Carla Schantz

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

Vicki Delany: Steeped in Malice

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Tea by the Sea #4

Steeped in Malice opens with Lilly Roberts on a mission to get her tea house, Tea by the Sea, some additional tea cups and saucer sets from a local antique sale. A Peter Rabbit themed tea set in a wicker basket causes her to bring home a lot more than she bargained for. Specifically, it causes a very irate and rude woman named Kimberly to come storming into her place of business, demanding to buy the basket and tea set back, and oddly enough she seems primarily interested in the basket. After much harassment, Lilly finally decides that surrendering the basket would be less trouble in the long run. When she does, however, Kimberly doesn’t take it, instead extracting an envelope from its lining and leaving. read more

Meri Allen: Fatal Fudge Swirl

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Ice Cream Shop #3

As summer heats up this year, cozy fans should really consider staying cool by enjoying Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen. The Udderly Delicious ice-cream shop owned by Riley Roades is the place to be in Penniman, Connecticut, even as it celebrates Halloween. Perhaps the surge at the store is because when winter comes in, ice-cream shops go out, and no one wants to miss out on their last cone of the season. Riley isn’t upset about it, though, as she already has several plans to fill the time off. There is also a major event in town as formal child star Cooper Collins is filming a romantic comedy in town and his socialite mother Diantha is having an extravagant Halloween themed wedding at the local Inn on the Green. read more

Amy Lillard: A Murder of Aspic Proportions

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Sunflower Cafe #2

In Amy Lillard’s second outing of her Sunflower Café series, we follow Sissy Yoder in the town of Yoder, Kansas as she helps her Aunt Bethal at her café. Sissy is finding her own voice, writing a little advice column in the local paper under an alias, and integrating herself into the new community. She and her aunt also have taken to solving murders about town, primarily to clear Sissy of any suspicion from the previous book. Sissy’s sleuthing streak continues as she goes to Walt Summer’s field to check out the possibility of some ‘to die for’ tomatoes for the café menu, only to find a very literal take on that reputation when they find Mr. Summers dead in his growing shed. Because she and her aunt are the ones to find the body, that puts them smack dab at the top of Detective Earl Barry’s suspect list. Again. read more

Barbara Ross: Hidden Beneath

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Maine Clambake #11

In Barbara Ross’ Hidden Beneath, Julia Snowden is pulled into yet another investigation, but this time it is because her mother, Jacqueline Snowden, needs her help. The victim this time is Jacqueline’s old childhood friend Ginny Merrill – while there is no body, after five years Ginny has been declared legally dead. When this happens, Jacqueline is asked to come and speak at a memorial service by the ladies of the Wednesday Club. The members were friends of Ginny since childhood, but not particularly close with Jacqueline. However, things seemed off at the service, and Jacqueline is determined to get to the bottom of it. Or, more specifically, determined to help Julia get to the bottom of it. read more

Valerie Burns: Murder is a Piece of Cake

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Baker Street #2

Valerie Burns’ second book in her Baker Street series is Murder is a Piece of Cake. Madison Montgomery, known as Maddy to most, runs the local Baby Cakes bakery in New Bison Springs, which, along with her lovable English Mastiff, Baby, were left to her by her great-aunt Octavia. Together they are trying to make a life in this new town, leaving behind a life of superficial living. Her prior goals consisted of being a trophy wife to a wealthy doctor, but thanks to great-aunt Octavia providing the opportunity to do so, Maddy is making a life for herself in New Bison Springs, embracing the challenge, and loving it. She has a group of close friends, an adoring dog, and even a new relationship with local veterinarian Michael Portman. As she is learning how to bake and run a business, she also knows how to keep her social media profile active and engaged through all her #’s scattered throughout the book. With renovations going well at the bakery, Maddy does indeed seem to be #thriving. read more