I've been looking forward to curling up with this book for awhile; with a cute premise (a paranormal museum? Sign me up!) an interesting plot and a beautiful northern California setting, I just wanted to sink right in to it.

And it was pretty good, there was a lot to like about it: a twisty plot that kept me guessing, a likeable main character, a historical mystery subplot and a way cool paranormal museum (did I mention what an awesome idea I think this is?) Unfortunately, a few things bogged it down. In fact, this book nearly ended up on the Did Not Finish pile because (and this is one of my pet peeves) there always seems to be a catty woman who hates the MC over something trivial, and in this book it was one of the police detectives. After finding the murder victim, Maddie and her friend Adele are hauled down to the station for questioning. The detective bursts into the room and declares, "ok, which one of you idiots killed her?" What, seriously? Maybe it was supposed to be funny or something, but I just found it really annoying.

My favorite part of the book was the historical mystery subplot, it added just a touch of paranormal to the story. In the 1890s, Cora McBride was convicted of killing her husband and Maddie sets out to prove Cora's innocence. I enjoyed watching Maddie dig up new evidence and the idea of staging a mock trial was a novel and interesting idea. Wish I could've seen it!

Overall, a good start to a new series and I recommend it to cozy mystery fans who enjoy a touch of paranormal.

Jørn Lier Horst never fails to impress me, his William Wisting series draws you in with their intense and thrilling plots. A former police detective in Norway, his experience shows with how well crafted and realistic the story's investigation plays out. In Ordeal, the cold case of a taxi driver missing for over 6 months has Wisting stumped, that is until a close friend tells him about a strange customer at her cafe who makes several comments that could be clues to the case. That starts Wisting on a journey encompassing illicit activities going back decades, the seemingly unconnected murder of a young woman, and daughter Line's impending motherhood.

One of the things I love about this book (and the series) is how clean it is. That isn't to say I don't enjoy a more complex story in other books, it's just that I really appreciate how sleek and uncomplicated this series is. There's no excess filler in the plot; it's a straightforward police procedural with a minimum of extraneous details. And yet the stories never seem to suffer because of it; the labyrinthine plots just suck you in from the beginning.

I also love how Wisting and daughter Line work together but separately on cases; the unique symbiosis adds so much depth to the story and really highlights how close Wisting is to Line, and yet how distant their relationship is in a lot of ways.

Overall, another stellar book in the incomparable Wisting series, and I definitely recommend this series to any mystery lover.

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Cute cozy mystery with a great premise, suspenseful plot and great characters and an action packed ending.

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Julia, an astrologer, becomes a target of harassment from a religious group called The Prophet's Temple. After doing a reading for a client's elderly aunt, she learns that the other aunt is being wooed into joining the cult. Much bad mojo ensues, throwing everyone into danger.

I liked the premise of an astrologer doing the investigating. I mean, who would be any better chart out instances where evil could cross your sign, or even portents of harm? I'd sign up for that, except it probably costs a lot.

I got bored with the all the harassment and intimidation by the whack job cult after awhile. It was just too much filler and it really bogged down the book. In fact, I had to skip a few chapters in the middle of the book because it got so repetitive and boring. I did enjoy the action-packed ending, though, it made up for the plodding story in the middle of the book.

Overall, a cute read with interesting characters and a great plot, just a little too much filler.

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This series of novella length non-murder mysteries are like candy for me. In The Ellsworth Case, the fast moving plot centered around counterfeit bills being passed around town and two suspicious couples staying at The Doveby House. I loved all the red herrings, the on-going mysteries of the treasures the sisters find in the house, and all the trouble that seems to arrive on their doorstep.

The Ellsworth Case is a delightful quick read perfect for an afternoon by the pool or to curl up with on a rainy day.

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Not a bad book, I'm rating it between 3 and 4 stars. You know that episode of the Golden Girls where they go to a murder mystery weekend? The book was kind of like that, only without Blanche and Rose, it just wasn't as funny. On one hand, it was a fun, quick read. On the other hand, the first half of the book was hard for me to get into and I nearly DNF'ed it. It was one of those where the story really didn't pick up until about halfway through the book. I'm glad I gave it a chance, though, because the ending made up for it.

I really liked the plot; a man is found dead in a museum and American ex-pats and new BFFs Martha and Helen, both late middle aged, feel like they're lacking a little excitement in their lives, start snooping to find a killer. I had no idea who the culprit was until the end of the book. The main characters were likable, if not a little ditzy and foolhardy.

There were a few plot threads that pulled me out of the story, though. The two guys who stole the manuscript out of the chief's office was a bit much, as was Martha's flirtation with the chief. In one scene, they run into him at a pub and Martha takes a swig of his beer. Seriously, who does that?

Overall, Two Birds with One Stone was an entertaining read, and good enough that I'll read the next book in the series.

Read my full review on my blog at Mystereity Reviews.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to read and review a cookbook that recommended using a high fat butter. While that book went into a little bit of detail on what constituted high fat butter, I realized I still had a lot of questions after a discussion on my review about how to find high fat butter. So when I requested this book, I hoped to learn more about how to choose a good butter for baking and got a whole lot more.

Butter: A Rich History, by Elaine Khosrova, explores not only the mechanics of making butter, but also the sociological, biological and the cultural aspects of butter and answered questions I didn't even know I had, from which cows give the richest milk to the best way to store butter. The recipes included in the book sound delicious and look easy to make and I can't wait to give a few of the recipes a try.

Overall, Butter is a very well researched and entertaining book that will make you better appreciate the rich, thick, creamy slab of butter you slather on your toast.

Thank you to Algonquin Books for the ARC to read in exchange for my honest review

Read my full review on my blog Mystereity Reviews

Entertaining and amusing, the Jamie Quinn series has intriguing plots, laughs, great characters, and lots of action.

Jamie Quinn, a South Florida divorce attorney with a knack for finding herself in trouble, has her hands full in Engaged in Danger. After Jamie is contacted by a woman wanting to divorce her husband, a well-connected lawyer, Jamie enlists the help of BFF Grace and PI Duke in what will be a difficult court battle. As they work to build their case, they uncover evidence of financial crimes, Russian mobsters and murder.

This was the best book out of the series so far. Jamie seems to be doing a better job with coping with life's up and downs. Despite an argument with Grace and boyfriend Kip leaving for 3 months on a Save The Wombat project, Jamie manages to soldier on without falling apart, while keeping her characteristic sense of humor. I have to say, there was more than one time in the book where I wanted to give Jamie a good shake and tell her to smarten up. A few of the plot threads were easy to figure out and I put 2 + 2 together pretty early in the book. . But the taut plot with all its twists and turns kept me turning pages and guessing until the very end.

Overall, Engaged in Danger was a light, fast read and a great addition to a solid series.

See my full review on my blog at Mystereity Reviews

Death, Guns and Sticky Buns is the 3rd book in the Tori Miracle series. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a copy of the second book, which wasn't a huge problem but this book would've flowed a little better if I had. There are a few references to it sprinkled around that didn't confuse the story in this book. For me, I like reading a series in order, so I was a bit put out.

Tori, a recent transplant to rural Pennsylvania from New York City, is still adjusting to small town life. Her new boyfriend, Police Chief Garnet, is headed to Costa Rica for a year. Tori consoles herself by throwing herself into work as temporary editor for the Lickin Creek Chronicle and promptly gets tangled in a suspicious death, Civil War artifact thefts, and sticky buns. Gooey, tasty sticky buns (recipes at the end of the book!)

The local women's college is hosting a Civil War execution A former Congressman and a college trustee Mack MacMillan insists on playing the deserter being executed and the spectators are shocked when he actually dies after someone replaced the fake bullets in the muskets for real ones. The resolution of the mystery was original and unexpected, as was the stolen Civil War artifacts subplot, and I really enjoyed it.

Tori is a likeable main character; smart, funny, easily distracted and just a little socially awkward. I find her easy to relate to and very well drawn. The other characters in the story are really just wallpaper and I'm hoping they develop a little more in the coming stories.

Overall, Death, Guns, and Sticky Buns was highly enjoyable, a light read that will appeal to fans of cozy mysteries and/or Civil War history.

Read my full review (and more) on my blog Mystereity Reviews

The Black Cat Knocks on Wood the second book in the Black Cat Mystery series has Sabrina, hard at work on her second book, sidetracked when a local realtor is found dead and Aunt Rowe's BFF Pearl is a suspect. Sabrina is compelled (re: emotionally blackmailed) to investigate with the help of her trusty feline sidekick, Hitchcock.

There was a lot to like about this book; the black cat adoption event was a cute idea, as was the senior rodeo (it would be a hoot to see Aunt Rowe and her elderly friends roping goats. Seriously, Sabrina, lighten up!) The enjoyable plot had no shortage of suspects with lots of twists and turns and it was almost impossible to zero in on the killer.

Overall, a cute sequel but not as good as the first. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but it's worth it to read the first book in the series.

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An ethereal vision of a woman in blue in a graveyard one night leads to the body of a beautiful young model found dead in a ditch. DI Nelson and his crew find themselves in a new investigation to find who is strangling blonde women in the medieval pilgrimage town of Little Walsingham. At the same time, Ruth is contacted by an old university friend who requests Ruth's help in tracking down the author of several threatening letters

I really enjoyed this latest installment in the Ruth Galloway series. The main plot, the murders of two blond women, tied in with the sub-plot of the threatening letters so well that it was impossible to see a connection at first. All the clues were there, neatly woven into the story so well that you didn't realize until much later how pertinent they were.

And just what did Nelson say to Ruth at the end?!