{I've Been Reading} The Whisking Hour

 The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander 

I've been really enjoying Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop mytery series even though I've only read a handful of them. It's easy to jump in and get a sense of the characters without reading the previous twenty-one titles. This one is set in Ashland, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the main character, Juliet Caphshaw. One of her best friends has asked her to cater a murder-themed dinner for the cast of his latest production and Juliet the staff of her bakery, Torte,  have gone all out with the decor and menu. When a body is found in one of the dressing rooms, they scurry to modify the menu and figure out the identity of the killer. I love that this book focused on Lance, a character I didn't get to know very well in the previous books. Juliet's world is fun to experience for a few hours and I look forward to catching up with the rest of the series. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Adrift

 Adrift by Will Dean 

A married couple and their son, living on a Britist canal boat in Illinois and moving farther and farther from town, begin to unravel. This book reminded me of The Shining, without the supernatural elements  or extreme isolation. Imagine what would have happened if Wendy was writing a book and Jack realized it was better than his own efforts -- that's the awful situation facing the wife in this book. I've got mixed feelings about it. The tension and sense of dread are agonizing. I kept wanting to scream at the characters to do something, anything, to stop what was happening to them. My one complaint about the book is that it didn't feel like it was set in the United States. Some of the details and descriptions felt "off" and a few were absolutely glaring. 

House of Splinters by Laura Purcell

This wonderfully creepy book tells the story of Belinda Bainbridge who moves with her husband and children to his family's estate.  I didn't realize when I first picked it up that this is a prequel to another book, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment at all. I don't think I've ever read a ghost story set in the 1700s, so it was a neat change of pace. Belinda fears for her children's safety, both from the perils of an old moldering house and  from the "silent companions," wooden figures that seem to be lurking around every corner. (These are a real thing -- look up "dummy boards" if you're curious about them.) I can't wait to read more by this author. 

A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage by MK Oliver

Lalla Rook's priorities are....interesting. She's just as concerned with convincing the other moms at her four-year-old son's birthday party that she made his store bought cake as she is with the body still leaking blood into her living room rug. Driving around with a dead man in the back of her SUV doesn't seem to phase her at all. As long as her daughter gets admitted into that exclusive private school and she can move her family into a more expensive house, she'll be satisfied. The writing is good enough and the plot twists in some interesting ways, but I really didn't care what happened to the protagonist. She lacks the charisma that's kept me turning pages in other books with serial killers as the main characters.  

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Trad Wife

 The Ravine by Maia Chance 

Set on an island in the Pacific Northwest, this wonderfully creepy thriller kept me turning pages until the end. I love folk horror and this is a fascinating slow burn that definitely delivers. After struggling with her fertility for years, Harlow steps away from her high stress job and moves with her husband and stepson to his childhood home. She has little in common with her next door neighbor or the other moms who take their children to KinderWild, a forest preschool that seems a little too cultish. An island full of nearly identical blonde children, strange religious symbols, her husband's late night trips into the forest and odd behavior.... this book was right up my alley!  

Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer 

This was a wild read!  Camille is a wannabe influencer with a perfect home and a wealthy husband who buys her everything she needs to create their perfectly curated life. What she can't order online -- the thing she knows will absolutely explode her subscriber count -- is a baby, but as hard as she tries, she's not getting pregnant. So she visits the creepy old well behind her house and throws a shiny penny in (her less aesthetically pleasing change goes into donation boxes) and a demonic creature comes to her and before she knows it, she's trying to figure out how to write social media posts documenting a pregnancy that's moving way too fast. I've been a stay a home mom for a loooong time, so I don't get as riled up about the whole tradwife thing as a lot of people seem to. But Camille is grating. Her bamboo dish drainer and hand stitched dishtowels and perfect outfits, not to mention her relationship with her husband, are absolute rage bait. But that Rosemary's Baby twist she willingly threw into her own life? I didn't have to like Camille to enjoy reading about her. 

