Murder in the Upper Crust (Deep Dish Mystery 6), by Mindy Quigley

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Ever since I finished book 1 in Mindy Quigley's Deep Dish Mystery series, Six Feet Deep Dish, I've been hooked on these books. Most importantly, I keep coming back to the main characters who feel like friends. The mysteries are also well-crafted and engaging. I can't complain about the mouth-watering talk about pizza too.

In the sixth installment, Murder in the Upper Crust, gourmet pizza chef, Delilah O'Leary, has agreed to cater an event at an upscale wellness retreat. What could possibly go wrong at an event designed to foster serenity and relaxation? 

It turns out, a lot. 

Soon after a guided meditation, a dead body is found. Delilah can't help getting to the bottom of this murder mystery, but she must do this while her business is short-staffed. Can she work with the authorities to bring the killer to justice?

This is a cozy mystery, so we already know the answer to that question. However, I still enjoyed the journey. Some of the main characters were away for a good portion of the story, which was fine. In real life people do travel and Delilah's staff is no exception. Having them absent for some of the story, especially in the beginning, allowed other characters to become more fully developed, and because of that, we get to know them better. 

Once of the characters introduced in this installment, is the new chief of police. I loved her interactions with Delilah. The new chief sure does love to eat and she makes it known. Those scenes provided some very entertaining comic relief. I loved how her dialogue was woven into the spaces between her bites of food. I also enjoyed the way she accepted help from Delilah while working on the case.

When talking about characters, I must mention Delilah's cat, Butterball. He is one of my favorite cozy companions in the genre. He's not just Delilah's pet. He plays an integral role in the Deep Dish series, and this installment is certainly no exception. He adds coziness, humor, and excitement to the mysteries.

The mystery was well-crafted with several viable suspects who had opportunity and motive. There were enough twists and turns to me guessing until the big reveal. When the big reveal did come, I was on the edge of my seat as everything was unfolding. 

In addition to great characters and a compelling mystery, the atmosphere created in this book made me feel like I was there. The descriptions are vivid enough to pull the reader in without taking away from the flow of the story. The juxtaposition of the serene setting combined with a heinous crime made for the perfect murder mystery setting. 

I prefer cozies to be completely clean. There is some mild language in this installment that took me out of the story at times. I would have enjoyed it more without the language, but it didn't take me long to get back into it because the mystery was so good. Thankfully the mild language was infrequent.

This is a culinary cozy and there's plenty of foodie talk over the course of the story. That is what I love most about culinary cozies - the conversations about food incorporated into the book.  There are also mouth-watering recipes at the end that you can try at home.  

Murder in the Upper Crust is set in May leading up to Memorial Day, but it can certainly be enjoyed anytime of the year. As with most cozies, it is a self-contained mystery and it can be read as a standalone, but to follow the character development of the main cast, it's best enjoyed starting with book one, Six Feet Deep Dish. 

Murder in the Upper Crust releases in late October. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me with a free eARC of this book.

Welcome Home To Murder (Hometown Mystery 1), by Rosalie Spielman

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I have been hearing a lot about Rosalie Spielman's Hometown Mystery series, and all of the buzz has been positive. I finally dove into the series with book 1. My only regret is that I didn't start reading this series sooner.

In Welcome Home to Murder, we are introduced to Tessa Treslow. After graduating from high school, Tessa joined the U.S. Army. About twenty years later, she has returned to her small hometown of New Oslo, Idaho to visit her loved ones. While there, Tessa helps run her family's general store and her Aunt Edna's auto body shop. 

Things take a turn for the worse when a dead body is found in the auto shop. All the evidence points to Tessa's family. Tessa knows her family is not at fault and she sets out to figure out who the real culprit is behind this murder mystery. To complicate matters, the sheriff happens to be Tessa's ex-boyfriend. Can Tessa be a different kind of hometown hero by untangling this mystery?

Welcome Home to Murder was an engaging cozy mystery from beginning to end. I really enjoyed getting to know Tessa and everyone in New Oslo, Idaho. The author does a great job giving us background on the characters gradually while moving the story along. All of the characters have depth. One of my favorite characters is Aunt Edna. She is a fiesty one! If you enjoy animals in cozies, you'll fall in love with Vince who is Tessa's boxer dog. There is also a mysterious moose who makes a few brief appearances, leaving you wondering what he's up to.

