Review of The Catsgiving Feast

The Catsgiving Feast
Whales and Tails, Book # 17
Kathi Daley
5 Stars

Synopsis

Synopsis:

A murder, a wedding, and a holiday feast converge in this warm and memorable Thanksgiving Mystery. (Goodreads)

Review:

As is usual for this author, the characters are engaging, the setting is welcoming, the mystery is intriguing and family is everything.

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Cait, her family and friends are so caring and giving. They make sure that everyone has a place to go to celebrate Thanksgiving, even when Cait is planning a wedding. When someone is killed and Cody’s mom is the primary suspects, they also have to find a killer. Can the gang get all of that accomplished in time? Hopefully, Cait will have the help of another mystical cat to solve this mystery.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author knows how to craft a mystery that keeps you engaged and wanting to swipe as fast as you can to see what was going to happen next. There are always twists and turns and lots of clues to sift through.

Not only is this a great cozy mystery, it is also a feel good story that will warm your heart and make you smile. I would recommend this book and series (and all of this author’s series) to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery.

 

New Releases For The Week Of November 11th, 2018

Here is a list of some of the new releases for the week of November 11th, 2018. I am going to divide the list into 4 days because there are so very many of them for this week. Today is the third day of my list for this week. Hope you find some selections for your weekly reading. Enjoy and happy reading.

 

 

A delightful English cozy series begins in August 1924. Lady Adelaide Compton has recently (and satisfactorily) interred her husband, Major Rupert Charles Cressleigh Compton, hero of the Somme, in the family vault in the village churchyard.

Rupert died by smashing his Hispano-Suiza on a Cotswold country road while carrying a French mademoiselle in the passenger seat. With the house now Addie’s, needed improvements in hand, and a weekend house party underway, how inconvenient of Rupert to turn up! Not in the flesh, but in – actually, as a – spirit. Rupert has to perform a few good deeds before becoming welcomed to heaven – or, more likely, thinks Addie, to hell.

Before Addie can convince herself she’s not completely lost her mind, a murder disrupts her careful seating arrangement. Which of her twelve houseguests is a killer? Her mother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Broughton? Her sister Cecilia, the born-again vegetarian? Her childhood friend and potential lover, Lord Lucas Waring? Rupert has a solid alibi as a ghost and an urge to detect.

Enter Inspector Devenand Hunter from the Yard, an Anglo-Indian who is not going to let some barmy society beauty witnessed talking to herself derail his investigation. Something very peculiar is afoot at Compton Court and he’s going to get to the bottom of it – or go as mad as its mistress trying.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Clarke thinks of herself as perfectly ordinary in every way. Just a small-town girl who serves breakfast all day in a little diner nestled next to the highway, nothing but dairy farms for miles around. She fits in there.
But then an old woman she never met dies, and Amanda was named in her will. Now Amanda packs a bag and heads to the big city, to Miss Zenobia Weekes’ Charm School for Exceptional Young Ladies. And it’s not in just any neighborhood. No, she finds herself on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, a street lined with gorgeous old houses, the former homes of lumber barons, railroad millionaires, even the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Why, Amanda can practically hear the jazz music still playing across the decades.
Scratch that. The music really, literally, still plays in the backyard of the charm school. Because the house stretches across time itself. Without a witch to protect this tear in the fabric of the world, anything can spill over. Like music.
Or like murder.
“Charm School”, Book 1 in the Witches Three Cozy Mystery series. If you’re a fan of Amanda M. Lee, N.M. Howell, or Amy Boyles, this mélange of magic and murder mystery is sure to charm you.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:   Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An exciting new book in the series featuring woman-on-the-run Elizabeth Miles–from the beloved national bestselling author of the Gaslight Mysteries.

Elizabeth Miles knows that honesty is not always the best policy when it comes to finding justice.

Elizabeth has discovered that navigating the rules of high society is the biggest con of all. She knows she can play the game, but so far, her only success is Priscilla Knight, a dedicated young suffragist recently widowed for the second time. Her beloved first husband died in a tragic accident and left her with two young daughters–and a sizable fortune. While she was lost in grief, Priscilla’s pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her and engineered a whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Now, about nine months later, Endicott is dead in what appears to be another terrible accident.

Everyone is whispering, but that is the least of Priscilla’s troubles. She had believed Endicott was wealthy, too, but her banker tells her she has no money left and her house has been mortgaged. He also hints at a terrible scandal and refuses to help.

Priscilla stands to lose everything, and Elizabeth is determined not to let that happen. But, as always, Elizabeth walks a fine line between using her unusual talents and revealing her own scandalous past. Elizabeth soon discovers that Endicott’s death was anything but accidental, and revealing the truth could threaten much more than Priscilla’s finances. To save her new friend’s future–and possibly her own–Elizabeth, along with her honest-to-a-fault beau, Gideon, delve into the sinister secrets someone would kill to keep.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Need the perfect man? No problem—simply create him!

Ivy wanted nothing more for Christmas than to have someone to come home to…to have a companion to chat about her day with, and someone to show off at her family holiday celebrations.

