Paislee Shaw owns her own yarn shop where she sells yarn by the skein or for the tourist crowds, as finished garments or souvenirs. Things never go what could be called smoothly but lately business is booming with tourists in town, her assistants in the shop are reliable and trained, and Grandpa and Brody (her teenage son) are…well, maybe that part’s not going as smoothly.
This week we have reviews and giveaways of another fun trio of food mysteries, together with a magical mystery, for your holiday reading feast-Murder by the Millions by Daryl Wood Gerber, At Death’s Dough: A Deep Dish Mystery by Mindy Quigley, Death and Dinuguan: A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery by Mia P. Manansala, and Witch and Tell: A Witch Way Librarian Mystery by Angela M. Sanders.
This week we have another fun group of Christmas mysteries for your holiday reading-O, Deadly Night: A Year-Round Christmas Mystery by Vicky Delany, The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier, and Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards.
Ricki James-Diaz has always known she was adopted but knew nothing about her birth parents. Now seems like the right time to investigate who they are. Josepha and Luis (her adoptive parents) have come to New Orleans for a visit. Virgil, Ricki’s chef neighbor, co-pet parent, and sweetie, has been green-lighted for his own cooking show.
Anybody who knows Andy Carpenter knows he loves his family, dogs, and football. Christmas? Is there a game on? But when a dog and his person are in need, Andy responds to the call.
This week we have another fun group of cozy mysteries, some are even set at Christmas-Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews, Sugar and Spite by M. C. Beaton with R. W. Green (an Agatha Raisin mystery), Death by Java by Alex Erickson, A Perilous Plot: A Booktown Mystery by Lorna Barrett, and Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick.
Melanie Travis has her hands full with two sons, ages 15 and six. Davie, the oldest, likes to ‘encourage’ Kevin in his demands. As if he needed encouragement! Now Kevin’s seen a Great Dane at a dog show and has decided he needs a big dog of his own. It doesn’t matter that there are five standard poodles and one spotted mixed breed (who is Kevin’s dog) living in the house.
Murder in an Italian Piazza is the third book in Michael Falco’s cozy mystery series featuring Bria Bartolucci, a young widow who runs a Bed and Breakfast in picture-postcard Positano, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. She has a precocious eight-year-old son, Marco; a very smart dog, Bravo; a big, loving but opinionated Italian family; and a growing circle of loyal friends. In the earlier books, we saw a romantic spark between Bria and Luca, Positano’s police chief and brother of her best friend, Rosalie. Now they are officially a couple.
This week we have reviews of more wonderful cozies, some with a Halloween or supernatural touch since many are still celebrating Halloween, and a touch of Christmas-The Tattered Cover: A Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams, Death at the Door: A Ruby and Cordelia Mystery by Olivia Blacke, Sugar and Spite: A Witch City Mystery by Carol J. Perry, and Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook.
Halloween should be a night of kids, candy, and fun but it doesn’t always turn out that way. Lucy Stone and friends put on a big party as a fundraiser but she misses having kids come to the door, all dressed up. This year, she has more candy than kids. To make sure there’s not tempting leftover candy she’d eat herself, she empties the bowl for the last kid. Besides, he looked like he needed it.
