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bugabusu's Reviews (248)
Invitation Only Murder is not another cozy murder mystery by Leslie Meier. Instead its filled with adventure, mishaps, thrills, and chills. This isn’t a book your read sitting under the throw from your couch with a cup of hot coco this is a hide under your comforter with a flashlight and hope you don’t hear any weird noises. Ms. Meier keeps you captivated in the tale where our journalist come detective, Lucy Stone, is invited to an island that has been purposefully kept in the 19th century. She’s there to write a piece about the owner and his family, instead a murder takes place and Lucy is trapped with a killer until the ferry arrives. The problem is everyone seems crazy and capable of murder. I wasn’t sure till the end whodunit. The description of the imagery from inside the refurbished old house to the cliffs with the puffins is perfect. You’re right there with Lucy trying to see through the fog while running away through the woods. Ms. Meier has written another spellbinding tale of murder.
Have a Deadly New Year by Lynn Cahoon is a fun murder mystery novella. All your favorite characters are trapped in a snowed in house over the New Years holiday with the members of a crazy, old rock band. Ms. Cahoon sets the scene, murders the fading rockstar, and solves the mystery in just a few pages. And manages to add a touch of humor and romance along the way. The story grips your right at the beginning and luckily it won’t take you long to learn what happened. A great short read for in between holiday cooking and preparation for New Year’s Day.
The Elephant by Peter Carnavas was a warm and heartening story of a little girl, Olive, trying to help her grieving father. Olive’s mom passed away and Olive sees her father’s sadness as an elephant following him around. She decides it’s her job to help her get rid of the elephant. With the help of her Grandad and her friends she is able to see her dad smile and laugh again. This tale introduces children to the sorrow caused by death and how it affects everyone differently. The characters are fun and interesting. The black and white line drawings do a good job accompanying the story. Overall the story is filled with both laughter and joy, as well as the somberness of death.
Deep Fried Revenge by Lynn Cahoon was the much needed respite I required. I had to cancel my vacation to Idaho due to the quarantine and was worried about how much I’d be missing it. I needn’t have worried. Ms. Cahoon once again was able to bring me back to one of my favorite places on earth, Idaho, with just her words. This cozy murder mystery is set against the state fair and a food competition. Our heroine Angie and the rest of The County Seat gang have to solve the murder of a fellow chef and competitor before the murderer takes out one of their own. In the mean time Angie’s wonderful boyfriend, Ian, has taken in a run-away and her best friend Felicia is dating her sous-chef Estebe. I enjoyed learning more about each of the characters and seeing Angie’s relationships with them develop. There’s murder and mayhem but also humor and romance. The descriptions of the settings from the fairgrounds to Angie’s home to the restaurant left this reader daydreaming about her next visit to Boise. To top it all off Ms. Cahoon’s description of the fair food will leave your mouth watering for cotton candy and corn dogs. If you’re looking for a good story to read while sheltering in place look no further.
I could not put down Murder at Blackwater Bend by Clara McKenna. Ms. McKenna combined my favorite genre mystery with just the right amount of romance. Stella, the strong willed American heiress, engaged recently to Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst sets out to solve who murdered Lyndy’s neighbor, Lord Fairbank, when a local vagabond she calls a friend and whom the locals call the snake charmer is accused. As she and Lyndy work together to solve the mystery, they grow closer; resolving issues which could have thwarted their relationship to include Lyndy’s mother who has it out for Stella and the engagement. The reader couldn’t have asked for a better cast of characters from the prim lady of the manor to the limping local pub owner to the bumbling American archeologist. And the gorgeous English countryside and small town setting just adds to the charm of the book. An all around great cozy murder mystery!
