Book 2 of the Vintage Toy Shop series was every bit as good as the first! This is shaping up to be a go-to series, and not just because I love the setting so much (and I'm with Liz about Sahlen's Hot Dogs, mmmm.) The twisty plot kept me guessing right up to the exciting ending, and there were a few "oh no way!" moments along the way. I love Liz's relationship with her dad, they make a great team and the running puns are always funny.

"You have a mind like an elephant's."
"Yeah, wrinkled, gray and way too much junk in the trunk. But that's totally irrelephant."

I felt bad for Liz in this one. I mean, what's wrong with a woman casually dating 2 guys? Apparently a lot, since Liz's family felt like they needed to nag her about it every 2 minutes. Can't a single girl have a little fun?

It was the plot that really stands out in this book, who killed Comic Book Craig and why? Craig wasn't a likeable guy by any means, and there were plenty of motives and suspects to keep me guessing, and the side plots added both a bit of fun and introduced new characters I hope to see more of in later books. The big plot twist at the end made for an exciting and satisfying conclusion and by the very last page, I was already dying (pun intended) to read the next book (October can't come soon enough!)

Magical! I can't imagine how hard it would be to write a whole book and it must be even more difficult to squeeze a whole book into fewer than 100 pages! I loved the hint of magic and wonder injected into the story, making the story both surreal and real. A perfect short and sweet read for the holidays, I just might make this one a tradition.

Fiona's going through a rough patch; her flower shop's gone out of business, her fiancé cheated on her and then she gets word that her beloved godfather has died and left her his cottage in Scotland. Arriving to reclaim her inheritance, she discovers the body of Alastair Croft, the lawyer handling her inheritance, dead in her once beautiful garden. Worried that the police suspect her godfather's most trusted friend and employee may be implicated, Fiona asks a few questions around town and discovers that nearly everyone had a motive to kill Alastair.

What a lovely book! The beautiful Scottish countryside drew me in, the magical garden hooked me. With engaging characters, the beautiful setting and the excellent plot, it was a thoroughly charming and light cozy. I loved the writing style, the book came alive with each page, from "seeing" the garden come alive, to the mischievous Duncan the squirrel (and the rivalry between Duncan and Ivanhoe that cat!) to the dramatic landscape of the coast, it was almost like being a part of the action. So well done! The action packed ending had me biting my nails with each page and in the end, there were a few plot threads in the book that I look forward to seeing resolved in later books in the series. This was an excellent first in a new series and I look forward to seeing more of Fiona and friends!

Still reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Alec, 3 years ago, Emily is trying to move on with her life at the donut shop she owns with her father in law. Among the donut shop's favorite regulars is a group of older ladies, who have a knitting club called Knitpickers. So when one of the Knitpickers doesn't show up one morning, everyone is concerned. Later, they go to her house to check on her and find her dead, surrounded by donuts. Who killed Georgia and why? Is it related to the unsolved murder of Georgia's son, Mattias?

I'm not going to lie, the adorable cat on the cover made me want to pick up this book and it didn't disappoint! The excellent plot reeled me in like a fish and kept me turning pages and guessing almost up to the very last page! I liked that Emily didn't really go out and investigate, she just put the clues together (not that it didn't stop her from getting into trouble at the end.) I loved the characters, from spunky Lois and the Knitpickers to pragmatic Brent and the spark between him and Emily (mmph) they were all charming and realistic characters - but let's face it, we all know it's the adorable feline Deputy Donut who steals the show. An excellent introduction to picturesque Fallingbrook, Wisconsin and definitely a place I'm eager to visit again.

I love this series, it's like a bag of potato chips - can't put it down! The exciting plot is the real star of this book. A well crafted homage to the iconic Murder on the Orient Express, the rip-roaring dual plot combined a long ago ghostly unsolved murder with a current day murder under similar circumstances. Fast-paced with an ending that left my heart racing, it was thoroughly enjoyable and memorable and I admit, I was surprised by whodunit and why. It was an exceptionally well done mystery that even Agatha would appreciate!

