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Death by Iced Coffee (A Bookstore Cafe Mystery Book 11) 

259 pages Kensington publisher April 25,2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

A smart, well-crafted mystery set in a charming Midwestern small town, where bookstore-cafe owner Krissy Hancock has a sideline in sleuthing—just right for fans of Leslie Meier, Cleo Coyle, and Carolyn Hart.

Bookstore-café owner Krissy Hancock is stepping out from behind the counter to take part in the first annual Pine Hills, Ohio, marathon. But with a killer close by, she may soon be running for her life . . .
 
It’s a brutally hot day in Pine Hills, and Krissy Hancock would love to be sitting in a shady spot and sipping her favorite iced coffee. Instead, she’s lacing up her sneakers for a marathon—and swiftly regretting it. Especially when she finds one of the other runners lying motionless. At first Krissy suspects heatstroke, but the red marks around the man’s throat tell a more sinister story.
 
The victim, it turns out, had brewed up all kinds of enemies thanks to his cheating ways—both romantic and financial. Krissy’s not keen to get involved, but her friend Rita’s boyfriend, Johan, seems to be mixed up in the mayhem. For Rita’s sake, Krissy wants to help filter out the real killer. But can she do it before another Pine Hills resident gets permanently iced?

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve really gotten into cozy mysteries over the past few years and have started a few series and this is one of them. I enjoy cozies that have cats in them and have a coffee shop as the main area it takes place. Co-Owner Krissy Hancock, of Death by Coffee, a coffee shop in Pine Hills, Ohio has given up slogging joe for the day and entered a marathon raising money for a good cause.


Not sure I understand why the race was run during an ungodly heatwave and Krissy Hancock hadn’t trained for this race or gotten into shape for it. The race proved too much for her and she almost fainted from the heat and was couch bound after the race.

During the race a body was found, heatstroke is suspected but upon inspection it’s determined not to be the case. I do enjoy the cozies, but they can be a bit predictable as many are very similar. It surprises me how many people will just talk to the amateur sleuth and how much they’ll tell them.

Lots of clues presented and the victim did not have the best character so many people could have had reason to want the victim out of the way.
Enjoyed this and I’ll be reading more in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks for stopping in today. Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee if you drink it? My choice is iced coffee.

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Blog Tour for: The Little Book of Extraordinary Cats-Nonfiction

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Little Book Of Extraordinary Cats

Discover the captivating world of fabulous felines in The Little Book Of Extraordinary Cats. Join Anita Kelsey on a journey through fifteen remarkable tales celebrating the courage, resilience, and affection of our beloved feline companions, from pioneering space traveller Félicette to therapy cat London Meow. Whether you’re a cat lover or seeking heart-warming stories of human-animal connections, this book is a must-read.

MY THOUGHTS

I am a cat lover; you could say they are my favorite animal. When I saw this nonfiction book about cats, I knew I had to read it.
There are fifteen stories about cats, stories of them being rescued or being brave themselves, performing incredible feats.

I would say my favorite story was about a nine-month-old kitten who had her kittens in an old, abandoned garage, she thought she was safe with her babies there. Unfortunately, it caught on fire. This mama cat rescued her babies from the burning garage, one at a time to the detriment of her own health. She became badly burnt on her face and eyelids. Mama cat and babies were all transported to the vets for care.


All cats deserve to be honored, remembered. Even ordinary housecats are special and give us a lot of joy. These fifteen stories plus the other stories, several paragraphs in length, of similar subject manner following each main story will uplift your heart.

Perfect for all cat lovers and would make a wonderful gift for your cat loving friends. Recommended!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase Links –

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Book-Extraordinary-Cats-unforgettable-ebook/dp/B0D1CXRGQ4https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Extraordinary-Cats-unforgettable-ebook/dp/B0D1CXRGQ4

VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THR TOUR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Bio – Anita Kelsey holds a first class honours degree in Feline Behaviour and Psychology (work based BA Hons) and runs a vet referral service dedicated strictly to the diagnosis and treatment of behaviour problems in cats. She is also a qualified cat groomer and specialises in grooming challenging or phobic cats. Anita, a strong advocate of a vegan lifestyle, is based in East Sussex but consults all over the UK as well as international requests. She lives with her husband, a music producer, and 1 Norwegian Forest cat, Kiki.

Her first book ‘Claws. Confessions Of A Professional Cat Groomer‘ was published by John Blake in 2017 with her second book, Let’s Talk About Cats  self published via Amazon worldwide in 2020. The Little Book Of Extraordinary Cats is Anita’s third book.

Social Media Links – Insta https://www.instagram.com/cat_behaviourist/

X – https://twitter.com/catbehaviourist

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/catbehaviourist/

Linked in – https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-kelsey-cat-behaviourist-27320016/

Thank you for visiting today. I hope you have a splendid day.

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Deep Fried Death (Country Store Mysteries)

336 pages Kensington Cozies publisher December 26,2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the latest Country Store Mystery by Agatha and Macavity Award-winning author Maddie Day, a killer strikes – with a cast iron skillet – during South Lick, Indiana’s annual Outhouse Race festivities, landing Pans ‘N Pancakes-owner Robbie Jordan on the suspect list…

Many residents of South Lick, Indiana, claim the Outhouse Race, in which competitors push old-timey outhouse replicas on wheels at the annual Abe Martin Festival on Memorial Day, is the best thing since indoor plumbing. Just because country store and restaurant owner Robbie Jordan has too much to do managing her new deep fryer as well as an old lover reappearing, she’s not going to miss out on the fun. Plus, it’s good for business.

But when a dead body and a cast-iron skillet tumble out of the Pans ’N Pancakes outhouse entry on the race route, it seems someone is trying to frame Robbie—in a most unconventional way. Now she’ll need to be privy to the townsfolks’ secrets as she races to flush out a killer . . .

MY THOUGHTS

I have read other books by Maddie Day, but I don’t believe I’ve read any in this series, The Country Store Mysteries. I’ve enjoyed this book as much as I have the other series I’ve read. Reading the other books, I knew what to expect from this author’s writing style.


This is kind of a funny one, not the murder of course, that’s never funny.
Abe Martin Festival on Memorial Day in South Lick, Indiana brings quite the crowd every year. This year the shop owners are drawing the crowd in with a race featuring replicas of outhouses decorated to represent town businesses.


As the race is getting ready to start the shop owners must push their outhouse to the top of the hill in preparation.

One particularly heavy outhouse tips and out spills a body that had been knocked over the head with a skillet and the skillet was still in the outhouse representing Pans ’N Pancakes, the country store owned by Robbie.

She better do some sleuthing before things get really heated up. Fun to see how she came up with clues to solve this.

Plenty of suspects kept everyone busy. This was not a simple case to solve. I look forward to more in this series.

Pub Date 26 Dec 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maddie Day is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning author, Maddie writes the Country Store, Cozy Capers Book Group, and Cece Barton Mysteries, all from Kensington Publishing.

As Edith Maxwell, she write the Local Foods Mysteries (Kensington Publishing) and the Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Beyond the Page), as well as award-winning short crime fiction.

You can find all Maddie’s/Edith’s identities and work at http://www.edithmaxwell.com. She blogs every week day with the other Wicked Authors at wickedauthors.com and every second and fourth Fridays at mysteryloverskitchen.com. Look for her as Maddie Day/ Edith Maxwell on Facebook and @edithmaxwell and @maddiedayauthor on Twitter and Instagram.

Have a super weekend. Have a great day.

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A haunting legend. An ominous curse. A search for a secret buried deep within the castle walls. The Vanishing at Castle Moreau By Jamie Jo Wright

384 pages Bethany House publisher April 4, 2023 publish date

About The Book

In 1870, orphaned Daisy François takes a position as housemaid at a Wisconsin castle to escape the horrors of her past life. There she finds a reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress who hides tales more harrowing than the ones in her novels. As women disappear from the area and the eerie circumstances seem to parallel a local legend, Daisy is thrust into a web that could ultimately steal her sanity, if not her life.

In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of an American aristocratic family to help his grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman’s stash of collectibles, a century-old mystery and the dust of the old castle’s curse threaten to rise again . . . this time to leave no one alive to tell the sordid tale.

Award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright seamlessly weaves a dual-time tale of two women who must do all they can to seek the light amid the darkness shrouding Castle Moreau.

My Thoughts

This book kept me glued to it all afternoon. I wasn’t even aware of time passing and read it in one day! Incredibly atmospheric and creepy. The author definitely knows how to set up the story and keep your attention the whole way through. You keep reading and won’t want to miss a single word.
There are several time frames here, they have similar stories,the women, but yet different.
The women live in Castle Moreau. There are dreadful rumors, mysterious events that they must try to figure out. They feel as though they are losing their sanity as they start to doubt themselves and what they know. What secrets will be uncovered within the dust and despair of Castle Monteau? I was totally captivated and could not put this down.

Pub Date: 4 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab A Copy Here

About The Author

Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.

Visit her at: http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com and listen to her podcast MadLit Musings on your favorite podcast player or at http://www.madlitmusings.com

Have an excellent day and thanks for stopping in today.

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First Line Friday

Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted by Reading Is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m featuring the first line of Death Knells and Wedding Bells by Eva Gates. I love that her books take place on the Outer Banks of North Carolian, it’s such a beautiful and relaxing place to visit.

And the first lines are………….

“I can’t remember when, if ever, my feet hurt this much,” my husband said to me. I leaned my head on his shoulder and attempted to smother another burp.

About The Book

Librarian Lucy’s wedding is nearly perfect—aside from a missing guest and the strangled body she finds. Now, she must vow to find the killer in this 10th Lighthouse Library mystery.

Lucy and Connor planned for the perfect Outer Banks wedding—and that’s exactly what they got. Aside from typical rumblings of familial tensions, the late spring weather allowed for a beautiful day, the food was delicious, and everyone had a good time, until one of the guests goes missing.

Before Lucy can look forward to the rest of her life in Nags Head and the work she does at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, she gets a phone call from her boss, Bertie James. Eddie, Bertie’s friend, never made it back home after the reception. Initially, Lucy doesn’t think anything of it—sometimes wedding guests simply have a little too much fun. But this quickly turns to something darker when she discovers the body of a wedding guest strangled in a locked closet, and the police immediately start asking questions about Eddie. Lucy must figure out if the two are connected before it’s too late—both for Bertie’s friend and the rest of her wedding guests.

With the Classic Novel Reading Club reading the Selected Works of Edgar Allan Poe—Lucy wonders if the master of the macabre can assist her investigation or if the hunt for the killer’s identity will remain as nothing more than an unsolved mystery.

Let me know the first lines of the book closest to you.

We are having rain for the second day in a row, hopefully it’s sunny where you are.

Enjoy your weekend.

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Good Afternoon, your kindness post for today.

I hope this makes you smile.

Kind Man Paddles Out To Save Little Animal Treading Water In Middle Of Bay

“We were all so relieved and thankful he was saved!”

By Caitlin Jill Anders

Lindsay Buchanan was walking to her car to head to work one morning when her neighbor rushed up to her and told her she’d noticed a cat swimming in the nearby bay in front of their neighborhood. The bay is surrounded by a very tall sea wall, making it nearly impossible for even a human to climb out if they’ve fallen in, let alone an animal, meaning it was definitely an emergency situation.

