Category: Cozy Mystery

Murders in the Marquee + Giveaway

In this witty historical murder mystery set in a San Francisco hotel, an unlikely trio of amateur sleuths must uncover a killer before another guest checks out for good.

In 1905, the Grand Mallard Marquee is well known for its iconic style, as well as its daily duck parade. For Saul Niffler, a reformed jewel thief, working at the luxurious hotel offers a much-needed second chance. Staying out of trouble and in gainful employment is essential. Which makes seeing a body plummet from a penthouse window extra complicated.

Except…did he see it? There’s no body to be found, and Saul knows he should concentrate on his new duties as “Duck Commandant” rather than meddle. If only Kitty Rossi, a persistent young guest yearning to be a Pinkerton detective, would leave well enough alone. Kitty has already roped in Henry, the elevator man, to investigate suspicious goings-on around the hotel. And against his better judgment, Saul feels compelled to join them.

Between the mystery of Saul’s missing predecessor and a grisly discovery in a drain, all signs point to murder most fowl. And with a cold-blooded killer roaming the Marquee’s lavish corridors, keeping his job may be the least of Saul’s problems…

My Review:

Not what I expected at all, but I like it! And I’m hoping this is the beginning of a series because there’s so much potential for more mystery solving at the Grand Mallard Marquee!

An eclectic trio of would be sleuths, a missing body and some mallard mayhem set the stage for Mentink’s unique brand of humorous storytelling. Kitty is our indomitable heroine. A young, somewhat naive socialite who is anything but proper as her overactive imagination runs amok when an actual crime occurs. She blithely leads Henry, bellhop and vaudeville hopeful, and Saul, reformed thief and the hotel’s newly appointed ‘Duck Commandant’ into some hair-raising escapades as they try to solve a murder mystery without a body.

The author models her hotel after the famous Peabody Hotel in Memphis which features a twice daily duck parade through the hotel lobby and out to a fountain. Such a fun twist for a cozy mystery! And my, but those ducks provide all kinds of sleuthing opportunities as well as some hair raising shenanigans. Duck wrangling isn’t for the faint of heart!

I love the way the author wove inspirational threads throughout the story, especially from Saul’s perspective. He’s trying so hard to find his way in his first job after being released from prison. He struggles to balance his faith with the unexpected conundrums the murder investigation presents and I felt for him!

What surprised me about ‘Murders in the Marquee’ was the lack of romance since it’s published by Love Inspired Trade. I’ll admit, I was a wee bit disappointed about that, but not with the overall story. And I’m really hoping Dana Mentink has the opportunity to create more ‘murder, mayhem and mallards’ in future books featuring Saul, Kitty and Henry.

I listened to the audio edition of this book and really enjoyed Kimberly M. Wetherell’s narration. She is becoming a familiar voice in my audio book selections and I find she has a talent for creating distinctive voices to match different characters’ personalities which makes for an entertaining listening experience.

My thanks to Harlequin Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  ebook

Canada – ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Murders in the Marquee,  leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 5 2026.

Murder in Blackfriars

In Victorian London, valiant cook and amateur sleuth Kat Holloway must help the man she loves solve the murder that will finally uncover his mysterious past, from the New York Times bestselling author of A Silence in Belgrave Square.

Kat Holloway’s beau, Daniel McAdam, has always had a past shrouded in mystery. He knows nothing about his origins, only that a kind man rescued him from the streets all those years ago. So when a man claiming he knows where Daniel comes from turns up dead moments before meeting with them, Daniel goes on the hunt for the killer. It soon becomes clear that to see justice served, Daniel will have to figure out who he truly is and where he came from. When Daniel asks Kat for her assistance, she readily complies, knowing she’ll do whatever it takes to protect the man she’s come to love.

The quest takes Kat and Daniel deep into the East End, where they face dangerous foes from Daniel’s rugged past, many of whom aren’t happy that Daniel now works with the police and will stop at nothing to keep Kat and Daniel from uncovering their secrets. As Kat begins to learn things about

Daniel’s history she’s not certain she wants to know, she fears that the darkest secret—his true name and lineage—will tear apart the tender bonds they’ve begun to form.

My Review:

This is one of my favourite historical mystery series. Kat’s no-nonsense approach to any dilemma stands her in good stead when amateur sleuthing is required. As does her courage and compassion. There’s also some tender poignancy in this ninth ‘Below Stairs Mystery’ as Kat grapples with a personal challenge that tugged at my heartstrings!

