Tides, Lies, and Alibis by Taffy Beach

Northern Exposure meets Carl Hiaasen with a Jimmy Buffett twang.

A faded dynasty, a mouthy parrot, and a pastry-fueled murder...

It’s February 1998, and Kate McGregor has a system: avoid the town’s eccentric gossip, stay inside her inherited Gilded Age home, and focus on the quirky local crafts in her consignment gallery. Between her meddling Scottish father and her best friend Cindy’s unconventional Hide Tides Bakery regulars, Kate’s introverted life is already louder than she’d like—and that’s before you count her rescued family zoo of cats, dogs, and a macaw.

But the peace of Manatee Bay is fragile. When a widely disliked local figure drops dead at the Spring Berry Festival, the trail leads straight to Cindy’s award-winning pastries. To save her friend and the town’s favorite gossip hub, Kate must step out of the shadows of her family’s dark history and into the spotlight of a murder investigation.

In Manatee Bay, the secrets are as deep as the Gulf.

Backed by a quirky cast of characters, including an 88-year-old attorney who made her grandmother a deathbed promise, Kate must untangle a web of old wealth intrigues, long-standing lies, and new grudges. Can she clear her friend's name, or will the dark history of her own family’s ruined fortune catch up to her first?

This is the first of six books (releasing every 14-18 weeks). While the contemporary murders are solved in each book, an overriding arc explores the clouded family history and scandalous mysteries that have haunted the town since Kate's grandfather’s time.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Tides, Lies, and Alibis by Taffy Beach is the first book in her Manatee Bay Cozy Mystery series and it sets the stage beautifully.

In Tides, Lies and Alibis best friends Kate and Cindy are getting ready for a busy weekend with the Spring Berry Festival in Manatee Bay happening.  Cindy is preparing her famous cream puffs for the festivities and Kate does her part and delivers them around town.  

Unfortunately, even though no one is supposed to eat any until during the actual festival, it seems that Alex Mudd, the primary school principal who nobody likes, may have sampled one.  Alex comes across him staggering and acting drunk and shortly dies but she cannot help but notice that there may be traces of a cream puff on his shirt.

Even though he wasn't well liked, Kate knows that she has to investigate for so many reasons .... most importantly to prove her best friend's innocence and save their businesses.  But Cindy, Kate's father and her family lawyer and friend won't let her go it alone. 

Kate and Cindy have been friends forever, live together with a few cats, a dog and a very vocal parrot, each running a business on the ground floor of their home but now with Mudd's death all of that is in jeopardy.  And the local Chief of Police seems to have something against Kate and her family, and it appears that he may already have the case closed.

Readers will love this first book as you get to know the characters and "some" of their secrets.  Kate and Cindy have a friendship that you will want, not to mention their home, pets and jobs.  You will want to live in Manatee Bay, even with a recent murder there.  There is so much you will want to be a part of that you will be wishing you could pack a bag and visit as soon as possible.  Luckily, we have more books coming so we have to wait patiently .....

Gimme Shelter (A Layla Virtue Mystery Book # 2) by Libby Klein

This whip-smart, witty series packs an emotional punch within an engaging mystery as Layla Virtue, a 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop turned party musician, finds a sideline in solving murders from her new home in a Potomac County trailer park…

An unforgettable mystery brimming with hilarity and heart for readers of Margot Douaihy, Jane Pek, and Darynda Jones.

As the song says, you can’t always get what you want. Maybe that’s why, instead of fulfilling her youthful dream of being a rock star, Layla Fortune is living in a trailer park while playing third-rate gigs, including a stint at a ʼ70s Abba brunch. Given everything else she’s been through lately, she’s not complaining (much) about satin ruffles and go-go boots. She has a squad of supportive new BFFs, and she’s reclaimed a relationship with her famous rocker dad. His recent diagnosis has brought them even closer—sharing the trailer park’s lake house, which he’s had remodeled in typically over-the-top style.

Layla’s dad loves his new community and the feeling seems mutual. So, why is one of them blackmailing him? It’s a mystery almost as baffling as the assignment Layla receives from her former look into the brutal murder of a mild-mannered school teacher. Archie Wilkins was bludgeoned with a candelabra, shot up with drugs, and stuffed into a church confessional. Not the kind of outcome expected for a guy reputed to be the world’s nicest.