“She had been watching the water with binoculars and saw ‘two little triangles’ sticking out of the water,” Buchanan told The Dodo. “She kept watch while making calls to get help for about 40 minutes, but everyone she spoke to said that wasn’t in their job description to do water rescues for animals. She had been watching the cat swim aimlessly, pulled along by the current, meanwhile birds were circling and swooping down. She then went outside to find help when she saw me and told me what was happening. I immediately alerted my family to hurry outside as well while keeping my eye on the cat’s location in the water.”

Buchanan’s sister was just about ready to jump into the water to grab the cat and figure things out from there when they remembered they had another neighbor who owned a ladder — one that he had purchased for just such an occasion — and a paddle board. They quickly alerted him to what was happening and enlisted him to paddle out and rescue the cat.

“I kept my eyes trained on the cat’s location with binoculars in case he went under,” Buchanan said. “It was nerve-racking watching the neighbor paddle out, but he finally got there, grabbed the cat and placed him on the paddle board. The cat didn’t struggle. He was exhausted and meowing loudly the whole ride back to the sea wall. We were all so relieved and thankful he was saved!”

Buchanan rushed the cat, later named Baby, back to her apartment to get him dried off and cleaned up. She figured he would be pretty out of sorts after his ordeal, but he was actually strangely calm.

“He was acting totally fine — friendly and exploring the room,” Buchanan said. “He didn’t act at all like he’d just survived a near-death experience!”

After a trip to the vet, they discovered that Baby was actually blind, which may be how he ended up in the bay in the first place. Unfortunately, they also found that he’d contracted a flesh-eating bacteria from the water, and it took quite a long time for poor Baby to heal from that. After tons of medication and lots of rest, though, he was finally healed and could actually start to enjoy his life post-rescue.

“We searched extensively for his owners to no avail,” Buchanan said. “When it became clear there wasn’t a loving home to return him to, I couldn’t resist making him a member of my family! I love animals and had bonded with him immediately. I wanted to give him the great life he deserved!”

Baby is now all settled in and loving his new life. His blindness doesn’t affect him at all, and he has become the leader of the family’s cat pack. He went from struggling in the bay to being cuddled up with daily with all of his loved ones, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

https://www.thedodo.com/daily-dodo/people-spot-cat-treading-water-in-bay-and-rush-to-help

Have a wonderful day.

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Happiness Came with a Cat-A Nonfiction journey by Cynthia Star-Review

About The Book

How the cat she never wanted taught her the lessons she never knew she needed.

It was not love at first sight for Jinx and Cynthia. The long-haired, dandruff-ridden creature wasn’t Cynthia’s dream for a new family pet. And Jinx was equally unimpressed with her.

Jinx’s arrival marked a dramatic turning point in Cynthia’s life. Soon after, she endured a devastating loss and battled grief, loneliness, and depression. Throughout the turmoil, Cynthia and Jinx progressed from sparring partners, to reluctant roommates, to friends. When Cynthia finally decided to take her life back, she brought Jinx along for the ride.

Side by side, they weathered all the excitement, disappointment, mishaps, and adventures that come with finding happiness and redefining your life. Through it all, Jinx was an unexpected source of comfort, affection, and valuable life lessons. Because sometimes the thing you most need shows up in the way you least expect.

Grab A Copy Here

Lesson #1: Cats are better than people

Ten lessons you can apply to take back your life and find your joy.

Lesson #8: Cats are an excellent judge of character

“Happiness is always on the other side of fear.”~ Margie Johnson

Lesson #10: Cats are smarter than people

“LOVED this story and you will too!” ~Dee

My Thoughts

As a cat owner this book just resonated with me.
Her daughter wanted a cat after their other one passed away, she did as well but just not the one her daughter chose. At the time of coming into their lives, the cat and woman do their best to avoid each other. After all cats have personalities too and we can’t expect cats to warm up to us as soon as they meet us.
From a broken-down romantic relationship to finding true happiness her cat is with her the whole way. Starting out with the cat and the author not liking each other to tolerating each other to not wanting to be without each other we see such progression in the relationship.
Each chapter is short and easy to get through but yet there is a simple truth to the life lessons the cat teaches along the way. Cats are very good judges of character.
I very much enjoyed taking this journey with the cat owner and her cat. It is a heartwarming and enjoyable read. I recommend this nonfiction book by this new to me author.

