Body in the books: a fun, humorous cozy mystery

Body in the Books by Heather Huffman is the first book in the Nora Jones Mystery series. Nora Jones inherits her estranged uncle’s estate which includes a dusty old bookshop, a Greyhound named Margo, and a murder. She moves to St Augustine, Florida to settle the estate and meets a quirky group of people including a ghost hunter and a charming homicide detective. When her uncle’s death is determined to be a homicide, there is no shortage of suspects including a local mob boss, a hostile neighbor and a tenacious real estate developer. A group as quirky as the Scooby Doo gang, Nora and her new found friends band together to search for clues, could the killer be closer to home than she realizes? 

Body in the Books is a fun, humorous cozy mystery novella. A quick read to kill a lazy afternoon, reader will follow the clues with Nora and her new friends as they deem themselves the Scooby Doo gang on the hunt to solve the mystery. Who the killer was surprising and not at all on my radar. Overall, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Nora, her friends and their adventures. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I recommend Body in the Books. 

Body in the Books is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Deserts, Driving and Derelicts: returning to Normal, Kentucky where nothing is normal

Deserts, Driving, and Derelicts is the second book in the Campers and Criminals series by Tonya Kappes. Readers return to Normal, Kentucky where nothing is normal. Mae West has settled into the community and her role as the owner of The Happy Trails Campground, a local campground, nestled in the Daniel Boone National Park. Suddenly, Mae finds herself face to face with someone from her past and another murder investigation. She tries to stay out of it but her own curiosity keeps pulling her back in. Mae won’t stop until the murderer is found. Now that she has found a community to love and belong to, she will do what she must to protect her new home. Can she find the killer before he strikes again?

 Deserts, Driving and Derelicts is filled with the hijinks of the colorful and quirky residents of Normal as they once again have a murderer in their midst. From rumors and petty feuds, everyone has an opinion about who the killer is but they are right? The identity of the killer surprised me but made sense as the motive was revealed. It was a quick and fun read for a lazy afternoon. There were moments of laughter and gasps of surprise. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and read about the town’s future adventures. If you enjoy a cozy mystery filled with quirky characters, I highly recommend Deserts, Driving and Derelicts. I would recommend starting with book 1 Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries. 

Deserts, Driving, and Derelicts is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Wishful Witness: the cozy mystery to end The Wishing Tree series

Wishful Witness by Tonya Kappes is the thirteenth and final book in The Wishing Tree series. Cheryl Paisley is the owner of The Stitchin’ Post yarn shop where she teaches knitting classes and has become grand central for the gossip of Linden Falls. The members of the Linden Falls Knitters keep everyone aware of all the comings and goings in their quaint little town. With the old King Building reopening as an artesian center, many welcomed the idea, at first. Then the local businesses began to feel the pinch and sales began to fall. Protests began. When Zeke Turner, one very vocal resident, turns up dead, there is no shortage of suspects. As the Knitters' gossip leads to real clues, they begin to work together to catch the killer. Can Cheryl and the ladies of the Knitters discover his or her identity before it’s too late? 

While it is sad to see the end of the wonderful Wishing Tree series, Wishful Witness is a wonderful, cozy mystery to say goodbye. Cheryl does not truly believe in the magic of the wishing tree. But on a whim, she ties one to the tree. When the wish seems to be coming true, a murder shocks the town. Suspicions travel with the speed of juicy gossip as Cheryl finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. The mystery has plenty of twists, turns and surprises that add to the wonderful quirkiness of the town. I did not see the reveal of the murderer coming and it was total shock as the clues are lined up. I loved the gossipy ladies of the Knitters. I laughed when one lady said “But you didn’t hear it from me.” I recommend Wishful Witness and the entire Wishing Tree series. 

Wishful Witness is available in eBook

Killer Music: a cozy mystery of whodunit

Killer Music is the first book in the Cooper Harrington Detective series by Tammy L. Grace. A story of a murdered music mogul, a high-and-mighty widow and one detective determined to track down a killer. Cooper “Coop” Harrington meets Grayson Taylor, a record label mogul, at a glitzing party of country music stars and politicians. He never thought he would be investigating his murder the next day. With plenty of suspects, with many people who wanted him dead. Coop is hired by Emily, Taylor’s widow, he has a tag team including Ben Mason, his best friend of Chief of Detectives, Annabelle, his assistant, even his Aunt Camille becomes a useful fountain of local gossip. As the investigation reveals scandalous indiscretions, secrets, and corruption that it becomes a race against time to catch the killer…before another victim is taken. Can Coop and his team find the evidence they need? 

Coop Harrington is a Nashville lawyer turned private detective. Of course, a great detective has a great team behind him. For Coop, it’s his right hand assistant, Annabelle. Coop and Annabelle have a Perry Mason/Della vibe. Killer Music is a fun cozy mystery with the usual suspects including the ice queen, less than a grieving widow. Coop’s Aunt Camille was a lot of fun too! If you are looking for a psychological thriller or a traditional mystery, this is that book. Killer Music has a Perry Mason/Murder, She Wrote/Colombo vibe. If you enjoyed these shows, you will probably enjoy Killer Music, which is filled with humor, southern charm, and comfort food. Warning: do not read this book while hungry. You’ll want to eat everything the characters are having. I am looking forward to the rest of the series. I recommend Killer Music. 

 

Killer Music is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook