A Brush with Murder
Kris
The
Avid Reader
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A Brush with Murder
Kris
The
Avid Reader
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
His Amish Sweetheart by Jennifer Beckstrand is an entertaining Amish tale. I laughed so often while reading this engaging story. Alfie and Benji are a hoot. The twin brothers are determined to get their bedroom back. They do not like sleeping in the cellar (there are spiders, it smells, and a rat could eat them you know). The boys decide the only solution is to marry off their three older brothers. They have had success with Andrew and Abraham. Austin, though, is going to be more of a challenge. Austin is too handsome for his own good and a bit self-centered. The twins believe Hannah Yutzy, Austin’s best friend, is the right person for Austin. The problem is making Austin see it and direct him away from Priscilla Lambright. Austin finds Priscilla to be the prettiest girl in their community and she loves the Petersheim peanut butter. Alfie and Benji come up with a plan to nudge Austin in Hannah’s direction. They enlist the help of two of Hannah’s young female cousins. Can the twins get Austin married off so they can move back into their old bedroom?
I thought His Amish Sweetheart was well-written with developed characters. I just love the characters in this series especially the mischievous Benji and Alfie. Their antics had me laughing. The addition of Hannah’s young cousins added to the hilarity. We also get to catch up with the Honeybee sisters and their colorful aunt, Bitsy. I like how everything tied together into one engaging story. There are good life lessons as well. I enjoyed seeing the characters learn and grow. I did not want this diverting story to end (I am still laughing about the BM cookies). The conclusion was delightful. His Amish Sweetheart (formerly known as Austin) is the third book in The Petersheim Brothers series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but this is one series you do not want to miss. I hope this is not the end of the road for Alfie and Benji. His Amish Sweetheart is a heartwarming and humorous Amish tale with Petersheim Peanut Butter, inventive twins, luscious cinnamon rolls, a sign scrape, a cookie crisis, reading time troubles, and a merry market.
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A Chance to Heal contains The Baby Next Door by Vannetta Chapman and Loving Her Amish Neighbor by Rebecca Kertz. The Baby Next Door is a sweet story. I thought it was well-written with delightful characters. It addresses a real-life issue. Grace Troyer met an Englisch man and feel under his spell. When she became pregnant, he disappeared. Grace’s parents sent her to Ohio to live with an aunt. Grace has returned home with her daughter, Nicole. People were told that she is raising a relative’s child. Grace is happy to be home except for Adrian Schrock’s new enterprise next door. He has started an exotic farm and his animals manage to find their way over to the Troyer’s especially Kendrick the llama that spits. Adrian needs to earn money to provide food for his menagerie. He wants to start tours, but Adrian needs somewhere for the guests to get a meal. Grace’s parents agree to Adrian’s proposal much to Grace’s dismay. The last thing Grace wants is for Englischers to be near her daughter. Grace comes up with a plan to discourage Adrian.
I laughed often while reading
The Baby Next Door. It is an engaging Amish
tale. I can always count on Vannetta
Chapman to provide me with an entertaining story with good life lessons. I like that Adrian was a man of deep
faith. He felt he was doing the work
that God meant for him and that He would provide a way to support his
flock. I thought it was great that we
were given a unique character like Adrian.
He is not your normal Amishman.
There are some unique animals in the story. Adrian has quite a variety of animals on his
farm including a red-rumped parrot. I had to laugh at Kendrick. He is a llama that escapes frequently from
Adrian’s farm. He will poke his head in
the Troyer’s kitchen (he has a spitting problem though). My favorite quote is from Adrian who says, “Normal
is underrated. Isn’t it?” I especially liked the epilogue that nicely
wrapped up the story. The Baby Next Door
is a heartwarming Amish tale with an escaping llama, galloping pygmy goats, an
endearing Nicole, Cinnamon the Camel, troubled tours, and a gracious God.