The Body by Bethany C. Morrow

The book opens with a car crash and, as Mavis calls her husband and he hurries to her side at the hospital, their reactions had me guessing at their relationship and what was actually going on between the two of them. The whole focus of the story is on their marriage and their vows to one another. I feel like I should have loved this one. The type of horror is right up my alley but, for whatever reason I can't put my finger on, the horrific events didn't have much impact when they actually happened. They almost seemed like an afterthought compared to other details. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle

 A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle by Darci Hannah

This fun cozy has a complex mystery, a lively cast of characters, and a great setting at a bagpiping competition. I thought it was the first in a new series, but it's actually the second (and luckily the first is on Kindle Unlimited, so I plan on reading that one just as soon as I can.) Chef Bunny MacBride signed the contract for a cooking show thinking the "spirits" in the title meant alcohol. Now she's preparing meals for famous ghosts with a crew of ghost hunters.  Bunny's crush on one of her co-hosts is adorable. Her way of speaking took a bit of getting used to and I don't think I'll ever be able to read the phrase "Mr. Man" without hearing it in the voice of Annie Wilkes, but that's probably just me. I can't wait to see what other hauntings the Food & Spirits crew decide to investigate! 

Silenced at the Book Show by Kim Griswell

The third Pacific Northwest Cozy Mystery has Saffi in her element as the key note speaker at an event in Seaside to promote her bestselling series of Aunt Saffi's Bedside Reader. I'm loving this new series. The setting is perfect for readers who want a virtual escape to someplace different. Saffi is a wonderful protagonist, the kind of person I'd actually want to spend some time with. After writing so many trivia books, her mind is full of facts and details that she puts to use in her investigations. I jumped in with the second book and there's just enough backstory to keep new readers from feeling lost without giving away important reveals from the previous books. 

The Swamps by Seraphina Nova Glass

Macy and her husband have travelled to Louisiana to investigate the cases of two missing women for their popular YouTube channel. Unfortunately the bayou cabin they rented doesn't look nearly as cute as the online pictures. It only took me a few pages to lose patience with Macy who seems to feel that dated countertops and appliances are just as distressing as the hair and human teeth suspended from a nearby  tree by tangles of wire. This one is short and fast paced and contains some genuinely creepy scenes and a twist I definitely wasn't expecting. 

Her Beautiful Life by Brianna Labuskes

I keep picking up domestic thrillers involving tradwifes, even though most of them wind up ticking me off. After going on thirty years as a stay at home mom and homemaker, I find myself disagreeing with a lot of the characters about women's roles in the home and the first few pages of this book had me jumping to conclusions about what was to come. I am SO glad I stuck with it, because it wasn't at all what I expected. Holland, a jounalist, has been invited to the gated property of Catriona Bouchard to write a profile of the popular influencer. They were best friends at one point, but haven't spoken for years. Catriona is nothing like the women Holland remembers and life at The Orchard is one concerning detail after another. The book is a very slow burn, but I really enjoyed seeing the plot gradually unfold to its unexpected conclusion. The chapters from a police investigator's perspective were a bit distracting and I wish the story could have been told without them, but that's a minor complaint about an otherwise great book. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Dead Fake

 Jammed With Secrets by Selina Hill

I enjoyed the first book in this new series featuring Sadie Cruz, a celebrity chef whose reputation took an awful turn after a food critic died after sampling her restaurant's Heavenly Duck. Now she's in the spotlight again when a member of a 90s boyband is found dead in  her food trailer with one of her jam filled heart cookies smeared all over him.  It's an entertaining plot with a likeable protagonist, even if it sometimes felt like her investigation circled, going over the same information multiple times.   

Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph

Swipe to Die is an app that came out of nowhere and quickly became the most popular thing around. Just sign up with your email address, answer a couple of questions, and then watch an AI video of your own gory death. It's all innocent fun, right? This book takes all of the elements of an enjoyable slasher movie and makes them better by adding little hints of backstory that just wouldn't work in a film. The town of Bleak Haven has a troubled past, evidenced by the memorial wall at the local high school. One of the administrators is apparently a final girl, having survived a serial killer years earlier. Ava, the protagonist, is haunted by dark events in her own family's past, which makes her well equippped to try to stop whoever is behind Swipe or Die. I was extremely happy to see that this is the first book in a series about the town. 

The Room in the Attic by T. M. Logan

I don't know how this author managed to make an outdated flip phone so ominous, but I was holding my breath and wanting to yell at the characters to stop messing with it. It starts with Adam exploring a seam in the wooden paneling of their new residence and discovering a hidden space behind the wall. The tiny room is furnished with a chair and dresser and the dresser drawers contain an odd assortment of unremarkable objects. Told amost entirely from Adam's point of view, this book creates an uneasy sense of dread that I couldn't resist. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy.

{I've Been Reading} The Castaways

 The Castaways by Lucy Clarke 

Erin obsesses over a small plane that vanished on its way to a remote island near Fiji. She was supposed to be on that flight with her sister, but they fought the night before. Erin didn't show up at the airport. Lori disappeared with the plane. There are no answers, no hope, until the pilot appears in Fiji two years later claiming that he has no memory of what happened. Told in dual points of view, this thriller is a harrowing, stressful read. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's definitely the kind of book you want to be in the right mood for. I spent the whole read trying to reconcile what I hoped might happen with the sparse details that I knew had happened.

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

The book gets off to an unsettling start with descriptions of what it's like to wait for a hurricane to hit. The Rosalie hotel has survived many storms over the past hundred years, but the people of St. Medard's Bay haven't been so lucky. One death, back in 1984, made national news. I usually love it when a thriller incorporates news stories as a way to dole out bits of information about past events, but I couldn't work up a whole lot of interest in this one. It's a slow burn without much sense of urgency and, while everything is eventually revealed and tied together, I don't feel like it lived up to the promise of the first few chapters. 

The Trip by Audrey J. Cole 

This is one of those thrillers where a friend group with a shared secret gets together after many years for a luxury vacation thatquickly turns deadly. The plot switches back and forth between a tragic rafting trip and a chartered sailboat that's caught up in an unexpected storm. It's all told from one character's point of view and, while the reader has to wait for events to unfold, the author isn't playing games and withholding information. The plot is fast paced and entertaining and includes just enough detail about the boat to be interesting. I have no idea if it's accurate, but it at least feels realistic, unlike the author's previous book. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} The Hong Kong Widow

The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch

A fantastic ghost story, this book follows Mei through three different timelines and has a wonderfully creepy atmosphere with some absolutely chilling moments. It's rare that a horror novel makes me jump as much as this one did, although I'm not sure "horror" is the best label. Is "ghostly thriller" a thing? Maidenhair House is the stuff of legend. In the 1950s, a series of seances ended in tragedy. Mei was there that night and survived, as she survived all of the horrors that came before that night. Sixty years later, her daughter pleans to visit the abandoned house. The historical details and descriptions had me totally immersed in the story.  

Silent as the Grave Rhys Bowen; Clare Broyles

This historical cozy is a treat for anyone who's ever been curious about the early days of movie making. As intriguing as the mystery itself is, the details about the movie studio and filming techniques were just as interesting. I've somehow managed to miss the first twenty-one books in the Molly Murphy series -- luckily the author weaves in just enough backstory to make jumping in easy!

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review  copies. 

 

{I've Been Reading} Bait and Swiss

 Bait and Swiss by Korina Moss

The Cheese Shop mysteries embody everything that first got me hooked on cozy mysteries. It's fun to immerse yourself in someone else's world and Willa's Cheeseboard Cafe is a perfect place to vicariously escape to. I didn't reread the description before starting the book, so I wasn't expecting any of what happened and I'm not going to spoil the fun for you by revealing the details. There's a murder and it hits close to home so there's a definite sense of urgency to Willa's investigation. The cheese shop sounds as delicious as ever. I almost stopped reading at one point to see if a particular recipe was included in the back of the book because it sounded so tempting. This is one of the best books in a great series. 

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown

For as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Jane has lived alone with her father in the cabin. They visit town on rare occasions so that he can drop off copies of his zine at a local bookstore and she has one friend she communicates with by phone, but until the day her father brings home a laptop and connects them to the internet, she's been alone with her father and his theories. Once he goes online in hopes of reaching a wider audience with his manifesto, everything changes. Set in the mid-nineties in the early days of the internet, this book immediately caught my interest and held it through the end. 

What Happened to Lucy Vale by Lauren Oliver

This definitely wasn't what I was expecting. It starts out with a cast of characters that spans several pages. The chapters alternate between Rachel Vale and "We." We is (or are?) the local high school students and includes lots and lots of quotes from their Discord server. Those chapters were meandering and kind of overwhelming. The chapters told from Lucty's mother's point of view are, by comparison, a little boring. I didn't love it.  

{I've Been Reading} The Place Where They Buried Your Heart

 The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry

I'm a sucker for haunted house books. It turns out that this one is more cosmic horror, but I didn't mind that at all. The abandoned house on Jessie Campanelli's street eats people. It takes bites out of them and sometimes spits them out. Her little brother's friend, Paul, lost an arm in there. Her brother, who she'd dared to go inside, never came out. Years pass and the neighborhood changes. Fewer people know about the family that died in the house in the 1970s or the things that have happened since then. Jessie and a few of the older neighbors remain on the street watching and waitng and trying to warn newcomers away, because the house is still hungry. I really enjoyed this one. I was expecting it to be about a character who had moved away and then been pulled back home, because that seems to be the usual setup in books like this one, but Jessie has been in this awful situation since childhood so it's a different sort of conflict. 

The Cold Case and the Corpse by Debra Sennefelder

I've been reading and enjoying the Food Blogger mystery series from the beginning. This one is a bit different, starting out with Hope and her friends at an expensive wellness retreat with an internet life coach. It's quickly revealed that their host isn't who she presents herself as online, but some of other guests already knew that. A worsening storm and the discovery of a body all combine to make the first half of the book an intriguing locked room mystery. But after that, it felt like the plot really slowed down.  This one's not my favorite book in the series. 

Behind the Door by M. S. Berry

The whole situation is odd. Anna is housesitting for a complete stranger, feeding his cats and spending three hours a day minding his old bookshop, which has almost customers, no cash register, and no sense of order. In exchange, she has privacy and plenty of time to finish her folklore thesis.  Her unknown host has left a few rules, which she doesn't seem too concerned about following. The writing style took a bit of getting used to, but I did find myself drawn into the story. It was the locked door upstairs that bugged me. What's so strange an ominious about keeping personal items locked away from a stranger you've allowed into your house? I know it's the whole point of the story, but "I don't want strangers going through my stuff" seems like more than enough justification for a lock.  

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading}

 

Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly 

The latest in the House-Flipper mystery series centers around a former boarding school that's being revived as a retirement community. In the center of the sprawling property is an old Victorian house that's been boarded up since the deaths of the Head Master and his wife. (And now I'm wondering if Blogger allows me to say "murder suicide" especially when the whole situation is fictional....) Whitney and Buck jump at the opportunity to save the house, which was originally scheduled for demolition, with plans to repurpose it as a boutique hotel. The plot unfolds at a leisurely pace with lots of time spent in the buildings of the old school, which gives the reader plenty of chances to vicariously explore old buildings. Because the crime was forty years ago, there's little sense of urgency. It all combines into an enjoyable read, especially if you've already spent some time with these characters and want to revisit them. 

Murder Bears Fruit by Rosie Sandler 

I've read all four of the books in this series and it's always fun to spend some time with Steph and Mouse.  This time around she's updating the landscaping of a newly rennovated luxury hotel where quite a few of the guests are permanent residents. Of course there's a murder for her to solve and gardening to be done. The subplot involving Steph's ex husband will raise some questions for readers who are starting the series with this book, but it's not a major part of the plot. And the whole series is available on Kindle Unlimited, so you can start with the first book or jump in with this one. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} When the Wolf Comes Home

 When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy 

This is the wildest, most  wonderful horror novel I've read in absolutely ages! I skipped the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book because sometimes I find myself distracted from the story while I'm expecting that awful thing I was warned about. It's a gory book. Seriously awful things happen, but most of it is too cartoonish and over the top to be upsetting.... there are other, more subtle, more upsetting things hiding in these pages. It uses ideas from some of my favorite stories in the genre, but telling you which ones would involve spoiling the fun and that's the LAST thing I'd want to do.

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey

It takes one to know one and when Delores sees the new office temp, she's thrilled. Jake Ripper just has to be a serial killer. The book alternates between the two of them, giving the reader odd glimpses of what Delores and Jake are hiding from each other and  the rest of the world. They think they know what they're getting into...but they're wrong. It reminded me of You, with a much more cheerful slant, and although I enjoyed most of it, my interest started to wane a bit as the story went on. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} The Lady on Esplanade

The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White

I picked this one up without realizing that it was the third in a series, let alone that it was a spin off from another series. That didn't stop me from absolutely loving it -- thank goodness for skillfully written backstory! -- but I got the impression that these might be best read in order. I'll be headed down to our little local bookstore as soon as they're open, hoping to find the earlier books. If I could get my hands on them today, I'd be plunging right in, but I'm still just a little too stubborn to pay as much for an ebook version as the paperback costs. What I wasn't expecting, beyond the great plot and well-developed characters, was such a creepy paranormal element. The ghosts absolutely permeate the book. I'm used to cozies where the ghosts are helpful, or maybe a bit annoying. These ghosts are serious business and there are a lot of them, some involved in this mystery, some from the character's pasts. 

Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney 

The most vocal critic of the Asquith family's plans to convert Ravensea Castle into a bed and breakfast is found dead in the knot garden the morning after their first guests arrive. My favorite thing about this new series is the setting. I might've expected a haunted casstle to be forbidding, but this one is a joyous place where Nora and her sister grew up.  (I'm hoping we'll find out more about the dungeon in a future book.) I also love the way Nora deals with their resident ghost. 

Death at the Door by Olivia Blacke 

I loved all three of the Record Shop Mysteries by the same author. This one has a completely different tone (it reminded me a bit of the Hayley Randolph mysteries by Dorothy Powell.) Ruby has practically stepped into Cordelia's life, living in the apartment where the other woman died, working at the jub she just held....and solving a murder with Cordelia's ghost. I found the book cute and entertaining, especially watching the two of them struggle to communicate, but at times it felt like the plot was meandering around in circles.  

The Kidnapping of Alice Ingold by Cate Holahan

This book was a lot more substantial than I expected it to be. Within the first couple of chapters, the author had painted a clear picture of the conflict between Alice and her mother. The quote at the beginning hints that there's more behind this kidnapping than just a ransom demand. It's very political, and very bleak. I found myself much more concerned about the state of the actual world we live in than I was about the fictional characters. The pace slows midway through, but picks up again and I'm glad I made it all the way through. There are some interesting details at the end.  

