Review of Murder On The Mountain

Murder On The Mountain
Cottonwood Springs, Book #6
Dianne Harman
5 Stars

Synopsis:

A broken tree branch.
A dead body.
An ambitious personal assistant.
An unfaithful husband.

Was it murder or simply an unfortunate accident?

A lot of people resented Amelia Prescott, the grande dame of marketing agencies, because of her success. But did someone resent her enough to murder her?

That becomes the job of Sheriff Davis and Brigid – to find out if Amelia’s death was an accident or a carefully thought out murder.

Confrontations can get dicey. Good thing Brigid has a 125-pound Newfoundland to help her.

This is the sixth book in the popular Cottonwood Springs Cozy Mystery Series by a two-time USA Today Bestselling Author. (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Brigid is a smart hardworking woman. She has passed the tests needed for her to work at the sheriff’s department and right away her assistance is needed. I really enjoyed getting to know her and her husband, Linc, and their other family and friends. They all seem to care about each other and are willing to do whatever is needed to help each other.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. I really liked that the murder took place in the prologue and then the suspects were presented in the subsequent chapters. That allowed the reader to learn more about the suspects and their motives. The mystery was well plotted and carried on well throughout the entire book. I was not sure who the culprit was until the reveal.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. Pick up a copy and enjoy.

 

New Releases For The Week Of July 14th, 2019–Part 3

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 third day of my list for this week. Hope you find some selections for your weekly reading. Enjoy and happy reading.

 

 

“Fairytale fans get ready to hear the cuckoo clocks, taste the gingerbread and experience murder most Grimm—first of the Bookish Adventures in the new Witch-Lit mystery set.

As a half-breed witch who’s descended from one of the world’s most famous witch-hunters, Sera Popescu sticks out like a toothbrush on Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts. So, what does she do? She moves to Bohemian Lake to begin her magical new life and career, working for world-renowned mystery writer and owner of Gas Lamp Literary Tours, Nelle Storey.
Every other month Nelle’s book club spotlights a 19th century author. This month it just happens to be a duo—the Brothers Grimm and the adventure book club is off to explore the medieval magic of the Black Forest in South Western Germany. Sera, whose conflicting ancestry stems from Europe is excited to see the half-timbered homes, hear the cuckoo clocks and travel over the narrow cobblestone streets. But the fairytale scenario gets a little too real when one of the book club members opens up the cottage oven during the tours first Black Forest stops.
Could the charred remains belong to the Gingerbread Hag or is this just a prank for the tourists? As if things weren’t grim enough, when they return to town, they discover two children are missing and their host has been arrested for murder.
Now, holed up in a small German village full of riled up witch-haters, it’s up to Sera to find the story’s happy ending—or wind up on the end of a pitchfork.
Scandal & Gretel is the twelfth book in the Bohemian Lake Series, and it’s the first of the set dedicated to half-witch Sera Popescu and the Bohemian Lake’s Adventure Book club. While the series is best enjoyed in order, each book is a complete mystery on its own. For those of you who are new to my books, the Bohemian Lake series is a world comprised of multiple sets. Each set focuses on a different Bohemian resident(s), although all of the books intersect.

Bohemian Lake Reading Order:

Penning Trouble: Murder, She Floats,
Haunted House Flippers: Cookies, Corpses and the Deadly Haunt
Penning Trouble: Murder, She Slopes,
Haunted House Flippers: Candy Canes, Corpses and the Gothic Haunt
Bohemian Murder Manor: Gypsies, Traps & Missing Thieves
Bohemian Murder Manor: Make-Believes & Lost Memories
Haunted House Flippers: Crumb Cake, Corpses and the Run-of-the-Mill
Penning Trouble: Murder, Ye Bones
Bohemian Festival Fiasco: Nuttier than a Pecan Pie
Bohemian Murder Manor: Ouija, Death & Wicked Witchery
Bookish Adventures in Witch-Lit: Scandal & Gretel

Scroll up and start reading now!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A jewel thief on the loose . . . a dead body in the closet . . . a good deed gone wrong, and the homecoming is just getting started!

When the McKall triplets return home to Cape May, New Jersey for their high school reunion, they never expected to be involved in a homicide on their first night in town. But after their former classmate Sissy Post bangs on their door and begs for help, they feel the need to become involved.

The misguided attempt to help places Shelby McKall at the murder scene, and lands both Shelby and Sissy in custody. When the victim turns out to be none other than the archenemy of both women, they find themselves in deep trouble with the evidence stacking high against them.

Now, the McKall sisters must prove Shelby’s innocence, and they’re looking to the newest detective on the force for help. Arrogant and stubborn, this former nerd—who sizzles hotter than the Arizona sun in August—gives the sisters a hard time at every turn. But as the crime spree continues, the sisters feel drastic measures are in order. Only this time, they’re in way over their heads!   (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attorney Samuel (Sam) Wong goes missing, and wildlife magazine reporter Kristy Farrell is convinced that his disappearance is tied to her latest story. Twenty acres of prime beachfront property are up for sale, and the waterfront community is deeply divided much like the Hatfields and the McCoys. Environmentalists are lined up on the side of the local aquarium, and business owners are aligned with millionaire land developer Lucien Moray, Wong’s employer.
When a body is found in a nearby inlet, Farrell and her veterinarian daughter take up the mystery. They discover deep secrets among the aquarium staff – secrets that point to one of them as the killer. The aquarium is soon plagued with numerous accidents, one of which threatens the lives of our amateur sleuths. On top of all this, a second murder occurs, adding to the intrigue. Who in this small town is involved in the killings, and why?
Solving the murders and Wong’s disappearance aren’t Farrell’s only challenges. When her widowed, septuagenarian mother announces her engagement, Farrell suspects that her suitor isn’t on the up and up. Farrell races to discover his past while staying ahead of people whose dark secrets threaten her life.
Something Fishy is a fast-paced small-town mystery, full of suspense and humor.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a deadly occasion in Hillbilly Hollow…

It’s finally here. The week of Emma and Billy’s long-awaited wedding has arrived. There’s just one problem: a dead body has turned up and half the wedding party are suspects.

Can Emma use her ghost whispering powers to solve one last crime and still make it to the church in time for her vows? Or will the big day end in tragedy?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: This is a short story collection that contains a Violet Carlyle short story as well as another Beth Byers short introducing new series. 

Welcome to a very flapper evening!

Are you ready for the roaring twenties? For spunky young women crafting their own lives? If so, you’ll love Violet, Julia, Edwina, Hettie, Ro, and Lola.

Inside, you’ll find several short stories with adventures, cocktails, kisses, and fun. With stories from The Violet Carlyle Mysteries, The Piccadilly Ladies Club Mysteries, the Lola Star series, as well as the brand-new Hettie and Ro Adventures.

For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, and Lee Strauss. A light, cozy mystery with a fun peek into a an evening with bright young things.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s late spring in Winsome, and Washington Acres is alive with the sights and sounds of farm life. The flowers are blossoming, the vegetable gardens are thriving, the pollinators are buzzing, and the Pennsylvania countryside has fully awakened from its deep winter slumber. Only this season, rebirth comes with a price.

College friends of Megan’s beau, the handsome veterinarian Dr. Denver Finn, are in Winsome for a corporate volunteer event. They will be mentoring troubled kids from a nearby school during a hiking and camping trip. When one of Dr. Finn’s friends is murdered at the state park, a student—a boy with a brutal history—becomes the prime suspect.

With a teen’s life at stake, Megan digs into the victim’s past to clear the boy’s name. She learns that the victim sowed conflict wherever he went. As Megan worms her way closer to the truth, she realizes her own life is at stake, as well as the lives of those she loves.

