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Life's A Birch by Annabel Chase

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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I finished Life’s a Birch by Annabel Chase last night. It’s the second installment in her “Bloomin’ Psychic” series, starring Mia Thorne.

Mia is getting acclimated to the slower pace of life in Newberry, PA, although she still needs a job, and her great-aunt Hazel’s garden still needs lots of work. At least she has some new friends, Scarlet and Patrick, a potential boyfriend in attorney Dane Fairfax, and hellcat Ophelia seems to be accepting her. Things are going well until a body is found in the canal near Scarlet’s home and Scarlet is tabbed as the primary suspect. Determined to clear her friend’s name, Mia starts nosing around in hopes of finding a more viable suspect or two for the police to focus on. What she encounters is a conspiracy-minded birdwatching group, a creepy set of twins, a snarky knitting circle, and a ghost. The police would prefer that Mia stay out of it, because a killer may just kill again to keep a secret.

As fresh and funny as the first in the series. Mia is a hoot, and I love how she rolls with whatever fresh hell life deals her. The plot moved at a good pace, and characters were well-developed.

Favorite lines:
♦ Ophelia appeared in the kitchen, meowing with a sense of urgency. “What is it, Lassie? Did Timmy fall in the well again?”
♦ Chief Tuck peered at me with those Paul Newman eyes and I immediately started to crave salad dressing.
♦ “You should have taken something from him so you can try to do a reading later, like a strand of his hair, although I’d hate to deprive him of what few hairs he has left.”
♦ She was like a geriatric version of Luna from Harry Potter.
♦ Vacating the bean bag chair was like trying to give birth to myself.

Lots of fun, four stars

Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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I finished my “spare” book last night. It was Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells, and it’s the first in her “Della Cooks” series of cozy mysteries. The main character is Della Carmichael, a 47 year-old widow who runs a cooking school.

Della’s cooking school is doing okay, but she’s struggling to make ends meet. Therefore, she jumps at the chance to host a cooking show on a local cable channel. However, during the live airing of her first episode, the woman who volunteers to taste-test Della’s “killer mousse” drops dead. When it’s learned that Mimi died of an allergic reaction because the mousse contained peanuts, Della becomes a murder suspect. Her late husband was a police officer, so Della knows her way around the legal system. Soon, she is speaking to others involved with the cable station, trying to learn who may have had it in for Mimi. In the meantime, the TV station senses a PR opportunity and sends an investigative journalist to interview Della. She finds Nicholas D’Martino (or NDM, as she refers to him) to be arrogant and full of himself. When someone else connected with the studio is murdered and Della is attacked, she realizes she’s running out of time to find out who killed Mimi.

I enjoyed this story. I liked Della, and I appreciated that she was a mature woman. Other characters were three-dimensional and relatable, including the foul-mouthed owner of the station. When Della chose to indulge in a fling, I was both astonished and approving. It was refreshing to read about a woman who took what she wanted. Rowr! There really wasn’t much humor in the story, although Della was possessed of a dry wit. The plot moved at a good pace and didn’t meander.

Favorite lines:
♦ Maybe I was so upset at seeing a woman die in front of me that I was being unreasonable.
♦ She was as pale as a vampire’s entrée.

Very good story, and I look forward to reading others in the series. Four stars.

( Trope Test )

The Pernicious Pixie and the Choked Word by Kelly Ethan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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I polished off an ebook last night: The Pernicious Pixie and the Choked Word, which is the prequel to author Kelly Ethan’s “Point Muse” series of paranormal mysteries. The main character is librarian Alexandria “Xandie” Meyers, who doesn’t know she’s a witch.

Xandie would rather be doing anything but working for her austere father at the library at Andrews College, but she needs a job. As if working for her persnickety father wasn’t bad enough, Xandie stumbles over a dead body in the library. When paranormal investigator Ethan Jackson arrives to investigate, Xandie learns there’s more to this world than meets the eye. Her father won’t tell her anything, and all Ethan will tell her is to go to Point Muse, where her great-aunt Sera lived. First, however, Xandie must survive harmful hexes and murderous pixies if she wants to live long enough to visit Point Muse.

Not a long story, but put together well for all that. Characters came across fine, the plot was sensible and not bogged down with a lot of incidental descriptors.

Favorite lines:
♦ “What scrapbook nut outlines a dead body in glitter?”
♦ “Never threaten a woman with a broom.”
♦ “He’ll poop hell kittens if I don’t wind this up.”
♦ No one should ever have to deal with the horror of zombie underwear.
♦ “Some tea to go with your sarcasm?”

Lite and lively, four stars!

Plaster and Poison by Jennie Bentley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Finished reading Plaster and Poison last night. It’s the third book in author Jennie Bentley’s “Do It Yourself” mystery series. The main character is interior designer Avery Baker.

When Avery and her boyfriend, Derek, find themselves between renovating flips, their friend Kate asks them to renovate the old carriage house on the grounds of the B&B she owns so she can move into it once she gets married to police chief Wayne. It will be a tall order to complete the job before NYE, which is when Kate and Wayne are getting married. Nevertheless, Avery and Derek dive in. Their work comes to a halt, however, when a dead body is discovered in the carriage house. The victim is someone Kate knew all too well. Now Avery finds herself less concerned about her friend’s future living quarters and more worried about keeping Kate out of prison.

Lively story with lots going on: the murder, a mysterious disappearance, the arrival of Avery’s mother and stepfather for a visit, and an old mystery concerning a love triangle that Avery is determined to unravel. I enjoyed reading about her engaged in activities that did not involve investigating the crime. Avery and other characters were three-dimensional and relatable. I figured some things out early, but others caught me by surprise.

Favorite lines:
♦ “Better to be alone by yourself, than alone with somebody, don’t you think?”
♦ When two unusual things happen right after one another, chances are they’re related.

Fun read, four stars

A Guide to Solving A Murder by Courtney McFarlin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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I just polished off the last of A Guide to Solving a Murder, the first book in author Courtney McFarlin’s “Finn and Briar” series of cozy mysteries. Main characters are Tessa Windsor, along with her border collie, Finn, and her cat, Briar.

Tess is living the high life. She has her own business leading hikes in the Colorado Rockies, her faithful pets by her side, a brother whom she’s close to, and her BFF, Meggie. Her life is shaken up, however, when she and Paul are named as heirs to a woman they never knew—their great-aunt Euphemia. Paul inherits Euphemia’s home, but Tess inherits her magic. Now she can communicate with her cat and dog, which is amazing. Not so amazing is the very real nightmare Tess has of witnessing a woman’s murder. She recognizes the trail from her dream and travels there, only to find the woman’s body. Both Tess and Paul soon dig into the investigation, Tess by asking questions and Paul utilizing his skills and contacts as a journalist. Finn and Briar lend assistance where they can, and when Tessa gets too close to a killer, it will be up to her pets and her newfound magic to save the day.

Apparently, this series is a spinoff of the author’s “Razzy Cat” series. I have a few book in that series but have yet to read any. At least this one didn’t produce any overt spoilers. I loved Tessa’s ability to speak to Finn and Briar. Who among us wouldn’t want to talk to our pets? Characterizations were wonderful, including the pets. I liked how Paul and Meggie continued to dance around their attraction to one another. The plot moved quickly and held my attention.

Favorite lines:
♦ “It’s been my dream to talk to animals since I was a little girl.”
♦ “He couldn’t find his way out of a wet paper bag with a guide dog.”
♦ One never passes up donuts when one doesn’t have to.

Fun read, four stars

( Trope Test )

A Wild Ghost Chase by Elle Adams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Earlier this evening I knocked back the rest of A Wild Ghost Chase by Elle Adams. It’s the first book in the “Reaper Witch” series of paranormal mysteries. The main character is Maura, half witch, half Reaper.

