Laura F. Sleuth!

[Laura]

Here's to a Cozy 2014!

1. Fatal Funnel Cake by Livia Washburn - 4/5
2. Cover Story by Erika Chase - 4/5
3. Death Overdue by MaryLou Kirwin - almost 4/5
4. Cakes of Wrath by Jaclyn Brady - 4.5/5
5. Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke - barely a 2/5
6. NYPD Puzzle by Parnell Hall - 3.75/5
7. Freezer I'll Shoot by Victoria Hamilton- 4.25/5
8. Every Trick in the Book by Lucy Arlington - 4/5
9. Battered to Death by Gayle Trent - 4.25/5
10. Read It and Weep by Jenn McKinlay - 4.5/5
11. Charms and Chocolate Chips by Bailey Cates - 5/5
12. The Sayers Swindle by Victoria Abbott - 4/5
13. Murder She Barked by Krista Davis - 5/5
14. Eggs in a Casked by Laura Childs - 5/5
15. Playing with Fire by J.J. Cook - 5/5
16. Potion to Die For by Heather Blake - 5/5
17. Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney - 4/5
18. Murder as a Second Language by Joan Hess - 3/5
19. Scent to Kill by Chrystle Fiedler - 3/5
20. Pickled Piper by Mary Ellen Hughes - 5/5
21. Deal to Die For by Josie Belle - 5/5
22. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay - 5/5
23. Murder with Ganache by Lucy Burdette - 5/5
24. Murder Sends a Postcard by Christy Fifield - 3-4/5
25. Murder and Marinara by Rosie Genova - 4/5
26. Doing It at the Dixie Dew by Ruth Moose - 4/5
27. Pecan Pies and Homicide by Ellery Adams - 4/5
28. Rosemary and Crime by Gail Oust - 3.9/5
29. Boiled Over by Barbara Ross - 4/5
30. The Book Stops Here by Kate Carlisle - 4/5
31. The Diva Wraps It Up by Krista Davis - 4/5
32. Looming Murder by Carol Ann Martin - 4.5/5
33. Tapestry of Lies by Carol Ann Martin - 3.5/5
34. Goodbye Witch by Heather Blake - 4/5
35. A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer - 4/5
36. Murder Gone-a-Rye by Nancy Parra - 4/5
37. Scandal in Skibbereen by Sheila Connolly - 5/5
38. Books Cooks and Crooks by Lucy Arlington - 3.75/5
39. Beewitched by Hannah Reed - 4/5
40. Ghost of a Gamble by Sue Ann Jaffarian - 5/5
41. A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry - 5/5
42. Thread End by Amanda Lee - 4/5
43. Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen - 4/5
44. A Tale of Two Biddies by Kylie Logan - 4/5
45. Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver - 4/5
46. Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett - 4/5
47. Nightmares Can Be Murder by Mary Kennedy - 4/5
48. Ho-Ho-Homicide by Kaitlyn Dunnett - 3/5

[Yvonne]

Happy 2014, Laura! Enjoy the challenge!

[Laura]

:-)

[Laura]

4/5 stars 2/9/14

[Laura]

Just finished Cover Story by Erika Chase - I give it 4 out of 5 stars….

[C. (Comment, never msg).]

Really? I could hardly bear her first two. If you glance at my reviews on those books' pages; it was much more an itinerary of her daily goings-on, than any mystery work at all. If she got better I'm pleased because there are few still-living cozy authors in Canada.

[Laura]

Her daily itinerary description can be a bit much, but I like the characters and their interactions. I was part of a knitting group at the library I used to work at, and this group reminds me so much of the knitting group - different ages, backgrounds, etc. I like cozies with characters you can relate too. If you didn't care for her first two, then I wouldn't recommend this one to you….. I do have to admit, the new character in this book was a bit annoying to me, hope she's not going to be a part of the group going forward…..

[C. (Comment, never msg).]

Yes Laura, I've had the biscuit with slow / annoying characters. After I finish a little timely reading for the Canadian challenge, I'm going back to treating myself to subjects I know I'll adore. I understand what you say about relating to memories or something in common.

The protagonist's police boyfriend acted stupidly in the second story and I lost respect at how quickly she accepted him back. I'm finding Laura Childs too pedantic in 2/3 series and couldn't bear Claudia Bishop. I thought I was going to love Dicey Deere because her heroine has an ability with languages; a rare trait similar to me. I think aggravating writing can smother a good subject.

[Laura]

I've not read Claudia Bishop, so I will keep what you just said in mind. Have you read Joanne Fluke? I enjoyed the first few books in her Lake Eden series, but I just finished Blackberry Pie Murder, and I am ready to throw that series into the grave of "series I can't read any more". I don't like to rate a book if I have to give it less than three stars, but this one, I had too. From the way the brother-in-law sheriff handled a situation (and I'm married to a sheriff's deputy, so I know it was just asinine) to the whole not making up her mind between two guys for what is now 18 books, and every other annoying thing in between, I just could not let the rating go…….
You are so right about aggravating writing!!! LOL

[C. (Comment, never msg).]