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

RIPE FOR VENGEANCE by Wendy Tyson | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.   (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding a body washed ashore in Whitefall Cove was not how I wanted to start my day.

I much preferred to face the morning with a hot strong caffeinated beverage, but alas, we can’t always have what we want. Out on a morning stroll with my familiar, Archie, I couldn’t believe my bad luck when we stumbled upon the body of local teenager Emily Sherman washed up on the beach.

Unable to resist the lure of solving the mystery, I immediately set about finding her killer, but untangling a growing list of suspects isn’t as easy as I’d initially thought. With an election looming and Councilor Griffin’s nephew caught up in the net, the pressure is on to find out whodunnit and close the case.

Let’s not mention working side by side with newly single detective Jackson Ward. Murder, mischief, and mayhem I can take in my stride, but a date with Jackson? That’s enough to have my magic sparking in nervous anticipation.

This paranormal murder mystery will have you completely spellbound and laughing out loud!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this delightful sequel to the best-selling comedic novel My Italian Bulldozer, Paul Stuart’s travels take him to a French village, where the local restaurant’s haute cuisine leaves a lot to be desired.

Renowned Scottish cookbook writer Paul Stuart is hard at work on his new book, The Philosophy of Food, but complicated domestic circumstances, and two clingy cats, are making that difficult.

So when Paul’s eccentric cousin Chloe suggests that he join her at the house she’s rented in the French countryside, he jumps at the chance. The two quickly befriend the locals, including their twin-sister landladies, who also own the infamous local restaurant known to be the second-worst eatery in all of France. During their stay, the restaurant’s sole waitress gives birth mid-dinner service and the maître d’ storms off after fighting with the head chef. Paul is soon drafted to improve the gastronomy of the village, while Chloe, ever on the hunt for her next romance, busies herself with distracting the handsome but incompetent chef. Could he be husband number six?

With all this local drama to deal with, Paul finds it next to impossible to focus on his writing, and that’s before he learns that Chloe’s past is far more complicated than he’d ever imagined. Paul will have to call upon al his experience—with food and with people—to bring order back to the village. And he may just learn something about family—and about himself—along the way.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nobody ever said a clown is a girl’s best friend.

Especially when it comes to Meredith and her sister, Jess. But even though Meredith doesn’t think  this case will be any easier than the others they’ve investigated recently, Russ convinces her that maybe, just maybe, this time they’ll get the break they deserve. Sure, the clowns are creepy, but they’re not paranormal. This should be an open and shut case. The living always leaves something behind, the dead tends to be a little trickier.

Except these aren’t your average circus clowns, and even though they’ve been sighted around the university, they’re definitely not living the college life. Not at all. These clowns aren’t messing around, and they’re not about to let anything, or anyone, get in their way.  Especially an intrepid group of paranormal investigators and their pint-sized canine companion.   (Amazon)

Editions Available”  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this gripping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo, a devastating murder exposes an Amish family’s tortured past.

The peaceful town of Painters Mill is shattered when an Amish grandmother is brutally murdered on an abandoned farm. When Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives on the scene, she learns that the woman’s seven-year-old granddaughter is gone, abducted in plain sight. Kate knows time is against her—the longer the girl is missing, the less likely her safe return becomes. The girl’s family is a pillar of the Amish community, well-respected by all. But Kate soon realizes they’re keeping secrets—and the sins of their past may be coming back to haunt them. What are they hiding and why?

Kate’s investigation brings her to an isolated Old Order Amish settlement along the river, a community where family is everything and tradition is upheld with an iron fist. But the killer is close behind, drawing more victims into a twisted game of revenge. Left behind at each new crime scene are cryptic notes that lead Kate to a haunting and tragic secret. What she uncovers threatens to change everything she thought she knew about the family she’s fighting for, the Amish community as a whole—and her own beliefs.

As time to find the missing girl runs out, Kate faces a harrowing choice that will test her convictions and leave one family forever changed.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook