian owner get up to next!! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Where is Anybody?

 Where is Anybody?
Author: Simon R. Green 

I have been a huge fan of Simon R. Green's writing since I read his Nightside series years ago. I was sad when that series wrapped up, but have been very entertained by two of his newer series -- Ishmael Jones and Gideon Sable. Both series have that fantastical, other-worldly, supernatural feel like the Nightside books, with main characters that are just wonderfully weird. I grab each new book that comes out and just savor each series. Always entertaining! 

Where is Anybody? is this 5th book in the Gideon Sable series. Gideon is a thief. A master thief. And, he only steals items that can't be stolen. So he isn't out pulling bank robberies and the every day sort of heists.....he's looking for legendary items, dangerous mythical doo-dads, cursed relics, or things that technically don't actually exist. 

This time, someone close to Gideon has been kidnapped. And he has to find an out of this world item in order to get her back. And he only has two days to do it. 

Wonderful, weird adventure with lots of suspense, action, and fun! I loved every word! Can't wait for the next book! Simon R. Green stories never disappoint. I had a great time reading this story! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Severn House. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: The Burning

 The Burning
Author: Linda Castillo

I have been an avid reader and fan of the Kate Burkholder series since the first book came out in 2009. The Burning is the 16th book in this series, and I enjoyed just as much as I did all the prior books. Some long-standing series lose steam by the time they get past a certain number of books, but the Kate Burkholder series still has strong characters and plots each time. Linda Castillo never disappoints!

This time, Kate is called to the scene of a mysterious fire, only to discover it's also the scene of a horrific murder as well. Why would someone chain an Amish man to a stake and then burn him alive? Kate soon faces opposition from all sides due to the grisly nature of the crime, reluctance of the Amish to open up to outsiders, and a suspect who is very close to her.

I enjoyed this book immensely from start to finish. The suspense and plot kept me totally engrossed in the story. The story moved along at a perfect pace with plenty of investigation and possible suspects. Kate really shines as a strong main character in this newest book. It was a rough investigation. Made for a very twisty, suspenseful story!

I backtracked about half way through the book and started over again with the audio book version. I love having suspense stories read to me...so it was worth starting over to enjoy the audio. Kathleen McInerney always does a great job narrating this series. The audio is about 10 hours long. I enjoyed every minute!

A great addition to this series! I can't wait for the next book in this series -- always a wonderful read! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book and audio book from St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**