Pub Date 11 Oct 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Are you ready to change your life?

Have you ever struggled with anxiety, depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder? This book tells the true story of my journey from utter brokenness to happiness, and how my cat taught me life-changing lessons. You will laugh and cry with me as I tell my story honestly and openly. How I nearly died of a broken heart, became suicidal then learned from my cat to be truly happy.

About The Author

I am the youngest of 3 children and the only girl. My two older brothers taunted, teased and often terrorized their baby sister, but it made me who I am today; strong, confident and not afraid to stand my ground. I was lucky enough to grow up in Rural Nebraska on a farm where I learned to love animals and the outdoors. I wrote my first book when I was about 10 years old and I have been writing ever since. I recently won a top award for some song lyrics I entered in an online contest on a whim. That was so exciting! I now live in New Mexico and get my ideas for new stories while hiking in the foothills.

Thank you so much for stopping in today. You visit blesses me. Have a teriffic day.

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Engaging Fall Cozy Mystery-A Perfect Bind by Dorothy St. James-Review

About The Book

Librarian Tru Beckett, ardent defender of the printed word, is about to find out that keeping murder checked out of her beloved library is much harder than she thought…

Tru Beckett succeeded in building a secret book room in her now bookless library, where book lovers from lovely Cypress, South Carolina, can rejoice in the printed word. Now she’s working hard to maintain the little library downstairs while keeping her “real job” upstairs in the bookless technology center. The last thing she needs is a mysterious vandal who seems intent on breaking into her secret book-filled sanctuary and creating chaos. The nasty interloper doesn’t steal anything, but brutalizes the books, damaging them and knocking them off shelves.

A patron of the secret book room tells Tru that there have been creepy goings-on at the library for years, especially in the basement where the secret book room is located. He’s heard rumors of a poltergeist that haunts the library, determined to scare off readers. Tru is certain it’s hogwash, but she’s at a loss to think of who might be vandalizing the beautiful books she fought so hard to protect. And when a dead body shows up right behind the library, Tru is certain that it’s not a ghost but a cold-blooded killer that she and her trusty tabby Dewey Decimal will need to uncover.

My Review

A Perfect Bind is the second book in the Beloved Bookroom Mystery series and my first read in this series. This author’s books are fabulous, once you start you just can’t stop. You have to keep reading til the end to see how it’s all going to play out.
Southern librarian Tru Beckett though young, is the old fashioned type and is appalled at the library she works at in Cypress, South Carolina going bookless. (Say what?) To attract more technological businesses to the town the library goes bookless using digital books and technological resources which ultimately annoys many of it’s patrons especially the older folks.
Librarian Tru “rescues” some of the books destined for the dump and sets up a secret basement book area where patrons can still check out physical books.
The main librarian is strict and by the book but she “doesn’t” know about this secret book area.
Tru’s library cat Dewey is such a big help in her library area but of course she has to sneak him in. Though she works upstairs in the technological area Tru prefers her time with the “real” books, now just not to get caught.
When her special book room is vandalized more than once with her books being tossed about and destroyed it’s more than this poor librarian’s heart can understand.
Add to that when a body is discovered outside the library the creepy going-on’s in the library start piling up. Could it possibly be that poltergeist some of the old timers are talking about.
Sleuthing librarian Tru and her smart tabby Dewey are on the case of uncovering who could have caused the trouble and why. Very engaging book. Fast paced cozy, I really enjoyed it.

Pub Date 28 Sep 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Old books among the autumn leaves under soft sunlight.

Grab A Copy Here

About The Author

Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. For the past 20+ years, she made her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.

Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn’t as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.

* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including: Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.”

Books in this series

Do you have a favorite cozy mystery author? Will you be reading this book?

Thank you for stopping by. Have a restful day.