Top Ten Tuesday: Titles

This week's topic is all about fun titles. I always think that cozies have the best titles - and most of them have to do with food. Here are a few of my favorites.

Book Character Outfit

I adore the delicious series of the Donut Shop Mysteries. Here's what I picture Suzanne Hart wearing when she's out detecting with her BFF Grace. I love the parts of the books when Suzanne makes the donuts - how she experiments with the flavors.

Mysterious Saturday Review: Illegally Iced

* Book 9 in the Donut Shop Mystery series*

Suzanne and James had a few words - nothing important, until he winds up dead.  The Sheriff asked her questions in front of people and now they're talking. Suzanne doesn't like that people think she's capable of killing her friend - especially over something so trivial.

She and Grace team up to uncover what really happened to James. They discover a secret past and a secret romance. Could something from his past have come back to haunt him?

My Thoughts: I gobbled up this installment of one of my favorite cozy series. I love this sleepy little town and how everyone's connected. Grace and Suzanne work well together as a team, although I find myself missing George a little. I liked learning more about James and his life prior to April Springs. A wonderful addition to this delicious mystery series.

Cover Thoughts: Really Cute
Source: My Library

Sweet Books

Today I'm talking about a few sweet books over the YALSA blog - The Hub.

Here's my Boston Creme Cupcakes - easy to make with cake mix and vanilla pudding. My husband LOVED them!

Mysterious Saturday Review: Powered Peril

 * Donut Shop Mystery Series #8 *

Suzanne arrives at work one morning to discover paint splatter across the front of Donut Hearts.  Before long the police Chief enters her shop. He's not there for donuts and he's not there about the paint. He's there about a murder.

Peter has been murdered. Suzanne's invited along with the Chief to her best friend's house. She must stay in the car while he gathers first impressions while telling her her boyfriend is dead. Grace is a suspect. 

Suzanne knows her best friend would never kill anyone, even in a fit of rage. Grace wants to get closure on Peter's death so she can move on. 

My Thoughts: I never liked Peter, but I was suspected by his actions and his conduct. I was also surprised by Suzanne - she seemed overly pushy to me in asking questions. Granted, the suspects weren't easy people to talk to, but there were times when I felt bad for them.  While I like the new position for George, I missed him in the sleuthing portion of the story. 
Still, I devoured this book, like I have all the other books in the series. I love watching Grace and Suzanne together. I love reading about Suzanne in action at her store, I always crave donuts while reading this series.  I'm interested to see where the future's going within the shop. 

Cover Thoughts: Awesome!
Source: my Library

Mysterious Saturday Review: Killer Crullers

** This is book 6 - start with the first one - Glazed Murder**

One morning just before closing, a man comes into the shop asking for any donuts with lots of icing. Suzanne sells him crullers. He immediately heads for the shop next door and starts throwing the donuts at Gabby's shop.

Suzanne runs after him and hears him accusing Gabby of stealing money and a valuable brooch from the pockets of a coat she bought from his aunt. He threatens both Gabby and Suzanne when she tries to intervene.

The next morning he shows up dead. Gabby asks Suzanne to help investigate the murder - hoping to clear her name and stop the gossip buzzing around town.

Suzanne and Grace start searching for clues and turn a number of suspects.

My Thoughts: I adore this series- for the danger, the strong friendship between Suzanne and Grace, the romance between Jake and Suzanne, the relationship between Suzanne and Emma, the relationship between Suzanne and George, and the small town feel. I love the map in the beginning of the book. This series makes me crave donuts in the worse way.

Cover Thoughts: LOVE it! These are all adorable!

Source: My library

Up next: Drop Dead Chocolate - out April 24th

Mysterious Saturday Review: Tragic Toppings

*5th book in the series*

Two people turn up missing in the small town of April Springs. Emily later turns up at Max's house (Suzanne's ex-husband). Her honorary uncle Tim, also can't be found. Until Suzanne and Grace find him hanging from a tree in the park next to Suzanne's house.

Suzanne can't believe that someone would murder Tim. He was so nice and helpful. Emily asks Suzanne to find out what happened to Tim. She doesn't hesitate is looking in his death with the help of her boyfriend, Grace, and George.

Someone wants her to back off and steals Suzanne's recipe book. It has ALL her donut recipes in it. While she can make some of her regular donuts from memory all her special donuts, trial and error donuts, and donut ideas could be lost forever. It almost makes her want to give up her store but not searching for the murderer.

My Thoughts: I crave donuts each time I read a book from this fantastic series. I love the small town life. The love the relationships between Grace and Suzanne, Suzanne and her mother, Jake and Suzanne, Suzanne and George, and Suzanne's mother and the police chief. With each charming book, Suzanne takes a delicious bite out of crime.

Cover Thoughts: I adore these covers. They've so cute and enticing.

Source: Purchased.

Mysterious Cover Reveal: Killer Crullers

I just barely finished Tragic Toppings this morning (review coming soonish). I went to add the new book to my Goodreads Shelf and noticed the cover.

I simply ADORE it. I love the take-line: Murder with a twist.

I love the donut and coffee on a table - it's simplistic and yet not. I adore the bite taken from the donut and the smoke skull rising from the mug.

This 6th book in the series will be out in January and I simply can't wait to devour it!

Mysterious Saturday Review: Evil Eclairs

Right before her early bedtime (getting up at 1 AM is rough), Suzanne hears her beloved donut shop trashed over radio waves by jockey Lester Moorefield. Furious when he calls her donuts poison, she drives over to the station to give him a piece of her mind.

They argue - loudly.

Suzanne goes home and finally falls asleep. The next morning, just as Suzanne is about to open her shop, the police appear on her doorstep.

Lester Moorefield was murdered overnight - strangled with an eclair stuffed in his mouth. While the police chef knows Suzanne didn't commit the crime, her livelihood is suffering from all the gossip.

Once again, Suzanne starts looking into the murder to save herself and her store.

My Thoughts: I love Suzanne. I love learning more about donuts. I love crazing donuts each time I read the newest book of the series. I love the small town life - including the gossip and the barely kept secrets. I love the friendship between Suzanne and Grace. This mystery wrapped up a little too quickly, I wish the climax had been a little bit longer. I loved the interactions between Suzanne and her boyfriend. I loved the snippets between Suzanne's mother and the police chief. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Cover Thoughts: I really love the covers and the titles of these books. I love how the creme oozes out of the eclair and forms a skull!

Source: My Library

Up Next: Tasty Toppings out August 30th: When friend and fellow shopkeeper Emily Hargraves disappears, Suzanne sets out to find her!


Stay tuned for Book 6: KILLER CRULLERS out December 2011

Mysterious Saturday Review:Sinister Sprinkles

Right in the middle of the Winter Festival, someone lets out a horrifying scream as if someone's been murdered.

Darlene Higgins is dead.

Suzanne has a past with this woman - and so does her ex-husband. When Max hears he's wanted for questioning, he goes into hiding.

At first Suzanne resists poking her nose into police work, but she can't let Max go down in flames. Nor does she want him back. She simply wants to clear his name and let the town get back to normal...

My Thoughts: Each time I read one of these books (this is the 3rd in the series) I CRAVE donuts. It's impossible not to. I love this series for the tasty mouth-watering donuts, for the relationship between Suzanne and her BFF Grace, and also her relationship with her co-worker Emma. There's a just a hint of romance to shake things up a bit in this small town mystery.

Cover Thoughts: Love it! It fits in well with the rest of the covers

Source: My Library

Next Up: Evil Eclairs out at the end of April:

Mysterious Saturday Review: Fatally Frosted

When Suzanne Hart agreed to help out her friend in a showcasing extraordinarily kitchens tour in North Carolina, she doesn't imagine that the day will end in murder. However, just as the tour kicks off and she's showcasing her own donut making skills, the chair of the event dies in the backyard of her host.

Next to the body rests a lemon jelly donut - from Suzanne's own shop. It appears to have poison mixed with the frosting. It's no secret Suzanne didn't like Peg, but she didn't kill her. Still, the police are investigating her and everyone knows they've torn apart her shop looking for evidence.

How will she be able to keep her store going if people think the donuts are poisoned? Suzanne knows for the sake of her store, she must launch her own investigation.

Not many people liked the prickly Peg and the list of suspects grows longer every day. Can Suzanne and her best friend Grace uncover vital information that will lead them to the killer without leading the killer to them?

My Thoughts: I love this series - for the fresh donut twist (which always makes me CRAVE donuts), the insider's look on how to make donuts, the romance between Suzanne and an officer, and Suzanne's relationships with those closest to her.

The Cover: Delicious - Love it!

Source: Purchased

Titles: LOVE them - super fun!

Up Next in November: I can't wait to read it!

Mysterious Saturday Review: Glazed Murder

Suzanne bought a donut shop directly after her divorce from Max. She's struggling to make it work and adapt to her crazy schedule - getting up and into the store by 2 AM and sleeping at 8 PM. One morning, she just makes it the store when she spies a body thrown out onto the street.

She doesn't get a good look at the person, but she scared when she realizes it's murder. Although the police have their own investigation going, she can't help wondering if they're looking in the right place. She's nervous that the killer could be coming after her next. Everyone around her seems to be telling her something different.

A former policeman is helping dig around. Her assistant wants to be part of the team, but Suzanne doesn't want anything happening to the young girl. Her ex-husband seems to be there every time she turns around. Her mother's driving her crazy. Then there's Jake. As the police, he's hurt she doesn't believe he can do the job, but as a man, he could be just the thing she needs to hep her move on from her past.

She and her best friend Grace start asking questions about the murder. The deeper they dig, the more they uncover and the more questions arise. Could what they uncover put them into danger?

My Thoughts: I craved donuts while reading this book. I loved hearing about the baking side of making donuts and working in the shop while trying to generate more customers. It also contains donut recipes. Overall, I Loved it.

I can't wait for the next one, Fatally Frosted coming in August.

The Cover: Simple, yet cute.

Source: Purchased