Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Level 4 (Super Extra)
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Sabine's 2018 - B version
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Yvonne wrote: "Good luck with your challenge! I'm looking forward to seeing what books you read."Thank you Yvonne. I hope to be a better girl and list all the books I read in a timely manner in 2018.
Thank you so much for putting in all the effort for hosting the challenge!
A Lesson In Deceit my first read for 2018. The books in his series are very short but very nice mysteries if you are just looking for a "quick one in between"I downloaded this and a few other books written by Gillian Larkin for free back in 2016 and early 2017 and never got around to reading them until now.... My bad because they are some really good written, interesting mysteries.
The only complaint I have is that they are under 50 pages and I wish I would get to spend more time than that with Julia the housekeeper/sleuth.
Julia is visiting her son Sam at Edinburgh University just to find on of his friends killed in his room. Sam is devastated by his death and Julia starts asking questions....
It is a well paced mystery with interesting, believable characters. A good mixture of red herrings and real clues left me guessing until the end.
Panty Raid A great little mystery that is just long enough to keep you busy on your lunch break or in a waiting room.
Tori and Kathy having a girls get together and trying to solve the mystery of Tori's disappearing panties. A fun mystery and a surprising outcome....
I'm in at level 4 also. Have fun with your challenge, Sabine!
Donna wrote: "I'm in at level 4 also. Have fun with your challenge, Sabine!"Hi Donna. Thank you! I hope you enjoy it, too. I love looking at everyone else's challenges...a great way to find new authors. :)
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Britney wrote: "Off to a good start already. Haven't heard of either of the books you've read. They sound interesting."Hi Britney, I want to read a few more of these short novellas. I always downloaded them but never got around to reading them and some are really good.....
The Silver ShawlI did enjoy the setting a lot. I haven't read many historical books that were not set in Europe. It was like watching an old western.
It was a very intriguing mystery with some nice twists and turns.
The only downside was that I didn't much care for Mrs. Meade but I will read some more books in this series.
Champagne Kisses of Death7 Show more
Review A shorter but very engaging mystery. Fun characters which I hope we will get to know a bit more in depth in the next installments. It was fast paced and had me hooked right from the start. - I just felt there was a little to much given away in the opening chapter....
I have the next one in this series already downloaded.
Sabine wrote: "The Silver ShawlI did enjoy the setting a lot. I haven't read many historical books that were not set in Europe. It was like watching an old we..."
I've read this book and others by this author. I like her stories and think they are well written. Glad you liked it.
The Sleuth Who Went House SittingI liked this 2nd book in the Hampton Port series even better than the 1st one. The only thing that bugged me was that Charlotte's friend Melissa was a book shop owner in this book....in the first installment she owned flower shop!?!?!?
A few women across the States and one in Hampton Port are dying due to poisoning by a hair shampoo. Charlotte starts investigating when she discovers that her hairstylist is selling this product and has some disappearing off her shelves.
It was a short but interesting read and I am looking forward to read more from Hampton Port.
Katherine wrote: "Sabine wrote: "The Silver ShawlI did enjoy the setting a lot. I haven't read many historical books that were not set in Europe. It was like wat..."
Hi Katherine,
I will definitely read more books of this series.... :)
Pumpkin Carving DisasterCharlotte and Gregory Stannis, the police chief of Hampton Port, are finally getting a little closer. When the pumpkin delivery she ordered from the pumpkin patch owned by Gregory's Dad contains a dead body his father is the prime suspect....
Several suspects and some interesting characters make this a great read. Highly recommended short mystery - about an hour reading time.
Class Reunions Are MurderI LOVED IT SOOOO MUCH! This was a very engaging story with a great variety of characters.
Poppy comes back to Cape May for her 25 year Highschool class reunion. Barb, the head cheerleader and her arch nemesis, is still as rude and unlikeable as she had been in Highschool. When she is killed that night and Poppy discovers the body she becomes the prime suspect.
I don’t have a lot in common with Poppy but her character was so well written that I could relate to her and her problems at all times. It was great to see how she changed and took charge of her life over the course of the book.
I highly recommend this as a must read to every cozy mystery lover. I didn’t want the book to end so I was happy to see the first chapter of the second installment included at the end. There are also some very tempting recipes that I can’t wait to give a try. We hopefully don’t have to wait too long to read more from Poppy and the gang.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Kensington and the author provided me with a copy.
Charlotte Smells TroubleThis 4th mystery in the series glued me to my chair! The best one so far!!! I like how far the characters have come in this series and I would love to read more....especially since this one is ending with a cliffhanger!!!!
The first 4 books were all released in early 2016 - does this mean the series is discontinued? If anyone knows if Addison Harper releases books under a different name I would appreciate the info.
Murder in the HighlandsAnother great Diane Dimbleby mystery. A very unique and fascinating murder set in a castle which is converted into a hotel in Scotland.
A man dies in a hotel room and there are no signs of harm done to him on his body but his hotel room is ripped to pieces…..
As always there are a lot of twists and turns and red herrings to sort through to figure out the perp. It is a well told mystery with a good flow that kept my interest.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book from the author. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Cock-A-Doodle Dead: Cooper Sisters Cozy Mystery 4Jenny and her sister Sissy are the owners of a chicken farm and the pet rooster Chuck the Cluck is a nice change from the regular cat or dog :)
At Jenny's birthday party one of a couple unexpected guests, a very nasty lady, is found dead and Jenny investigates the murder.
A nice story to spend an hour with.
Snowmen in ParadiseI enjoy this series very much. A visit to Serenity and its amazing friendly and interesting people leaves me calm and relaxed.
Travis, a world class snow boarder, returns to Serenity as a host for the winter festival. He is found dead in his bed a few days after but not without having made already a few enemies. TJ is getting involved when Chelsey Hunter becomes the main suspect.
A nice flowing mystery with a little bit of romance.
Survival of the FrittersThe cover caught my eye and made me decide to give this book a try. I love everything about it: the super cute kitty (and I am not a cat person due to allergies), the donuts, the colours - it absolutely screamed READ ME...and I was not disappointed. A great mystery that didn't let me go and kept me thinking about the book when life got in the way and I couldn't just sit and read.
Emily and Tom, the father of her late husband and ex police chief, own the Deputy Donut coffee and donut shop. The Knitpickers, a local knitting group, are regulars at the donut shop. One day Georgia Treetor a member of the group doesn't show up for their meeting and Emily and the Knitpickers go to check up on her and find her dead in her home. Lois an old friend of Georgia just moved back to Fallingbrook is attacked in her backyard soon after...
Interesting characters, a pinch of romance and Emily's cute cat Deputy Donut after which the donut shop is named are some of the ingredients for this fast paced and fun mystery.
I got hooked and added the Deputy Donut mysteries to my "must read series".
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Kensington and the author provided me with an advance copy.
Sabine wrote: "Survival of the FrittersThe cover caught my eye and made me decide to give this book a try. I love everything about it: the super cute ..."
Good review! I look forward to reading it. :)
I have read it and looking forward to the next book.
Katherine wrote: "Sabine wrote: "Survival of the FrittersThe cover caught my eye and made me decide to give this book a try. I love everything about it: ..."
Thank you Katherine. I hope you like it just as much as I do :)
Betty wrote: "I have read it and looking forward to the next book."Hi Betty, I do too!!! Am already excited for it.
It Takes a CovenLet's start with the book cover....I am total sucker for the beach, the witches and the deliciously purple colours. What a treat!
I started reading this series shortly after the first book was released and I have been a fan ever since. It Takes a Coven does not disappoint!!!
Several witches in Salem die within a short time span. Is someone specifically going after them or is it just coincidence? Two of them haven't even officially admitted to being witches. Pete, Lee's boyfriend, who is working on the case is not sharing much information with her so Lee and Aunt Ibby doing their own investigation.
I loved that we also got to meet again with several characters that were introduced in the last book.
It Takes a Coven can be read as a stand alone but I think it is a lot more well rounded with knowledge of the previous installments.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Kensington and the author provided me with an advance copy.
I am reading IT TAKES A COVEN right now. I have read all the previous books. My copy is from NetGalley.
Betty wrote: "I am reading IT TAKES A COVEN right now. I have read all the previous books. My copy is from NetGalley."I hope you like it just as much as I do. I love NetGalley! It's great to read all the really good books before everyone else gets their hands on them ;)
Playing With Bonbon FireThe title Playing With Bonbon Fire makes me chuckle after reading the book...That was some bonbon fire alright.
Penn and Bubba have organized the Summer Solstice Beach Music Festival as a highlight for the tourist crowd in Camellia Beach. On the first night of the festival the lead singer of one of the bands is murdered but only after he got in a public fight on the beach with Bubba who in the heat of the moment threatened to kill him. When the dead man is found Bubba is missing....
And will the search for Penn's mother who left her with her father and his unloving family when she was a baby be successful?
There are several subplots in this mystery that keep the story going at a great pace and come very well together in a surprising ending.
This can be read as a stand alone but if you plan on reading the first book in the series as well than I highly recommend reading that first.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Crooked Lane Books and the author provided me with an advance copy.
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Charlotte Smells TroubleThis 4th mystery in the series glued me to my chair! The best one so far!!! I like how far the characters have ..."
Sounds like an interesting series
Britney wrote: "Sabine wrote: "Charlotte Smells TroubleThis 4th mystery in the series glued me to my chair! The best one so far!!! I like how far the c..."
Hi Britney,
they were pretty good for a short novella. I would read more if there were more released....
Biscuits and Slashed BrownsOnce I started reading I realized how much I had missed the mysteries around Robbie Jordan. It is fast paced but not rushed and I didn't want to put the book down. The ending seems just a tad "rough" for a cozy...
Robbie becomes multi-dimensional through her many interests. She is not only owning and running her restaurant the Pans ‘N Pancakes but also selling antique cookware, renovating and remodeling rooms over her restaurant into a B&B, loves to solve and create crossword puzzles and riding her road bike. Then thrown in is a little bit of romance and ..... a murder!
It is the maple syrup festival in South Lick, Indiana and a maple baking contest is held at Robbie's restaurant. One of the judges almost chokes to death and is later found dead at the festival.
One of my favourite mystery series....It was a great read!
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Kensington and the author provided me with an advance copy.
Sabine wrote: "Survival of the FrittersThe cover caught my eye and made me decide to give this book a try. I love everything about it: the super cute ..."
This one looks good.
Sabine wrote: "Biscuits and Slashed BrownsOnce I started reading I realized how much I had missed the mysteries around Robbie Jordan. It is fast pa..."
She sounds like a high energy person. This cozy sounds good. :)
Betsy wrote: This one looks good.I really enjoyed it. I hope you'll like it too :)
Katherine wrote:She sounds like a high energy person. This cozy sounds good. :)The whole series is really good. I hope you'll have fun with it.
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Britney wrote: "You have quite a few on here that intrigues me. My pile is ever growing."LOL. The "bad" thing about Goodreads...our to read pile will never shrink. :)
Color Me Murder5 sparkling stars!
I wish I could call Florrie my friend. She is very likeable, smart and loyal. That's not where the praise for this book ends though. There are so many unique and interesting characters, all well delveloped, that I can't name them all here. Even though there are a lot of them I never had a problem to remember who is who.
The mystery had me hooked right away and I couldn't figure out who the bad guy was until the reveal. I suspected almost everybody at one point or another. All those loose ends that never seemed to have anything to do with each other came wonderful together in the end and while reading the last pages I sat there with a big smile on my face. Can't wait for the next book in this series to be released. I hope we won't have to wait too long!
This is the start to a series that I hope will go on for a long time. Must reads for sure!
I didn't get a chance to give those recipes listed at the end of the book a chance yet but I will. They sound very delicious!
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Kensington and the author provided me with an advance copy.
Sabine wrote: "Color Me Murder5 sparkling stars!
I wish I could call Florrie my friend. She is very likeable, smart and loyal. That's not where the praise for..."
Wow! It sounds great. Thanks for the review. :)
Katherine wrote: Wow! It sounds great. Thanks for the review. :) It's definitely going on the pile of my all time favourites. I highly recommend it :)
Cherringham - A Dinner to Die For: A Cosy Crime SeriesThis was my first visit to Cherringham, a little village in England. The book works well as a stand alone mystery and I never felt like I was missing some information from the previous 27 installments. It was only about a 2 hour read but time well spent.
It is a short but very well constructed mystery with nicely developed characters. The suspense built up steadily and towards the end I was glued to my chair.
I enjoyed the description of the delicious meals that were served in both restaurants. Yum!
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Bastei Entertainment and the author provided me with an advance copy.
Who Moved My Goat Cheese?The farm-to-table-restaurant is a new spin on a classic theme that I enjoyed very much. I am sure it will also provide us in future installments with a great veriety of suspects and victims.
Old Man Moss, the goat farmer and friend of Angie's late grandma, is found dead on his farm and murder is suspected. Angie was one of the last people to have visited with him....
I loved her little pet zoo, Dom the dog, Mabel the chicken and Precious the baby goat which she adopted after from the goat farm after Moss' death.
It was a fast paced but also relaxing read that I very much enjoyed. The clues and suspects kept me on my toes and guessing until the end. A great start to a new mystery series.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Kensington/Lyrical Underground and the author provided me with an advance copy.
Sabine wrote: "Cherringham - A Dinner to Die For: A Cosy Crime SeriesThis was my first visit to Cherringham, a little vi..."
Nice review. Sounds good. :)
Katherine wrote: Nice review. Sounds good. :) Thank you Katherine! It's a great choice if you only want to spend a couple hours....and my first language is Germand so this is an even quicker read for you :)
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Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
A Dinner to Die For (other topics)Who Moved My Goat Cheese? (other topics)
Who Moved My Goat Cheese? (other topics)
A Dinner to Die For (other topics)
A Dinner to Die For (other topics)
More...
B)Read two books from each sub-genre in level one plus an additional 20 cozy books of your choice (total of 40 books)
Two from culinary (anything dealing with food: restaurants, baked goods, etc.)
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Two from animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.)
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Two from craft related (any kind of hobbies - knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc.
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Two from paranormal (witches, vampires, etc.
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Two from cozy mysteries based outside the US (example: Belinda Lawrence series (British))
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Two career-based cozy mystery (housekeeping, wedding planner, etc.)
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Two holiday based (set during any holiday - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, etc.).
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Two travel mystery (character could be on a cruise, touring another area, etc.)
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Two historical mystery (any mystery not set in the present)
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Two is your choice! (freebie!)
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20 extra....
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