It is refreshing to see positive disability representation in Tessa, as well as in another character. Tessa struggles with panic attacks. I loved seeing how she works through them and carries on with strength and determination, while still being vulnerable. While visiting New Oslo, Tessa meets someone who is an amputee and I really enjoyed their interactions. I hope the character who is an amputee becomes prominent throughout the series. There is so much potential for him to represent those of us with physical disabilities. While I'm not an amputee myself, I am physically disabled. His character made me feel seen.

The mystery is well-crafted, with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I did not know who the culprit was until all was revealed. Even after we found out the whodunnit, the strong writing kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat.

While this book does contain some strong language, it wasn't excessive. The rare instances did briefly take me out of the story a bit, but I had no problems getting right back into it. I loved the story so much that I definitely want to read or listen to the rest of the series. 

As with most cozies, this is a self-contained mystery that is solved at the end of the book, but I want to follow the development of the characters. I'm also interested in finding out which mystery Tessa will need to tackle next. 

In the meantime, if you haven't read Welcome Home to Murder, by Rosalie Spielman, now is the perfect time of year to start, as it is set in October. It's also fitting for Veterans Day coming up in November, as it gives readers a good idea of what retired military workers go through when they return to civilian life. But of course, this book can be enjoyed any time of the year. Whatever you do, don't sleep on this one. I'm confident you'll be glad you picked it up.

Flimflam Fairy (Magical Bookstore 1), by Elizabeth Pantley

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I recently finally dove into Elizabeth Pantley's Magical Cozy Mystery series. I knew that a companion series would be released soon and I wanted to familiarize myself with the concept. After reading just two (for now) books in the Magical Cozy Mystery series, I knew I wanted to read the new companion series.

In Flimflam Fairy, the first installment in the Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore series, we meet two 60 something retired besties, Willa and Lucy, who are ready for a new adventure. They throw a dart at a map and it lands on an unfamiliar town where one thing leads to another They end up moving there and acquiring a magical bookstore. As owners of the bookstore, they must enter cozy mysteries and become characters in the books. Just like in the original series, the mystery must be solved before they can get out of the story and return home. If the book is a good one, they recommend it to the magical library we have come to know and love in the previous series.

The first book Willa and Lucy, along with Banjo the talking cat, enter is a fairy world. They find out one of the most beloved fairies in the town has met an untimely death. Willa, Lucy, and Banjo embark on a mission to bring the killer to justice.

This book has all of the ingredients I love in cozy mysteries. Willa and Lucy have very different personalities, each complementing the other. Banjo adds a charming layer to the fun. I also enjoyed meeting the fairy residents in the fictional fairy world of Whisperglow.

The setting truly felt magical. I could imagine myself in this enchanted world. The vivid descriptions put me right in the story and made me feel as though I was there. The new house belonging to the besties traveled with them, much like in the previous series, but it took on the characteristics of a fairy home. 

The mystery was one of the most engaging ones I've ever read in a cozy. I love a good twist and this book masters this in a unique way. It kept me turning the pages and never wanting to put the book down. The journey felt like an amusement park ride, and the whodunnit was cleverly-crafted. Towards the end, I started to suspect what was happening, but I was still interested in seeing how it would all unfold. 

If you want to be whisked away for a while to solve a twisty and charming whodunnit, I highly recommend picking up Flimflam Fairy, by Elizabeth Pantley. The strong writing will at times make you pause and reflect, and the story itself will keep you engaged. Even if you haven't read the previous serious, I'm confident you won't feel lost at all in this book. And if you have enjoyed the previous series, you will feel right at home with the new one.

Many thanks to author Elizabeth Pantley for a free eARC of this book.

Welcome to Cozy Town: An Absurdly Cozy Mystery Short, by Marla Cooper

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Happy Cozy Mystery Day! Today's review is a celebration of the genre.

Violet has just inherited a Victorian inn from the great aunt she didn't know she had. Looking for a fresh start, Violet moves to the cozy town she's never heard of. It isn't long before she finds a dead body in the inn and she soon learns this is just one in a string of murders. Is there a serial killer on the loose are these all coincidental murders? Violet sets out to learn the truth and bring the killer or killers to justice.

