Review of A Whale Of a Tail

A Whale of a Tail
Whales and Tails Mystery, Book #18
Kathi Daley
5 Stars

 

Synopsis:

Visiting author Winnifred Westminster turns up dead after a speaking engagement at Coffee Cat Books where she tells those in attendance the story of the very real murder her book is based on. A murder she assures them that local law enforcement were never able to solve, but after years of research, she assured them she’d found the answer they couldn’t. During the speaking engagement, Winnie tells the story of the murder but doesn’t share the ending. She tells the group that they will have to buy the book if they want to see how it all turns out. When Winnie turns up dead, Cait and Tara suspect that someone must have wanted to prevent her from telling the end of the story and unveiling a secret that the killer obviously doesn’t want revealed.

Cait and the gang set out to solve not one but two murders amongst homecoming festivities and a Halloween celebration. (Goodreads)

 

 

Review:

The mysteries are well plotted and carried on well throughout the entire book. As is typical from this author, there is more than one mystery to solve. One is who killed the author, Winnifred, and the other is who killed Amy, a girl that was murdered years ago. At first look, it seems as if the murders are related, but are they or not?

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The authors is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning.

The characters are well developed and well rounded. I like how Cait and her family and friends are so close knit and you can tell how much they love each other. It is great how Cait and Cody’s relationship has grown, just like in real life.

I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. I cannot wait to see what Cait and Cody get into next.

 

New Releases For The Week Of July 14th, 2019–Part 1

Here is a list of some of the new releases for the week of July 14th, 2019. I am going to divide the list into 4 days because there are so very  many of them for the week. Today is the first day of my list for this week. Hope you find some selections for your weekly reading. Enjoy and happy reading.

 

 

 

Los Angeles, 1908. Anna Blanc is a former so-so socialite, a flailing police matron, and a killer detective.  

Ex-heiress, Anna Blanc, is precariously employed by the Los Angeles Police Department, reforming delinquent children and minding lady jailbirds. What she really wants is to hunt criminals and be alone with Detective Joe Singer–both no-nos that could get her fired. On a lover’s tryst in Griffith Park, Anna and Joe discover the body of a young gambler. Anna can’t resist. She’s on the case. As her murder investigation stalls, and her police matron duties start piling up, strange floral arrangements begin arriving from an unknown admirer. Following the petals leads Anna to another crime–one close to home. Suddenly pitted against Joe, Anna must examine her loyalties and solve the crimes, even if it means losing the man she loves.   (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A surprise ring at the doorbell on Valentine’s Day confirms Amanda Clarke’s suspicions. Her friend Sophie DuBois left someone behind when she came to Miss Zenobia Weekes’ Charm School for Exceptional Young Ladies.
But the happy reunion grinds to a confusing halt when he asks about Sophie’s quest to find her mother. And Amanda remembers she too came in search of answers about her own mother. Brianna Collins as well.
All of them forgetting their mothers the moment they showed up at the charm school? Someone, somehow, put a spell on them. But why?
Unless they find the witch who stole their memories, they may never know.
“Charm His Pants Off”, Book 5 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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer is upon Charm Cove, and Moira Wicked is busy as ever. With her nosy family in the thick of wedding planning, and every witch and warlock in town on the guest list for her destined marriage to Liam Good, she’s succumbed to the twists and turns of fate.

Just as she’s wishing she could use a distraction, a fishing boat runs aground on a small island off the coast of Charm Cove. Oh, and the men on said fishing boat claim, of all things, they were lured to the island by a woman singing to them. A siren.

Le sigh. Moira might’ve hoped for a distraction, but not specifically a siren.

The witches and warlocks of Charm Cove are a tad out of practice with thwarting a siren. That doesn’t dissuade Moira and the lot of them from turning their powers to solve the mystery.

With Charm Cove at the height of summer tourist season, it’s teeming with people happily buying up magic by the bottle. Moira’s destiny is also racing toward her. To keep a centuries old witchy feud from bubbling up again, she must marry Liam in time. The shores of Scotland beckon while she fends off a siren’s mayhem in Maine.

