Hi Cozy Readers!

I’ve been collecting Cozy News since March so I may have some tidbits y’all haven’t heard about.  Enjoy! 😊 📚

Sherry Harris....Let’s Fake A Deal (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #7), July 2019.  Also contracted for Books 8 & 9❣️

Sherry Harris....*New Series In 2019!  The Chloe Jackson Redneck Riviera Mystery.  Set in the Florida panhandle.

Daryl Wood Gerber....Wreath Between the Lines (Cookbook Nook #7)

Duffy Brown....Wedding Day & Foul Play (Consignment Shop #6) in 2019.

T.C. LoTempio....Signed a 3-Book contract for A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Series.  The Time for Murder is Meow #1.

Paige Shelton....The Loch Ness Papers (Scottish Bookshop #4)  Also contracted for Books 5 & 6❣️

Jenny Kales....A Stew To Kill (Callie’s Kitchen #4).  Releasing August 2018.

Leslie Budewitz....Chai Another Day (Spice Shop Mystery #4).  May 2019.

Kay Finch....The Black Cat Steps On a Crack (Bad Luck Cat Mystery #4).  Also contracted for Books 5 & 6.

Tracey Weber....Murder Likes It Hot (Downward Dog #6).  Possibly #7, Vinyasa Vendetta (proposal submitted, but not sold).

Catherine Burns....Tomato Sauce is Lethal (Italian Cook Mystery #1), winter 2019.

Krista Davis....The Diva Sweetens the Pie (Domestic Diva #12) in 2019.

Kate Collins....New series in 2019, Goddess Of Greene St. is a spin-off of the Flower Shop Mysteries.

Julia Buckley....Death Waits In The Dark (A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery #4) April 2, 2019.

Jenn McKinlay....Buried To the Brim (Hat Shop Mystery #6), in 2020.

Juliet Blackwell....Bewitched & Betrothed (A Wishcraft Mystery)

Miranda James....The Pawful Truth (A Cat in the Stacks Mystery # 10).  July 2019.

Linda Wiken writing as Essie Lang (readers also know her as Erika Chase)....New series from Crooked Lane Books In 2019—The Castle Bookshop Mystery.  It involves a bookstore, in a castle, in the Thousand Islands.

I’m always interested in great food, and Daryl Wood Gerber’s French Bistro Mystery series makes for some delicious reading.  Ms. Gerber has the touch when it comes to excellent culinary cozy writing.  I recommend her Cookbook Nook Mystery series and her Cheeseshop Mysteries written as Avery Aames.  Enjoy! 📚 😊



5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

A delicious addition to the French Bistro Mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber.  Amidst all the eating, drinking, and merriment at Bistro Rousseau, Mimi’s head chef, Camille, has to face the tragic death of her sister, Renee.  Evidence reveals there is a killer at large during Napa Valley’s Crush Week.

I enjoyed getting to know more about Mimi and the great cast of characters from book one as they continue in their work and personal lives.  The lengths the perpetrator goes to stop anyone from finding out their identity keeps the story lively and intriguing.  The author provides delicious-sounding recipes for readers to try.

I reviewed an ARC from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. Thank you.

Release Date:  July 10, 2018

Image source:  Goodreads 

Farm living is a happy place to be until Murder happens!  Lynn Cahoon brings us the second fabulous story in her Farm-To-Fork Mystery series.  Happy Reading! 😊 📚


5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

You’ll want to book your reservations to the County Seat well in advance for a nice table with a great view while you enjoy a batch of Chef Angie Turner’s fried green tomatoes! Angie and her friend/co-partner, Felicia, have their new restaurant running smoothly when head sous chef, Estebe takes a leave of absence after a family member, Javier, is accused of murder and jailed. Author Lynn Cahoon scatters seeds of doubt among the cast of characters who come and go through the doors of the County Seat. As one family wars for control of a legacy, the guilty wilt and show their hand under the pressure the sheriff and Angie put them under.

Fresh as rain the springtime, this fast moving plot grows on you, and there are bushels of clues to sift through. I adore Angie’s St. Bernard puppy, Dominic, who is one of her protectors, along with her boyfriend, Ian. Neighbor, Mrs. Potter, provides lots of chuckles as she moves over and spends a week with Angie and they comically ‘speak a different language’! 😊 Farm living is one of the ‘in’ themes for cozy mystery’s, and I’m sure enjoying this tasty series!

I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington. Thank you.

Image source:  Goodreads 

If you’re a dog lover like me, a new Melanie Travis Canine Mystery is always a treat to read! 😊 📚


5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

Ruff Justice”, Book 22 in the popular Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries, is a witty masterpiece for fans of pets and dog show competitions. For the Travis family, raising and showing standard poodles is a daily part of their household life. As son, Davey, struggles to lead his dog, Augie, to a championship win, Melanie and Aunt Peg begin to follow a trail of dog treats to expose an unscrupulous theft ring using its ties to the dog show competitors to set up robberies. Ms. Berenson knows the ins and outs of the dog show business and her characters are likable and family oriented. I enjoy the combination of numerous dogs; the hecticness of Melanie and husband Sam’s life with young sons and Aunt Peg; and the excitement at the dog competitions. I doubt I could keep up with a dog in all the backstage flurry at one of the shows! The mystery is well-hidden in the plot structure, but there are clues to stir your curiosity as to who the culprit may be. I’ve never read a book in this series that I didn’t enjoy!

