by Cynthia Chow
In 1896, a young woman escapes from the traumas of her life by retreating to the secret place at the top of Chez Celeste’s tower stairs. Led to this magical place by a woman calling herself Granny Jo, Roxanne spies upon the unbelievable world that is present-day San Francisco. It is there at a fundraising ball by the Bay Area Preservation Alliance that real estate agent Claire Scanlan happens to glance upon the mysterious woman, who wears an amethyst necklace nearly identical to her own. Before she can investigate, though, Claire is called away to woo the Burnham heirs who will decide the fate of their family’s Burnham Mansion.
by Sandra Murpy
& Cynthia Chow
This week we have another fun group of mysteries-Nothing Bundt Trouble: A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander, Red Hot: A Red Herring Mystery by Dana Dratch, Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody by Barbara Ross, and Still Knife Painting: A Paint and Shine Mystery by Cheryl Hollon.
by Cynthia Chow
Cait Morgan had thought that her month-long vacation in Jamaica was to be a celebration by her husband and friends of her fiftieth birthday. While she and her husband Bud had a few weeks alone together on the bungalow estate, they were later joined by Bud’s two ex-colleagues and their respective plus-ones. Vancouver Police Department retiree Jack White has his amenable wife Sheila, but former secret service operative John Silver has brought along the much-younger, much flirtier, Lottie Fortescue.
by Sandra Murpy
& Cynthia Chow
This week we have another group of fun food mysteries for your summer reading-Deadly Sweet Tooth: A Vintage Sweets Mystery by Kaye George, Peachy Scream: A Georgia B&B Mystery by Anna Gerard, Nacho Average Murder: A Country Store Mystery by Maddie Day, and Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse: A Marygene Brown Mystery by Kate Young.
by Cynthia Chow
Former paramedic Zoe Chambers is now fully immersed in her new job as the Chief Deputy Coroner of Monongahela County, but there’s a new venture looming in her future that is somewhat terrifying. In just two weeks Zoe will be marrying Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams, and it seems that everyone in both their Pennsylvania towns plans on attending.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
Rare book restorer Brooklyn Wainwright and her husband Derek are delighted to be back in her hometown of Dharma, California, for their first annual Dharma Book Festival. As much as they love living in San Francisco, it can’t compare to the communal warmth of the tourist-friendly wine country near Sonoma County. In addition to the variety of restaurants and craft shops run by Brooklyn’s numerous siblings in the wine country, her British in-laws have also recently purchased a second home in the town where Derek’s tarot-reading mother flourishes.
by Cynthia Chow
& Lauren Elliott
There are two things that Beyond the Page rare book and curio shop owner Addison Greyborne finds irresistible: mysteries and estate sales. The auction being held at Hill Road House offers both of these, having not only a huge library collection up for sale but also its own myth of residing ghosts.
by Cynthia Chow
With only three months to go until her sister and brother-in-law return to take over their Two Witches Winery in Penn Yan, New York, Norrie Ellington is eagerly anticipating the return to her full-time job as a screenplay writer. So far life in Seneca Lake has been inundated by too many corpses, and it doesn’t look like the near future will be any smoother.
by Sandra Murphy &
Cynthia Chow
This week we have a bunch of food mysteries for your Father’s Day Feast! A Deadly Inside Scoop: An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery by Abby Collette, Pumpkin Spice Peril: A Cupcake Bakery Mystery by Jenn McKinlay, The Diva Spices it Up: A Domestic Diva Mystery by Krista Davis, Sugar and Vice: A Cookie House Mystery by Eve Calder, Killer Chardonnay: A Colorado Wine Mystery by Kate Lansing, and Murder with Clotted Cream: Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery by Karen Rose Smith.
by Cynthia Chow
Steve Levitan would be the first to declare that his Golden Retriever Rochester was responsible for turning around his human’s life. After two miscarriages led to now ex-wife’s compulsive shopping habit, Steve wielded his considerable computer skills to hack into three credit bureaus and block her ability to spend. Unfortunately, that also led to his being caught and imprisoned for a year, forcing him to rebuild his life into an administrator at Eastern College.
by Cynthia Chow
This week we have a pair of magical mysteries-Mrs. Morris and the Witch: A Salem B&B Mystery by Traci Wilton and A Spell for Trouble: An Enchanted Bay Mystery by Esme Addison. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of both books, and links to purchase them at the end of each review–you may not be able to see the Amazon links if you have ad blocker on.
by Cynthia Chow
& Ellery Adams
Readers will be delighted to return for the sixth time to Storyton Hall, a five-star resort in West Virginia catering to bibliophiles from around the world. Book-themed rooms, enormous libraries, book clubs, and now a Family Valentine’s Celebration event specifically for young readers and children’s book authors are all featured at this unique destination. A lucky family has been awarded a free vacation stay at the resort during the special weekend as well, and Storyton manager Jane Steward is looking forward to welcoming the deserving Gilbert family.
by Cynthia Chow
This week we have 3 fun pet related mysteries for your summer reading-Gone With The Whisker: A Bookmobile Cat Mystery by Laurie Cass, Murder Can Confuse Your Chihuahua: A Haunted Craft Fair Mystery by Rose Pressey, and The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo: A Cat Lady Mystery by Linda Reilly.
by Cynthia Chow
Anyone who hates a puppy is just setting herself up for murder. Not that Beverly Ruchart deserves to die for accusing the adorable rescue dog Tucker for digging up her garden, but MacKenzie “Mac” Almeida has proof that her niece’s puppy is innocent. Using her minister father and astrologist mother as role models, Mac attempts to be amenable, but Mrs. Ruchart is just as rude and demanding as a customer at Mac’s Bikes rental and repair shop in their town of Westham, Cape Cod. So when Mac’s friend Gin Malloy finds Mrs. Ruchart dead at Gin’s Salty Taffy shop, Mac knows that there will be a bounty of suspects to investigate in order to help prove her friend’s innocence.
