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A Valentine’s Day Cozy Mystery
Author Joy Avon brings us Book #3 in her “A Tea and a Read Mystery” series.
Story Locale: Heart Harbor, Maine
Time: February
Event: Valentine’s Day
Main Characters: Callie Aspen, Great-Aunt Iphy Aspen, Deputy Ace Falk
Callie Aspen and her Boston Terrier Daisy have moved to Heart Harbor, Maine where she helps out her great-aunt Iphy in her aunt’s vintage tearoom - Book Tea. The tearoom’s sweet treats all have a bookish clue.
As the story of In Cold Chamomile begins, Callie is getting ready for the town’s big Valentine’s Day event to be held at Haywood Hall, a famous old mansion recently renovated.
But, trouble is brewing in the form of an argument the librarian has with the book expert. Plus, the baritone who arrives for the music program turns out to be someone Aunt Iphy recognizes as an old acquaintance she had hoped never to meet again.
The event appears to be going well until a dead body is discovered. Suspicion points to quite a few people who had reasons to want the victim dead.
Enter Deputy Ace Falk to investigate. Falk not only is currently acting Sheriff due to the Sheriff being ill, he is also the boyfriend of Callie Aspen. In the first two books in this Tea and Read mystery series, Callie had ‘helped’ solve previous murders (of course getting herself in trouble and danger as the heroine in cozy mysteries tend to do). This time, Ace wants Callie to stay away from any ‘amateur sleuthing’ because he worries that her impulsiveness will endanger her. But when Aunt Iphy’s friend-from-the-past (the baritone) is suspected of the murder, both Iphy and Callie set out to clear his name.
A delightful cozy mystery that is light-hearted and easy to read involving books and tea and a murder to solve. A fun Valentine’s Day read.
Note: All three of the books in the ‘Tea and Read Mystery Series have ‘tea’ names (In Peppermint Peril, Sweet Tea and Secrets and In Cold Chamomile). Described as “The Perfect Brew” by a fellow cozy mystery writer, this is a delightful new series.
*In Cold Chamomile book review written by Wednesday Elf
*Images source: Pixabay
In Cold Chamomile: A Tea and a Read MysteryCheck Price In Peppermint Peril: A Tea and a Read MysteryCheck Price Sweet Tea and Secrets: A Tea and a Read MysteryCheck Price In Cold Chamomile: Book Tea Shop Mystery AudiobookCheck Price
I love books and am a big fan of mysteries. I also love to crochet. So finding a mystery book that is a crochet mystery was a delight. And discovering that the author, Betty Hechtman, has written a whole series of these cozy mysteries starring a crochet group was even more fun.
Today's review is on By Hook or By Crook by Betty Hechtman.
The characters in this story are known as the Tarzana Hookers ~ that's hookers as in crochet!
They are a group of ladies (and even one man) who crochet and meet regularly in a small book store in Tarzana, California (thus the name). The crochet group's main focus is to crochet for charities. The group is headed by Molly Pink (main character), a widow with two grown sons who works as the event planner at this book store. Somehow, Molly keeps finding herself involved in mysteries she becomes determined to solve. And, of course, various members of the crochet group get involved.
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“Nobody noticed the bag at first”
The story begins as the group is packing up their table at a charity fund-raiser they had been involved in for a local state park. After the leftover crochet blankets, scarves and teddy bears from the sale had been put away, they noticed a plain brown grocery bag sitting on the end of the table. With nobody claiming the bag, naturally they had to look inside.
The bag contained some curious items ~ an unfinished note that spoke of remorse, ending in Please....., a single-page diary entry written 20 years ago, and a piece of filet crochet with a group of complicated pictures that don't, at first, make any sense. The pictures on the panel of filet crochet include a building, a house, a couple of cats, what looks like a guy with a bow and arrow, and a vase of flowers. What could it mean and who crocheted this piece?
As time goes on, Molly discovers that the aqua thread used in part of the filet crochet piece is a specialty thread and she tracks it down to the local yarn store which carries it. The shop owner keeps good records, so Molly is able to learn who bought this particular thread. When she goes to return the bag, she discovers that the crocheter it belonged to has been murdered.
Since the note in the bag began - "I did something a long time ago that I now regret and would like to make right.....” Molly decides she has to discover what that is and help make it right. She thinks the pictures in the crochet piece could be clues to solve this mystery and, with the help of fellow crocheters in her group, she sets out to learn what it is all about. Her discoveries take her to Catalina Island where things get very strange. Her life is also complicated by her parents suddenly deciding to visit and taking over her house, her two dogs, only one of which is hers, the bookstore demanding her attention, especially because a TV program is being scheduled to film an episode there, distractions caused by the lives of her crochet group members, and just life in general.
Loosely defined, a Cozy Mystery is a gentle subset of the genre of crime writing. It's a comfort read that leaves you satisfied, rather than scared to sleep alone with the lights out....
These mysteries are enjoyable, most often starring a female amateur detective, and with the crime and detection taking place in a small community. They are a comfortable and quick read.
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Betty Hechtman |
Betty Hechtman has (to date) written 14 books in her 'crochet mystery' series. Betty loves mysteries, which began with reading Nancy Drew. She has also been doing handicrafts since she was a child. She states it was like a dream come true to be able to mix mystery and yarn craft in her books.
By Hook or By Crook meets the requirements of a cozy mystery and the series of 'crochet mysteries' this book belongs to is particularly interesting to not only lovers of mysteries, but also anyone who enjoys crochet.
Although the series appears to be a continuing one with the same characters, I don't believe they need to be read in any particular order. I began with this book, which is #3 in the series, and had no trouble figuring out who everyone was and what roles they played in the story. I now look forward to reading the rest of the series and learning more about Molly and the other members of the Tarzana Hookers. They sound like a group I'd love to belong to.
*By Hook or By Crook Book Review Written by Wednesday Elf
If you're after a cozy, feel-good romance with a touch of mystery and intrigue then let me transport you to a little place called Starlight Cove. Want to know more?
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The Lighthouse Keeper was written before A Bittersweet Surprise so there were a couple of things that I already knew would happen, but that didn't deflect from the feel-good feeling this novel gave me. This certainly isn't the novel for you if you want to have to think hard about things or get caught up in some psychological thriller. This book is like a comforting blanket on a cold winter's evening when you just want to be left alone.
The main heroine of the book is the daughter of treasure hunters and when her life gets thrown a couple of curveballs she decides to bid on a lighthouse. As you can probably tell from the title of the novel her bid wins and she moves to Starlight Cove to restore the town's lighthouse.
Her parents have settled down in Starlight Cove and are running an antique shop there, she also meets some of the town's residents along with some not-so-nice non-resident treasure hunters. Did I mention that there was a long-lost treasure to be found too?
While she endeavours to try her hand at a little matchmaking between her first friend in Starlight Cove and one of the hunky Henderson brothers she also finds herself falling a little in love herself. As with any romance, there's a little bump in the road which has her overthinking things (a trait I can totally relate to myself!).
With The Lighthouse Keeper, Cynthia Ellingsen has once again shown how well she can create her characters as I can totally relate to a few in this book, just as I did in the other book. Now I need to grab the only other book I can see in the Starlight Cove series to see if it's as good. An extra bonus is that all three of these are free to read with a Kindle Unlimited account!
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Amelia Marsh's appointment book was taken image courtesy of Pixabay.com |
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Photo Courtesy of Pixabay
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Fix-it Tools courtesy of Pixabay.com |
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