St. Martin’s

Korina Moss: Fondue or Die

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Cheese Shop #5

It’s time once more for me to review the most recent addition to Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop mystery series, Fondue or Die. I know I’ve reviewed two of her books thus far, and I can honestly say I don’t intend to stop.  The characters draw readers in, as does the cozy town setting. And the cheese. The cheese gets a spot light which will please any cheesemonger. Willa Bauer is our protagonist, and runs her cheese shop Curds & Whey with a true dedication to her craft and a deep love of all things cheese. She would be perfectly happy focusing on selling cheese in her beloved town of Yarrow Glen in Sonoma Valley, but somehow she keeps ending up being pulled into murder investigations, each time in an attempt to clear either her own name, save her shop, or to clear the name of someone she loves. Often times she ends up whey over her head, and luckily she has many friends and her own Team Cheese to help her out. read more

Cate Conte: Shock and Paw

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Cat Cafe #8

In Shock and Paw, Cate Conte’s Cat Café books, Maddie James lives on the New England coast’s Daybreak Island. She runs a cat café with her cat JJ, Junkyard Johnny, and has developed quite a reputation as an amateur sleuth. Given that she lives with her grandfather, who is retired from law enforcement and is now a PI, it isn’t too shocking that she knows how to investigate properly. But Maddie’s true passion is pets, especially the cats at her café looking for a forever home, which can be difficult when designer pets are being advertised all over the island on fliers. Her friend Katrina isn’t exactly thrilled about them either, and is ready to sprint into battle against breeders, dragging Maddie along with her. Luckily Maddie’s own level headedness wins out and she manages to talk Katrina down from rushing off to do anything too rash – at least for the moment. read more

Sally Hepworth: Darling Girls

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Standalone

Sally Hepworth’s latest standalone, Darling Girls, explores what it means to be a foster child put in a very bad situation. Three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up in an idyllic looking farmhouse in rural Australia, with the kindly seeming Miss Fairchild. However, Miss Fairchild is manipulative and overbearing, causing her “daughters” to never want to see her again when they finally escape her questionable care. All three have gone have become adults with issues stemming from their often confusing, unpleasant upbringing. But all three have also come out as very close sisters. Family. read more

Olivia Blacke: Rhythm and Clues

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Record Shop #3

Music, murder, and mayhem await in Olivia Blacke’s Rhythm and Clues. In the true spirit of family business, three sisters have opened and run a record and coffee shop known as the Spin & Sip in Cedar River, Texas. Tansey, Maggie, and Juni Jessup have their own specialties, but are all involved in the daily running on the shop. However, Juni adds a little extra spice to their lives that isn’t just in the pumpkin lattes. She’s a very efficient amateur sleuth with a reputation of successfully solving murders about town. While her sisters would prefer for Juni to keep out of any dangerous situations, when in involves their shop they are very supportive of her sleuthing specialty. read more

Ellie Alexander: A Smoking Bun

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Bakeshop #18

A Smoking Bun is the 18th Bake Shop Mystery book by Ellie Alexander. I was so excited to see the next instalment in our baker and part time detective Jules Capshaw’s adventures. Her ever growing foodie empire has been a joy to watch expand. Jules cares about her community and has forged her place in Ashland, Oregon after many trials and tribulations and has even settled her family here. It isn’t all family and fondant for her, however. Jules also has made a bit of a name for herself in helping the local police detective, known primarily as The Professor, and now also to her as stepdad, solve several murders. She tries her best to stay away from any dangerous situations, but when a friend is in need she cannot turn away. 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

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

Olivia Matthews: Hard Dough Homicide

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Spice Isle Bakery #2

Hard Dough Homicide is the second book by Olivia Matthews, and it follows Lindsay Murray and family at their Caribbean themed restaurant, Spice Island Bakery. When Lindsay’s mother quit her old job at the local school to focus on the bakery she thought, and hoped, her interactions with her old boss were behind her. Principal Emily Smith was a nasty piece of work who was demeaning and abusive to her employees and extremely self-centered. Yet when she decides to retire, she wants her celebration dinner held at the Spice Island Bakery. At first the Murray family wants nothing to do with it, but the money is literally too good to refuse, and they decide to take a chance. Turns out the guests are just as uncomfortable with things as the Murray family, and things go from tense to downright disastrous when Emily dies shortly after the meal begins. read more

Korina Moss: Curds of Prey

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Korina Moss provides a savory take on food-themed cozies with the third addition to her Cheese Shop series. Curds of Prey follows cheese monger and owner of Yarrow Glen’s cheese shop Cruds & Whey, Willa Bauer. Willa is trying to navigate a potential new relationship with Roman, as well as catering to the wedding of two of the more powerful families in the town. The wedding involves the nephew of the Mayor, Nelson Trumbull, and Summer Harrington, daughter to one of the richest families around. While this may seem straight forward enough, there is violent chaos from the get go. Roman stops by to surprise Willa during a cheese testing for the wedding party, and gets into a fight with Nelson. While this does not ruin Willa’s chance at getting her cheese to the wedding shower, it does put Willa on guard – and not just about her cheese. Things only get more chaotic when the wedding shower is about to begin with yet another fight disrupting the set up. It isn’t until the wedding shower is called off that Willa dares to hope things might calm down, only to discover the body of the would-be-groom Nelson in the stables. Given the condition of his body, there is no question he is a victim of murder. Thus, she finds herself plunged into another murder mystery. read more

Chevy Stevens: Dark Roads

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If you know Chevy Stevens you know Dark Roads will be a great read because, well, all her books are great reads. No one does the kind of contemporary suspense, rooted in the fabric of the way we live now (pre-covid anyway) like Chevy. She’s kind of a female Harlan Coben, but to me she writes with more compassion and greater depth.

The titular dark road is Cold Creek Highway, a lonely, desolate stretch where many women have disappeared over the years and not quite as many bodies have been found. Hailey McBride moves into the town of Cold Creek to live with her aunt after her father dies, only to find that this refuge has a decided drawback in the form of her aunt’s new husband, the menacing cop Vaughn. read more