And then there’s Daniel. Swoony sigh. We finally get some answers about his mysterious back story and it was agonizing and riveting! Love the way the author weaves so many intricate details together to form a compelling plot full of intrigue and danger…and, of course, romance!

And I’m just as enamoured with the cast of secondary characters who are so well developed that I remember everything about them from one book to the next. Keeps me hoping for many more books to come because we need to get everybody sorted!

Side note: This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order. There is so much character development and back story plots that carry over from book to book. Relationships too. A reader will get so much more out each story by starting at the very beginning. Well worth playing catch-up!

I listened to the audio edition of ‘Murder in Blackfriars’ and while I appreciated Kymberley Cochrane’s performance, I was a wee bit disappointed to see the change in narrators this late in the series. Funny, how my mind associates a certain voice with these characters even if it’s been months since I last heard them. So, it took a bit of adjustment in the beginning but I soon warmed to this new narrator’s style and her interpretation of these beloved characters.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place

Restaurant owner Carly Hale Mitchell has to get her husband off the hook when he’s implicated in the suspicious death of a crooked coworker . . .

When the elderly owner of a historic mansion asks Carly to come visit and make one of her famous grilled cheese sandwiches, Carly can hardly say no. She loves spending time inside the fabled home, and she knows her husband will be at the grand old manse too, rewiring the electrical as part of larger renovations. But sparks fly when he gets into a shoving match with the contractor overseeing the project, and that puts him at the top of the suspect list when the contractor later falls to his death from the roof amid signs of foul play.

Desperate to clear her husband’s good name, Carly puts her restaurant work on the back burner while she tries to track down the real culprit. Thinking it must be someone on the renovation crew or an employee at the mansion, she begins grilling the suspects, only to learn that the victim had enemies throughout the community. Then another dead body is discovered at the mansion, and Carly has to approach the case from a whole new angle—just as the killer is angling to make her the next victim on their list . . .

Includes mouthwatering grilled-cheese sandwich recipes!

My Review:

Friendly Reader Suggestion: Have all the fixing for a grilled cheese sandwich on hand because this book will will stir up a craving and maybe some culinary creativity too! Love all the cozy vibes that come from Carly’s diner and loyal staff. Reilly has hit the perfect balance between cozy and mystery and I revelled in both.

An engaging mystery involving a recluse and some strange occurrences at her mansion. Spooky and fun and oh so puzzling. But, yay me, I figured parts of the mystery out before Carly and company. Not everything though, so I was still frantically trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together all the way to the end.

Love these characters, including a host of familiar faces that crop up in each book. There’s a real sense of found family, deepening relationships (friendship and otherwise) and I’m always eager to see what everyone is up to from one book to the next. As with most cozies, I think ‘The Grilled Cheese Mysteries’ are best read in order so that a reader can enjoy every delicious nuance of character and secondary plot development BUT, having said that, a newbie could jump in with this 7th book and still enjoy the read.

I listened to the audio edition narrated by Mia Gaskin who has been the voice of this series since the very beginning. She’s a perfect fit for these characters and I appreciate that continuity. We audio book listeners becomes as attached to our narrators as we do our authors!

My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Probable Caws

Meg has finally found time to get some blacksmithing done when a call from her dad interrupts her—can she come out to Ragnar’s right away to help with the horses? Their friend Ragnar Ragnarsen, who is gradually turning the enormous house on his nearby estate into an authentic moated castle, has agreed to shelter nearly fifty horses for Hoof and Hearth, an equine rescue organization that has lost access to the farm where the horses have been living. The owner of the farm recently died without leaving a will, and while his older son Abel would be happy to let the horses stay, younger brother George wants to sell to a developer . . . and is suspected of sending a thug to harm the horses as part of his efforts to evict Hoof and Hearth.

That night, while Meg and her family are camping at one of Ragnar’s barns, to keep an eye on the horses, they discover that the thug has been murdered. Unfortunately George is alibied . . . but his horse-loving brother Abel is not. Neither are the hot-tempered founder of Hoof and Hearth or the passionately protective ex-jockey who serves as its stablemaster. Meg juggles helping keep the horses safe and doing what she can to help the chief solve the thug’s murder . . . all the while hoping that the killer won’t turn out to be one of the dedicated horse rescuers she has come to like and respect.

