Category Archives: Mystery

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A Ghost for Christmas

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While the pacing was somewhat slow at times, it still proved to be quite entertaining, and the mystery gripped my attention. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot twist—I was completely wrong about the identity of the killer, and I always appreciate when a story can mislead me so effectively. This is my first experience with this author, and I’m curious to see how their writing evolves in future installments.

The characters initially felt a bit vague and underdeveloped, but I have faith that as the series progresses, they will become more fleshed out and relatable. The setting is established as a quaint little wine town in California, which adds a charming backdrop to the unfolding drama.

The protagonist, Mele Keahi, arrives in town to visit her aunt, seeking solace after enduring the emotional turmoil of a recent breakup. She looks forward to reconnecting with her favorite relative and enjoying the peace and quiet that she so desperately needs. However, her plans take a shocking turn when she discovers a dead body on her aunt’s front walkway upon her arrival. This gruesome find sets the stage for a riveting mystery.

In addition to the unsettling murder, Mele must grapple with the unexpected return of her handsome childhood ghost and the pros½pect of a new romantic interest arriving on the scene. The central question looms: can she assist in unraveling the mystery of the killer’s identity before she becomes the next target?

The introduction of a large ensemble of characters sometimes made it challenging to keep track of everyone, but it ultimately contributed to the rich tapestry of the story. I wished for a bit more build-up before the body was discovered; revealing it earlier diminished the tension that could have been cultivated. Nevertheless, the entertainment value and compelling mystery kept me engaged until the final page and sparked my interest in exploring more books in this series.

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟½

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Midnight Labyrinth

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The first three novellas provide a solid introduction to the series, acquainting us with key characters in Ben and Tenzin’s story. I give it 4.5 stars for the significant enjoyment it offers. Though not immediately gripping, by the second chapter, I was fully engaged and eager to see what would unfold next. The introduction of new characters and the return of familiar ones is appreciated after some time.

Benjamin Vecchio has abandoned his tumultuous life in New York, where he was raised by a famed vampire assassin. Now an adult, he comes back to the city that once brought him sorrow, intent on establishing an identity separate from his aunt and uncle. With Tenzin at his side, Ben begins to set up an antiquities recovery business in New York, echoing Giovanni’s rare book enterprise in California.

On a business outing one night, Ben encounters Chloe, his high school sweetheart, and they rekindle their relationship. Chloe introduces Ben to the works of Emil Samson, her celebrated artist, at an art gallery. There, Ben is struck by two discoveries: a troubling story from a young woman tied to a missing artwork, part of a trilogy, which he pledges to find pro bono, much to Tenzin’s chagrin. Moreover, their endeavors rarely proceed without complications.

This installment brings just the right amount of thrill, setting the stage for future books. It also addresses a grave domestic issue with appropriate sensitivity and attention. The experience is highly enjoyable, particularly when experienced through an audiobook that brings the characters to life vividly.

My rating: ✯✯✯✯½

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The St. Valentine’s Day Cookie Massacre

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The story was quite engaging, despite my reservations about the character development. Having never read anything by this author, I’m open to exploring more of their work if it maintains this level of quality. The narrative was compelling enough to keep me reading, even though I questioned the rationale behind the characters’ interactions. It took a moment to immerse myself, but once I did, it was difficult to stop reading. The setting was adequately described, and familiar due to the state, despite the town’s small size.

On Valentine’s Day in Hatters Cove, Florida, food critic/columnist Kat Archer is tasked with writing a review for the grand opening of Miss Dolly’s Cookie Jar and Sweets Emporium. What appears to be a routine assignment quickly escalates into a major event. An altercation at the opening and a mysterious late-night call to discuss an urgent matter set the stage.

The plot thickens when an employee of the Cookie Jar is discovered murdered by poison, suggesting a sinister twist. It appears the victim was unintended, and Kat was the actual intended target.

The mystery is well-crafted, presenting numerous suspects with a wide array of motives.

My rating: ✧✧✧

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Mayhem in Christmas River

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I like these books because they offer a light mystery in a unique setting. This is a fairly quick read with short but numerous chapters that fly by. I listened and followed along in the book which was a great way to go, the narrator is very good and creates each character in a realistic way. The dialogue can come off a little stiff on occasion but does seem to reflect the characters as a whole.

Christmas River is about to celebrate Christmas in July, their annual play and parade that brings the tourists in. While the town is making its preparations a fire destroys Cinnamon Peter’s best friend’s ornament shop and they are all in shock while they wait to find out how it started. When it becomes clear that a maniac is lost in the town with a flair for dramatic things heats up.

Cinnamon and her deputy boyfriend Daniel must find out who is behind the blaze before the whole town goes up in flames. They are also going to have to navigate their personal problems from rejection to jealousy as things burn around them.

The story is nice with a twist you may or may not see coming. There is a wholesomeness to the stories that make them very sweet. I think most would find them entertaining.

My rating: ✭✭✭

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Carnage at the Christmas Party

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The thing that made me want to read this was the cover, which I liked because it had a fun feel to it. I wish I could say that what was between the covers was just as fun. This was a rather plodding story for me that I had to make myself continue and finish but it was still decent. I am going to go back and read the first book in the series since I started late in a way. The characters were not particularly likeable and many of them were only shells of what they could have been for most of the story. I will say that both Ensar and Charlotte at least started to seem more interesting near the end. And speaking of the end it was way too rushed and you did not even get a chance to enjoy the mystery since it was all handled literally in the last two short chapters.

Windy Pines, Idaho is known for three things: beautiful mountain views, the world’s most incompetent police force, and lately murder. Charlotte Smyth’s new job at O’Leery Snowboarding Inc. is as a Spreader of Cheer, a kind of made-up and less-than-perfect fit of a position. She pretty much hates everything associated with it like sports, cold weather, and anything extreme. Her boss, Shane Letcher, assigns her to make the Christmas party the coolest ever and lets her know that it is a make-or-break opportunity.

The thing that made me less than happy was just the fact that this was supposed to be a mystery and the book was more about what a horrible job the man had. Because this is the first thing I have read by this author I figure I might as well read the first book in the series and see if it is similar. It may appeal to some more than others, so try it if you just want a holiday-themed book.

My rating: ✬✬

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The Christmas Puppy

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I like these little cozy mysteries because they are light and fun with just the right amount of suspense. There are also some cute animals involved who always manage to be in the middle of a murder for better or worse. The characters, both main and peripheral, are continuing to evolve and become more and more three-dimensional as the series goes on. The killer is never completely easy to figure out which is the best part. It would be a bust if you knew within the first few pages who the killer was.

Polly once again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. This time things are just a little close to home however as a killer strikes during the annual Christmas Open house for Welcome Home, their shelter for homeless veterans and their pets. The murder could jeopardize everything they have worked so hard for.

Polly does not want to leave the investigation to the police, even after being told to do so in no uncertain terms. As a result, she once again places herself in danger but at least for something cares about.

Love these short and interesting stories that make me work to figure out the killer. It never seems to be the person I think it is. Recommend to everyone!

My rating: ✨✨✨

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Seashells, Spells, and Caramels

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This book totally took me by surprise as it pulled me in and made it hard for me to get any sleep. I have never read this author before but will be definitely coming back for more. I will say that I loved the main character basically from the beginning. She was quirky and likable in a nerdy kind of way for some reason, she had a drive that I admired, even if she did seem like a bit of a pushover. The locations were alright though not as well imagined as the characters, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The ending did not satisfy me, mainly because I was looking for something else, but it did make me want more of these people.

Imogen has been working for the past seven towards one goal, she wants to own a bakery. She has not confided in her adoptive family because she does not believe they would understand, in fact, she moved from St. Louis to Seattle to pursue her dream because of that very thing. Well as fate would have it on the night that she decides to enter a baking contest that would take her to France she inadvertently causes a fire in her apartment that takes all her savings and her dream of ownership.

Though things are grim she receives news that she has a place in the contest and must get to France as soon as possible in order to participate. There she will find revelations about herself and her place in the world as well as friends she might never have met. There is magic and murder in her future.

I love a good mystery story and this one was made even better because it combined my love, magic, and the paranormal. The mystery was actually very well done. It was fun trying to figure out what had been done and why and then getting to see if you were right. The tone is light even with murders since they are not gruesome or gory in any way. I enjoyed this immensely and definitely recommend it!!

I received a copy of the book from the author for an honest review.

My rating: ✮✮✮✮

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First Contact

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First Contact by Kat Green

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is my first read by this author and I am glad that I took the time to try it out. The idea behind what the character does for a living is interesting and different from anything I have seen before. The setting is current and therefore makes it easier to relate to the surroundings. The characters themselves are fairly well defined and fleshed out giving you a good idea of who they are and what their motivations are. I was pretty much drawn into the story immediately, even though I had taken a bit of a dislike for the main character right away.

Sloane Osborne is a paranormal realtor, which basically means that she sells haunted houses once she can authenticate there is a haunting. Sloane’s real reason for doing this is to try and contact her dead fiance, Michael, who always said to wait or try things for a year and a day. Sloane has been looking and it has gotten to day 366 and she is hoping beyond hope it will happen.

Sloane has gone to a job in Wisconsin which she has found on her own in the hopes that it will be the one that allows her to make contact and gain her gift/curse of being able to speak with the dead. The house has a feel to it and the person employing her has not met with her. She investigates further in order to see who or what might be in the house. This places her in danger she could not have seen coming.

I did finally warm up to Sloane even if I felt like she was a weak individual in the beginning she showed me she could step up. I ended this really liking the story enough to want to read the next book in the series. There is a total creep factor and some great atmosphere. Not a lot of scares but it has a heavy feel that pulls you in and makes you a part of the hurt and betrayal of the story. Great for a Halloween read or just if you like a good ghost story.

Recommended!



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The Alchemical Detective

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The Alchemical Detective by Kirsten Weiss

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The second book gives you a little more of the characters and brings them more personality and presence. You get more of a feeling for who they are and how they are going to grow in the future. Because we move to a new location you do not really get anything from that. The location descriptions are pretty generic and you never really get a feeling for the area. The story is interesting but they keep referring to a past event that has never been explained in a way that would make it very relevant to any situation.

Riga has lost her magic and has gone to Lake Tahoe to hopefully get it back and spend some quality time with her new love, Donovan Mosse. Donovan owns a Casino that is being run by his cousin Reuben who is not happy to have Donovan back on the premises.

When a psychic is murdered the police seek out Riga, they believe she may be a suspect though they know she has consulted for the police in the past. Things go from bad to worse as a film crew hires Riga who uses them as a stepping stone to investigate what seems to be murders related to her past. Can she avoid being a victim herself?

Decent enough to keep the story moving forward but would really like to have some details on this past.



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alchemy was first a method of transforming spiritual lead into gold, of dissolving the alchemist herself, removing impurities, and unifying her disparate spiritual and psychological pieces.  It was also really complicated, which was why Riga had never gone further than an academic knowledge of the subject.

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The Metaphysical Detective

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The Metaphysical Detective by Kirsten Weiss

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I somehow managed to read the fourth book in this series and liked it so much that I decided to go back to the beginning and see how it got to where it was. I definitely liked the characters a lot or else I would not have bothered. Well, I am not liking the characters so much right now and am actually a little bored with the way things are going in this book. I am willing to give it a go because I know that things do get better as the series continues. Right now the characters are dull and their surroundings are dull and one-dimensional.

Riga’s new client, Helen Baro, says that her husband is trying to kill her. The thing about that is, her husband has been dead for the past year. Hence the need for a metaphysical detective rather than a conventional one. When Helen is found dead there is a haiku and tarot left behind as a clue as to what happened. Riga finds herself in an investigation that threatens not only her but those she loves as well.

Riga kind of annoyed me because she is so bland and the plot does not seem to be going anywhere. Riga is a strange detective/witch who is lost when it actually comes to the supernatural it seems, though maybe her back story will give more. There is a lot more than the original plot would lead you to believe but it is not all that exciting either. But as I said the books get better as time and characters evolve. So I would say to give it a look and decide for yourself. Lukewarm recommendation.



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“But why metaphysical?  Why not supernatural or psychic?” “Because metaphysics deals with first causes, not necessarily the supernatural.  I work in both worlds and I’m not a psychic.” “In other words, it works on a business card,” Lauren said shrewdly. “Guilty.”

Riga Hayworth