by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win ebook copies of both books, and links to purchase it from Amazon.

Thanksgiving is a delightful holiday gathering family and friends together to enjoy turkey, mash potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and…Murder? Kathi Daley has penned two entertaining mysteries set during this holiday, and although she has readers engaged in a mystery often with some peril, she highlights family, two-legged and four-legged friends, and the joy of gathering together. Oh, yeah, always with recipes as a delicious bonus.

The Thanksgiving Trip: Tess and Tilly Mystery By Kathi Daley

The Thanksgiving Trip earns 5/5 Cups of Gravy…Engaging, Clever!

Tess Thomas is a postal carrier and amateur sleuth in White Eagle, Montana, with partner Tilly, her sweet and obedient golden retriever. She delivers all kinds of mail often sticking around to enjoy a bit of gossip and maybe even perform an informal interrogation. White Eagle is a small community and her brother Mike is the local sheriff, so Tess has always been compelled to offer her assistance when a suspicious death appears. Also Tess has discovered that the father she long thought had died in a tragic truck accident may very well be alive. She and her boyfriend Tony have been doing a bit of covert investigating, and although more curious evidence is found, no real answers. So it is very fortuitous that Tess’s mom, who is unaware of Tess’s discoveries, has decided to have the family spend the Thanksgiving holidays at Timberland Lake, the exact place her father would go every fall to fish…alone. More evidence, answers, insights? That’s what Tess is hoping. Of course, the uninvited body floating in the lake puts everyone on alert.

I really enjoy Kathi Daley’s Tess and Tilly Mystery series: a unique career for a cozy main character, “fur” friends galore, quirky residents in a small town, endearing romances, and mysteries of all sorts. Kathi always devises an engaging crime unfolding clues and evidence with a final, sometimes perilous, reveal, but she has added to this series the mystery about Tess’s father. It is fascinating to follow, weaving through the five books, the discoveries of an old letter, photographs, and news articles along with search results from facial recognition programs. This series is always engaging, but it is Kathi’s writing style, descriptive first-person narrative, and entertaining banter that makes it a favorite. Newbies can start here; you’ll love it. The unfolding secondary mystery is revisited laying out all that has already been discovered. And animal lovers will delight in all the animals that interact as family.

Recipes! Yeah…add these to your own Thanksgiving weekend menu: Leftover Turkey Sandwiches, Turkey Soup, and Turkey Stew. You’ll feel it necessary to roast two turkeys to make sure you have plenty of leftovers!

The Catsgiving Feast: Whales and Tales Cozy Mystery By Kathi Daley

Caitlin Hart’s emotions are on high alert; she is planning the best day of her life, and “smoothly” wouldn’t be the word to describe it. There’s the storm predicted for the area, a surprise obnoxious uninvitee, a black eye accident, a fire closes the church for repairs, and…what now? No wedding cake! The baker is permanently unavailable, well, dead, bludgeoned with a rolling pin. Sally Enderling has only been part of the island community for four years and in that time she has made the effort to be an active member with her presence on the local chamber of commerce, but it is the argument and threat by Caitlin’s soon-to-be mother-in-law that has law enforcement very concerned. Does the wedding need to be postponed?

Kathi Daley sure can set up an entertaining storyline for the seventeenth book her popular Whales and Tails Mystery series, but the unique part of this series is the fact a “magical” cat seems to always pop up to assist Caitlin and her friends by “meowing” them in the right direction. This book is no different. A brown-striped ball of fur “meowed” its presence, and Tansy, Madrona Island’s resident witch, states “[Cosmo] is connected to the truth that lives within the lies. Follow his lead and you will find the answers you seek.”

“Following” leads Caitlin, her “whiteboard” team, and her furry sidekick to uncover several surprising truths laid out through Kathi’s entertaining first-person narrative. Competitive bakeries? Policy fights? Varied suspect pool? Family issues? Caitlin uses a more systematic style of investigating, and with her brother-in-law/deputy she usually works well with law enforcement. However, a new outside sheriff keeps her at arms’s length. (Sheriff Fowler…fun! That’s my maiden name) Family continues to be a central theme, and a major motivation for the events in Kathi’s stories. Caitlin and her family are very close, and with Cody they have enveloped close friends, an elderly man, shop owners, and several “fur” buddies as part of the family. Ok, a lot as occurred in this series, but any newbie will enjoy this book, fall in love with the characters, and want to go back and read the other books.

Kathi again adds a set of recipes perfect for the season! Add these to your Thanksgiving “feast” submitted by Kathi Daley fans: Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Potato Casserole, Minestrone Soup, and Pumpkin Cookies.

Be a Big Kathi Daley Fan…Like, Visit, Join, and Follow!
Facebook – Kathi Daley Books
Join the Club Kathi Daley Book Club
Join – Kathi Daley Books Recipe Exchange Group
On the Web Kathi Daley Website
Blog – Random Thoughts and Meaningless Musings

To enter to win ebook copies of Thanksgiving Trip and Catsgiving Feast, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “daley thanksgiving,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 17, 2018. If entering via comment please include your email address. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.