Welcome to Cozy Town: An Absurdly Cozy Mystery Short, by Marla Cooper, is a hilarious short story that is a must-read for all fans of cozy mysteries. It's like a love letter to the genre as it incorporates and pokes fun at every cozy mystery trope imaginable. I finished it in one hour, and I tend to be a slow reader, so it's a fairly quick read and one that will be well worth your time. I smiled from beginning to end and laughed out loud several times.

It includes a lot of characters that are understandably not as developed as they could be. It is, after all, a short story, and the point is to highlight the genre as a whole. I would love to see some of these characters in future stories. They were a joy to get to know for the short time I spent with them. There are also not one, but two cozy companions in this short, satisfying both cat and dog lovers alike. For fans of paranormal cozies, there's even a ghost, and if you like magic and whimsy, well there's a bit of that too. And yes, there's also a bit of romance.

The mystery is cleverly-crafted and fast-paced. Not a single sleuthing moment is wasted. There were several viable suspects and I did not see the whodunnit coming at all. The hilarious way it wrapped up was a twist unlike no other.

As is evident from the cover, the title, and the descriptions in the story, the setting is quite cozy. The inn does have steps, so I'm not sure as a disabled person I could get in too easily. It isn't surprising that an old Victorian inn has steps, but I would love for it to be possible for me to visit. 

Of course, food is a central part of a lot of cozies and it is incorporated into this one as well. While I wouldn't say this is a culinary cozy, there is some talk about food and it comes complete with a recipe at the end. It looks simple enough that I might try it sometime.

Cozy mystery fans, do yourself a favor and take time to escape into Welcome to Cozy Town: An Absurdly Cozy Mystery Short, by Marla Cooper. It's a standalone cozy mystery that I'm confident you'll enjoy.

Bakeries and Buffoonery (Magical Mystery Book Club 4), by Elizabeth Pantley

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I recently read Shifting and Shenanigans (Magical Mystery Book Club 1), by Elizabeth Pantley. It had been on my TBR list for a while. I imagined I would really enjoy it, but it actually exceeded my expectations. I knew I wanted to continue reading the series.

It is rare for me to not read a series in order. I usually prefer to follow the subplots as they happen. However, I was recently tasked with a challenge to read a bakery-themed cozy mystery. Since I knew I would eventually read this one anyway and because the main characters experience a new book within each book, I decided to read Bakeries and Buffoonery (Magical Mystery Book Club 4). I knew this one also featured fairies, which I love, so for that reason also I was really excited to read it.

By this fourth book in the series, it is well-established that when the book club members read aloud the first part of a book from the magical library, they become characters in that book. In order to get out of the book, the mystery must be solved. At this point, they are voluntarily doing this. It's no accident that they end up in these books. But don't worry. Their Snapdragon Inn where the book club is held ends up in the book with them. They don't necessarily know where the inn is when they arrive in the book, though. However, they do eventually find it. Their new fictional world also comes with all of their basic survival needs or the means to obtain them.

The murder mystery in Bakeries and Buffoonery is a little different than what we normally see in a cozy. When the book club members enter the book, they are aware that several murders have already taken place in the small town over the past few years. They are trying to catch a serial killer before another murder occurs. What makes this even more unique is that the book they are reading, which of course is the book they enter, is narrated by the killer.  They just don't know exactly who that killer is. In order to really get a feel for what's going on in the town, the club members enter the annual baking competition that takes place over several days. Using the clues from the portion of the book they read and sleuthing while in the town, they work together with the town's inspector from the book within the book to try and catch the killer.

Having skipped books 2 and 3 (for now), there were a couple of new main characters in this book. The author did a great job giving us enough information to know who they are, but not spoiling anything from previous books. I did not feel lost at all not knowing their full backstory. It just made me curious, and now I have an even stronger desire to go back and read the two previous books that I skipped.

In addition to the two new main characters, we are reunited with all of the other ones I met in book 1, Shifting and Shenanigans. This includes Frank, the talking cat. There are hints of curiosity about his backstory, which I understand is revealed in a later book in the series. There are also more tidbits of information revealed about other members of the book club. Just when we think we really know them, we learn something new.

The book club members are the usual eclectic group coming from various backgrounds and ranging in age from teenager to octogenarian. They work together to solve the mystery, but they also divide and conquer when necessary. It's the perfect example of teamwork. Their banter in between the sleuthing is likely to make you laugh until you cry.

