Carla Schantz

Diane Kelly: Snow Place for Murder

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Mountain Lodge #3

For those looking for a snow mountain getaway, but the weather isn’t quite cooperating or it might just be out of budget, look no further than Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly. This is the third in her Mountain Lodge series. Misty Murphy is our amateur sleuth, but she prefers her role as owner and caretaker of North Carolina’s Mountain Top Lodge. Misty is making a promising life for herself, forging her place in the community, and making connections. As the holiday season approaches, her two sons are coming to help out at the Lodge and take advantage of the ideal snowboarding conditions. Everything seems to be going well. Misty has a full booking at the Lodge, a blossoming relationship with her boyfriend Rocky, a loving family around her, friends a plenty, and of course her beloved cat Yeti. However, when a group that booked the whole Lodge arrives, things don’t go quite as planned. read more

Carol J. Perry: Now You See It

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Witch City #13

Carol J. Perry’s thirteenth book in her Witch City Mystery series is the delightful addition Now You See it. In it, Salem’s local reporter and scryer, Lee Mondello, once more finds herself drawn into solving not just a murder, but a possible heist as well. As a scryer, Lee is both blessed and cursed with the gifts of sight. Mirrors, pools of water, and even the metallic surface of an elevator door can sometimes trigger images to appear before her. The images don’t always tell a comprehensive story, and sometimes they are just a still frame like a picture, but they all inevitably help Lee to unravel any mysteries surrounding her life. Her husband, Pete, is a local Salem police detective, and while he believes in his wife and her gifts, he prefers to deal in the real and provable. It makes sense – a police detective can’t very well arrest someone based on his wife claiming to have seen something in the nearby fishbowl. Lee isn’t offended, as she knows physical evidence is crucial to getting criminals to stay behind bars. But turning visions into evidence can be a little tricky. read more

Michael Falco: Murder in an Italian Village

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Bria Bartolucci #1

Few sights and experiences rival that of the coast of Italy, and the beautifully colored buildings of Positano balanced along cliff faces and overlooking stunning stretches of ocean. Michael Falco launches a new mystery series set in this idyllic place. The first book is Murder in an Italian Village and it follows widow and single mom Bria Bartolucci as she also starts a new life running a B&B called Bella Bella. While she has lived near Positano, she has only recently made it home for herself and her son Marco. She is not only striving to make her business thrive, but also to become an accepted part of the Positano community and not be seen as a tourist or outsider. read more

Korina Moss: Case of the Bleus

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Cheese Shop #4

I am delighted to be able to review Korina Moss’ fourth book in her Cheese Shop series, Case of the Bleus. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading my way through the adventures of Willa Baur as she has established her cheese shop Curds & Wey in the town of Sonoma Valley, and helped the local police catch more than a few murderers. While said authorities might not be thrilled with her methods, they certainly can’t argue with the results. But despite her sleuthing prowess, none can dispute that Willa’s true passion remains with cheese. Korina Moss’ description of the various cheese, and Willa’s passion for it, will have readers pausing just long enough to have a little cheese snack of their own as they read along. Perhaps even trying one of the tasty cheese recipes included at the back of the book. read more

Traci Wilton: Mrs. Morris and the Wolfman

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Salem B & B #7

Mrs. Morris and the Wolfman is Traci Wilton’s seventh book in her Salem, Massachusetts, B&B mystery series. In it, we follow Charlene Morris as she endeavors to unravel the mysterious death at the newly renovated town theater. While Charlene primarily runs a B&B and spends most of her time focusing on the happiness of her guests and the well-being of her family, she is always happy to try and help her community. Especially with the additional help of her B&B’s friendly resident ghost and former physician, Jack. Eternity is a long time for someone to haunt a place, and Jack has happily taken up crime solving to pass the time, but he’s also dedicated to trying to keep Mrs. Morris safe. With ghostly Jack at the B&B, Detective Sam Holden, and her metaphorically adopted teenage assistant and friend Avery, Charlene never finds herself wanting for support in her adventures. read more

Christin Brecher: Mugshots of Manhattan

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Snapshot of NYC #2

Christin Brecher’s second book in her Snapshot of NYC mystery series, Mugshots of Manhattan, has photographer Liv Spyers tossed into the high drama, high energy world of pop stars. She’s managed to score an assignment as the only photographer allowed at, and behind the scenes of, Grammy Award-winning pop star Bisa at a massive event. Concerts and a movie release revolving around Bisa’s new songs is the event of the century. The whole city has Bisa madness, and Liv is excited to be along for the ride. But the life of stars turns out to be more dramatic and dangerous than anyone could have predicted. Bisa’s estranged sister Anna crashes the party, and leaves a whirlwind of chaos and potential PR nightmares in her wake. After experiencing Anna’s rather dynamic personality up close, the last thing Liv expects is to find her dead. read more

Donna Andrews: Birder She Wrote

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Meg Lanslow #33

I am very excited to be able to review Donna Andrews thirty-third book, Birder She Wrote. Since I started reading cozies I have always been drawn in by the adventures of Meg Langslow and her quirky and endearing family. Birder She Wrote hits on a theme any and all can relate to: irritating neighbors. Meg’s own are so infamous in Caerphilly they have their own nick name: NIMBY, which stands for “not in my back yard.” As the Mayor’s part time assistant of special projects, Meg finds herself directly in the path of the NIMBYS often. What makes them particularly difficult is that they moved to the countryside without understanding at all what living in a rural area really meant. Or that the others who lived there are farmers, which means many a sight, smell, and sound that did not exactly meet with the NIMBY’s idyllic view of what living in the country should be. read more

Darci Hannah: Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant

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Beacon Bakeshop #4

For those of us who prefer the cooler autumn months, picking up a copy of Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah is a good way to put the summer on pause. This is the fourth book of her Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. It takes place during Halloween, and  baker and amateur sleuth Lindsey Bakewell has the pumpkin spice everything in full swing. Her bakery is inside the local old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. While it had to undergo many renovations to be bake-shop ready, the biggest trademark of the lighthouse remains: the ghost of the late lighthouse keeper Captain Willy Riggs. Everyone in town knows Captain Riggs haunts the lighthouse, and even creates “ghost lights” that seem to always harbinger some fatal danger. While Lindsey is a firm believer in her ghostly roommate, she is not so keen on the town seeing her bakery as a local haunted hot spot. read more

Lee Hollis: Death of a Clam Digger

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Hayley Powell #16

Who could have expected to find the next take on Romeo and Juliet to be found in Death of a Clam Digger by Lee Hollis? Two families, the Leightons and the Barns, have been in a business-based war for years. In fact, the book opens with a massive fight between the two matriarchs of each family on the shoreline. Both the Barns and the Leighton families provide seafood staples to local restaurants, including our heroine Hayley Powell’s. Her own establishment is conveniently called Haley’s Kitchen and is a favorite town hangout, beloved by locals and tourists alike. She gets her seafood from her best friend Mona Barns, and her establishment is a favorite of the patriarch of the Leighton family Lonnie Leighton. read more

Ellery Adams: Murder in the Book Lover’s Loft

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Book Retreat #9

Murder in the Book Lover’s Loft by Ellery Adams is the dramatic story of Jane Steward on another adventure, and this time it takes her to the North Carolina coast. The trip is to be a romantic and relaxing getaway for her and her fiancé Edwin, as well as give them a chance to visit longtime friend Olivia in her home town. It also will allow Jane to take a break from the secret library that she is in charge of protecting, along with her team at Storyton Hall. However, things don’t exactly go as planned. read more