A Very Bookish Murder
(Ally McKinley Mystery #3)
by Dee MacDonald

Welcome back to the tiny Highland village of Locharran, where Ally McKinley – guesthouse owner and accidental detective – is about to stumble upon another dead body… and her next case.

When Ally McKinley hears that well-known novelist Jodi Jones is going to host a writers’ retreat at the hotel just down the road, she’s delighted to offer rooms at her little guesthouse for some of the attendees. Ally is thrilled to join the group for one of their first sessions – but the retreat has barely begun before she finds the famous writer strangled in the ladies’ bathroom!

The cake tin and teapot come out at the little guesthouse in the Highlands as Ally begins to question her bookish guests. Accusations of plagiarism and infidelity start flying and it’s clear that more than one of the retreat attendees had a grudge against Jodi. But could any of them have resorted to murder?

When Ally discovers a diary in Jodi’s bedroom at the guesthouse with several pages ripped out of it, she thinks she’s close to cracking the case. But the plot thickens when another of the aspiring writers is found dead, only hours after she said she knew the identity of Jodi’s killer.

Not only is the murderer still in Locharran, but they’re desperate to stop Ally getting to the truth. With her faithful puppy Flora by her side, can Ally unravel the clues and solve the mystery before she’s written out of the story for good?

A totally gripping and bookish cozy mystery set in the Scottish Highlands from bestselling author Dee MacDonald. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin, and Clare Chase.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

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‘Your brother was hit by a bus?’ Ally asked again. ‘Ah told ye! The bus from Clachar! The driver, Ecky, wiz awful upset.’ ‘Well, he would be,’ Ally said, ‘but what about your brother?’ ‘Och, he was flattened. Flat as a flounder. Ye can see his grave if ye look in the churchyard, right near the gate.’ ‘So it killed him?’ Ally asked, horrified. ‘Of course it killed him– it wiz a big bus,’ said Queenie, taking the money for the salt and depositing it in the till. ‘But Charlie wid’ve been three sheets to the wind, so he probably widnae have felt much.’ She sniffed. ‘He liked a wee drink,’ she added by way of explanation.

Hamish was now fussing over his wife, wiping her brow and murmuring words of comfort which were completely inaudible due to Magda’s yelling and swearing. Ally was impressed with her considerable vocabulary of profanities.

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My Review:

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This series has been a fun and highly amusing diversion, and I have vastly enjoyed each installment. Dee MacDonald is a smooth and crafty storyteller and kept me guessing with a brain-teasing murder mystery, while she gleefully entertained me with her quirky and authentic characters. I am eagerly awaiting her next effort.

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Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.

She has worked in Market Research, Sales, and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.

Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!

Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.

The Christmas lights twinkle in the town square as merry carolers bring good tidings. But when a festive feud turns fatal, Sarah Vane is on the case!

While snowflakes fall outside, Sarah Vane cosies up in her cottage with a book when a leaflet for the Christmas choir flutters through her letterbox. Keen to sign up, she pays a visit to choir master Daffyd Jones. But her festive cheer crumbles like a mince pie when she finds him dead in his office. With just a week to go until Christmas, Sarah has a festive case to solve.

As Sarah talks to the devastated choir members, she soon discovers many had a reason to dislike Daffyd. Was it the soprano who was humiliated by him in front of the choir for missing her high note? His long-suffering wife suspected an affair – are her floods of tears fake? And why was his picture-perfect forever home put on the market just days before his death?

But with her tinsel in a tangle, another body is found, this time on the beach. The police think the poor lad had one too many at a Christmas party and fell off the pier, but when Sarah looks closely, she sees a clear link to Daffyd. Can Sarah catch the culprit among the carollers, or will she be dashing through the snow to her demise this Christmas?

A delightfully cozy, utterly compulsive, and gripping murder mystery, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, J.R. Ellis, and Clare Chase who are looking for their next addictive read.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘Daffyd’s bark is worse than his bite.’ ‘Is it?’ said Sarah doubtfully. Both seemed to warrant a hefty rabies injection, from what she’d seen.

Privacy was a scarce resource in Merstairs, where the slightest bit of gossip gave you a brief edge over almost everybody, and flapping ears were an epidemic disease the likes of which she had rarely seen.

He was the most god-awful, jumped up little squit.

My Review:

I adore Alice Castle’s captivating cozy mysteries. She includes a healthy dose of amusing humor with her brain-teasing murders, which appear to happen more than expected for a small and quirky coastal village. And I scored a new entry for my Brit words and phrases list with squit, which Mr. Google informed is a dialectical British slang term for an insignificant person or for nonsense/rubbish. What fun!

The Proposal Planner
(Ever After #2)
by Kelly Collins

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

His voice carries the ease of someone who’s never heard the word no and wouldn’t recognize it if it arrived by certified mail.

…the fog machine kicks on with the subtlety of a Broadway understudy desperate for stage time. White mist pours across the barn floor like ghost cats in a Halloween parade. “Oh my,” Mrs. Patterson says, unfazed. “Is this part of your artistic process, or are we summoning something?”

Her jaw drops so far, I’m pretty sure I can see her molars.

Oh, he’s definitely husband material! Look at that sense of humor! That’s what we need in the family tree, strong bone structure and an ability to survive emotionally volatile brunches!

My Review:

Kelly Collins has really hit her stride with this delightfully amusing missive. I adore her humor, smooth storytelling, and engaging writing style, and all her well-honed skills truly shine through in this, one of her most humorous and endearing efforts I have had the pleasure of reading. I can’t wait to see what she does with the next installment.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

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The Break Up Broker
(Ever After #1)
by Kelly Collins

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Ivy’s voice carried that edge she reserved for wedding- day meltdowns and mascara emergencies.

…courage isn’t just about putting up defenses. Sometimes, it’s about knowing which ones to take down.

Today was different— like stepping into my story instead of managing everyone else’s.

My Review:

I’m no fan of angst, and the front half of this tale was laced with it. Thankfully, I have trust in this clever scribe, and my faith paid off – big time. I enjoy an underdog story as much as a second-chance romance, so double bonus on those as well. I found the concept of a professional relationship undertaker to be fresh and entertaining. The main characters were endearing and likable, while the storylines and emotive writing kept me engaged.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

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The woman looks out at the grand magnolia tree as it casts a shadow over the old house. ‘One day you will find out what destroyed our family, Claire. I only hope I’ve raised you to be strong enough to handle the truth…’

Claire takes a deep breath as she turns the old leather book in her hands. Names scribbled inside in faded ink create a family tree, the words Magnolia Manor at the top. She thought she’d lost everything when her Aunt Rachel died, but does this book hold the key to reuniting her with her long-lost family?

When she arrives in a little cove in Ireland, Claire wastes no time searching for Magnolia Manor, the gorgeous family home high up in the hills. But when she meets its intimidating owner, Sylvia Fleury, and Sylvia’s three beautiful granddaughters, her heart races, and she finds herself too scared to reveal their connection…

Claire rushes to pack her bags, convinced she’s made a mistake, but the welcoming embrace of local chef Karina and her handsome brother Pierce make her stay. Hunched over old recipes in the kitchen with Karina, listening to village gossip, Claire laughs like she hasn’t in years. And as she walks along the coastal path beneath the stars with Pierce, Claire feels totally entranced by his bright blue eyes and begins to fall in love. Could just starting again in this little village, close to her ancestors, be enough?

But deep within the pages of the book, Claire discovers a bitter family rivalry that could destroy Sylvia and her granddaughters. If she tells them who she is, she could lose everything. But can she really put down roots with Pierce if he doesn’t know the truth? Can Claire heal more than just her own heart, and make things right for her family? Or will the lies she’s told push everyone away and force her to leave forever?

Fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Debbie Macomber and Mary Alice Monroe will be swept away by this gorgeous, unputdownable romance set in beautiful Ireland.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Sylvia is pretending to turn eighty-five yet again and she wants it to be very special.

She had felt that she had to constantly prove that she was able to do even the simplest tasks with Hugh watching over her shoulder all the time. As if he was waiting for her to make a mistake in order to give him a chance to criticise.

She found it hugely amusing the way Sylvia always managed to turn doing something wrong into a virtue if it was in her own interest.

My Review:

I fell right into this tale and received a free trip to Ireland without having to experience the arduous travel or rainy weather. The writing style was easy to follow and engaging, and populated with characters who were realistically flawed and likable, even when I didn’t like what they were doing. I enjoyed the characters so much that I have amassed all the previous installments of the series and plan to indulge in the rest of the family secrets.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Her performance was so wooden I half expected termites to start a union.

I don’t trust that woman. She’s an executioner who uses blood for fountain-pen ink.

‘Sounds like he chased after money like a dog after sausages,’ Opal commented. ‘He did. Relentless, single-minded, and with a fair bit of drool involved,’ Virginia added.

There is a lot of pride in getting older. It comes with the perk of feeling the veil of hogwash lift, all the societal pressures that you’re supposed to believe in and adhere to becomes piffle. You wish your younger self had the same level of clarity and confidence.

My Review:

This was an entertaining, amusing, and easy-to-follow cozy read, populated by a clever pooch and a copious cast of largely unlikable yet uniquely authentic and quirky secondary characters. I had not read the previous book, but I didn’t feel that this hampered my understanding or enjoyment, as Opal’s relevant history was provided in ample detail. The storylines were well-plotted and smartly merged, just in time for our eagle-eyed heroine to save the day.