This is the first book in this series and only the second one I've read and I have to say, this author excels at keeping the reader in the dark about whodunit until the final pages. Obfuscation is the word of the day with this author! It's rare that I find a book where I have no idea, not even a suspicion, whodunit. So this book ranks high just for that.

Stella is helping her heavily pregnant best friend Emily with the high society wedding and her role is to create a unity candle for the bride and groom. But when the bride's uncle is found dead, bludgeoned with the unity candle, and the hotel's bartender is arrested, Stella smells a rat and sets out to find the real killer.

There was so much to love about this book, from unrequited love to murder to candle scents to cats. Although the quick pace kept the plot moving, it was neither rushed nor confusing. I found myself reading late into the evening because I just had to keep going to find out more. So easy to get lost in this book! By the time I got through the exciting ending, I was at the edge of my seat and the subterfuge continued right up to the end with many surprise twists and turns.

I'm not sure why I didn't hear about this series when it came out, but I'm glad I found it. This will definitely be a must read series for me and I look forward to many more.

Jazzi, Jerod and Ansel are onto a new flip, a 3 story brick house in need of extensive renovation; just the sort of job the gang does best. The foundation is sinking, so the crew builds forms and calls their cement contractor Darby for a delivery. Darby is a prickly sort who doesn't get along well with others and has a heated argument with Thane about Darby's missing wife and son. When Darby's dead body is delivered in a load of gravel, Jazzi teams up with Detective Gaff to find a killer.

Ok, first I have to get this off my chest. They put a red tin roof and a green door on a yellow brick house? Sounds like Caillou's house. Yeeesh.

But enough about design choices, I really enjoyed the plot on this one and it feels like the series has hit its stride. I really enjoyed the plot, there were lots of suspects to likable I was rooting for them to be innocent. When the killer was finally revealed, I was surprised. I mean, I knew one of them did it but the one that did wasn't high on my suspect list.

Overall, an enjoyable read capped off with a sweet wedding and now onto book 4 so I can read the latest I got on Netgalley.

Penny and fellow painter friend Alwynne take a weekend course on painting in the nearby town of Beaumaris on the beautiful North Wales island of Anglesey. Sitting in a crowded bar on her first night, Penny first meets Colin, an attractive man, and a young news reporter named Jessica who just arrived from New Zealand to investigate a man who went missing several years before. The next morning, while out to paint a lighthouse, Penny finds Jessica dead on the beach, the victim of an apparent fall. Penny knows this was no accident and when the police have no evidence it was anything but an accident, she picks up the threads to unravel the circumstances that led to the young woman's death.

Found this on Netgalley and snapped it up. I've read this series since the beginning and a few books back, I mentioned that I thought the character of Penny had stagnated, so I was really happy to see her character moving forward! I think this will breathe some new life into the series.

As for the plot, I had a pretty good idea whodunit but eagerly raced through the book to see it all unfold. Lots of twists and turns led to a satisfying conclusion that neatly wrapped up the two cases. It was also a pleasure to watch the romance blossom and to catch up with the usual cast of characters I've grown to love. The sweet ending left a smile on my face and I do hope this isn't the end to the series (felt a little ambiguous to say for certain?) and if not, I look forward to more of Penny's exploits.

I can't believe this is book 9 already. When a new one is published, I can't wait to get my greedy hands on it. In this one, a bride-and-groom-to-be rent out the inn for an engagement party, bringing along a motley crew of old friends. When one of the group is found dead, and no one in the group seems to be particularly put out, Abby is on the case and finds betrayal, lies and painful secrets.

I love this series, from the wonderful characters to the beautiful setting to the rich descriptions of everything that make me feel like I'm right there. This was a great plot, too and I would never have guessed in a million years the motive or the killer. And the "cold case" omigod a hidden room? *swoon* Nothing sucks me in faster than a hidden room and I have to wait to see what's in it? Hurry up with the next book, I gotta know!

A great entry in a great series that shows no signs of slowing down and I'm already refreshing Goodreads to see when the next book will be released.

After several months of Ansel's brother Radley staying with them, he's finally moving out into his own place, an apartment downtown that's right upstairs from his friend and co-worker Donovan. On moving day, older brother Bain shows up to drag Radley home to Wisconsin, but Radley's not having it. As the move is finishing up, Bain starts an argument with Donovan and when Donovan returns to his apartment, he's shot by an intruder and dies soon after. Under suspicion, Bain is forced to stay in town with Jazzi and Ansel until he is cleared as a suspect. Meanwhile, Jazzi teams up again with Gaff to find a killer among several ex-cons recently out of prison. Which one is callous enough to kill for money?


There was a whole lot going on in this one, and the plot was a little bit darker than a lot of cozy mysteries. Still, it was compelling, there was no shortage of suspects and no shortage of attacks related to a search for missing money from an earlier heist. I loved that so many of the characters redeemed themselves as the book went on, from Bain mellowing from a curmugeonly ape to a happier man to former thug Jarrett, who is trying desperately to keep his nose clean and out of jail.

The culprit wasn't a big surprise, but the exciting ending made for a great conclusion and overall, a very enjoyable read. Onto the next!