ROCCO's June Cozy reviews!

 Ma-Row!  Here are our June cozy reviews. First up..HISS  ME DEADLY

HISS ME DEADLY

A CAT IN THE STACKS MYSTERY

MIRANDA JAMES

BERKLEY; HARDCOVER; 6/27/23

FIVE PAWS

Perfect for fans of Ali Brandon, Sofie Kelly, and Laura Childs, James’s Cat in the Stacks mysteries deliver a delightful blend of cozy themes that readers love, with a charming, Southern setting and a Librarian sleuth who solves crimes with his trusted fuzzy companion.

 

In this latest installment, Charlie and Diesel must catch a killer before he strikes another deadly note.

 

Charlie Harris remembers Wilfred “Wil” Threadgill as one of the outsiders during high school in Athena. Although Wil was a couple of years ahead of him and his friend Melba Gilley, Melba had a big crush on Wil, who dropped out after his junior year. An aspiring musician, Wil hit the road for California and never looked back. Wil eventually became a star, fronting a band and writing award-winning songs. 

Coming back to Athena to work for two weeks with students in the college music department, Wil is now the big man on campus. Not everyone is happy to have him back, however. His entourage have been the target of several acts of petty harassment. At first they are easy for Wil to shrug off, but the incidents escalate and become more troubling. When one of the band members is killed Charlie worries that Melba, now deeply involved with the man at the center of the attacks, could be in deadly danger. It is up to Charlie and Diesel to find out who hates Wil Threadgill enough to silence his song . . . forever!

Charlie and Diesel are still going strong n their 15th adventure!  they work overtime to make sure their buddy Melba isn't in danger!  Part of the charm of this series is the supporting characters; and, of course, our favorite 'cat in the stacks'. Long live Diesel!  an excellent addition to a long running series that shows no signs of running out of steam. Five paws.

A FATAL ILLUSION

a Lady Darby Mystery

Anna Lee Huber

Berkley; Trade PB

June 20, 2023

four Stars

New parents Lady Kiera Darby and Sebastian Gage look forward to introducing Sebastian’s father to his granddaughter, but instead find themselves investigating an attempt on his life...

Yorkshire, England. August 1832. Relations between Sebastian Gage and his father have never been easy, especially since the discovery that Lord Gage has been concealing the existence of an illegitimate son. But when Lord Gage is nearly fatally attacked on a journey to Scotland, Sebastian and Kiera race to his side. Given the tumult over the recent passage of the Reform Bill and the Anatomy Act, in which Lord Gage played a part, Sebastian wonders if the attack could be politically motivated.

But something suspicious is afoot in the sleepy village where Lord Gage is being cared for. The townspeople treat Sebastian and Kiera with hostility when it becomes clear they intend to investigate, and rumors of mysterious disappearances and highway robberies plague the area. Lord Gage’s survival is far from assured, and Sebastian and Kiera must scramble to make the pieces fit before a second attempt at murder is more successful than the first.

Another solid entry in a long running series. Four paws.

HOT POT MURDER

LA Market Night

Jennifer Chow

Berkley/MMPB

June 6, 2023

Four stars

Trouble is brewing for cousins Yale and Celine Yee after a hot pot dinner gets overheated and ends in murder in this second novel of the L.A. Night Market series by Jennifer J. Chow.

Yale and Celine Yee’s food stall business is going so well that they’ve been invited to join an exclusive dinner with the local restaurant owners association. The members gather together for a relaxing hot pot feast…until Jeffery Vue, president of the group, receives a literal shock to his system and dies. 

Everyone at the meal is a suspect, but the authorities are homing in on family friend Ai Ho, owner of the restaurant where Jeffery was killed—and Yale’s dad is a close second on their list. Yale and Celine step up to the plate and investigate the dinner attendees: the association’s ambitious VP, a familiar frenemy, a ramen king, a snacks shopkeeper, and a second-generation restaurateur. It’s up to the detecting duo to figure out what really happened before their friends and family have to close their businesses for good.

Everyone loves reading about food and when murder is combined so much the better!  Reminiscent of the Gourmet Detective msyteries, Chow delivers a solid plot.  Definitely worth a read! Four paws.