Latte Trouble by Cleo Coyle

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Clare Cosi’s coffeehouse, the Village Blend, is hosting a huge party to celebrate a new line of jewelry called “Java Jewelry”. The jewelry is created by Lottie Harmon and inspired by the Village Blend. Of course the coffeehouse makes the perfect backdrop to introduce the public to this new line of fashion accessories as Fall Fashion Week in New York City begins.

Unfortunately, things take an ominous turn when one of Clare’s employees serves up a lethal latte and is immediately arrested for murder. Clare is certain her employee is innocent and intends to prove it. She quickly discovers there’s more here than meets the eye and she’s certain her friend Lottie is the real target. Nobody believes Clare and she decides it’s up to her to prevent Lottie being murdered, not to mention she has to find a way to get her employee out of jail before it’s too late.

Against her better judgment, Clare teams up with her ex-husband and current business partner to track down the killer. Now if she can just stop herself from falling for him all over again.

This is the third book in Cleo Coyle’s coffeehouse mysteries. I’ve enjoyed all three books, so far. Ms. Coyle always throws in twists and turns to throw readers off the track and she succeeds very well. Her characters are wonderful and, as often happens with cozies, they become old friends. I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

For reading challenges…

Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge
Mysteryreader café Reading Challenge

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Sophie Winston is a domestic diva! Her family expects the perfect Thanksgiving dinner from her and she aims to please.

During her Thanksgiving shopping, she meets up with a man trying to give her a homeless cat. She turns down the offer, but soon feels bad. After she’s finished shopping, she tries to find the man with the cat, but instead finds the man’s dead body. She takes the cat, but is shocked to learn that the police found her picture in the man’s car. Suddenly she finds herself as the number one suspect of a murdered man she didn’t even know.

Sophie tries to put this incident aside so she can create a happy festive holiday for her family, but somehow she ends up with more guests for dinner than she anticipated including her ex-husband Mars and his fiancée, Natasha. Natasha is Sophie’s main competition in the annual Stupendous Stuffing Shakedown contest, as well as both women having domestic advice columns.

Several contestants find themselves the victim of having their ingredients tampered with and when Sophie finds the sponsor of the contest dead, all eyes turn toward her as the lead suspect in two murders. With a little help from her family and friends, Sophie sets out to prove her innocence. It’s just a shame the sexy detective in charge of the investigation also thinks she’s a murderer.

This is the first book in a brand new cozy mystery series, “A Domestic Diva Mystery”. I could not put this book down. The story has a wonderful array of characters. Each one has their own special qualities that come alive throughout this book. I practically devoured this one. I can’t say enough good things and I loved every minute of reading this one.

Krista Davis is a “new-to-me” author that I’ll be watching out for. I already have the second book in this series and the third comes out in February 2010. If they are anything like the first one, I have quite a bit of great reading ahead.

I can’t help but give this my Socrates’ Great Book Alert medal.


For reading challenges:

Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge
Mysteryreadercafe Reading Challenge

Killing Bridezilla by Laura Levine

Genre: Mystery, Chick Lit

Laura Levine is back with another Jaine Austen mystery. I love the Jaine Austen series. They are good for a few laughs. They are sort of a cross between chick lit and cozy mysteries.

In this one, Jaine is hired by a former high school classmate, Patti Devane, to write wedding vows for Patti’s wedding. These aren’t just ordinary wedding vows, though. Patti is planning to turn her wedding into a Shakespearean production complete with Patti as Juliet and her fiancé, Dickie, as Romeo.

Patti had always been one of the “cool” girls in high school and Jaine…well, she wasn’t. Jaine had always been the target of their cruel jokes. Things haven’t changed much over the years, Patti is still the spoiled brat and is now a spoiled Bridezilla, incurring everyone’s wrath including her own mother. So, it’s no great surprise when Patti doesn’t approve of anything Jaine writes and constantly calls for rewrites.

To make matters worse, Jaine is obligated to accept Patti’s invitation to the wedding, if she wants to collect her $3,000 fee.

The wedding turns into a huge fiasco when Jaine is taunted by her old high school classmates into bringing her fiancé…a Frenchmen who happens to be a neurosurgeron. The problem is, Jaine doesn’t have one of those and where is she going to find one on such short notice?

The event ends when Patti (aka Juliet) plunges off the balcony to her death. Jaine immediately realizes that this is no accident. Someone put them all out of their misery by “Killing Bridezilla”, but who? There’s certainly a long line of suspects, with Jaine being on the list as well.