Scone Cold Dead by Maddie Day 

The latest in a long running series, this one starts out with a new customer at Pans 'N Pancakes who seems a little bit off and has history with quite a few of Robbie's customers. Before long, the man is found dead in a field and Robbie is juggling a murder investigation, getting ready for new baby, and running her restaurant. She's definitely not one of those cozy mystery protagonists who seems to never actually work! I liked this one. It's a fun read with some interesting twists. And the whole series is available on Kindle Unlimited. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Ouija & Haints in the Silent City

 Ouija & Haints in the Silent City by Jane Elzey

How often do you dive into a cozy mystery series because a title or cover art is catchy, or because there's something in the book's description that intrigues you? I jumped into this one with book five and, while I could tell I was missing out on a ton of backstory from previous books, it was still a great read. The book itself is set in the present day, but the mystery that Amy and her friends are confronted with happened in 1924. I loved the atmosphere created by the author, the history that fills ever page (there's a TON of historical detail, but it's all interesting stuff and I was unfamiliar with a lot of it) and the characters themselves. And all because I thought reading a mystery that involved old ouia boards might be fun! The whole series is available on Kindle Unlimited. 

Death by Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin by Sarah Graves 

This is the first book I've read in this series and I've got a LOT of questions about the main character's backstory (and will be tracking down the earlier books just as soon as I get a chance.) There's just enough detail about Jake and her family that I wasn't completely lost, and the author builds such an amazing sense of place -- both the Maine coast and the dilapidated houses that play a major part in the plot -- that I couldn't put it down. I love reading about busy, happy, slightly stressed families. 

Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews 

I've only read four books in this long running series, but it's quickly become a favorite. If you enjoy the chaos of Meg's extended family, this one definitely won't disappoint. Two cousins have scheduled competing weddings on the same day, in the same church, as close to Christmas as they possibly could. With snow in the forecast, three golden eagles in the inn's lobby, ugly dresses and uglier hats, vandalism at the local graveyard... not to mention the eventual murder... I love how positive Meg and her loves ones always are, even when they've got plenty of reasons not to be. 

Strangers in the Car by C. M. Ewan

Fast paced and tightly plotted, this thriller is everything I love about the genre. Two couples cross paths on an isolated dark road and what starts out as a reluctant act of kindness immediately spirals into a nightmare. Chapters alternate between two characters and immediately start building suspense. I coudn't put it down! 

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

I  think I've read and enjoyed almost every book by Chevy Stevens. (Still Missing is the book that got me started on  a domestic thriller kick years ago.) Set in 1976, this one got off to an absolutely great start. I loved the premise and the characters, but as the book progressed, the pacing slowed and I lost that sense of urgency that keeps me turning pages. It's still a good read, but not my favorite of the author's books. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} The Midnight Knock

 The Midnight Knock by John Fram

I tore through the first few chapters, which felt like a grindhouse movie with the promise of supernatural horror to come. The Brake Inn Motel sits alone beside the Dust Road, the sort of place that travellers are warned to steeer clear of. Something awful happened there back in the 1950s and it's about to happen again. The odd twins who run the place know what's coming, but they're not about to tell their unwilling guests. It's a tempting setup, but the pace gradually slowed to a crawl and I was underwhelmed by the ending. (If you're reading the e-book version, what looks like a serious formatting error midway through isn't...just keep reading.)   

At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigly 

The Deep Dish Mystery series keeps getting better and better. The prologue, set a hundred years ago, threw me a bit, but it really sets the stage for the mystery to come. I love how every book in the series is completely distinct from the others. I'd love to tell you what's invovled in this one, but trust me, you don't want to have the plot spoiled. The characters are fun to spend time with (don't skip over the recipes at the end, which are just as entertaining as the story itself -- especially the last one in this book) and the suspense in this one had me holding my breath more than once. 

A Plattering of Murder by J.C. Eaton

I want to love this series. Who could resist the idea of a protagonist who's haunted by the ghost of a food critic who was too mean for even Gordon Ramsey to handle? Or a series filled with descriptions of charcuterie boards? Or that absolutely gorgeous cover art?! This is the second book I've read in the series and I'm afraid that it doesn't live up to all of that fantastic potential. I really wanted Katie to stand up to her mother and refuse to host her annoying aunt in her house for a week, totally upending her own life in the process. Her presence is vital to the plot, but it made Katie feel less like a capable adult. There's no real backstory to fill you in on the characters or their relationships if you haven't read the previous books. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Death in the Haunted Wood

 Death in the Haunted Wood by Kim Griswell

After reading this fun cozy mystery set on the Oregon Coast, I'm planning a road trip to track down some cinamon bun French toast. I recognized many of the places Saffi drives past in the course of her investigation and actually put down the book to do a quick Google search to confirm that the cafe with the great sounding breakfast food is that place we've passed dozens of times but never stopped at. If you read cozy mysteries for the chance to visit someplace different, this book is a great choice. Aging horror star Malcom Morton is re-inventing a derelict theme park once devoted to The Wind in the Willows. Now the place will be the Haunted Wood, complete with a museum of horror memorabilia, but someone objects to his plans and is sending threatening post cards. It's an enjoyable read with intriguing characters (and the books are included in Kindle Unlimited!) but there seem to be some spoilers for the first book, so beware of that if you want to read the whole series. 

Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason

I almost put this murder mystery down after the first few pages because the protagonist has such a negative attitute. She doesn't seem to like anything or anyone very much, not even her own wife. And she REALLY doesn't like her retirement gift, a pre-paid ghost hunting weekend at a haunted estate. Reading Midge's complaints about the other guests and the upholstery in the bus and absolutely everything else got old fast. The actual mystery, though, is extremely well crafted and that makes up for the off-putting characters.  

The Girl in the Cellar by Maryann Webb

There's a girl who has been chained in the wine cellar for a year. There's the wife upstairs who is about to discover her. This book takes a familiar thriller trope and explores it in a new way, alternating chapters between the kidnapped woman and the wife, with occasional excerpts from a true crime podcast. After the interesting set up, the plot slowed and the secrets the women were keeping didn't have nearly the impact I was braced for. It's an entertaining read with great potential, but I wish it had been just a little bit more.  

Phantoms of Christmas Past Festive Ghost Hoaxes, Ghost Hunts and Ghost Panics by Paul Weatherhead

I was expecting to read about supernatural hoaxes along the lines of the Fox sisters with their fabricated poltergeist. Instead, I got true stories about villagers running around in the middle of the night draped in bedsheets, like something out of an original episode of Scooby Doo. There are accounts of fake ghosts, the people trying to find and unmask the fake ghosts and the panic that ensued....it's a fun, short non fiction book that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} How to Fake a Haunting

 How to Fake a Haunting by Christa Carmen

I loved everything about this book including the cover. The idea of a woman staging a fake haunting to scare her alcoholic husband out of their house intrigued me and Lainey and her best friend tackle the project with such zeal that their enthusiasm is contagious. The prologue lets you know exactly why they're sure their plan will work and by the end of the first chapter you'll know exactly why Lainey is so desperate. She quickly realizes that her friend is willing to go to extreme lengths. Things spiral quickly out of control in a wonderful nightmare of haunted house imagery and unexpected twists. 

Antiques Round-Up by Barbara Allen 

This series is near the top of my "drop everything and read the new book immediately" list. Vivian and Brandy's antics are always entertaining and this book is as wild as ever. The mother/daughter teams sets off for a city wide garage sale in Texas, seeking new inventory for their antique store. And of course they're up to their ears in trouble before they get anywhere near their destination because that's what happens to these two. The murder mystery iteself is well developed and doesn't take a backseat to the other things that are going on. It's fun and fast-paced and filled with references to previous events in the series, but it always includes multiple author's notes to let you know which book those events happened in. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} A Tour to Die For

 

A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard

As much as I loved the first book in the Serial Killer's Guide to San Francisco series, I might love this one a little bit more. Capri is such a great character! She's older than the protagonists in most of the mystery series I read, but doesn't dwell on the fact. She's got amazing people skills and manages to push strangers for details without making a pest of herself or doing anything morally questionable. The details of San Fransico's history are fascinating and in this book create some truly suspenseful moments.  I don't know if it quite qualifies as a cozy in the strictest sense, but if not it's awfully close. Waiting for the next book in this series is going to be HARD.

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. 

{I've Been Reading} Breathe in, Bleed Out

 Breathe in, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley

An isolated new age healing retreat provides the perfect backdrop for this fast-paced horror novel, especially when the author throws in an old legend about a murderous miner's ghost. Hannah's friends convince her that the getaway is going to be a perfect escape from the nightmares that plague her. The yoga and hot springs seem to be helping...until the grisly murders start. The author is a fan of slasher films and that's exactly what this book feels like, with more character development. It was a quick, entertaining read  and I look forward to tracking down his other titles. 

 Watching Evil Dead by Josh Malerman

I haven't read Bird Box (or even seen the movie), but I've read and enjoyed several of the author's other horror novels. I love most of the Evil Dead franchise. And I really loved the beginning of this book. The author's ideas about creativitiy and filling in gaps in your knowledge really struck a chord with me. Then, somewhere between Evil Dead 2 and the remake, it became more about smoking weed and the relationships between friends and whatever phenomenological psychology is and I wasn't nearly as interested in that. 

Please Don't Lie by Christina Baker 

When Hayley moves with her husband to a small town in the Adirondacks, she's escaping her past. He's returning to the place he grew up. They're both keeping things hidden. This is an straightforward, enjoyable domestic thriller without any really crazy twists or flashbacks or shifts between narrators. I picked it up for the setting, but I this book could have taken place in any small community in the mountains. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies.    

{I've Been Reading} Don't Go Downstairs

 The Stranger at No. 6 by Gemma Rogers 

Before moving into the house on Church Road, Molly spent time watching the family who lived there, learning their routines and calculating the odds of her living there without them noticing. It's her third attempt at "phrogging" and this time she plans on documenting the entire process for her anonymous blog.  It's risky by nature, but she's saving her money for future goals and relying on unwitting strangers for food and shelter is how she's decided to make it happen. Too bad she doesn't suspect that her perfect hosts are hiding some pretty awful secrets. This one isn't nearly as fast paced as The Night Shift and I found myself wanting to yell at the protagonist for constantly finding new ways to potentially expose herself. I never  fully warmed up to Molly, but it's an interesting read with some unexpected reveals along the way. 

Don't Go Downstairs by Jack Dane

I absolutely flew through this short thriller! It begins with a note from the property owner, assuring the couple that he's agreed to swap houses with that even if it sounds like someone is in the seaside cottage wtih them, it's just the old house settling. He wants them to enjoy their stay, to use whatever they'd like -- just not to go down into the basement (which isn't even locked.) The whole story is told from Deb's point of view as she tries to get closer to her husband of thirty years and drag her marriage out of the rut they've fallen into. Her enthusiasm for her plan is contagious and I found myself immediately liking her. This was a quick, entertaining read, perfect for an afternoon on the couch. 

Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander 

I can see the long running Bakeshop Mysteries becoming one of my favorite series. This is the twenty-second book and I've only read a couple of others, but I enjoy the author's writing style and the great way she immerses the reader in the varied settings. This time it's Costa Rica, where Jules, her husband, and their favorite barista have travelled to visit an old friend and research possibilities for their coffee shop. There's tension on the coffee farm even before the tragic death occurs, which means there are plenty of potential suspects. I enjoyed the mystery and the way that Jules stays in contact with her friends and employees back home so none of my favorite characters were totally left out of the story. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} How Bad Things Can Get

 How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates 

What happens when the internet's biggest influencer hosts a festival on a private island with a dark past? The guest list is filled with internet personalities and hundreds of guests who won their tickets, all excited to drink and party in the sun and sand. Their devotion to their host could almost be compared to a cult, at least that's what Ruth sees and with her history she's the one who would know. Their host promises a spectacle and that's what he delivers, but it's gory and blood soaked and what happened on the island before pales in comparison. I happily lost myself in this fast-paced wild ride of a book.