Take a visit to Charm Cove, where Wicked meets Good and where you just might find there’s almost always more than meets the eye.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A murder. Missing children. And the crimes have only begun.

When Homicide Inspector Rebecca Mayfield investigates the murder of a delivery man and the disappearance of his two children, she suddenly finds herself a target. Boyfriend Richie Amalfi is convinced someone with position and power in the city’s government wants Rebecca out of her job … or dead. But who? And why?

As Rebecca becomes increasingly embroiled in a murder investigation with surprising and far-reaching tentacles, Richie intervenes on his own to keep her safe. He must use every weapon he has, including people with dubious ties to well-placed politicians, to learn about the sinister, unseen forces against her, and what to do about them.

But when the very people he thinks are targeting Rebecca become targets themselves, the situation turns even more deadly.

Don’t miss Seven O’Clock Target as Rebecca and Richie deal with one of the most personally dangerous cases in her career.

The best-selling Inspector Rebecca Mayfield series combines fast-paced mysteries with a touch of humor and a hint of romance. Starting with One O’Clock Hustle, you’ll find the hours just seem to fly by.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three coeds have disappeared from Davis University in Vicksburg, and President George Pemberton is counting on economics professor Faye Winters to find out why. On leave from Huntington University, Faye has enough on her hands to teach a fast-paced three-week course, but her real mission is to find out what happened to the missing women. Roberta’s dead body has floated up in the Mississippi River. Where are Cynthia and Monica? Three women, three mysteries, and three weeks to find out what happened. Is Faye up to the task?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the town of Fairy Falls holds the paranormal world’s annual Halloween celebrations, Blair finds herself playing host to the leaders of the region’s most prestigious witch covens. Donating her room to a grumpy elderly witch is bad enough, but when a valuable sceptre is stolen from Blair’s house, Blair is tasked with finding the thief.

Blair attempts to track down the sceptre while juggling witch lessons with her stubborn familiar, an apprentice dealing with school bullies, and a plague of random hauntings all over town. Her long-lost family might be among the visiting spirits, but Blair has no time for ghost hunting. Bodies are turning up, apparent victims of the sceptre’s magic, putting the entire magical community in danger.

Can Blair stop the thief’s killing spree and return the sceptre to its owner before the town pays the price — and she loses her last chance to speak with her family?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A brutal murder.
A heinous secret.
A deadly conspiracy. 

The brutal murder of the little old lady next door puts FitzHugh Donovan on the case. A retired New York City Police Chief, he knows a cover-up when he sees one and his Irish Cop conscience can’t let that happen.

Now, Fitz, his family and his quirky band of Bleecker Street Irregulars are ensnared in the bizarre secret the woman died to protect.

Is this a cold case turned hot again, or an unspeakable conspiracy that could alter the course of history?

Fitz doesn’t yet know how high the stakes are, that failure isn’t an option, and that the little old lady was so much more than she appeared. But he’s trying to keep everyone alive long enough to find out.

Characters you’ll care about, dark shocking secrets, and disturbing similarities to today’s political scene, will keep you turning pages to an ending you won’t see coming.

Praise for Cathy Cash Spellman’s books:

About A Murder On Jane Street
“A MURDER ON JANE STREET is a gripping summer thriller filledwith history, adventure, and an intriguing mystery. Cathy Cash Spellman willkeep readers on the edge of their seat”
Charles Brokaw, NYTimes Bestselling author of The Atlantis Code

About Bless the Child
“Suspense that rivals that of Stephen King…”
West Coast Review of Books

About Lark’s Labyrinth
“The author constructs a blistering story that will keep readers turning pages of this spectacular thrill ride.”
Publisher’s Weekly

About So Many Partings
“Almost impossible to put down.”
Publisher’s Weekly  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From #1 Amazon, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Gemma Halliday comes deliciously deadly decadence in wine country…

In order to boost her struggling family winery’s reputation, Emmy Oak throws a Wine and Chocolate party for the Sonoma Valley elite—featuring her delicious drinks alongside her friend Leah’s decadently chocolaty desserts. But when Leah’s ex-husband’s new trophy wife turns up dead after the party, the police paint Leah in the role of main suspect and the only thing anyone in town can talk about is the murder at the Chocolate Bar.

In order to save face and her friend, Emmy finds herself infiltrating high society and sorting among the catty and cantankerous for her killer. Did the victim’s rare-wine brokering business have anything to do with it? Or was it the hot new golf pro at the club or the frenemy with a jealous streak? Or maybe her husband found a less messy way than divorce to end their short and unhappy marriage? Emmy isn’t sure, but she knows a mysterious man in a cowboy had has something to do with it, and the deeper she digs, the more trouble seems to follow her. Between crashing the country club, dodging danger, and trying to stay one step ahead of the sexy Detective Christopher Grant, Emmy has her work cut out for her to catch a killer…before hers is the next death by chocolate!

**Simple and delicious recipes included!**

“Ms. Halliday is the undisputed queen of the genre: she knows how to blend fashion, suspense, laughter, and romance in all the right doses.”
~ Fresh Fiction

“Gemma has a natural flow to her writing, a vibrant, witty voice that makes you want to keep reading. 5 stars!”
~ Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine

“Halliday is on top of her game!”
~ Booklist

Wine & Dine Mysteries:
A Sip Before Dying – book #1
Chocolate Covered Death – book #2
Victim in the Vineyard – book #3, COMING in September!
Marriage, Merlot & Murder – book #4, COMING in January 2020!

Rating: This story does not contain any graphic violence, language, or sexual encounters. It’s rating would be similar to PG-13 or what you would find on a Hallmark Channel movie or TV series.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camping doesn’t lead to kidnapping… usually.

When Emily goes on a group camping trip in Northern Arizona, she suspects her biggest danger will be mosquito bites and bear-sightings. The trip becomes far from relaxing, however, when she hears from a family friend that they can’t get in touch with her dad. Unable to call, due to spotty cell phone reception, she manages to send a text asking for Brent’s help in checking on her dad.

But the spy has been incommunicado for several days, and it turns out he’s up North too–trying to locate a missing ICS agent with information about the Ten Thousand.

Not everything is as it seems. More than bears roam the woods, and information could cost a life.

“The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott” is a series of clean spy-comedies set in Phoenix, Arizona.
1. Red Rover, Red Rover – May 6, 2019
2. Plan to Fail – May 13, 2019
3. Bad Things, Small Packages – May 27, 2019
4. Tutor, Nanny, Spit-up, Spy – June 17, 2019
5. A-Spying We Will Go – July 15, 2019
6. Once Upon a Dime – August 26, 2019  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April Fools’ Day has arrived and Leger can’t help himself from playing tricks. With his new-found reading skills, as basic as they are, he manages to fool Isabella’s humans into believing he is a psychic cat who can predict the winners of horse races. He heads to the betting shop to get some tips but accidentally witnesses a vile crime while there. He has no choice but to do everything he can to unmask the culprit but Isabella’s humans have other ideas now and Leger is kidnapped in the middle of his investigation.

Can he get home before the the victim is accused of fabricating their story for money? Can he communicate to Annabella what has happened to him and have his kidnappers arrested?

Leger’s Prank is the 30th story in the Leger Cat Sleuth Mysteries and will be available to pre-order from 30th March 2019.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dog days of summer are back, and Darwin Winters, pet psychic, is excited to attend the St. Pete Seafood Festival with her sister. Unfortunately, the festival gets shut down early when a despised, local food critic dies from ingesting pufferfish toxin while judging the Chef’s Golden Lobster Contest.

When Hana Ishida, the chef who served pufferfish to the victim, is taken in for questioning, Darwin agrees to dog-sit the woman’s dachshund, Daisy. Darwin receives a vision from Daisy showing Hana in a heated argument, but for Daisy’s sake, Darwin desperately wants to dig up the truth and help her boyfriend, Detective Will Blake, prove Hana’s innocence.

Though Will does have a few fishy restaurant owners on his suspect list, none of the clues are pointing to anyone but Hana. Can Darwin help him reel in the right suspect? Or will this killer be the one that got away?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle