Happy Release Day Book Review ~ Sell Low, Sweet Harriet (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery, Book #8) by Sherry Harris ~ #CozyMystery @KensingtonBooks

Book Details:

Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: December 31, 2019
ASIN: B07NX1WXLN

Amazon

About the Book:

ONE WOMAN'S TRASH . . .

Sarah Winston's garage sale business has a new client: the daughter of a couple who recently died in a tragic accident while away on a trip to Africa. Their house is full of exotic items from around the world that need to be sold off. When Sarah learns that the deceased were retired CIA agents, the job becomes more intriguing--but when an intruder breaks in and a hidden camera is found, it also becomes more dangerous. And Sarah has enough on her plate right now since she's investigating a murder on the side at the nearby Air Force base, where her status as a former military spouse gives her a special kind of access.

. . . IS ANOTHER WOMAN'S TROUBLE

With so much work piling up, Sarah decides to hire some help. But her assistant, Harriet--a former FBI hostage negotiator--has a rare talent for salesmanship. Which is good, because Sarah may have to haggle for her life with Harriet's assistance . . .

Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is book 8 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As with the previous books, book 8 is another fantastic installment in the world of professional garage sale organization. In this book, Sarah is hired to organize an estate sale for a woman whose parents tragically died while on vacation. As Sarah begins to organize everything in the home, she discovers the homeowners were retired CIA agents. Sarah’s job gets more intense as the home is broken into and hidden cameras are discovered.

There was also a suspicious death over at the Air Force base. One of the military wives was found dead on base. Sarah is brought in by Special Agent Bristow and Office Scott Pellner to help assist them by keeping her eyes and ears open for any information related to the death. Both mysteries are written together well.

I really enjoy the Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As a lover of garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, etc., a cozy setting of this nature makes me happy. Sarah is a great protagonist and has been in such a way that I feel like I know her personally. She has very realistic characteristics and the author really brings Sarah to life. I love all the secondary characters the author has created for this series, too. Seth, Mike “the big cheese” Titone, Stella, Awesome, and all the rest compliment this series so well. I’m glad Sarah’s love life doesn’t overpower the stories, but I wish we got more of Seth. I understand Sarah’s hesitation because of the devastating split from CJ but Seth has shown time and time again he’s worthy.

As I said about the rest of the books in the series, Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is a fantastic cozy mystery full of twists, turns, distractions, and multiple storylines. There are suspenseful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments that are sure to keep the reader engaged. The author sets up many of the characters as the potential suspect and expertly pulls the tablecloth out from underneath them without spilling the truth. The Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries are one of my favorite cozy series'. The author keeps the stories fresh and entertaining. The characters are wonderful, and I love the setting.

I was provided a review copy of this book.

My Rating:

Book #Review ~ Let's Fake a Deal (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #7) by Sherry Harris #CozyMystery @KensingtonBooks

Book Details:

Print Length: 304 pages

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: July 30, 2019

ASIN: B07K5ZMBZB

Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Book:

SHE’S GOT THE GOODS . . .

As a former military spouse, Sarah Winston’s learned a little about organizing, packing, and moving. Her latest project sounds promising: a couple of tech-industry hipsters, newly arrived in her Massachusetts town, who need to downsize. Unfortunately, when Sarah tries to sell their stuff, she discovers it’s all stolen—and she’s the unwitting fence. 

BUT SARAH’S PROBLEMS ARE JUST BEGINNING . . .

Michelle, an old friend of Sarah’s from the Air Force base, is in line for a promotion—but not everyone is happy about it, and she’s been hit with an anonymous discrimination complaint. When one of the men she suspects is behind the accusations turns up dead in Michelle’s car, Sarah needs to clear Michelle’s name—as well as her own for selling hot merchandise. And she’ll have to do it while also organizing a cat lady’s gigantic collection of feline memorabilia, or they’ll be making room for Sarah in a jail cell . . .

My Review:

Let’s Fake a Deal, book 7 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris, is another fantastic installment in the world of professional garage sale organization. In this book, Sarah is organizing a house-wide garage sale for a younger couple looking to downsize. As she opens the sale, she discovers the young couple missing and her hands on what is being labeled as stolen. She’s now on the chopping block since the “owners” are missing and she’s the one selling all the stolen goods. 

In the meantime, a friend of Sarah’s from the Air Force base, who is up for a promotion, has a discrimination charge brought against her. Then one of the men Michelle suspects instigated the charge is found dead in her own vehicle. Sarah has two mysteries to solve – the one where she’s the fence of stolen items and the one where Michelle is a murderer. In the middle of this, a woman with an obsession with cat memorabilia contracts with Sarah to sell some of her items. Book 7 is packed full of problems and Sarah will need to stay organized and focused if she doesn’t want herself or Michelle to wind up in jail.

I really enjoy the Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As a lover of garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, etc., a cozy setting of this nature makes me happy. Sarah is a great protagonist and has been in such a way that I feel like I know her personally. She has very realistic characteristics and the author really brings Sarah to life. I love all the secondary characters the author has created for this series, too. Seth, Mike “the big cheese” Titone, Stella, Awesome, and all the rest compliment this series so well. 

As I said about the rest of the books in the series, Let’s Fake a Deal is a fantastic cozy mystery full of twists, turns, distractions, and multiple storylines. There are suspenseful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments that are sure to keep the reader engaged. The author sets up many of the characters as the potential suspect and expertly pulls the tablecloth out from underneath them without spilling the truth.

Side note: I wish Sarah would stop being so hard on herself. She deserves happiness despite what happened between her and Chuck.

I was provided a review copy of this book.

My Rating:

#Book #Review ~ I Know What You Bid Last Summer (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery, Book #5) by Sherry Harris #CozyMystery

Book Details:

Print Length: 320 pages

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: February 27, 2018

ASIN: B0719VD7GS

Amazon

About the Book:

FOUL PLAY IN THE GYM

When it comes to running a successful garage sale, Sarah Winston believes in doing her homework. She also believes in giving back. But when she agrees to manage an athletic equipment swap, she doesn't bargain on an uncharitable killer. The day of the event, the school superintendent is found dead in the gymnasium.

HAS SARAH PLAYING DEFENSE

Suddenly the murder suspects are the school board members--including the husband of a very difficult client who's hired Sarah to run a high-end sale and demands she do her bidding. In between tagging and haggling, Sarah studies the clues to see who wanted to teach the superintendent a lesson. But as she closes in on the truth, the killer intends to give her a crash course on minding her own business . . . 

I Know What You Bid Last Summer, book 5 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris, is another fantastic installment in the world of professional garage sale organization. In this book, Sarah is organizing an athletic equipment swap where people bring in used equipment to sell or trade. As Sarah is setting up for the event, the lights go out and she is beaten by an intruder who also steals a bunch of sports memorabilia. When the superintendent of the school district is found dead on the day of the swap everyone, including Sarah, pulls out all the stops to locate the person who assaulted Sarah and murdered the superintendent. The suspect list is huge and includes several townsfolk including members of the school board. 

I really enjoy the Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As a lover of garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, etc., a cozy setting of this nature makes me happy. Sarah is a great protagonist and has been in such a way that I feel like I know her personally. She has very realistic characteristics and the author really brings Sarah to life. I love all the secondary characters the author has created for this series, too. Seth, Mike “the big cheese” Titone, Stella, Awesome, and all the rest compliment this series so well. 

As I said about the first 4 books in the series, I Know What You Bid Last Summer is a fantastic cozy mystery full of twists, turns, distractions, and red herrings. There are suspenseful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments that are sure to keep the reader engaged. The author sets up many of the characters as the potential suspect and expertly pulls the tablecloth out from underneath them without spilling the truth. 

The Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries are one of my favorite cozy series'. The author keeps the stories fresh and entertaining. The characters are wonderful and I love the setting. I'm happy that Kensington continues to release Sherry Harris's books. I get my copies from NetGalley but I eventually also purchase paperback copies of each book for my bookshelf. 

Spoiler Alert: 

Shocked!! I was truly shocked by the beginning of this book. I really hoped CJ and Sarah could put their lives back together after the scandal that rocked them away from one another. I stared at the section where CJ moved to Florida without Sarah for a long while (with my jaw on the floor, most likely). Just not what I was expecting. On the other hand, I really enjoy Sarah with Seth, so we’ll see how things play out.

I was given a copy of this book to review.

My Rating:

Book #Review ~ A Dark and Stormy Murder (A Writer's Apprentice Mystery, Book #1) by Julia Buckley ~ #CozyMystery #BookReview

Book Details:

Print Length: 301 pages

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: July 5, 2016

Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC

ASIN: B016JPTK46

Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Book:

An aspiring suspense novelist lands in the middle of a real crime, in the first in a captivating new series by the author of the Undercover Dish Mysteries.

Lena London's literary dreams are coming true—as long as she can avoid any real-life villains...

Camilla Graham’s bestselling suspense novels inspired Lena London to become a writer, so when she lands a job as Camilla’s new assistant, she can’t believe her luck. Not only will she help her idol craft an enchanting new mystery, she’ll get to live rent-free in Camilla’s gorgeous Victorian home in the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana.

But Lena’s fortune soon changes for the worse. First, she lands in the center of small town gossip for befriending the local recluse. Then, she stumbles across one thing that a Camilla Graham novel is never without—a dead body, found on her new boss’s lakefront property.

Now Lena must take a page out of one of Camilla’s books to hunt down clues in a real crime that seems to be connected to the novelist’s mysterious estate—before the killer writes them both out of the story for good...

Lena London is a huge fan of Camilla Graham – so much so that Camilla is Lena’s inspiration to become a writer. When Lena is offered a job working with Camilla, she is over the moon. Lena moves to Camilla Graham’s estate in Indiana where she not only gets to work her dream job, but all amenities are paid for my Camilla, as well. She can’t believe her luck. That luck runs out shortly after accepting the job and taking up residence with Camilla. Lena becomes the subject of small-town gossip and then stumbles over a real dead body in Camilla yard. Lena and Camilla learn firsthand what it takes to locate clues, fit them together, and hope they don’t become the next victims.

A Dark and Stormy Murder is the first book in the Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series. The author sets the tone for the series with likable characters, a solid foundation, and a continued plot line that carries over into at least the next book. I always enjoy mysteries that have more than just the main problem or theme. This story includes another storyline that is almost as strong as the main murder mystery and I loved how the author wove it all together. Separate, yet smoothly written, the two events co-exist without overshadowing each other or falling flat. 

The character development and world building had me befriending the characters and feeling like I was right there with them. I enjoyed the idea of Lena, as an aspiring writer, getting to not only meet the author who inspires her, but also becoming said author’s apprentice. I really enjoyed the mystery-in-a-mystery concept and because I waited to so long to start the series (which I regret) I don’t have to wait to read the next book. Cliffhanger be darned! This is a series I will be continuing. 

I was given a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Book Review: Sapphire (Colors of Crime, Book #1) by Sophie Lark ~ #RomanticSuspense

Book Details:

Print Length: 187 pages

Publication Date: October 16, 2019

ASIN: B07YGKZ72B

Purchase Link:

Amazon

About the Book:

Will She Choose The Thief, The Detective, Or The Sapphire?

Lex Moore is a thief and a heart-breaker. She takes whatever she wants from men, especially when it’s expensive…

She picked the wrong target in Detective Byron Black. He’ll hunt her down, to make her pay for destroying his career and stealing his heart...

Luca Diotallevi is in deep with the Italian Mafia. He’s got to pull off an impossible heist, but Lex keeps getting in his way. He can’t let her take the sapphire, but he also can’t keep his hands off her…

Will Lex submit to the detective that chased her across the world? Or will she choose the one thief she can’t outwit?

Sapphire is a romantic suspense novel that takes place across the pond. Lex is an expert thief, stealing art, figurines, and the hearts of men. When she breaks the heart of Detective Byron Black, he scours the globe trying to find her. When Lex gets involved in a heist for the same object as another thief, Luca, a member of an Italian mafia, she finds herself on the run. The double-crossing of Lex by a supposed friend leaves her infuriated and set on seeking him out. A day late and a dollar short, Lex finds herself in the sights of the mafia boss who sends Luca and Roma to collect the object by any means possible. Luca, drawn to Lex, doesn't allow anything to happen to her....until she finds herself in the crosshairs of none other than Detective Black. 

Lex, Luca, and Byron are excellently written characters. Each character is smart and personable, with emotions and layers making them 3-dimensional. The story is unique and the love triangle is settled nicely. Without revealing her choice I'm just going to say that I'm glad it ended the way it did. She's not good enough for the guy she left behind. Lyrically, the author is a star. Her use of descriptive language, metaphors, and vivid imagery take this book to the next level. The only complain I have is the use of the "c" word during the sex scene on the train. The word is typically used in a derogatory manner and is a huge turn off for me when used during a passionate love scene. Other than that, Sapphire hit all of the positives for story, character development, world building, passion, and suspense. I look forward to getting my hands on the next book.

I purchased my copy of this book from Amazon.

My Rating:

#Book #Review: Restaurant Weeks Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery, Book #3) by Libby Klein ~ #CozyMystery @LibbyKleinBooks @KensingtonBooks

Book Details:

Print Length: 368 pages

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: February 26, 2019

ASIN: B07DBQBVYJ

Amazon:

https://amzn.to/34IuagA

About the Book:

Cape May, New Jersey, is the site of a big culinary competition--and the knives are out . . .

Poppy McAllister is happy about opening a Jersey Shore B&B--but working in a professional kitchen has always been her real dream. Now it's coming true, at least briefly, as she teams up with her former fiance, Tim--and his condescending partner, Gigi--during the high-profile Restaurant Week challenge. Poppy's specialty is pastries, despite her devotion to a Paleo diet. But if anyone can make glorious gluten-free goodies, it's Poppy.

Things get heated quickly--especially when some ingredients get switched and Tim's accused of sabotage. Relatively harmless pranks soon escalate into real hazards, including an exploding deep fryer. And now one of the judges has died after taking a bite of Poppy's cannoli--making her the chef suspect . . .

Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy's Kitchen!

My Review:

One of Poppy’s lifelong dreams was to become a chef but events in her past derailed those dreams. Making gluten-free pastries for Gia’s coffeeshop has filled some of the void but when her ex, Tim, asks for help winning a cooking show contest, Poppy is all in for the event. Upon arrival of day one disaster strikes, Poppy is disrespected by a member of her own baking team, and accusations are tossed around. Things manage to get worse with each day the cooking show continues adding impromptu lodging accommodations, increased sabotage, and even murder. When the death of one of the judges occurs just after tasting Poppy’s dessert, her head is now on the chopping block the contestants turn on her and the police implicate her. Knowing she didn’t kill anyone, Poppy is, yet again, on a mission to find out who’s responsible for the catastrophe that is Restaurant Week. 

Book three is just as wonderful as the rest of the books in the series. Restaurant Weeks are Murder pulled me in and kept me engaged from the very beginning. The author put a lot of thought into this book concerning Restaurant Week and the all of the events that occur, Aunt Ginny and her friends, and the romantic entanglements of Poppy. Poppy is a wonderful main character. She’s not perfect, not supermodel thin, yet has a personality that is awesome. She’s a very realistic character and funny. This book is full of wit, snark, and humor. Poppy’s Aunt Ginny is a such a quirky character, too. I love her antics and they are just amplified even more in Restaurant Weeks are Murder.

The strong character development and world building continues in Restaurant Weeks are Murder. The book is written with realism that I could feel. I love how the author continues to develop Poppy and Aunt Ginny. She uprooted herself from where she lived with her late husband and took on the caretaker role for Aunt Ginny – who is healthy and spry but needs a little bit of looking after. She changes her diet, meets a new flame and reunites with an old flame, and begins new business ventures. The author takes these themes and combines them into fantastic books in a terrific series. I have devoured every book in the Poppy McAllister series. 

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Early #Book Review ~ Theater Nights Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery, Book #4) by Libby Klein ~ #CozyMystery @LibbyKleinBooks @KensingtonBooks

Book Details:

Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: December 31, 2019
ASIN: B07Q7WHQ3H

Pre-Order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2sx8W7Z

About the Book:

The last thing gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister needs in her life is more drama--or more murder . . .

Poppy thought her toughest challenge this winter would be sticking to her Paleo diet and filling all her orders for her gluten-free goodies, but now she has to choose between two suitors. She's not the only one with boyfriend drama. Aunt Ginny's long-ago high-school beau, Royce Hanson, a retired Broadway actor, has returned to Cape May, New Jersey, to star in a Senior Center staging of Mamma Mia. Leaving Aunt Ginny to wonder: What's his motivation?

Slated to open February 13th, the problem-plagued production seems to be cursed--with stolen props, sabotage, and even a death threat. But when a cast member plunges to his death from a catwalk, it soon becomes clear a murderer is waiting in the wings. Now Poppy, Aunt Ginny, and a supporting cast must take center stage to catch the killer--before it's curtains for someone else . . .

Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy's Kitchen!

My Review:

Theater Nights are Murder is the fourth book in Libby Klein’s Poppy McAllister cozy mystery series. The story begins exactly where Restaurant Weeks are Murder leaves off. Poppy just finished off restaurant week where she was on Tim, her ex’s cooking team and her other love interest was on another team. Talk about tense. Poppy is also going to be working for both men; in Tim’s restaurant and Gia’s coffeeshop. It will be nice when Poppy picks a side. I’m not one for long-term love triangles. Theater Nights are Murder takes a turn and we find Poppy’s not the only one with a conundrum of the male type.

Aunt Ginny suddenly learns her old high school boyfriend has retired and is on his way back to New Jersey. It seems he will be playing the male lead in the senior center production of Mamma Mia. The town is abuzz about the return of Royce and the play. Only, as the rehearsals begin, the trouble also starts. Strange happenings, sabotage, and theft are just the beginning as one of the cast members falls from the catwalk to his death, the thought of murder rears its ugly head.

Book four is just as wonderful as the rest of the books in the series. Theater Nights are Murder pulled me in and kept me engaged from the very beginning. The author put a lot of thought into this book concerning Poppy’s life, the life of her Aunt Ginny, and the romantic entanglements of both. Poppy is a wonderful main character. She’s not perfect, not supermodel thin, yet has a personality that is awesome. She’s a very realistic character and funny. This book is full of wit, snark, and humor. Poppy’s Aunt Ginny is a such a quirky character, too. I love her antics.

The strong character development and world building continues in Theater Nights are Murder. The book is written with realism that I could feel. I love how the author continues to develop Poppy. She uprooted herself from where she lived with her late husband and took on the caretaker role for Aunt Ginny – who is healthy and spry but needs a little bit of looking after. She changes her diet, meets a new flame and reunites with an old flame, and begins new business ventures. The author takes these themes and combines them into fantastic books in a terrific series. I have devoured each and every book in the Poppy McAllister series. I look forward to book five!

I was provided an ARC of this book to read.

My Rating:

Book Review: No Going Back: An Epic Fantasy Romance (The Lily Harper Series, Book 6) by H.P. Mallory

Book Details:

Print Length: 369 pages
Publication Date: November 10, 2019
ASIN: B081BCZFG9

Amazon Link:

https://amzn.to/2R6lEEY

About the Book:

What’s the worst place in The Underground City? How about the Ninth Level, the Morgue?

After Lily Harper narrowly escapes the clutches of Alaire, the Master of the Underground City, she finds herself on the back of a winged Fury in the middle of the ninth circle, The Morgue, and she’s not sure where to go.

Tallis has been left to his own defenses in the eighth level, The Asylum, and Bill is MIA. Lily has no idea how to find either one of them or where to even start.

After she gets attacked mid-air, Lily finds an unconventional ally in the form of Manfred Albrecht Freiherr, otherwise known as the Red Baron. Manfred informs Lily that a civil war is brewing in the Ninth Level between a legion of rebel demons and the old-world order.

Lily finds herself smack-dab in the middle of this war, a war that’s encouraged by Alaire because, as usual, he wants something…

All Lily wants is to make sure her friends are safe but in so doing, she’ll find herself thrown into the thick of it where she’ll be forced into the fight of her life.

NO GOING BACK is the sixth book in the bestselling Lily Harper Series.

My Review:

Lily has found herself in the Morgue, one of the circles of Hell and is now the vessel for a pretty angry spirit. Her love, Tallis Black, and her guardian angel, Bill, are missing. The trio find themselves in precarious positions, grouping up with unexpected inhabitants, and involved in conflicts while trying to find each other and figure out a way to leave Hell. 

Lily is a strong character, rolling with the hand she's been dealt. She stands strong in the face adversity, through her disconnection between Tallis and Bill, and with the cranky spirit. Her ability to stay level-headed and friendly while attempting to find her way out shows how good of a character she is and I couldn't help but root for her. Her foul-mouthed guardian angel is a hoot. His mish-mash of the English language had me laughing out lout and shaking my head. Tallis is a broody Scotsman but his feelings for Lily are quite evident. His character is also strong and I rooted for him and Bill, too. 

This is the first book I've read in H.P. Mallory's Lily Harper series. While I enjoyed the story very much, I will be going back starting from the beginning. There are many things that happen or are referred to that I wasn't really sure about. I was able to move around it and most of the book fell into place without requiring knowledge of the previous books. The author does a wonderful job providing some details from previous events to aid in keeping the reader abreast with the story. 

I was provided a copy of this book to review.

My Rating: