Book Review: The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

Author: Claudia Gray

Title: The Murder of Mr. Wickham

Series: Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney #1

Genre: Mystery, Retelling, Historical Fiction, Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 387

Published: May 3, 2022

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

A summer house party turns into a whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature’s most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this mystery featuring Jane Austen’s leading literary characters.

The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.

Review:

Who doesn't love a good Jane Austen retelling mixed with a murder of Mr. Wickham???

Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a party and bringing together distant relatives, old friends, and new acquaintances. We see faces from all over Jane Austen books. Everyone is having a good time until Wickham shows up and crashes the party. He is desperate and his latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. No one is happy to see him and obviously someone is mad enough for murder. Everyone is a suspect and it will be up to Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy to team up and figure out the truth before the constable takes away an innocent person. 

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I liked meeting our old characters and new characters. I loved seeing them interact. However, there were SOOO many characters I had to really concentrate to keep who was who. I've read the books but I still struggled sometimes and had to stop and re-read. 

Jonathan and Juliet are for sure opposites and it was fun watching them work together. Jonathan is so rigged he makes Mr Darcy look like a carefree hippie. Juliet is clever and sweet. 

The mystery was nicely done. I had zero idea who did it, because EVERYONE wanted the swine dead. *spits* 

All-in-all, this is a wonderful book for those that like Jane Austen and mysteries! It was lovely seeing so many faces. It was a little much sometimes and I had issues here and there remembering who was who and how everyone was connected, but I was able to stay with the story and find my footing eventually. I am curious about book 2, but we shall see. Maybe if my library has it. Now a rating??? Mhmmmmm........4 stars. It would be 3, but I feel that the ending twists and turns gave it a little bit of a boost. 

Favorite Character(s): Juliet

Least Favorite Character(s): Wickham of course.  

 Challenge(s):

- Cloak & Dagger #18

- Library Love #19

Movie Review: Clue (1985)

Title: Clue

Length: 1h 34m

Released: 1985

Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Pluto TV

SUMMARY:

Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.

Trailer

REVIEW:

The blogging world may or may not know, but I'm (at the time of this post) in a play rendition of this movie. Weee. I play Yvette the maid. Last time I watched this film I was a teenager (maybe young adult like 18 or 19) since the final weekend of shows are happening I decided to make my hubby watch this film with me. 

When six guests are anonymously invited to dinner at a strange mansion...bad things start happening. The host is killed and with the butler leading the way they need to unmask the killer before they too join the body pile. 

Man it has been a LONG time since I watched this. It was strange seeing this cast so young. Such a fan cast they were!

The humor is there and still funny. Some jokes might be a little dated, but still fun. 

I love, love, LOVE the fact that they have multiple endings! How fun! From what I have been told, back in the day they would give different theaters different endings just to cause chaos and confusion. How hilarious. Why can't movies be a joke upon themselves like this anymore?!?!?!

The whodunnit is hilarious because these are all very bad people (even the staff) so it's hard to determine who is the murder(s). Hilarious. 

Not sure if I'm just being biased because our version is a little more fast paced, but some bits (especially the beginning) just feels soooo slow. Maybe I'll rewatch this in like a year when the memories of my play fades and see if I feel the same way. 

All-in-all, this was a nice blast from the past and it was great having my hubby experience this before he watched our version of the movie on stage. 4 stars from me. 

For funsies...here is a picture of me and the cast: 

Audiobook Review: Hexes and Honey Buns by Danielle Garrett

Author: Danielle Garrett

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi

Title: Hexes and Honey Buns

Series: Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries #3

Genre: Mystery, Paranormal

Format: Audiobook

Published: September 29, 2022

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

The pen is mightier than the sword—but what’s a witch to do when she has writer’s block? After landing my first official journalist job I thought the ideas would be spilling out faster than I could type. But it turns out life in the shadow of my debut piece is a little … make that a lot , harder than I expected. So, when a convicted murderer reaches out begging for help in proving her innocence, I jump at the chance to dig into another investigation. The only problem? This trail is ice cold. I don’t want to give up on a good story, or let down a witch desperate for my help, but I’m not sure where to turn and I’m running out of time. Will my last ditch effort pan out, or will I be forced to give my editor a blank page?

Review:

I'm really adoring this world and these characters so I couldn't resist starting the next one. 

Rosella is settling in and making her way. She has accepted a 2nd job as a writer in an official journalist job. After a successful piece, Rosella is struggling with her next piece. However, a possible story lands on her lap, aka email, when a convicted murderer reaches out to her begging for help. The murderer says she is innocent but the trail is ice cold. Rosella takes it on but she keeps bumping into walls. Will she solve an old murder or be forced to give her editor a blank page?

Awww Rosella. What a lil sweetie. I just want her to be happy and do well but she is struggling with trying to get a good story out, her cousin, her boyfriend, and feeling okay being back home. She is having so many conflicting emotions. I just wanna hug her!

Honestly, the mystery came at the right time for her. She needs to get her mind busy and get another great story out! This seems like a cut and dry case, but not all is what it seems. The mystery was good and TBH....the twist was great. I was worried it was going to be too easy, but the author didn't fall into an easy solution or answer. 

The ending was great! I have hope but a part of me is curious about the one cop. Mmmmmmmmmmm. I will say no more, but I do wonder. 

ANYWAY!

I'm not amused with how the cousin is allowed to be a B word to our girl while no one says ANYTHING to her and now they are making her a cake for like free? WHAT? Ugh. I get family and etc, but come on!

Great narration OF COURSE. Everything she touches turns to gold. 

Loving this series. I can't wait to start the next one! I would give this 5, but the scenes with the cousin niggled at my brain a bit. 4 stars overall. 

- Favorite Character(s): Rosella

- Least Favorite Character(s): THAT cousin. >_> Ugh. 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #21

- Cloak & Dagger #10

Audiobook Review: The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

Author: Agatha Christie

Narrator: Richard Armitage

Title: The Murder on the Links

Series: Hercule Poirot #2

Genre: Murder Mystery, Thriller, Classic

Format: Audiobook

Published: January 1, 1923

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

When Hercule Poirot and his associate Arthur Hastings arrive in the French village of Merlinville-sur-Mer to meet their client Paul Renauld, they learn from the police that he has been found that morning stabbed in the back with a letter opener and left in a newly-dug grave adjacent to a local golf course.

Among the plausible suspects are Renauld's wife Eloise, his son Jack, Renauld's immediate neighbor Madame Daubreuil, the mysterious "Cinderella" of Hasting's recent acquaintance, and some unknown visitor of the previous day--all of whom Poirot has reason to suspect. Poirot's powers of investigation ultimately triumph over the wiles of an assailant whose misdirection and motives are nearly--but not quite--impossible to spot.

Review:

Been for sure itching to read some Poirots lately! Especially after learning Richard Armitage did some narration for the series ;) There is something about his voice and performance that is amazing. 

Poirot and Hastings arrive in Merlinville-sur-Mer to meet their client. However, when they arrive they learn that their client was literally stabbed in the back with a letter opener. There are a few plausible suspects which include his wife, his son, their neighbor, and more. The two will have to dig and figure out who committed the murder. They will soon learn that not everything is as it seems. 

It is so interesting seeing some of the early works of the series. 

Love Poirot so much. He's a gem. 

Hastings is on my last nerve. His whole romance is silly. However, I did adore that Poirot is secretly a romantic and matchmaker. Adorable, but Hastings? Ugh. 

There was a character I actually ended up really, really liking...especially after a certain scene. Adorable. 

The mystery was fantastic. I really had no idea!!! Twist, after twist. So good. 

The narrator was Richard Armitage? Should I even say more? LOL 

All-in-all, Hastings was annoying but it didn't ruin the story fully for me. Good mystery. Poirot is great. And I was surprised by the end! 4 stars. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Twisty

Challenge(s):
- Audiobook #30

- Cloak and Dagger - #16

Audiobook Review: Southern Bred and Dead by Angie Fox

Author: Angie Fox

Narrator: Tavia Gilbert

Title: Southern Bred and Dead

Series: Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #9

Genre: Paranormal, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy, Romance

Format: Audiobook

Published: August 28, 2020

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

A haunted church. A ghastly death. Can Verity clear up the case before she’s buried way over her head?

Verity Long would really like a day off. Between uncovering the culprit who capped her gangster ghost housemate and dodging the bomb her boyfriend just dropped on their relationship, her spiritual calling has gotten complicated. But when she steps out for a little fun at a church fundraiser, she has another mystery on her hands when a family friend plunges from the bell tower.

With her pet skunk and a spectral mobster buddy in tow, Verity charges back into the world of furious phantoms. But as she follows a shocking trail of clues through a dangerous speakeasy, a possessed movie theatre, and a spooky mob safehouse, she could end up sleeping with the ghostly fishes.

Can Verity lay everything to rest before a mysterious murderer reads her last rites?

Review:

Yayy! Been itching to start this one, but I don't want to gobble the whole series up BUT this series is just so good. 

Back at it again with Verity and her gang. They are now tackling the mystery on WHO killed Frankie, but things can never be easy. On top of that we have a scary Church, a ghastly death, and now her relationship is on rocky ground. Will Verity be able to stay alive and keep her love life alive? 

Honestly..........I think this was one of my favorites of the series! It was jam-packed with mystery, fun, ghosts, comedy, tense, and romance. 

Awww I'm glad we are finally starting to tackle Frankie's past. Poor guy has a lot of questions especially when he finds out who. Why? How? WHAT? All the questions. 

Ugh I feel so bad for Verity and for Ellis. I understand where each one is coming from so I can't pick sides on their fight! EEEEEEEEEEE! 

And is Beau slowly itching his way into my heart? That was a twist I didn't see coming.....

I did the narration again because how could I not? The narrator is fabulous! 100% recommend doing the series with her reading. She really gets into the tense moments. 

All-in-all, I adored this one. Probably one of my favorites! Great stories, characters amazing as always, lots of twists, and a cute skunk. What more can a Cozy mystery need? 

5 stars from me!

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Fabulous

Challenge(s):
- Audiobook #19

- Cloak and Dagger - #9

Audiobook Review: The Girl Who Lied by Shannon Hollinger

Author: Shannon Hollinger

Narrator: Amelia Sciandra

Title: The Girl Who Lied

Series: Chief Maggie Riley #1

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

Format: Audiobook

Published: August 2, 2023

Where I got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

Rain hammers the earth and a vicious wind rattles the trees. Then lightning strikes, the flash illuminating a young girl staggering out of the woods, her brown eyes wide with fright, a silent scream on her lips…

There’s a storm approaching the tiny Maine town of Coyote Cove when Chief Maggie Riley comes across the body of a man, blood seeping from stab wounds into the damp forest floor. As she desperately struggles to secure the evidence before the rain hits, Heather , a local teenage girl, emerges from the woods, shivering and unable to talk.

Maggie, once a high flying big-city detective, lost everything when her four-year-old brother went missing five years ago. Heart-broken, she’s never stopped searching for but now she is plunged back into the world she left behind.

The victim, Maggie discovers, knew secrets about everyone in isolated Coyote Cove. It seems there are more local suspects in this case than people she can rule out. And with Heather still traumatised, Maggie struggles to unravel her strange appearance at the crime scene. Until, following a faint, bloody trail deep into the forest, she’s horrified to unearth what the terrified girl’s been hiding…

But when Heather is kidnapped, the battle to identify the killer becomes a race to save an innocent girl’s life. And with the whole town terrified, Maggie is shocked to uncover that this twisted killer is much closer to home than she’d ever imagined. Battling her own demons and memories of her missing brother, how far will Maggie have to go to save Heather? Or will another innocent young life be lost forever...?

Review:

Didn't realize I was selected to read this book in Netgalley. Strange...normally I get an email but I missed the boat so I wasn't able to download it. Since I was still strongly interested in this, I used my audible free credit to download it there. 

Here we follow Maggie who is the Chief of police in this small town. She wanted and needed to get away from her old life so this was the perfect town to slip away to. She has secrets and wants to keep them buried. Turns out she isn't the only one in this small town who has secrets. When Maggie discovers a dead body on the side of the road, she soon finds out there are more local suspects in this case than people she can completely rule out. And when Heather stumbles out of the woods during the discovery of the body and is traumatized, things get even more complex. 

This had a lot of twists and turns and a lot of players on the board. 

We have multiple POVs here. We follow Maggie for the majority of the time, but we also get to see Heather's, Murphy's, and Steve's POV. Lots of characters running amuck, but the author did a good job keeping it clean and easy to follow along. 

Dang...so many secrets. So many lies. I feel like this town would not be a fun and cute small town to live in. Everyone seems.......off. Creepy in some ways. Some are endearing like the lady that owns the motel but from what we have seen so far.....I don't trust any of them including our two big mains: Maggie and Steve. Don't get me wrong I do like those two, but they have a lot of secrets and have been lying to everyone....including each other. 

The ending wasn't shocking for me because that character was SUPER sus the whole time. I had my doubts of course, but yeah.............that was the only way that made any logical sense for me. Nice though with the red herrings and all the seeds of doubt. Nice try author ;) 

Sometimes the inner monologues seemed to drag on and on. 

I also thought some of the drama with Murphy was a little........much. 

The narrator was pleasant enough. Nice variations of voices. Her voice for Heather was a hair grating for me and she made her sound too young. Everyone else worked. 

All-in-all, I did like this in the end. Some nice twists and a creepy, small town with loads of secrets hidden everywhere. Pretty good narration. Some OTT parts, but overall an interesting ride with an intense ending. I'll stamp this with 3 stars. I would be interested in book 2!

Challenge(s):
- Audiobook #10

- Cloak and Dagger - #5

Audiobook Review: Murder on the Sugarland Express by Angie Fox

Author: Angie Fox

Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Title: Murder on the Sugarland Express

Series: Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #6

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Fantasy, UF, Romance
Published: 25, 2017

Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

Ghost hunter Verity Long is overdue for a little R&R (rest and romance) with her boyfriend, Ellis, and a vintage train trip through the Tennessee mountains seems like just the ticket. The Sugarland Express carries history and nostalgia in every compartment, and Verity is determined to enjoy it—without ghostly interference. But the ghosts have other plans…

On a dark, desolate night nearly a century ago, the train was stranded in the mountains, and a young woman was found stabbed to death in her locked compartment. The murder was never solved, and a ghostly Belgian detective is still pursuing the case from the grave.

To Verity’s dismay, all of the ghostly suspects are back. And when history repeats itself and a new murder mirrors the old, it’s up to Verity and her friends to discover which of the passengers—dead or alive—could be behind the murders before the killer strikes again.

Review:

Oooo it has been so long since I read the last one. Aka beginning of the year. I'm glad to be diving back in!

We continue our journey with Verity and her ghostly companion, Frankie. Verity needs a break and have some 1/1 time with her boyfriend, Ellis. However....that won't be the case. Not only is Ellis' family there, but there are also multiple mysteries afoot. Can't a girl catch a break?

Poor Verity. She needs a break with her booboo but duty calls! So many mysteries...so many murders on the Earthly plane and Ghostly plane. Lots to do, lots to do. 

This was fun as per normal. This series is a hoot. You can't help but love the characters, especially Verity. She is a gem and Frankie is hilarious. 

Honestly.....I liked that they were stuck on the train with Ellis' brother and monster MOM. They got to talk some stuff out and be forced to interact. That scene near the end between Verity and the brother (aka her ex) was nice. Maybe this will lead to some healing. They may not LIKE each other but hopefully, they can bury the hatchet. 

Oof that ending was chaotic and crazy. The ending got a LITTLE too chaotic for a moment I was confused. I had to back up a few minutes and hyper-focus. But it was one heck of an ending. You def need to pay attention.

The narrator was fabulous as normal. 

Overall, this was fun. Lots of moving parts. The ending gets chaotic and the mystery was good. Can't wait for the next! 4 stars. 

Challenge(s):

- #50 for Audiobook challenge

Book Review: Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower

Author: Amanda Flower

Title: Crime and Poetry

Series: A Magical Bookshop Mystery #1

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Magical Realism, Thriller

Format: Ebook

Pages: 364

Published: April 5, 2016

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you...

Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good...

Review:

Randomly found this at the library while just scrolling away. Books, magic, murder....some of my fave things ;) 

We follow Violet who rushes home to sit by her ailing grandma's bedside. However, when she arrives her grandma is completely fine. She had lied to get Violet to come back home and help her in her bookstore. This store...the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you. Violet won't be tricked into staying and has every intention of hightailing it back to Chicago, but when a dead man is discovered clutching a book she sold him and then her grandma is arrested and is a main suspect, she is forced to stay and help find the killer. 

This started off okay but I found I couldn't really get into it. 

Violet is kind of stuck up and Grandma was rude AF to lie like that. The mayor can F off. 

I liked the cat and I liked the chief of police. That was it. The small town didn't give me the small-town feels I was asking for. 

I stuck around for the mystery and the cat....and the chief of police *wink*. That was it. Maybe Violet gets better in the next one? IDK...I struggled with her. She was def on a high horse.

All-in-all, slightly rough beginning but I am willing to read book 2. I have hopes because I love the concept so much. Can I own a bookstore like this? PLEASE!? I'll give this 2 stars. 

Audiobook Review: Halloween Cupcake Murder

Author: Carlene O'Connor, Carol J. Perry, & Liz Ireland

Narrator: Daniela Acitelli
Title: Halloween Cupcake Murder

Series: Irish Village Mystery #9.5 - Halloween Cupcake Murder

Genre: Anthology, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Holiday, fantasy
Published: August 22, 2023

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

A trio of sweet-toothed Halloween cozy mystery tales by nationally bestselling authors.

HALLOWEEN CUPCAKE MURDER by CARLENE O'CONNOR

With Galway’s Halloween Mystery Tour only a few days away, Tara Meehan is scouring the town’s curiosity shops for spooky decorations to draw tourists into her architectural salvage store. But when a stranger appears in her shop bearing a cryptic cupcake and an ominous message, Tara suddenly finds herself tangled in a mystery with ancient Gaelic roots, but very modern—and very deadly—consequences . . .

 

MRS. CLAUS AND THE CANDY CORN CAPER by LIZ IRELAND

Christmastown is pulling out all the stops for their Halloween celebration, planning a huge carnival with rides, games, and a candy corn-themed bake-off! But the sweet theme stokes the bitterest of rivalries amongst the elves, until tragedy strikes at Santaland’s newest bakery. The only clue is a cupcake, leaving Mrs. Claus to sort through tricks and treats as she races to unmask a Halloween fiend . . .

 

A TRIPLE LAYER HALLOWEEN MURDER by CAROL J. PERRY

Every October, Salem plunges into a month-long celebration of Halloween and WICH-TV’s Lee Barrett can’t wait to cover the festivities. But rumors swirl after a wealthy bakery owner goes missing—and his beloved cat, Cupcake, is found—under mysterious circumstances. Now, amid Salem’s wicked revelry, Lee must conjure clues to reveal the missing millionaire . . . or the truth about his disappearance . . .

Review:

This is perrrrrect for the Halloween season! Yayy for anthologies!

Halloween Cupcake Murder by Carlene O'Connor

Story 1! 

Galway's Halloween Mystery Tour is only a few days away and Tara is scouring the town's curiosity shops for some decorations. She will find herself entangled in a murder mystery all thanks to a cupcake.

This is book a million in the series, but it worked well as a standalone. I wouldn't have know this was a series until near the end. I missed a lot of backstory between our Tara and some others. Still didn't ruin the story for me. Just the ending didn't mean as much to me as it would've. Still adorbs tho. 

But yessss this was a fun mystery. Nice and cozy and spooky. Perfect for Halloween! 

The narrator.....was okay. Maybe I'll warm up to her in the next....

4 stars. 

MRS. CLAUS AND THE CANDY CORN CAPER by LIZ IRELAND

Christmas town is going hard for Halloween! Between a huge carnival, games, and a candy corn-themed bake-off...this is going to be a Halloween to remember! However, tragedy strikes at the new bakery. The only clue is a cupcake. It will be up to Mrs.Claus to find the killer.

This was simply adorable. OKAY, not the murder, but the whole premise. I love this village and I love Mrs. Claus and the whole crew. I will def want to backtrack and read more. So much fun. 

The mystery was good. Lots of twists and suspects. Every suspect had a motive. I was right in my guess....but I was not 100% sure.

Same narrator as the last one. Still slightly monotone in parts. Slightly better here though...or was I just getting used to it? Mmmmm.

I'll give this a 5 even with the monotone. The story, mystery, and characters were just that sweet to override the bitter. ;) 

A TRIPLE LAYER HALLOWEEN MURDER by CAROL J. PERRY

Halloween strikes Salem! The town of Salem loves Halloween and so does Lee Barrett. She can't wait to cover the festivities. However, rumors are taking the town by storm with the disappearance of a wealthy bakery owner and his cat. When Cupcake the cat is found under mysterious circumstances, Lee will conjure clues to figure out where the baker is and find out the truth.

This started out strong. I love the cat. I love the sprinkle of magic. The mystery was mysterious..........however......I was slightly meh by the end. I was intrigued enough to stay, but I wasn't blown away or really cared about the baker. Yes, yes, all human life is important and all, but that baker was super sus. I found myself zoning out in parts and would have to back up the player. 

This one was just okay by the end. And it was the same narrator so it was monotone in parts. 

I'll give this 2 stars. 

OVERALL

This was a very nice collection of Halloween cozy mysteries! Def worth the read. The narrator was pretty monotone for me, so I think I would've enjoyed this much more as a read instead. But that could just be me. Maybe you'll like her voice more. I loved listening to this while decorating for my Halloween party! 

After doing complicated and spooky math, it would be a 3.6....so I rounded up to a 4. :)

 

Challenge(s):

- #42 for Audiobook challenge

Book Review: Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay

Author: Jenn McKinlay

Title: Sprinkle with Murder

Series: Cupcake Bakery Mystery #1

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Chick Lit

Format: Ebook

Pages: 292

Published: March 2, 2010

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. But their first big client is a nightmare. She's a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes for her wedding.

When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead-by-cupcake, she becomes the prime suspect. To save themselves and their business, the ladies need to find the real murderer, before the cupcake killer ices someone else.

Review:

The cover drew my eye for a lot of reasons. And then the summary had me excited to check this out. 

This is a cozy mystery that follows Melanie and Angie. They are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of a bakery. However, their first big client is a literal nightmare. She is a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes. When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead and dead because of a cupcake she becomes suspect numero uno. To save themselves and their business, they need to unmask the real killer. 

This started off okay. It then lost me. I skimmed and skimmed and finished it. I didn't want to completely DNF this in hopes it would be better, plus I DNFed a book a couple weeks ago so I wasn't ready to throw in the rag yet. Sighs. Maybe I should've....it never caught my attention again. 

The characters felt so 2D and just....atypical. I never connected with our mains. 

The evil bride was meh and you can't help but not care she was unalived. 

The mystery was eh. 

The love interest was annoying. Sorry girl you deserve better. 

Sadly this wasn't really for me, but it doesn't mean you won't like it. Maybe you'll have better luck. 

I'll give this 2 stars. The first three or so chapters were good and I ADORE the title and cover. 

Book Review: On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle

Author: Cleo Coyle

Title: On What Grounds

Series: Coffeehouse Mystery #1

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Chick Lit

Format: Ebook

Pages: 292

Published: September 1, 2003

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Clare Cosi used to manage New York City’s historic Village Blend coffeehouse, until she opted for quieter pastures and a more suburban life. But after ten years away she’s back in action and back to the grind, serving up steaming hot caffeine one cup at a time.

With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the coffeehouse, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work—until she discovers the assistant manager dead in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere.

NYPD Detective Mike Quinn finds no sign of forced entry or foul play and deems the whole thing an accident. But despite the attractive investigator’s certainty, Clare isn’t convinced. Now, if she wants to get to the bottom of things she’ll have to do some sleuthing of her own—before anyone else ends up in hot water...

Review:

Gotta love random library finds! I was looking and looking for some nice October reads. This popped up and I had to check it out. 

We follow Clare Cosi who is back to manage New York City's historic Village Blend coffeehouse. With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the coffeehouse, she and her cat have lots of plans for the future! However, things go sideways when she discovers her assistant manager dead in the back of the store. When the NYPD found no sign of forced entry or foul play, Claire wasn't convinced. Things do not add up. If she wants to find the truth, she will have to do some sleuthing of her own. 

I won't lie but reading this made me want coffee really, really bad. Lots of talk about different types of coffee and how to prepare. I could taste and smell the coffee brewing! All the coffee feels!

The mystery was done well. I thought I had an idea, but there was a final twist at the end which made sense. Thinking back...yes....I can see it. 

Claire was okay. She seemed sweet enough, but I can for sure see her being a snob in her past. She seemed like a recovering snob. There were things she would think or say that made me cringe a little bit. Maybe that is why her ex and she got along so well back in the day. He's def a snob. King of the Snobs. I hated his face. Hopefully, she doesn't go back to him. There seems to be a sniff of a love triangle in the future. Eeee I hope not. Matteo is an ass.

My only real issue was the long-winded explanations of things. It felt like everything was overexplained. Honestly? It felt like filler sometimes. Get back to the mystery! Or show us the hot detective again ;) hehe. 

All-in-all, this was a nice mystery with some coffee thrown in. I am curious about book 2. Maybe. We shall see. I have a bunch of stuff I borrowed from the library so we'll see if this is the next cozy series of my future ;). I'll give this 3 stars. 

Movie Review: Knives Out (2019)

Title: Knives Out

Length: 2 h & 10 m

Released: 2019

Genre:  Comedy, Drama, Crime
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: DVD

SUMMARY:

A detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

REVIEW:

Another movie I have wanted to watch but so little time in life. My parents recently watched this and they liked it so much they bought the DVD of it so when we went over there we all watched it together. 

A well-known detective is hired to investigate the death of a patriarch on the night of his birthday. His family is eccentric, combative...and they all have motives. 

This is a slow-paced movie at first. I was getting worried, but I kept on watching because I knew it had to be good. Look at this great cast! Lucky for me things too speed up and get real good, real fast. 

I was only 50% right. I had two main suspects and one of them was right. I still have my suspicions about a certain character. *points at the unnamed character*

The ending was good and Benoit made me chuckle. Of course, he realized something for being this good. 

But yes, slow beginning, but totally worth it. We had a lot of characters to go through. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Movie Review: Death on the Nile (2022)

Title: Death on the Nile

Length: 2 hr & 7 mins

Released: 2022

Genre:  Mystery, Crime, Drama
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Hulu

SUMMARY:

While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress

REVIEW:

Been meaning to watch this. I honestly wanted to watch it at the theater, but I have gotten lazy with theater-watching esp since my hubby is meh about theaters. Sometimes I can con him to go with me, but maybe once or twice a year. 

We are back with Hercule! He is dragged along on a Honeymoon party with a rich heiress and her new husband to keep an eye on their guests because they fear for their lives. And of course, Linnette does not make it and now Hercule has to investigate the murder on a boat stuck with a lot of suspects in the middle of the Nile. 

I really adored the intro. It was nice getting to see some backup story on our hero. I did have a tear or two for sure when we find out what happens a little later on. Ooooo Hercule! You are a vain man, but we love you. You deserve to be a hair vain with all your success. 

I felt so bad for Linnette. She is rich but she can't trust anyone. Everyone has some sort of motive for wanting her dead. Gah. I couldn't live my life like that! Eeee.

Sooo....the whodunnit......I surprised myself by guessing very early on and being RIGHT!!!!!!!!!! Something teeny tiny happened and I was all "OOOOOOO there!" I must pat myself on the back for this. However, there was so much more on the who, why, how, etc. Plus, I wasn't 100% sure there are def some red herrings. I have read some Hercule stories in the past so maybe I am good at pinpointing the little things that people miss in his stories. Oh Hercule!

The setting was beautiful. Egypt is lovely. 

In some ways, I liked this more than the first, but I did have one big, big issue.........after the little prequel at the beginning the setup took forever. It felt like a lot of filler and tbh it could've been trimmed. Yes, yes, we do want to see everyone and learn about them. However, it just felt like it took too long for the murdering parts. The first film had a slow beginning too and it worked well. This felt too long though. 

But yes, a nice sequel. I don't remember ever reading this one so it was fun just watching as a newbie. I really should read more Hercule. There are 33 novels, 2 plays, and more than 50 short stories!! So much to read. Not sure how the writers are picking. 

Def recommend watching the first one first and then this one.

4 stars.