Fun, clean and well-written cozy mystery
581919
"Starboard Secrets" is the first of Millie's seabound adventures, introducing us to this energetic woman who is beginning her second chapter, and has decided to live it working on a cruise liner.

Hope Callaghan's series' are fun and addictive. UNLIKE many "cozy" mysteries, her books are well-written, grammatically correct and intriguing. You'll love the group of characters and how they wind together in different series' and wish you could go on the cruises with them or live in the small town.
4453191
No gruesome murders, maulings etc... Just a well-written mystery/cozy. As usual, leading character Lori can't resist getting involved in the goings-on of her provincial, yet surprisingly lively and lovable hometown of Finch - a small village in the Cotswold region of England. And as usual, if Lori is involved, mysteries and strange goings-on always follow. With the help of her dear friend, Aunt Dimity, - on "the other side" - Lori and the other townspeople are able to bring closure to a new resident's 300 year old family secret, drive away a nutter new age group of her stalkers, and help two lonely people find companionship. There are many who write in this genre, but only three or so who do it well. By well I mean fun story lines, well developed characters, and well written. I cannot stand reading books full of poor sentence structure with fifth grade level vocabulary. In all these departments, Ms. Atherton is a pro! She's pulled it off again with a fun, light read and no nightmares! Just for your own interest, keep track of how many words you have to look up. I'm not saying she uses archaic vocabulary, but you will enjoy learning a few new words, and expanding your vocabulary - never a bad thing!
4705378
Keeley is a stressed out lawyer turned quilt appraiser. However, that does not make life easier. Instead, a dead body appears and puts Keeley in the middle of a murder investigation.

This is a great cozy mystery, a fun and quick read. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along.  I have not read the first three books in the Danger Cove Mysteries series, but will now and look forward to reading more adventures of the characters.

**Full Disclosure - I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!**
3472813
This is a satisfyingly well-paced cozy. The pages turn quickly, the writing is fresh and fun with enough surprises to keep you focused and the story advancing seamlessly. There are no slow, draggy parts, but it's not rushed, either. The characters are all likable and made for the series format. And let's not forget the Maine Coon cat, Barney. (As someone who shares a house with a Maine Coon, I thought the author should have spent more time revealing the quirky aspects of this species, especially considering the pivotal part Barney plays in the outworking of the mystery.)

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed almost everything about the book, and even managed to overlook the wrong grammar and need for more editing. The one thing that mildly irked me was the author's habit of concealing information from the reader while everyone in the story knows what's going on. She did this all the time, in small ways to very large and important ways. For instance, her character would look out the window and see SOMETHING!!! Then she would react to the something, even think about it, all the while the reader is left dangling wondering what it was. And then  it turns out to be nothing too startling. At the end, the ladies uncover whodunit--but the reader doesn't get to know for a while as they talk about it without actually telling the reader anything. It became very contrived and not suspenseful, just irritating. Also, I really couldn't get behind the tampering with evidence, even though it was necessary for the plot to work.

All that said, this was a pleasurable read and I wouldn't hesitate to read another book by the author and just hope she'll get an outside editor in to help her clear up the rough spots and irksome habits.
3825743
A delightful twist on the cozy genre!  It's funny and the writing sprightly. Sometimes the paranormal thing can be annoying but it's well done here.  Melody and her friends are pretty darn intrepid given the ghost situation.  I liked Britannia; the mystery surrounding her death is not too twisty and let's be honest, she deserves a plug here because this book is less about her than about the relationship between Melody and Fletcher.  My quibble is that this didn't need the steamy stuff.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.  I read the first book (which I recommend) and am looking forward to the next one.
3183211
This book has all the elements I love ... a cozy-type mystery with a good dose of romance and a light touch of paranormal. Plus it's a clean book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who also likes a good clean read. I started reading it and couldn't put it down until 3:00 in the morning. The dialogue is witty and the characters unique.
3950226
Gemma Rose and the Old Biddies are crime-solving again in this third book in the Oxford Tearoom Mystery series.  Gemmas friend Seth is caught holding a murder weapon over a dead body and is arrested.  Knowing her friend would not commit murder, Gemma and her friends snoop around to find answersanswers that lead them to multiple suspects and unexpected danger!  I love this clean, cozy mystery series with its suspense, colorful characters, handsome heroes, cat shenanigans (by Muesli of course), and tasty recipes.  This book features the recipe for Chelsea buns which I hope to try soon.  It also has a British dictionary to explain some of the words used in the story.  Well organized story with a satisfying ending.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
2833582
I really enjoyed this reissue of a book from about 11 years ago. I didn't read it then, I don't know how I could have missed it!

Set in a fairly upscale retirement community in Florida, right on the beach, it's a terrific cozy with a great cast of characters, good character foils and I afore the main characters dog, Ballou.

It's well written, with great descriptions, which make me feel like I'm there helping solve the mystery. I'm hoping that the author picks up the series and word the next book.

*I'd like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for  the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*
2648137
Color Me Murder by Krista Davis debuts as the first installment in the Pen and Ink cozy mystery series.  As an added bonus the front and back covers are colorable.

Florrie Fox enjoys working and managing the Color Me Read bookstore.  She takes delight in helping the customers and making them happy with their book finds.  After a long day at work, Florrie loves to unwind with her cat, Peaches and design adult coloring books.

Living in Reston, Virigina, Florrie is looking for a place closer to work. When the owner of the bookstore, Professor John Maxwell offers his empty carriage house rent free, Florrie jumps at the proposition, but she must take residence right away before his "good for nothing" nephew, Delbert takes claim on it.  One morning after opening up the bookstore, Florrie finds Delbert dead and the evidence points to dear, old Professor Maxwell.  Florrie knows he didn't kill his nephew and with paper and pen in hand, Florrie sketches out the clues to free Professor Maxwell.

Color Me Murder is a quick, enjoyable read.  The chapters are short and the pages are colorful, sprinkled with a little humor.  The author vividly describes each character and scene. My image of the bookstore is vintage and musty with tables of books in the center aisles and a sliding book ladder.  The characters are lively and well portrayed.  Florrie is my favorite character.  She's giving with a dash of spontaneity.  There are many characters in this cozy mystery, but they're easy to follow and each play an intricate part.  Both the plot and subplot are fast paced, yet smoothly flow into each other.

In the future, I'm looking forward to reading more of the Pen and Ink series.  I recommend Color Me Read to cozy mystery lovers or not who love to read book-themed mysteries.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.
4496394
3.5 stars, actually (wish we could do that).  This is a well written, traditional cozy mystery that proved perfect for my rainy weekend. I see many attempts at this type of mystery, but few are as successful at it as this author. While several of the characters were broadly comedic, there were also sly touches of humor. The solution was neither obvious nor outlandish. Sometimes all you want is a comfortable few hours of reading, and this book delivered just that.  I look forward to reading more of her books.
4398638
I really enjoyed this light, easy and fun cozy mystery. I had read a book by ReGina Welling and was hoping that this one, written with her daughter Erin Lynn, would be as good and it definitely was. I'm anxious now to read more books by both of them. If you enjoy cozy mysteries I highly recommend this one.
1268277
I loved this latest installment of the Cozy Corgi mysteries. These cozies are light, fun, intelligent, well-written reads. Scornful Scones, like the other Mildred Abbott mysteries, has Fred solving the mystery while showing her interactions with family and friends. There's enough possibility of romance with either Sgt. Wexler or Park Ranger Leo Lopez, to make it interesting, but not so much that it overwhelms the story.

Scornful Scones has a great flow, which means it's easy to sit down and keep reading, and hard to put down, once you've begun. This was another great book from Mildred Abbott, and I'm looking forward to the next one!
1364786
I received this free copy through the instafreebies program.

This was a cute 'cozy' mystery with fun characters, lot of clues and several potential criminals.

Well written with the potential for romance in the future.
4183923
I had forgotten this was a cozy mystery when I finally got around to reading it. I don't tend to read those, but I really enjoyed this book! The characters, especially Sadie, were entertaining and the story itself wasn't easy to figure out for me. It was a nice, clean, light read.
3263898
To get through these cold, snowy winter nights, there's nothing better than curling up by the woodstove with a nice cozy mystery, which is just what I did with THE MARQUESA'S NECKLACE. It didn't disappoint.

What a fun read! Harmony Duprie, the main character, (and I absolutely love that name) leapt off the page with her intelligence and wry sense of humor. She's an independent woman who, for a living, does research for writers. The men in her life are quite unique. There's the mysterious "ghost" she encounters at the library, an amorous detective who has the distinction of once being her arresting officer, and a former lover, now in prison.

Despite that color, her life seems to be moving along rather smoothly, but then, out of the blue, someone blows up her car! From that point on you cannot put this book down. Full of quirky characters and unexpected twists and turns, this is one of the best of this genre I have read in a long time. MacLayne's writing is crisp and clean and I can't wait for another Harmony Duprie mystery to appear on my bookshelf. Highly recommended.
2523736
I have read several books in this series- not in order. While each builds on the previous stories, each stands alone better than most. The series centers on a young ex-pat living in Ireland surrounded by extended family. The back-story is fresh and fun. The main plot is a cozy murder mystery. It is all very clean and not gruesome in any manner. This is a high quality story without any contrivance like anonymous notes that solve the mystery. It is basic police work, instincts and luck! I received this book (ARC) at no cost and voluntarily chose to post my review.
3664033
Well-thought out and written this should appeal to "cozy mystery" fans as well as readers looking for an enjoyable read.