Sunday, April 28, 2019

Review: Deadly Southern Charm (Cozy Mystery Anthology)


Title: Deadly Southern Charm
Author: Cozy Mystery Anthology
Publisher: Wildside Press
Pages: 173
Format: e-book
Source: GEBT

Description:

This volume collects original tales by Frances Aylor, Mollie Cox Bryan, Lynn Cahoon, Judy Chalkey, Stacie Giles, Barb Goffman, Libby Hall, Bradley Harper, Sherry Harris, Maggie King, Kristin Kisska, Samatha McGraw, K.L. Murphy, Genille Swope Parente, Deb Rolfe, Rod Sterling, S.A. Warwick, and Heather Weidner.

My Thoughts: 

These stories are great if you only have a few minutes while waiting for an appointment you can read one and then go back and read the next!  Definitely captivating stories that pull you in wanting to find out how they do after the story has been ended.  I thoroughly enjoyed each story!  Can't wait to check out some of these great authors and see what else they have written!

Recipe:

Family is a big part of all my stories and Cayce’s Treasures is no exception. So, when her big brother comes to check out the antique store she bought, she’s used to him poking his nose into her business. I think it’s going to become more of an issue in futures stories. 



When I think of family, I think of my mom’s potato soup. This version is my own – adding a little sausage to make it more of a meal. But my favorite part is the egg dumplings.



Chop one onion and mince a clove or two of garlic. Brown this in a large heavy stockpot with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Crumble a pound or so of a fresh sausage into the pan. I like the spicy Italian sausage my grocer makes for this. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.



Cook until the meat is done but not over cooked and dry. Then set the mixture aside in a colander, draining out the fat from the olive oil as well as the sausage.

Pour a box of chicken stock into the empty stock pan. Don’t worry that there might be bits and pieces from the sausage mixture still in the pan.  



Peel 4-6 large russet potatoes, chopping into small pieces. Add these to the stockpot along with two stalks of celery chopped into small slices. Add the leaves and chopped stalks into the pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes, add in salt (I like a lot of salt, so I’d say at least a teaspoon here, but this can be adjusted up or down for your own salt liking) and pepper and let the mixture boil for thirty minutes, checking the water level at different times. You don’t want this to dry out and burn. When the potatoes are soft, mash up some of the potatoes. Not all of the pot. You can also do this by inserting an immersion blender, but it seems a bit fancy for the recipe. J



Add back in the drained meat mixture, a cup of heavy cream, and enough milk to make the soup appear creamy.



In a separate bowl, add a ½ cup of flour, and generous sprinklings (or dashes) of salt, pepper, garlic salt, seasonal salt to the dry mixture. Then crack an egg in the middle. Mix together in the bowl, then drop by spoonful into the soup. If there are left over crumbling’s, add those as well as the flour/egg mixture will thicken your soup.



Put a lid on the soup, heat until the egg dumplings are cooked through, and serve.

My husband who’s a meat and potatoes dinner lover, finds this soup perfect for a weekend meal. I like to add some fresh rolls to the mix (yes, more carbs) but he likes the soup all by itself.

Enjoy.

Lynn








This entry was posted in

Book Tour: Recipe Deadly Southern Charm Misc. Authors


Family is a big part of all my stories and Cayce’s Treasures is no exception. So, when her big brother comes to check out the antique store she bought, she’s used to him poking his nose into her business. I think it’s going to become more of an issue in futures stories. 

When I think of family, I think of my mom’s potato soup. This version is my own – adding a little sausage to make it more of a meal. But my favorite part is the egg dumplings.

Chop one onion and mince a clove or two of garlic. Brown this in a large heavy stockpot with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Crumble a pound or so of a fresh sausage into the pan. I like the spicy Italian sausage my grocer makes for this. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Cook until the meat is done but not over cooked and dry. Then set the mixture aside in a colander, draining out the fat from the olive oil as well as the sausage.
Pour a box of chicken stock into the empty stock pan. Don’t worry that there might be bits and pieces from the sausage mixture still in the pan.  

Peel 4-6 large russet potatoes, chopping into small pieces. Add these to the stockpot along with two stalks of celery chopped into small slices. Add the leaves and chopped stalks into the pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes, add in salt (I like a lot of salt, so I’d say at least a teaspoon here, but this can be adjusted up or down for your own salt liking) and pepper and let the mixture boil for thirty minutes, checking the water level at different times. You don’t want this to dry out and burn. When the potatoes are soft, mash up some of the potatoes. Not all of the pot. You can also do this by inserting an immersion blender, but it seems a bit fancy for the recipe. J

Add back in the drained meat mixture, a cup of heavy cream, and enough milk to make the soup appear creamy.

In a separate bowl, add a ½ cup of flour, and generous sprinklings (or dashes) of salt, pepper, garlic salt, seasonal salt to the dry mixture. Then crack an egg in the middle. Mix together in the bowl, then drop by spoonful into the soup. If there are left over crumbling’s, add those as well as the flour/egg mixture will thicken your soup.

Put a lid on the soup, heat until the egg dumplings are cooked through, and serve.
My husband who’s a meat and potatoes dinner lover, finds this soup perfect for a weekend meal. I like to add some fresh rolls to the mix (yes, more carbs) but he likes the soup all by itself.

Enjoy.
Lynn



Lynn Cahoon is the award-winning author of several NYT and USA Today best-selling cozy mystery series. The Tourist Trap series is set in central coastal California with six holiday novellas releasing in 2018-2019. She also pens the Cat Latimer series available in mass market paperback. Her newest series, the Farm to Fork mystery series, released in 2018. She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies. Sign up for her newsletter at www.lynncahoon.com

Media links.

AUTHORS

Frances Aylor, CFA combines her investing experience and love of travel in her financial thrillers. MONEY GRAB is the first in the series. www.francesaylor.com

Mollie Cox Bryan is the author of cookbooks, articles, essays, poetry, and fiction.  An Agatha Award nominee, she lives in Central Virginia. www.molliecoxbryan.com

Lynn Cahoon is the NYT and USA Today author of the best-selling Tourist Trap, Cat Latimer and Farm-to-Fork mystery series. www.lynncahoon.com

J. A. Chalkley is a native Virginian. She is a writer, retired public safety communications officer, and a member of Sisters in Crime.

Stacie Giles, after a career as a political scientist, linguist, and CIA analyst, is now writing historical cozies with a twist.  Her first short story is in honor of her grandfather who was a policeman in Memphis in the 1920s.

Barb Goffman has won the Agatha, Macavity, and Silver Falchion awards for her short stories, and is a twenty-three-time finalist for US crime-writing awards.www.Barbgoffman.com

Libby Hall is a communication analyst with a consulting firm in Richmond, Virginia.  She is also a blogger, freelance writer, wife, and mother of two. 

Bradley Harper is a retired Army pathologist.  Library Journal named his debut novel, A KNIFE IN THE FOG, Debut of the Month for October 2018, and is a finalist for the 2019 Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American author. www.bharperauthor.com

Sherry Harris is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mystery series and is the president of Sisters in Crime.www.sherryharrisauthor.com

Maggie King penned the Hazel Rose Book Group mysteries. Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries and 50 Shades of Cabernet anthologies. www.maggieking.com

Kristin Kisska is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime, and programs chair of the Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia chapter.www.kristinkisska.com

Samantha McGraw has a love of mysteries and afternoon tea. She lives in Richmond with her husband and blogs at Tea Cottage Mysteries.www.samanthamcgraw.com

K.L. Murphy is a freelance writer and the author of the Detective Cancini Mysteries.  She lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, four children, and two dogs.www.Kellielarsenmurphy.com

Genilee Swope Parente has written the romantic mystery The Fate Series with her mother F. Sharon Swope. The two also have several collections of short stories. www.swopeparente.com

Deb Rolfe primarily writes mystery novels. This is her first published short story. She and her husband enjoy life in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Ronald Sterling is the author of six books and draws upon his colorful andvaried life experience as a U.S. Airman, saloonkeeper, private detective, realtor, and New Jersey mayor.

S.A. Warwick, in the last century earned a bachelor’s degree in American Studies. Ever since, she has been trying to decipher the American enigma.

Heather Weidner is the author of the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries.  She has short stories in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 SHADES OF CABERNET and TO FETCH A THIEF.  She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and Jack Russell terriers.  www.heatherweidner.com



EDITORS

Mary Burton is a New York Times, USA Today and Kindle best-selling author.  She is currently working on her latest suspense. www.maryburton.com

Mary Miley is a historian and writer with 14 nonfiction books and 5 mystery novels to her credit. www.marymileytheobald.com


SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS




BOOK LINKS



PRAISE FOR THE ANTHOLOGY
Deadly Southern Charm is a keep-you-up-at-night collection loaded with well-crafted characters and perfect plotting by some of today’s best mystery writers. Brava!
USA Today and NYT Best-selling author, Ellery Adams 

Deliciously devious and absolutely delightful, these marvelous stories will keep you captivated! Sweeter than sweet tea on the surface, but with smartly sinister secrets only a true southern writer can provide.  What a joy to read!

Hank Phillippi Ryan best-selling Agatha and Mary Higgins Clark Awards winner


This collection of short crime fiction charms even as the stories immerse you in murder, revenge, and deadly deeds. Set all over the south, from Virginia to North and South Carolina, in Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans, the stories by eighteen authors engage and entertain with rich imagery and dialog from the region - and nefarious plots, too. Pour a glass of sweet tea and settle in on the porch swing for a fabulous read.

Edith Maxwell, Agatha and Macavity Awards nominee

This can’t-put-it-down collection of mystery short stories is flavored with the oft-eerie ambiance of the South, where the most genteel manners may hide a dark and murderous intent. Enjoy Deadly Southern Charm with a Mint Julep in hand – a strong one. 

Ellen ByronUSA Today best-selling author, Agatha and Daphne Awards nominee and Lefty winner


This entry was posted in

Monday, April 15, 2019

Review: Sifting Through Clues by: Daryl Wood Gerber


Title: Sifting Through Clues
Author: Daryl Wood Gerber
Publisher: Beyond The Page
Series: A Cookbook Nook Mystery #8
Pages: 235
Format: e-book arc
Source: NetGalley & GEBT

Description:

The Agatha Award–winning author of Wreath Between the Lines returns to the Cookbook Nook, where culinary mysteries are giving everyone food for thought . . . 

Book clubs from all over have descended on Crystal Cove to celebrate the library’s Book Club Bonanza week, and Jenna Hart has packed the Cookbook Nook with juicy reads and tasty cookbooks. But she’s most excited about spending an evening with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast, when they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. It’s all good food and fun for the savvy armchair detectives, until one of the members of the group is found murdered at the last stop on the tour. 

As if that weren’t enough to spoil her appetite, Jenna discovers that all the evidence points to her friend Pepper as being the guilty party. And with Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter too close to the case to be impartial, Jenna knows she’ll have to step in to help clear her friend’s name before a bitter injustice sends her to jail. Sifting through the clues, Jenna unearths any number of possible culprits, but she’ll have to cook up a new way to catch the killer before Pepper’s goose is cooked . . . 

Includes tasty sweet and savory recipes! 

My Thoughts:

Jenna and her friends and co-workers are getting ready for Book Clubs that have arrived at Crystal Cove.  Jenna and her book club are house hopping and having a meal at each house while discussing a Krista Davis book.  When at the last stop they find Ivy Beale dead.  Who killed Ivy and why?  All signs point to Pepper being the guilt party but there is no way Jenna will believe that.  What makes it harder is that Cinnamon her daughter is the chief of police.  Who specifically told Jenna to stay out of it.

Also Rhett Jackson Jenna's fiance is working with Jenna to try to narrow down a location and date for their wedding.  Of course with everything going on a wedding is the last thing on Jenna's mind.  Will she sniff out the clues in time?

I love this series it's fun to watch as Jenna fumbles around trying to figure out what really happened and why?  I also loved how they included a recent cozy mystery into their book club that definitely makes it all the better.  Makes me wish I was part of their book club!  I can't wait to see what is next for this author.  If you have read this book feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!
This entry was posted in

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Review: Kernel of Truth by: Kristi Abbott

Title: Kernel of Truth
Author: Kristi Abbott
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Series: Popcorn Shop Mystery #1
Pages: 294
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchase

Description:

An all-new Popcorn Shop Mystery bursts on the scene, featuring gourmet popcorn entrepreneur Rebecca Anderson and her poodle Sprocket.

Opening a gourmet popcorn shop was never on Rebecca Anderson’s bucket list. But after a failed marriage to a celebrity chef, she’s ready for her life to open up and expand. She has returned to her hometown of Grand Lake, Ohio, with her popcorn-loving poodle Sprocket to start a new business—naturally called POPS. As a delicious bonus, Cordelia “Coco” Bittles, a close family friend who has always been like a grandmother to Rebecca, owns the chocolate shop next door, and the two are thinking of combining their businesses.

But when Coco’s niece, Alice, discovers her on the floor of her chocolate shop, those dreams go up in smoke. The local sheriff thinks Coco was the victim of a robbery gone wrong, but Rebecca isn’t so sure. As suspects start popping up all over, Rebecca is determined to turn up the heat and bring the killer to justice in a jiffy!

INCLUDES POPCORN RELATED RECIPES!

My Thoughts:

This book follows Rebecca who owns a Popcorn Shop and is working with another shop owner to expand the business.  When her fellow business owner is found dead it's up to Rebecca find out what is going on.  Of course things don't go according to plan when Rebecca keeps trying to get to the bottom of what happened to Coco.  As she tries to figure it she finds herself inside the police station more times than she wants to count!  So who killed Coco and why?

I loved this story Rebecca is great she's not perfect and not always making the best choices and I think it works for this series to have a girl who plays a not good girl but not quite bad either is definitely a nice change to the cozy genre. 

I also loved meeting all the people that live with Rebecca in her hometown and how she deals with moving back after a marriage that fell apart even though her ex-husband can't figure that out yet.  Definitely a great addition to the cozy mysteries out there and one I wouldn't mind reading again and again!  Rebecca has just the right amount of sass!

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Review: Murder at the Marina by: Janet Finsilver


Title: Murder at the Marina
Author: Janet Finsilver
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Series: A Kelly Jackson Mystery #5
Pages: 200
Format: e-book ARC
Source: NetGalley & GEBT

Description:

She’s got to solve this—or her friends are sunk . . .

Kelly Jackson, manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, is fond of the Doblinsky brothers, Ivan and Rudy, members of the Silver Sentinels, a crew of crime-solving senior citizens in their Northern California seaside hamlet. 

After she discovers a jewel-encrusted dagger—with what appears to be dried blood on the blade—on their fishing boat, they share their family history with Kelly, and she learns that the knife may be part of a set from their long-ago childhood in Russia. Its sudden reappearance is eerie, but the mystery grows much more serious when a body is found on the boat. 

The victim was staying at Kelly’s inn, in town for a Russian Heritage Festival, and some of the organizers were clearly harboring some bitterness. But the story behind this murder seems as layered as a nesting doll—and Kelly’s feeling completely at sea . . .

My Thoughts:

Kelly is adjusting to life in Redwood Cove and spending time with the Doblinsky brothers getting to visit them on their boat the Nadia.  While waiting for them Kelly finds a dagger with something on it.  Obviously someone is out to cause trouble from Ivan and Rudy.

As the Russian Heritage Festival preparations get underway another mishap happens when a body is found on the Nadia.  It turns out to be a local store owner Alexander Koskov who also helps Russians get money for rare valuables.  Who killed Alexander and why?

Kelly decides it's time to rally The Professor, Rudy, Ivan, Gertie, Mary the notorious Silver Sentinels.  The group has solved a slew of murders up to this point so why not help out on of their own?  They jump right in to help one of their own!

What I love about this series is there really isn't a thing wrong with the series.  It pulls you in and has you gripping until the story is over.  The group works fabulous and they get things done in their own way!

This book also was great for those who love Russian History especially those of royal stature.  It had you pulled hearing Ivan and Rudy's story.  There was so much to enjoy with it.  Another fabulous adventure for anyone who loves this series and cozies in general!
This entry was posted in

Friday, April 5, 2019

Review: Chutes and Ladder by: Marc Jedel


Title: Chutes and Ladder
Author: Marc Jedel
Publisher: BGM Press
Series: Silicon Valley Mystery #2
Pages: 195
Format: e-book
Source: GEBT

Description:

When a camping trip uncovers a murder, this amateur sleuth is stuck putting out the fire …
Marty Golden enjoys time with his nieces, but he wanted to spend the weekend with his new girlfriend — not chaperone a Girl Scout camping trip. Once he stumbles upon the corpse of a friend in the woods, the outdoors adventure becomes an open-air disaster. When the police label it an accidental death, the meticulous Marty vows to investigate the murder. After all, it’s poor manners to let your friend’s death go unsolved.
On the hunt for clues the cops ignored, Marty uncovers a disturbing connection to himself. And as he digs deeper, a misbehaving pup, a kooky cousin, and a maniacal ninja put his survival skills to the test.
Will Marty unravel the mystery before the killer, or his imagination, gets to him?
Chutes and Ladder is the side-splitting second novel in the Silicon Valley cozy mystery series. If you like quirky sleuths, wacky side characters, and laugh-out-loud moments, you’ll love this offbeat whodunit.
Buy Chutes and Ladder to decode a great mystery today!

My Thoughts:

Marty Golden was all set to spend the weekend with his girlfriend when his sister injures her foot and can't accompany her daughter on a Girl Scout camping trip.  Instead she volunteers her brother Marty to be a chaperone.  Which of course upsets the other mothers.  What no one counted on was finding a dead body.  What makes it worse is the dead guy is a poker buddy of Marty's. 

Marty is a funny character who really makes you laugh while reading and seeing how Marty solves the murder.  The book was a quick and enjoyable read that pulls you in to see what Marty is going to do next!  Can't wait to see what the author has next in store for Marty!

This entry was posted in

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

News: Another Day Another Clue



It’s now another day and time for some more clues.  When we find an author we love we jump into
the series they promoted and sink our teeth into all of them.  Some write as many as 3-4 some are
up to book 8-9 the numbers change depending on the series sometimes those book list can be really
huge to get through because they are vast or they have multiple aliases or series to read.

And of course we love friending authors on Facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest the list seems
to go on.  It feels like a way to connect with them if you live far away or are to shy to walk up to them
and say hi. I have a couple near me and one of them went out of their way a while
back two something years ago when I was in the hospital having surgery.  It makes author
seem more human which you are but it’s like a Hollywood mentality type thing.

This is what I could think of to honor all the authors I have come to love and read.  
Their talent for storytelling gets better each time they start a story and I feel honored
when I can share a book with my bloggers.  Heck I get shocked when I think I’ve been doing this
for 10 years now.

So I hope you enjoy the SURPRISE when it comes and it is coming…

Good things come to those who wait :)

This entry was posted in

Monday, April 1, 2019

News: Surprise Is Coming



As a book reviewer we see the countless work authors do, with their deadlines, coming up with new material dealing with fans who are eager to read the next book, once the current one has been devoured.  Let's face it fans can be greedy (not in a bad way) looking for the favorite authors to release a new book.  I'm working on something which is in multiple parts for authors.  It's my way of saying Thank you.  They do what they love and love their fans.  Someone is helping with me with one stage of the SURPRISE while I am working on part two of the SURPRISE and authors can receive it without even leaving their bedroom, unless of course their computer is in another room that is.

To do the 2nd part it's all on me to get to work on it.  That I think is the best part a way to appreciate them without them lifting a finger!  Who doesn't love something that easy and simple.  These are all clues to the big SURPRISE.  They always surprise us with new books or new news they can sit back and try to figure this one out all on their own, unless they talk to each other and try to figure it out!

Keep watching to find out more...
This entry was posted in

Review: Caught Dead Handed by: Carol J. Perry

Title: Caught Dead Handed
Author: Carol J. Perry
Publisher: Kensington
Series: Witch City Mystery #1
Pages: 393
Format: Paperback
Source: Library

Description:

She's not a psychic--she just plays one on TV.

Most folks associate the city of Salem, Massachusetts with witches, but for Lee Barrett, it's home. This October she's returned to her hometown--where her beloved Aunt Ibby still lives--to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH-TV. But the only opening is for a call-in psychic to host the late night horror movies. It seems the previous host, Ariel Constellation, never saw her own murder coming. 

Lee reluctantly takes the job, but when she starts seeing real events in the obsidian ball she's using as a prop, she wonders if she might really have psychic abilities. To make things even spookier, it's starting to look like Ariel may have been an actual practicing witch--especially when O'Ryan, the cat Lee and Aunt Ibby inherited from her, exhibits some strange powers of his own. With Halloween fast approaching, Lee must focus on unmasking a killer--or her career as a psychic may be very short lived. . . 

My Thoughts: 

In this book Lee Barrett has returned home where her Aunt Ibby lives and where Lee grew up after her parents died.  Salem Massachusetts has lots of magical history.  Lee is about to interview for a new job when she finds out someone else has been hired.  Irate Lee leaves and finds a dead body in the water.  They learn that the body is none other than a late night show host and psychic Ariel Constellation.  Pretty quickly Lee is hired to run the show Nightshades.  While connected to the radio station Lee decides to poke around and find out what is going on?

The big question is who killed Ariel and why?  Could it be the boss's wife who recently had a falling out with Ariel assuming she was messing around with the Boss?  Or was it one of the people who called in looking for advice on Nightshades?  As Lee tries to figure it out she is left with more questions than answers!

I loved going to Salem as I have been there being raised in NH puts you close to visiting Salem.  It was great to see a cozy mystery series take place in Salem. The story really pulls you in to learn more about Lee and her Aunt Ibby, and what brought the two of them together.  Of course I felt bad for Lee who has had her share of sadness with the death of her parents and her husband Johnny Barrett.  She is definitely a remarkable person to keep moving forward regardless of the tragedy she has been through.  

A great book for those who love cats, magic, and things that go bump in the night!  If you've read this book let us know in the comments what you thought of it!
This entry was posted in