Carla Schantz

Traci Hall: Murder at a Scottish Castle

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Scottish Shire #5

Traci Hall’s fifth book in her A Scottish Shire series is Murder at a Scottish Castle. This series has made an impact on me thanks to Hall’s ability to immerse readers in a Scottish atmosphere with her accurate use of the language and descriptions of the village of Nairn. Paisley, our protagonist, has been invited by the Dowager Countess to Ramsey Castle for an end of summer bagpiping competition. Even better news is that now she’s onto the Dowager Countess’ radar, as she wants to sell her cashmere goods at the castle gift shop. As a single mother and business owner, Paisley is always ready to go after extra sources of income. Of course, when she goes, she must take her son Brody, her grandpa, and their black Scottish terrier, Wallace, with her. Good competition and newly discovered rivalries keep the bagpiping competition going strong with lovely music and high spirits. That’s until one of the competitors, the reigning champion no less, suddenly collapses. Soon after, DI Zeffer is on the scene, proclaiming the champion not only dead but most likely murdered. read more

Catie Murphy: Death by Irish Whiskey

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Dublin Driver #5

Death by Irish Whiskey is Catie Murphy’s fifth installment in her Dublin Driver Mysteries series. Megan, also known to the town as ‘The Murder Driver,’ is taking some time off from her limo driving job to enjoy one of Ireland’s main specialties: whiskey. Her Uncle Rabbie is taking part in a whiskey tasting event and competition, alongside his business partner, famous Irish star Niahn. Glitz, glam, and whiskey are the only things on Megan’s mind for this big event, but fate has something else planned for her. A competitor and boxer, Angus McConal, suddenly drops dead. If that isn’t bad enough, Uncle Rabbie is under suspicion. Megan has promised her girlfriend, Jelena, that she won’t do any more amateur sleuthing – but saying it and doing it are two very different things. The local Guarda don’t buy her insistence that she won’t nose about, and are quick to warn her away from the case. read more

Heather Weidner: Twinkle, Twinkle Au Revoir

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Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe #2

Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir is Heather Weidner’s second book in her Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe series. The story follows Jade Hicks and her trusty side kick, French bulldog Chloe, as their town is invaded by Hollywood.  The popular television program ‘My Costal Valentine’ has decided Mermaid Bay is the perfect place to film their next instalment. The Hollywood invasion is received with the grace and poise one might expect, in that it turns the whole town completely on its head. Fans and reporters flood the streets, blocking traffic, getting into people’s yards for a hopeful glimpse of stardom. At least the local businesses are booming. Other than the surplus population in town and the sudden loss of privacy, the Hollywood shoot promises to put Mermaid Bay on the map. Unfortunately, the atmosphere sours when an overzealous reporter is found dead in one of the actor’s rooms. Then someone tries to kill the show’s male star, heartthrob to hundreds, Raphael Allard. Mermaid Bay starts to look a bit more nefarious than romantic. read more

Best of 2023: Reviewer’s favorites

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Our reviewers, Margaret Agnew, Vicki Kondelik, and Carla Schantz, have all shared their top 10 lists with me.  If you’d like to know more about them, you can read about them here.  All of them are accomplished women and passionate readers.  I appreciate Margaret’s way with words, Vicki’s love of historical mysteries, and Carla’s passion for cozies.  There’s lots here to add to your TBR piles!  Full reviews can be found in most cases by searching the site, though Vicki has some classics on her list she didn’t review here.  Carla’s list can be found in the forthcoming Best of Cozies post. read more

Sally Goldenbaum: A Twisted Skein

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Seaside Knitters Society #6

Intrigue and knitting abound in Sally Goldenbaum’s most recent addition to her Seaside Knitters Society series, A Twisted Skein. This is the sixth book, and follows yarn studio owner Izzy Perry and her friend Birdie as they investigate the death of one of Birdie’s fellow birders. A murder would be enough for anyone to have to deal with, but Izzy Perry also has a knitting themed fashion show she is sponsoring looming overhead as well. This makes her yarn shop busier than usual as everyone comes in to either to buy yarn and supplies, or to work on a project or two for the big show. The stress of the show is bad enough, but then she starts to fear that the police aren’t going to look deep enough into the murder. That they will go after the easiest and most obvious suspect, someone no one in the knitting circle can believe would be behind the murder. As such, there is only one thing to do: get out their knitting needles and their detective glasses and delve into things for themselves. read more

Victoria Laurie: Coaching Fire

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Cat & Gilley Life Coach #5

No one can claim that Victoria Laurie’s latest addition to her Cat & Gilley Life Coach series is a slow burn. This fifth book, Coaching Fire, starts off with Cat Cooper and Gilley Gillespie in the heat of things, and that sets the pace readers can expect. Cat and Gilley are in the lone star state of Texas for the famous Rose Festival, where Gilley’s new paramour, Stuart Jacobs, is heading the creation of all the royal court garb. But it isn’t all fun and games. A murder occurs on the very night Cat arrives in Texas and it puts pressure on Gilley’s new squeeze. At a time when he needs every last set of hands working on the Rose Queen’s court, he loses one set to police suspicion. Determined to help, Gilley and Cat join forces once again to help stop a killer before they get away with murder, or perhaps even commit another. read more

V.M. Burns: Murder on Tour

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Mystery Bookshop #9

There is a lot that goes into getting a book written and on shelves. After the author thinks it’s finally done, it then has to pass through the publishing gauntlet. Once it makes it through that, then the author must go about promoting their book to ensure sales stay up and their next book has a better chance of getting published. Often times they must promote at events with other authors who have many other books published and have a solid fan base. In Murder On Tour, V.M. Burns portrays our protagonist Samantha Washington’s struggle to be not just a published author, but a confident one. It does not help her ego any to be a last minute addition to a book festival, and that her table isn’t in a very ideal location. Luckily she has her grandma Nana Joe present to keep her confidence up and boost her morale. But, once behind the scenes, Samantha finds out that things are not all they appear to be. The infighting between these well-known authors is shocking and Samantha does her best to stay out of it. read more

Lauren Elliott: Murder in a Cup

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Crystals & CuriosiTEAS #2

Lauren Elliott’s second book in her Crystals & CuriosiTEAS series, Murder in a Cup, does not disappoint. Shay Myers is determined to make her new life in Monterey Peninsula a success and, given the popularity of her shop, that seems to be more than possible. With the help of her sister Jen, a local misfit teenager named Tassi, and of course her loyal dog Spirit, Shay has plenty of help in running Crystals & CuriosiTEAS. Serving tea and selling knick-knacks isn’t Shay’s only business, she also provides services as a Seer, such as reading tea leaves or palms. Given that she is a self-taught Seer, logical minded Shay is always a little nervous about exploring this more mystical side of herself. Luckily local pub owner and friend Liam has his Gran coming into town and she is a well versed Seer. Unfortunately for Shay, Gran is also more than a little pushy and has her committing to doing a group event reading before she’s really comfortable with it. read more

Sara Driscoll: That Others May Live

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FBI K-9 #8

That Others May Live by Sara Driscoll is a little bit of a deviation from my usual cozies, as it is much more of a thriller mixed with a procedural, but still qualifies as an animal detective cozy. This is the eighth book in her FBI K-9 series, and it’s very emotional and engaging. The main protagonist Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue K-9 dog, Hawk, are faced with the horrors of a collapsed twelve-story condo. Given that the collapse happened in downtown DC, there are plenty of law enforcement agencies on high alert, and plenty of fears and conjectures. However, that isn’t what Meg and her fiancée firefighter Todd are concentrating on. They are most concerned about any potential victims that could still be alive and waiting for rescue. While the outlook seems impossible and grim, for their own mental health and that of the rescue dogs they refuse to accept that there might not be anyone to save. read more

Maya Corrigan: A Parfait Crime

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Five-Ingredient #9

Two murders combine in Maya Corrigan’s ninth installment of her Five-Ingredient series,  A Parfait Crime. Val Deniston first gets drawn into this mystery when her boyfriend, firefighter Bram Muir, comes to her house for dinner. He’s distraught at finding not only a fire, but that the fire resulted in the death of a woman named Jane. Jane also happened to be a part of a play of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, along with Val’s grandfather. Val’s grandfather was also a member of Jane’s Agatha Christie book club and  has an in to the group, which helps Val learn more about the victim. Or victims, rather, as one more body is found in Jane’s basement. This poor victim is long dead and locked in a freezer. Needless to say, there are many questions and not nearly enough answers. read more