Copious Cozy Mysteries

Is the hot weather getting to you? Or maybe it’s cold weather where you are.

Now’s a good time to beat the weather, no matter the temperatures, relaxing with a good book. Berkley Prime Crime/Obsidian has just what you need with a number of interesting new cozy mysteries out this month. Here are several I’ve found intriguing and hope you will too.

TASTE OF THE NIGHTLIFE by Sarah Zettel

Chef Charlotte Caine has a fare for food and a most unusual clientele. She’s called “the Vampire Chef” because she cooks for New York’s burgeoning undead community even though she’s not a member. She and her vampire brother Chet run Nightlife, a Greenwich Village restaurant that specializes in “haute noir” cuisine for humans and their paranormal companions.

The restaurant isn’t a hit just yet but the city’s most influential food critic is suppose to give them a try. With a positive review the restaurant could be a big hit with the city’s after-dark crowd.

The night the food critic arrives, everything goes wrong. A drunk patron causes a scene, cast a spell and almost burns the building down. It make matters worse, the patron is found dead in the doorway with fang marks in his neck. Charlotte has to figure out who the killer is while working on the five star review for the restaurant.

TASTE OF THE NIGHTLIFE is a humorous murder mystery to keep you guessing.

Author Sarah Zettel’s website is http://www.sarahzettel.com/

Taste of the Nightlife by Sarah Zettel, A Vampire Chef Mystery, Obsidian, @2011, ISBN: 9780451234070, Paperback, 320 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

PIE A LA MURDER by Melinda Wells

Della Carmichael has her hands full with Operation Pie, a bake sale contest to benefit a charity. Then her sweetie pie Nicholas drops a bomb—he has a teenage daughter, Celeste, who is coming to live with him. When the daughter’s friend is found murdered, the protective Nicholas is a suspect, and Della must find the real killer before they all get burned. You’ll also feel Della’s pain as she tries to bond with Celeste.

This is the fourth installment in the Della Cooks Mystery series, but is a stand alone book. This delightful and entertaining book also contains numerous recipes such as ‘Della’s Strawberry Cloud Pie.’ Other books in the series include: KILLER MOUSSE, DEATH TAKES THE CAKE, and THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING.

Author Melinda Wells’ website is http://www.lindapalmermysteries.com/

Pie a la Murder by Melinda Wells, A Della Cooks Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425242216, Paperback, 320 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

BURN NOTICE: THE BAD BEAT by Tod Goldberg

Michael Westen is still in Miami, trying to survive as a spy without a country. Brent Grayson is a 19-year-old college kid who claims to own a company that doesn’t really exist. And Michael has to save Brent’s father from loan sharks and fend off sinister Russian businessman who see every takeover as an opportunity to be hostile. 

If you enjoy the TV series, you’ll love the book. This is the fifth installment in the Burn Notice series, but is a stand alone book. The other books include: BURN NOTICE: THE FIX, BURN NOTICE: THE END GAME, BURN NOTICE: THE GIVEAWAY, and BURN NOTICE: THE REFORMED.

Author Tod Goldberg’s website is http://todgoldberg.typepad.com/

Burn Notice: The Bad Beat by Tod Goldberg, Obsidian, @2011, ISBN: 9780451234094, Paperback, 288 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

LET’S PLAY DEAD by Sheila Connolly

Nell Pratt is invited to a sneak preview of a new exhibit at the Philadelphia children’s museum based on the Harriet the Hedgehog book series. The new exhibit, Let’s Play, isn’t meant to be shocking—but when one of the installers is zapped with a fatal electrical charge, it’s up to Nell to put her detective skills on display. 

Nell is a witty and fun-loving character. This is the second installment in the Museum Mystery series, but is a stand alone book. The first book in the series is FUNDRAISING THE DEAD. 

Author Sheila Connolly’s website is http://www.sheilaconnolly.com/

Let‘s Play Dead by Sheila Connolly, A Museum Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425242209, Paperback, 304 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

HOW TO MOON A CAT by Rebecca M. Hale

Rebecca’s cat, Rupert, has successfully been sniffing out several tightly wrapped bundles of cash that her Uncle Oscar had apparently hidden throughout his apartment prior to his death. Now Rupert has found a dusty green vase with a toy bear holding a tiny paper flag inside. Could his be another clue to one of Uncle Oscar’s valuable hidden treasures?

