mystereity's reviews
1164 reviews
Pawn in the Pumpkin Patch by Kathi Daley
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Murder in the Community Garden by Judith Gonda
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I requested Murder in the Community Garden from Netgalley because the blurb sucked me in; Tory Benning, a landscape architect, arrives at the community garden she landscaped. But trouble brews when Mac and Bunny, two opposing mayoral candidates, accuse each other on TV of produce thefts from their garden plots and moments later, Bunny is found dead and Mac is the prime suspect.
This is the first book I've read in the Tory Benning series. It was pretty good, Tory and her friends are a likeable and interesting crew and the plot was suitably twisty and kept me on my toes. This one definitely trends young - late teens/early 20s young - so younger readers will probably enjoy the many social issue references in this book. As for me, reading is my escape from the world, so I prefer books that keep it cozy with fewer references to the issues currently causing so much strife and stress.
This was a cute book and I definitely recommend it to younger kids looking to get into cozy mysteries.
This is the first book I've read in the Tory Benning series. It was pretty good, Tory and her friends are a likeable and interesting crew and the plot was suitably twisty and kept me on my toes. This one definitely trends young - late teens/early 20s young - so younger readers will probably enjoy the many social issue references in this book. As for me, reading is my escape from the world, so I prefer books that keep it cozy with fewer references to the issues currently causing so much strife and stress.
This was a cute book and I definitely recommend it to younger kids looking to get into cozy mysteries.
Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Kari and the Serenity Sanctuary crew are back, still caring for homeless pets and solving murders. In this one, Kari has put her ex-husband, Charlie, far behind her and thought he was long gone. And he was - until he found out she won the lottery. Claiming the divorce was never final, he shows up in Lakeview demanding his half of her winnings, telling Kari he plans on turning the sanctuary into a glamping resort. After a night at Oktoberfest sampling bers, Charlie collapses and dies at the hospital, putting Kari right in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.
When I saw this one come up on Netgalley, I had to have it. I read the first one a few months ago and fell in love with the characters (especially Queeenie!) and the plots. What I really enjoyed about this one was learning more of Kari's backstory and more about what makes her tick (and, in this one, I think she learned more about what makes her tick) and that kind of character development is really what draws me into a series and this one handles it well.
It was the plot that really shined in this one; it's always satisfying to see an odious character get his fatal comeuppance and the conclusion - so tragic! This one will probably stick with me awhile, so senseless and devastating.
Another great entry into the Catskills Pet Rescue series and purr-fect for anyone who loves adorable cats, great characters and great plots.
When I saw this one come up on Netgalley, I had to have it. I read the first one a few months ago and fell in love with the characters (especially Queeenie!) and the plots. What I really enjoyed about this one was learning more of Kari's backstory and more about what makes her tick (and, in this one, I think she learned more about what makes her tick) and that kind of character development is really what draws me into a series and this one handles it well.
It was the plot that really shined in this one; it's always satisfying to see an odious character get his fatal comeuppance and the conclusion - so tragic! This one will probably stick with me awhile, so senseless and devastating.
Another great entry into the Catskills Pet Rescue series and purr-fect for anyone who loves adorable cats, great characters and great plots.
The Murder Chronicles by Kathi Daley
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Ooo this was a good one. I gobbled it down in just under 2 hours and now I have to wait until September for the next book *sigh* So worth it though, this isn't a series you can just read a chapter here and there; once I start one, I have to go until I finish it.
In The Murder Chronicles, Tess is sent a package from a man named Simon requesting her help on a cold case. Back in the late 1950s, a man, Roland, created a group to investigate his brother's suspicious death. After solving that one, they picked 12 more cases to solve. Over the years, they managed to solve 11, but the last one, a case of a woman who went missing in White Eagle decades before. The last surviving member of the group, Simon has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and, weeks from death, wishes to see the case solved. Unable to resist the call of the cold case, Tess, Tony, Bree and Mike set out to solve a decades old crime - without knowing if a crime was committed or not.
Absolutely riveting case! I would've loved to hear more about the cold case group and the cases they closed, it would be a great series on its own! As for the final case, even though it was obvious from the start that the woman met with foul play, it wasn't easy to find out what happened to her, as there were few villagers who were old enough to remember that time and were still living. I enjoyed the way they pieced together the story and the reveal at the end was bittersweet and a great closure to the tragedy.
In The Murder Chronicles, Tess is sent a package from a man named Simon requesting her help on a cold case. Back in the late 1950s, a man, Roland, created a group to investigate his brother's suspicious death. After solving that one, they picked 12 more cases to solve. Over the years, they managed to solve 11, but the last one, a case of a woman who went missing in White Eagle decades before. The last surviving member of the group, Simon has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and, weeks from death, wishes to see the case solved. Unable to resist the call of the cold case, Tess, Tony, Bree and Mike set out to solve a decades old crime - without knowing if a crime was committed or not.
Absolutely riveting case! I would've loved to hear more about the cold case group and the cases they closed, it would be a great series on its own! As for the final case, even though it was obvious from the start that the woman met with foul play, it wasn't easy to find out what happened to her, as there were few villagers who were old enough to remember that time and were still living. I enjoyed the way they pieced together the story and the reveal at the end was bittersweet and a great closure to the tragedy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, and Cancer
Petals and Poison by Jess Dylan
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It's May, which means the Cozy Mystery book club has moved on to the second book in the Flower House series, Petals and Poison. Sierra is finally assimilating to her new role as the owner of The Flower House and is making it her own by designing a lucky plant display in the front window and a cheerful new cafe. Business is still slow, so the excitement when a van full of college kids and their professor pulls up quickly turns to dismay when the professor is found dead in the storeroom and Sierra and her employees are thrust into the middle of a new investigation.
There was the main plot of the dead professor (who was up to no good, so there were plenty of suspects...well, there was a pool of people suspected, but I only had 2 suspects.) The side plot concerning Wanda's behavior I did enjoy, I felt like I got to know Wanda better than the other characters.
While I enjoyed the plot and I love Sierra and her friends, this one had a slower pace, and in some places, fumbled along blindly until the ending that wrapped everything up a bit too quickly and not entirely satisfactorily, in my opinion. As this is only the second book written by the author, I'm willing to overlook it as a new author perfecting their craft, but I'm hoping to see the plots get tighter and more character development going forward, especially if it's used to further the plot in place of the many misery porn events in the first 2 books. Oh dear, Sierra got locked in a closet again? That's the third time this week *yawn* Sierra, get it together girl.
Rating this one is a bit tricky for me; on one hand, the characters (especially Gus the Corgi) is definitely worth 4 stars, the plot 3 stars and the character 3.5 stars, so I'll round it all up to 4 overall, but this would easily be a 5 star read with a little finagling.
There was the main plot of the dead professor (who was up to no good, so there were plenty of suspects...well, there was a pool of people suspected, but I only had 2 suspects.) The side plot concerning Wanda's behavior I did enjoy, I felt like I got to know Wanda better than the other characters.
While I enjoyed the plot and I love Sierra and her friends, this one had a slower pace, and in some places, fumbled along blindly until the ending that wrapped everything up a bit too quickly and not entirely satisfactorily, in my opinion. As this is only the second book written by the author, I'm willing to overlook it as a new author perfecting their craft, but I'm hoping to see the plots get tighter and more character development going forward, especially if it's used to further the plot in place of the many misery porn events in the first 2 books. Oh dear, Sierra got locked in a closet again? That's the third time this week *yawn* Sierra, get it together girl.
Rating this one is a bit tricky for me; on one hand, the characters (especially Gus the Corgi) is definitely worth 4 stars, the plot 3 stars and the character 3.5 stars, so I'll round it all up to 4 overall, but this would easily be a 5 star read with a little finagling.
The Evans File by Diana Xarissa
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Umbrellas and Undertakers by Diana Xarissa
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I love this series. The characters, the plots, the scenery. Definitely one of my comfort series and I’m always excited to read the latest. This one is #21 in the series and what? how did it get this far? Seems like yesterday I picked up Arrivals and Arrests.
In this one, Fenella and police inspector Daniel are out for a walk and decide to get lunch at a sketchy new restaurant. The comedy of errors that follows leaves the restaurant up in flames. As the fire brigade arrives to put out the blaze, Daniel gets a phone call from the station; he has a new case, a terminally ill retired undertaker wishes to make a deathbed statement about comments he overheard 10 years before while preparing for the funeral of a business man, Kent Thomas in which his widow, Tammy, confessed to poisoning the man. Kent’s behavior while alive meant that there was no shortage of suspects – married 3 times, he cheated on all of his wives. He also managed to anger friends and associates over the year. But which of them killed him?
Although the plot was fun, it wasn’t very difficult to work out whodunit but I enjoyed it and I also love catching up with all the characters. Fenella’s neighbor Peter is getting back together with his ex-wife, Shelly’s wedding draws closer, Donald’s daughter is still recovering and Mona is trying out fireworks/smoke/party tunes to announce her arrival so she doesn’t startle Fenella so much. All of these little background interactions are what makes the book for me, it’s more than just a mystery, the characters have really become friends and I’m sooooo invested in their lives too.
The Adams File by Diana Xarissa
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
Having recently joined the new Cold Case team headed by Scotland Yard's Andrew Cheatham, Aunt Bessie is looking forward to their first case. a child who went missing from her home in Liverpool some years previously. As the team meets to investigate, Bessie is approached by an acquaintance, a young woman who works at the shop near Bessie's home asking for Bessie's help after getting fired for theft. <br> This one has by far been my favorite, I loved everything about it, from the set-up to the investigation and the side plots to the conclusion. And as if the conclusion to the missing child case didn't make you happy enough, the scene where the side plot of the shop thefts was wrapped up and was SO satisfying. Full 5 stars for this one.
The Carter File by Diana Xarissa
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
While I enjoyed this one, it didn't really grab me. The cold case plot was unfocused and fell into the background a few times, there wasn't a lot of sleuthing on this particular case, but there wasn't really much they had to do. I'm surprised this stayed a cold case, because all it took was a few pointed questions and it was solved. Although I loved the premise of the case, it really wasn't satisfying to see it solved but I did enjoy it. I did like the side plot about Grace's friend out of contact and possibly missing, as well as the ongoing JENNIFER ISSUE. I cannot WAIT for her comeuppance.
The Bernhard File by Diana Xarissa
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I liked this one a lot...not as much as the first book, but I did like how puzzling this case was. A German man, Paul Bernhard, is killed in a building undergoing construction and despite security being on the scene, the victim wasn't found until later and there were no witnesses. Why was Paul in NY? Piecing through his destroyed laptop, investigators find that Paul was in contact with an American woman named Maria and the pair bonded over their love for a D&D type game. The cold case unit starts investigating and manage to glean enough new information for the police to nab the killer. Although there's less "investigating" than you'd usually see in cozy mysteries, I love how they go about investigating and the plot was really interesting. And the side plot (there's always at least one) about a trespasser in the holiday cottages next to Bessie's house was really compelling, as was that resolution. This was a very satisfying read and I enjoyed it almost as much as the first book.