When it's just the book club members chatting, they often meet in the magical library at the Snapdragon Inn. As I mentioned in my review of Shifting and Shenanigans, there are stairs to get down into the library, which would prevent some people with mobility impairments from entering. My hope is in a future installment we find out there is an elevator or perhaps a stair lift to assist those with mobility impairments. I want to imagine myself in the magical library, but I can only do that if it's accessible.

When they enter the fairy world in Bakeries and Buffoonery, they soon realize there are a plethora of suspects with motives and means. I had some suspects in mind as the culprit, but I changed my mind a few times until about the 90% mark when I zeroed in on the real killer. It was soon after that when the gripping big reveal came.

If you enjoy baking cozies with a dash of magic, I'm confident you will devour Bakeries and Buffoonery. There are a lot of mouth-watering descriptions of all the cakes that are made for the competition. It is quite entertaining to watch the book club members make their cakes. They certainly do enjoy the process! There are no recipes in the back of the book as there often are in bakery-themed cozies, but throughout the story there are plenty of ideas to get your baking wheels turning.

The only sad part about reading "The End" in each installment in this series is that we leave behind characters we've come to connect with. I really like the way the author handles the emotional side of this. Much like saying goodbye to people we love in real life, it's bittersweet when we know they will have their happily ever after (this is not a spoiler - cozies always have happy endings, except for the culprit), but we also know how much we will miss them.

But the good news is that there are currently 11 books in this Magical Mystery Book Club series. That's 11 different (to my knowledge) cozy worlds to visit! That means no one can make the argument that the murder rate in any one town is high. 

Another book that is somewhat of a spinoff of this series has also been released. That one is called Flimflam Fairy. It's the first book in the new Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore series. I'm currently reading it and loving it! I'll be part of of a blog tour for this book in September, so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, I hope you'll give this series a try if you haven't already. Like me, you can easily jump in with any book in the series. You are likely to meet characters you don't know, but you'll quickly get to know them. One of the best things about this series is that the book club reads and enters a different cozy mystery with each installment, so the subplots are minimal. The language is clean (no swearing) and they contain all of the other elements we love about cozies.

Puzzle 147 - Booksellers

I was looking for a puzzle with a bookshop theme since that's what my current read is about. This one stood out because tonight's Hallmark premiere is inspired by Shakespeare.

It took me 2:15 using 24 non-rotating pieces. Enjoy!

Friday Features 40

Happy Friday!

Today I'm once again participating in six blog hops. You can click on the host links below to find the blogs of others who are participating in each blog hop. If you're a blogger, feel free to join through the host links.

BOOK BLOGGER HOP, hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Question: What grabs you and keeps you hooked in a book.

My response:  It's a combination of ingredients, like a compelling plot and a cozy setting, but I'd say it's mostly the characters. If they're entertaining and I feel like I could be friends with them, I'm likely to stick around.

BOOK BEGINNINGS, hosted by Rose City Reader

FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower

FRIDAY 56, hosted by My Head is Full of Books

Today's excerpts are from the e-book format of Bakeries and Buffoonery (Magical Mystery Book Club 4), by Elizabeth Pantley.

Here's the beginning:

A rhythmic tapping on the wall started somewhere near the front door. It moved down the hall toward us, and then Frank, our dashing Siamese library cat, burst into the room with the swagger he was so good at. The tapping continued, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor in a pulsating beat. He started to shimmy his shoulders and hum a tune. As if that wasn't odd enough, he began to rap.

And here's an excerpt from 56%:

"Wait 'til you hear this stuff." I took photos of the pages from the first chapter. "Let's head out. We need to get back to the inn so I can share all this with the group. We need to call an emergency book club meeting."

I finished reading this book and my review will be published next week, so I hope you'll come back to find out why this is quickly becoming a favorite series of mine.

FELINE FRIDAY, hosted my messymimi's meanderings

Fiona was just waking up from her early morning nap (not to be confused with her late morning nap). She rolled over onto her back...and just stayed in that position. I guess when you find yourself in a comfortable position, why move? She stayed like this for several minutes.

NATURE FRIDAY, hosted by Living the LLB Life

Isn't this flower beautiful? I haven't taken the time look it up yet. Does anyone know what it is?