The newly found object leads Rebecca; her two cats, Rupert and Isabella; and their nosy neighbor, Monty, on a trip to Nevada City. The road trip and the waiting crowd could put everyone in danger.

This is a funny and whimsical story that contains a good bit of history, a look at frog jumping, and a humorous ending. Cat lovers will especially enjoy this series as the cats play a major role in the storyline. This is the third installment in the Cats and Curios Mystery series, but is a stand alone. The other books in the series include: HOW TO WASH A CAT and NINE LIVES LAST FOREVER.

Author Rebecca M. Hale’s website is http://www.howtowashacat.com/

How To Moon A Cat by Rebecca M. Hale,  A Cats and Curios Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425242179, Paperback, 304 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE NAKED LADIES

by Susan Wittig Albert

Rumors are sprouting in Depression-era Darling, Alabama. The town’s newest visitors, Nona Jean Jamison and Miss Lake, may be the Naughty and Nice Sisters from the Ziegfeld Frolic, who specialize in dancing nearly naked. They’ve come to stay with Nona’s aunt, Miss Hamer, an elderly recluse.

The Dahlias suspect more than modesty when Nona denies her association. The ladies of the garden club, the Darling Dahlias, notice one lady changes her hair color and the other is never seen without a veil. They’ll have to dig through clues to get to the root of the mystery... 

The ladies of the garden club will keep you guessing, as well as laughing while you reach for your glass of iced sweet tea. The ladies also offer housecleaning tips and delicious recipes. This is the second installment in the Darling Dahlias series, but is a stand alone book. The other book is THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE CUCUMBER TREE.

Author Susan Witting Albert’s website is http://www.mysterypartners.com/

The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies by Susan Wittig Albert,  A Darling Dahlias Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425241288 , Hardcover, 304 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

SKIRTING THE GRAVE by Annette Blair

Maddie Cutler owns and operates the Vintage Magic boutique and deals with the consequences of visions she gets from certain pieces of fashion treasures. She agrees to plan her sister Sherri’s baby shower and mentor a design intern. But insteade, she finds the intern dead at the train station under suspicious circumstances. 

However, later a woman claiming to be the intern shows up on Maddie’s doorstep. With the help of some lovely vintage clothes, Maddie is determined to iron out the wrinkles of this mystery before the killer can return.

Maddie is an enchanting and fun character you’ll fall in love with. She will have you laughing out loud and wondering what it would be like to have her ‘gift.’ Each chapter begins with a delightful and witty fashion-related quote and vintage bag tips are included at the end. 

This is the fourth installment in the Vintage Magic Mystery series, but is a stand alone book. The other books include: A VEILED DECEPTION, LARCENY AND LACE, and DEATH BY DIAMONDS.

Author Annette Blair’s website is http://www.annetteblair.com/

Skirting the Grave by Annette Blair,  A Vintage Magic Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425242223, Paperback, 288 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

So I hope  you find something here to interest you. What are you reading to keep the weather at bay?

 

Author Rebecca M. Hale: ‘A Fascination With Frogs’

I’m delighted to welcome author Rebecca M. Hale to Thoughts in Progress as the special guest blogger as she tours blogdom with the latest release in her CATS AND CURIOS MYSTERY series.

The third installment in the series, HOW TO MOON A CAT, was released this month. Thanks to Rebecca and Kaitlyn at Berkley Prime Crime, I have 1 copy of HOW TO MOON A CAT to giveaway to a lucky visitor (please see the end of the post for details).

Here’s a brief synopsis of the book: When the first book in the series HOW TO WASH A CAT spent 2 weeks on the New York Times printed list and 4 weeks on the extended list—it became clear that readers had connected with fun-loving felines Rupert and Isabella. The cats return to the Green Vase antique store in a new adventure--this time the Jackson Square gang hits the road for a Gold Rush-era treasure hunt! When a mysterious man has hidden something in the Green Vase antique store it could lead Oscar’s niece to one of his greatest treasures yet. Eager to put the pieces of the puzzle together from various clues Oscar leaves behind—Rupert, Isabella and their human journey through several historical sites in Northern California to search for Oscar’s treasure and further unravel his mysterious past. 

Rebecca stopped by today to talk about some research she did for her book and ‘A Fascination with Frogs.’

As any reader of the Cats and Curios Mystery series will readily attest, I have a deeply seated and perhaps somewhat disturbing fascination with frogs. 

I’ve had frogs scampering through the kitchen above the Green Vase Antique Shop, frogs filling the rotunda of San Francisco’s City Hall, frogs stalking the city’s Mayor from the balcony outside his office, frogs enjoying a performance at the historic Nevada Theatre, and, finally, frogs in downtown Sacramento as spectators to a professional cycling road race.

That’s a lot of frog action for a mystery series, so I thought I’d share an anecdote from my frog-related research for the third book in the series, HOW TO MOON A CAT. 

Last May, I set out in search of the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, the site of the annual Mark Twain Frog Jumping Competition. My route took me south along Highway 49, a wiggly corkscrew of a road, through the lower hills of the Sierra Nevada. 

It took a couple of hours and several map-checking stops along the way before I finally reached my destination, the setting for Mark Twain’s famous frog jumping essay, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Based on Twain’s brief tenure in California’s Gold Country, the essay relayed the tall tale of Jim Smiley, a compulsive gambler, and Daniel Webster, his famous jumping frog. The piece launched Twain’s literary career; it was one of his first writings to gain nationwide recognition.

By the time I arrived at the fairgrounds, the frog jumping competition was well underway. Past the front gates, a vending area, and several placards posting humorous Twain quotes, I joined a long line of youngsters waiting for their turn on the main stage. 

I suppose it would be possible to bring your own frog to this event, but most participants relied on the ample assortment of standby frogs provided by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Only a small portion of the overall frog contingent worked the stage at any given time, leaving the rest to lounge about in the cool damp area beneath the stage. After the festivities were completed, the frogs would be safely returned to their regular bog-like habitat – where they would no doubt kick back and regale one another with frog jumping stories – until it was time to round them up for next year’s return to Calaveras County.

The afternoon’s frog contingent waited in a large plastic tank in the shade near the stage as I leaned over the opening to make my selection. Trying not to think about the questionable brown smudges covering the container’s bottom, I wrapped my hands around the nearest slippery, squirming five-pound mass and lifted it up. 

For the record, I felt this particular aspect of the frog jumping experience required a bit too much frog-to-person interaction, even for a frog enthusiast like myself.

Gingerly, I walked up the steps to the stage and placed my frog on the designated spot at its center. Frog wranglers holding long poles attached to black nets manned the sides of the platform, ready and waiting to scoop up the frog once his jump was complete. 

Suddenly there I was, center stage with my frog, the full glare of the audience upon us. The emcee of the event readied the crowd with a quick introduction. At this point in the afternoon, the frog was well known to most of the onlookers; the increasingly squeamish author accompanying him, not so much. 

After having watched about half an hour’s worth of previous participants, I had a general idea of what was supposed to happen next. I crouched to the ground behind my frog and made what I imagined to be an encouraging frog sound, kind of a whirring chirp, accompanied by the wild waving of my hands.

The frog turned his head to look up at me, his expression decidedly unimpressed. After a few more seconds of watching my ridiculous attempts to spur him on, the frog gave me one last disparaging glance, frowned slightly, and then leapt a meager two feet from the stage’s center mark.

I’m not sure how well the frog-jumping scene in HOW TO MOON A CAT came out; I’ll leave that for you to judge. I do feel confident in saying that somewhere out there, in a dark secluded bog nestled within the Sierra Nevada, a group of frogs are sitting around, sharing a chuckle at my expense. 

Oh Rebecca, you do go to the extremes when doing research. LOL. Thanks so much for guest blogging. I think your frog-jumping scene turned out just fine. Wishing you much success with your writing and looking forward to the next installment in the Cats and Curios Mystery series.

Now for a bit of background on Rebecca. She worked as a patent attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area for several years before taking time off to her first novel: HOW TO WASH A CAT. The SF-based Cats and Curios series continued with the frog-infused NINE LIVES LAST FOREVER.
 
Rebecca and her cats, Rupert and Isabella, live in Western Colorado. To learn more about Rebecca, visit her on the web at: www.howtowashacat.com. 

I have 1 cope of HOW TO MOON A CAT to giveaway. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and addresses with post office boxes can’t be accepted. To enter the giveaway, just comment on Rebecca’s post between now and 8 p.m. (EST) on Friday,  Aug. 5. Be sure to include your e-mail address, if it’s not included in your profile.

What do you think of frogs? Have you ever enter a frog jumping contest before? Would you go this far for research? Thanks for stopping by.