Category Archives: Mystery

Mystery, Review, Small Town Romance

#Review – Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Book 4) by Darci Hannah

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The latest installment in Darci Hannah’s delicious Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series set in small-town Beacon Harbor, Michigan, featuring a baker heroine who lives in the local lighthouse with her beloved Newfoundland dog, Wellington.

Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop’s Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish. But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted. Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover . . .

The segment is uneventful—until things take a terrifying turn. The team freaks out. As Kennedy joins the mad dash outside, she bumps into what looks like the prankster teens’ creepy clown costume hanging from a tree. But when Lindsey’s dog, Wellington, begins to whine, they make a grim the clown is no dummy. It’s a corpse.

Now Lindsey and company will need to keep their cool if they want a ghost of a chance to solve the murder—and see another Halloween . . .

Praise for Murder at the Blueberry Festival

“You’ll never see the end coming in this delightfully zany tale.”
–Kirkus Reviews

Includes Delicious Recipes!

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Ghost hunts, dead bodies, and baked goods….what more could one ask for? This is quite the crazy tale that is part of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. I noticed this book on a giveaway on Goodreads and thought, “why not?” and then actually won! One caveat that I must disclose is that I didn’t realize this is part of a series and have not read the previous three. With that being said, I didn’t ever feel absolutely in the dark like I was missing something from not reading the prior books. There were times where I felt that if I had read the prior books, I may have a little more insight into some of the characters, but nothing drastic. With that being said, I was instantly pulled in to the story. Lyndsay owns an old lighthouse that has been converted into a bakery. She not only works there but also lives there. And quite happily with a resident ghost. Halloween is around the corner and the pranksters are out in full force. Her bestie ends up getting actual ghost hunters to come and do a live show at her place when all heck breaks loose when a dead body is found while on the live cast. There is seldom a dull moment at this lighthouse. Ghost lights, smudging, murders, famous authors, and just overall crazy people….are everywhere! It was a good story with a wonky murder tale that will actually have you guessing until the very end. It is a bit predictable in parts but I think that is the appeal of the small town of Beacon Harbor and having resident mystery solvers, a bit Scooby Doo-ish. Cute but not, if you catch my drift. Even with a murder, it is lighthearted and funny. Solid 4 stars!

Author Logo

Cozy mystery author, Darci Hannah, is a native of the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. When Darci isn’t baking for family and friends, hiking with her furry pals, Ripley and Finn, or concocting her next cozy mystery, she can be found wandering around picturesque lakeside villages with her hubby, sampling baked goods, and breaking for coffee more often than she should.

Darci’s books include:

MURDER AT THE BEACON BAKESHOP 1st in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series (Kensington 2021), CHERRY SCONES & BROKEN BONES (Midnight Ink 2019), CHERRY PIES & DEADLY LIES (Midnight Ink 2018), THE ANGEL OF BLYTHE HALL (Ballantine Books 2011, 2nd edition by Piffle & Bombast 2016), THE EXILE OF SARA STEVENSON (Ballantine Books 2010)

You can learn more about Darci and her books at www.darcihannah.com

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarciHannah

Cliffhanger, Mystery, Part of a Series, Reverse Harem, Review

#review #partofaseries Created in Chaos (Corrupt Credence 2) by Albany Walker

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I thought I’d already lost everything, but life has a way of proving you wrong

The moment I set my scuffed sneaker on Cadieux Island for College, my fate was sealed, but there’s no way I could have prepared for what was coming.

I should have run when I attracted the Morningstar’s attention, ruthless twins that lord over the elite school and everyone in it. I thought I could handle them, or at least survive them, but now it seems I might not live without them.

They demand my allegiance, loyalty and devotion, but I’m afraid I’ll lose so much more to them.

Four founding families, entrenched in secrets and deep-rooted history, are locked in a never-ending cycle for power and domination, and I just became the pawn everyone wants to use, or get rid of.

Welcome to Cadieux Island where the weak get slaughtered and only the strong survive.

Created in Chaos is the second book in the Corrupt Credence series. A dark college MFM romance told on duel POV with mature content for adult readers.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175223592-created-in-chaos

Amazon https://amzn.to/45eyzHb

Review by Twinsie Dee

i was given this book by the author for an honest review.
I have waited long enough to dive back into this world with these sexy devil’s twins ugh they are perfect. Anyways our story left off with Lucian and Nox seeing Nova being but, in an ambulance, heading to the hospital. But once things are calmed down and life is back to as normal as possible. Lucian and Nox refuse to let Nova out of their sights, they need to find out who did this to their girl and why they targeted her, also what or if her grandparents played a part in the attack and what their ultimate goal is. Will Nova pick her family side or stay with the Morningstar’s’ and who is really telling her the truth about her parents and new life. ugh these characters and this world omg I just can’t get enough of them Lucian and Nox are swoon and I need book 3 asap.

Albany lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her high school sweetheart. She spends most of her time juggling her four children’s extracurricular activities, with her nose stuck in a book. When not reading you can find her writing her very own book boyfriends. Albany’s passion is writing romance with real characters that are far from perfect, but always seem to find their own happily ever afters

Mystery, Part of a Series, Standalone, Teen & Young Adult Contemporary, Writers on the River Attending Author, YA

#wotr #attendingauthor #YA #seriesstarter Dear McKinnon (Love Notes 1) by Danielle Keil

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Everyone knows what it means to have a teal envelope taped to their locker on the first day of the month.

Everyone except new girl McKinnon Gregory.

The envelope is the start of a monthly tradition called the Secret Admirers, and something McKinnon never thought she’d see.

To her surprise– and everyone else’s– the teal envelope is taped to her locker on March first.

McKinnon only has one month to figure out the clues. But she barely knows anyone, which makes it infinitely harder to determine her secret admirer’s identity.

Will she figure it out before the month’s over?
And if she does, will the guy she’s fallen for through letters be just as amazing in person?

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60527972-dear-mckinnon

Amazon https://amzn.to/3qjN9iu

Review by Twinsie Dee

McKinnon was the new girl at Ryder High, she has been homeschooled for her life, and finally when her dad had to move for his job her mom didn’t have time to get the right paperwork and gave in to letting her go to public school. one day McKinnon found a teal envelope in her locker and her bestie Skye started flipping out the first of March meant that a new secret admirer was chosen and he got to pick the person to play their game, if they choose McKinnon was so confused she was the new girl why would a guy pick her , well she was up for it and will she be able to figure out her admirer is before the end of the month or will she quit the game before the month is over.

Danielle Keil grew up and spent the majority of her life in the Chicagoland area. A recent transplant, she is enjoying the Mississippi life, especially the pool in her backyard.
Danielle is happily married for over 10 years, and has two young children, a daughter and a son, who are exact replicas of her and her husband.
She also is a fur mom to their Corgi, Cozmo, who loves barking, mud, and peanut butter.
Danielle’s love language is gifts, her Ennegram is a 9w1, and she loves everything purple.
The way to her heart is through coffee, chocolate and tacos (extra guac).

Mystery, Review, stalker, Standalone, Thriller, YA

#review #YA #thriller #standalone The Island by Natasha Preston

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They said goodbye to their friends and family for the weekend. They weren’t counting on forever.

Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment.

When the teens arrive, they’re stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.

But soon they’ll discover that something’s missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60813624-the-island

Amazon https://amzn.to/3J4ElTC

Review by Twinsie Dee

when a new all exclusive amusement park pops up on an island and only the rich could afford. the owner has only the top influencers on social media come for the weekend as the first to experience and post about how amazing the park is. the decor is creepy but stylish in a gothic way, but this isn’t the only thing that starts to seem creepy but when people start disappearing and there is no way off the island, a killer is among them, they just don’t know that they are hiding in plain sight. anther amazing YA thriller by Natasha that has more twist that you will never see coming.

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cellar and The Cabin. Romance and YA Thriller writer, boy mum, Tom Hardy enthusiast. Always buried in a book and a glass of wine.

Mystery, Police, Review, Standalone, True Crime

#reivew #truecrime #mystery For Laci by: Sharon Rocha

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Laci Rocha Peterson, 8 months pregnant, was last seen by her sister, Amy, in the late afternoon of December 23, 2002. She spoke to her mother, Sharon Rocha, at 8:30 p.m. that night. This would be the last time anyone from her immediate family ever spoke to her.

A search began which lasted an agonizing four months. Sadly, Laci Peterson and her son Conner were found dead on the shores of San Francisco Bay on April 18, 2003.

Her husband, Scott, was eventually arrested and charged with the murder of Laci and Connor. After a sensational, media-saturated trial, Peterson was found guilty of capital murder and was sentenced to death on March 16, 2005.

This book deals with the story in three separate sections: first, Sharon describes the ordinary, loving life her daughter led, including fond memories of her childhood and adolescence. Second, it covers her marriage, disappearance, the community’s moving search for her, and her and Connor’s eventual recovery from San Francisco Bay. Third, it tells the story of the trial in detail not before revealed. Sharon will also talk about victim’s rights, a subject on which she now campaigns regularly.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/407366.For_Laci

Amazon https://amzn.to/42944RB

Review by Twinsie Dee

wow just wow I personally didn’t know much about the case in the beginning, I was just in elementary, but the older I got the more I learned about it, and I always guessed that Scott had killed Laci and their unborn son. So of course, when I seen this book at a thrift store i grabbed it up immediately. But like it states in the book the how, where and the biggest question why needed to be answered and they were never really known. Well after reading For Laci and seeing this case from her mom’s point of view I really feel like Scott did do this terrible crime. There are so many things i heard well-read for the first time that I never knew about this case, but one thing is known Scott is a terrible person and both Laci and Connor didn’t deserve anything that happened to them. This book opens your heart, and mind to really seeing behind closed doors. even if you think you know this case from all the tv specials, or you have listened to every podcast on the case you need to read this and get a new point of view on it all.

Sharon Rocha is the mother to Laci Peterson

BDSM, Mystery, stalker, Standalone, Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr #attendingauthor #dark #suspence Depraved (Pleasure and Prey 1) by AJ Merlin

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Living and working on a campground with her dogs is not where Sloane Walker saw herself at twenty-seven. But then again, not a lot has gone right for her since her step-father kidnapped her at twelve years old and scarred her both physically and mentally for life. Those actions should’ve left him rotting in prison for the rest of his life, not seeing him out on good behavior and giving him free rein to track Sloane down to make ‘amends.’

But that’s not her only problem, as if she needs more than one. Her second problem comes in the form of the masked stalker that slides into her room at night and takes what he pleases, making sure Sloane enjoys every second of it. What starts as a fantasy soon becomes something inescapable for them both, and Sloane might have to face up to a very important fact about her new friend.

He’s unhinged, psychotic, and utterly obsessed with her. And while those should be very bad things, Sloane can’t help thinking that maybe they aren’t so bad at all, no matter what that might mean for her sanity or her safety in the end.

Author’s note: This is a complete standalone set in the Pleasure & Prey universe. It contains consensual kink, unhealthy relationships, and harmful situations. For a full list of content warnings, please look inside.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61253950-depraved

Amazon https://amzn.to/3S14G8r

Review by Twinsie Dee

Sloane was just your typical girl, she worked at a campground has 2 dogs who keep her company, and her mom loves her unconditionally. Well, she also has a past with some high anxiety and ptsd after being kidnapped by her stepdad and the age of 12. now she has came a long way since that day she still is on high alert, especially with living next to a bunch of woods and not being able to see what could be lurking in then at night, and the fact that one night when she was pleasuring herself, she felt someone grab her leg, next thing Sloane knew she had a mask man on top of her, but he did something she never expected, would he kill her or will he take what he wants and leave her alone. she had no idea. this was a great story, a little slow in the beginning for my liking and a few grammar errors but other then that it was a great story that keeps you engaged till the very end.

