#NetGalley #BookReview ~ A Midnight Puzzle (Secret Staircase Mystery #3) by Gigi Pandian #Mystery #Cozy

A Midnight Puzzle

(Secret Staircase Mystery #3)

by Gigi Pandian

Release date: March 19th, 2024

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of A Midnight Puzzle (Secret Staircase Mystery #3) by Gigi Pandian from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

…I adore this series and this entry really had it all, a complex, interesting mystery with thrill, chills, and intrigue….…

A huge fan of author Gigi Pandian, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review her latest,A Midnight Puzzle, the third book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries.

This whimsical cozy mystery series, features Tempest Raj who is finally settling in as an “architectural illusionist” for her family’s construction company, Secret Staircase Constructions whose specialty is creating magical spaces, secret rooms, and hidden staircases. Our protagonist Tempest, a former Vegas magician who until recently had followed the family’s magical tradition. The rumour of a family curse, the “eldest dies by magic” has rung true in the past including the unsolved murder of her magician mother in addition to the disasters that have plagued her career and family.

Her new career is in jeopardy as a result of Julian Rhodes, the client from hell tries to kill his wife, then blames his wife’s so-called “accident” which has left her in a coma on the Secret Staircase Construction’s shoddy work, an accusation that could ruin them. Tempest is also preparing for her final magic show to bid adieu to her past stage persona to be held at the Whispering Creek Theater, a creepy gothic landmark and the place where Tempest’s mother took her last breath.

Tempest is so happy when her mentor and friend, illusionist Nicodemus the Necromancer arrives from Scotland while planning his retirement tour. Their visit is interrupted when Tempest gets a call from Julian telling her he got her message, is at the theater and wants to know where she is. When Tempest arrives at the theater, she gets more than she bargained for when she stumbles across Julian’s body along with a note in Tempest’s handwriting.

With everything casting a shadow on her and her family Tempest is on the case with the help of good friends to prove their innocence by finding the real killer. The more she uncovers the more she uncovers connections to her mother’s murder five years earlier.

Gigi Pandian has done it again, a brilliantly unique and extremely fun cozy mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seat. One of my favorite things about Pandian’s books is her ability to create diverse, quirky, multi-faceted characters who all feel well-formed. My only complaint is that she often tends to “tell” and not “show”.  

I adore this series and this entry really had it all, a complex, interesting mystery with thrill, chills, and intrigue. I really enjoyed this entry and would highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more of Tempest’s adventures.

#NetGalley #BookReview Read to Death at the Lakeside Library (Lakeside Library Mystery #3) by Holly Danvers #Cozy #Mystery #CrookedLaneBooks

Read to Death at the Lakeside Library 

Lakeside Library Mystery #3

by Holly Danvers 

Release date: August 8th, 2023  

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of Read to Death at the Lakeside Library (Lakeside Library Mystery #3) by Holly Danvers from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

… a fun cozy mystery featuring a fast-paced plot, some humor, a few fur babies and just a touch of romance that does not overshadow the plot…  

It is a sweltering summer in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin and in keeping with family tradition Rain is bringing back her family’s summer book club. During the first book club get together the wine was flowing but so were tempers between a few members over that week’s read, Agatha Christie’s Sparkling Cyanide. When Rain and Julia visit one of the book club members, they stumble over the body of Lily who appears to have been murdered in a similar fashion to the victim in Sparkling Cyanide the similarities make Rain and Julia wonder if in fact it someone from the book club was responsible. When a mysterious note is found at the library it appears that their worst fears are coming true, and Rain feels compelled to make things right.

When Rain and Julia start to dig, they find there is more to the story than they could ever imagine. Could the death of Lily’s old classmate and the cover up be motive for murder or Lily becoming the beneficiary of a large inheritance from a long-lost family member or did Lily really know the location of priceless Laura Ingles Wilder manuscripts? Rain And who stands to gain the recently inherited piece of waterfront property that Lily received from a long-lost relative? With Jace, the officer in charge of the case focused on one of the club members, Rain and Julia disagree and it is up to them to do a little investigation of their own, hopefully they will not meet the same fate Lily did.

Overall, it was a fun cozy mystery featuring a fast-paced plot, some humor, a few fur babies and just a touch of romance that does not overshadow the plot. Having read the entire series thus far, I enjoy the way this series is developing. It has a quirky cast of characters and I really enjoy the protagonist Rain, and although in previous books I was not particularly fond of Julia, I am pleased to say I have finally warmed up to her and she has redeemed herself in this book. If you are looking for a quick fun cozy read with a focus on friendship this is a perfect read for you. I highly recommend it!

#NetGalley #BookReview How to Book a Murder (Starlit Bookshop Mystery #1) by Cynthia Kuhn #Mystery #Cozy #CrookedLaneBooks

How to Book a Murder

Starlit Bookshop Mystery #1

by Cynthia Kuhn

Release date: December 7th, 2021  

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of How to Book a Murder, Starlit Bookshop Mystery #1 by Cynthia Kuhn from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

…Filled with literary references I really loved this series debut; it offered a cozy mystery with a touch of dark academia, as well as a cast of quirky interesting and dynamic characters that made this an entertaining and intriguing…

How to Book a Murder, the first book of the Starlit Bookshop Series, begins when Emma hears that her sister Lucy is struggling to keep the family business, Starlit Books in business after the death of their parents, she returns home to Silvercrest, Colorado to help. After earning a PhD, Emma sacrifices a teaching position which could have led to a tenured position and begins planning events for the bookstore hoping to bring in more business. Along with their Aunt Nora, a professor at the local college and well-known mystery author, what is left of their family is together again.

When her old high school nemesis and Silvercrest’s resident “Mean Girl” Tabitha, drops by the store for her husband’s birthday gift panicked that her event planner for a murder mystery themed party had to take an emergency leave Emma bites the bullet and offers the stores event planning services. When the party results in the actual murder of Tabitha’s University Dean husband, life imitates art, and they are faced with their very own murder mystery. When an old rivalry kicks up Tabitha starts accusing Emma and her family of being the guilty murderers, in order to save the store and their reputation Emma has no choice but to solve the murder and clear their names.

Filled with literary references I really loved this series debut; it offered a cozy mystery with a touch of dark academia, as well as a cast of quirky interesting and dynamic characters that made this an entertaining and intriguing read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

#NetGalley #BookReview Murder By The Bookend by Laura Gail Black #Mystery #CrookedLaneBooks

Murder by the Bookend 

An Antique Bookshop Mystery #2 

by Laura Gail Black 

Release date: September 7th, 2021  

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of Murder by the Bookend (An Antique Bookshop Mystery #2) by Laura Gail Black from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

… A clever cozy with suspects you’ll love to hate, clever red herrings and unexpected twists, the author has crafted …  

Murder by the Bookend is the second book in the An Antique Bookshop Mystery series and author Laura Gail Black does not disappoint. Life is finally looking up for Jenna Quinn after the events that occurred in “For Whom the Book Tolls.” Jenna has settled into her new life in Hokes Folly, North Carolina and is having a grand re-opening of the antique bookshop she inherited from her beloved Uncle Paul.

After all the struggles she has endured and the store surviving after being associated with two murders, Jenna is determined to get her life back on track, she reopens the store under a new name, Twice Upon a Time, with Mason as her Manager, her best friend next door and her Police Officer boyfriend, life is good. The re-opening is going well but in a small town there can be quite a few characters both the two and four legged variety. After a few tense moments with warring patrons was averted, a well-received raffle was held it concluding the opening on a high note…that’s until they see a patron’s dog running loose in the parking lot, which leads them to finding the victim’s body lying next to his car, murdered with a bookend that he had won at Twice Upon a Time. The victim and his dog were well known in Hokes Folly and Jenna although not overly close went to him for help with appraising books. The victim was always kind to her when many in the town were not, and Jenna wants to do right by him agreeing to take in his grieving pup and keeping it out of a shelter. When “Twice Upon a Time” gets targeted by the police, the press, as well as the murderer suspicious of the dog recognizing them, Jenna does what she must to save her shop and the new life she has built for herself.  

 Murder by the Bookend is a clever cozy with suspects you’ll love to hate, clever red herrings and unexpected twists, the author has indeed crafted a novel with living breathing characters and compelling plotlines that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Although I preferred the first book in the series, Murder by the Bookend was a fantastic read, and I am looking forward to reading future books in this series!