Carla Schantz

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

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