The ghostly victims of the first derailment returning to the scene of te crime (complete with a Poirot-esque police inspector!) and the thrilling solve of the first case was entertaining (I loved how The Green Lady redeemed herself at the end!) but it was the modern day murder that tugged at my heart, thanks to the great characters, I love how they've progressed as the series goes on; all of them have grown to become vivid and realistic and darn it, so likable (even Virginia!) They're all the reason I eagerly come back with each new book.

I enjoyed this mix of intrigue, mystery, long ago secrets and murder. Lots of threads for Delaney to untangle, from an unfortunate incident 50 years ago involving Edwin and his university friends to a murder of a William Wallace reenactor. I loved the sights and sounds of Edinburgh and old castles, it was just like being there. The plot kept a decent pace, and there was a lot for Delaney to figure out and the exciting ending left me with raised eyebrows. With all of the red herrings and plot twists, I think I had a new guess whodunit with each chapter!  There were a few dropped/unexplained plot threads that I found myself thinking about after I finished the book. Who was the dead guy on the boat and how come nothing could be found about him other than the passport? Weird. And whatever happened to the letter? And what was the whole thing with the shot glasses? And was Gordon's explanation of Leith's death true? Or was it the work of the killer? I guess I'll never know. But seriously, if Edwin had come clean about the whole thing from the beginning, we never would've had a whole book to enjoy.

Penny Brannigan finds herself volunteering at the local agricultural fair, checking in entrants to the culinary competition and judging the childrens' pet competition. But shenanigans are afoot when Penny's friend Florence learns her entries have gone missing, and even more troubling, a Women's Guild member is also missing and later found dead. All Penny has to do now is sort out who sabotaged Florence's entries and how her cake ended up under a table with a dead woman.

This one was a fun, light read and frankly, I was more concerned about poor Florence than I was about the unlikable dead woman. I love Florence, I just want to give her a hug, and Mrs. Lloyd is a hoot. How dare they diss Florence's baking? HOW DARE THEY? *outrage* but it did provide some great red herrings to complicate things a bit. I liked the plot, there were several good suspects and lots of surprises along the way. This is a favorite series for me, I've always enjoyed the folksy feel of the characters and the small town Wales setting, the vibrant descriptions leave me with no problem putting myself right in the small town of Llanelen, walking its streets and visiting the small shops and even spending an afternoon at the local agricultural fair (minus the murder, of course.) The author does a great job of capturing the beauty of the Welsh landscape, with all the wildflowers and Penny's cute cottage (I've read this series since the start and I've always envied that cottage.)

I'm a sucker for small town mysteries and when you have a mysterious mansion at the center of it all, well, you've got my attention. And this was an enjoyable read, with a likable main character in Kate; she's a level-headed and unflappable sleuth and romantic interest Josh made for a good sidekick and added a sprinkle of romance. I liked the plot, surrounding a remarkably well-preserved mansion built a century ago by the mysterious Henry Barton and a very unlikable local woman who is found dead on the front steps. The intrigue kept me turning pages, although I feel like the endless rehashing that happened in every chapter killed the pace a little; with a bit of editing, this book would be a lean, mean intrigue machine. As it is, I'm completely sucked into the whole Henry Barton mystery, so I will be back for the second book and can't wait to watch Kate's vision for the town evolve into a reality.

This is a great series to curl up with for an evening; quick, light reads that are very cozy indeed. I enjoyed the plot, two decades-old cold cases involving a missing woman and a man found dead and I liked how Mona's extensive knowledge of the major players in the mystery came into play, with the juicy soap opera lives of the rich making for an enjoyable mystery. I have to say, Fenella's overwrought hysterics about her driving lessons were a bit overdone. The way she was going on about it, you'd think she'd never driven anywhere, let alone on a tiny island. Get a grip, woman!

You know the saying "Truth is stranger than fiction" right? Well in this book, fiction was stranger than fiction! I have to say, this is definitely a unique plot and I enjoyed it for the most part (since when do pets need to be fed or walked every 3 hours?) and I can honestly say I didn't guess the ending.