Perhaps Archie had secrets. Perhaps everyone does, including Layla’s one-time cop colleagues. She’s been blaming herself for a deadly ambush that destroyed her career and her peace of mind, but as her new friends help Layla regain her memories, a different picture emerges, and it’s one that forces her to question so much that she’s taken as truth . . .  (Summary via Goodreads)

Even though Gimme Shelter is only the second book in the Layla Virtue Mystery series by Libby Klein, I am already a HUGE fan !!  

In Gimme Shelter Layla is learning to live her new life, one where she is no longer on the police force, is the new owner of the trailer park she lives in thanks to her rich and famous rockstar dad, going to AA meetings with three women who she now calls friends and trying to take care of her dad who has early dementia.

Thanksgiving is around the corner and Layla and her dad are moving into their new home, the owner's cottage on the property of the trailer park after he had it renovated.  But before she can really grasp what she is seeing, she is approached by an old co-worker on the force to help look into a murder that they haven't had any luck with solving.

Layla is not sure who she can trust on the force and still has a lot of questions regarding an op that she was in charge of went wrong killing her entire team.  So, while she works through that with her friend and neighbor Nick as well as her AA posse, they will all work together to try to solve Archie Wilkins murder.  But trying to find someone who wanted a second-grade teacher and all-around good guy dead will be hard, especially seeing as the police have come up empty.

I fell in love with this series with the first book, Vice and Virtue, because there are so many things going on to keep your interest as well as fall in love with.  The only bad thing is having to wait, patiently, for the next one because Klein knows how to end the book keeping readers on the hook.

Mares and Murder( A Merry Wrath Mystery Book # 39) by Leslie Langtry

From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a hilarious mystery on a dude ranch full of surprises!

Hold your horses!

The end of summer still holds surprises when ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader Merry Wrath Ferguson gets an offer to take her troop of girls to a dude ranch in Colorado! Demon’s Point Dude Ranch is owned by a college friend who wants Merry’s troop to test the staff and trail ride. The girls are gung ho, rounding out the troop with goth girl Draconia and Future Espionage Agents of America member Ardith.

You can’t look a gift horse in the mouth…

The troop is really champing at the bit to go on the remote, three-day trail ride through the Rockies and find the abandoned gold mining camp hidden there, until disaster happens and they find themselves cut off from the rest of the world. When the only person who knows another way back ends up murdered, the group has to change horses in midstream to figure out how to get back to the ranch. Merry needs her horse sense to find the killer before Happy Trails turns into Murder Trails!

What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry's

"I laughed so hard I cried on multiple occasions! Girl Scouts, the CIA, and the Yakuza... what could possibly go wrong?"
~ Fresh Fiction

"The Merry Wrath Mystery series has so much to love, and it is so different from other cozy mysteries that you can't help but be drawn to it."
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

"Mixing a deadly sense of humor and plenty of sexy sizzle, Leslie Langtry creates a brilliantly original, laughter-rich mix of contemporary romance and suspense."
~ Chicago Tribune

"Langtry gets the fun started from page one."
~ Publisher's Weekly    (Summary via Goodreads)

I honestly do not know how authors do it .... Leslie Langtry is the author of the Merry Wrath Mystery series and Mares and Murder is the THIRTY-NINTH book in the series !!  What is there to say about a book or series when there are that many books ???

The Merry Wrath Mystery series is a very special and unique series, it has a lot of different things within it to make readers huge fans.  

You have the main character Merry along with her best friend Kelly running a Girl Scout troop with a group of girls since they were in kindergarten.  They are now in middle school and more grown up than either troop leader would like.  Betty, one of the girls, is the Mayor of Who's There and has been since she was eleven.  There are four girls names Kaitlyn, they look alike and will be major soccer players eventually.  They have Ava who will run businesses in the future, Lauren who talks to all the animals and Inez who is just off the charts crazy.  And recently they have added two additional girls to the group who may end up in the troop, Draconia (who is all about goth) and Ardith (who is a member of Betty's Future Espionage Agents of America club) if they can survive their latest debacle .....

In Mare and Murder the group is invited to Demon's Point Dude Ranch.  The ranch is owned by Merry's old friend from college, Jodie, and she invited them to come experience the ranch before it actually opens so they can work out any problems.

And boy will there be problems !!!  When the group goes on a trail ride for a few days, they find out a landslide took out the path they were to return on and then the woman that nobody liked on the ranch is found stabbed, they find themselves in a little bit of a pickle ..... with more things happened that make Merry and Kelly question their insanity and if they can get the troop out safely.

With thirty-nine books in this series, you know there are fans out there and if you aren't a fan yet, you have enough books to keep you going for a while.  There are so many things I love within this series but I think the thing I like the most is Lauren's ability to talk to the animals and how no one seems to question that .... so fun !!!

Before Her Last Breath (Sam Lawson Book # 6) by David K. Wilson

East Texas private detective Sam Lawson is in a race against time when his fiancé, Carla Davenport, is abducted by a notorious serial killer bent on revenge. 

Taunting Sam and the FBI, the killer reveals the exact time he will murder Carla. Sam watches helplessly as the FBI heads off on what he knows is a wild goose chase. Knowing he is Carla’s only hope, he enlists the help of actor Josh Cole, who had helped him on a previous case, and the two follow a twisted trail of clues they hope will lead them to the killer before it’s too late.
 
As the clock ticks, Sam’s actions grow increasingly desperate and risky. Will he be able to figure out where Carla is being kept? And can he get there in time to save her? This tightly woven mystery thriller is the sixth installment in the popular Sam Lawson Mystery series by David K. Wilson. Fast paced and gripping, it’s a suspenseful roller coaster ride you won’t want to end. Get your copy of Before Her Last Breath today.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Before Her Last Breath by David K. Wilson is the sixth book in the Sam Lawson Mystery series and you have to love the guy .... author and character.

In Before Her Last Breath Sam's fiancé is abducted from their home by his old partner who has been abducting and killing women for years.  Sam was able to save the last victim and thought he killed Mullen in the process, but they were all fooled and let down their guards leaving Mullen wide open to take Carla.

Now Mullen has Carla and Sam has to fight the clock to get to them and save her.  However, Mullen isn't going to make it easy.  Luckily Sam has some friends, one you wouldn't expect, who are going to do what they can to help him.

The chapters in Before Her Last Breath are broken down by time, with chapter one starting at Wednesday at 6:45 pm when Mullen takes Carla, Sam is on the scene at 7:15 pm when he realizes something isn't right.  Then the chapters break down the story giving readers the time working towards Sam's 8 pm deadline on Thursday.  By doing it this way author Wilson makes sure the reader is just as anxious as Sam and his crew.  And you can feel Carla's fear along with Mullen's sick way of thinking.

Before Her Last Breath is so, I don't even know what word to use to describe it, but once you open and begin reading, you are incapable as stopping as Sam is determined in the chase.  I read this book in the afternoon, stopped for dinner, then picked it right up again.  I had to know if Mullen's was stopped and Carla was safe before I could go to bed.  I know it sounds weird for a book, but, seriously, once you start, you CANNOT stop !!!!

Lies Lost and Found (A Lake Amelia Mystery series Book # 2) by Jacqueline Boulden

Someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.

When Rose Webster discovers a hidden stash of money and a desperate note in her late father’s den, she’s pulled into a dangerous investigation that escalates the closer she gets to the truth. A photojournalist who’s sidelined by injury, Rose follows the trail of the whistleblower and uncovers the abuse of immigrant workers at a lakeside inn in the Adirondack Mountains. Rose is driven by a sense of justice and moral duty to stop the exploitation of the workers, but she can’t do it alone.

Kelsey Jacobs moved to upstate New York to flee her ex-boyfriend and get a fresh start. She first learned of the abuse of immigrants fifteen years earlier, but when Kelsey’s investigation led to threats against her life, she panicked and disappeared. Is Kelsey still alive? Can Rose track her down and enlist her help to expose a powerful business owner’s darkest crimes?

The deeper Rose digs, the clearer it becomes that her father’s sudden death may not have been natural. Now her determination to bring down the unscrupulous businessman is deeply personal as she tries to find out if he killed her father.

A gripping blend of mystery, sisterhood, and social justice, Lies Lost and Found is a compelling investigative howdunit set in the quiet but dangerous shadows of a small town.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Reading books should make the reader feel some kind of emotion, at least a good book should.  And boy does Lies Lost and Found by Jacqueline Boulden do exactly that !!  I had book anxiety reading it ... in a good way !!

Lies Lost and Found is the second book in Boulden's Lake Amelia Mystery series but you do not have to have read Family Ties Family Lies, the first book.  I would recommend reading it, only because it is a great read but it's not necessary if you don't, you will still know what is going on.  So, let's talk about the book ..... 

In Lies Lost and Found Rose has been staying in her parents' house due to her mom passing away recently and she is still recovering from an accident that resulted in surgery, so she is not able to work.  She has been slowly going through things and decides to clean her father's den (he passed years ago) when she finds a secret compartment in the bookcase with a note and ten thousand dollars.  The note is not signed and is not completely clear as to why the money other than to hope her father will continue the investigation.

Rose's dad had been an attorney helping working class and immigrant people so she wasn't sure why the person who wrote the note would have been in the danger they were in.

Kelsey, who wrote the note some fifteen years earlier, right before Rose's dad, her boss, died had been looking into some immigrant women who looked to be being mistreated by their bosses.  Unfortunately, she gets spooked and moves away hoping Randall, Rose's dad, will look into the case further.

Rose eventually locates Kelsey and Kelsey reluctantly ends up returning to Lake Amelia and the two end up uncovering more than they bargained for.  Luckily, they have Maxi, Rose's half-sister who is also a deputy sheriff, Mary who worked at the lawn firm plus Mary's husband Sam who is a private investigator to help with things because they ate going to need all the help they can get.

One thing I loved while reading Lies Lost and Found is that Boulden designates a chapter to Rose in the present time, then switches to Kelsey back in 2010 when things started.  It allows readers to really see the whole picture.  And the story is so intense that you will so engrossed in it that everything else around you will fade away.

A Poisonous Pour (A Cece Barton Mystery Book # 3) by Maddie Day

Since moving from L.A. to California’s verdant wine country, widowed single mom Cece Barton has gone from Colinas wine bar manager to wine bar owner—with a chaser of sleuthing . . .

It’s Memorial Day weekend and Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley is buzzing with activity. For Cece, business at Vino y Vida is going great, as is her romance with new beau, Benjamin. Meanwhile, Cece’s neighbor, Richard Flora, is stirring up controversy with his newest article, an exposé of Regan Greene, power-hungry chair of a valley district organization. Also in the mix is the town’s upcoming big classic car show, paired with wine tastings . . .

Cece is concerned the tastings will cut into her holiday weekend profits—until she and her mechanic, Josie Jarvin, are asked to co-sponsor a booth. . . . At the show, Cece spots Regan Greene, who is displaying her restored green ’72 Thunderbird convertible. As Cece pours tastes, she witnesses several heated discussions with Regan—including an argument with wine afficionado and new Colinas hardware store owner Greg Jardis. Otherwise, all goes smoothly—until Sunday brings shocking news. Regan has been murdered . . .

Rumors fly that Richard may have orchestrated the homicide—or even committed it. But Cece knows that’s absurd. And others in Cece’s orbit seem to have discomfiting connections to Regan, from Cece’s employee, Dane, to her winemaking teacher’s sister, Yolanda, to Colinas Mayor Guittierez. And after Yolanda visits the wine bar, Benjamin says he recognizes her from a road race.

Determined to clear Richard’s name, and failing to extract any clues from detectives, Cece once again enlists her twin, Allie, as her partner-in-sleuthing. But they’ll have to act quickly, before the trail goes sour . . .  (Summary via Goodreads)

Even though the Cece Barton Mystery series by Maddie Day is about murder, I can't help but think I could do without the murder and just hang out with Cece and friends at her wine bar, Vino y Vida .... but the murder keeps readers on their toes so I will be also.

A Poisonous Pour is the third book in this series, and you will fall in love, if you aren't already.  

The story starts with Cece and her friend Jo attending a vintage car show paired with wine tasting.  Jo is there with her classic truck as well as promoting her automotive business while Cece is there with her vintage Mustang as well as providing tasting and selling the wine she has at her wine bar.  

While at the event Cece witnesses a woman having heated talks with multiple people, one being her employee, Dane. She learns that the woman, Regan Greene, is the director of the Alexander Valley District Association which is to support businesses and monitor county functions to prevent corruption.

Cece decides to learn more about Regan out of curiosity as well as the AVDA until she learns that Regan died and it looks like it was murder.  And when she finds out that her elderly neighbor and friend, Richard, is on the suspect list, her determination to uncover the murderer becomes top on her to do list.

Readers cannot help but enjoy this series.  And I say enjoy because you are hanging out with a fun-loving woman, her two cats, her eclectic group of friends, at some nice businesses.  You are hanging out at Cece's wine bar, her friend's diner and another's art gallery, the playground with her twin nephews or her backyard with the cats and Richard.  You will love her determination to solve the murder so that she can go back to enjoying life.   

I highly recommend grabbing a glass of wine or cup of coffee and a snack while you escape to Colinas  ....

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The Bush Tea Murder (A Caribbean Island Mystery Book # 1) by Ashley-Ruth Bernier

Culinary journalist Naomi Sinclair is cooking up a maelstrom of trouble upon her return to the blue waters of her native Saint Thomas.

A new cozy mystery set in the US Virgin Islands, this charming amateur sleuth will enrapture readers of Joanne Fluke and Carrie Doyle.

Food journalist Naomi Sinclair doesn’t expect a side of murder with her passion fruit juice. But when her return to Saint Thomas heralds a series of troubling cases, ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that threaten her tight-knit community, that is exactly the kind of unsavory treat she must sink her teeth into.

Luckily for her neighbors, Naomi is as adept at solving puzzles as rolling johnnycake dough—a good thing, since her island community, though small, keeps serving up plenty of trouble. With the help of her friends and her crush, Mateo, Naomi must navigate the tumultuous turquoise waters of life in the Caribbean, all as her beloved father battles an illness that keeps tugging her back to her island amid her rising career stateside.

Rich with mouthwatering recipes, lush landscapes, and a hefty dose of fun under the sun, The Bush Tea Murder has all the ingredients to make up the perfect beach read.  (Summary via Goodreads)

I'm always excited when I have the chance to read a book by a new author or a book in a new series and I had both with The Bush Tea Murder, the first book in the Caribbean Island Mystery series by Ashley-Run Bernier.  I was very excited to be spending time on an island with Naomi, her friends and lots of mouthwatering dishes and drinks.  But sadly, I was disappointed and had a difficult time finishing the book.

When I read and review a book, whether I liked it or not, I always let readers know what I did like within the story.  I want to be honest and truthful and just because the book wasn't for me, doesn't mean it won't be for others.

In The Bush Tea Murder main character Naomi, who has a television show centered around food, is approached to host a different show.  She along with another co-worker, is given a year to provide a first episode for a television show regarding a cold case murder that has food involved.  She instantly knows the case she wants to showcase so she sets her sites on that and returns to St. Thomas to begin her research, interviews and investigation.

The story goes in a lot of different directions.  Sometimes readers are back at the television station offices where she is presenting her story, then it jumps to back to a certain time in the past year.  During that time, she finds herself instrumental in solving some smaller present cases as well as the case she is working on.  

Naomi also learns that her father has been ill and she tries to be there for that and then there is Mateo, I think he is what got me through the book.  Their relationship is awesome !!

Okay..... The Bush Tea Murder is categorized as a cozy mystery and although there is no strict definition of it, the main rule of thumb seems to be that the story contains no graphic violence and generally no swearing or sex.  In The Bush Tea Murder there was quite a bit of cursing throughout.  The only reason I kept reading is that the worst swear word was NOT used.  I have been reviewing cozy mysteries for over 10 years and have had this problem less than 10 times, so I think I am doing pretty good.  However, I do know that cursing can be a turn off for some readers.

Even though I was not a fan of this book, I don't want you to take just my word for it.  Please read other reviews and maybe begin reading it yourself if it sounds like something you will enjoy.  I never listen to others' opinions when it comes to a movie I want to see and I refuse to read reviews on them so take that into consideration.