This Christmas, she’s not going to be alone! Ivy decides to create her perfect companion at Dream Droids, the premier robotics company specializing in sentient humanoids. Ivy spends weeks with Dr. Pierce, creating her dream man, from his appearance, personality, and even his knowledge of her life.

There’s just a few problems: when a special gift she purchased for her father goes missing, and Dr. Pierce agrees to help her find it, she finds herself falling for him. After getting her heart stomped on by her ex-fiancé, there’s no way she can open it up again…besides, she just created the perfect man.

**
Scroll up and grab your copy of this sweet little holiday romance and help Ivy solve her Christmas cozy mystery today!
The story will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy and get you in the holiday spirit.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Izzy Lockheart, there’s nothing like being home again.

Settling back into life at her magical hometown of Spell Creek Mountain, witch and budding entrepreneur Izzy Lockheart can’t wait to open up her new restaurant and really grab life with both hands. When a member of the Mangrove coven, a family the Lockhearts have been feuding with for generations, disappears after a meeting with Izzy, though, she’ll have more to worry about than napkin holders and menu fonts.

When a magical ticking clock is placed over Izzy’s head that ensures someone she loves will disappear if she doesn’t get to the bottom of this, the witch and her old flame, Deputy Riley Davis, have to dive deep into worlds more dangerous and kooky than they’ve ever been before.

Can Izzy get through this, or will her family be forced to pay the price for a crime she didn’t commit?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Serenity Cove, a peaceful Southern community where the residents like to play dice, play golf and, when foul play moves in, play detective.

With Christmas fast approaching, Kate McCall and her dice-playing friends get into the holiday spirit by agreeing to help the elderly Eula Mae Snow decorate her home, even when it means sorting through a veritable blizzard of the older woman’s knickknacks. Intent on doing a good deed and digging up a bright collection of seasonal decorations, Kate is stopped dead in her tracks when instead she discovers the skeleton of a man showing clear signs of foul play.

Many in Serenity Cove thought that Waylon Snow had run off and left town—and Eula Mae—more than two decades earlier. But with the appearance of his skeleton and a whole host of clues pointing to Eula Mae as the murderer, Kate will have to put her sleuthing skills to work to figure out who could have committed the evil deed. Determined to clear Eula Mae’s name, Kate knows she’ll have to solve the coldest of cold cases to track down the culprit before the holidays really go south . . .

Includes tasty holiday recipes!

About the Author:

Friends often accuse Gail Oust of flunking retirement. While working as a nurse/vascular technologist, Gail penned nine historical romances under the pseudonym Elizabeth Turner for Avon, Pocket, Berkley, and Kensington. It wasn’t until after she and her husband retired to South Carolina that inspiration struck for a mystery. Hearing the words “maybe it’s a dead body” while golfing with friends fired her imagination for this series. Gail is also the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries. When she isn’t reading, writing, or sleeping, she can usually be found on the golf course or hanging out with friends.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murder can’t be sugar-coated…

When a local teen goes missing, the town of Stoneybrook fears the worst.

Hadley is sure Miranda’s disappearance has nothing to do with the drug dealer who was found dead in Cascade Ridge. The charming, candy shop cashier is entirely too sweet to get involved in any of that. But when the clues pile up, Hadley can’t help but draw parallels.

Suddenly autumn isn’t feeling like the cozy season Hadley loves, and the clock is ticking faster than the leaves are falling.

Every moment counts in a missing persons case, but whom do you suspect when the victim is beloved by all? Or is she?

Recipes from Food in Jars creator, Marisa McClellan, included: apple rosemary jam and spiced pear chutney!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN BOOK 18 OF THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN SERIES:
Donna Stone Craig, her mission leader Jack, and their covert ops team must decipher horoscope tips that contain clues to the names of twelve US-born traitors whose individual acts are the catalyst to treason at highest level.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: This is a holiday SHORT story, but long enough for you to enjoy it with a glass of eggnog…or two glasses…*wink*

The holiday season has arrived in Springston…and at the Coopers’ house. Soft snow outside, creamy eggnog inside – it’s the perfect Christmas Eve for Charlie Cooper, the town’s most clumsy undercover detective.

Not to mention the yummy turkey, ham, sweet potato casserole, thick gravy and all the other delicious dishes made by Charlie’s mom for the whole family and Charlie’s two best friends and crime fighting partners, Marge and Celeste.

With such a perfect Christmastime in sight, nothing could really go wrong. Or could it? Well, there’s nothing like being held at gunpoint on Christmas Eve to bring joy into your heart.

When the food gets mysteriously ruined, the Christmas tree almost wrecked and apparently having a nice holiday feast just isn’t about to happen, Charlie wonders about that so-called Christmas spirit.

One thing is for sure: Charlie will always remember this year’s holiday as “barely surviving Christmas at the Coopers’ house”.

The Charlie Cooper series so far:

JAMMED – book #1
PICKLED – book #2
DICED – book #3
GLAZED – book #4

You can also visit http://www.deanyray.com. Would be happy if you stop by.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the new Vintage Kitchen Mystery from the author of No Grater Danger, when the town’s resident Scrooge is found dead, Jaymie says Bah humbug! to murder . . .

“I have loved this series from the first book . . . it’s like returning to a favorite nook for a cup of tea. It will delight, entice, and drive a reader to want to solve the murder.” —Goodreads on No Grater Danger

Now that Thanksgiving’s behind her, vintage cookware enthusiast Jaymie Leighton Müller is excitedly making plans for the upcoming Dickens Days festival—the town’s month-long celebration leading up to Christmas. With a hot cider booth on the village green to warm the hearts and bodies of the townsfolk and a diorama featuring a scene from A Christmas Carol, things are shaping up for a festive season—until the town’s local Scrooge is found murdered, a vintage pudding mould covering his cracked skull.

Nearly everyone had a reason to dislike Evan Nezer—either for his bullying ways or his obnoxious arrogance—but with his body being found in Jaymie’s diorama, she’ll have to figure out who hated him enough to see him dead. With many suspects and even more secrets coming to the surface as she investigates, Jaymie feels buried by a blizzard of clues. But with Dickens Days on hold until the police can nab the killer, she’s determined to catch the culprit so the ghost of Evan Nezer doesn’t cast a pall over the whole Christmas season.

Includes a vintage recipe!

Praise for the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries:

“All the right ingredients . . . Small-town setting, kitchen antiques . . . and a bowlful of mystery. A perfect recipe.” —New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert

“[A] charming new series.” —New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly

“A chilling whodunit.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Well-plotted with several unexpected twists and more developed characters.” —The Mystery Reader

“Jaymie is a great character . . . She is inquisitive and full of surprises!” —Debbie’s Book Bag

About the Author:

Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym of nationally bestselling romance author Donna Lea Simpson. In addition to the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series, she also writes the Merry Muffin Mystery series and blogs at Killer Characters. Visit her website at victoriahamiltonmysteries.com.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naughty on Ice is the latest in Maia Chance’s dazzlingly fun Prohibition-era caper series featuring society matron Lola Woodby and her stalwart Swedish cook, Berta.

The Discreet Retrieval Agency is doing a brisk holiday business of retrieving lost parcels, grandmas, and stolen wreaths. But with their main squeezes Ralph and Jimmy once more on the back burner, both Lola and Berta pine for a holiday out of New York City. So when they receive a mysterious Christmas card requesting that they retrieve an antique ring at a family gathering in Maple Hill, Vermont, they jump at the chance. Sure, the card is signed Anonymous and it’s vaguely threatening, but it’s Vermont.

In Maple Hill, several estranged members of the wealthy Goddard family gather. And no sooner do Lola and Berta recover the ring—from Great-Aunt Cressida Goddard’s arthritic finger—than Mrs. Goddard goes toes-up, poisoned by her Negroni cocktail on ice. When the police arrive, Lola and Berta are caught-red-handed with the ring, and it becomes clear that they were in fact hired not for their cracker-jack retrieving abilities, but to be scapegoats for murder.

With no choice but to unmask the killer or be thrown in the slammer, Lola and Berta’s investigations lead them deep into the secrets of Maple Hill. In a breathless pursuit along a snowy ridge, with a lovelorn Norwegian ski instructor and country bumpkin hooch smugglers hot on their heels, Lola and Berta must find out once and for all who’s nice…and who’s naughty.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie Plum faces the toughest puzzle of her career in the twenty-fifth entry in Janet Evanovich’s #1 New York Times-bestselling series. 

There’s nothing like a good deli, and the Red River Deli in Trenton is one of the best. World-famous for its pastrami, cole slaw, and for its disappearing managers. Over the last month, three have vanished from the face of the earth, and the only clue in each case is one shoe that’s been left behind. The police are baffled. Lula is convinced that it’s a case of alien abduction. Whatever it is, they’d better figure out what’s going on before they lose their new manager, Ms. Stephanie Plum.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, love, and joy, but for Lilly Carlsen, this Christmas is murder.

As a single mom, small business owner, and president of the local Chamber of Commerce, the last thing she needs is to find a dead body on the floor of her jewelry shop on the busiest shopping day of the year. And as if that isn’t enough, Lilly has to deal with a deadbeat ex-husband, a mother with declining mental health, and two teenagers.

But when a second body turns up, Lilly finds herself squarely in the crosshairs of suspicion. Can she figure out who killed the victims before she becomes one herself? And will her family’s Christmas be merry…or scary?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas in the Big Apple and Penelope Sutherland is home for the holidays!

She’s looking forward to spending quality time with her loved ones. She’s also catering her first documentary, a history of the Vitrine Theater and the Big Apple Dancers, who put on the world-famous Christmas Extravaganza. Her best friend, Arlena, is the director and granddaughter of one of the show’s famous Snow Queens.

But not everyone is in the holiday spirit. When one of the dancers mysteriously disappears then turns up dead right before opening night, it looks like Christmas might be cancelled.

The police are at a loss to uncover who has it out for the theater company, so it’s up to Penelope to cook up a plan to find out if the Vitrine is cursed or haunted by its past before the killer can strike again.

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

MURDER WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS by Shawn Reilly Simmons | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback