Missing Pieces - A Review

 

Missing Pieces

“Elvis Has Left the Building” by Cynthia Hickey 

“The Puzzle King” by Linda Baten Johnson 

“A Puzzling Weekend” by Teresa Ives Lilly 

“Puzzle Me This” by Janice Thompson

A Review

The publisher has brought together four different faith-based cozy mysteries all centered on the theme of Jigsaw puzzles. Each was enjoyable and provided a few hours of fun reading.

For this reader the most enjoyable story was Janice Thompson’s “Puzzle Me This”. Set in the annual Camden Jigsaw Puzzle Show, Mariah was opening a new business - selling Jigsaw puzzles - but it seemed like it would be a failure from the start. First were the gunshots heard throughout the Camden Opera House, home to the show; then came the dead body found near Mariah’s booth; the first night ended with the missing, i.e. stolen, “Grindle Point '' antique puzzle valued at over $2500. That puzzle was the key to Mariah’s future success and now it was gone.

Mariah, working with other shop owners and Detective Casey Durham of the Camden PD, would follow (stumble on) clues which would lead to the guilty party. The clues not only guided Mariah and her friends, but they also provided tantalizing breadcrumbs for the reader, leading to a very satisfying conclusion. This final story, and the book, gets five stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

The Diva Says Cheesecake - A Review

 

The Diva Says

Cheesecake

By

Krista Davis

Do you like cheeecake? Do you like cozy mysteries? If the answer to these two questions is “Yes”, then you will likely enjoy this book.

Tate Bodoin has died. Sophie Winston, owner of Old Town’s most well-known cheesecake store, had found the body. Now Sophie was a suspect. To clear her name she would need to “help” find the real culprit.

Besides being a very readable cozy, the author also includes excerpts from two local advice columnists within the story and some tasty recipes (both cheesecake and more) at the end of the book. This reader would not try them all, but several are eye-catching and worth considering for a future treat. Between the cozy and the recipes, I give this book four stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

A Disturbing Nature - A Review

                                                   A Disturbing Nature

by

Brian Lebeau

A Review

Though I was looking forward to reviewing this book, I found myself discouraged as I read. The discouragement began with the lengthy “Acknowledgments” (3 pages). This was followed by a one page “Author’s Note”. The author’s note seems mostly unnecessary in that it focuses on the setting and timing of the novel - elements clearly covered within the body of the book.

The book itself was more a set of character studies than mystery - this reader found himself quickly losing interest. The well-written story may be of interest to some, but I can only give the book two-stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Buried In A Good Book - A Review

 

Buried In

A Good Book

by

Tamara Berry

A Review

Sometimes an author does it exactly right. Tamara Berry has done just that. With the right amount of humor, the right amount of suspense, the right amount of romance, and the right amount of clues, Ms. Berry has put together a perfect cozy mystery.

Famous mystery writer, Tess Harrow, has come home for a change of pace with her teenage daughter to Northern Washington - Bigfoot country. She is struggling with her divorce, writer’s block, and teenage angst - would she survive the summer? Before the end of her first day home, she has to deal with body parts (literally) raining down on their temporary home.

As the back-page book blurb says, “... solving a real crime is a lot more difficult than writing about it …” Tess, her daughter, the local sheriff, and the town librarian, would have their hands full as they deal with an evil criminal, suspicious characters, and their own relationships. Here’s hoping for more in the series, the book receives five stars,
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.