I love listening to audiobooks because I can get things done - like folding laundry, working in the garden, cooking - all the things that we are busy doing at the weather cools. If you are trying to get into listening to audiobooks, I recommend starting with cozy mysteries as they are usually pretty easy to follow.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free audiobooks were provided for an honest review.
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| October 2023; Dreamscape Media; 9781666645477 audio (7h 14m), ebook, print; cozy mystery |
When up-and-coming singing sensation Shelby Vaughn arrives in town for two weeks of concert dates, she hires her old friend Angie and the rest of the bakery crew to supply cupcakes for the VIP guest lounge every night. It is pointed out to Melanie that she is always at the scene of a murder, will this holiday concert be any different?
I've only read a handful of books in this series as I discovered it late and my digital library only has a few of the books (I've listened/read all the ones that are available as audiobooks but not the 3 that are available as ebooks only). I really love her Library Lovers series which is how I discovered this series. I enjoy it. I particularly loved the recipe for pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese icing from Pumpkin Spice Peril. Unfortunately, the audiobooks don't include the recipes. I wasn't sure that was the case since I listened to an advance copy of Strawberried Alive but I recently checked out Red Velvet Revenge audiobook and there wasn't a recipe included.
This series is growing on me and I really liked Sugar Plum Poisoned. It's book 15 in the series, but it is okay if you haven't read the earlier books. While it is set at Christmas, it isn't really a Christmas book and is definitely a full-length entry in the series. The cupcakes are holiday-themed and there are scenes of the Melanie preparing for Christmas dinner, which she is hosting this year (and the guest list keeps growing!).
The murder victim is not someone from the town and because I don't really know the person or the people connected to the victim, it is difficult to determine who is the most likely culprit. That just makes the story more compelling.
The audiobook is easy to follow. The narrator does a good job of making different voices for the various characters.
If you are looking for a Christmas book that isn't overly sweet but still fluffy, then you should read Sugar Plum Poisoned.
Buy Sugar Plum Poisoned at Amazon
Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew
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| October 2023; Dreamscape Media; 9781666648959 audio (7h 44m), ebook, print; cozy mystery |
Scarlett Gardner’s dream was to open a bookshop in Southern California, but it soon becomes a nightmare when she finds the dead body of a customer—and becomes the prime suspect.
Are the cooler temperatures putting a damper on your mood? Then head to sunny California for a walk along the beach in Samara Yew's new cozy mystery Murder by the Seashore.
I'm not a fan of the protagonist being the prime suspect in book 1 of a new series. I know it is a popular trope, but it is probably why I often skip the first book in a series.
I liked the main character Scarlett as well as the supporting cast. I would hazard to guess that many bookworms dream of owning a bookstore in a close-knit community. But as it is only a dream a fictional bookstore owner is fun to read about.
The plot was easy to follow while listening to the audiobook. The mystery isn't full of twists and turns nor is the pace super fast. There are still plenty of suspects and trying to piece together who had motive, means, and opportunity will keep you engaged.
As the first book in a series, it is really to set up the characters we will see in future books. We get plenty of details about the various characters but not in an overwhelming info dump kind of way. We get just enough to feel like we know them by the end. Unfortunately, the audiobook didn't help much in helping the reader delineate the characters. Some of the voices were too similar and others just didn't seem to match the character so I would be pulled out of the story in order to figure out which character was talking.
Overall, it is a good first book in a new series. I look forward to Scarlett building her new business and checking in with the other characters in the next book.
Buy Murder by the Seashore at Amazon
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
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