I reviewed an ARC provided by the author. Thank you.


Image source: Goodreads

I recently discovered a new author, Ellen Jacobson, and enjoyed reading her first venture into the cozy mystery world.  In MURDER AT THE MARINA, Jacobson takes readers on a light, fun journey that is perfect for summer reading. 😊 📚


4 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

A light, humorous and original cozy mystery! New author, Ellen Jacobson, debuts with protagonist Mollie McGhie, a wife who wants diamonds for her anniversary and instead gets Marjorie Jane; a dilapidated sailboat, from her husband, Scooter. The boat is moored at a marina where some fishy business appears to be going on. Mollie and Scooter are innocently trapped in the midst of some criminal activity when a man is murdered on their boat. Mollie is strong-willed and observant and soon begins to piece together who done what. There are many comical moments throughout the story as the suspect list is whittled down. I enjoyed the surprise ending. Cat lovers will like Mrs. Moto.

I reviewed an ARC provided by the author. Thank you.

Image source: Goodreads 

The debut of Abby L. VanDiver’s series A Romaine Wilder Mystery had me laughing out loud all throughout the story.  Suppose your family owned a funeral home only to discover an unidentified corpse in one of your caskets and no idea how it got there!  Tag along with a fun cast of characters in SECRETS, LIES, &CRAWFISH PIES! Happy Reading! 😊 📚


5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

I felt right at home reading this story.  I’m a native East Texan and could’ve stepped right out of the pages of Abby L. VanDiver’s story.  Set around the awesome pineywoods area of Roble, TX, we find protagonist—Dr. Romaine Wilder—traveling home with her Aunt Zanne (Babet).  Home being the Ball Funeral Home & Crematorium.  They arrive to find Josephine Gail, Babet’s ditzy best friend, all in a tizzy saying there’s an extra dead body in the funeral home.  Sure enough, there’s a suited corpse laying in a casket someone swiped from the showroom floor!  The local law, Pogue, just happens to be Romaine’s first cousin, and he’s pretty green when it comes to solving crimes, especially murder.

Aunt Zanne’s not shy and she’s determined to find out who the unidentified dead man is as soon as Romaine performs the autopsy to determine cause of death and whatever other clues she can gleam from the body.  Following Auntie as she drags Romaine from place to place looking for clues had me chuckling throughout the story.  Babet is not one to stop when she’s on a mission!

Ms. VanDiver skillfully sets up a mighty fine southern mystery.  Brimming with humor, it’s a great portrayal of small town families, friends, and rivalries.  The cast have realistic personality quirks and all kinds of talent!  I had fun reading this story and can hardly wait for the next one.  5 out of 5 Stars!

I provide an honest review of an ARC from NetGalley and Henery Press.  Thank you.

Image source: Goodreads 

I enjoy fashion.  Shoes, purses, hats, dresses...you name it. 😊  Missy DuBois is a hat and veil designer and her boyfriend, Ambrose is a wedding dress designer!  A match made in heaven❣️  Missy tends to to happen upon dead bodies just a little too often, however.  I hope y’all enjoy the 4th story in Sandra Bretting’s delightful southern mystery series.  📚


5 Star Review by Chatting About Cozies (Linda Langford)

Protagonist Missy DuBois has built a successful business designing hats and veils in her Crowning Glory boutique in Bleu Bayou, Louisiana. Her significant other, Ambrose ‘Bo’ Jackson creates stunning wedding dresses, and the pair work well together.

As the story begins, a curmudgeon billionaire who purchased the historic Dogwood Manor home has apparently ticked off someone so badly they’ve murdered him. Missy has to deal with a bridezilla whose wedding was to take place at Dogwood Manor just a few days later. Meanwhile, Missy is scrambling to see to a cosmetic makeover for her shops interior before a popular bridal magazine comes to interview her. Her friend, Detective Lance LaPorte, agrees Herbert Solomon's death is suspicious, and Missy goes into investigate mode to follow up on some of the people the billionaire had run-ins with before his death.

I thought this was an engaging plot that flows along at a steady pace. Bits of humor liven the story and the romance between Missy and Ambrose is given just the right amount of attention so it doesn’t distract from the mystery. I remember the cast of recurring characters from previous books and enjoy re-visiting with them again. I had an idea who the culprit was and found the reveal contains an interesting bit of history that adds to their evilness! There’s sort of a cliffhanger ending, yet I don’t feel like it distracts from the story in any way. It just makes me want to read the next story! 

I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington. Thank you.

Image source: Goodreads