Mysterious Saturday Review: Newlywed Dead

* Book 3 in the Perfect Proposal series *

Pepper wants to make sure her sister has the perfect wedding - and she almost pulls it off. Luckily for her, the happy couple left before the bartender was murdered.

Pepper spent time talking with the bartender and she didn't seem disoriented. Yet when the tox screen comes back, it shows signs of drugs.

Pepper knows in her heart that Ashley was murdered - she just has to prove it.

My Thoughts: I really love this series - for the parties and proposals Pepper plans, for the relationships, and for the romance. I like how ethical Pepper is with her business and setting up people. I love how she plans parties for people - adding personal details to make it perfect for them. She has a kind heart, which allows her to make personal connections and great friendships. 

I like how she struck up a conversation with the bartender and how this murder became personal to her. I like her determination and her ability not to assume the worst of people.  I hope there are many more to this mystery series!

Cover Thoughts: Adorable
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: Great series - recommended for the collection

Mysterious Saturday Review: Diva Serves High Tea

 * Book 10 in the Domestic Diva series *

Sophie attends a high tea event at a new shop - The Parlour. She's loving the tea and goodies. Gossip flows between friends and she learns about Robert, the owner of the new antique store in town. He's caught the eye of several ladies.

When Sophie finds him near death, she becomes suspicious. As she calls for help, he chokes out one last word. Rosie.

What could he mean?  Who is Rosie?

Before long, the neighborhood's getting jumpy with dark shadows and misunderstandings. Could there be a killer on the loose?

My Thoughts: I adore this series for the small town charm, the amusing neighbors, the food, the romance, and the friendships. This installment of the series hits the spot. The interactions between the neighbors adds layers to the plot, woven perfectly with moments from the past. I love the personal side details between Sophie and Natasha. I'm not a huge fan of Natasha, but I love her as a character. I can't wait to read the next book! 

Cover Thoughts: Charming as always
Source: Book sent for review

Final Thoughts: Great food and great friends make this series a winner - add this cozy to your list of books to read this summer. 

Mysterious Saturday Review: Copy Cap Murder

* Book 4 in the Hat Shop Mystery series *

Scarlett's missing home, but she's happy to have a party as a distraction. It's her first Guy Fawkes day celebration. The night promises fun and adventure - but turns out deadly.

Scarlett has a man attack her. Luckily she's able to escape. But later the man turns up murdered. It's no leap of faith for the police to suspect her or Harrison as the murderer.

Scarlett knows that she and Harrison are both innocent. When the police reveal that Harrison is their prime suspect, Scarlett and her cousin get to work.They won't rest until his name is clear. But someone is more interested in keeping them from figuring out the truth. 

My Thoughts: I love this series - for the friendship and the romance. I love seeing Scarlett get closer with Harrison. They have some great moments together. I love learning more about Viv's romantic life. I liked the twists and turns as the mystery unraveled. I'm really looking forward to uncovering more answers in the next book (maybe on a road trip to Paris?)

Cover Thoughts: I like seeing all the hats and the shop from the inside looking out
Source: My Library

Final Thoughts: Another charming installment in this must read cozy series!

Mysterious Saturday Review: Foreign Eclairs

 * Book 9 in the White House Chef Mystery series *

Strange events are happening to the White House staff. First a member takes personal time without an explanation. Ollie is mugged on the way home. Then there's news of a bombing of a federal prison - a prison in which a resident currently resides thanks to Ollie.

Soon it becomes clear that all three events are connected. Ollie's targeted in a revenge plot - someone wants her to pay. At first, the revenge plots start small, but quickly they escalate. Even Ollie isn't sure she's going to survive this one...

My Thoughts: I loved this series! This installment of the series reminds me of the show 24. I liked that every time they thought the revenge plot was finished, the book took another turn.  Lots of action, danger, and plot twists in this one. I devoured this book, not wanting to let go of the world and these characters. I needed to know what happened!

I liked how Gav and Ollie worked together to figure out and attempt to untangle this mess. 

As always, I love the background bits in the White House and I really enjoyed the search for a new chef. The interviews and candidates were entertaining. 

I really liked the scenes between Ollie and Josh. I like how she helped him and how he talked with his parents. I think being a kid/teen in White House would be very difficult. 

A wonderful series and as much as I want to know what happens next, I can imagine too.

Cover Thoughts: Love them
Source: Book sent for Review

For news about the series that's hard (but understanding to read) - here's the author to explain about the Ollie's future.

Final Thoughts: Reading this series is like getting together with old friends. I shall be very sad next January without them.

Mysterious Saturday Review: Spoonful of Murder

* First in a series *

Lucky Jamieson's parents died leaving her their soup cafe in Vermont. Lucky hasn't been back in years, but she puts her life on hold to return home.  As she's struggling to get her feet underneath her, someone's murdered behind the restaurant.

As the numbers of customers dwindle, Lucky begins to lose hope of maintaining the cafe.  She's worried about being able to pay the bills. She decides to poke around in the murder to see if she can uncover any answers. When her cook's arrested for the murder, customers stop coming in all together. The murder needs to be solved - and quickly. The more questions, Lucky asks, the more she riles up town people. Could she be next on the list?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this cozy mystery - especially the setting. As a Vermont girl, I felt like going home and hunkering down for the cold winter nights. I loved the small town and the local people.

I liked Lucky, although I thought she made several questionable decisions. I did like how she attempted to patch things up with her former friend. I also admired how she's attempting to re-imagine her life back in Vermont, even without her parents.

I loved Lucky's grandfather.He was smart, sweet, and a gentlemen. I hope to see much more of him in the series. 

I loved the moments of cooking in the cafe, it made me want to eat a delicious sandwich and a hot bowl of soup.

Cover Thoughts: Perfectly cozy
Source: My Library

Final Thoughts: A good mystery to curl up with on cold winter's night with a bowl of soup in front of the fire. 

Mysterious Cozy Review: Malice at the Palace

* Book 9 in the Royal Spyness Series *

After returning from America, Lady Georgiana stays at her friend Belinda's place. Belinda's supposed to be in America still, but she comes home quite unexpectedly. Now Georgie's looking for a place to live again. Luckily she runs into her brother, who's in town. He insists that she stay with them.

Knowing that Lady Georgiana is back in London, the Queen invites her to the palace. She has a job for Georgie. She asks Georgie show Princess Marina of Greece the city of London before her upcoming wedding to Prince George. Georgie couldn't be happier. She moves into a palace straight away.

Unfortunately, she also stumbles across another body - outside the palace. Socialite Bobo Carrington used to roam in the same circle as the groom. Rumors of her fast life swirl as Lady Georgie attempts to discreetly determine if any of her peers could be the guilty party without derailing the royal wedding.

My Thoughts: I still love this historical cozy series and I love seeing more of the Royals. I especially love it when Lady Georgiana has to meet the Queen for tea. I liked seeing more of the princes this book as well.

I love these books also for the secondary characters and we see quite a bit of them in this book. New additions include Princess Marina, who was lovely. And Countess Irmtraut who didn't understand enough about the English language. She was always out of the loop and had no sense of humor. 

I liked how Lady Georgie poked around society looking for clues as to who could have wanted the Prince framed for murder so close to his wedding. I like how the police used her to ask questions delicately while still getting answers.

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: My Library

Final Thoughts: Sprinkled with romance, danger, royalty, and historical moments, these ingredients blend together to create a perfect cozy series. Read one today!

Mysterious Saturday Review: At the Drop of a Hat

* Book 3 in the Hat Shop Mystery Series *

Scarlett and Viv couldn't be more thrilled when a woman walks into their shop with an old hat designed by Mim. She needs it repaired for her upcoming wedding. The two cousins can't wait to get started, but when they don't hear back from Ariana, Scarlett goes to visit her office.

As soon as she arrives, Scarlett hears a scream. Following the noise, she rushes through the office to find Ariana leaning over her boss who fell from the roof. The police investigation quickly uncovers a motive for Ariana. She's soon arrested.

Deep down, Scarlett knows her new friend isn't a murderer and she's not about to let Ariana rot in jail while she has a wedding to plan.

My Thoughts: I love this series - for the hat shop, for the cousins, for the secondary characters, and for the investigations. I love the relationships in this series: between the cousins, between Ginger and Harry, between Scarlett and Andre and Nick, and between customers. I love how Scarlett embraces people and tries to help them. I love the setting. I love the differences in cultures - between Scarlett's American ways and Fee and Viv behaving more properly. A fantastic mystery filled with humor, intrigue, and a little danger. I can't believe the bombshell dropped at the end - and I can't wait to read more about that!

Cover Thoughts: Perfection
Source: My Library

Final Thoughts: Reading a new hat shop mystery is like sitting down with your favorite cup of tea, always relaxing and enjoyable.