Could Lily be dead?  Come along with Dani to solve the mystery
934819
Book 3 finds that Danielle has opened the Marlow House Bed and Breakfast and her best friend Lily has left Oregon to return to California to start the school year.  Ian (the hunky guy across the street who we meet in Book 1) has decided to give up the lease on the rental and follow Lily to California.

Nothing could have prepared Dani for a phone call from Lilys mother telling her Lily had been killed in an accident in California, in shock over the death of her best friend, Dani and Walt are not prepared for Lily to show up at Marlow House.

This book is a little deeper in description and story line that Book 1 or 2 but still is a great read.  What I like the most is Dani isn't ready to forgive Joe for doubting her when she said I didn't murder my cousin Cheryl.  Now when Dani is telling Joe Lily isn't dead and in fact she is living in Gustav Stoddards house as his daughter Isabella he doesnt believe her.

Book 3 is great and yes Ive ordered Book 4 this morning.
3036136
I preface my review with the fact that I love the Melody Ellison and American Girl mysteries so of course I have to read these books!
(I might add that it's great to collect the dolls but I would be encouraged if MORE fans read the books which really bring the dolls to life :)
A rare orchid exposes much in this story. Melody proves her loyalty and trustworthiness with both family and friends.  From zayde the story blooms.
This one is a real flower garden (or show :) mystery. 5 stars and a recommended must read :)
3171504
When a stranger visits Lily Kaisers antique store and hands her a violin, he claims it is Lilys inheritance and leaves before she can ask any questions. Lily is mystified and certain it must be a mistake. She has no idea who originally bequeathed the valuable instrument to her. Determined to find out more and solve the mystery Lily calls for help from her best friend who is an acclaimed restorer of musical instruments The mystery surrounding the violin takes Lily on a journey across the globe from Germany to England and Italy and then on to exotic Sumatra. Along the way she meets the charming Gabriel Thornton and learns about Rose Gallway, a talented musician who once owned the violin. Soon the journey becomes a lot more than just about uncovering the mystery of the violin. For Lily it sheds a whole new light on her life, what she wants out of it and her priorities.

The plot is written over two different timelines. The First time line describes Lilys story as she sets out to discover the history behind the violin. The second timeline tells the story of Rose the woman who once owned the violin. The characters and the various places Lily visits are vividly depicted. The book makes you want to go and see them yourself.

The only minor distraction for me was that the writing felt a little bit stilted occasionally. Because of this it took a bit of time before the story became captivating. I am not sure whether this is due to the translation from German or part of the authors writing style but is why I cant quite give it 4 stars. I give it 3.9 stars.

Overall this is an interesting and enjoyable story with nice characters. Fans of historical fiction and womans fiction will surely enjoy it.

Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
2186933
A blogger is writing about Marlow House being haunted and predicts that a murder will occur at the 4th of July celebration.  Meanwhile Ian has purchased an engagement ring and is ready to purpose to Lily, but Lily feels she must come forth with the story of Dani being able to see and hear ghosts and Walt living there.  So unbeknown to Lily Ian sees a bottle of wine floating in the air while Dani, Lily and Heather are sitting at the kitchen table.  When Ian confronts Lily, she tells him all that has been occurring over the past year and of course Ian doesnt believe her and accuses her of being dishonest with him.  No mater how they try to explain it to Ian he just cant wrap his head around the story of Walt Marlow living in Marlow House and that Dani, Chris and Heather can hear or speak to ghosts.  Poor Sadie just doesnt know what to do she misses Max and Walt so much.  Meanwhile Agatha falls down the stairs and is found dead, just like the blogger wrote.  You need a score card with this book keeping track of all the characters and were they are, but its still a well written story.
3718837
Dan Crosby has been missing for 7 years. He just seemed to vanish on his way home from the local tavern one night. Amy Crosby started the proceedings to have him declared legally dead when she gets a blackmail letter implying that Dan is still alive. Things start getting worse for Amy when her house is broken into and Jerome, a friend who wants to be more, is murdered. Sue Ann, her best friend, and Brad a local deputy, who also has feeling for Amy, stand by her and work to try to untangle the mystery. In a small town like Independence, someone has got to know something and Amy and Sue Ann do some investigating on their own. Very good story.
2175353
A couple of intriguing mysteries that leave you wondering whats next
3600797
I too love everything that Charlaine Harris writes, but unfortunately I read them in one sitting - and she's just not writing fast enough for me.  I thought that this third Lily Bard story was excellent. The plot was deeper and the characters were more fully fleshed out, even the minor ones.  It was also interesting to get a glimpse of what Lily was like before the Bad Thing happened, through the eyes of her old friends and family. The mystery was pretty transparent, but I really didn't mind that.  I was more interested in tracking Lily's progress since the last book.  All in all, a satisfying read.  A note - for those of you who have computers  - ( I don't ) please  tell Amazon to get the next two books in the series on Kindle so we all can read them.  Maybe then I'll understand why Ms. Harris doesn't plan to write any more books for this series.  As much as I like Sookie and Aurora and Harper, Lily is my favorite.
3499894
Rose watches Kate die in the middle of the road.  The fact that Kate is up and walking and talking makes it difficult for Rose to convince her Kate that she is dead.
When The Doctor gets involved things just keep getting interesting.  A wonderful treat for Doctor Who fans.
4220595
Lawrence Kingston falls into solving another delightful mystery! This time the apparently simple quests are to find out what happened to a woman who disappeared 8 yrs ago and to figure out how an extinct rose found its way to the gardens on Alcatraz Island where it is alive and well. Neither are connected - right??? Nobody is surprised that the hunt for answers takes a few turns before they are solved. Our sleuth Kingston pairs up with a retired, but bored, policewoman - Emma - who tries to keep him out of too much trouble.
A fun read - just in time for the holidays.
2811804
Will Nick ever get Cassidy to accept that he doesn't want her any more? That he never really wanted her, that she was just a temporary fling? She always had an expiration time of 6 months, all Nick's flings had a 6 month expiration date. The only woman he's ever wanted for all time was Maddie. Now that Maddie's back all he wants is for Maddie to be his. How far will Cassidy go to keep Nick? Would she hurt Maddie? Who is killing young women in town? If you want the answers to these questions read this, the second book in the A Maddie Graves Mystery series. Lily Harper Hart is a fine author with excellent writing skills. Her characters are believable and sympathetic. So believable that you will feel like you've known them half of your life. You will find yourself rooting for Maddie and Nick before you read 10 pages of the book. The storyline is well laid out and moves along at a fast pace, ramping up the suspense until it's almost unbearable by the final twist you will not see coming. A mystery for the mystery fan, with quite a bit of romance for the romance fan and a big dose of paranormal action for the fans of paranormal romance. I am so glad that there are already several more books in the Kindle store from this author. Highly recommended.
4345720
Charmaine Digby, County Coroner's Office investigative assistant, is on the job again. Four garden gnomes and their beloved owner, Emmy Lee Barstow, go missing on the same day. Then Emmy Lee's body is discovered the next morning by a hotel maid. Is it suicide? Is it murder? Char digs into Emmy Lee's final days to discover what happened. Does this put Char in danger? Will her love interest, Detective Steve Sixkiller, arrive in time. Another funny, romantic mystery by Wendy Delaney. Loved this book.
198010
Once again Jude is conned into helping out an acquaintance, this time an old high school friend who owns a B and B in the Santa Lucia Islands. An obnoxious guest falls down the stairs and is found dead shortly after Renie hits him in the head with a dinner plate when he tries to steal her dinner. It turns out that he really died from a blow to the head, just not Renies. This contains the usual wierd group of characters and improbable mystery, but is very enjoyable none the less.
1726198
Lily of the Valley has such a sweet and pure fragrance but it is also a poison. Peggy Lee owns a garden store and is a botanic forensic expert for the county. She knows her plants and what plants are poisonous. She is contacted by her mysterious internet friend that a PI. named Harry has some information about the death of Peggy Lee's first husband over 20 years ago. Harry wants help with proving that his sister was murdered years ago. He has some files and information on Peggy Lee husband's death. So it begins and Peggy Lee is taken on a trail of adventure, mishaps, surprises and danger.

