Tour_AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery)

by Leslie Budewitz

About the Book

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

5th in Series

Midnight Ink (June 8, 2018)

Paperback: 288 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0738752419

Digital ASIN: B075W25FNF

Erin is one smart cookie, but can she keep the holiday spirit—and herself—alive till Christmas?

In Jewel Bay, all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily has turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?

Includes delicious recipes!

About the Author

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. She lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician, and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat Ruff, a cover model, and avid bird-watcher.

Connect with her on her website, http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Purchase Links

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My Review:
As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Leslie Budewitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES by Leslie Budewitz (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery #5)

A heartfelt series cozy mystery, AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES strums emotions deeply while providing a convoluted mystery and the themes of opportunity, second chances, and forgiveness. Amateur Sleuth Erin Murphy is so by design and interest. Retail operator by day (she runs the village Mercantile her ancestor founded), she also heads the Village Merchants Association, plans her wedding (Christmas Eve!) and awaits her sister's imminent second childbirth. The return of a nearly middle-aged town native ostracized decades ago by her parents brings an opportunity for forgiveness on both sides, and a potential new close friendship for Erin. But life is often bumpy, not smooth, and obstinacy and murder block positive possibilities.

Tour_PICKS AND CHEWS by Linda O. Johnson

Picks and Chews (A Barkery and Biscuits Mystery 

Cozy Mystery

4th in Series

Midnight Ink (May 8, 2018)

Paperback: 288 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0738752457

Digital ASIN: B075W2BCW6

Carrie Kennersly tries to help her veterinarian boyfriend when he’s under suspicion of murder…Is he a keeper, or should she let him go off-leash for good?

As a technician for a local vet and the owner of the Barkery & Biscuits dog bakery, Carrie Kennersly is excited to host a rescue animal adoption event. She’s also excited to be in a relationship with veterinarian Dr. Reed Storme, despite his pleas for her to butt out of the murder cases she keeps finding herself involved with. Yet when Reed is accused of killing his former veterinary colleague, he seems a lot more agreeable to having amateur detective Carrie butt back in. Can Carrie clear Reed, or does she care too much for a killer?

Includes recipes for dog treats and people treats!

About the Author

Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, currently writes the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery Series for Midnight Ink. She has also written the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Pet Rescue Mystery Series and Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Linda also writes the K-9 Ranch Rescue miniseries for Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as a paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne. And all her current stories involve dogs.

Author Links:

Website:  www.LindaOJohnston.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston

Purchase Links:

Amazon  B&N   BookBub   Kobo

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 29 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

May 29 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

May 30 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

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May 31 – Books Direct – GUEST POST

May 31 – T’s Stuff – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 1 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW

June 1 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

June 2 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW  

June 2 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

June 3 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST  

June 4 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

June 4 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

June 5 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

June 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 6 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 7 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

June 8 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 9 – The Montana Bookaholic – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

June 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

June 11 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 11 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

 

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My Review:

Review:  PICK AND CHEWS by Linda O. Johnson

(BARKERY AND BISCUIT MYSTERY #4)

Fourth in the endearing BARKERY AND BISCUITS MYSTERY Series, PICK AND CHEWS tosses vet tech/bakery owner Carrie Kennersley right back into amateur sleuthing, solving her fourth murder. When  she or a friend is the principal suspect, Carrie becomes a combination of bloodhound and pit bull, both curious and inquisitive, and indefatigable. 

A San Diego vet visits the San Bernardino Mountains top-flight veterinary practice at which Carrie is a part-time vet tech, ostensibly seeking a position there, managing to alienate every single individual she encounters. Dr. Raella Fellner is a tough act to cope with or to confront, and soon someone decides she's too contrary to live.

I truly love cozy mysteries, and when they include pets, I'm over the moon! Almost every character in this story, no matter gender, personality, or career, is owned by one or more pets, and animals play a highly significant role. This becomes seriously tense later on as Carrie's sleuthing antagonizes some unknown party, and her precious Biscuit is threatened. Just as only a thriller targets a mother's children, so you don't threaten Carrie's small breed Biscuit, or you'll have an enraged pet lover after you!

SIR E. ROBERT SMYTHE ABD THE LOST DETECTIVE_Review

Sir E. Robert Smythe and the Lost Detective: Sir E. Robert Smythe and the Galactic Safety Council by Christina Weigand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: SIR E. ROBERT SMYTHE AND THE LOST DETECTIVE by Christina Weigand

This middle-grade+ urban fantasy frequently brought me to tears as the author eloquently painted the plight of homelessness, the extensive stereotyping of blaming and shaming, contrasted with good-heartedness, compassion, and empathy in others. I often hearkened back to reading of the Great Depression years, and the many who became hobos because of the failed economy. Yet there is tremendous character evolution here, and inspiration.

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BEIGNETS AND BROOMSTICKS by J. R. Ripley _Review

Beignets and Broomsticks by J.R. Ripley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: BEIGNETS AND BROOMSTICKS by J.R. Ripley

There are many "best aspects" to this author's cozies, one of which is the ability to bring settings alive and vivid. You don't have to live there, or even have visited, to watch these locales come alive. You don't have to know these characters to enjoy them or to find them true to life.

Maggie Miller owns a beignet cafe in little Table Rock, Arizona, a struggling small-business owner in a town seemingly devoted to "the weird." Maggie has a gift for amateur sleuthing, and a foil in Detective Mark Highsmith. She may be sidetracked, but never shunted from her sleuthing path, until the truth is outed.


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MEMORIAL DAY READATHON!!

May 25-28!

My goal is to concentrate on Cozy (or when British, cosy) mysteries. Plus I have some reviews coming due (20), and 9 book blog tours, through June 26.

The week-long Bout of Books 22 finishes today, leaving 4 days before the Memorial Day Readathon, and following that, only 3 days before the Sci Fi Readathon June 1-14.

Keep up with my progress at Memorial Day Readathon Shelf

READ ALL ABOUT IT

FOWL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER by J. R. Ripley_Review

Fowl of the House of Usher by J.R. Ripley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: FOWL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER by J. R. Ripley

I would have read this for the title, but fortunately I enjoyed the story, very much, and am reading more from this author. J. R. Ripley (a pseudonym) is a quite prolific author who writes under a variety of names, always winningly, with a very "down-home," emotionally realistic, human touch. His characters are easy "to snuggle up to" and cheer on.

This mystery is set in Ruby Lake, North Carolina, in the mountains, a scenic tourist destination. Our protagonist, Amy Simms, operates Birds 'n' Bees, a bird lovers supply store. Accepting a dinner invitation from ex-boyfriend Narcissist Craig, she and best friend Kim drive up-mountain to the Usher House, a seldom Inhabited 19th century residence, purported to be haunted.

Haunted or not, Usher House is seriously spooky. Snowed in, without power or means to escape--the guests are dropping like flies in winter, with no explanation. Shades of Agatha Christie! Visit for dinner--but never go home.

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THE BATTERED BODY by Ellery Adams_Review

The Battered Body by Ellery Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: THE BATTERED BODY (Supper Club Mystery #5) by Ellery Adams

Ellery Adams is my "Number One" author of Cozy Mystery. I read her novels in one or two sessions, but meanwhile I consume a virtual nine-course dinner, from mystery to plot twists to denouement "I didn't see coming," from a veritable range of human emotions including love, friendships, anger, resentment, jealousy, ambition, and more, to clever conclusions that satisfy me as a reader.

THE SUPPER CLUB MYSTERY Series focuses on the tiny Blue Ridge community of Quincy' s Gap. Native son James Henry returned after his unexpected divorce, resigning his professorship at the College of William and Mary and taking on the position of Library Director. James struggles with weight, and together with four friends, formed the Supper Club, to learn healthy consumption and to support each others' weight loss. Very quickly the Fab Five discover other shared talents: they are all effective amateur sleuths!

In THE BATTERED BODY, James' father is remarrying after some years of widowerhood, and his about-to-be bride invites her estranged sister, a celebrity cook, to town for the wedding. "The Diva of Dough" is an astringent personality, highly self-centered, with an acerbic tongue, long estranged from family members. In fact, she's a "perfect" target of many she encounters, including family members, employee, and virtually everyone.

Ms. Adams delivers an exciting and heartfelt locked-room mystery, and several very unexpected surprises along the way.

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COVER REVEAL__ONE FETA IN THE GRAVE by Tina Kashian

ONE FETA IN THE GRAVE

The 3rd Book in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery Series

With a sand castle contest and live music, Ocean Crest bids a bittersweet farewell to tourist season. Summer will return next year . . . but Archie Kincaid won’t. The full-of-himself store owner has been fatally shot, soon after a screaming match with Lucy’s best friend. Katie’s far from the only suspect, though, since Archie had some bitter rivals—as well as some relationships no one knew about. It’s up to Lucy to look into some seedy characters and solve the case before the wrong person gets skewered . . .

Recipes included!

 

As summer comes to an end in her Jersey Shore town, Lucy Berberian continues to manage her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. The Kebab Kitchen also has a food tent at this year’s beach festival. But now a local businessman is under the boardwalk—dead by the sea . . .

Ready . . .                                     

Set .  .  . 

                             

Reveal . . .

                       

Coming in March 2019 from Kensington Books!

Sign Up For Tina Kashian's Newsletter HERE to be alerted when One Feta in the Grave is available to pre-order!

 

Book 1 - Hummus and Homicide is Available Now

Book 2 - Stabbed in the Baklava will be released August 28, 2018

Pre-Order Here 

About the Author

Tina Kashian is an attorney and a former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. Tina spent her childhood summers at the Jersey shore building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business, as her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. Please visit her website at www.tinakashian.com to join her newsletter, receive delicious recipes, enter contests, and more!

You can also connect with Tina at Website    Facebook     Twitter    Instagram     Goodreads

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHEESECAKE_Review

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah Graves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHEESECAKE by Sarah Graves
(A Death by Chocolate Mystery #1)

This endearing cozy mystery is the first in a new series, the third series from author Sarah Graves of Eastport, Maine, the island community which is the setting of this series and of her first series, HOME REPAIR IS HOMICIDE. I discovered that series back in 2008 and devoured it, oddly, in reverse order {smile}. I've also immensely enjoyed her first two Lizzie Snow Mysteries (though those are noir and not cozies).

I was delighted to discover that this new "A Death by Chocolate" series stars our lovely protagonists from "Home Repair Is Homicide"," Jacobia (Jake) Tiptree and best friend Ellie. They have opened a bakeshop, The Chocolate Moose {love it}, and it's most successful. Of course, where Jake and Ellie go, mystery and trouble inevitably appear. This time Ellie is the prime suspect, and both ladies and Jake's extended family find themselves in physical danger from a seemingly invisible and inescapable source.


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IN COLD CHOCOLATE by Dorothy St. James_Review

In Cold Chocolate: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery by Dorothy St. James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: IN COLD CHOCOLATE by Dorothy St. James

Author Dorothy St. James really tugs the heartstrings of readers in this very special South Carolina Lowcountry cozy mystery. Charity Penn's Chocolate Box shop is extraordinarily popular, and she's settled in well in the paradisical Camellia Island--or so she believes. But the heirs of the former owner are determined to snatch the property to sell to a high-dollar resort developer. Penn thinks she holds the high ground, until she discovers betrayal.

I so enjoyed learning the ongoing revelations of Penn's backstory, and empathizing as her efforts seem blocked at every turn, and despite her moral integrity, she just can't seem to win. This is the third in A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery Series, and I'm very eager to read more.

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STIFFS AND SWINE by Ellery Adams_Review

Stiffs and Swine by Ellery Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: STIFFS AND SWINE (SUPPER CLUB MYSTERY #4) by Ellery Adams

I've been "in hog heaven" since discovering the champion Supper Club Mystery Cozy series by prolific author Ellery Adams, and that's a really apropos expression, considering this particular installment focuses on the "Flab Five Supper Club" members judging a Blue Ridge community's popular annual Hog Fest. Invited as celebrity judges due to their growing reputations as small-town amateur sleuths and intuitive crime-solvers, the five friends quickly discover that where pride, corporate sponsorship, and large monetary prizes come into play, so do greed, envy, and resentment.

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CHILI CON CORPSES by Ellery Adams_Review

Chili con Corpses by Ellery Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: CHILI CON CORPSES (SUPPER CLUB MYSTERY #3) by Ellery Adams

I just can't praise this series, or author Ellery Adams, highly enough. Truly delightful, even literary, this series entertains with taut, tightly-knitted, plots, mysteries to be solved, justice to bring, but also good deep characterization, heartwarming friendships, family tensions, new hope and second chances, missed opportunities recovered or replaced. This time, a newcomer to little Quincy' s Gap, Virginia brings cuisine classes, and offers hope and inspiration to James Henry's widowed father Jackson. Of course, no Supper Club Mystery novel is complete without a mystery, and this one seems nearly inexplicable to the Flab Five.


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MURDER IN THE LOCKED LIBRARY by Ellery Adams_Review

Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: MURDER IN THE LOCKED LIBRARY by Ellery Adams (Book Retreat Mysteries)

Discovering Ellery Adams' cozy mysteries has given me true delight. MURDER IN THE LOCKED LIBRARY is my first read in the Book Retreat Mysteries series, a love letter to books, reading, book clubs, and bibliophiles--so much that makes life worthwhile. Additionally, this novel is a riveting mystery, with history, deep emotions, friendships, family loyalty--and secret societies. And you can't beat that. Guardian Jane Steward is one admirable heroine, and the world is a better place for her {and for her author, Ellery Adams!}

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THE ADVICE COLUMN MURDERS by Leslie Nagel_Review

The Advice Column Murders by Leslie Nagel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: THE ADVICE COLUMN MURDERS by Leslie Nagel

I raced through this cozy mystery at practicality the speed of light. I love to read a cunning puzzle requiring me to think and think hard, one in which the number of clearly possible suspects is multiple, and one that wrings my emotions as well. This second in the Oakwood Mystery Series is set in real-life Oakwood, Ohio, a peaceful community near Dayton. Hard-charging heroine and amateur sleuths Charley is a delight, and far from the only empowered woman here. The male characters are pretty exciting, too, and the author knows how to paint with broad brushstrokes as well as how to pencil in the fine lines. Quite an enjoyable and fascinating mystery.

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