After breaking the rules as a Reaper, Maura has turned her back on her paranormal life to live among non-magical people. However, her ability to see and communicate with ghosts continues to plague her. Now she’s been sacked from her job in a morgue and wondering how she’ll pay the rent. Maura is contacted by a teenage ghost blogger who asks her to come to Hawkwood Hollow to lay a particularly nasty ghost to rest. Maura accepts the job, but what she finds in Hawkwood Hollow is unexpected. There are far too many random spirits hanging around, even for a magical town, and she learns that the local Reaper has quit his job and is no longer crossing souls over. Teenage ghost-hunter wannabe, Carey, shows Maura the dilapidated old mansion where the surly spirit refuses to leave. What should be a simple case for a Reaper witch is complicated by a detective who doesn’t want Maura there, a belligerent heir, and her own twin brother, Mart, whose ghost is still attached to her. Maura is determined to get to the bottom of things, if only for Carey’s sake and to show Detective Drew that she knows what she’s doing.

This was a little bit fluffy and a little bit creepy. The ghost of old Mrs Renner was a nasty piece of work, as was her very much alive grandson, Henry Renner. Maura keeps being thwarted by the detective each time she tries to enter the house to communicate with Mrs Renner, and the old harridan is determined to stay put. Maura and Carey were portrayed well, but other characters could have used some fleshing out. The story was almost exclusively Maura’s investigation with some backstory thrown in.

Favorite line: Most magical folk are about as subtle as a troupe of unicycle-riding clowns juggling fireballs.

Not all that substantial, but enjoyable. It deserves 3.5 stars, but since I can’t award halfsies, I’ll bump it up to a four.

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Today I finished reading my extra/spare book: The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis. It’s the first in the author’s “Domestic Diva” cozy mystery series. The main character is Sophie Winston.

Divorced event planner Sophie is determined to beat Natasha Smith in the local Stupendous Stuffing Shakedown competition. Sophie and Natasha have been rivals since school, and while Natasha now has her own business and Sophie’s ex-husband, Sophie is confident she can win. Her careful planning is thrown for a loop, however, when she discovers a dead man in a dumpster behind the grocery store. When the police find Sophie’s photo and contact information in the dead man’s car, she becomes a person of interest. Sophie is determined to put the incident behind her and get ready, not only for the competition, but also for a house full of Thanksgiving guests. After one disaster after another befalls not only Sophie, but several people in her orbit, she ends up hosting her ex, Mars, along with his mother, his brother and sister-in-law, Natasha, and Bernie, Mars’ friend. Not only is Sophie up to the challenge, but she’s also determined to figure out who’s behind all the misfortune.

Wow, there was a metric sh*t ton of things going on in this book: murder, attempted murder, house fire, breaking and entering, a stalker, and a peeping tom. It was almost too much. However, the author kept it together, and the individual threads wove into a neat finish. Characters were portrayed well. I liked that Sophie and Mars did not have a contentious relationship (they even shared custody of their dog!). Sophie’s friend/neighbor, Nina, was amazing. The author introduced a minor hint of the paranormal, which I enjoyed. What I didn’t enjoy was the meddling Sophie’s mother did in an effort to get Sophie and Mars back together.

Favorite line: A killer was on the loose and these two were playing matchmaker?

An engrossing read—four stars.

( Trope Test )

Impurrfect Magic by Paula Lester

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Last night I finished an ebook. It was Impurrfect Magic by Paula Lester. It’s the first book in the “Unfamiliar Magic” series of paranormal cozies. The main character is Ivy Patterson.

