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I love a brand new series. There's nothing better than the promise of finding a new world to lose yourself in, and Dead & Breakfast is definitely a great new world to get lost in. A beautiful location in Oregon, a big old house set right on the beach, haunted by a laughing ghost, and real skeletons in the closet. This is the recipe for a great book, so I was eager to dive in.

Starting over after a messy divorce, Melanie buys a B&B with her grandmother, Liza, in Sully's Landing, Oregon. It's been vacant for years and needs some updating, and while stripping wallpaper in an upstairs bedroom, Melanie and Liza find a hidden door that opens onto a startling sight - a skeleton, dressed only in a nightgown! With only a few weeks until they open, and the police busy with another case, Liza and Melanie start investigating to find a killer before their B&B dream goes up in smoke.

What I really enjoyed about Dead & Breakfast is that it drew me in right from the start, and left me wanting more. I loved the plot, from discovering the secret room to adopting Max to the exciting ending. The story even left a couple of open plot threads that I'm looking forward to seeing more of. I'm dying (ha!) to know more about the laughing ghost (nicknamed Orville by Liza) and what other secrets are lurking at the Merry Ghost Inn.

The main characters, Melanie and Liza, are a likable bunch. I really liked Liza, she reminds me of my own Grammy - high energy, in charge and lovable. There was just enough info to give them dimension, while leaving out just enough that you want to know more. Melanie and Liza made a great team, I loved how they went about snooping around and uncovering clues.

Overall, a very promising start to a new cozy series and I can't wait to come back to Sully's Landing and find out more about the giggling ghost!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the advance copy in return for my honest review.

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In A Killer Location, realtor Sam Turner is back in Arlinda for book 2 in the Home Sweet Home mystery. Life is good for Sam, she's settling into the home she was finally able to buy, her romance with Bernie (her sister's ex, Arlinda's police chief) is heating up and her real estate career is starting to take off, thanks to an opportunity to stage an open house in a very exclusive neighborhood. But, of course, nothing is every easy for Sam. Her sister (Bernie's ex-wife, no less!) and the open house from Hell leads to a corpse in the garden, Sam's boss is arrested for the murder. Desperate to save her boss (and her job!) Sam sets out to find a killer before she loses everything.

This book was hilarious and every bit as good as the first in the series. Poor Sam, even something as simple as an open house doesn't go right. You really have to feel for her, she's got so many things going on; making a success as a fledgling realtor, supporting herself and her son, a dodgy ex-husband, and trying to enjoy her new romance with Bernie and then it all blows up. I loved the catastrophic open house, it had me laughing out loud - especially the fleas!

This was a great plot, very tricky with plenty of misdirection and plot twists to keep readers guessing. I thought I had it all figured out but no, I didn't.

As with any book, the story is only as good as its characters and this is where the author succeeds; quirky, colorful and entertaining, they add so much dimension to the books. Smart and sassy, it's easy to relate to Sam and her hapless struggles, and Sam's neighbors are a hoot. I hope to see more them in the next book!

Overall, A Killer Location is a great addition to what is shaping up to be an outstanding cozy mystery series. I definitely recommend the series to cozy mystery fans; with a lot of humor, a strong, independent single woman and great plots, it will appeal to fans of Stephanie Plum or Kinsey Milhone.

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The Manx Heritage Society (No, I don't know why people on the Isle of Man are called Manx. I thought it was a kind of cat) is making preparations for the Christmas at the Castle fundraiser. Several charities around the island have set up Christmas themed displays to be auctioned off on Christmas Eve. When a committee member brings in a disagreeable designer who manages to upset and anger several people, it comes as no surprise when he's found murdered in his hotel room. Bessie's friend Inspector Corkill is on the case and they team up to find a killer.

The enjoyable plot followed Bessie's investigation into the murder of designer Christopher Hart. He is thoroughly unlikable, so it's not hard for Bessie to uncover several likely motives and suspects. While perhaps not the most intricate plot, it was engrossing and the lovely world the author has created on the Isle of Man is definitely the big draw for this series. I love going along with Bessie on her blustery walks down the beach past the holiday cottages to Thien Yn Trae, on her cab rides to shop in Douglas, and settling down for a good read in her cozy, book-filled cottage. I loved the Christmas at the Castle idea, it sounded so cute! A big old castle, decorated for Christmas with cute displays, I would be there in a heartbeat. I loved the room where kids could write letters to Father Christmas, what a great idea!

Aunt Bessie Joins can be read as a standalone, but there are a few minor plot threads that run through the series, so they're better enjoyed in order (and really, this is such a cute series, why wouldn't you want to read all of them?)

Overall, another enjoyable stay on the Isle of Man and I don't hesitate to recommend the series to cozy mystery fans.

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Colin Dickey is on the trail of America's ghosts. Crammed into old houses and hotels, abandoned prisons and empty hospitals, the spirits that linger continue to capture our collective imagination, but why? His own fascination piqued by a house hunt in Los Angeles that revealed derelict foreclosures and "zombie homes," Dickey embarks on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places.

I was interested in this book because if there's one thing I love, it's true ghost stories/haunted places. I was a little disappointed to find that's not what Ghostland is about. It's about the history of haunted places, and the real facts surrounding the alleged hauntings.

I enjoyed the writing, it was obviously well-researched and there were a lot of interesting stories and I particularly liked that the author spent a lot of time presenting the real facts of the case. The chapter about the Winchester House was my favorite, not because it's allegedly haunted (I never thought it was) but because the idea of someone continually adding on to their house was just bizarre. Doorways and staircases that lead nowhere, all designed by one woman with no training in architecture. The true facts about Sarah and the Winchester family were presented, debunking a lot of the myth around the house. I was fascinated!

Overall, it was an interesting book, but a little dry in parts. History fans would enjoy it, but if you're looking for a scare-your-pants-off true ghost story book, you'll be disappointed.

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Scottish Crime: True Crime Stories details several heinous crimes that occurred in Scotland over the last century.

It is very short, with only a few cases highlighted, but each each case is extensively explored, with a lot of background and facts. However, it’s heavily in need of editing to clean up the grammatical errors and confusing passages. If this book was expanded to include more cases, it would easily be a 5 star book. If Scottish history is as rich in crime as the author claims, it shouldn’t be hard to make this a full length book.

Overall, I enjoyed Scottish Crime, but it wasn’t without problems. I still think it was worth the read, especially for people with an interest in true crime.

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It's winter in Busman's Harbor, and Julia has settled in for a quiet winter. The restaurant she runs with Chris is shuttered for a few weeks, and Chris has gone to Florida to help out a friend. When Julia's mom received a package containing a very old and expensive necklace that has been missing for several years, Julia tracks down the sender and uncovers her mother's long lost family with secrets someone will kill for.

I always enjoy a visit to Busman's Harbor, even in winter. The intriguing plot was a refreshing change of pace from the usual stumbling-over-a-body type of plot, and I read it in one afternoon, I just couldn't put it down! The mysterious necklace sent by a mysterious relative and the relative's mysterious death made for a riveting story. I liked that more information was added to the family history, and the "lost" family added a great new dimension to the series.

Overall, the Iced Under is a great cozy read for a cold winter's day by the fire, I definitely recommend it to cozy mystery fans. This book can be read as a stand alone or as an entry into the series, but I definitely recommend reading all the books in the series.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley, who provided an advance copy in return for my honest review

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Not long after her grandfather's unexpected death, Eleanora moves back to Kittiport, Maine after a disastrous ending to her engagement and her job in Chicago to take over the family's pizzeria. After reconnecting with Ben, a childhood sweetheart, Eleanora finds him dead behind the pizzeria. Under suspicion, Ellie knows it's up to her to find a killer.

I enjoyed this book, a novella length mystery and the first in the new series. The pizza descriptions made me drool (if I had to read about gooey cheese one more time, I was going to call Dominos!) and the characters were likable and interesting.

I thought the plot had a lot of promise, and it was really getting good when BAM! murderer is caught. The ending was so abrupt, it was like the author suddenly got tired of writing the story and plopped an ending in there. It didn't do the rest of the story justice and diminished my enjoyment.

Overall, a cute read but needs as much time taken on writing the ending as there was writing the rest of the book.

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Retired FBI agent Cliff Knowles is hired by a company to investigate possible theft of proprietary industrial plans, an investigation that leads him to shady business dealings, danger, and even murder.

Before you ask, Behead Me refers to a word puzzle. No blood and guts here, Behead Me is an engaging and absorbing mystery that will quickly draw you in and keep you turning pages. Cliff is an unflappable investigator, and I enjoyed how his methodology was neatly laid out. This wasn't one of those super-cop-hunches kind of solves, it was a realistic procedural, and I really enjoyed how Cliff ferreted out the smallest details and connected them to another case, and the presidential pardon sub-plot was heartwarming and added some human dimension to the story. Cliff's geo-caching adventure in the desert and the high speed chase at the end added a lot of action kept me on the edge of my seat.

I haven't read the other books in the series, so I can safely say that this book can be read as a standalone, or as an entry into the series. The few references to prior books were minor and didn't cause any confusion.

Overall, Behead Me is an intriguing and fascinating read and I definitely recommend it for fans of mysteries and procedurals.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

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Late one night, Ellie's best friend, Shannon, comes to her door terrified and covered in blood. She was in the woods to meet a source for a newspaper story, when a masked assailant shot the source. Shannon is under suspicion for the murder, and Ellie starts investigating to clear her name and uncovers someone willing to kill to protect their business.

I enjoyed this one much more than the last one. A big draw for me is the characters, they're all a likable bunch, and, of course, the pizza (I would kill for one of those bacon cheddar pizzas.) The plot was well developed and had a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing. Although it wrapped up quickly, it wasn't nearly as abrupt as the ending in the last book.

Overall, another cute book in the Papa Pacelli's Pizzeria series, and a quick, enjoyable read that's a perfect accompaniment to a large hand-tossed pepperoni with extra cheese.