This was one of the better ones in the series, I think. I loved the intricately twisty plot and the addition of Pete to the foursome to investigate. With many suspects and an unknown motive, it was challenging to figure out who murdered Julie and who the real target was and the twist at the end was suprrising. I have to say, I didn't much care for Laura, and I suspected she wasn't truthful about her past. I won't lie, I cheered when she left. Poor Henry, he doesn't realize he dodged a bullet.

I liked this one, the story coming full circle from the first book, Aunt Bessie Assumes, bringing back Danny Pierce's widow, Vikky. The plot moved along quickly; there was an interesting cast of suspects, and I have to say, I quite liked Alastair, who was easily tamed by the formidible Aunt Bessie. It's always fun and entertaining to spend an evening with Bessie and her friends and the suprise twist ending capped off the book with a satisfying ending.

While this is a great cozy series this one was just.....okay. I struggled to get through the first half of the book (between Shelly's uncharacteristic insecurity and Fenella's man problems, I was a bit bored) but once the action picked up, I enjoyed it a lot more. I loved the little clue that solved the murder and Aunt Mona is always good for a hoot.

Janet and Joan Markham were first seen in a previous Aunt Bessie book and now have a series of no-murder cozy mysteries, and I enjoyed watching them team up with Bessie. In the Markham Sisters mystery The Jackson Case, a pair of con-men swindled a charity out of its proceeds from a charity auction. and in Aunt Bessie Observes, both found murdered. I'm not really sure what Bessie observed, other than the horrifically garish theme cottage that neighbor Maggie fixed up (which made me laugh out loud!) but this was still an entertaining and enjoyable read with a fascinating cross-over mystery.

This one didn't have as strong of a plot as previous books, but it was still enjoyable and although the culprits in the mystery were known, the reasons were a surprise. But it's always fun to catch up with the Markham sisters and a great read to curl up with for an evening.

A captivating historical cozy mystery, The Butterfly Conspiracy is an excellent debut to a new series! Suspenseful and thrilling, I was immediately sucked into the Victorian world superbly created, with intriguing characters and a puzzling plot that kept me turning pages.

I liked the dynamic between Royston and Merula. She's wasn't a passive Victorian flower, he wasn't a man strong-arming her into being a passive Victorian flower. Although the possibility for a romance was hinted at, it wasn't overt and took a backseat to the plot. I appreciated that, just like in food, the best flavors are in the background as an enhancement. It also leaves the door open to future story lines, and I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops.

The plot was intriguing; at a zoological meeting, Merula unveils the exotic butterfly she has cultivated. Because she is a woman, Merula's Uncle Rupert agrees to take the credit, but when a woman dies after the butterfly lands on Lady Sophia's arm and she falls over, dead, Uncle Rupert is accused of murder. Determined to clear his name, Merula teams up with Lord Royston, uncovering many motives and suspects while pursued by the police. I have no idea if the method of death is feasible or not, but it wasn't something I've ever seen before and really enjoyed it, as well as the surprising and exciting ending.

DNF. I got to the part when she was outraged that everyone wanted their usual burgers and fries rather than the quinoa and lentil salad and by that point I realized this book was entirely irredeemable. 0 stars

I don't know why it took so long for me to hear about this series, but I'm happy I found it! Laugh out loud funny and suspenseful, it was impossible to put down. In fact, I started this on audiobook and it motivated me to get out for my daily walk, but switched to the Kindle copy because it was so good, I just couldn't wait any longer to finish it!

Mattie is equal parts hapless and unflappable, with a positive attitude that I really enjoyed and appreciated. Despite the setbacks of her failed marriage, her cheating husband accused of murder and quitting her job, she took it all in stride and kept going, no dwelling on a pity party for our Mattie. The other great characters made the book even more enjoyable, from the hairdresser at the funeral home to Joey the superhero to Izzy and Dom, I loved every one of them (well, except the reporter. Why does there always have to be an annoying reporter? Ugh.) The smoldering on/off romance was amusing and a tad overdone, but I enjoyed it anyway. I really liked the forensics trivia tucked in there (I'm a sucker for that stuff) and the well-crafted plot had plenty of surprise twists and turned up suspect after suspect, ending with a bittersweet unexpected revelation at the end. I didn't pick up on who the murderer was until just before the exciting (and slightly hilarious) ending. Altogether, this was an excellent start to a series and I'm already well into the second book. Outstanding!

I always love catching up with Merry and her friends and I've been eagerly awaiting cracking this one open. I liked that it took the time to set up and introduce the new characters (the tv crew.) In many cozy mysteries, someone is murdered right at the beginning of the book and there's so little context that I find I don't connect as well to the story. While the dysfunctional TV crew squabbles were tedious at times, it really helped to develop the characters and by the time the murder happened, I was already firmly hooked. Lots of twists and turns kept me guessing and lots of small details that I had to keep track of kept me engaged. Add in Merry's grace and humor, her delightful friends Hannah and Lizzie, a madcap crew of ghost hunters (I love ghost hunters shows!) and a surprise twist at the end and you have one satisfying read. It was every bit as good as I expected from this author, and a great addition to the series.

At the local fine dining restaurant, Molly eavesdrops on a wealthy old woman's not-very-happy birthday party. Known throughout the village for being contemptuous and unlikable, her assembled partygoers look less than thrilled to be there. At the end of the evening, Molly finds the woman lying dead on the bathroom floor and it's determined that the woman died from cyanide poisoning. Molly, having witnessed the whole evening, begins to investigate (which is a good thing, since the local police chief isn't very good at solving murders.) What she uncovers is decades of secrets, lies and a rage that has simmered for decades.

This is quickly shaping up to be a favorite series, I'm really enjoying Molly's adventures in France. This one introduced some new characters that I hope will be returning. And the victim! While a nasty character you love to hate is common in books, this one really takes the cake. She was gleefully hurtful, thoroughly vile, and mercilessly horrible and yet I still loved her antics (or maybe I was just waiting for the moment she paid for it, I don't know. But what a delightfully rotten character!

Really, if I wasn't so wholly caught up in the story, I probably would've figured out the clues, but no, it all just flew past me. Lots of red herrings threw me off track and the pace was perfect to keep me turning pages. The ending was a lot better than the first book; I was riveted, watching it all unfold. This was a thoroughly enjoyable cozy read, perfect to curl up with, especially if you have a croissant and a glass of fine wine.