When retired doctor Sarah Vane moves to Merstairs, she has no idea that the quaint seaside town isn’t quite as friendly it seems, and something sinister is bubbling under the picturesque surface…

Recently widowed and looking for a fresh start away from city life, Sarah Vane moves into a lovely little cottage by the sea. The rustic charm is everything she hoped it would be, but her new home doesn’t quite have enough space for her things. Her old friend Daphne offers to store Sarah’s boxes in her messy beach hut, but while clearing it out, they are shocked to find a heavy trunk… containing a dead body.

They immediately recognise the poor man as pub landlord Gus Trubshaw. Sarah concludes that he was suffocated, but who could have wanted jolly Gus dead? Unimpressed by the police’s lack of interest, Sarah realises she will have to solve the case herself.

Soon, Sarah discovers that not everyone loved Gus as much as she’d thought. Could the killer be scoutmaster Bill, who was recently banned from the pub? Or perhaps it was antique store owner, Charles, who owned the beach hut before Daphne? Or was it brewery director Mr. Grimes, who was livid with Gus for squeezing him on the purchase price of his delicious ale?

Just when the clues are starting to fall into place, the prime suspect is found strangled on the beach. And when Sarah discovers a deadly secret that links the two murders, she’s certain that a dangerous killer is roaming the streets of Merstairs. With the town in a panic, time is ticking for Sarah. Will she solve the mystery before it’s last orders for another victim?

Set off for the breezy English seaside and join Sarah on her adventures in quirky Merstairs, where nothing is quite as it seems! Fans of Agatha Christie, Betty Rowlands and Katie Gaylewill be instantly hooked by this deliciously gripping cozy mystery.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘The trouble is that the coroner is swamped. Merstairs does have quite a large elderly population, you know,’ she said, in a way that made it clear she was not part of that group. ‘Old dears dropping off their perches keep them very busy.’

It was a threatening beginning, accompanied as it was by a fierce look from Francesca’s bitter brown eyes. Sarah had always previously associated that shade with lovely, sweet, gently warming things, like chocolate and treacle, but Francesca’s stare was the colour of the hardest toffee going– the sort that would yank out your fillings in a trice, and probably crack a molar or two for good measure.

Her resentment is the perfect renewable energy. If only we could use it to power Merstairs. None of us would ever need to pay a penny in electricity bills again.

My Review:

I adore a wry wit and the delightful scribe known as Alice Castle has an exceptionally clever one as well as a smooth and engaging style that never fails to tickle my fancy. Her tales charm and entertain with snort-worthy humor that keeps a smirk on my face during perusal while also poking and prodding my curiosity to work out the “who done it.” But I do miss her beloved character of the pixie boot wearing Beth, maybe she could drop in Sarah for a visit.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I intend to live forever or die trying…

Hunter had come to resemble my house slippers— a little worn around the heels but comfortable and warm.

Matt is a fantasy for deep in the night when sleep is hard to come by. He is a fleeting dream that is nothing more than gossamer strands of floating golden threads— hard to grasp by a mere mortal.

Let’s face it, honey— I’m not getting any younger. You know you’re ancient when the candles cost more than the cake.

My Review:

I continue to enjoy Ms. Keam’s wry wit and smooth writing style while indulging my need for a rash of cozy mystery reading. This series keeps getting better with each installment. Her well-plotted murders keep me guessing while her quirky main character Josiah tries her best to reign in her temper and terrible luck. So, of course, I adore her beyond reason.

About the Author

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One thing Miss Abigail loves to do as an author is to write real people and events into her stories. “I am a student of history and love to insert historical information into my mysteries. My goal is to entertain my readers, but if they learn a little something along the way—well, then we are both happy. I certainly learn a lot from my research, and I hope my readers come away with a new appreciation of beekeeping from my Josiah Reynolds Mysteries.”

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“We were helping one of our members celebrate a personal life event.” Buck nodded. “I got that from the big pink bunting that said Happy Divorce and the balloons that said The End of an Error.”

I just don’t think I can hold out for Mr. Right. My biological clock isn’t just ticking. It’s sending up flares.

Cougars are fortysomething women who date twentysomething men. Fiftysomethings are sabertooths. You’re a thirtysomething, which makes you a puma.

My Review:

I adored this amusing and wily tale, it sparkled with clever wit. The characters were smartly etched yet authentic and endearing, I wouldn’t mind spending more time with them and hope to see them again on a return trip to this quirky community. Each story thread was entertaining, well-developed, and flowed with ease. Ms. Blade is a smooth storyteller and held my attention from beginning to end.

 

 

About the Author

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Kilby Blades is a USA Today Bestselling author of Romance and Women’s Fiction. Her debut novel, Snapdragon, was a HOLT Medallion finalist, a Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist, and an IPPY Award medalist. Kilby was honored with an RSJ Emma Award for Best Debut Author in 2018 and has been lauded by critics for “easing feminism and equality into her novels” (IndieReader) and “writing characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal” (Publisher’s Weekly).

During her career as a digital marketing executive, she moonlighted as a journalist, freelanced as a food, wine, and travel writer, and lived it up as an entertainment columnist. She has lived in five countries, visited more than twenty-five, and spends part of her year in her happy place in the Andes Mountains. Kilby is a feminist, an oenophile, a cinephile, a social-justice fighter, and above all else, a glutton for a good story. Follow her everywhere @kilbyblades.

 

 

Among the emerald hills of the Lake District sits the village of Thimblebury and Wordsworth Cottage, its garden bursting with wildflowers. It is the perfect place for village nurse Ottilie to make her brave new start…

Ottilie Oakcroft never thought she’d live in a place like Wordsworth Cottage. Nestled close to the river, her new home in the tiny village of Thimblebury means all her patients are just a stone’s throw from her front door. As they drop in for cups of tea and cosy chats she ignores all the jobs on her to-do list and gets to know her new neighbours.

Yet maybe keeping busy is just what Ottilie needs, even if she’s barely had a minute to unpack her suitcase. Heartbroken after the death of her husband Josh, as she offers advice and hot soup from her kitchen to the villagers who clearly need a helping hand, she starts to feel part of a community again.

But disaster strikes when a terrible storm causes the river to burst its banks and flood Ottilie’s ramshackle cottage. She has sunk every penny she has into what she’d hoped would be her forever home, and now she’s faced with the prospect of losing it.

But the villagers have other ideas. They can’t bear to lose Ottilie and they make a plan to save her house. Leading the effort is handsome Heath, and as he rolls up his sleeves to get involved in the repairs, he and Ottilie start to open up to each other. Ottilie tells him about her loss, and he shares the pain of a marriage that ended in heartbreak for him.

Ottilie hasn’t talked to anyone like this since Josh’s death and while it scares her, a tiny grain of hope begins to grow. Could Heath be the man to make her feel life is worth living again – not just for her patients, but for herself?

A completely beautiful and romantic read about healing after heartbreak and learning that the darkest clouds have a silver lining. Fans of Shari Low, Jessica Redland and Jo Bartlett will lose their hearts to A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I can’t walk in there without it turning into an impromptu surgery, so I don’t bother. If I were you I’d avoid it for the same reason. You’ll be ordering a gin at the bar one minute and inspecting someone’s piles the next.

A good marriage too– better than most, I’d say. I’m very fond of him, especially at a distance. We meet up most nights for an hour or two, either at his or at mine, and then we go our separate ways.

My Review:

This was one of those rare, sweet, perceptively written, and gentle stories that I could thoroughly enjoy and even recommend to my elderly mother’s church lady book club. That doesn’t happen often. The entertaining storylines and well-honed writing style held my interest throughout, even though there weren’t any “naughty words” that my mother would need to take her Sharpie to and blacken out before passing the book off to her friends. The characters were endearing and knowable with just the right amount of quirk to be realistic as well as amusing. Tilly Tennant has mad skills and I’m sure even the most judgmental of the church lady biddies would agree.

Not fall in love with the tenacious band director who’s determined to drag him into the light.

After being kicked out of his massively successful rock band, Leo is content to spend Bunco nights with his mom, lay low making snacks, and lick his wounds. He’d rather work in his garden than give any attention to his failed music career.
Cut to the gorgeous high school band director relentlessly popping up in his life, making demands, and talking about giving back to the community.

Mari Mitchell knows what it’s like to be overlooked. She’s determined to do whatever it takes to ensure her students get the best shot possible even if that means running herself ragged. And when a former rockstar returns to town, who could be better to help her favorite student make their dreams come true?

Does it matter that he’s a moody musician who reminds her of a handsome tragic hero of an old-timey movie?
NO!
She’s too busy for things like burning hot physical attraction and chemistry that won’t quit. She needs Leo for more than his irresistible drummer arms. No matter how amazing they feel wrapped around her…

But what nobody knows is that the hit to Leo’s pride was a big one, and Mari might be asking too much.

Can these two band together? Or will their painful pasts prevent them from having the future they deserve?

‘Band Together’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #2 in the Teachers’ Lounge series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

This was what happened when you got involved in things. You then had to leave the house and interact with people. Groaning, I rubbed my temples. How did people live like this?

I closed my eyes and wished I was a different person.

I wanted to dress up provocatively, and here I am stuck like a mummy who just woke up from a curse.

My heart felt like it might explode out of my chest with glitter and rainbows. But expressing any of that would definitely make it weird.

My Review:

I adored this clever and insightfully written tale from beginning to end. The storylines were chock-a-block full of quirky and complex characters who intrigued and beguiled me. Piper Sheldon has mad skills and serious writing chops.

Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Paranormal Romance. Her books are a little funny, a lotta romantic, and with just a little twist of something more. She lives with her husband, daughter, and two needy dogs at home in the desert Southwest. She finds writing bios in the third person an extreme sport of awkwardness.

Her heart races as she waits for her date to arrive. When the doorbell rings, her excitement quickly turns to fear when she takes in her date’s menacing stare as he closes the door behind him. He’s not here to find love, and there’s no time to scream before her world goes black…

When Dakota Slade fails to turn up to work at the general store, Sheriff Jenna Alton and her deputy David Kane visit her home in Black Rock Falls. TV still blaring, Dakota’s lifeless body is draped across the battered old sofa, her dark hair hanging over her delicate face, her young life taken too soon. With a shuddering breath, Jenna notices two small scorch marks on the back of the victim’s neck. Dakota has been electrocuted.

Leaping into action, Jenna traces Dakota’s last steps but quickly hits a wall. Dakota went to church every week, helped at local charities, and she was loved by those around her. Why would anyone want to harm her?

Then another young woman is found dead in her living room, the same two burn marks on her neck. Jenna’s heart shatters. Convinced a twisted killer is preying on women who live alone, she fears another innocent soul will be taken soon.

A breakthrough comes when Jenna uncovers rumors of a sleazy customer who visited both victims at work. Watching CCTV footage, her pulse pounds as she looks at the screen. The man in the film is someone close to her, someone she thought she could trust. Can Jenna take down the killer if it’s someone she loves? And will she catch him in time to stop another vulnerable young woman being murdered?

Truly gripping and completely jaw-dropping, fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot will not be able to put down this addictive crime thriller from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author D.K. Hood.

**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

It’s like trying to climb the side of an iceberg. I keep slipping down and having to start again.

I felt like a kid in the principal’s office. I’m surprised he didn’t give me detention.

My Review:

This was a tense and prickly read that kept me picking at my cuticles and biting at my lips. I was loathe to put my Kindle down and attend to those pesky daily living requirements such as peopling, sustenance, and sleep, but even when I did, the conundrum of the story took up considerable head space with vivid ruminations. D.K. Hood must be quite a twisted sister to keep coming up with this stuff.