Kris
The
Avid Reader
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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French Chateau |
Suspects by Danielle Steel is an intriguing romantic suspense. The story is told from the point of view of Theodora “Theo” Morgan and Mike Andrews. Theo owns an online clothing company that is a success. She married an older Frenchman, and they had a son, Axel. Unfortunately, Theo’s husband and son were kidnapped, and the case went sideways. The kidnappers killed both the husband and son leaving behind a devastated Theo. The case has yet to be solved and there are worries that the kidnappers will strike again since they only got half of the ransom. Mike Andrews is a CIA agent in New York. When Theo flies to New York to oversee the opening of a pop-up shop, Pierre de Vaumont is on the same plane. Pierre must be vetted before being allowed into New York which is how Mike becomes aware of Theo. Mike attends the opening of Theo’s New York pop-up shop and there is an instant connection. Mike wants to protect Theo. The only way to keep her safe is to find the men who kidnapped her husband and son.
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Retro New York Diner--Theo & Mike's first "date" |
I enjoyed Suspects. I thought it was well-written and engaging. I liked the characters. Theo is a smart woman with a head for business. She is also creative, hardworking, and down to earth. Mike is man with a good heart. He is also intelligent, strong, and a diligent worker. He has devoted his life to his career. I liked Mike’s sister, Fiona. She is a lively character and added humor to the story. Suspects has tension, romance, drama, mystery, and intrigue. The second half of the story moves at a quick pace. I liked all the action. There is some repetition, a small amount of foul language, and there are intimate situations (just so you are aware). I found myself drawn into Suspects and quickly devoured it. I liked the descriptions of Paris and the fashions. I enjoyed reading Suspects and I look forward to Danielle Steel’s next novel. Suspects is a gripping tale with crazed kidnappers, a keen CIA agent, a withdrawn widow, a creative sibling, a smarmy matchmaker, and a rare romance.
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Pop Up Shop |
Kris
The
Avid Reader
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Would you do this on an airplane? |
Dairy, Dairy Quite Contrary
Dairy, Dairy Quite Contrary by Amy Lillard is the debut of A Sunflower Café Mysteries. We meet Sissy Yoder and her Yorkshire terrier, Duke. They have traveled to Yoder, Kansas to help her aunt, Bethel who broke a leg. Bethel needs help running the Sunflower Café. Sissy is glad for an excuse to get away from Tulsa, Oklahoma after breaking up with her boyfriend and losing her apartment. Unfortunately, Sissy’s fresh start begins with the murder of the local milk delivery driver in the back doorway of the Sunflower Café. Deputy Sheriff Earl Berry has Sissy at the top of his suspect list. The only way to clear her name is for Sissy to find the real culprit. I like Amy Lillard’s casual writing style. It is welcoming and friendly. The pacing is leisurely and could have used an injection of caffeine. Sissy Yoder is a friendly character who has an adorable dog named Duke of York (aka Duke). We meet a cast of quirky characters as Sissy works in the café and investigates the mystery. I enjoyed the descriptions of Yoder. It sounds like a quaint small town that is a mixture of English and Amish. I thought Sissy’s new home was clever and cute (I am not going to spoil it for you).
The murder of the milkman happens early in the story. Sissy is the prime suspect even though she barely knew the man. There are several suspects since the milk delivery driver is the local lothario. There are few clues which makes it challenging for Sissy to solve. Sissy gets help from local reporter, Gavin. I wish the whodunit had been stronger and more complex. I also thought the mystery needed a better conclusion with any lingering questions answered. I kept hoping the bumbling deputy sheriff would find himself the next victim. In the end, Sissy finds the final piece of the puzzle and identifies the guilty party. Gavin Wainwright is a reporter for the Sunflower Express, the local underground newspaper. He helps Sissy with the mystery plus he is her new love interest. I did feel it was a little soon for a love interest since Sissy is still getting over her ex-boyfriend. I am hoping that the romance will progress slowly.
I like Sissy’s job as the syndicated advice columnist Aunt Bess. Aunt Bess is a sassy, know it all seventy-year-old grandmother (at least that is what everyone thinks). Aunt Bess is plain spoken with plenty of helpful advice (Sissy should take some of it herself). There are quotes from Aunt Bess at the beginning of each chapter. Of course, Sissy has to have a cover occupation because no one knows that she is Aunt Bess. The food descriptions will have your mouth watering, especially for chocolate peanut butter pie. I enjoyed my first visit to Yoder, Kanas. I am curious what trouble Sissy will stumble upon next time. Dairy, Dairy Quite Contrary is cute cozy with the delightful Duke, the grabby Bethel, the loving Lottie, the laid-up Lizzie, the bullying Earl Berry, the scrumptious chocolate peanut butter pie, the grinning Gavin, and a suspicious Sissy.