Ivy has ditched her old life in favor of moving back to her hometown, where she works in her uncle’s produce store. Uncle Vincent is training Ivy to take over the business, with an eye on retiring once she’s ready. Things are going well until Ivy finds her uncle dead in the store. While his death appears from natural causes, Ivy can’t help but wonder. When a black kitten emerges into the shop from a secret, back room, Ivy stumbles upon her uncle’s secret. He’s been running a side-hustle—using his magic to do odd jobs for people. It forces Ivy to confront her painful past—her mother once declared that Ivy’s magic was dark and that she must never use it. However, Vince also had dark magic, and Ivy doesn’t believe he ever used it to cause harm. At the kitten’s unspoken urging, Ivy begins to piece together the last few days of her uncle’s life in an effort to find who may have wanted to kill him...and why.

A fun story. Ivy is likable, as were other characters in her “orbit”. Of course, she encountered some unsavory characters over the course of her investigation, but they were only transient. The kitten, Tabby, had magic of her own, but she was not a talking cat. That was refreshing. The narrative unfolded at a sensible pace, although the majority of it was consumed with Ivy’s sleuthing. There were some minor editing errors, such as one character whose name was alternately spelled either Shye or Skye

Favorite lines:
♦ I changed my jeans because the first pair got too tight in the dryer. I swear it was the dryer.
♦ “Hey, didn’t you die yesterday?”

Enjoyable—four stars.

( Trope Test )

Purrfect Cut by Nic Saint

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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I stayed up a tad late last night to finish reading Purrfect Cut by Nic Saint. It’s the 14th in the “Mysteries of Max” series of cozy cat mysteries. Lead characters are Max, the cat, and Odelia, his human.

When a famous fashion designer is found murdered in his bed with his live-in lover hovering over him and holding the knife, the case seems pretty clear. Nevertheless, Detective Chase Kingsley is tasked with investigating, and he’s accompanied to the designer’s home by Odelia and her four cats. The cats, however, are feeling neglected and decide to go on strike and not help Odelia investigate. Their decision has dire consequences when Max and Dooley are accidentally left behind, where they find themselves confronted by another “cat whisperer” and his nasty Siamese, Tank. It’s going to take all of their wits and a lot of luck for them to solve the case and get out alive.

This one took a slightly dark turn in some places, but it was fun and humorous for the most part. Odelia’s grandmother started out being her usual annoying self, although she redeemed herself by the end.

Favorite lines:
♦ I may not be strong or courageous, but what I lack in bravery I make up for in size.
♦ Taking care of one cat is one thing, or even two, but four? Not many humans were prepared to take their love of pets to such an extreme.Four? Amateurs. LOL!
♦ A cat, given the proper training, could run a company just as well as the next CEO. After all, a lot of Fortune 500 companies are run by jackals and hyenas, and some even by an ass.

Solid four stars

Cross Your Heart by Michele Bardsley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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I finished my work book at lunch today. It was Cross Your Heart by Michele Bardsley, and it’s the 7th part of the “Broken Heart” series of paranormal romance. The main character in this one is Elizabeth Bretton, who’s been turned into a vampire and now dwells in the para-friendly town of Broken Heart.

As if being a vampire isn’t bad enough, now Elizabeth has a vengeful ghost trying to kill her. Not long after, a handsome were-jaguar, Tez, arrives in Broken Heart and immediately gravitates to Elizabeth. As other established couples in town begin bickering, Elizabeth has reason to believe that the legendary curse of Broken Heart has been unleashed upon the residents once again. Worse, it may have been her own ancestor who put the curse in motion. Now it’s up to Elizabeth, with Tez at her side, to get to the bottom of the curse and break it once and for all.

I’ve read and enjoyed other books in this series. They’re mostly lighthearted fun, but there’s just enough of a creepy factor involved to prevent the stories from being all fluff. I enjoyed the pace of the plot and the pacing of the romance between Elizabeth and Tez.

Favorite lines:
♦ “Just thinking about how to solve this mystery.” // “Okay, Velma.”
♦ “I have no intention of bringing a donkey into our bedroom.”
♦ I was a vampire. I had speed, strength, the ability to control minds, and I could make beautiful jewelry.
♦ “Not even Oprah could fix this.”

Fun story, four stars