The book takes a few twists and turns giving the readers a run for their money, not to mention a few laughs along the way. I completely enjoyed this one. The personalities of each character come through each page so clearly. I feel like Jaine is an old friend of mine. The next book is Killer Cruise, but I’m waiting for the paperback edition to be released. It looks like another good one.

I’m also giving this the Socrates’ Good Book Alert Medal.



For reading challenges:

A to Z Reading Challenge
Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge
Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge

The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse by Leann Sweeney

The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse by Leann Sweeney

Genre: Cozy Myster, “A Cats in Trouble Mystery”

Jillian Hart is too young to be a widow, but when her beloved husband suddenly dies, all she has to keep her company are her three beautiful cats, Syrah, Chablis and Merlot. They make their home in a small town in South Carolina where Jillian has her own business of making quilts. When she returns from an overnight business trip, she finds her home has been broken into and her precious Syrah has been cat-napped!

Jillian turns to the police for help, but when they hear nothing but her cat was stolen, they don’t offer much help or concern. Basically, they don’t take her seriously at all. She asks for assistance from a local private investigator who installs a new alarm system and it doesn’t hurt that the P.I. is a sexy hunk as well.

With the help of a newfound friend, police officer Candace Carson, they conduct their own investigation but continually run into dead ends. Jillian is convinced she knows who did it, but when her suspect turns up dead, she becomes the number one suspect herself. Jillian races around the clock to prove her innocence and find her beloved Syrah before any harm comes to her.

I absolutely adored this story. I’m a huge cozy fan and if you toss in a few kitties, all the better for me. I fell in love with all the human characters, as well as the furry ones. The characters were well-developed, the story moved along at a fast pace and it kept you guessing until the end. It had everything I love in my mysteries. The next book in the “A Cats in Trouble Mystery” will be out in the spring. It’s already on my shopping list.


For reading challenges:

Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge
2009 Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge
Cat Sleuth Reading Challenge
Mysteryreader Café
What an animal II challenge

I'm also giving this the Socrates' Great Book Alert Medal

Flashes of Glory by Elisabeth Lee

Genre: Mystery, Chick Lit

In the middle of glitzy Las Vegas, Carlyle “Lyle” Hudson, a wild poker player, is being sought after by a handsome Middle Eastern business man, Ari. He gives her a beautiful ruby ring and gifts her with a Bentley. Unfortunately for Lyle, he also has two very jealous wives who would like nothing more than to rip Lyle’s eyes out of their sockets.

Lyle gets out of Vegas as quickly as she can with her white fox terrier dog, Glory, by her side and returns to her home in San Francisco. Her best friend, Chas, has already rented her place out, but that doesn’t bother Lyle at all. She’s safer at home than in Vegas…or so she thought. When she receives threats from the wives, Lyle realizes she may never be safe again.

Meanwhile, her aunts want her back in her hometown of Kansas. There’s been a murder and they need Lyle’s help to solve it. She returns home, but is followed by Chas, Ari and the two jealous wives. To top it all off, she’s in denial that she’s begun menopause and her aunts give her home remedies that are more harm than good.

Lyle is a 50something woman who gives the younger heroines a run for their money. She’s filled with sass, spark and attitude. Her best friend Chas is a gay man who is right by her side and adds fun moments to the craziness.

It took me awhile to get into this book and learn all about the characters, but once I did, it was a fun, fast-paced mystery with quite a bit of humor thrown in. I wish I had read the first book so I could read what got Lyle to this point, but not reading it didn’t take away from my joy of the book. The storyline was entertaining and kept me on my toes as I tried to figure out whodunit.

For reading challenges:

Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge
Chick Lit Reading Challenge

Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry by Denise Swanson

Genre: Cozy Mystery


School psychologist, Skye Denison, cannot believe it when she learns he has been entered into the Grandma Sal’s Soup-to-Nuts Cooking Challenge. Skye’s mother, May, is the true cook in the family, but she is only entitled to one entry. With four entries to submit, May enters one recipe with Skye’s name on it. There’s no way her mother would let her out of the contest, so Skye finds herself stuck as one of the contestants.

Trouble brews when malicious pranks sabotage the contestants’ entries, Grandma Sal’s family is at odds, one of her teenage students is missing and one of the more obnoxious contestants is found dead in a chocolate fountain. Not to mention Skye’s boyfriend’s father shows up in Scumble River and it’s clear he has a hidden agenda. All of this, as Skye desperately tries to make her cooking entry a success. She can’t let her mother down, but she also has to assist the police in finding the killer before more contestants end up dead.

