Skeletons, Secrets, and Speakeasies by Fran Heap

Skeletons, Secrets, and Speakeasies

Book Summary

Some legacies are lost to time. Others are waiting to be found.

Tammy Rumbelow never imagined her fresh start in small-town Michigan would lead her into decades-old mysteries. But beneath the cozy book readings and bakery scents, Willowcroft hides the tangled roots of betrayal, buried truths, and a heist that was never meant to be uncovered.

With the help of her cat and a mismatched team of amateur sleuths—including a bookseller and genealogist, a tech-savvy teen, a sharp-eyed retiree, and a former sheriff—Tammy stumbles upon a hidden past woven through dusty tunnels, long-lost letters, and the fading whispers of women history tried to forget.

Together, they’ll piece together a mystery that spans generations—one that may rewrite everything the town thought it knew.

My Thoughts

Skeletons, Secrets, and Speakeasies by Fran Heap is the second A Willowcroft Cozy Mystery.  I have not read Murder, Mystery, & Mothers (nor the prequel Bears, Berries, & Beginnings) and I felt like I was missing vital information. I had trouble with the multiple points of view.  I found it jarring as it bounced between the group of amateur sleuths and the main character.  In addition, there was diverting internal dialogue. The characters lacked development. I especially felt that Tammy, as the main character, should have fleshed out more.  I thought it was amusing that Tammy’s cat was the most realistic and developed character.  The mystery was interesting. 

I cannot resist a whodunit that involves secret tunnels.  I enjoyed the genealogical and historical aspects.  Each member of the sleuthing group contributed to the investigation.  I wish the pacing, though, had been peppier. There was more talking than action.  There were times when I wondered if the mystery would ever get resolved.  The story has good elements, but it needed more fine tuning.  Skeletons, Secrets, and Speakeasies is a leisurely story about missing money, a network of tunnels, secret entrances, a murder board, a canny cat, an anxious teen, and a humorous radio broadcast.  

 

Skeletons, Secrets, and Speakeasies is available from Amazon.  The first A Willowcroft Cozy Mystery is Murder, Mystery, and Mothers. Bears, Berries, and Beginnings is the prequel to A Willowcroft Cozy Mystery series.  If you follow Fran Heap on Amazon, they will email you when she has a new book release.  Thank you for popping by today.  I will return on Tuesday, June 24 with Echoes of Darkness by Darlene L. Turner.  If you enjoy stories with suspense, secrets, twists, and more, then you will enjoy the engaging Echoes of Darkness.  

This is the cat house that I purchased.  It is a little bland.

I am off to put together a cat house for the outdoor cats that visit me.  I want them to have a safe space to eat and sleep.  They are scared of the new screened porch (they will not go near the cat door), so I am hoping the cat house will be a good solution. I am going to add some cute details (any ideas for a mini doormat) and color.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare

Homemaker

Homemaker (Prairie Nightingale) by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare

About Homemaker

 

Homemaker (Prairie Nightingale)

Mystery/Amateur Sleuth/Romantic Elements 

1st in Series 

Setting - Green Bay, Wisconsin 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas & Mercer (June 1, 2025)

Paperback Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages 

 

When a former friend and devoted mother vanishes, a confident homemaker turned amateur sleuth follows an unexpected trail of scandals and secrets to find her.

Prairie Nightingale is both the midlife mother of two teenage girls and a canny entrepreneur who has turned homemaking into a salaried profession. She’s also fascinated with the gritty details of other people’s lives. So when seemingly perfect Lisa Radcliffe, a member of her former mom-friends circle, suddenly disappears, it’s in Prairie’s nature to find out why.

Given her innate talent for vital pattern recognition, Prairie is out to catch a few clues by taking a long, hard look at everyone in Lisa’s life—and uncovering their secrets. Including Lisa’s. Prairie’s dogged curiosity is especially irritating to FBI agent Foster Rosemare, the first interesting man Prairie has met since her divorce. His square jaw and sharp suits don’t hurt.

But even as the investigation begins to wreak havoc on Prairie’s carefully tended homelife, she’s resolved to use her multivalent homemaking skills to solve the mystery of a missing mom—and along the way discover the thrill of her new sleuthing ambitions.

About Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare

Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare write critically acclaimed, bestselling mystery and romance, usually (but not always) together. They are the authors of the Prairie Nightingale mysteries and the TV Detectives mystery series. If you want more of their stories, check out their queer romances co-written as Mae Marvel, as well as solo work by Ruthie Knox (het romance), Annie Mare (grounded queer paranormal romance), and Robin York (Ruthie’s pen name for New Adult romance). Ruthie and Annie are married and live with two teenagers, two dogs, multiple fish, two glorious cats, four hermit crabs, and a bazillion plants in a very old house with a garden.

Author Links

Webpage: https://ruthieknoxandanniemare.com

Facebook: 

http://facebook.com/ruthieknox 

and 

https://www.facebook.com/anniemareromanceauthor

Instagram: @ruthieknoxromance and @spinsterpress

Excerpt

Prairie Nightingale stood on her tiptoes, ignoring the incessant buzz of her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and craning for a better look at Amber Jenkins.

“What do you think of Mrs. Jenkins’s handbag?” she asked her daughter Anabel.

Prairie and Anabel were part of a loose congregation of parents and family members milling around on the paved playground of the K–8 gifted school, waiting for the final release bell. Prairie hated moments like these, when there was a measurable stretch of time but nothing happening and no way to get anything done. An article she’d once read called it “garbage time.” When she was going through her divorce, she’d found a lot of articles like that—about how women’s time was wasted and their labor undervalued—as she tried to understand why the world believed she’d spent her seventeen years as a wife and mother doing essentially nothing.

“I don’t think of Mrs. Jenkins’s handbag.” Anabel looked away from her phone long enough to flick her eyes over to the purse in question. “But if you’re asking me how much it cost, that’s a seven-hundred-dollar bag. Nine, if it’s from this year.”

“Huh.” Prairie watched Amber, whose gaze was fixed in the middle distance as she arranged her ripple of blond hair over one shoulder. Bearing up under her own garbage time. Amber had two kids, like Prairie. She was sharp and irreverent, with a slightly faded tattoo of koi circling a lotus blossom on her shoulder. Once, she’d been Prairie’s favorite among a group of women who went for coffee after school drop-off and got together to make swag bags for the teachers. Prairie had always thought she and Amber had a genuine connection as the two moms in the group without a prestigious education. Both of them knew how to keep track of the drink orders from a ten top.

“Remember a couple of weeks ago when Mrs. Jenkins backed into that Dodge Ram and smashed her taillight?” Prairie asked Anabel.

“No. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Her daughter’s dry tone failed to disguise a hint of interest. She was not immune to what some called Prairie’s nosiness and what Prairie called her talent at vital pattern recognition.

“Well, that happened. And look.” Prairie angled her head at a dirty black Escalade illegally parked across from the school. “The taillight is still busted.”

“So?”

“Who spends nine hundred dollars on a new handbag and doesn’t get their taillight fixed?”

Hermes Birkin Sellier 20 Faubourg by Night--sells for over $450,000

“I don’t know. Why would I know that?” Anabel squinted in Amber’s direction. “Didn’t she used to carry a Kitty Blue purse?”  

“That’s right! The metallic blue crossbody bag with the cat ears. And Kitty Blue is not high dollar.” Prairie had never bought anything from the faddish direct-to-consumer brand, but she was familiar from seeing it hyped on the social media channels of practically every woman she’d ever met. “An upgrade like that begs a lot of questions.”

“Not really. Lots of things could explain it. Maybe someone bought her this new purse because her Kitty Blue one started getting ratty. Or the people who fix cars are too busy. Why do you even care?”

“It’s just something to keep me occupied while we wait for your sister,” Prairie said. “I don’t really care.”

This was a lie. Prairie did care, in the way that you couldn’t help caring about people you’d known for your children’s entire lives who didn’t talk to you anymore and had blocked you from the group chat for reasons you understood but didn’t agree with.

It wasn’t Prairie’s fault. At least, she didn’t think so. She blamed Dr. Carmichael. Nathan Carmichael had been a popular local ob-gyn until Prairie found out—via an investigation that began when he failed to deliver an anticipated donation to the PTO the year she was fundraising chair—that the doctor was serially abusing his patients. She couldn’t let it go, and didn’t let it go, until there was nowhere for Nathan Carmichael to go but prison.

It caused a scandal. Green Bay was not a big town, in population or in generosity of spirit. The doctor’s wife, who had been part of Prairie’s friend group, had to resign her seat as a state senator and move away with her kids to weather the gossip. Prairie’s role in the unpleasantness did not go unnoticed.

She was shunned. Cast out. Politely, Midwest-nice ghosted.

Although, in truth, she had never been completely clear on whether she lost almost all her friends because she was a dog with a bone about Nathan Carmichael or because she’d pulled the trigger on her divorce. Everyone liked Greg, her ex. In fact, Prairie liked Greg, her ex. He was, as the women in her life had never failed to remind her, one of the good ones.

But she could have approval, or she could live free and do as she liked. When Prairie felt sad about the friends she’d lost getting to the bottom of the mystery, she looked at the picture she’d saved on her phone of Nathan Carmichael crying in a courtroom. When she felt sad about the friends she’d lost because of her divorce, she let herself feel sad.

Her conscience was clear.

Homemaker is available from Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Barnes & Noble.  The next A Prairie Nightingale Mystery is Trailbreaker which will be out on February 3, 2026.  You can find Ruthie Knox's other books here and Annie Mare's books here.  If you follow the author's, Amazon will send you an email when they have a new book coming out.  Would you like to win a signed paperback of Homemaker?  You can click here to enter the contest or you can use the Rafflecopter form below.  Leave a comment for an extra entry in the giveaway.  Good Luck!  

Thank you for dropping by today.  I will return on Thursday, June 19 with Skeletons, Secrets, and Speakeasies by Fran Heap.  It is the second A Willowcroft Cozy Mystery.  I hope that you have a cheerful day.  I am off to search for red rocking chairs for our new screened porch.  My mother wants red rocking chairs with cushions, so that is what I will get (which means that I will have two more items to assemble).  Don't forget to enter the giveaway before you depart.  Take care, good luck, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants

June 17 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

June 18 – The Avid Reader – SPOTLIGHT

June 18 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 19 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

June 20 – Boys' Mom Reads! – REVIEW

June 20 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Sarandipity's – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 22 – Angel's Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 23 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 24 – Christy's Cozy Corners - SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Ascroft. eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 28 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 29 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 30 - Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books - REVIEW

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Dying to Sell by Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe

 Dying to Sell

Book Summary

Welcome back to Hope Street Church, where friendships are formed, fresh starts are encouraged, and mysteries are solved . . .

When an unscrupulous real estate agent tries to strong-arm a wealthy friend of Grammy Lee’s into selling her stately home, Cooper and her Bible study friends are called in to investigate—before any crime has been committed. Grammy’s fear is that the man is so devious he’ll try to bump off her friend in order to get his hands on the estate. But before Cooper and the gang can do much more than confirm he’s as sketchy as Grammy suspects, someone else takes matters into their own hands and takes the agent out of the picture, permanently.

The Bible study group knows that even the wicked deserve justice, so they continue to investigate, this time to catch a killer. There’s a full roster of service staff heading up their list of suspects, along with the elderly home owner herself. Then Cooper learns that the feds have taken an interest in the case, and suddenly she and her friends begin to worry they’re in real danger. Because nothing about this case is what it seems, and while charity may begin at home, this home is full of secrets that may cost Cooper her life . . .

Includes heavenly recipes from Magnolia Lee’s kitchen!

My Thoughts

Dying to Sell by Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe is the ninth A Hope Street Church Mystery.  I believe the best way to read this series is in order, but Dying to Sell can be read as a standalone. This series has great characters.  The characters are realistic and relatable. The cast of characters is not overwhelming. I like how the Bible study group are friends and are there for each other.  I just love Grammy, and I enjoyed learning more about her in this story. I followed Cooper and the gang as they set out to solve the mystery.  There were several suspects to consider.  Cooper and the gang with their varied backgrounds, knowledge, and skill sets make a great sleuthing team.  There is a tense reveal.  

Faith is woven throughout the story. It is central to the character’s lives which I love. Gratitude was the current lesson for the Bible study group, and I enjoyed it as well (I marked some great Bible passages). My favorite line was, “Gratitude is all about recalling all the things God has done in our lives and being thankful.” It is important to remember to thank God in the good times and the bad. There is humor as well as romance.  Despite Cooper’s sleuthing capabilities, she missed some glaring clues as to a special surprise people were working on behind her back. I closed Dying to Sell with a smile on my face.  

Dying to Sell is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other A Hope Street Church Mysteries here.  You can check out Ellery Adams other novels here and Tina Radcliffe's books here. Ellery Adams's has The Tattered Cover coming out October 28.  It is the 8th A Secret, Book, and Scone Society novel. 

This sunflower is in my garden and it is taller than me! It has over 20 buds.

Thank you for joining me today.  I am very happy to say that my carport is almost done.  The men are putting the final touches on it now.  It is an impressive carport (sturdy and long).  Our three season room has a secure roof once again and so does out shed.  The new screened porch looks great.  I no longer need to worry about Dickens, my cat, escaping when I open the door.  With the three major outdoor projects completed, I can now focus on the inside.  I need to get the ceilings repaired in my mother's bedroom and bathroom (from Hurricane Milton--water damage from when the carport was ripped off and water got in). Plus, the whole house needs to be painted inside.  Tomorrow, June 18, I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours with Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Anne Mare.  I hope that you have a terrific Tuesday.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess

 Welcome to Murder Week

Book Summary

In this delightfully funny and heartfelt new novel from the author of the “bittersweet page-turner” (The New York Times) The Last Book Party, an American woman travels to the English countryside when she discovers tickets her late mother had purchased for a murder mystery simulation in a small British town.

When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she’s forced to go through her mother’s things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming “murder week” in England’s Peak District: a whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother’s secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself—and begins a journey she never could have anticipated.

Teaming up with her two cottage-mates, both ardent mystery lovers—Wyatt Green, forty, who works unhappily in his husband’s birding store, and Amity Clark, fifty, a divorced romance writer struggling with her novels—Cath sets about solving the “crime” and begins to unravel shocking truths about her mother along the way. Amidst a fling—or something more—with the handsome local maker of artisanal gin, Cath and her irresistibly charming fellow sleuths will find this week of fake murder may help them face up to a very real crossroads in their own lives.

Witty, wise, and deliciously escapist, Welcome to Murder Week is a fresh, inventive twist on the murder mystery and a touching portrayal of one daughter’s reckoning with her grief, her past—and her own budding sense of adventure.

My Thoughts

Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess has a good premise, but I found the story to be on the bland side. Catherine, or Cath as she prefers to be called, is a lackluster character. She is not excited when she discovers her deceased mother paid for two tickets to a murder week in Willowthrop, England (I would be thrilled). It turns out that Cath is not interested in English mysteries nor does she read mystery novels (she does not know what she is missing).  Overcoming grief, healing childhood wounds, a self-discover journey, and having an adventure are on the agenda for Cath.  Cath is having trouble after the death of her mother even though they were not close (look up absentee parent online and you will find a picture of Cath’s mother).  There were some quirky characters in Willowthrop (Cath could take a page or two from their books).

I never felt a connection between Cath and her deceased mother (I wanted there to be an emotional tie). Cath seemed more connected to Mr. Groberg, her mentor and renter.  You could tell that Cath cared about Mr. Groberg.  The pacing was lethargic, which was not helped by the long-winded descriptions. The picturesque depictions paint a picture, but they slow down the story.   The mystery game was not as much fun as I thought it be.  I wish the whodunit had been more engaging and fun.  It lacked excitement and suspense. The emotional moments were not quite right.  They are slightly off (like a person missing their mark on the stage) and they lack depth.  Of course, no vacation would be complete without a romance.  The story had an uplifting ending. Welcome to Murder Week was cute but nothing to write home about.  

Eyeglass Shop Door

Welcome to Murder Week is available from Amazon*.  This was not a good book week for me. But I did try a new author.  I am continuing to branch out (get myself out of my book rut).  You never know if you will enjoy a book or not until you try it. There are some page turners coming out later this month and I will be sharing them with you.  I am heading off to an appointment (I hope I can get my mother there too!).  I will return on Tuesday, June 17 with Dying to Sell by Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe.  It is the ninth A Hope Street Church Mystery.  I hope that you have a relaxing and upbeat weekend.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Grave Words by Gerri Lewis

 Grave Words by Gerri Lewis

Book Summary

In the second installment of the Deadly Deadlines mysteries, obituary writer Winter Snow faces her biggest challenge yet when the body of a homeless man is found in a burning building and her best friend is the main suspect, perfect for fans of Eva Gates and Kate Carlisle.

Winter Snow has had it! With her business in a death drought, her best friend Scoop implicated in a string of arsons, and an obituary listing Winter herself as deceased, her life is heating up. But just as she’s trying to cool things down, she receives her newest assignment: an obituary for Chester, a homeless man found in a burning building. 

Promising the local funeral home manager that she will have the obituary by the deadline, Winter is stonewalled at every turn, failing to discover Chester’s last name, or where he came from. When it is discovered that Chester was murdered and that the fire was set to cover it up, all fingers immediately point to Scoop. Not only is Scoop a person of interest in the arsons, he was also the last person to see Chester alive. 

As more nails are pounded into Scoop’s coffin, Winter’s uncle Richard hopes to help by inviting the notorious town gossips, The Nosy Parkers, to a neighborhood food fest. Unfortunately, the breadcrumbs they toss set murder in motion.

More determined than ever, Winter must figure out the twists and turns of the case to clear Scoop’s name, putting her on a deadly deadline to solve the murder and avoid meeting the same grave consequences.

My Thoughts

Grave Words by Gerri Lewis is the second A Deadly Deadline Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. There is a lot going on in Grave Words, but it does not come together to form a cohesive story (it is all random).  I wish Winter Stone was portrayed differently.  She may be an adult, but she does not always act like one.  Winter is dating Kip, a local police detective, and she expected Kip to provide information on cases when she needed it.  Winter was irritated with Kip when he did not give up the goods. I wish the interactions had been playful.  Winter is told often to stay out of a case in which a friend is the prime suspect.  Winter is not going to stop investigating (she is like a dog with a bone), and I found the frequent mentions to be annoying (once or twice was enough).  

Winter took unnecessary risks which put her in danger because she was too stubborn to listen to anyone (this is what happens when you tell someone to stay out of something). The wrap up of the mystery had me rolling my eyes. There were many oddities throughout the story. Winter’s uncle has a new girlfriend whom he is ready to move in with, but Winter has never met her.  Since Winter and her uncle get together often, this seems off and I felt Winter should question it.  I was baffled as to why Scoop would turn himself in to the police (which was dumb) without a lawyer by his side. These were just a couple of the items that I noticed.  Grave Words seems to suffer from second book slump.  

Grave Words is available from Amazon*.  The first book in A Deadly Deadline Mysteries is The Last Word (and it is better than Grave Words).  While Grave Words did not appeal to me, I sugggest that you download a sample and check it out for yourself.  If  you follow Gerri Lewis on Amazon, they will notify you when she has a new book release. Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoyed the amusing obituaries that I included. Tomorrow I will be sharing my thoughts about Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess.  Hopefully, my new carport will be installed tomorrow.  There have been delays.  First there was a permit delay and then the rains messed with their schedule.   I have my fingers crossed that they will show up (because I do not want to call the office again to explain).  I hope that you have a joyful day.  We need more joy in our lives.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney

 Bodies and Battlements

Book Summary

The first in a new cozy mystery series by Elizabeth Penney investigates a suspicious murder in a haunted British castle-turned-bed and breakfast.

Herbalist Nora Asquith is delighted to welcome Ravensea Castle’s first guests to the picturesque village of Monkwell, Yorkshire. After a thousand years of ownership, her family has decided to convert the castle into a bed and breakfast. But when Hilda Dibble, a self-appointed local luminary, is found dead in the knot garden the next morning, Nora’s business is not only at risk—she’s a prime suspect.

Hilda had opposed the hotel plan every step of the way, and although she didn’t succeed in stopping the venture, her disagreements with Nora seem to only further her motive. One of Ravensea’s guests happens to be Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new to the area and now finds himself with a murder case in his lap.

Nora and her actress sister Tamsyn decide to investigate for themselves. They look into the entangled dealings of their newly arrived guests, while also getting hints from Sir Percival, one of the castle ghosts. As they learn, Sir Percival’s tragic death centuries ago sheds light on present-day crimes. Surely they can get to the bottom of this mystery while keeping their new business afloat . . .

Knot Garden

My Thoughts

Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney is the debut of The Ravensea Castle series.  I enjoyed meeting Nora as well as her family and Janet.  I like how Janet refers to Nora as “milady” even though she does not have a title (Nora has given up correcting her).  The author took the time to establish the main characters and the setting.  I like Nora who is friendly, a diligent worker, and loyal to her family. The animals are a delightful addition especially Rolf, the English mastiff. 

English Mastiff

I thought the author captured the setting of Yorkshire, England.  I could envision a castle by the sea and the nearby quaint village.  I like that the mystery stayed at the forefront of the story.  There is action, suspense, several suspects, a red herring, and, maybe, another crime or two. However, the main mystery is a cinch to solve.  I identified the guilty party before the murder took place.  I was happy with the ending, and the glimpse of what may occur in the next book.  I liked the addition of Sir Percival Asquith, an ancestor of the family who is the castle’s resident ghost.  I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story. Bodies and Battlements is an entertaining cozy mystery, and I am looking forward to the next book in The Ravensea Castle series.  Bodies and Battlements is a cute castle cozy with the grand opening of the inn, mouthwatering meals, spirited ghosts, an astute mastiff, a peculiar pater, curious crimes, a diligent detective, and a dramatic sister.

Castle Battlements

Bodies and Battlements is available from Amazon.  You can find Elizabeth Penney's other novels here.  Thank you for dropping by today.  Thanks to recent rains, I have seedlings sprouting in my raised garden beds.  I sprinkle seeds in the beds every few weeks.  This ensures that I will have new flowers throughout the year because some plants die (like my poppies which cannot handle the summer Florida heat) and others do not bloom the first year.  My sunflowers are doing well this year.  I had one sunflower with twelve blooms.  I am going to try some different varieties next year.  I will return on Tuesday, June 10 with Grave Words by Gerri Lewis.  It is the second A Deadly Deadlines Mystery.  I hope that you have a relaxing weekend.  I have a grill to put together (I have been putting off this chore).  I have a steak that I wish to grill, and I cannot do it until I get the grill assembled.  See you Tuesday!  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

  *This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.