Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge discussion
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Love the ticker. Now I have to go add one for me :)You could probably use the January reads, but it looks like you won't have any problem meeting the challenge if that's normal reading for you!
Oh it's *not normal reading for me LOL I had surgery on my elbow last month and haven't been able to do much other than read, so I've been reading a LOT more than usual. Never thought I'd be so anxious to go back to work, but that's at least another month off :-(
I know what you mean. I've been off work almost a month with tendonitis in my wrist - and my job is keying. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to concentrate on a book for long, so I've done less reading than usual :(I listen to books while I work, so I can't wait to get back to work so I can listen to books!
*Do take care of that wrist! Speaking as one who's had two surgeries in the past nine months, let me assure you, surgery and its recovery process and time is no fun at all.
7) Another Word for Murder (Belle Graham series #10), by Nero Blanc (finished 2/16)Crossword editor Belle Graham has just spent a picture perfect spring day with her new friend Karen when they discover that Karen’s husband has been kidnapped. Neither Belle nor her P.I. hubby Rosco have met Dr. Dan Tacete, but his reputation as a successful organ surgeon and an upstanding community member precedes him. Adding to Karen’s worries are verbal threats made against her daughter that seem to mirror a series of nursery rhyme-themed crosswords being sent to Belle.
Tragically, Karen’s fear turns to grief when her husband’s body is fond torched in his prized Corvette at the bottom of a ravine. But as Rosco investigates, he learns that the dead man had a very dark side – hiding an extramarital affair and a penchant for blackmail – and Dan’s charity cases might have been something much more sinister. Even as the investigation begins to expose Karen’s own disturbing past, Belle must wonder: Just who were Dan and Karen Tacete? And, more important, who wanted Dan dead?
8) The Valentine's Day Murder(Christine Bennett series #8), by Lee Harris (finished 2/18)
What really happened that tragic Valentine’s night on Lake Erie? No one knows. Three old buddies – reckless Matty, successful Clark, clever Val – decided to cap Val’s birthday celebration with a stroll across the frozen lake. They never returned.
After the thaw, only the bodies of Clark and Matty are recovered – the latter with a bullet in it. Val remains missing, now a murder suspect. His desperate wife pleads with ex-nun investigator Christine Bennett to find him and prove his innocence. A tall order, especially when Christine starts hunting for clues in the lives of these respectable suburbanites and their wives. And when she closes in on a truth that chills her to the bone, she suddenly finds herself skating on very thin ice.
9 – Cinnamon Roll Murder (Hannah Swensen series #16), by Joanne Fluke (finished 3/1)
April is a busy time for Hannah Swensen and her bakery; there’s just something about the warm weather that makes folks in Lake Eden crave something sweet. When Hannah hears that the Cinnamon Roll Six jazz band will be playing at the town’s Weekend Jazz Festival, she’s more than happy to bake up a generous supply of their namesake confections to welcome the band to town. Before the festival even begins, tragedy strikes when the Cinnamon Roll Six’s tour bus overturns on its way into town. Among those injured is Buddy Neiman, the band’s beloved keyboard player. At first, Buddy’s injuries appear minor, until his condition suddenly take a turn for the worst – as in dead. Hannah’s no doctor, but she suspects that the surgical scissors someone plunged into Buddy’s chest may have something to do with it. Once the investigation into Buddy’s death begins, a slew of suspicious facts come to light. It turns out that Buddy Neiman isn’t the victim’s real name. In fact, no one is sure who he is, or what secrets may be lurking in his past.
Hannah also has her eye on a few local suspects. There’s Doctor Bev, who seems to know more about the victim than she’s willing to admit. And Devin Murphy, the aspiring young keyboard player who wanted a spot in the band so much, he just might have killed for it. Truth be told, Hannah isn’t sure just how she’ll unravel the mystery, but one thing’s for sure: there’s nothing sweeter than bringing a killer to justice.
10 - A Penny for Your Thoughts (Million Dollar Mysteries #1), by Mindy Starns Clark, finished 3/10
A former detective, Callie now works for the JOSHUA foundation, distributing grant money to worthy charities. But when she goes to present Wendell Smythe, affable chairman of Feed the Need, with a check for $250,000, Callie finds him dead on the floor.
At the request of her mysterious employer, Callie launches a murder investigation. As she interviews the various members of the Smythe family, she is flooded with memories of her own husband, who was recently killed. But even as she struggles to overcome her grief, Callie discovers that she may be the murderer’s next target. As she tries to crack the illusive case – and stay alive – Callie finds her faith in God is strengthened in this thrilling, fast-paced whodunit.
11 - Murphy's Law (Molly Murphy series #1), by Rhys Bowen, finished 3/11
When spirited redhead Molly Murphy was growing up a peasant on the coast of Ireland, she always imagined there was something more in store for her. She couldn’t have known how right she was until the day she became a killer, albeit in self-defense. Under drastic circumstances, Molly Is forced to strike out into a new world. With the police right behind her, Molly concludes that her only chance at escape is a false identity and a steamship that till take her far, far away: to America.
When her ship sails into New York Harbor, with the majestic figure of the Statue of Liberty providing comfort and inspiration, molly is sure her whole life is in front of her. But she’s got one last hurdle to clear: Ellis Island. She is just one among thousands of immigrants on the tiny island, awaiting their fate with anxiety and hope. Unfortunately for Molly, before she is able to leave the island, a man is brutally murdered, his throat cut from ear to ear, and coincidence and fate make her a suspect in a crime she didn’t commit. Under a cloud of suspicion, and due largely to a growing attraction between Molly and the handsome police captain in charge of the case, she is allowed to leave Ellis Island for Manhattan. Unfortunately, she’s got a mission she couldn’t have anticipated: to clear her own name of murder. Alone in a new country with no one to lean on, Molly hits the vibrant streets of New York intent on finding out what really happened. After all, if she can’t, she’ll be sent back to Ireland, where the dreaded gallows awaits.
With the sweeping skyline of nineteenth-century New York and the gritty, pulsating underworld of recently arrived immigrants forming a vivid backdrop, Rhys Bowen transports readers back in time to America’s not-so-distant past. The first entry in the Molly Murphy series is a fascinating look at our immigrant history as well as an intensely absorbing page-turner.
12 - Cooking Up Murder (Annie Capshaw series #1), by Miranda Bliss, finished 3/21
Cooking and love. Too bad Annie Capshaw stinks at both. Once she almost burnt the house down – boiling a pot of water. And a year ago, her husband ran off with the dry cleaner. Since then, Annie’s put love on the back burner and leftover Chinese takeout on the front. Until her bubbly best friend Eve signs them both up for cooking lessons. On the first night, Annie and Eve see their fellow student Beyla arguing with a man – a man who later turns up dead in the parking lot. Now, with the police bungling the investigation and Beyla acting more suspicious every day, the friends feel bound to uncover whatever secrets she’s hiding before someone else’s goose, perhaps one of their own, gets cooked.
Progress: 12/15
Mod
I'm doing much better, Yvonne, thanks. In fact, I'm finally going back to work tomorrow -- after being home since before Christmas! -- and although I'm still on restricted duty and short hours, I'm really looking forward to returning to a bit of a routine.
Mod
I hope you have a great first day, Barb. I know what you mean about returning to your routine. I had surgery in 2010 and it was nice to get back to work.
Thanks, Yvonne, things went fairly well today, but I'm glad I had my ice pack ready when I got home this afternoon :-)
Glad to hear your first day back went well. Hope you keep the ice pack handy as long as you need it! No Setbacks!I forgot to ask before, what were your surgeries for?
I was lucky that the surgeon was able to correct three problems in one procedure, although it did require two incisions. I had a bone spur on my elbow that he removed, he somehow repaired a torn tendon just above my elbow, and he did what's called a radial release. It's a little like carpal tunnel surgery, but it's on the forearm instead of the wrist, and it involves the radial nerve. Mine was more involved that he'd anticipated, so my recovery time was longer than most. It's still not back to 100%, but it's a *lot better than it was two months ago :-)
Ouch - I know how horrible bone spurs can be. Glad you were able to get rid of that one.
Thanks, Jax, it's nice to be able to move my arm without cringing from pain anymore :-)
13 - Through the Grinder (Coffeehouse series #2), by Cleo Coyle (finished 3/28)There’s trouble brewing at the Village Blend. Business is booming – but Clare’s customers are starting to die. Soon after stopping at the coffeehouse, a regular jumps to her death in the subway. Or was she pushed? Detective Quinn is convinced that someone has an axe to grind, especially after the “suicide” of another female customer. Unfortunately, his prime suspect is Bruce Bowman – the new man in Clare’s life. Bruce is the perfect blend of rugged good looks and potent personality. Too bad the women in his life keep turning up dead. Now Clare will risk her heart – and her life—to follow the killer’s trail to the bitter end.
14 - Buried in Buttercream (Savannah Reid series #17), by G.A. McKevett (finished 4/2)
WARNING: If you're reading this series and aren't up-to-date with it, you might not want to read my summary!
Hailed as the wedding planner to the stars, Madeline Aberson has orchestrated some of the most exclusive soirees in Hollywood. But when Madeline becomes embroiled in a nasty divorce, her life falls apart, and rumors swirl that her parties have become total duds. Desperate for work, Madeline finds herself planning far less glamorous affairs, including none other than Savannah Reid’s wedding to Dirk Coulter.
It doesn’t take long for the opinionated Madeline to get on Savannah’s last nerve, and when the big day finally arrives, Savannah can’t wait to send Madeline packing. But when the bride finds Madeline’s body face down in the pool, floating among an elegant array of rose petals, it’s clear that someone has already hastened the diva’s departure. For better or for worse, Savannah and Dirk put their wedding on hold, vowing instead to find out who killed Madeline and why.
15 - Books Can Be Deceiving (Library Lovers series #1), by Jenn McKinlay (finished 4/4)
Lindsey is just getting into her groove as the director of the Briar Creek Public Library when a vacationing New York editor visits town, creating quite a buzz. It’s the perfect chance for Lindsey’s friend Beth to sell the children’s book she’s written. Until Beth’s boyfriend, Rick, a famous author and local celebrity, tries to stop her. When Lindsey and Beth meet the editor, they discover the real reason for Rick’s bad attitude. They go to confront Rick at his house on the storied and mysterious Thumb Islands, only to find him murdered. The local chief of police likes Beth for the murder and isn’t interested in looking elsewhere. Now Lindsey has to act fast before they throw the book at the wrong person.
PROGRESS: 15/15, but I'll probably keep going
16 - The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series #13), by Alexander McCall Smith (2012 – finished 4/7Precious Ramotswe is haunted by a repeated dream: a vision of a tall, strange man who waits for her beneath an acacia tree. Odd as this is, she’s far too busy to worry about it. The best apprentice at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors is in trouble with the law and stuck with the worst lawyer in Gaborone. Grace Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti are building the house of their dreams, but their builder is not completely on the up and up. And, most shockingly, Mma Potokwane, defender of Botswana’s weak and downtrodden, has been dismissed from her post as matron at the orphan farm. Can the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency help restore the beloved matron to her rightful position?
As wealthy and powerful influences at the orphan farm become allied against their friend, help arrives from an unexpected visitor; the tall stranger from Mma Ramotswe’s dreams, who turns out to be none other than the estimable Clovis Andersen, author of the No. 1 Ladies’ prized manual, the Principles of Private Detection. Together, Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, and their teacher-turned-colleague help right this injustice and in the process discover something new about being a good detective.
17 - The Walled Flower (Victoria Square series #2), by Lorraine Bartlett, finished 4/9
If Katie Bonner’s late husband hadn’t invested all their savings in the craft fair Artisans Alley—which Katie is now responsible for keeping in the black—the Webster mansion could have been hers to remodel. For years she dreamed of renovating the old place on Victoria Square into a bed and breakfast. Now that dream belongs to another young couple.
But their dream becomes a nightmare when a skeleton is discovered, sealed in one of the walls of the mansion. The bones belong to Heather Winston, who went missing twenty-two years ago. Her aunt is Rose Nash, a jewelry vendor at Artisans Alley, who is determined to find her niece’s murderer, and asks for Katie’s help to do it. The case may be cold, but the killer is very much alive—and ready to go to any lengths to keep past secrets buried.
18 - The Christmas Cookie Killer (Fresh Baked series #3), by Livia J. Washburn, finished 4/16
It's Christmastime in Weatherford, Texas, and retired teacher-cum-amateur sleuth Phyllis Newsom is looking forward to finishing up what has been one unlucky year. But she won't be hanging up her apron quite yet, because this year's Christmas bake-off is going to be cutthroat. Phyllis would like to think she's just entering the Christmas cookie contest for fun. But that's not exactly true. She's can't imagine anyone beating her delicate, snowflake-shaped lime sugar cookies--although her friend Carolyn's pecan shortbread, along with her neighbor Mrs. Simmons's gingerdoodles, might give her a run for her money. Then, after her annual Christmas cookie exchange, Phyllis heads over to elderly Mrs. Simmons's home and finds the poor thing in a pile of lime sugar cookies, strangled by the belt of her own bathrobe. With a number of names on Santa's naughty list, this case is a cookie Phyllis means to crumble.
19 - A Merry Little Murder (Lindy Haggerty series #5 – end of series?), by Shelley Freydont, finished 5/3
This Christmas, former dancer Lindy Haggerty leaves her toe shoes behind to hit the glitzy International Ballroom Competition in Atlantic City, where it takes two to tango – but only one to kill. The stakes are high with hoofers from around the world converging on the seaside gambling town – and they’re about to get higher. The final evening of the competition is going to be filmed for network television, and the search is on for a couple to play Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in a multimillion dollar feature film. Lindy and company barely have time to unpack before the backbiting begins. Dawn Gilpatrick, owner of a famous dance studio, clues Lindy in to the politics and gossip behind the scenes. Seems a rival studio owned by her ex-husband/dance partner is trying to steal one of Dawn’s top teachers, resulting in a lawsuit for breach of contract by Dawn. If that’s not enough, her top couple – Shane Corbett and Katya Andrejewsky – are about to break up, courtesy of Shane, and unbeknownst to Katya. Lindy’s head is spinning more than the dancers are. Scandals and catfights are threatening to upstage the competition. Shane and Katya’s sudden disappearance is the last straw for Dawn – professionally and financially. And just when things couldn’t possibly get any worse, a body is discovered, washed up under the boardwalk. Through clad in turquoise silk and dance shoes, the victim is Shane. And Katya is still nowhere to be found. With jealous divas, disgraced dress designers, spurned lovers and possessive partners thrown into the mix, there isn’t a ballroom big enough to hold all the suspects. It’s up to Lindy to take the lead in solving a Christmas mystery … before anyone else dances with death.
20 - Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch (Aunt Dimity series #17), by Nancy Atherton, finished 5/4
In the sleepy village of Finch, there are few things more exciting than the prospect of a new neighbor. So now that William Willis, Sr., is comfortably settled in Fairworth House, the whole town turns out to watch for Finch’s newest arrival, the seemingly nondescript Mrs. Amelia Thistle. Among them is Lori Shepherd, who isn’t fooled by Amelia’s unassuming persona. She promptly discovers that Amelia is, in fact, a world famous artist with a rabid and eager-to-stalk fan base. In order to keep peace in Finch, Lori must help Amelia conceal her identity. But it turns out that Amelia is looking for more than just a place to lie low in Finch. A fragment of a family diary hints that one of Amelia’s ancestors might have been Mistress Meg, the Mad Witch of Finch, and Amelia is determined to discover the truth. Following a series of cryptic clues hidden around the town, Lori sets off on a treasure hunt through Finch’s darkest and most hidden corners, turning up long-buried secrets and all the while dodging nosy neighbors and Amelia’s frantic fans. With Aunt Dimity’s otherworldly help, Lori inches closer to the true story of Mistress Meg – and Amelia.
21 - Every Crooked Nanny (Callahan Garrity series #1), by Kathy Hogan Trocheck, finished 5/8
Earthy, outspoken Callahan Garrity has witnessed any dirty deeds in her time, first in her ten years as a cop and now as the reluctant owner of House Mouse, a cleaning service that tidies up after Atlanta’s elite. In this, her first outing, Callahan’s old and new lives collide when her client (and old sorority sister) Lilah Rose Beamish hires her to locate Kristee Ewbanks, nanny to Lilah’s two bratty kids. Kristee has absconded with jewelry, furs and secret files on a shady business deal her husband, Bo, is concocting. Callahan soon fids Kristee is not the devout, naïve Mormon she’s pretended to be. Then she finds Kristee’s corpse.
Suddenly the Beamishes want Callahan off the case, which is incentive enough for her to stay on it, compiling a growing list of suspects – the nefarious Bo; Ardith, the pathologically troubled woman who set up Kristee’s nanny scam; Kristee’s hyper-devout Mormon boyfriend, who’s discovered that his beloved has been sleeping with Bo and Ardith; and a crooked local politician who knows Kristee knew too much about the fishy deal he’s been working with Bo. Helping Callahan pare down this list are her redoubtable, foul-mouthed mother and the “girls” on her cleaning crew – Neva Jean, a pinnacle of white trashiness, and Sister and Baby, two antique black ladies with remarkable deductive powers. As Callahan narrows her search, her own life is threatened, both by Kristee’s killer and by a small lump she finds on her right breast.
22 - Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death (Agatha Raisin series #7), by M.C. Beaton, finished 6/4
Agatha Raisin’s neighboring village of Anscombe is usually the picture of quiet English Cotswolds charm. Yet the arrival of a new mineral water company, which intends to tap into the village spring, sends tempers flaring and divides the parish council into two stubborn camps. When Agatha, who happens to be the new PR person for the company, finds the council chairman murdered at the basin of the spring, tongues start wagging. Could one of the council members have silenced the chairman before he could cast the deciding vote? Village gossip takes on a life of its own and Agatha must weed her way through the council members’ alibis, promote the water company, and try to resurrect her love life, all while pretending she is over her ex-fiancé, James Lacey.
23 - Rueful Death (China Bayles series #5), by Susan Wittig Albert, finished 6/7
Along with her friend Maggie, a former nun, China is looking forward to a relaxing retreat at a Texas convent. But her quest for a replenished spirit soon takes second place to a more earthbound pursuit: catching a killer. It seems that the mother superior has recently died – and although at first it was considered an accident, China quickly senses conflict in the convent ... and suspects that the undercurrents of tension have already taken a deadly turn. China wanted nothing more than a bit of serenity. But now her soul won’t rest – and the convent won’t be at peace – until she identifies the guilty party.
24 - The Morning Show Murders: A Novel (Billy Blessing series #1), by Al Roker, finished 6/13
Chef Billy Blessing has it made. His Manhattan restaurant is a mega-success. His cable cooking show is tops in the ratings. And his food segment on Wake Up, America! is a viewer favorite. But Billy’s career turns sour when his produced is fatally poisoned by a dish from Billy’s four-star restaurant. Whit the police, the press and the network circling Billy like sharks and unsavory characters like an ex-Mossad agent and an infamous assassin spicing the mix, the most trusted guy in TV finds his next career move isn’t about ratings … it’s about staying alive.
25 - A Caribbean Mystery, by Agatha Christie, finished 6/27Miss Marple is on a holiday at the Golden Palm Hotel in the island of St. Honore. She is enjoying herself, yet there is something lacking. At home in St. Mary Mead there was always something going on, something one could get one’s teeth into. Miss Marple listens politely to Major Palgrave’s boring stories of his early life in Kenya --- or at any rate pretends to listen. She is not paying much attention when he starts telling her about a murderer he has known; and when he reaches in his wallet to show Miss Marple a snapshot of that murderer, he is suddenly interrupted. Murder follows.
In this absorbing new novel the clues and keys to the murderer’s identity are fairly – one might even say ostentatiously – paraded in front of the reader. Yet we believe it will be a very perceptive reader who observes and interprets them correctly. Most of the readers of A Caribbean Mystery will in the end ask themselves how they could be so blind – or how Agatha Christie could have fooled them once again.
26 - Chamomile Mourning (Tea Shop series #6), by Laura Childs, finished 6/29
Charleston, South Carolina, is alive with music, dancing and the arts as the Spoleto festival gets underway. But Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning feels far from festive when the inaugural Poet’s Tea is forced into one of the Heritage Society’s austere halls by rain. And when it rains, it pours – as proven when a respected auction house owner plummets from the balcony, landing dead on Theodosia’s specially-prepared cake. Worse yet, it looks like someone helped him over the edge. With a full kettle of suspects, Theodosia pursues an investigation into the murky swamps of the Low Country, where she uncovers a thriving criminal enterprise of art forgery, fraud – and murder.
27 - Murder on the Half Shelf (Booktown series #6), by Lorna Barrett, finished 7/1
Stoneham, New Hampshire, is a haven for bookstores, including Tricia’s own mystery shop, Haven’t Got a Clue, but is sadly lacking in bed-and-breakfasts. Pippa and Jon Comfort’s Sheer Comfort Inn opens its doors to the public in a week and the couple has offered some locals a free night as a trial run. But what should have been a pleasant overnight stay for Tricia becomes a nightmare when she makes two startling discoveries: Pippa’s murdered body in the backyard, and the fact that Pippa’s husband, Jon, is actually Harry Tyler, a man Tricia loved – and believed dead – for nearly twenty years. Now Harry is the prime suspect, but Tricia doesn’t believe him capable of murder, regardless of her own feelings toward him. And even though Harry’s led a life of lies, Tricia’s learning that Pippa had her share of secrets that some people may have not wanted revealed.
28 - Killer Crab Cakes (Fresh Baked series #4), by Livia J. Washburn, finished 7/2
When Phyllis’s cousin asks her to look after her Oak Knoll Bed and Breakfast for a few weeks, Phyllis jumps at the chance, not only because the inn is located close to the annual Rockport, Texas, Just Desserts competition. Determined to beat her friendly rival Carolyn, and enjoy some peaceful downtime with her boyfriend, Sam, Phyllis concocts the ultimate sweet treat. But Phyllis’s holiday turns bitter when she and Sam discover a dead body – and all signs point to murder. Dismayed that bad luck seems to pop up wherever she goes, Phyllis wants to stay out of this one. But as the list of suspects gets too close for comfort, she decides to throw herself into the mix. Because when it comes to solving murders, Phyllis is one smart cookie.
29 - Alpine for You (Passport to Peril series #1), by Maddy Hunter, finished 7/5
Accompanying her grandmother on a seniors tour of Switzerland, Emily Andrew had envisioned a vacation straight out of a travel brochure: spectacular scenery, great food and a classy European hotel, all words away from her rural Iowa hometown. But her dream trip quickly snowballs into mayhem when smooth-talking tour escort Andy Simon is found dead. To be sure, Andy was as randy as a mountain goat on Viagra, hitting on every miss – Swiss or otherwise – within striking distance. His constant advances were driving Emily cuckoo – but had someone orchestrated his untimely death? For savvy, resourceful Emily, leading the tour in Andy’s place is only natural. But she can’t remain neutral when a fellow traveler takes a fatal plunge – she’s convinced a murderer lurks among them. With precision timing, sexy Etienne Miceli steps in to investigate, and Emily warms to the suave detective. Still, with the group roster suddenly sprouting more holes than the local cheese, Emily wonders: Is there a safe haven anywhere in the shadow of the Alps?
30 - Invisible (Ivy Malone series #1), by Lorena McCourtney, finished 7/10
She’s not your average crime fighter Ivy Malone has a curiosity that sometimes gets her into trouble, and it’s only aggravated by her discovery that she can easily escape the public eye. So when vandals romp through the local cemetery, she takes advantage of her newfound anonymity and its unforeseen advantages as she launches her own unofficial investigation. Despite her oddball humor and unconventional snooping, Ivy soon becomes discouraged by her failure to turn up any solid clues. And after Ivy witnesses something ominous and unexplained, she can’t resist putting her investigative powers to work again. Even the authorities’ attempts to keep Ivy out of danger and her nosy neighbor’s match-making schemes can’t slow her down. But will the determination that fuels this persistent, quirky sleuth threaten her very safety?
31 - The Wurst Is Yet to Come (Bed & Breakfast series #27), by Mary Daheim, finished 7/17
With its cozy atmosphere, delicious fare, and gracious hostess, Hillside Manor is the perfect B&B for a few days of R&R. Okay, so it also features the occasional corpse or two. But is a small (if growing) body count any reason for the state to yank Judith McMonigle Flynn’s innkeeper’s license?
Exhausted from being hassled by the state B&B association’s meddling critics, Judith warily accepts the assignment of manning a booth during Oktoberfest in the mountain aerie of Little Bavaria. With a reluctant cousin Renie in tow, she hopes to win some allies, solicit new guests and keep her inn not only open but prosperous. The last thing she needs is another homicide to sully her reputation.
But before the beer begins flowing, Judith finds a body – right in the middle of an oompah band and a herd of German polka dancers. Fleeing the scene before the cops arrive, she vows that this time she will not get involved. Alas, her reputation has preceded her to the ersatz Bavarian village. The local police chief begs her to help solved the death of the beloved town patron, nonagenarian Dietrich Wessler. And if she has a spare moment between her B&B duties and keeping Renie from stirring up trouble, the bumbling cop asks her to finger whoever killed the pancake palace owner the previous summer. Caught between a wurst and a hard place, Judith hits on a brilliant idea: Renie will pose as the sleuth. What could possibly go wrong?
32 - Anatomy Of A Crossword (Belle Graham series #8), by Nero Blanc, finished 7/22
Crossword editor Belle Graham is headed for Hollywood. It seems that a crossword crime story is the perfect hook for a new TV series called “Anatomy of a Crossword.” All Belle has to do is whip up a new puzzle for the TV pilot, act as technical consultant on the set, and of course, sign on the dotted line. A little cajoling from starstruck friends and the promise of warm, California sunshine, and she’s fast on her way to Tinseltown.
But just a couple of days into shooting, things go awry. First, when the puzzle Belle created for the show arrives from the typesetter, she discovered that the clues have been completely changed. Then, one of the actors suddenly dies on the set. And what is going on with the screenwriter? Why is he fighting with actors, getting kicked off the set, and acting so nervous? Belle is certainly out of her element, and with only long-distance detective help from husband P.I. Rosco, she is virtually on her own solving this one.
I may read another cozy or two before the end of the year, but this will probably be my last update. 33 - Murder Past Due (Cat in the Stacks series #1), by Miranda James, finished 8/3
Everyone in Athena, Mississippi, knows librarian Charlie Harris, the good-natured librarian with a rescued Maine coon cat named Diesel that he walks on a leash. Charlie returns to his hometown to immerse himself in books. Soon enough he’s entangled in a real-life thriller … A famous author of gory bestsellers and a former classmate of Charlie’s, Godfrey Priest may be the pride of Athena, but Charlie remembers him as an arrogant, manipulator – and he’s not the only one. Godfrey’s homecoming as a distinguished alumnus couldn’t possibly go worse: by lunch, he’s put a man in the hospital. And by dinner, he’s dead. Now it’s up to Charlie, with some help from Diesel, to paw through the town’s grudges and find the killer before an impatient deputy throws the book at the wrong person. But every last one of Charlie’s friends and co-workers had a score to settle with the nasty novelist. As if the murder wasn’t already purr-plexing enough.
34 - Sprinkle with Murder (Cupcake Bakery series #1), by Jenn McKinlay, finished 8/31
Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. Their first big order is a sweet deal, too – five hundred cupcakes for a fashion designer’s wedding. The only sour note is the demanding bridezilla, who insists on original recipes for the cupcakes. When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead-by-cupcake, she immediately becomes the prime suspect. The police believe that a secret ingredient in the cupcakes caused her death. To save Mel and their business, the ladies need ot find the real murderer – before the cupcake killer ices someone else.
35 - 'Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy (Bombay Assassins series #1), by Leslie Langtry, finished 8/31
Death by Chocolate is her favorite dessert. And those knitting needles aren’t just for craft projects. To most people, Gin Bombay is an ordinary single mom. Then again, they don’t know she’s from a family of top secret assassins. Somewhere between leading a Girl Scout troop for her kindergartener – would nooses count for a knot badge? – and keeping their puppy from destroying the furniture, Gin now has to take out a new target.
Except this target has an incredibly hot Australian bodyguard who knows just how to make her weak in the knees. But with a mole threatening to expose everything, Gin doesn’t have much time to let her hormones do the happy dance. She’s got to find the leak and clear her assignment … or she’ll end up next on the Bombay family hit list.
36 - The Baker Street Letters (Baker Street series #1), by Michael Robertson, finished 9/3
In Los Angeles, a geological surveyor maps out a proposed subway route – and then goes missing. His eight-year-old daughter in her desperation turns to the one person she thinks might help – she writes a letter to Sherlock Holmes. That letter creates an uproar at 221b Baker Street, which now houses the law offices of attorney and man-about-town Reggie Heath and his hapless brother, Nigel. Instead of filing the letter like he’s supposed to, Nigel decides to investigate. Soon he’s flying off to Los Angeles, inconsiderately leaving a very dead body on the floor in his office. Big brother Reggie follows Nigel to California, as does Reggie’s sometime lover, Laura – a quick-witted stage actress who’s captured the hearts of both brothers. When Nigel is arrested, Reggie must use all his wits to solve a case that Sherlock Holmes would have savored, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fans will adore.
37 - Candy Apple Dead ((Candy Shop series #1), by Sammi Carter, finished 9/7
Making and selling sweets eases Abby’s heartache, and having Brandon Mills sweet on her eases it even more. The owner of a men’s clothing store, he invites Abby to the local merchants’ meeting where he’ll plead his case to extend the city’s annual arts festival. And then he wants to cap off the night with a romantic dinner for two. But Brandon never shows. His store is destroyed by fire and his body discovered in the rubble – and Abby is shocked to find that few people in town mourn his death. Paradise’s business owners were threatened by Brandon’s ambitious nature – and several men felt threatened by the attention he showered on their wives. And when her brother becomes the number one suspect, Abby holds her own investigation to find out who really killed Brandon – for love or money.
38 - Second Sight (Brady Coyne/J.W. Jackson series #2), by Philip R. Craig & William G. Tapply, finished 9/12
Not quite sure this is a cozy, but it's not 'hard-boiled' either, so I'm counting it here
International superstar entertainers, top politicians, a former president, and the social elite will come together at the Celebration for Humanity, a musical extravaganza to be telecast live around the world. Headlining the show is legendary singer Evangeline, who’s flying in from her Scotland castle, accompanied by her young daughter, Janie.
Vineyard fisherman and sometime private investigator J.W. Jackson isn’t much interested in pop music, but he agrees to take a job as the gorgeous Evangeline’s driver and guide. The money is good and the company intriguing. J.W.’s Boston lawyer pal, Brady Coyne, also has business on the Vineyard. His old friend Mike Doyle is dying, and Mike wants to reconcile with his daughter Christa, who is rumored to be on the Vineyard, before it’s too late. Can Brady find her in time?
J.W.’s assignment gets deadly serious when the Celebration’s director, Ogden Warner, is found murdered just days before the show is to open. Warner was known to be gruff and demanding, but his death is a shock to the cast and crew. Was it a random killing, or is there a murderer among them who might strike again? Could Evangeline be the next victim? Or is she a suspect? The search for young Christa Doyle also turns complicated when Brady discovers that a charismatic religious leader may be holding her on an Island compound against her will. Christa and Evangeline live in very different worlds, yet Brady and J.W. find that they must weave together every thread of evidence If they are to save both women’s lives.
39 - Photo, Snap, Shot (Kiki Lowenstein series #3), by Joanna Campbell Slan, finished 9/17
Old money and tradition are the hallmarks of the St. Louis prep school that Kiki Lowenstein’s daughter, Anya, attends. But the elite academy is stamped with scandal when Anya finds the dead body of teacher Sissy Gilchrist in its elegant theatre. Even worse, Anya might have seen the killer. Pegged as a shameless flirt and a lousy teacher, Sissy would’ve made everyone’s “least popular” scrapbook page. Especially for those who were seeing red over Sissy’s mixed-race romance with a colleague. Fearing her daughter is in danger, Kiki sifts through the school community’s many shocking secrets to pin down the murderer, while doing all she can to avoid starring in her own memorial album.
40 - Eggs Benedict Arnold (Cackleberry Club series #2), by Laura Childs, finished 9/30
Suzanne, Toni and Petra lost their husbands, but not their independence --- and, in each other, a life raft of support, inspiration, fresh baked goods, and their own business. But when the Cackleberry Club café opened its doors in the town of Kindred, who’d have guessed that the three women would be working a double shift as amateur sleuths?
When Suzanne stops by the local funeral home to deliver a pie to funeral director Ozzie Driesden, she discovers him not working at the embalming table but lying on the embalming table. She barely has time to recognize his corpse before she’s drugged with chloroform. With more suspects than breakfast specials, the Cackleberry Club scrambles to crack the case before one of their own ends up six feet under.
41 - Postcards from the Dead (Scrapbooking series #10), by Laura Childs, finished 10/4
There’s a parade rolling through the historic French Quarter, with gigantic floats, silver beads, and dizzying lights – and Kimber Breeze of KBEZ-TV is broadcasting live from a small balcony on the fourth floor of the Hotel Tremain, interviewing locals and capturing the spectacle down below. Her next subject will be Carmela Bertrand, owner of Memory Mine scrapbooking shop. Carmela has never been a fan of Kimber, but she isn’t about to turn down the chance of good publicity for her shop.
But before Carmela’s shop gets its five minutes of fame, a killer slips onto the balcony and strangles Kimber with a cord, leaving her body dangling above the parade. Carmela is horrified, but she quickly discovers the nightmare isn’t over. Because someone is now leaving strange postcards at Carmela’s shop – signed by the dead Kimber. Now Carmela and her friend Ava will have to risk their own necks to find out who’s posing as a ghost – and to expose a killer.
42 - What the Cat Saw, by Carolyn Hart, finished 10/7
I've heard that this is supposed to be the start of a new series, I hope it is!
Ever since the death of her fiancé, Nela Farley has found herself plagued by a sixth sense. She understands the thoughts of cats when she looks into their eyes. Nela knows that she she’s experiencing is completely irrational and tries to convince herself that she is simply transferring her own thoughts that she doesn’t want to face.
When her adventurous sister, Chloe, goes on a trip and asks for a favor, Nela welcomes the distraction and agrees to substitute at Chloe’s job at a charitable foundation. Chloe has arrange a place for her sister to stay, but when Nela shows up, she encounters the previous tenant’s cat and gets a flash of thought: “… dead … dead and gone … She loved me … skateboard on the step…”
Nela wants to ignore what the cat saw, but the idea that the death of former tenant Marian Grant wasn’t an accident is something she can’t ignore. As Nela begins to do some research into Marians life, strange events begin to occur, all seeming to lead back to the Haklo Foundation. But when a detective becomes suspicious of Nela’s sister and a second murder occurs, Nela realizes she’ll have to make the most of her unwanted ability and figure out what’s really going on before she meets her own untimely end.
43 - Latte Trouble (Coffeeshop series #3), by Cleo Coyle, finished 10/9
To Clare Cosi’s surprise, this fall’s hottest fashion trend is anything caffeinated – because designer Lottie Harmon, a loyal coffeehouse customer, has just created an ingenious collection of coffee-inspired fashion accessories. So naturally, Lottie chooses the Village Blend as the perfect backdrop for fall Fashion Week insiders to view her new line of “Java Jewelry.”
When barista Tucker unwittingly serves a poisonous latte to a prominent figure on the fashion scene, Clare suspects that the real target may have been Lottie. Now she must protect her thriving business from negative publicity, Lottie from any further danger, and Tucker from murder charges – even if it means jolting the fashion world with some shocking secrets.
And the rest of my update:
44 - Due or Die (Library Lovers series #2), by Jenn McKinlay, finished 10/12
What is the original meaning of clueless? Answering tricky reference questions like this one is excitement enough for library director Lindsey Norris. That is until another murder is committed in her hometown of Briar Creek, Connecticut, and the question of who did it must be answered before someone else is checked out – for good. Carrie Rushton, the president of the Friends of the Library, has been accused of murdering her husband. The evidence is mounting up against Carrie, but neither Lindsey nor the Briar Creek book club is buying it. When a nor’easter buries the small coastal town, the police are too busy digging out the locals to investigate the murder. With the help of her crafternoon friends and an abandoned puppy they name Heathcliff, Lindsey has to solve the question of who murdered Mr. Rushton before the killer closes the book on Carrie.
45 - A Spoonful of Murder (Soup Lovers series #1), by Connie Archer, finished 10/14
When Lucky Jamieson inherits her parents' soup shop, By the Spoonful, she realizes it's time to take stock of her life. Should she sell her parents' house or move in herself? Does she really want to run a restaurant business? And what about her grandfather Jack, who seems to be showing signs of Alzheimer's? But her life decisions are moved to the back burner after an icy blonde tourist is found frozen to death behind the soup shop. and Lucky is bowled over when her soup chef, Sage DuBois, is led out of the kitchen by the police. As suspicion and speculations snowball, Lucky decides that the only way to save her employee and her business is to find out herself who iced the tourist--and landed her chef in the soup.
46 - Blood Orange Brewing (Tea Shop series #7), by Laura Childs, finished 10/26
Social darling Delaine Dish is throwing a lavish Candlelight Concert to raise funds for a run-down Victorian home donated to the Heritage Society – and Theodosia Browning is more than happy to help out with tea and tasty treats from the Indigo Tea Shop. The partygoers are a “who’s who” of Charleston politics, industry and high society, and Delaine plans to hit them all up for money to restore the Augustus Chait House to it former glory. Unfortunately, the grand unveiling of Theo’s opulent spreads proves to be far from grand after retired CEO and beloved politico Duke Wilkes stumbles forward … and falls face-first onto the floor with a jagged piece of metal protruding from his neck. The police are on the case immediately, and Theo has her hands too full with business to get involved. But when the Widow Wilkes begs her to apply her sleuthing skills, she can hardly refuse. Everyone who attended the party is a potential suspect – and a discreet Theodosia may be able to get the inside dirt that the police cannot.But her investigation opens up a simmering pot of shady politics and personal payback, and Theo soon finds herself in a situation stickier than any jam she’s ever served.
47 - The Pumpkin Muffin Murder (Fresh Baked series #5), by Livia J. Washburn, finished 10/28
It’s Thanksgiving in Weatherford, Texas, and the citizens are celebrating with their first Harvest Festival. Phyllis Newsom is making her special pumpkin cheesecake muffins with a unique combination of sweet and spice … but not everyone is playing nice. Phyllis loves this time of year, and she is especially thankful to spend quality time with her grandson, Bobby. She’ll be taking him to the festival with hopes of winning the baking contest now that her friendly competitor, Carolyn, is judging and not competing. But when a decorative scarecrow turns out to be a dead body in disguise, it’s Phyllis’s sleuthing skills that are needed. The dead body is that of the festival’s organizer – and his wife, who is Carolyn’s friend, falls under suspicion. Carolyn turns to Phyllis for help, because no one can dish out some justice better than a baker extraordinaire who can handle the heat.
48 - Shop Till You Drop (Dead-End Job series #1), by Elaine Viets, finished 11/6
Once on the fast track to success, Helen Hawthorne is now going nowhere fast. She traded in her chick life for a shabby one. And now she’s on the run, jumping from city to city and dead-end job to dead-end job, trying to stay one step ahead of her past. After two weeks as the new salesclerk at Juliana’s, Fort Lauderdale’s ultra-exclusive clothing boutique, Helen still feels out of fashion. And since the only crime likely to be committed around here is being old – or worse, looking old – Helen figures she is safe. Until she discovers the manager has been embezzling money and selling designer drugs along with the designer clothes. Add murder to the mix, and Helen’s dead-end job is downright deadly.
49 - Foul Play at the Fair (Celebration Bay series #1), by Shelley Freydont, finished 11/10
As more and more tourists flock to Celebration Bay, New York, to enjoy their seasonal festivals, the town is in need of a professional coordinator. Enter Manhattan event planner Liv Montgomery, tired of big-city stress and looking for an idyllic spot where she and her Westie terrier, Whiskey, can put down roots. The Harvest by the Bay Festival is Liv’s first chance to prove herself, and everything from apple bobbing to pumpkin painting goes perfectly—until the body of an itinerant juggler is discovered stuffed into an antique apple press. With a murderer on the loose, town leaders threaten to shut down the upcoming Halloween and Christmas festivals. But the town’s livelihood is at stake, and there is no way Liv is going to let that happen, even if she has to solve the murder herself. No matter how many balls she needs to keep in the air, Liv is determined to find a killer who’s rotten to the core .
50 - Burglars Can't Be Choosers (Bernie Rhodenbarr series #1), by Lawrence Block, finished 11/14
Bernie Rhodenbarr is a personable chap, a good neighbor, a passable poker player. His chosen profession, however, might not sit well with some. Bernie is a burglar, a good one, effortlessly lifting valuables from the not-so-well-protected abodes of well-to-do New Yorkers like a modern-day Robin Hood. (The poor, as Bernie would be the first to tell you, alas, have nothing worth stealing.) He's not perfect, however; he occasionally makes mistakes. Like accepting a paid assignment from a total stranger to retrieve a particular item from a rich man's apartment. Like still being there when the cops arrive. Like having a freshly slain corpse lying in the next room, and no proof that Bernie isn't the killer. Now he's really got his hands full, having to locate the true perpetrator while somehow eluding the police -- a dirty job indeed, but if Bernie doesn't do it, who will?
51 - Murder at the PTA Luncheon (Susan Henshaw series #1), by Valerie Wolzien, finished 11/19
The PTA’s spring luncheon was getting on marvelously; Susan Henshaw had done it again – she was clearly the perfect hostess. In fact, the food was so good that Jan Ick, the PTA president, decided to indulge in a second crab canapé. Jan was halfway into the canapé when she dropped dead: cyanide poisoning. The affluent suburbanites were stunned, but when a second PTA member, Paula Porter, is poisoned, they turn terrified and defensive.
Two overly attractive Connecticut state troopers, Brett Fortesque and Kathleen Somerville, are sent to investigate. They enlist the help of Susan, the PTA vice-president, and methodically question everyone who had a motive for murder, everyone in the PTA. There’s Julia Ames and Charline Voos, the ultra-chic onetime co-presidents who always work together; Fanny Berman, Charline’s every loyal best friend and PTA treasurer; Carol Mann, who runs the school store and is smitten with a fierce inferiority complex; and Nancy Dobbs, whose son may be the key to this mystery. Is it coincidence that the two victims were co-chairs of the fundraising and nomination committees, prime positions for aspiring presidents?
52 - Lights Out Tonight (KEY News series #9), by Mary Jane Clark, finished 11/20
In Mary Jane Clark's latest blockbuster novel, you will enter the mind of a sociopath. It's a place where the rules don't apply. Where anything is fair game. And where murder is the ultimate means to an end. What kind of person… Gets what they want ... Takes without asking ... Kills without remorse?
Key News film and theatre critic Caroline Enright thinks her trip to a theatre festival in the beautiful Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts will be as easy as a summer breeze…until her complicated relationship with her stepdaughter, Meg, grows even more tense, and two of Meg's friends are killed in what looks to be a tragic accident. Soon a world-famous actress goes missing. An actress who has been the obsession of millions. Or maybe just the true obsession of one? As Caroline gets drawn into a web of madness, deception, and insanity, she finds she can trust no one. Not even those closest to her. Because a sociopath will stop at nothing. And they wear the mask of a friend, a lover, a husband, or a wife.
53 - An Appetite for Murder (Key West Food Critic series #1), by Lucy Burdette, finished 11/26
Hayley Snow is a woman of many passions. She followed her soul mate to funky, footloose Key West, but when their romance loses its zest, she’s determined to find a new life on this island paradise. She’s always been a foodie, so when she applies to be a food critic for Key Zest, the new Key West style magazine, it seems like a perfect pairing. Then Hayley discovers her potential new boss is Kristen Faulkner – the woman who stole her boyfriend. Hayley can’t see how things can get worse now that she’s loveless, possibly working for her romantic rival, and living on her friend’s houseboat – until Kristen is murdered and the police pull Hayley in as a suspect. Unfortunately, Hayley’s got more motive than Key Lime pie has meringue. To clear her name she’ll have to find the real killer fast or the only restaurant she’ll be reviewing is the prison café.
54 - The Gingerbread Bump-Off (Fresh Baked series #6), by Livia J. Washburn, finished 11/28
Not only will Phyllis Newsom's house be featured in the annual Christmas Jingle Bell Tour of Homes, she also has a Christmas Eve bridal shower and a New Year's Eve wedding to bake goodies for. But like her tasty treats, she rises to the occasion. Before the tour gets under way, Phyllis makes a gruesome discovery on her porch: someone has tried to kill her friend. As Santa's naughty list gets longer, Phyllis tries to catch a half-baked killer.
Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Gingerbread Bump-Off (other topics)Shop Till You Drop (other topics)
Blood Orange Brewing (other topics)
Due or Die (other topics)
The Pumpkin Muffin Murder (other topics)
More...
1) Whiskey Sour, by J.A. Konrath, finished 2/2/12
Lieutenant Jack (Jacqueline) Daniels is good at her job, but has no personal life to speak of. She and her food-crazy partner, Herb, end up trying to find a serial killer before he kills again. The book alternates between Jack's story and that of The Gingerbread Man (the murderer).
While Jack's story introduces fun characters and frequently brings a chuckle or a laugh, the murderer's story is so gruesome and obsessive, it made me wince several times. (Or does that disqualify this book as a "cozy"?) That said, I enjoyed the book enough to read the next in the series and hope it lives up to this one.
2) The Jasmine Moon Murder, by Laura Childs, finished 2/5/12
Theodosia and her staff have volunteered to provide refreshments at one of the stops on Charleston's "Ghost Crawl," a fundraising event at the famous Jasmine Cemetery, featuring amateur actors portraying various famous Charleston residents buried at the cemetery. When a renowned cardiologist keels over during the event, and is pronounced dead on arrival at the local hospital, Theo and her friends can't resist the temptation to investigate. The list of suspects ranges from the doctor's soon-to-be ex-wife to co-workers to the head of the local theater group, each with a possible motive.
3) The Woman Who Walked Into The Sea: A Jeff Jackson/Martha's Vineyard Mystery, by Philip R. Craig, finished 2/7/12
also published as Death in Vineyard Waters
Marjorie Summerharp is a crusty professor who is about to publish her final paper, with the aid of Ian McGregor, a much younger colleague, before retiring from her job. While on Martha's Vineyard to finish the paper, the two also take advantage of summer on the beach, going swimming, clamming, surfsailing and getting to know the locals, including J.W. Jackson. J.W. is a former Boston police officer who was forced to retire quite young due to injuries suffered on the job.
When Marjorie's body is hauled in by a fishing trawler, her death is ruled accidental, the police assume she simply swam out too far and was unable to return to shore. Ian and J.W. disagree with the officials, and Ian hires J.W. to find out what really happened. Suspects range from the owners of the local Sanctuary to academics with bones to pick with Dr. Summerharp to even Ian himself, but J.W. is able to figure out whodunit before he becomes the next victim.
4) Eggs in Purgatory, by Laura Childs, finished 2/8
Suzanne, Toni and Petra lost their husbands but not their independence – and, in each other, a life raft of support, inspiration, fresh baked goods and their own business. But when the Cackleberry Club café opened its doors in the town of Kindred, who’d have guessed that the cozy oasis would become the scene of a crime?
Suzanne’s lawyer is found in his car behind the Cackleberry with egg on his face and blood on the dash. Suzanne’s taking the crime personally: The murder reveals a scandal in her late husband’s past and brings a stranger fleeing a messianic sect to her for help. Now, discovering the link between a dead man with secrets and a runaway cultist may be putting Suzanne’s own life on the line.
5)Rosemary Remembered, by Susan Wittig Albert, finished 2/10
China Bayles is a former big-city defense attorney turned small town herb shop owner. Mike McQuaid used to be a big-city homicide detective but now teaches criminal justice at the local small college. While China adjusts to living with McQuaid and his 11-year-old son, Brian -- along with Brian's assortment of pets, including Ivan the Hairable -- she is busy running her shop, overseeing the final details of an herbalists' convention and trying to figure out who killed local tax accountant Rosemary Robbins. Local sentiment favors Rosemary's ex-husband, owner of a sporting goods store and known to have a quick temper, but all the evidence points to Jeff, her current man, who co-owns the town's hotel with his brother-in-law, Matt. Jeff has disappeared, and Matt hires McQuaid to try to track him down, but China does her own investigating while McQuaid's out of town.
6) Biggie and the Poisoned Politician: A Mystery, by Nancy Bell, finished 2/13
Biggie Weatherford is well known in Job's Crossing, Texas -- known for mowing down mailboxes when she drives into town, known for speaking her mind, and known for owning half the land in the county. Her 11-year-old grandson, J.R., namesake of one of the town's founding fathers, lives with her and her live-in help, Willie Mae. Biggie is a proud member of the Daughters, and rallies their help to stop not only the new landfill that would be adjacent to the cemetery where many of those founding fathers now reside, but she is trying to stop the folks behind the new coal mining movement in town as well. When the mayor falls face-first into his favorite dessert, angel food cake with whipped cream, folks in town attribute it to his bad health and worse heart, but Biggie knows better and is determined to find out who is guilty of murder.
This series has been recommended to me by several of our library patrons, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. While I liked the story and loved many of the characters, the way the book is written almost forced me to put it down unfinished. It is written in small town Texas vernacular, which bothered me more than I thought it would. After sentences like "I sure was glad she said that, because my tongue was hangin' out like a huntin' dog." and "Somebody around here's mean enough to suck eggs and sneaky enough to hide the shells," I decided simply to finish the book and be glad I can cross one series off my TBR list :-)