Kris
The
Avid Reader
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A Hint of Mischief
A Hint of Mischief (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series Setting - California
Kensington Cozies(June 28, 2022)
Paperback : 368 pages
The proprietor of a fairy garden and tea shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Courtney Kelly has an occasional side gig as a sleuth—with a sprinkling of magical assistance. . . .
Courtney has thrown a few fairy garden parties—for kids. But if a local socialite is willing to dip into her trust fund for an old sorority sister’s fortieth birthday bash, Courtney will be there with bells on. To make the job even more appealing, a famous actress, Farrah Lawson, is flying in for the occasion, and there’s nothing like a celebrity cameo to raise a business’s profile.
Now Courtney has less than two weeks to paint a mural, hang up tinkling windchimes, plan party games, and conjure up all the details. While she works her magic, the hostess and her girlfriends head off for an indulgent spa day—which leads to a fateful facial for Farrah, followed by her mysterious death. Could the kindhearted eyebrow waxer who Farrah berated in public really be the killer, as the police suspect? Courtney thinks otherwise, and with the help of her imaginative sleuth fairy, sets out to dig up the truth behind this puzzling murder . . .
Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling Fairy Garden Mysteries, Cookbook Nook Mysteries, and French Bistro Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes the Aspen Adams Novels of Suspense as well as stand-alone suspense. Daryl loves to cook, fairy garden, and read. She has a frisky Goldendoodle who keeps her in line. And she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane and hitch-hike around Ireland alone. You can learn more on her website: httsp://darylwoodgerber.com
A Hint of Mischief by Daryl Wood Gerber is an enchanting cozy mystery. We return to Carmel-by-the Sea where Courtney Kelly owns Open Your Imagination. The town is full of quaint shops (I want to visit and check out all the shops in the various courtyards). It was nice to catch up with Courtney, Joss, Fiona, Megan, Pixie, and Brady. There is a helpful list of the characters at the beginning of the book. I thought A Hint of Mischief was well-written with great characters. I like the author’s engaging writing style. I found myself drawn into story. I love the fairies in the story and that Courtney can see them. Fiona adds humor to the story. I like that we get to learn more about the fairies (the various types) and their capabilities. There is one main mystery and two side mysteries. Misty Dawn hires Courtney to organize an adult fairy birthday party for one of her sorority sisters. When one of the party goers ends up dead, Courtney with help from her righteous fairy begins investigating. This was a well-plotted mystery. I had fun following the investigation and solving the crime. One of the clues was cleverly done. Courtney needs to work on her questioning technique (be less obvious because she does not want to alienate her neighbors). There are several suspects, a red herring or two, and helpful clues. The mystery is nicely wrapped up with all of the questions answered. Someone is stealing from the shops in town. Courtney intends to discover who is behind the thefts.
Fairy doors are appearing around Carmel-by-the-Sea. No one knows who is installing the fairy doors. I enjoyed the fairy party planning. Joss and Courtney came up with some clever ideas. I love the fairy gardens that were created by Courtney and customers in Open your Imagination. It gave me inspiration. I like how the romance is progressing between Courtney and Brady. I like that they are not rushing things. I loved the epilogue where we learn something special. While A Hint of Mischief is the third A Fairy Garden Mystery, it can be read as a standalone. The author provides the necessary background information. There is a preview of A Flicker of a Doubt which is the next A Fairy Garden Mystery at the end plus there are recipes for some of the treats featured in the story (Brookies, Chocolate Crinkles, Fairy Cookies). A Hint of Mischief is a magical mystery with flitting fairies, fabulous fairy gardens, a slain sorority sister, a playful Pixie, baffling fairy doors, covert thefts, and a curious Courtney.
“Thief!” a woman cried outside of Open Your
Imagination, my fairy garden and tea shop. I recognized the voice. Yvanna
Acebo.
I hurried from the covered patio through our
main showroom, grabbed an umbrella from the stand by the Dutch door, and headed
outside, quickly opening the umbrella so it protected me from the rain.
“Yvanna, what’s going on?”
Yvanna, a baker at Sweet Treats, a neighboring
shop in the courtyard, was dressed in her pink uniform and standing at the top
of the stairs that led through the courtyard, hands on hips—no umbrella. She
was getting drenched.
“Yvanna!” I shouted again. “Were you robbed?
Are you okay?”
She pivoted. Rain streamed down her pretty
face. She swiped a hair off her cheek that had come loose from her scrunchie.
“I’m fine,” she said with a sigh. “A customer set her bag down on one of the
tables so she could fish in her purse for loose change. Before we knew it,
someone in a brown hoodie slipped in, grabbed the bag, and darted out.”
“Man? Woman? Teen?”
“I’m not sure.” Her chest heaved. “That’s the
second theft in this area in the past twenty-four hours, Courtney.”
“Second?” I gasped. Carmel-by-the-Sea was not
known as a high-crime town. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. We had suffered
two murders in the past year. Flukes, the police had dubbed them. “Where did
the other theft occur?”
“There.” She pointed to the Village Shops, the
courtyard across the street from ours. Carmel-by-the-Sea was known for its
unique courtyards. “At Say Cheese.”
“The thief must be hungry,” I said. Say Cheese
had a vast array of cheeses, crackers, and condiments. “Were you scared?”
“No. I’m miffed.” A striking Latina, Yvanna was
one of the most resilient women I knew. She rarely took a day off because she
had a family of six to feed—two cousins, her grandparents, her sister, and
herself.
“Call the police,” I suggested.
“You can bet on it.”
We didn’t have CCTV in Cypress and Ivy’s
courtyard yet. Maybe I should mention it to our landlord. I returned to Open Your Imagination, stopped
outside to flick the water off the umbrella, and then moved inside, slotted the
umbrella into the stand, and weaved through the shop’s display tables while
saying hello to the handful of customers. Before heading to the patio, I
signaled my stalwart assistant Joss Timberlake that all was under control.
“Do not argue with me!” Misty Dawn exclaimed.
“Do you hear me? I want tea. Not coffee. Tea!” Misty, a customer, was
standing by the verdigris baker’s racks on the patio, wiggling two female fairy
figurines. When she spotted me, she uttered a full-throated laugh. “You’re
back, Courtney. Is everything okay outside? Did I hear the word thief?”
“You did.”
“Hopefully nothing too dear was stolen.”
In addition to my business, the courtyard
boasted a high-end jewelry store, a collectibles shop, an art gallery, and a
pet-grooming enterprise.
“Bakery goods,” I said.
“And no one got hurt?”
“No one.”
“Phew.” Misty gazed at the figurines she was
holding. “I swear, I can’t get over how young I feel whenever I visit your
shop. It takes me back to my childhood, when I used to play with dolls. I’d
make up stories and put on plays. At one point, maybe seventh grade, I thought
I was so clever and gifted with dialogue that I’d become a playwright, but that
didn’t come to pass.”
Misty, a trust fund baby who had
never worked a day in her life, even though she had graduated Phi Beta Kappa
and had whizzed through business school, had blazed into the shop twenty
minutes ago, hoping to hire me to throw a fairy garden birthday party for her
sorority sister. In the less than two years that the shop had been open, I’d
only thrown three such parties, each for children.
“Let’s get serious.” Misty returned the
figurines to the verdigris baker’s rack, strode across the covered slate patio
to the wrought-iron table closest to the gnome-adorned fountain, and patted the
tabletop. “Sit with me. Let’s chat. I have lists upon lists of ideas.” She
opened her Prada tote and removed a floral notepad and pen.
Fiona, a fairy-in-training who, when not
staying at my house, resided in the Ficus trees fitted with twinkling lights
that surrounded the patio, flew to my shoulder and whispered in my ear. “She
sure is bossy.”
I bit back a smile and said, “The customer’s
always right.”
“How true,” Misty said, oblivious to Fiona’s
presence.
I thought perhaps I should mention it to our landlord.
Kris
The
Avid Reader
*This post
contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying
purchases.