Rocco and Chazz's June and July Cozy Berkley Reviews!

Ma-Row!

Here are our reviews on the Berkley cozy offerings for June/July!

First up:

FONDANT FUMBLE

JENN MCKINLAY

MMPB

RELEASE DATE:  JUNE 4TH

FOUR AND A HALF PAWS

The Fairy Tale Cupcakes crew helps two professional football players in knead when the athletes are suspected of murder and their dream of opening a bakery is crushed, from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.

Professional football players Keogh Graham and Tyler Matthews want to open a Fairy Tale Cupcakes franchise. They’re spending the off-season in Scottsdale working in Mel’s bakery, learning about the business and how to bake show-stopping cupcakes. The popular athletes bring a boom of customers to the store as football fans flock to see the friends mixing batter and piping icing.

Everyone’s excited the athletes are pursuing their dream of owning a bakery—except for those who fear the players will ditch football for fondant and retire early from professional sports. The angry naysayers include their team owner and Keogh's sports agent, along with some very vocal fans.

When the owner of their team, the Arizona Scorpions, is found dead on the floor of their new bakery following an argument with Keogh, the pros become prime suspects. As the investigation heats up, Mel and the rest of the cupcake bakery crew must step up and prove their franchise owners are innocent before it’s game-over for the new bakers.

Rocco's Review:  Jenn McKinlay works in our home state of Arizona with pride in this latest instalment of the cupcake mysteries!   As usual, Mel and the crew deliver with an intriguing mystery and lots of twisty turns!  Definite must summer read! Four and a half paws!

REQUIEM FOR A MOUSE

CAT IN THE STACKS MYSTERY

MIRANDA JAMES

JUNE 25TH; HC

FIVE PAWS

Librarian Charlie Harris and his ever-intuitive feline friend Diesel must catch a killer in a deadly game of cat and mouse where no one is who they seem to be...

At last, Charlie and Helen Louise’s wedding is only a month away. They’re busy preparing for the big day, and the last thing Charlie needs is a new mystery to solve. Enter Tara Martin, a shy, peculiar woman who has recently started working part-time at Helen Louise’s bistro and helping Charlie in the archive. Tara isn’t exactly friendly and she has an angry outburst at the library that leaves Charlie baffled. And then she abruptly leaves a catered housewarming party Charlie’s son Sean is throwing to celebrate his new home in the middle of her work shift. Before ducking out of the party, Tara looked terrified and Charlie wonders if she’s deliberately trying to escape notice. Is she hiding from someone?

When Tara is viciously attacked and lands in the hospital, Charlie knows his instincts were correct: Tara was in trouble and someone was after her. With the help of his much beloved cat, Diesel, Charlie digs deeper, and discovers shocking glimpses into Tara’s past that they could never have predicted. Will they catch the villain before Charlie’s own happily ever after with Helen Louise is ruined?

Chazz's Review:  Firstoff, i have to say this is one of my favorite series! I love Charlie, and I love Diesel!  and the supporting characters aren't bad either!  the cover art is always outstanding, and this one is a particularly good likeness of Diesel!

As usual, Charlie's instincts are on point and he does what he and Diesel do best - sniff out clues!  I liked the way Ms. James interspersed the mystery with Charlie's upcoming nuptuals. Do they get hitched????? Read the book! Five paws!!!!!

A CONTROVERSIAL COVER

Booktown Mystery

Lorna Barrett

HC; 7/16/24

five paws

When a famous children's author is murdered at the library, Tricia Miles has to find the killer before it's too late in the latest entry to Lorna Barrett's New York Times bestselling Booktown series.

Tricia Miles is ready to close the book on all her amateur sluething—she's tired of finding dead bodies and being accused of murder. But even the best laid plans often go awry.

Stoneham is all abuzz when Lauren Barker, a famous children's book author, arrives for an event at the local library. Lauren is a Stoneham native, and her new book strikes some members of the town as controversial. But when Lauren is found strangled to death after an altercation at the event, the plot twist throws Tricia right back into the middle of things.

Who could possibly have wanted Lauren dead? Was it Dan Reed, who had to be thrown out of the signing for spouting conspiracy theories and causing a disturbance? Stella Kraft, Lauren’s high school teacher, who thought of the author as a protégé—something Lauren violently disputed? Or the mystery man who spoke to Lauren just before she was found dead? With the suspect count climbing higher and more information about Lauren's past coming to light, will Tricia be able to give this story a happily ever after?

Rocco's Review:  Booktown mysteries are always a treat - we love the delightfully quirky characters Ms. Barrett has created, and in spite of her misgivings, Tricia Miles always proves to be a worthy sleuth.  In this instalment she's swearing off detecting - until a murder at the local library sucks her in!  Lots of twisty turns in this one; fans of this series will not be disappointed. And may I say I for one am glad that Tricia didn't give up sleuthing!  Five Paws