My Review:

This series is my absolute favourite of any series — cozy or otherwise. I’m such a huge Meg Langslow fan that I read all the books every year and I might have listened to ‘Probable Caws’ more than once just because…I’m fanatical like that about these characters and the town of Caerphilly in general. Plus, this story features one of my favourite secondary characters, Ragnar Ragnarsen, former heavy metal rock star turned benevolent benefactor with a distinctive Gothic flare!

And rescue horses! Absolutely loved the way Andrews built the entire mystery around the displaced horses and the farm setting and the way the town rallies around to help the floundering equine rescue centre. This author has a talent for combining the absurd with heartwarming all while delivering a gripping mystery and she does a brilliant job with the plot and pacing in this book. Such a fun, captivating read…

…well, listen, since I enjoyed the audio edition of ‘Probable Caws’ (love that pun-y title!) narrated by the incomparable Bernadette Dunne who has been the voice of Meg Langslow since the very beginning (that’s 39 books and counting!) She does such an incredible job bringing distinctive voices to an ever growing cast of characters. Dunne is the reason my entire Meg Langslow collection can be found in my audible library. Highly recommend the audio books to discerning listeners everywhere.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Plain Murder

Random Retro ReRead

Fifteen years after leaving her Old Order Amish life, Rachel Mast has returned to Stone Mountain, Pennsylvania. Corporate success didn’t bring true happiness, but Rachel also knows she can never be Amish again. Instead, she runs a B&B and tries to help her community in ways they can’t help themselves.

But now a gruesome discovery has been made in her Uncle Aaron’s cow pasture—the body of prominent Englisher businessman Willy O’Day. Aaron refuses to hire a lawyer, trusting his own innocence, and his faith, to see him through. Rachel isn’t so sure, especially give the public feud between the two men. Her relatives won’t speak to the police, but they will talk to Rachel—if she puts on a skirt and a bonnet. Rachel knows emotions and entanglements run as complicated in the Amish world as outside it. But as she delves deeper to clear Aaron’s name, she discovers secrets that could put her own life in danger.

My Review:

published in 2014

Squeezing in one more Amish book before ‘Amish in April’ comes to a close!

Miller has crafted a compelling page-turning mystery. And I absolutely love the intrepid Rachael Mast. With her familial ties to the Amish, she’s a great help to the police, even though they don’t always see eye to eye. And Rachael can’t help channeling her inner Nancy Drew, especially when it’s a family member’s freedom at stake Plus, she desperately wants to help the Amish community she still feels ties with.

The author deftly weaves mystery into the day to day life of an Amish/English community. Provoking insights into plain living add an extra zest the story. As does the light romance. This Amish adjacent cozy mystery makes the perfect kind of armchair sleuthing read.

Secrets of the Amish Diary

Random Retro Read

The people of Pleasant Creek are delighted to welcome Liz Eckardt to their picturesque country town as she reopens the Olde Mansion Inn bed and breakfast. But a new start and a simpler life aren’t the only reasons Liz is setting down roots in the heart of Indiana’s Amish community. She is quietly embarking on a quest to find answers about her late mother’s secret life growing up Amish.

Becoming the town’s new innkeeper helps Liz ingrain herself among the townsfolk while searching for the truth about her Amish relatives. That is until she finds herself in the middle of the mysterious murder of one of the inn’s guests. Is there a connection between the death of her troublesome lodger and the truth about her long-lost family?

My Review:

published in 2016

I seem to be finding quite a few gems from ten years ago in my retro reading. 2016 was a very good publishing year it seems! I’m thrilled with the start of this Amish adjacent cozy mystery series, even more so because it was in audio format and my library seems to have the whole series on hoopla. Very excited about that! And I’m curious to see how this type of series works since it’s written by a number of different authors though the setting and all the characters remain the same. I wonder how continuity works as far as characterization because I really like Liz.

The cozy side of this cozy mystery is sublime! Lots of lovely details about Liz’s life as an innkeeper and the small town vibes are strong as well as delightful insights into the Amish community. There’s even a personal family mystery Liz is working on. The murder mystery is well plotted and the way the author blends cozy details in with the sleuthing makes for an excellently paced novel that’s hard to put down.

And these characters! Love! Liz is instantly relatable but I almost think that the ‘Material Girls’ stole the show. They are a group of mostly elderly quilters who take Liz under their collective wing (translation: stick their noses all in her business.) And then there’s Bean, a lackadaisical bulldog who comes with the inn as well as a slew of other intriguing characters. All in all, a little piece of cozy mystery perfection and I’m excited to continue with the series.

The Crime Brûlée Bake Off + Giveaway

An unexpected romance. A haunting mystery. Pastries to die for. The Great British Baking Show meets a cozy mystery with a contemporary romance and a Regency-era twist.

Amateur baker Claire Walker is thrilled to be a contestant on Britain’s Battle of the Bakers. She can almost smell the fresh pastries wafting through the air. If she can win the grand prize, she can ditch her teaching job and launch her baking career.

The Viscount of Colburn, Jonathan Ainsley, is the custodian of Blackfirth Park and an eligible bachelor. He reluctantly agrees to allow the cooking competition show to film on his estate, but when a contestant is found dead soon after filming begins, Jonathan is forced to get involved. To make matters worse, the baker’s death stirs up rumors of the legendary death of the tenth Viscountess of Colburn two hundred and fifty years earlier.

Even as suspicion falls on some of the bakers, a decidedly different kind of heat begins to simmer between Claire and Jonathan. If they are to have any hope of a future romance, they must first solve the mystery before the show gets canceled or someone else falls prey to what some believe is the Blackfirth Park ghost.

My Review:

I’m always on the look out for my next great cozy mystery and I hit the jackpot with this one! It’s fashioned after the television hit, ‘The Great British Bake Off’ complete with a huge tent set up on a grand English estate. Eeeepppp! Love the behind the scenes input and all the delightful foodie references, including our heroine’s penchant for culinary exclamations: “Eggs and custard!” or “Crepes alive!” And Claire has cause to use her repertoire of creative phraseology because….murder and mayhem ensue! Bwahahaha!

Connolly has excelled at creating a nice balance between the cozy aspects of the story and the mystery as well as the lovely addition of light romance (with a viscount no less!) I was in bibliophile heaven!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening the audible edition of ‘The Crime Brûlée Bake Off’ (such a clever cozy title!) Sophie Roberts’ interpretation of these characters (accents included) made for an engaging listen. I’m charmed by both the story and the narration and now I’m eager to jump into the next ‘Claire Walker Mystery,’ audio edition, of course.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Crime Brûlée Bake Off, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday April 25 2026

Murder Plain and Simple

Random Retro Read

When Angela Braddock inherits her late aunt’s beautiful Amish quilt shop, she leaves behind her career and broken engagement for a fresh start in Holmes County, Ohio.
 
With her snazzy cowboy boots and her ornithophobic French bulldog, Angie doesn’t exactly fit in with the predominantly Amish community in Rolling Brook, but her aunt’s quilting circle tries to make her feel welcome as she prepares for the reopening of Running Stitch. 
 
On the big day, Angie gets a taste of success as the locals and Englisch tourists browse the store’s wares while the quilters stitch away. But when Angie finds the body of ornery Amish woodworker Joseph in her storeroom the next morning, everything starts falling apart.
 
With evidence mounting against her, Angie is determined to find the culprit before the local sheriff can arrest her. Rolling Brook always appeared to be a simple place, but the closer Angie gets to the killer, the more she realizes that nothing in the small Amish community is as plain as it seems….  

My Review:

published in 2013

Thrilled to have discovered this new Amish series. Doubly so to discover that Isabella Alan is the pseudonym for Amanda Flower who writes Amish mysteries for the Christian market. So, while not strictly Christian fiction, Murder, Plain and Simple is a clean read with some gentle faith messages concerning forgiveness courtesy of the Amish characters.

Completely captivating read. Loved the humour that Alan instills throughout the story — especially when it comes to Angie’s bird phobic dog, Oliver. Hysterical. He stole every scene he was in. 

The mystery is…mysterious…lots of suspects, including poor Angie so she decides to take things into her own hands. She’s not a subtle investigator by any means and steps on the sheriff’s toes more than a few times. A handsome, intriguing Sheriff, by the way. There’s just the hint of a budding romance in their future and I’m looking forward to watching that pan out in future books.