AJ merlin is an author, crazy bird lady, and rampant horror movie enthusiast. Her debut novel, A Little Wicked, is the product of being enamored with the paranormal and the need to hunt down all things that go bump in the night. Born and raised in the midwest United States, AJ is lucky to be right in the middle of people who support her and a menagerie of animals to keep her somewhat sane

Dark, Mystery, Promo, Review, Standalone, Thriller

#Review – Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

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4 starred reviews!

Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myer’s Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting debut by Tiffany D. Jackson about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home.

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it?

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary’s fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?

I was looking on TikTok about a week ago, for some disturbing books. I couldn’t find anything that struck my fancy, so I went on Pinterest and came across a pin about this book, along with a few others. So of course, I bought it.

First, I 100% suggest going in blind – if you can of course. I know a lot of us need to read the blurb but with this book, it was so much more fun, going in with no information at all.

Now I will preface this by saying that this is NOT a romance, while there are some romantic elements in it. It’s YA and packs quite the punch. It’s like Orange Is The New Black but with younger characters. Also, the main premise of this book is that the lead character “killed a baby”, so if that’s a trigger, please read with caution.

This book is raw and gritty in the best of ways. It’s dark, written well and kept me engaged from the first few chapters in to the end. I will be honest and say that it did take me about 3 chapters to get fully invested in this story but once I did, wow. Just wow.

Mary…oh Mary. I really couldn’t predict the outcome of this book. I was a mixture of feelings when it came to this girl. And I say “girl” because she is just a kid.

Mary was accused of killing a baby and this book recounts what actually happened. It’s a “did Mary actually kill this baby?” kind of story. We don’t even know exactly who Mary is until the very end of the book. Now I did glance at some reviews saying that they lowered their star rating based on the last chapter but I honestly thought it ended perfectly. I was left in shock and I sat there for a few minutes after turning that last page and thinking “wow.” Now that’s a job well done on the author part.

I won’t give much away because like I said, I do suggest going in not knowing much about this book at all.

So if you like stories filled with grit, mystery, family drama, and “who dunnit” moments, I highly reccommend reading this one!

One-click now: Amazon

Coming of Age, Fantasy, M/M, Mystery, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Thriller, YA

#Review The End of August, Part Two by Rue Volley

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The End of August: Part Two by [Rue Volley]

It’s 1985.

Jelly bracelets are on every wrist.

Beaded friendship pins are on every shoelace.

Cellphones are not a thing.

Slumber parties, roller skating rinks, and arcades are all the rage.

Every kid has a key to their home and knows how to babysit themselves.

And Molly Ringwald is everyone’s fantasy girl.

But for fifteen-year-old August East, his world revolves around his new house, his new friends, and a boy by the name of Keller West, that has stolen his heart.

Not to mention that whole haunted victorian home, the mysterious death of the last owner, and, oh yeah, the empty mausoleum in his backyard.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

This story has me all messed up! I am literally all over the place with this, but in the best possible way! Part one ended in a cliff hanger and this one is no different, but WHOA! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! I mean, I am strolling along reading the story, and we take a sharp right turn into a place I had no idea we were going, then ALL of the feels exploded! I audibly gasped and had to stop for a moment to catch my breath, and then I just couldn’t stop reading. I had to know everything. I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next. I am on the edge of my seat because I know the next collision is going to happen, but when it doesn’t happen right away because there is a different plot twist…..well, I am just beside myself. Please excuse me for keeping this review short, but I need to start Part Three. I literally can’t wait any longer. Ms. Volley, you have a new stalker because you have me hooked!

Rue Volley

Connect with Rue:

Website: http://www.ruevolley.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruevolley/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rue-volley

Twitter: @RueVolley

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Rue-Volley-146299465525490/?fref=ts

Mystery, Novella, Paranormal, Standalone, Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr #attendingauthor #standalone Disassembled Creatures by Albany Walker 

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It all started with a game. 