It was a quick read with a twist involved. Peggy is a mature sleuth who is now married for a second time. She has a son and is soon to be a grandmother. One would not have to have read the previous books. I think cozy mystery readers and people who like a little gardening with their mystery would enjoy this book. It ended with an interesting segue to the next book in the series.  The LaVenes can really write entertaining mysteries.
3332246
Corpse on the Cob by Sue Ann Jaffarian is the 5th installment of the Odelia Grey Mystery series. This time we find Odelia traveling to small town Massachusetts to reunite with the mother who walked out on her when she was 16. Unfortunately, when Odelia finds her mother, she is crouching over a dead body in a corn maze, with blood on her hands. Odelia doesnt believe her mom committed the murder, and she is soon deeply involved in solving the crime. Odelias friend Willie and her husband Greg show up to help her with her mission. We also get introduced to the two half brothers, Clark and Grady, that Odelia never knew she had.

This is a fun and quick book to read. The mystery is interesting, and there are several suspects to chose from. I like that we get to see more of the Odelia/Greg relationship, and her eccentric friend Willie is a charmer. This is a light hearted mystery, but there is also a dangerous element. Odelia gets into serious trouble while looking for answers. This series is very enjoyable and I definitely recommend it for fans of cozy mysteries.
466054
Oh no! Now Tricia finds someone dead in her washroom. Why and who, she will help uncover this mystery as we continue to learn more about Tricia and the community.
4597719
This is the 10th installment of the Whales and Tails series. Join Cait and the gang for another Christmas celebration on Madrona Island.  Cait stumbles upon a man on the beach. She is just in time to save his life but he ends up with amnesia.  Cait jumps in to solve the mystery of John Doe. This mystery kept my interest because I liked how Cait systematically followed the clues to solve it. Cody, Tara, Siobhan, Finn and even Danny are there to help with this intriguing mystery. I kept guessing and I was wrong! Kathi Daley pulled out a fun mystery with twists that I did not see coming.  It is that time of year, grab a cup of hot chocolate and start reading this book!
2481966
Kate Davidson is a multi-tasking maven. She juggles owning and teaching classes at her yoga studio with her busy personal life. She has a beloved dog Bella, who isn't really too fond of other dogs, some people, has separation anxiety and to top it off lacks an essential enzyme which makes mealtime dicey at best. Kate also has a live-in boyfriend, Micheal who is pretty understanding considering Kate has stumbled upon more than one dead body. He is less happy about her urge to jump in and help solve the crime.

You might be thinking that you are as busy as Kate (minus the dead bodies of course) but she stepped up her game in this book. She is dealing with a young woman that she really doesnt like, but has agreed to let her work at the studio to pay off a debt. Again, what could really go wrong?

Kates best friend Rene is expecting twins. So, Kate agrees to be her Doula (a non-medical person that gives moral support during and after the birth of her child, or in this case children). And the cherry on the top of Kates crazy triple scoop sundae of her life  Michael brings home a pair of adorable abandoned puppies. They wiggle their way into Michael and Kates hearts, but unfortunately also wiggle their way out of an escape proof crate and proceed to leave a path of destruction in their wake.

As if this wasn't enough to wear out our favorite Yoga instructor, during the open house for the brand new birthing center where Rene will have her babies, a dead body shows up. Then someone Kate knows is arrested, but she knows her friend is innocent and sets out to prove it with an unlikely accomplice. Michael has warned her against sticking her nose in where it shouldnt be, but Kate cant help herself. Will this be the time she steps over the line?

Tracy Webers Downward Dog Mystery series is entertaining and fun. She also treats readers to a solid mystery. By the end of the book, before the crazy climax of finding out who the killer is there are no less that eight plausible suspects. And we aren't talking way out, red herring, reader groaning connections. LOTS of people wanted to kill this guy and they all had good reason. But it was only one of them. It took until the very end to figure it out. The clues were laid out perfectly, as a mystery buff, it is satisfying to realize I could have figured it out, but didnt.

Webers characters are people you would meet everyday at work or in your social life. I didn't necessarily want to spend time with some of them, but others seem like theyd be really fun to invite to a party. Each book adds more layers to the main characters, but you could honestly read these as stand alone cozy mysteries. This is the fourth book in Webers series, so you may want to start at the beginning, but you really don't have.

If I haven't convinced you to give this series a try, I only have one more thing to say  babies and puppies. Both adorably cute, frustratingly funny if they aren't yours. I highly recommend this fast paced cozy mystery.