Seeing the word asinine being used to writing, gives me a laugh this morning! Also that someone in 2014 is married to a sheriff's deputy; it sounds so cowboy American, doesn't it? We call our rural or small town cops RCMP officers, otherwise I suppose it would amount to the same title. The author definitely couldn't fool your family with a characature of the job!

It's interesting you mention Joanne Fluke. I frequently noticed her pretty covers in used book stores but skipped them because if I read cozies, I'm better off with a career theme that is compelling to me; if a novel isn't paranormal/mystical. But I've found such cheap copies twice that I own two: a bright red book and bright green; about candy canes and plum sugar or plum pudding. I'd hate to go to the beginning and collect her, as is always my preference and these novels are probably far in. If she vacillates between men as long as you say, you've given me the answer I need. I had enough of THAT with Madelyn Alt and Susan Wittig Albert.

I started 3 reading challenges on my blog just last month. One is any mysteries or mystery author-related books (all your cozies Feb 1 onward could count), I have an "Ethereal" one and a word games one "Gentle Spectrums". The reason I say is because I do games & prizes with treats from my home, like used books. I have Claudia Bishop's first food game up for grabs. Or I trade paperbacks I don't need, with someone who has a title I could use. :) http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/riedel-...

[Laura]

Do NOT go to the beginning and collect her - get them from the library…… if you are into baking cookies, though, buy the Lake Eden Cookbook. My husband got it for me for Christmas a couple of years ago (my request), and there are some good recipes.
The back and forth between men is the reason I gave up on Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum - I stopped after #13. Why I went so long on this one, I don't know. But she had a very good reason to make a choice in this book, and she blew it. If I were the guy who did the nice thing for her here, I would tell her to go take a hike. I don't care HOW blind love is….. OK. I need to stop venting about this book! LOL
I'm going to the address/link thing you gave me. I have to warn you, I'm a technological dork, so be patient with me! :-)

[C. (Comment, never msg).]

I'm saying you have shown me it wouldn't be a good idea to go through Joanne Fluke's series. I live nowhere near a library, or city, and am even 10 miles from my town (hence dial-up internet). Regardless, my message is that, you have convinced me this is one case in which to just read what I have. Maybe they will be good ones and I won't give a fleef & flarn about vacillating boyfriends for two books.

If any of my groups interest you, it's well worth showing anyone how to sign up. Without a blog, you can put your direct Goodreads URL (website address at the top of every webpage) in the sign-up 'linky buttons' with your name. Then just go to a similar button with the URL of every review page you get with Goodreads. I don't care if reviews are short, I just want people to link as a sign of finishing. :) Any questions, e-mail me at the address you can see on my Goodreads profile.

[Betty]

I read Joanne Flick books for a long time. You have a good cookbook for deserts. However I got disgust about her boyfriends. The support characters are better than her protagonist. I did like her cats. I no longer read them as I can't use the recipes. I have some time thinking about making GF.

[Laura]

I like the mystery and colour challenges…… I'll try the Goodreads URL…. you might get a laugh out of me by the time I am done…. I'll try later today or tomorrow…. have a couple of work projects to finish up and taxes to do (yuck!)….. :-)

[Laura]

Betty, did you read Blackberry Pie? I'm interested to see if you agree with me on some points….

[Betty]

If I did I have forgotten it. If I read it must have a library book. It been awhile since I read one of her books like at least a,year and probably longer. I still have a few; plan on giving them to a library when I get around to it.

[C. (Comment, never msg).]

Two out of three groups? Great! If any of your reading has a mystical or spiritual twist of any kind, there's "Ethereal" all year until Februrary 2015. You can even practice by signing up for this one, "Cruising Through The Cozies" and "Finish The Series", at Yvonne's parent blog; if you had merely used this Goodreads companion thread before. :-) Good luck with those taxes.

Betty, thanks for mentioning there are cats in that series. No one said anything about the two novels I have, "Candy Cane" & "Plum Pudding". Maybe they'll be worth encountering darling cats.

[Laura]

This one just came out - I think last month…… I'm guessing you haven't read it….

[Laura]

I had already signed up for those two, so I need to remember how I did it……… it was one of those things that I kept trying and somehow I did something that worked LOL.
The cats are cute, but they tend to do the same things in most of the books. Candy Cane has three authors to it, I don't remember if I read that one or not. Plum Pudding was pretty good, from what I remember. Not sure if Cuddles the cat had made her appearance by then, but Moishe is still entertaining on his own….

[C. (Comment, never msg).]

Ah but that was then. No need to 'remember how you did it' because I've told you. :) I'm very good at teaching people how to do stuff from scratch. Don't go by whatever your experiences might have been before. As an experiment, just press any 'linky button' and see what it's asking. Your name and a website address (called 'URL').

It's up to you what address you use: blog, profile of your e-mail provider if they have a forum for posting blog-type pages and making lists. My instructions say anything but 'facebook' because that odd website can only be opened by members.