A superb specimen of the cozy mystery genre — and the Amish setting makes the read all the more sublime in my book (pun intended.)

Murder in a Cornish Teashop

A Cornish clifftop, a sunny afternoon, a quaint little teashop… but wait a minute. Is that jam, or blood? Maddie Penrose is determined to find out!

Maddie Penrose is staying with her beloved grandmother, Nor, at her gorgeously idyllic Cornish farm. She’s looking forward to days helping out in Nor’s little teashop and evenings wandering down the cliff path to watch the sunset. But before Maddie has even finished serving up scones on her first morning, a man bursts through the Nor’s neighbour Clive has found a body in the field behind the teashop…

Maddie is straight to the scene, fancying herself as a bit of an Agatha Christie. But solving this mystery is far from a piece of cake. Her list of suspects is jam-packed with locals, with some a little too close to the newcomer renting out one of Nor’s barns is acting suspiciously, the victim’s boyfriend has disappeared without trace, and Clive isn’t really Maddie’s cup of tea either…

But the proof is in the pudding when there’s another murder – her prime suspect is dead. And when Maddie finds a backpack belonging to the first murder victim, her diligent notetaking and quick thinking leads her to discover that the killer will act again, and soon. Maddie is horrified to discover that it looks like she is their next target…

Can Maddie and Nor work as a team to piece together the puzzle? Or will murdering Maddie be the icing on the cake for the killer?

My Review:

I’m really excited about this new cozy mystery series (and new-to-me author!) A foodie/farm cozy is always a draw but throw in a Cornish setting and I’m a tad shy of giddy! Love, love, looovvveee!!!!

The perfect blend of cozy details paired with intriguing mystery ones. Amateur sleuth, Maddie can’t help but be drawn to the murder virtually on her doorstep. And, as the new girl in town, she has lots to learn both about village history and the folk living there. Her irascible gran, Nor, makes for a lively partner in crime…when she’s willing to part with crucial information, that is! And then there’s the appealing detective who easily charms Maddie (and me!) I do so love a light touch of romance in my cozies!

Praying for many more Maddie Penrose mysteries in my reading future!

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of Murder in a Cornish Teashop, expertly narrated by Harrie Dobby. Her performance brought these characters to life, giving unique voices to match a myriad of personalities. Such a fun listen! Highly recommend.

My thanks to Bookouture Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Tell-Tale Treats

Is Felicity to blame when a hotel guest drowns after eating her enchanted cookies? Felicity Jin returns in the third installment of the Magical Fortune Cookie series.

A group of high school alumnae reunite years later and reserve rooms at Pixie Inn for an extended retreat. As part of their pampering package, Felicity delivers a scrumptious assortment of enchanted pastries, including her new almond cookies.

But the queen bee of the group is soon found dead in her bathroom, drowned in the tub, and she recently sampled the delicious baked goods. Could Felicity’s almond cookies have set off a fatal nut allergy? The enchanted pastries are supposed to bring joy, not sorrow—and certainly not death.

Boyfriend, Kelvin Love, is eager to assist, although odd things have been happening to his senses ever since he baked with Felicity. Will his extra sensitivity help or hinder the investigation? Plus, special bunny Whiskers lends a magical paw to the detecting since Felicity can’t and won’t relax until she restores both order and magic to her world.

My Review:

A delightful foodie cozy mystery with a light touch of magic that makes for such a fun read! Love the diversity among the characters and the ethnic baking descriptions. Everything sounds so exotic and yummy! And Felicity’s little something extra makes for a special touch. As does her unusual bunny sidekick!

In this third ‘Magical Cookie’ mystery, Felicity and Kelvin become entangled in another suspicious death. Loved their teamwork and the way their relationship has grown over the course of the series. And this time Kelvin discovers a unique talent that pairs nicely with Felicity’s and adds to their sleuthing finesse.

The well plotted mystery kept me guessing thanks to the nice posse of potential suspects with motives. So many characters to love and some to…well, strongly dislike…kept me emotionally engaged. And that intense climax…phew! Way to keep an avid reader on edge until everything gets sorted.

I really enjoyed listening the audio book narrated by Catherine Ho. Her performance delivered all these characters in the best (and worst) light and she is excellent at adding touches of drama and humour at just the right places. Highly recommend the audio book for discerning listeners.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.