by Cynthia Chow & Sandra Murphy

This week we are catching up on some more fun mysteries that have come out in the last few months-A Twisted Skein by Sally Goldenbaum, Murder with Chocolate Tea by Karen Rose Smith, Murder Checks Out: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert, and Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal: A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery by Raquel V. Reyes. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 4 books and links to purchase them from Amazon at the end of each review.

A Twisted Skein by Sally Goldenbaum
Review by Sandra Murphy

The Seaside Knitters live and work in Sea Harbor, Massachusetts. As the tourist season begins to slow and the weather starts to cool, the big event is a fashion show featuring hand-knit garments. Izzy Perry, owner of Sea Harbor Yarn Studio, has everything arranged—she hopes. With the help of her friends and fellow knitters, the show is bound to come off without a hitch.

Birdie, one of the knitters, used to be an avid bird watcher. Now a widow, she’s taken up the hobby again. She enjoys the birds more than the birders who seem more interested in completing their lists of birds seen than seeing the birds.

When she has to fight her way through a bundle of vines to get to a prime location, she’s startled to find a dead body. In many cases, the victim is someone who was genuinely hated by most people. Not so this time. The victim was a beloved member of the community.

As hard as it is to envision anyone with a grudge large enough to lead to murder, there are a few suspects. With Birdie so upset and involved, it means the Seaside Knitters are involved too. Will the killer be someone equally well-known and loved?

This is book six in the series. Even if you don’t know a knit from a purl, the story will intrigue. Almost more important than the mystery itself is the friendship between the Knitters. They are a family of their own creation. While they solve murders, it’s at a slower pace, taking no risks but still finding a satisfactory conclusion. When the book ends, you’ll feel like you’ve just left your best friends and won’t see them for another year.

Find a pattern for a Belugah Slouch Hat and Beanie at the back of the book.

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

Murder with Chocolate Tea by Karen Rose Smith
Review by Sandra Murphy

Daisy Swanson owns Daisy’s Tea Garden in Pennsylvania Amish country. She’s engaged to Jonas, a local furniture builder, and their wedding is fast approaching. In the meantime, it’s almost time for her youngest daughter to go off to college. Her oldest is married with a young son and their family has moved into a place of their own after living in the apartment above Daisy’s garage. Things are clicking into place.

Trevor Lundquist is a local journalist and crime podcaster. He persuades Daisy to be a guest and talk about the latest murder she was involved in—as in helping solve it! After the show is broadcast, Trevor receives a phone call with a cryptic message about a 20-year-old murder and where to find a clue. He, of course, recruits Daisy to help. The questions are: where is the clue, was there a murder, and will the killer strike again to protect himself after so many years of being free?

When the body of a man is found in Willow Creek a few days later, they have the answer. The problem is now, Trevor is so focused on solving the crime before the police so his podcast will go viral, he drops Daisy’s name far too often. Has he put her on the killer’s radar?

This is book 10 in the series. Daisy and her family, her Amish friends, and the town itself have become familiar to readers. Daisy isn’t one for taking risks. She’s got a family and business to think about, after all. Her questions are low key and she hopes to keep her profile the same. To read one of Daisy’s adventures is like a visit to distant friends.

Tasty descriptions of the teas and pastries from the tea garden will leave readers drooling. Luckily, there are recipes for ham and cabbage soup, egg and olive salad, rhubarb muffin toppings, and rhubarb muffins at the back of the book.

Look for the first in a new series, Murder Marks the Page, in April. Smith also writes the Caprice de Luca mysteries, eight in total, several reviewed in KRL.

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Murder Checks Out: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert
Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s the Christmas season in Taylorsford, Virginia, but not everyone is full of holiday spirit or goodwill to man. While the town is preparing for their annual Winterfest, the festival chair Wendy Blackstone is bringing along her share of bah humbug with her development company’s plans to build a subdivision in the Blue Ridge forests. An outside environmental organization has begun to actively protest outside the Town Hall, but locals have their own objections to the project and the Blackstone company behind it. One of these is Ethan Payne, the brother-in-law of Taylorsford Public Library co-director Amy Webber Muir. Ethan’s property would sit right next to the proposed development, and he has some angry words for the woman in charge of it. Amy already has her hands busy raising five-year-old twins and preparing for the arrival of her mother-in-law, but when Wendy is found murdered and a now-missing Ethan becomes the prime suspect, Amy will have to put aside her holiday plans to prevent this from being the bleakest of Christmases.

Fortunately, Amy has the librarian research skills necessary to help her eliminate alibis and track down suspects in the death of a woman with a number of family estrangements and business enemies. The leader of Environmental Advocates, a former business partner-turned-competitor, and a surly daughter definitely did not have Wendy on their Christmas gifting list, but Ethan’s lack of an alibi and last being seen arguing with the victim have most of the town believing in his guilt. Since Amy’s husband Richard is busy running his production of the Nutcracker, she is the one who must brace for the disapproval of his very judgmental mother. Yet while Fiona Muir never supported her son’s professional dance career or encouraged his dreams, she proves to be a delightful grandmother who loves to indulge her dance-loving grandchild. That’s a puzzle Amy may never figure out, but the one she absolutely must solve is the one of finding who is framing her brother’s husband and who may be seeking revenge for past crimes.

This 8th in the series celebrates the holiday season while using the setting to explore the family dynamics that occur when relatives gather after long estrangements. Amy’s twin children are charming as they tame their intimidating and imperious grandmother, and through them Amy is able to build on own relationship with Fiona. Environmentalism also becomes a timely topic that is examined, as are the lengths that developmental companies will go to in order to make a profit. What the author gets so right are the small details that occur within a public library, from having to work with limited budgets to the quirky patrons who regularly visit it. Amy and Richard’s marriage continues to be an example of a healthy relationship with open communication, especially at the times when he knows that she will investigate in order to help those she loves. That doesn’t mean that she won’t find time to visit the costume department for her twins’ Nutcracker outfits, or attempt to convince her mother-in-law that the housecats Fosse and Loie deserve a place in their home. The enigmatic reformed-criminal godfather to her children continues to help both the town and Amy with his substantial wealth and abundance of information, adding a slight edge to this entertaining cozy mystery. Filled with humor and relatable characters, this latest in the series is sure to please those looking for a well-plotted, extremely satisfying read.

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal: A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery by Raquel V. Reyes
Review by Cynthia Chow

A surprise Christmas gift from her husband has cooking show host Miriam Quiñones-Smith whisking off to the Dominican Republic, where her Cuban parents recently moved as the managers of vacation rentals. After arriving at the Punta Cana compound Miriam is alarmed by the number of sudden leaks and repairs that are needed in the Punta Palma and begins to wonder if they may be due to something other than just wear and tear. Miriam barely has time to visit with her adoring parents before she is called away to San Juan, where she has been asked by her producer to spend a week filming segments for her “Abuela Approved” cooking show and UnMundo’s “La Tacita” cooking segments. They are stocking up footage before the five months pregnant Miriam goes out on maternity leave, so she will be tasting and exploring the best of Puerto Rican cuisine.

As the Three Kings Day celebrations begin Miriam once again is greeted by a crime scene and a series of disconcerting events. Fortunately, she is guided by a former police officer and then unexpectedly joined by her best friends Alma Diaz and Jorge Trujillo. Both are dealing with their own romantic complications, with realtor Alma dazzled by a billionaire and Jorge feeling ignored by an actor not yet out of the closet. Miriam worries that Alma may be a little too seduced by the private jets and extravagances that are the perks of a wealthy lifestyle, while Jorge seems convinced that his boyfriend is cheating on him. Even as duffle bags full of cash and cryptocurrency fortunes are lost and made Miriam is still able to explore and promote the cultural wonders that have resulted in the blended cuisine of the Puerto Rican and Dominican Republic Islands. Mofongo, chillo frito, and sorullitos are but a few delights that will have mouths watering even as the suspense ratchets up and Miriam finds herself in a situation right out of a police action movie.

This third in the series is as much a travelogue as it is a mystery, vividly exploring a multitude of cultures and cuisines. Miriam considers herself to be more of a cultural anthropologist than a chef, since she loves to showcase how a country’s history affects the foods of today. In both the Dominican Republic and San Juan, gentrification and colonialism has resulted in meals that are the blends of different nations but still unique to each area. Indigenous people being pushed out by wealthy outsiders is something that has cycled through history, and Miriam is determined to educate and help to preserve her own culture. Humor is brought to the table through the antics of Alma and Jorge, who are supportive of Miriam’s goals even as they obsess over their ever-growing concerns. One of the greatest achievements of this series is how it incorporates Spanish throughout in such a way that those not fluent in the language can still easily understand through the context.

The author’s skill means that readers won’t need Google translate, but they may want to immediately research where they can find the mouth-watering foods that are so tantalizingly described. Once Miriam is joined by her husband and son the novel becomes a joyful and often very funny adventure that weaves in timely topics while never straying too far from the focus on food and family. Since the setting takes Miriam and her family out of their home in Miami new readers to the series can easily jump in without missing a step, but all will be wanting to plan a holiday in one of the glorious islands of the Caribbean Sea.

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of all 4 books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “January Catchup” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 20, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

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.