It was supposed to be fun, a night with friends. No one was supposed to die, but that’s not what happened. 

There’s a killer on the loose. People I know are dying, and I think I might be next. 

We called the boogeyman, and he answered. 

Disassembled Creatures is a standalone novella intended for mature audiences 

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62792846-disassembled-creatures

Amazon https://amzn.to/3gtf627

Review by Twinsie Dee

I was given this book by the author for an honest review  

Lethe and her friends wanted to have a little fun, well 2 of the 4 wanted to have some fun so they brought out a Ouija board after all its just a game nothing bad can happen right. Well, they were all very wrong, after one of the girls started calling upon spirit crazy things start to happen, Lethe had, had enough of this game and thinking that 2 of the girls planned this all out to scare the crap out of her and it was working grabbing her other friend she heads for the door and when she’s at her car she notices a shadow in the window upstairs and then the door closing without anyone touching it. Well, the next day she finds out 1 girl was dead and the other wasn’t going to make it. All because of a game the boogeyman has come to play and he wants her, but why does he want Lethe and will she figure it out or will he catch her by surprise. In this lesson never mess with the spirit world and leave the Ouija boards alone, will Lethe make it out of this nightmare come to life alive or will someone be contacting her spirit with a Ouija board in the future? Wow wow wow wow, I could not put this book down Albany has done it again just when I didn’t think I could love her words anymore she writes another amazing story. This book will have you on the edge of your seat and gripping the pages to turn them faster and faster, so many twist that you won’t see coming.

Albany lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her high school sweetheart. She spends most of her time juggling her four children’s extracurricular activities, with her nose stuck in a book. When not reading you can find her writing her very own book boyfriends. Albany’s passion is writing romance with real characters that are far from perfect, but always seem to find their own happily ever afters. 

Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Shifters, Witches, Wolves, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR23 #Review Once Upon a Curse (Which Village, book 2) by L.C. Mortimer aka Sophie Stern

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Once Upon a Curse: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Which Village Book 2) by [L.C. Mortimer]

Once upon a curse…

Once upon a time, Which Village was a great place to live. At least, that’s what people tell me. Now, even though the witch who cursed the moon is dead, the town still seems to be under some sort of hex.

What’s causing the strange problems that are happening in Which Village?

Who is the mysterious stranger who has appeared in town?

And most importantly, am I ever going to figure out the secrets my mother left behind?

Once Upon a Curse is the second book in the WHICH VILLAGE series. This book features female main characters who are middle-aged (or fast approaching it) and who have magical powers.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Magic, curses, and spells…oh my! And I can’t forget about floating pies. There are floating pies, ya’ll!

Magic comes with a price and Jaden is experiencing it firsthand. The story picks up a year after book 1. This chapter in the journey also gives us a better view into Eliza’s life, which I love! Things in Which Village have settled down, but Eliza has been putting her heart into a new annual festival in hopes of bringing some tourism in that will help celebrate magic and the paranormality that is Which Village. Jaden is getting antsy because she is not getting anywhere with finding anymore clues from her mom’s testing and research, plus she isn’t getting any closer to finding her dead husband. Things go awry when someone from the deep dark past shows up and definitely throws some crazy spells around.

One of my favorite things about this series so far is the quirkiness of the stories. It’s funny, heartwarming, and has a bit of a thriller vibe too. The story moves fast so you experience many emotions and feelings pretty quickly. Oh, and Jaden’s character is made to be real. She is going through life with the same emotions and thoughts that many of us do. She is sooooo relatable and one of my favorite characters. I can’t wait for the next book because I can’t imagine what other twists and turns we will come across.

L.C. Mortimer

L.C. Mortimer was raised on a small farm in Kansas, which sparked her interest in going off the grid. Learning how to can, garden, and become self-reliant were all important parts of her upbringing. After pursuing her degree in English Literature, Mortimer traveled the country with her husband, living in Hawaii, Maryland, and everywhere in between. When she’s not busy dreaming up her next story, Mortimer can be found stocking up on canned goods for the zombie apocalypse.