I hadn't realized I missed this one, so it was a nice read post-Christmas. I really enjoyed the addition of Margo as a character; the stereotypical "not good enough for my son" mother-in-law made for a nice change in dynamic within the characters. The mystery - who killed Vonne - was good, but I felt like it took a back seat to Katie and Andy's relationship issues. Overall, enjoyable and festive but this book was more for advancing the characters than solving a mystery.

3 1/2 rounded up to 4. I do enjoy this series; the town is charming and I love the characters. Despite a few detractions (bickering, bratty teenagers, a ridiculous and unnecessary love triangle becoming a ridiculous and unnecessary love quadrangle) it was a great mystery, who killed Ken and why? No shortage of suspects, lots of twists and turns and a really great (and unexpected!) ending.

One other small thing I have to mention; Katie spent the first third of the book obsessing about having enough time to run 2 businesses and whether it would bother the new guy if she still went in and baked in the mornings and then never showed up there again unless it was harassing a suspect. Go figure.

I have to confess, I read this awhile ago but then had events in my life that left a lot of reviews unfinished.

I did a quick re-read to refresh my memory and Oh yeah! Bridal Donut Wall! How awesome is that? Wish I could get one delivered! This was one of those stories where I cheered when the the groom got offed, it felt like justice. I enjoyed wading through the mystery (although I would've preferred to do it with a donut in my hand) and this was one of those books where you have a different suspect nearly every chapter. Mostly the pace was quick and steady but it lagged in a few parts when they were busy tossing out ideas without actually delving into the investigation. Still, it was a fun and enjoyable read and a great second book in the series.

Another book I read awhile back but life got in the way of the review. Did a quick re-read and I'd forgotten what a great series this is. I love the small midwest town, the diner and the fun characters (especially Buck!) and I'm a huge fan of Bluegrass, so it already had a bunch of elements I love. I loved "meeting" Robbie's father and stepmother at long last and they were involved in the story thanks to a tie to the murder victim, so they weren't just background noise. A great, quick paced plot revolving around a pair or murders kept me turning pages and the exciting conclusion made for a really satisfying read.

Between 3 and 4 stars. It took me awhile to get into it; I would try to read it and get bored and leave it for a bit. I don't think it was the book's fault, I think it was just me. It wasn't until I got around halfway through that I finally got interested enough to finish it.

I loved the setting; a magical resort town with bewitching scones that tempt you with good memories, a bookshop where you find just the right book you need, and a relaxing spa that soothes away your tensions and stress. Who wouldn't love that? All of the main characters have a secret they've kept for years, a painful moment of their lives they don't dare reveal. Nora wears her secret on the outside; having been seriously burned in a car accident, her scars hint at a story she'd rather not reveal. The others have their own secret pain and when they band together to solve the death of a stranger in town who clearly had secrets of his own, The Secret, Book, and Scone Society is born. Together, the 4 women untangle the web of lies surrounding the stranger's death and in the process, begin the healing process themselves.

Between 3 and 4 stars. A good start to a series but it lagged in parts, I think to set up the main character more. Some aspects seemed to jump ahead without being laid out (the "romance" between Carrie and Dylan being one. He rents the cottage to her and then takes off on a trip for several weeks and when he comes back they have Thanksgiving dinner and suddenly they're dating? What?)

The plot revolves around a cold case murder of a woman and the fatal poisoning of the original case's detective as he is poised to reveal the name of the killer, and was riveting. Carrie fumbles her way through an investigation, with the help of a ghost of Evelyn, a former library employee who died at the library a few years before. I enjoyed Evelyn's input, not only on the case but also helping Carrie to adapt to her new position.

Overall, a great debut and I look forward to reading more of this series.

Another book I read awhile back but just getting to review now after a quick re-read.

I love this cute series, from the setting to the characters to the magical garden. This was one of those books I was happy to see the victim meet his end, what a right dobber! The plot moved along at a good pace, and with the addition of Fiona's sister and the new tea shop, the world is coming alive like a garden in spring.

A lovely and entertaining read and this series is firmly in my to-read list.

I've long had problems with my belly, so I picked this one up to get tips about how to straighten everything out. I liked how the book was laid out, with the first few chapters outlining information on stomach problems and then a quiz to help you narrow down your issues and the rest of the chapters meant for the reader to browse according to what their specific problems were. I felt a lot of the tips and information were general in nature but there was a lot of information provided. A lot of it tended to lean towards Paleo, something I haven't tried but I found a lot I could incorporate into my diet. It's a good resource for fellow belly sufferers and definitely recommended.

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm not sure where. I've been reading (and enjoying) this series since the beginning and although I liked this book, I felt like it was confused as to what it was supposed to be. There wasn't much of a mystery, so I'm going to say this is fiction with a hint of mystery and it seemed mostly to tie together a bunch of loose threads from the series so far and to connect Maura's mom and her new family to the series? I don't know.

The mystery (in a loose sense of the word) involved three college students who came to Leap to study Fairy Forts, small circular constructions that dot the landscape in the Cork part of Ireland. When one of them disappears, Maura and Mick go out to take a look around and find a body buried in one of the fairy forts, one that has been buried too long to be the missing college student. There's not a lot of investigating but the truth is soon uncovered.

The only part of the story that I didn't like was there was too much filler. Every new facet was repeated and rehashed over and over - punctuated by Maura explaining, over and over, to everyone in her vicinity that she didn't have a computer, didn't know how to use one and did she mention that her mother abandoned her and just came back into her life? If not, let's let everyone know yet again. So I think this would've been better as a short story minus all the filler.

Overall, I enjoy visiting Leap and the gang down at Sullivan's Pub but would've benefited from a stronger mystery and less filler.