Seasons Greetings, Cozy Readers!  Today’s blog spotlight is on Author Libby Klein and the December 31, 2019 release of the fourth epic story in her Poppy McAllister Mystery series!  THEATER NIGHTS ARE MURDER.  Read on for Chatting About Cozies 5 Star Review! 🎄😊📚

If you haven’t met Poppy McAllister, now is the time! I think it’s best to start with the first book and read in order so you’ll know the characters. I love this comical cozy mystery series!



5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

Poppy McAllister is normally baking gluten-free goodies in Cape May, NJ and juggling the romantic attention of two suitors, Tim and Gia. As book four begins, she volunteers at the theater production of “Mamma Mia” which is casting at the Senior Center. Royce Ricardo, an old flame of Aunt Ginny’s is the lead male actor. Aunt Ginny and her flippant and savvy tribe of older lady friends try out for various parts during auditions. Wha-la! The humor begins!

When another actress, Blanche aka Moira, sweeps the lead actress role from Aunt Ginny, she and her old biddy friends are up to mayhem and mischief using their senior sleuthing skills when sabotage and threats happen on set; then an actor dies falling from the catwalk.

Speaking of cats, Figaro is Poppy’s purrsnickety Persian and his purrsonality is a hoot! He thinks he rules the quaint Butterfly Wings Bed & Breakfast Inn that Poppy and Aunt Ginny own. The Inn is being targeted by a troll who keeps leaving obnoxious fake reviews on travel sites and Poppy is hot on their trail.

The female characters in this story are spunky, saucy, and strong-willed. They’re determined to get to the bottom of the on-set mysteries while the show goes on and before someone else is hurt.

Action keeps the plot moving swiftly, plus the dialogue and events are frequently hilarious! I laughed out loud many, many times! 😀

Eventually, between the police, Poppy, and the senior sleuths task force, the suspects get narrowed down and explanations for certain occurrences are exposed. There are also a couple of subplots in the storyline that are wrapped up at the end, along with the killer reveal. To me, it’s very clear which suitor Poppy chooses! The author gifts readers with some delicious gluten-free recipes after the story.

Check out Libby’s website:  https://libbykleinbooks.com/

Check out Chatting About Cozies Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/chatcozy/

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Fantastic beginning to the Cider Shop Cozy series—APPLE CIDER SLAYING by Julie Anne Lindsey also known as Julie Chase/Jacqueline Frost/Bree Baker.  Happy Reading, Y’all! 😊 📚 ☕️


5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

Who likes apple cider? Me, too! One of the first things that attracted me to this book was the cheery red Christmas cover, and the thought of hot cider on a cold winter day.

Winnie Montgomery’s passion is creating savory homemade apple ciders! Her cider is sold at her Granny Smythe’s Orchard in gorgeous Blossom Valley, West Virginia. Winnie’s dream is to renovate an old barn on the property into a cider shop and for that, she needs a bank loan. When Mr. Sherman, the banker, comes for a tour and they stumble across a corpse; Winnie fears that’s killed her chances for loan approval, however; she’s a determined protagonist and isn’t going to let a murderer ruin her project. She decides if she solves the murder and can get the bank officer to come back, then maybe she can still get a loan. 

Full of home, hearth, and love of family, friends, and community; I constantly felt the coziness as I savored this story. Winnie and her Granny have such wonderful memories that crop up throughout the fast-paced storyline. As the mystery and suspense build, there’s so much more to this story than picking apples and sipping cider. The author led me on such a merry chase that the killer snuck up on me! Scrumptious sounding recipes round out the ending of this delicious read. Grab a warm beverage and enjoy this cozy!

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing with an honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you.

Release Date: 10.29.19
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If you’re a fan of Author Rose Pressey and her paranormal novels, this debut story in the Haunted Craft Fair Mystery series should be an automatic buy for you!  Don’t miss MURDER CAN MESS UP YOUR MASTERPIECE, released 10.29.19!


5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

I think this debut para-cozy is a fantastic story! Author Rose Pressey shines in her creative expression with this engaging plot. I adore the eye-catching cover with the cute chihuahua, Van Gogh, who is artist Celeste Cabot’s companion and protector. I always enjoy festival settings and this Summer Arts & Crafts Fair in Gatlinburg, Tennessee is also the perfect set-up for a crime scene.

When one of Celeste’s paintings brings a ghost to life, creepy things begin to happen, including the slaying of the unlikeable festival manager. Unfortunately, Celeste has doubts about the innocence of many of her fellow vendors. She meets two men during the investigation who show interest in getting to know her on a personal level, and I wondered which one Celeste would choose.

MURDER CAN MESS WITH YOUR MASTERPIECE charmed me from the beginning with its delightful setting, wonderful characters, adorable pets, and an overall alluring mystery! 5 Stars! As an extra treat, the author includes delicious recipes for recipes for readers to try.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an honest, unbiased review. Thank you.

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A bewitching mew cozy series from Author Bethany Blake.  Introducing A BRUSHSTROKE WITH DEATH (Owl & Crescent Mystery #1).  Happy Reading! 😊 📚


5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

Just in time for Halloween, this is the perfect story to get you in the mood for the witching hour and some crystal ball reading! Author Bethany Blake debuts a para-cozy series I believe will immediately bewitch cozy mystery fans. Heroes come in all sorts of forms and disguises and this new paranormal/witch mystery showcases several of them, and was one of the reasons I enjoyed the story so much. The ending is spellbinding!

Artist Willow Bellamy’s ancestors are witches. She can “read” people through their paintings. As this mesmerizing cozy tale begins, Willow’s hosting a painting event in the old barn that houses her shop/studio—The Owl & Crescent Art Barn. It’s a dark and stormy night as the eclectic group gathers to chat, sip, snack, and paint. Early the next morning, one of the attendees is found cold and lifeless near Willow’s property. Willow is shocked when a Detective Lucian Turner arrives and looks just like the man in a painting she recently finished. She wonders if she could have painted he and his dog, Marinette, to life.

To say this is an excellent mystery doesn’t seem to be enough. I’d give it more stars than 5, if I could, for entertainment, creativeness, and characterization. The dialogue is witty with laugh-out-loud moments. There’s obviously something supernatural about Lucian and Willow’s connection and why he’s there, and those facts are slowly revealed as this captivating tale unfolds. Willow is surrounded by dynamic pets who I loved—her protective familiar...Rembrandt, the owl. Rescue pig...Mortimer, who’s much more at home inside than outside. And, Luna...a sweet gray cat with a crescent marking. All three are her faithful companions.

I was creeped out by secondary character, Benedict Blodgett, a horror film director, and y’all will understand why as you read the story! There’s a bevy of suspects who disliked the victim and Willow places herself in danger multiple times as she casts spells to see if she can “see” the killer. I got goosebumps when I realized who the murderer was! I kinda had a feeling who it was, but still....the betrayal! I can hardly wait for book two so I can find out what happens in the next story!

I reviewed a galley ARC provided by Kensington Publishing. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

Release Date: 10.29.19

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Barbara Ross and Kensington Publishing have re-published a short novella, NOGGED OFF (A Maine Clambake Mystery #4.5).

5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

A sparkling new Christmas novella set on Morrow Island in Busman’s Harbor, Maine.

Julia Snowden and her family are preparing for Christmas at the farm. Julia makes a quick trip to New York to move her belongings back home. Acquaintance, Imogen Geinkes invites herself to the family gathering and trouble follows her like a magnet.

This is an entertaining short story that displays home, hearth, and family amidst a strange murder scene that Author Barbara Ross neatly wraps up in a clever ending.

I reviewed a digital arc that I won in a Goodreads Giveaway from Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

Release Date: 10.29.19

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It’s Tuesday, 10.29.19!  Don’t miss Author Debra Sennefelder’s newest Food Blogger Mystery, THREE WIDOWS AND A CORPSE!  Enjoy!


5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

I like food blogger Hope Early. She’s a strong woman determined to make her blog, Hope At Home, successful. In book three, a bigamist husband is exposed and things quickly take a morbid turn during an annual scavenger hunt. Hope begins meddling in order to help solve the crime in a timely manner. The plot is filled with humor, yummy food, and clues galore; all of which keep the story moving along at a great pace. There are suspects galore, including the three wives the victim was allegedly married to! Ms. Sennefelder keeps you guessing whodunnit until the very end. This is a great traditional cozy sure to please readers. Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen included at the story end.


I reviewed a galley arc provided by the author for an honest review. Thank you.

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One of my favorite ‘beachy’ cozy mystery series!  Happy reading ❣️📚😊



5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

A fun, fresh cozy with a Christmastime beach setting. The third book of the Seaside Cafe cozy series features protagonist Everly Swan and her popular business, Sun, Sand and Tea, and is sure to quench your thirst with a startling murder and a surprise killer reveal!

The plot moves along quickly and the author skillfully throws suspicious actions on innocent suspects. Everly’s great aunts, Fran and Clara, are engaging secondary characters, as well as Grady Hays who seems interested in a romance with Everly. Clara’s holiday obsession with gnomes plays a huge part of the plot. Lou, the seagull, may even be a local man reincarnated and interestingly helps save Everly in an unusual way!

I highly recommend this story plus the two previous stories in the Seaside Cafe series.

I reviewed a digital copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you.

Image source: Goodreads