My Review Courtney Kelly owns a fairy garden shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.  She also can see fairies - and has a little fairy friend named Fiona.  When one of her gardening group friends is murdered, and then another dies the same way, she immediately works - with a little fairy help - to solve the mystery. I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries and I find the Fairy Garden Mystery series delightful! There is so much to like about this book.  Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming setting, combining small town charm and a beach.  Courtney is a likable p ..read more

My Review Jessica Fletcher travels to Edmonton, Canada with some of her Cabot Cove friends.  Her lookalike cousin, Emma MacGill, has traveled from Great Britain to Edmonton to appear in a play there, and Jessica looks forward to a leisurely vacation catching up with her cousin.  When they stumble upon a murder at the theater, Jessica decides to solve the mystery. I wanted to read Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage because I love Murder, She Wrote (both the classic TV series and the wonderful series of mystery novels).  I also was intrigued by the theater setting. This was suc ..read more

My Review Just for the Summer is a beach read about two very different women.  Ginny Masters has a high pressure job managing a boutique hotel in Seattle.  Jacqueline Potter manages her grandfather's rustic fishing lodge in Idaho.  Both are unhappy with their lives and sign up at a job swap site.  They swap jobs for the summer - and find a new perspective on life as a result. I wanted to read this novel because I enjoy Melody Carlson's books.  They never disappoint! Ginny is a very sympathetic character, hard working and sincere.  She learns to relax and e ..read more

My Review Gia Morelli owns an all-day breakfast cafe in the small town of Boggy Creek, Florida.  When she goes kayaking with a friend on her day off, they discover a body -- and one of her friends and co-workers is a suspect in the murder.  Gia goes to work with her friend Savannah to solve the mystery. I wanted to read Battered and Buried because I enjoy Lena Gregory's cozy mystery series.  She is one of my favorite authors in this genre. I enjoy Gia's sleuthing.  She and Savannah make a great team, even though Gia's fiancé and Savannah's husband are the police detect ..read more

My Review Dotty Sayers is staying in Northumberland with one of her friends when she is offered the opportunity to work on an exciting project at the neighboring castle.  When her mentor, an older antique dealer, goes missing, Dotty works to solve the mystery. I wanted to read Daffodils and Deadly Deeds because I really enjoy this series.  I like the British setting and Dotty's work as an antiques expert. This was another great read in the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series.  I liked the little village setting.  Dotty's beloved cat Earl Grey appears in this book and h ..read more

My Review You Stole My Name Too is a beautiful picture book for children about plants and animals that share a name.  The book is told in short, child-friendly rhymes, like the story of CatNip: "Your minty magic, sweet and herby sends me on a tail-chase derby! Then I curl up in your lap and dream a little nippy nap." Flora/fauna combinations include: Crab-Apple, Ostrich Fern, Elephant Garlic, ChickPea, DogWood, and more. This is a big (9.5" x 14.5") book with full page illustrations that are sure to delight children.  I think it would be ideal as a read aloud at bedtime or in a ..read more

My Review Murder in Masquerade is a historical mystery about Amelia Amesbury, a young Victorian widow who has a secret sideline as an agony aunt with a newspaper column.  Amelia works to help her friend (and possible romantic interest) Simon Bainbridge.  Simon's younger sister has developed an interest in a suitor that the family doesn't approve of.  After that suitor is killed, the mystery deepens, and Amelia decides to investigate. I wanted to read this mystery because I enjoyed the first book in this series so much.  I love the Victorian setting and really like Ameli ..read more

My Review Embers in the London Sky is a historical novel set during World War II.  Aleida Martens lives in the Netherlands with her three year old son Theo and her controlling husband Sebastian.  Sebastian gives Theo to a British couple who whisk him away to safety before Sebastian is killed on the roadside.  Aleida travels to England, where her aunt and uncle live, and works tirelessly to find Theo.  She is helped by an intrepid BBC reporter, Hugh Collingwood.  They get closer as they participate in the war effort in England and search together for Theo.  They ..read more

My Review Murder Under a Honey Moon is a historical mystery about Mona Moon and Robert Farley, who are traveling on a 1930's ocean liner for their honeymoon.  After Mona's jewelry is stolen and the main suspect is murdered, they decide to investigate the case. I wanted to read Murder Under a Honey Moon because I enjoy both historical mysteries and cozy mysteries, and this book falls into both genres.  The 1930's setting (unusual for me with historical reads) and long ago ocean liner travel was appealing. This book is part of the Mona Moon series.  I have not read the other b ..read more

My Review Once Upon a Murder is a historical mystery set in 1784 England.  Tiffany Woodall is a librarian at an English manor house.  When a man who used to work at the estate is found dead outside her cottage, her romantic interest, who owns the village bookstore, is accused of murder.  She works as an amateur detective to prove his innocence. I wanted to read this mystery because I was intrigued by the idea of a librarian in 1780's England.  I love historical mysteries and cozy mysteries, and this book falls in both of those categories. This is the second book in the ..read more