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Showing posts from July, 2020

Review; Homicide by Horse Show (Creature Comforts #2) by Arlene Kay

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery  Homicide by Horse Show (Creature Comforts #2) by Arlene Kay through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Leathersmith Persephone “Perri” Morgan makes the kind of beautiful custom leashes and saddles that make wealthy dog and horse show lovers swoon—until murder strides onto the course . . . When Perri’s BFF Babette hosts a meeting of Fairfax County’s affluent animal lovers to save a local horse rescue farm, the agenda gets sidetracked by the discovery of a corpse in the master bedroom. Everyone present is a suspect, including Perri’s main squeeze, Wing Pruett—Washington, DC’s sexiest reporter. While Perri scours local horse and dog shows hoping to unmask the killer, she uncovers bad manners, infidelity, and low-level crime in her hunt for the killer—but what she can’t find are grounds for murder. When the

Review; Read and Buried: A Lighthouse Library Mystery (Lighthouse Library Mystery #6) by Eva Gates

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery  Read and Buried: A Lighthouse Library Mystery (Lighthouse Library Mystery #6) by Eva Gates through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads Librarian Lucy Richardson unearths a mysterious map dating back to the Civil War. But if she can't crack its code, she may end up read and buried. The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Book Club is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne while workers dig into the earth to repair the Lighthouse Library's foundations. The digging halts when Lucy pulls a battered tin box containing a Civil War-era diary from the pit. Tucked inside is a hand-drawn map of the Outer Banks accompanied by a page written in an indecipherable code. The library is overrun by people clamoring to see the artifact. Later that night, Lucy and Conn

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge; Things On My Bucket List

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It's Wednesday again, which means it's time for a new Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge post, courtesy of  Long and Short Reviews . The theme of the week was things on my bucket list. I'm not going to write my entire bucket list in this post, but of some things on my bucket list includes dogsledding, publish a book and take photos of the aurora borealis.

Top Ten Tuesday; Books About Books

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It's Tuesday and time for another Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl . As it was a freebie week in terms of themes, I decided writing a top ten list over books about books. My picks are; Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi Matilda by Roald Dahl The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen by Ada Bright and Cass Grafton The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katrina Bivald The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell Dead Poets Society by N. H. Kleinbaum

Review; Carpet Diem (A Tallie Graver Mystery #4) by Misty Simon

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Carpet Diem (A Tallie Graver Mystery #4) by Misty Simon through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterward, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads Live and let dust . . . Now that Tallie Graver’s cleaning business is starting to shine, she’s ready to go squeegee to squeegee against Audra McNeal for a major contract at the Astercromb mansion. Tallie’s not afraid of a little friendly competition from the new cleaner in town. In fact, Tallie likes Audra, though she wonders how her glamorous rival manages to clean house and maintain her fancy manicure. Tallie has her rubber-gloves full staying one step ahead of her nemesis. Until she finds a well-polished hand poking out of a rolled-up carpet, rendering her competition . . . dead. Though it lands Tallie the big job, there’s nothing tidy about Audra’s death. So between polishing and scrubbing, Tallie’s determined to find the killer.

Review; Sconed to Death (Cat Latimer Mystery #5) by Lynn Cahoon

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery  Sconed to Death (Cat Latimer Mystery #5) by Lynn Cahoon through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads Cat Latimer pursues a scone-cold killer who iced a top chef in a local bakery . . . Cat has a full plate at her Aspen Hills Warm Springs Resort, as a group of aspiring cozy mystery authors arrives for a writers retreat. So when baker Dee Dee Meyer stirs up trouble by filing a false complaint with the health inspector against the B&B--all because she insists Cat's best friend Shauna stole her recipes--Cat marches into the shop to confront her. But Dee Dee's about to have her own batch of trouble. Greyson Finn--a celebrity chef and, until today, one of Denver's most eligible bachelors--has been found dead in her bakery. Cat's uncle Pete, who happens to be the chief of po

Book Tour; The Curse of Calico Jack by Colin Garrow

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The Curse of Calico Jack (Skeleton Cove Horror #2) by Colin Garrow #TheCurseofCalicoJack @colingarrow @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours Book Blurb: A mysterious book. A creepy kidnapping. A ghostly pirate on the loose. Researching ideas for a pirate story, 12-year-old Jeff and his pal Suzi uncover a mysterious book that reveals weirdly moving images of a scary pirate captain. After an old movie appears to replicate the images, one of Jeff’s teachers is kidnapped, prompting the investigative twosome to seek help tracking down the ghostly buccaneer. But Calico Jack has a history in Skeleton Cove and he’s out for revenge… THE CURSE OF CALICO JACK is book #2 in this scary adventure series. If you like Goosebumps, you'll love Skeleton Cove! About Colin Garrow: True-born Geordie Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland and has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has

Review; Sifting Through Clues (Cookbook Nook Mystery #8) by Daryl Wood Gerber

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Last year I was lucky enough to recieve an ARC of Sifting Through Clues (Cookbook Nook Mystery #8) by Daryl Wood Gerber through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Book clubs from all over have descended on Crystal Cove to celebrate the library’s Book Club Bonanza week, and Jenna Hart has packed the Cookbook Nook with juicy reads and tasty cookbooks. But she’s most excited about spending an evening with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast, when they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. It’s all good food and fun for the savvy armchair detectives, until one of the members of the group is found murdered at the last stop on the tour. As if that weren’t enough to spoil her appetite, Jenna discovers that all the evidence points to her friend Pepper as being the guilty party. And with Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter too close to the case t

Review; Into the Frying Pan by Sarah Osborne

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Into the Frying Pan by Sarah Osborne through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads Mabel Aphrodite Brown has quickly learned that motherhood can sometimes be a real skirmish. But when death visits a Civil War reenactment, it’s murder that’s a battlefield . . . In the thick of a hot, muggy Atlanta summer, all Ditie Brown wants to do is keep her kids occupied and get them ready for school in the fall. When her ex-boyfriend, Phil Brockton, shows up for a Civil War reenactment, she thinks it might be fun and educational for the kids. Plus, her best friend Lurleen wants to put on the costumes and get in on the action, and Ditie isn’t one to rebel. But things go south after a cannon misfires, resulting in the death of Phil’s med school rival. Was it an accident or something more sinister? Ditie soon realizes the past rarely stays burie

Review; Something Borrowed, Something Mewed (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery #5) by Bethany Blake

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Something Borrowed, Something Mewed (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery #5) by Bethany Blake through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads Daphne Templeton's sister Piper is getting married--and their mother is getting carried away. She insists on hiring Sylvan Creek's top event planner, Abigail Sinclair, who proposes an Independence Day theme complete with Statue of Liberty-inspired bridesmaid dresses. With all the bickering among the families, Daphne's glad her only duty right now is pet-sitting for Abby's cat, Ms. Peebles. But there are some fireworks coming that aren't part of the ceremony. The Poconos will never be the same . . . At a tension-filled dress fitting, the abrasive wedding planner is found strangled by a garter--a weapon both borrowed and blue. Now Daphne's services are required not just for orga

Review; For a Good Paws by Linda O. Johnston

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery For a Good Paws by Linda O. Johnston through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Barkery owner Carrie Kennersly follows the scent of murder to find the true culprit When Carrie Kennersley, owner of a two-part bakery that serves tasty treats to both dogs and humans, learns that a local killer is being paroled, she worries that danger will come barking at her door. Ten years ago, Mike Holpurn was convicted of murdering the first female mayor of Knobcone Heights. Now, shortly after his release, Holpurn puts the whole town on edge by yelling at the former mayor's husband, Henry Schulzer. After Schulzer is found dead, everyone assumes Holpurn is the culprit. But Carrie thinks there's more to the story, especially since Holpurn claims Schulzer was the one who really killed the mayor. Carrie is determined to uncover the truth, even if it mea

Top Ten Tuesday; Book Events/Festivals I’d Love to Go to Someday

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It's Tuesday and time for a new Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl . The theme of the week was book events/festivals I'd love to go to someday. As I live in Norway, most of the festivals/events would be situated in Europe, with a couple of festivals outside the continent as well. Here's my list. Edinburgh Book Festival  (Scotland) Wigtown Book Festival  (Scotland) Bloody Scotland  (Scotland) Granite Noir Crime Writing Festival  (Scotland) Ireland's Town of Books Festival  (Ireland) Hay Festival  (Wales) International Agatha Christie Festival  (UK) Transylvanian Book Festival  (Romania) Brooklyn Book Festival  (US) Jaipur Literature Festival  (India)

Review; Murder at the Arts and Crafts Festival by G.P. Gardner

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Murder at the Arts and Crafts Festival by G.P. Gardner through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Netgalley It’s late March in Fairhope, Alabama, and artists from around the country are flocking to the bayside town’s Arts & Crafts Festival. The annual tradition has something for everyone, only this year, the main attraction is murder . . . Cleo Mack’s life has been a whirlwind since she inadvertely became the executive director of Harbor Village, a retirement community bustling with energetic seniors. Juggling apartment sales, quirky residents, and a fast-moving romance is tricky business. But on-the-job stress develops a new meaning when Twinkle Thaw, a portrait artist known to ruffle a few feathers, arrives unannounced for the weekend’s festival and drops dead hours later—mysteriously poisoned . . . Twinkle’s bizarre death doesn’t seem like an acc

Review; Death of a Wedding Cake Baker by Lee Hollis

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of  Death of a Wedding Cake Baker by Lee Hollis through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads For Matron of Honor Hayley Powell, catching a half-baked poisoner before her friend's wedding will be icing on the cake . . . Liddy Crawford, best friend of food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell, is getting married. The wedding is the talk of the town in Bar Harbor, Maine, including snide gossip about the age gap between the bride and her groom, local lawyer Sonny Lipton. But the cruelty of the comments is nothing compared to the nasty wedding cake baker, Liddy's quarrelsome cousin Lisa. So when the belligerent baker is found facedown in a three-tier cake, the victim of a poisoned slice, there are more suspects in town than names on the guest list. With Sonny getting cold feet, Liddy getting hot under the frilly collar

Review; Peach Clobbered: A Georgia B&B Mystery (Georgia B&B #1) by Anna Gerard

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cozy mystery  Peach Clobbered: A Georgia B&B Mystery (Georgia B&B #1) by Anna Gerard through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads What’s black and white and dead all over? Georgia bed and breakfast proprietor Nina Fleet finds out when she comes across a corpse in a penguin costume. Nina Fleet’s life ought to be as sweet as a Georgia peach. Awarded a tidy sum in her divorce, Nina retired at 41 to a historic Queen Anne house in quaint Cymbeline, GA. But Nina’s barely settled into her new B&B-to-be when a penguin shows up on her porch. Or, at least, a man wearing a penguin suit. Harry Westcott is making ends meet as an ice cream shop’s mascot and has a letter from his great-aunt, pledging to leave him the house. Too bad that’s not what her will says. Meanwhile, the Sisters of Perpetual Povert

Review; Wed, Read & Dead (Mystery Bookshop #4) by V.M. Burns

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of  Wed, Read & Dead (Mystery Bookshop #4) by V.M. Burns through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads Bookstore owner Samantha Washington sells and solves mysteries in North Harbor, Michigan--including the murder of her mother's wedding planner... Sam's mother can't wait to wed her wealthy beau, Harold Robertson. The big mystery is how they're going to pull off a lavish wedding in three weeks. Harold's snobby sister-in-law proposes a solution: engage flamboyant wedding planner Lydia Lighthouse. But their beacon of hope quickly sends everyone into a blind rage, most of all the groom-to-be. So when the maddening micromanager is strangled with her own scarf, it's a shock, but not a surprise. It's a case of art imitating life as Sam pens her next historical mystery set in England

Book Tag; Roaring ’20s Book Tag

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I came across the Roaring '20s Book Tag over at  The Book Dutchesses  and I decided to play along. Roaring 20s A 2020 release you can’t wait for Sicily '43: The First Assault on Fortress Europe by James Holland That’s the berries (That’s wonderful) A new release you loved The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith Now you’re on the trolley (Now you’re right) A series that took a book or 2 to get good I'm honestly not quite sure what series to put here. Bluenose (Killjoy) A book that put you in a reading slump The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot Hotsy totsy (Attractive) A book with a beautiful cover A Daughter's Courage by Renita D'Silva Let’s blouse (Let’s get out of here) A book you DNF’d I can't remember the last book I DNF'd. Zoozled (Drunk) A book that caused an epic book hangover Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge; Things I Collect

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It's Wednesday again and time for a new Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge post, courtesy of  Long and Short Reviews . The theme of the week was things I collect. The main thing I actively collect is obviously books, an added bonus if they're signed. I also collect various book-related stuff, such as bookmarks, totebags with book-related typography, bookish candles, notebooks, Funk Pops etc. All things books really. I guess it's no shocker there, really. As a side-note, I do collect non-bookish items such as CD's, LP's, band t-shirts, art, and random goth-inspired stuff. Yes, I'm the person who actually has black wine glasses.

Review; Thread on Arrival by Lea Wait

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(This post contains affiliate links.) As I've read one of the other books in the Mainely Needlepoint-series by Lea Wait, I had a smile on my fave as I got approved for recieving an ARC of  Thread on Arrival on Netgalley. I've now read the  book and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads In this coastal New England town, folks take care of the needy--but someone is killing without kindness . . . Ike Hamilton is a part of the Haven Harbor community just like anyone else, though he's fallen on hard times and has to make do on disability checks and deposit bottles. Most of the locals do what they can to help him out, and needlepointing partners Angie and Sarah are happy to see him at the annual Blessing of the Fleet, honoring all those lost at sea over the centuries. But when harmless Ike is stabbed, suspicion quickly falls on a troubled teenage boy who's new in town. Angie's convinced that young Leo is innocent--but if he didn't do it

Review; A Curio Killing (Keepsake Cove Mystery #3) by Mary Ellen Hughes

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Last year I recieved an ARC of the cosy mystery A Curio Killing (Keepsake Cove Mystery #3) by Mary Ellen Hughes through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads Callie finds treble in Keepsake Cove when her ex-boyfriend is framed for murder Callie Reed is looking forward to her first Keepsake Cove spring festival. But her excitement dims considerably when she learns that her ex-boyfriend, Hank, will be performing with one of the hired country-western bands. Callie vows to keep her distance, but that changes when the band's manager, Bobby Linville, is found dead, killed with the music box Hank bought at Callie's shop. Hank is soon singing a sad tune in a detention center with Callie his only lifeline. Though thoroughly aware of his many faults, she knows violence and murder aren't in his blood. But that means one of her fellow Keepsake Cove residents must be hiding a dark secret--something C

Review; Fatal Cajun Festival: A Cajun Country Mystery (Cajun Country Mystery #5) by Ellen Byron

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was fortunate enough that I recieved an ARC of the cosy mystery  Fatal Cajun Festival: A Cajun Country Mystery (Cajun Country Mystery #5) by Ellen Byron through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Byron cranks it up to eleven in the fifth fast and funny Cajun Country mystery. Louisiana B&B owner Maggie Crozat kicks up her heels at a country music festival--but she'll have one foot in the grave if she can't bring the killer of a diva's hanger-on to heel. Grab your tickets for Cajun Country Live!, the pickers' and crooners' answer to the legendary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Maggie Crozat, proprietor of the Crozat Plantation B&B, plans to be in the cheering section when her friend Gaynell Bourgeois takes the stage with her band, Gaynell and the Gator Girls. The festi

Review; Claws of Action by Linda Reilly

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Claws of Action by Linda Reilly through Netgalley. I read the book shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Netgalley Purr-suing a killer … The only thing that could make the High Cliff Shelter for Cats even cozier is a reading room where kids can snuggle up with a furry feline and a book. But as Lara and Aunt Fran prepare for the reading nook’s official opening, the health inspector in their New Hampshire town, Evonda Fray, decrees that the shelter qualifies as a “cat café,” thanks to the free snacks it serves to visitors—and that it must be shut down. When Evonda’s body is found in her car clutching a copy of the cease-and-desist order, suspicion naturally falls on Lara and Aunt Fran. But there’s a whole litter of potential culprits, including a tenant in one of Evonda’s buildings who’d been ordered to give up his rescue cat, a disgruntled daughter-in-law, and more. Now Lara—wi

Book Blogger Hop; If You Can Recommend A Book From The Following Genres, What Would They Be?

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It's Friday and time for a new Book Blogger Hop post, courtesy of  Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer . The question of the week was " If you can recommend a book from the following genres, what would they be? A book from romance, NA, YA, fantasy ." Book Blogger Hop Here's the books I would recommend. Romance; Wooing the Farmer by Jenny Frame YA; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Fantasy; Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Book Tag; The Mid-Year Freak Out Tag

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Since we're roughly mid-year at the moment, I figured out it was time for The Mid-Year Freak Out Tag created by Chami & Ely . Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2020? Cooking for Ghosts by Patricia V. Davis Best Sequel of 2020 so far? Scorched Grounds by Debbie Herbert New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want to? Golden Poppies by Laila Ibrahim Most Anticipated Release of the Second Half of 2020? Stoker's Wilde West by Steven Hopstaken & Melissa Prusi Biggest Disappointment? A Class of Conjuring by Evie Wilde Biggest Surprise? Stoner by John Williams Favourite New Author? A favourite new-to-me author is Jean Kwok. Newest Fictional Crush? Dimitri from The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans Newest Favourite Character? Hallie from the same book as mentioned above Book That Made You Cry? Faculty Brat: A Memoir of Abuse by Dominic Bucca Book That Made You Happy? Avocado Bliss b

Review; No More Time by Suzanne Trauth

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Last year I recieved an ARC of the cosy mystery No More Time by Suzanne Trauth through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Netgalley DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY Restaurant manager Dodie O’Dell has found her niche in the cozy New Jersey town of Etonville, creating menus that make a delicious double-act with the community theater’s productions. Now she’s ready for a vacation at the Jersey Shore town she called home before a hurricane hit. Sun, salty air, and seagulls make for a nostalgic escape from regular life—until a contingent from Etonville arrives to compete in a Jersey Shore theater festival. Roped into helping her former boss cater the event, Dodie also gets a visit from her old flame, Jackson, who’s hoping to revive his charter boat business and is looking for a place to crash. Before Dodie can tell him that ship has sailed, Jackson’s partner is found murdered on his boat. Dodie knows her ex is a mooch, bu

Review; Guilty as Charred (A Cook-Off Mystery #3) by Devon Delaney

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery  Guilty as Charred (A Cook-Off Mystery #3) by Devon Delaney through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads Sherry Oliveri has attained celebrity status after winning the America’s Good Taste Recipe Contest with her delectable New England Crab Cake Sliders. But now that she’s back home in Connecticut, she’s got to deal with something else fishy . . . Sherry’s making a guest appearance on a local radio show when the news comes in: Poppy Robinson has been found dead in the town’s community garden. Sherry was supposed to be taking questions about her win in the national cooking competition, but instead the callers start dishing dirt. Poppy and Sherry were both involved in the vegetable garden, and while Poppy may have been a bit priggish, it wasn’t anything that called for a shovel to the back

Review; A Bias for Murder by Sally Goldenbaum

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(This post contains affiliate links.) Last year I was lucky enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery  A Bias for Murder by Sally Goldenbaum through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Netgalley When their town is blanketed in suspicion and murder, it falls to the Crestwood Quilters to uncover a killer in this latest case from Sally Goldenbaum, the national bestselling author of the Seaside Knitters mysteries . . . Oliver Harrington II was one of the most beloved members of Crestwood’s community. Despite being the picture of health at age 52, he died from a sudden heart attack, leaving behind the family mansion on a sprawling piece of property. His twin sister Adele returned to the town she despises to claim her brother’s home, intent on turning it into a B&B. And she’s hired Po Paltrow and the Crestwood Quilters to craft quilts for the guest rooms. But Adele is not the only one interested in t