This is the 10th book in the Scumble River Mystery series and I’ve truly grown to love Skye Denison. I always feel like I’m visiting with an old friend when I read one of these books. There is only more book in the series left, but I’m sure Denise Swanson will have more released soon.

If you like a fast-paced mystery with charming characters, give this series a try. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would start at the beginning so you can see how Skye’s relationships develop and how she grows as a person.

For reading challenges:

2009 Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge
Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge
Mysteryreadercafe Reading Challenge
Themed Reading Challenge – With this book, I completed the challenge!

Dirty Deeds by Suzanne Price

Genre: Cozy Mystery

It’s Christmastime in Pigeon Cove and Sky Taylor has her hands filled with cleaning jobs at several different holiday parties. After the Art Association’s annual holiday celebration, Sky finds more than just dirty dishes that need to be cleared away. Kyle Fipps, a local real estate developer, is found dead. It’s not the first time Sky has discovered a dead body, but she sure didn’t want this to become a habit.

Sky tries to stay out of the investigation, but instead finds herself right in the middle of it. She gets a lucrative cleaning job at City Hall and immediately finds herself in danger at every corner. It doesn’t help when the former lover of one of the suspects moves in to stay with Sky for a few days. To top it all off, Sky’s mother is in town for a visit which tends to complicate things further, especially when it comes to Sky’s boyfriend, Mike.

This story has it all – mystery, suspense and a romantic triangle tossed into the mix. Sky has her work cut out for her, trying to solve the mystery of both the murder and her own heart.

Pigeon Cove is a town filled with wacky personalities and an intriguing plot to keep readers on their toes. There are also a few cleaning tips tossed in that readers will find quite useful. This is a fast-paced story that can be enjoyed in a short period of time. There’s already a third book in the series, which I will get to eventually.

I’m always happy to discover “new” or “new-to-me” cozy mystery series. I love the small town feel they all have to them and re-visiting these characters always makes me feel as if I’m meeting up with old friends. This series is no different.

For reading challenges: Amateur Sleuth Challenge, TBR Challenge Lite, The Themed Reading Challenge

Murder of a Botoxed Blonde by Denise Swanson

Genre: Cozy Mystery

The last place Skye Denison wants or expects to spend her Thanksgiving weekend is at a health spa. However, her close friend Trixie convinces her to accept the complimentary weekend, but they are more than surprised to find their Thanksgiving meal consists of tofu.

Things only manage to get worse when her mother and her ex-boyfriend’s mother decide to join them for the long holiday weekend. The spa’s owner informs them that the only food available to them is the healthy kind, so they have to resort to smuggling in their own calorie laden food or they’d pass out from starvation. To top things off, a group of protestors stir up all kinds of mischief in an attempt to close down the spa. They are against the spa’s message that only the beautiful and thin deserve a place in this world.

To make matters worse, the newspaper publishes a report that there is buried treasure somewhere in the spa. When a beautiful and wealthy woman turns up dead in her mud bath, everyone wonders could the killer be a treasure hunter or a protestor?

The spa’s owner pleads with Skye to work undercover for her and try to figure out this mess. Skye agrees and the race is on before another spa guest is found dead.

This was a fun book where we also saw the return of Skye’s new boyfriend, Wally, and things heat up. Then, Skye learns the true reason behind the breakup with her last boyfriend which could possibly jeopardize her new relationship.

Skye is a down-to-earth type of heroine. She’s someone we can all identify with, especially when she smuggles in her junk food. She faces all the same problems any everyday woman might face – not being thin, men trouble and an overprotective mom. This series is one of a few that makes me feel as if I’m part of Scumble River.


For reading challenges: Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge, Read Your Own Book Reading Challenge, Themed Reading Challenge, Cozy Mystery Challenge

Murder of a Real Bad Boy by Denise Swanson

Genre: Cozy Mystery

School psychologist, Skye Denison, is having her newly inherited house renovated. She hires the sexy contractor, Beau Hamilton, to do the job. Not that she’s interested in the handsome man. She recently broke up with her boyfriend and has no need to get involved in another relationship. However, it doesn’t hurt to look.

When Beau’s work proves to be much less than adequate, Skye realized she has to look behind the sexiness and fire him. She’s given him umpteen chances, but the work is simply not being done. Unfortunately, before she can fire him someone kills him and she stumbles upon the dead body. The Sheriff quickly makes her the number one and only suspect.

Things get really crazy for Skye when the local police chief takes a romantic interes in her, her ex-boyfriend wants her back, her cat is missing, her brother has a deep dark secret and Beau’s sister turns up on her doorstep begging for help in finding her brother’s murderer. Skye always finds herself the center of murder investigations in Scumble River and has sworn to stay out of them, but how can she refuse getting involved in this one? Especially when she’s the prime suspect.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I always love re-visiting Scumble River and seeing what Skye is up to. Denise Swanson gives us a wide array of characters to fall in love with and some that will drive you crazy. Each character takes on a life of its own. This is the 8th book in the series and it never gets old. Each one is better than the previous one. I’m looking forward to reading #9.

For Reading Challenges: Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge, Cozy Mystery Reading Challenge, Themed Reading Challenge.

Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Clare Cosi once again finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. This time several of her single female customers are committing suicide, but it doesn’t take long for the police to suspect that something more sinister is going on. Detective Quinn is not one who believes in coincidences.

When Clare’s young daughter, Joy, decides to sign up for an online dating service, Clare signs up as well. She’s doing it for one reason and one reason only, she wants to screen the men Joy dates. She never expected to fall for one of the men herself, but Bruce Bowman was everything she wanted in a man. Clare is not prepared to hear that that Bruce has a connection to all the women who recently died. Quinn is convinced Clare is in danger, but Clare is out to prove Bruce’s innocence. She’ll stop at nothing until she proves that her first instincts about Bruce were correct.

This is the second book in Cleo Coyle’s Coffehouse Mystery series and I loved this book. I enjoyed the first one, but this one is even better as I grew to love the characters more and more. They are quickly becoming friends that I want to keep checking in on. This was a fast-paced story with a few twists and turns along the way. It kept me guessing until the very end.


For reading challenges: Read Your Own Book, Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge, Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge

Back To School Murder by Leslie Meier

Genre: Cozy Mystery

It’s another adventure for Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone. Lucy’s children go back to school in the quaint town of Tinker’s Cove in Maine, where nothing exciting ever happens. This year, however, the elementary school staff and students are shocked when they get a bomb scare. The school is quickly evacuated when the assistant principal, Carol Crane discovers one of the students is still in the building. She races against the clock and saves the child just before the bomb goes off. Carol is Tinker’s Cove’s new heroine and the toast of the town.

The town is stunned when days later Carol is murdered. Lucy Stone is determined to discover who would want to murder a selfless woman such as Carol Crane. As she delves deeper and deeper into Carol’s history, Lucy realizes the woman wasn’t all that she seemed. Lucy’s own life is threatened as she gets closer and closer to the truth. Obviously someone wants Lucy’s mouth to be permanently shut.

I love this series! It’s a fast-paced read with characters you watch grow from book to book. Lucy Stone is a wonderfully strong heroine raising four children and taking care of her husband, who believes a woman should not be working but staying at home with the family. Despite her husband’s feelings, Lucy works part-time at the local newspaper. Readers will find themselves cheering for her and wanting to see her succeed. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this delightful series.

For Reading Challenges: Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge, Themed Reading Challenge, A to Z Reading Challenge, Read Your Own Book Challenge

Amateur Sleuth Challenge

Amateur Sleuth Challenge
JANUARY 1 - DECEMBER 31, 2009
Hosted by Kim at A Novel Challenge Yahoo Group


Here are the rules.

Read 12 books featuring an amateur sleuth.
Each sleuth must have a different vocation or hobby ie shopping, cooking, writing, advice column, crafts store, school psychologist, gardening, remodeling, etc.
Can be first in series or else where.
Can be cross used for other challenges

I joined this challenge last week, but forgot to blog about it.

If you would like to join, you have to be part of the A Novel Challenge Yahoo Group. here

Here's my list...

1. Killing Bridezilla by Laura Levine Click for review
2. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle Click for review
3. The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis Click for review
4. Flashes of Glory by Elisabeth Lee Click for review
5. Latte Trouble by Cleo Coyle Click for review
6. Even Cat Sitters Get The Blues by Blaize Clement Click for review
7. The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse by Leann Sweeney Click for review
8. Dirty Deeds by Suzanne Price Click for review
9. Back To School Murder by Leslie Meier Click here for review
10. Murder of a Real Bad Boy by Denise Swanson Click here for review
11. Murder of a Botoxed Blonde by Denise Swanson Click here for review
12. Murder of a Chocolate Covered Cherry by Denise SwansonClick here for review

Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell

Genre: Cozy Mystery

I will start this review with, I loved this book!!!! LOL I thought I’d just get that out right at the beginning. This is a brand new series by Sarah Atwell. It’s a Glassblowing Mystery and takes place in Tucson, Arizona. Although I live in New York, I felt immediately transported to Tucson after the first chapter.
Emmeline Dowell is an artist who teaches glassblowing, as well as sells her craft. A quiet young woman shows up at her shop and Emmeline immediately takes her under her wing. She doesn’t know why she feels so protective of Allison, but she does. When Emmeline finds a dead body in her studio’s furnace and learns the body belongs to Allison’s husband, she begins to wonder just how innocent the woman really is. Things get really dicey when Em’s brother visits and is immediately smitten by Allison.

Odd and dangerous things continue to happen when Em finds another dead body and receives threats. She gets right in the middle of the investigation. No way will she leave things up to the police after their incompetence becomes obvious when bad things happen right under their noses. However, is she making things better or worse?

This book has a cast of characters that I fell in love with immediately. Em is a strong heroine with a lot of spunk. Even the secondary characters are well-developed and very well portrayed. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series which comes out in November 2008. I don’t usually rate my books, but I’m giving this one a 5 star rating! This also allows me the chance to cross off another book in the amateur sleuth reading challenge.

Bitter Sweets by G.A. McKevett

Genre: Cozy Mystery

This is the second book of G.A. McKevett’s Savannah Reid Mystery series and I’m such a big fan of this series after only reading the first two books. Savannah is a wonderful, strong character. She is fast becoming one of my favorite cozy heroines.

This story begins with Savannah, recently fired from the police department, desperately trying to make her new PI business a success. She gets her first break when a man comes in looking for his long-lost sister. Savannah has no problem locating the missing woman and her daughter, but when murders start occurring afterwards, she wonders if she made a mistake in uncovering the whereabouts of the missing woman and her child. Things especially get dicey when the little girl is kidnapped and there is no trace of her anywhere.

As Savannah begins to investigate further, she comes up against so many twists and turns, she doesn’t know which way to go. One thing is for certain, she must find the real culprit before the police decide she’s the only possible killer.

I have to admit, I didn’t have much trouble in figuring out who the killer was but I still loved this story and the characters. This is a fast-paced mystery and all the characters are incredibly well-developed. I especially loved Savannah’s grandmother. She’s wonderful and I’m hoping to see more of her in future stories. The next book in this series “Killer Calories” sounds excellent and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Catnapped by Gabriella Herkert

“An Animal Instinct Mystery”

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Legal investigator, Sara Townley, is at the bottom of the totem pole at Abercroft, Hamilton and Sterns, which means all meaningless cases are assigned to her. Sara’s new case seems easy enough, she must find a cat who recently received a multi-million dollar inheritance. Sounds pretty easy, until she is faced with a dead body and she seems to be the prime suspect.

Things go from bad to worse when she arrives home to find her new husband, Navy Seal Connor cooking her apartment. She only knew him for a week when they married in Las Vegas, but she didn’t expect him to follow her home. When Connor realizes the case of the missing wealthy cat turns dangerous, he intends to never let her out of his sight again.

This is the first book of a new series of cozy mysteries, “An Animal Instinct Mystery”. Catnapped is a promising beginning, although it takes a bit of time to get to know the characters and the plot twists take so many different turns that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with them. One of the best developed characters is Sara’s best friend Russ. I adored this character immediately and I do hope he makes another appearance. My only disappointment is that I love mysteries with cats involved and this cat was hardly involved at all. He was a very minor part of the story, but it was a well-paced mystery anyway. The next book in the series is “Doggone” and I will keep an eye open for it.

Completing this book also means I can cross off another book from my Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge – that’s always a good thing 

Murder of a Smart Cookie by Denise Swanson

Genre: Mystery, Cozy

Scumble River is having a huge summer yard sale, but nobody expected murder to be the main attraction - least of all the local school psychologist and amateur sleuth, Skye Dennison. When her former boss is found dead at her family's sale table, she becomes one of the prime suspects.

Tempers fly as the citizens of Scumble River fight over their treasured keepsakes, but when dead bodies begin to turn up, Skey wonders if these valuables could be worth more than she thought. Skye's current boss, who happens to be the mayor and her uncle, not only puts Skye in charge of the yard sale but demands she find out who is responsible for these murders or risk losing her bonus money. Skye takes on the challenge, not only for the money, but to protect her family's good name and her own.

Skye Dennison is a wonderful, strong character who has continued to grow through each book. She always makes me laugh and cry at the same time. This book also left us with a bit of a cliffhanger about Skye's love life which I find intriguing. All the characters in the Scumble River series are crafted to perfection and come alive with each page. After reading a few books, I feel as if I personally know these characters. This is the 7th book in the series and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Now I get to cross one book off my amateur sleuth reading challenge list :)