e-Book Cover Design Awards, July 2017 including

A selection of the best cozy mystery books, aka "Cozies."

This week's featured author always wanted to write non-fiction-- and he has-- but there are many readers who are thrilled because he realized that he could tell just as much truth by writing fiction. I am one of those thrilled readers. Tarquin Hall writes one of my absolute favorite mystery series. Private investigator Vish Puri, his employees, and his family get involved in all sorts of fascinating cases while they give us a wonderful in-depth look at life in present-day India. The three books in this series are definitely armchair travel sleuthing at its finest, and I urge everyone who has yet to read one to become acquainted with Vish Puri as soon as possible. Tarquin Hall Even the charming opening page of Tarquin's website begins a visitor's introduction to India, and there is so much information there that I'd better not waste any more time in sharing these links with you! Tarquin's website Tarquin on Facebook Vish Puri on Facebook Tarquin on Goodreads One of the many results of opening the door of my reading world to Vish Puri is the Indian meal my husband and I enjoy at least once a month. (My British husband is a pro when it comes to Indian cuisine. Me? We just didn't have food like this where I grew up in central Illinois!) Don't be surprised if this wily private investigator has you making a few additions to your own routines! What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special? It was The Wool-Pack by Cynthia Harnett. I remember getting it in a Christmas stocking. I must have been about seven or eight, I suppose. It was a beautiful hardback edition – I still have it – with a lovely illustrated glossy cover. I have to confess at this juncture that I wasn’t a great reader when I was a kid (unless of course you count comics). But I devoured The Wool-Pack. It’s a great story about kids growing up in 15th century England. Their father is a wool trader and he gets himself in trouble. I remember the bad guys very vividly – they were Lombards. Although at the time I didn’t really understand who Lombards were they sounded like people you didn’t want to mess with. Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time? Well these days I have a couple of very young children – 1 and 3, so that keeps me pretty busy. But when I’m not writing or working I like to travel. That includes exploring Delhi where I live these days. There’s nothing like a trip to the Old City, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan’s once glorious capital, where some of the streets are barely as wide as the total span of my arms. If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.) Boleyn Tavern in Upton Park, London My hometown is London so I would recommend going and visiting Upton Park, the East End neighbourhood where we were living until a few years ago. Green Street is the main thoroughfare and if you want to see ‘ethnic’ London – it’s mostly Punjabi – that’s the place to go. I think the only shop left that’s not owned by British Asians is the old Pie and Mash shop. Even the pub is packed full of Sikhs. During mango season (May to July) you can pick up every kind of South Asian mango – and there’s a Lahori vendor of genuine kulfi, that’s a kind of ice cream flavoured with pistachio and cardamom. There are plenty of cloth shops selling saris and silks, too. Afterwards you can always go and watch a soccer match at West Ham stadium down the road and get a real taste of British working class culture! You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you? Steve Carell Wow that’s a hard one! I think I’d want it to be a spoof. So perhaps Steve Carell, assuming he can do a half-decent British accent. Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction? Oooh that’s tough! I’d have to choose George Smiley if Le Carré counts. He’s actually an incredibly dull, depressing individual. But I love the way he interacts with the other characters. It’s very powerful. If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book? The Quiet American by Graham Greene. Best last line ever. [And that last line is: “Everything had gone right with me since he had died, but how I wished there existed someone to whom I could say that I was sorry.” Last week's interviewee chose the same book, by the way!] How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published? What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore? When I got a letter in the post from the venerable old British publisher (as it was then), John Murray, saying that they’d like to publish To the Elephant Graveyard, I literally hopped up and down in my room for about half an hour. I could barely contain my excitement. When I saw it in the bookshop for the first time, I remember being excited but also feeling quite daunted because it was suddenly one amongst thousands of others. That was silly, really, because when all’s said and done writing books is just like anything else – it’s about your own journey, even if you share your work with the public. Name one thing on your Bucket List. To learn the true meaning of generosity. You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for? Bahri Sons, Khan Market, Delhi. It’s my favourite store in the world. What they don’t stock they can get – and usually by the end of the day. My detective Vish Puri has his offices above the premises. I must have bought hundreds of titles from Mr. Bahri over the years. AVAILABLE NOW! Thank you so much for spending this time with us, Tarquin. It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you a little better. May your book sales do nothing but increase!

This was a very short story about Willow Foxglove and her "gentleman caller." So far, they had just met and sipped tea but Willow did enjoy his company. "Did" because the man has just been found dead in her garden. Willow is not considered a suspect though the police do look at her for a little while. It was only a short while but she is also concerned that the man's secretary is a suspect as well. The town gossip has it that the secretary and the man were involved but Willow bonds with her over their shared love of a TV show. Three stars This book came out May 25, 2018 Followed by Berry Murderous Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla Opinions are my own

Author: Ginger Bolton Genre: Mystery Paperback; Digital Book ISBN #: 9781496740199 Kensington Cozies 256 Pages $16.95; $9.99 Amazon April 23, 2023 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An ordinary late-spring afternoon for Emily becomes one that will remain baked into her memory from the moment a customer gives Emily's cat a toy donut and then flees Deputy Donut, dropping an earring in her panic. Concerned about the customer, Emily attempts to return the earring...only this time the customer doesn't have a pulse. Things get more complicated when an ambitious police detective finds the earring and an unsealed envelope addressed to Emily at the murder scene. The envelope contains a cryptic letter and a fading photograph of a woman standing in front of Emily's house. Why did the customer grab her cinnamon twists and flee Deputy Donut? With the detective eying Emily as a prime suspect, Emily is determined to find out. But once a donut-shaped murder weapon is discovered in her own backyard, Emily has no time to lose as she pulls apart the connection between the victim and the strange history of her property -- while stopping the real culprit from ensuring that her fate is done and sugar-dusted... ✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽ Emily Westhill co-owns Deputy Donut along with her late husband's father, Tom Westhill. They make donut creations, and all the cops, EMTs, and firemen flock to their shop, along with regular local customers. When a woman comes in two days in a row, Emily can't help notice that she appears nervous, but is hesitant to approach her. On the second day, the woman gives Emily's cat Dep a donut-shaped catnip toy and asks to leave through the back door. Emily notices she's lost an earring and grabs it to return later. But wanting to do so and being able to are different things. When Emily arrives at the rented lake cottage, the woman is dead. Calling her boyfriend Detective Brent Fyne, she waits until he arrives to look over the scene. But right behind him is the new chief of police, Detective Agnew, and he's not happy by Emily's presence. When it's discovered that the woman was murdered, Emily is at the top of Agnew's list of suspects, so she is determined to get herself off the hook. But stumbling blocks are many -- including strange goings-on in her yard, locals that might have known the woman, and the detective sending Brent out of town so she can't share information with him. It's up to Emily herself to try and figure everything out, and if she doesn't she just might be making her tasty treats in prison... This is the seventh book in the series and I have read them all. I have also loved them all. Ms. Bolton writes characters so well that you can almost feel as if you are right there in their small little Wisconsin town. I definitely would love to try some of the donut creations, but since I don't eat a lot of sugar, I'd probably pass out. Still, it would be worth it! In this story we have several subplots along with the main plot, and they are woven into the story seamlessly. Each and every clue is written piece by piece, and actually delivered by someone I would like to know. They paint the picture that the dead woman may not have been a nice person after all, and more than one might have wanted revenge. But enough to kill her? That's what Emily needs to find out, hoping to stay under the radar. As to the subplots, all of them are interesting enough to keep you reading, and most are worthy in their own right. But it's Emily who takes center stage in this mystery, and wondering who wants to find something in her yard so badly and what it could possibly be. I hesitate to say more as I don't want to spoil the book for others, but suffice it to say that the threads are woven nicely, the characters interesting, and the reason for the murder truly sad and leaving you thinking that no one can see into the mind of a murderer. But the ending was truly surprising, and it leaves me wanting to read the next in the series right now. Highly recommended. I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. https://www.amazon.com/Cinnamon-Twisted-Deputy-Donut-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B8488G6G/ref Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5094735857 More on Ginger Bolton's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ginger-bolton/

Theodosia Browning serves tea and solves crimes in Charleston, a city steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs. It is Sunday afternoon, and Theodosia and Drayton are catering a formal tea at a hot-air balloon rally. The view aloft is not only stunning, they are also surrounded by a dozen other colorful hot-air balloons. But as the sky turns gray and the clouds start to boil up, a strange object zooms out of nowhere. It is a drone, and it appears to be buzzing around the balloons, checking them out. As Theodosia and Drayton watch, the drone, hovering like some angry, mechanized insect, deliberately crashes into the balloon next to them. An enormous, fiery explosion erupts, and everyone watches in horror as the balloon plummets to the earth, killing all three of its passengers. Sirens scream, first responders arrive, and Theodosia is interviewed by the police. During the interview she learns that one of the downed occupants was Don Kingsley, the CEO of a local software company, SyncSoft. Not only do the police suspect Kingsley as the primary target, they learn that he possessed a rare Revolutionary War Union Jack flag that several people were rabidly bidding on. Intrigued, Theodosia begins her own investigation. Was it the CEO's soon-to-be ex-wife, who is restoring an enormous mansion at no expense? The CEO's personal assistant, who also functioned as curator of his prized collection of Americana? Two rival antiques' dealers known for dirty dealing? Or was the killer the fiancée of one of Theodosia's dear friends, who turns out to be an employee—and whistle-blower—at SyncSoft? INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

About Gunpowder Green Tea shop owner Theodosia Browning knows that something’s brewing in the high society of Charleston—something other than her newest tea… The Indigo Tea Shop, Charleston’s favorite spot of tea, has just come out with its latest flavor: Gunpowder Green. Theodosia Browning cannot wait to hear its praises as it is unveiled at the annual yacht race. But when she hears the crack of an antique gun meant to end the race, a member of Charleston’s elite falls dead. Theodosia has a hunch that his demise was no accident—and will go out of her way to prove it. But if she doesn’t act fast, Theo will find herself in hot water with some boiling-mad Charlestonians—and more than a little gun-chai… Includes a delicious recipe and tea-making tips!

Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Bayou Book Thief (A Vintage Cookbook Mystery) by Ellen Byron. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more! A fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author ... Read More about Bayou Book Thief (A Vintage Cookbook Mystery) by Ellen Byron | Book Review

The blog where mystery authors cook up cozy books and delicious recipes.

About The Jasmine Moon Murder Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is catering a Charleston benefit, a “Ghost Crawl” through Jasmine Cemetery, when the organizer drops dead—and it looks like foul play. Theodosia stirs things up with her own investigation, and gets into hot water up to her neck.

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aut0215 is the winner of Maya’s book. Watch for an email from her! I’m delighted to welcome back Maya Corrigan who is celebrating the release of Bake Offed. Her first book, By Cook or b…

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Brought to Book is a cozy mystery romance. It i just the perfect book for a winter's evening when you just want a good book and cup of tea.

Twice Sold Tales is by a favorite mystery and suspense author and I could not love it more! Read the review for my thoughts on Pepie.

A book review for Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn. Beach Reads Mystery. Cozy Mystery. Giveaway. Crooked Lane Books.

Death Takes a Ride The Cate Kincaid Files, Book 3 Lorena McCourtney Cozy Mystery Back of the book: It's official. This case is above her pay grade--and Cate's in over her head. Cate Kinkaid arrives at H&B Vintage Auto Restorations to give a friend a ride. But, as usual, trouble finds Cate even there--this time in the form of one dead man, one wounded man, and what appears to be a pretty obvious case of self-defense. Despite having been merely an unfortunate bystander, Cate finds herself sucked into the case. And the deeper she gets, the more she begins to suspect that the shooting in the H&B office may not have been as cut-and-dried as it appeared. Bestselling and award-winning author Lorena McCourtney takes you on wild ride in this clever cozy mystery that will keep you guessing. READ AN EXCERPT! My thoughts: My reading in the summertime tends to be of the lighter variety. A good cozy mystery is just the right thing on a long summer evening. The Cate Kincaid Files are especially nice because they strike the right balance of being a light story that has just enough substance to keep you interested. Death Takes a Ride is the third in the series. Dying to Read and Dolled Up to Die are the first two, but each one can be read as a stand alone. There is an underlying story that threads through each of the novels but each story contains a new mystery that doesn't really hinge on the previous ones. When the story begins Cate is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her official license that will propel her from being an Assistant Investigator to a full fledged Investigator. When that happens it is expected that she will take over the agency so her Uncle Joe can retire and travel. Cate is also trying to patiently wait for Mitch to take their relationship to the next level as in marriage. Unfortunately Mitch and his business partner have been offered a lucrative proposal that will take Mitch to another city. Cate begins to wonder if the relationship means more to her than Mitch. Will he ever get over his aversion to her being a PI? As was the case in the two previous novels Cate didn't go looking to become involved in a murder investigation but it surely sought her out. To say that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time is putting it mildly. At first it looks like a robbery gone bad, but then things just don't add up. The deeper Cate digs into a different matter involving the murder victim the more her intuition tells her that there is more to it than they first suspected. The characters are just quirky enough to add humor to the serious theme of murder. Add in a big slobbery dog and a persnickety cat and you have the makings of a story that will amuse you as you try to figure out who the real culprit is. Connect with the author: www.LorenaMcCourtney.com Facebook Goodreads