ROCCO spotlights RELENTLESS!

 

Meow!

Today the spotlight is on Book 10 in Mark Greaney's popular Gray Man series, RELENTLESS!

The Gray Man's search for missing intelligence agents plunges him deep into a maelstrom of trouble in the latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The first agent disappearance was a puzzle.

The second was a mystery.

The third was a conspiracy.

Intelligence operatives around the world are disappearing. When a missing American agent re-appears in Venezuela, Court Gentry, the Gray Man, is dispatched to bring him in, but a team of assassins has other ideas. Court escapes with his life and a vital piece of intelligence.

Meanwhile, CIA agent Zoya Zakharova is in Berlin. Her mission: to infiltrate a private intelligence firm with some alarming connections. The closer she gets to answers, the less likely she is to get out alive.

Court and Zoya are just two pieces on this international chessboard, and they're about to discover one undeniable truth—sometimes capturing a king requires sacrificing some pawns.

Don't miss the tenth instalment in this riveting series! On sale Today!!!!!!!

ROCCO's February Cozy Reviews!

 Meow!  It's time for our February cozy reviews!  We'll start with one of our Favorite authors!

EGG SHOOTERS

A Cackleberry Club mystery

Laura Childs

Berkley Prime Crime

Hardcover - 1/26/21

Five stars

Suzanne Dietz, co-owner of the Cackleberry Club Café, is visiting her fiancé, Dr. Sam Hazelet, when a masked gunman bursts into the emergency room. He shoots two people and would probably have done more damage had Suzanne not brained him with a thermos full of chili. Still, the gunman manages to escape.

Now the ladies of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he finds them.

Suzanne and the gang are back in another spine-tingling mystery.  This series is becoming one of my can't miss!!!!!  Five paws!!!!!!

Undercover Kitty

Sofie Ryan

Second Chance Cat Mystery

Berkley - MM

January 26, 2021

Five Paws

Sarah Grayson and her capable cat, Elvis, go undercover in the newest installment of the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mysteries.

Sarah and Elvis can always be found at a charming secondhand shop in the village of North Harbor, Maine. Despite the small-town setting, the daring duo often find themselves wrapped up in murder, but luckily they have help--a quirky group of senior citizens runs an amateur detective agency called Charlotte's Angels out of the store.

The Angels are hired to look into who is sabotaging cat shows in the state, and they decide the best way to do that is to send Elvis the cat undercover as a contestant. But then one of the cat show volunteers is murdered just before the latest competition, and Sarah and the Angels have to catch a killer in two shakes of a cat's tail!

LIke its sister sereis, the magical cats, this one just keeps improving with each volume!  the characters are well defined and the plot appropriately twisty!  Five paws!

A PAIRING TO DIE FOR

Kate Lansing

Colorado Wine Mystery

MM - Berkley

January 26, 2021

Four and a half paws

A young winemaker is over a barrel when her new boyfriend is accused of murder in this delightful cozy mystery.

It's fall in Boulder, Colorado, and the leaves aren't the only things changing. Parker Valentine, owner of Vino Valentine, is finally settling in to her winery and her new relationship with Reid Wallace, a local chef. But their delicate pairing is endangered when Reid's estranged family comes into town to celebrate the opening of his new restaurant.

Reid and his family are immediately at loggerheads, given their often acidic temperaments, but Parker still wants to make a good first impression. However, her efforts might be in vain when Reid's sous chef is found dead in the alley behind the restaurant, and Reid is implicated in the murder. In order to save Reid, Parker will have to find the real killer, even if the truth is difficult to swallow.

Wine and a good mystery. Enough said. 

KILLER CONTENT

Olivia Blacke

Berkley Trade Paperback

February 2, 2021

Four stars

It's murder most viral in this debut mystery by Olivia Blacke.

Bayou transplant Odessa Dean has a lot to learn about life in Brooklyn. So far she's scored a rent free apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods around by cat-sitting, and has a new job working at Untapped Books & Café. Hand-selling books and craft beers is easy for Odessa, but making new friends and learning how to ride the subway? Well, that might take her a little extra time.

But things turn more sour than an IPA when the death of a fellow waitress goes viral, caught on camera in the background of a couple's flash-mob proposal video. Nothing about Bethany's death feels right to Odessa--neither her sudden departure mid-shift nor the clues that only Odessa seems to catch. As an up-and-coming YouTube star, Bethany had more than one viewer waiting for her to fall from grace.

Determined to prove there's a killer on the loose, Odessa takes matters into her own hands. But can she pin down Bethany's killer before they take Odessa offline for good?

DIABOLICAL BONES

 Bronte Sisters Mystery

Bella Ellis

Berkley Trade Paperback 

February 16, 2021

Four Stars

Haworth Parsonage, February 1846: The Brontë sisters— Anne, Emily, and Charlotte—are busy with their literary pursuits. As they query publishers for their poetry, each sister hopes to write a full-length novel that will thrill the reading public. They’re also hoping for a new case for their fledgling detecting enterprise, Bell Brothers and Company solicitors. On a bitterly cold February evening, their housekeeper Tabby tells them of a grim discovery at Scar Top House, an old farmhouse belonging to the Bradshaw family. A set of bones has been found bricked up in a chimney breast inside the ancient home.
 
Tabby says it's bad doings, and dark omens for all of them. The rattled housekeeper gives them a warning, telling the sisters of a chilling rumour attached to the family. The villagers believe that, on the verge of bankruptcy, Clifton Bradshaw sold his soul to the devil in return for great riches. Does this have anything to do with the bones found in the Bradshaw house? The sisters are intrigued by the story and feel compelled to investigate. But Anne, Emily, and Charlotte soon learn that true evil has set a murderous trap and they've been lured right into it...

FURBIDDEN FATALITY

Deborah Blake

MM - Berkley

February 23, 2021

Four and a half stars

a lottery winner uses her good fortune to save a local pet sanctuary, but when a body is discovered on the property, she just might be in the doghouse in this first book in a new, charming cozy mystery series from author Deborah Blake.

Kari Stuart's life is going nowhere—until she unexpectedly wins the lottery. The twenty-nine-year-old instant multimillionaire is still mulling plans for her winnings when rescuing a bossy black kitten leads her to a semi-abandoned animal shelter. They need the cash—Kari needs a purpose.

But the dilapidated rescue is literally going to the dogs with a pending lawsuit, hard to adopt animals, and too much unwanted attention from the town's dog warden. When the warden turns up dead outside the shelter's dog kennels, Kari finds herself up a creek without a pooper-scooper.

With the help of some dedicated volunteers, a cute vet, and a kitten who mysteriously shows up just when she needs it, Kari must prove her innocence all while trying to save a dog on death row. Now she just needs to hope that her string of unexpected luck isn't about to run out

An interesting premise and a good start to a new series!

A SIDE OF MURDER

AMY PERSHING

CAPE COD FOODIE

FEBRUARY 23, 2021

MM-BERKLEY

4 1/2 paws

 Beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is known for seafood, sand, surf, and, now…murder.

 
Samantha Barnes was always a foodie.  And when the CIA (that’s the Culinary Institute of America) came calling, she happily traded in Cape Cod for the Big Apple.  But then the rising young chef’s clash with another chef (her ex!) boils over and goes viral. So when Sam inherits a house on the Cape and lands a job writing restaurant reviews, it seems like the perfect pairing. What could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, a lot.
 
The dilapidated house comes with an enormous puppy. Her new boss is, well, bossy.  And the town’s harbor master is none other than her first love.  Nonetheless, Sam’s looking forward to reviewing the Bayview Grill—and indeed the seafood chowder is divine. But the body in the pond outside the eatery was not on the menu. Sam is certain this is murder. But as she begins to stir the pot, is she creating a recipe for her own untimely demise?

Another promising new series.  can we dare hope Berkley is reviving their cozies??????  We hope so.

Four ad a half paws

And another debuting this month:

HISS H FOR HOMICIDE

A NICK AND NORA  MYSTERY

T. C. Lotempio

February 9, 2021

Kindle/Trade paperback

Beyond the Page Publishing

Nick and Nora are back in a tantalizing new mystery that’s far more dangerous than a game of cat and mouse . . .

Never one to turn away from a challenge—even when it goes against her better judgment—Nora Charles can hardly say no when an old friend of her mother’s comes to town seeking her help. The author of steamy romances has learned that her writing partner is severing their relationship and threatening to reveal dark and dirty secrets in a tell-all, and she pleads with Nora to intervene. Reluctantly agreeing to help, Nora pays a visit to the writing partner, ready to make her case—right up until the moment she discovers the woman’s lifeless body.

With the police convinced that Nora’s friend is the culprit, she and Nick begin delving into the dead woman’s past and her provocative tell-all. It soon becomes apparent that the woman had a knack for digging up dirt and wasn’t shy about exposing skeletons in closets, and before long Nora has a seemingly endless list of suspects who were at risk of having their darkest secrets revealed. With a police force intent on throwing the book at Nora’s friend and time running out, she and Nick must outwit a dangerous killer before they take their own secrets to the grave . . .

Unfortunately, we cannot review this mystery, but we sincerely hope that our fans will like it!!!!  Meow!

Want to win one of ROCCO's review copies?  Leave your name and e-mail address in our comments sectin below.  Winner will be chosen at random. US entries only please.  Contest ends midnight, February 26.

ROCCO reviews E. J. Copperman's INHERIT THE SHOES

 Meow!  Our good friend EJ Copperman, author of the very popular HAUNTED GUESTHOUSE series, has a new book out!  INHERIT THE SHOES, first in the Jersey Girl Legal Mystery series is a home run!

INHERIT THE SHOES

A Jersey Girl Legal Mystery

E.J. Copperman

Severn House, Hardcover

Release date: 1/5/2021

TEN PAWS

New Jersey prosecutor Sandy Moss is tired of petty criminals, and a new job at a glitzy Los Angeles law firm seems the perfect career move. Putting 3,000 miles between her and her ex-boyfriend is just an added bonus.

But on Sandy's first morning as a family attorney, she inadvertently kills her new career stone dead when she offends her boss during a meeting with the firm's top celebrity client, charismatic TV star Patrick McNabb. But that's not as dead as Patrick's soon-to-be ex-wife, Patsy, is that evening, when she's discovered shot by an arrow, her husband standing over her.

Did Patrick really kill his wife in a dispute over a pair of shoes? All signs point to yes. But Patrick is determined to clear his name, using all the legal skills he's learned from playing a lawyer on TV, and to Sandy's deep dismay, she's the only person he'll allow to help . . .

ROCCO's review!

Our old friend EJ Copperman (Haunted Guesthouse series, Mysterious Detective series, Agent to the Paws series) is back with a new mystery series that just might be the best one yet!

  Sandy Moss is a NJ prosecutor who wants a calmer way of life, so she heads to LA to work in family law. On her first day at work, she impresses the firms top client, a roguish actor who plays a lawyer on a tv show.  When said actor is accused of  murdering his soon to be ex wife, the only attorney he wants is Sandy...whether she wants the job or not.  and when Patrick starts investigating the murder himself in an attempt to clear his name, Sandy has a hard time keeping from strangling him herself. 

INHERIT THE SHOES is what Copperman does best. A compelling mystery with a spritz of humor as only EJ can do it.  Sandy Moss is an appealing heroine and Patrick McNabb is her frustrating, albeit handsome, client.  How Sandy keeps from decking him is the bigger mystery, if you ask me meow!  We can see the romantic sparks simmering between these two, so it will be interesting to see how it develops in future books. If you are a fan of his other series, you will love this one. And if you're not a fan, what the heck are you waiting for??????  Get this book now!!!!!!!!!!  Five paws (we'd give it ten if we could) Darn it, we can! Ten paws!

And now...a brief interview with EJ himself!

Welcome, EJ.  Loving  your new book, Inherit the Shoes. Tell us a little bit about it and where the idea came from.

Thank you! It’s about Sandy Moss, a New Jersey prosecutor who moves to Los Angeles to get away from criminal law and start a career in family law. But she runs into a problem when her first divorce case becomes a murder defense because her client Patrick McNabb, a TV actor who plays a lawyer, is accused of murdering his estranged wife—with a bow and arrow from a John Wayne movie.

Where did the idea come from? It’s a very long story, but mostly from the time Alan Alda was asked to speak at the medical school graduation from a major university because he played a doctor on M*A*S*H.

 

We also loved your Haunted Guesthouse series (all your series, really).  Are there any more planned for the future?

Alas, the publisher has not requested any more books in that series, so no plans right now. I have a habit, though, of writing short stories that include characters from my book series. I don’t have those plans right now, but you never know.

 

If Inherit the Shoes were to be made into a movie, who would you like to see cast in it?

They could cast it with trained pelicans and I’d be okay with it. Producers: If you want to make INHERIT THE SHOES into a movie, a TV show, a series of educational filmstrips… you just let my agent know.

 

Is there a sequel planned?  What can we expect?

There is a sequel being edited as we speak, presumably for 2022 or late 2021 (I never know when the books are really coming out). It’s called JUDGMENT AT SANTA MONICA and that’s all I’m going to tell you.

 

Lastly, how’s your good friend Jeff Cohen doing?  Any new books coming out from him?

Haven’t spoken to him in a while, but I know he’s healthy at least. You know, physically. His mental health is always something of a question. No books coming out under his name that I know about. You have his email address; you should ask him.

Maybe we will! Thanks EJ!

Win ROCCO's review copy!

To win ROCCO's review copy of INHERIT THE SHOES, leave your name and email address in our comments section below! winner will be chosen at random by Maxx!  Contest ends midnight, January 29!

 

ROCCO's January Cozy Reviews!

 Me-ow!  It's a new year, so it's time for my first cozy reviews of 2021!

Starting With:

A WICKED YARN

Emmie Caldwell

Berkley Paperback

Release date  12/29/20

Four and a half stars

A killer may craft the perfect crime, but as every knitter worth her yarn knows--murder wool out.

Mother's Day should be a cinch for the good folks of the Crandalsburg Craft Fair, and knitting enthusiast Lia Geiger has a good feeling about this year's yield. But things quickly get knotty when Lia's daughter announces she's quit her job and Lia finds herself tangled up in the murder of her best friend's ex-husband. While Belinda's alibi quickly gets her off the hook, nasty rumors spread throughout Crandalsburg that shroud the entire fair in suspicion.

Could the vendors be responsible for the murder of a man hell-bent on unraveling the fair just days before his death? Lia and her crafty group of Ninth Street Knitters must put down their needles to gather clues and save the crafting community they've grown to love.

A good first entry in what looks to be a promising series.  Also with the requisite cat LOL.

TO FETCH A FELON

Jennifer Hawkins

Berkley/Paperback 

12/29/20

four and a half stars

Emma Reed and her beloved Corgi move from London to Cornwall with the dream of opening a tea shop—but first they’ll have to collar a criminal in the first book in a charming new series.
 
Emma leaves London and her life in high finance behind her and moves to an idyllic village in Cornwall, with its cobblestone streets and twisting byways. She plans to open a village tea shop and bake the recipes handed down to her from her beloved grandmother, and of course there’ll be plenty of space for her talking corgi, Oliver, to explore. Yes...talking. Emma has always been able to understand Oliver, even though no one else can.

As soon as Emma arrives in the village she discovers that the curmudgeonly owner of the building she wants to rent for her shop hates dogs and gets off on the wrong foot with Oliver. Although some might turn tail and run, Emma is determined to win her over. But when she delivers some of her homemade scones as a peace offering, she finds the woman dead. Together, Emma and Oliver will need to unleash their detective skills to catch a killer.

another good entry in a new series.  On a separate note, we see that Berkley likes talking animals now, meow!!!!!!

The Broken Spine

Dorothy St. James

Berkley/Hardcover

1/19/21

Four 1/2 stars

When small-town assistant librarian Tru Beckett sets up a secret book room in her newly modernized library, she discovers that protecting the printed word is harder than she’d ever imagined. In fact, it’s murder.

Trudell Becket, known to her friends as Tru, finds herself in a bind when her library in lovely Cypress, South Carolina, is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless “technological center.” A library with no books breaks Tru’s book-loving heart so she decides to rescue hundreds of beloved tomes slated for the town dump. Under the cover of darkness, Tru, along with her best friends—coffee shop owner Tori Green and mysterious bestselling author Flossie Finnegan-Baker—set up a secret bookroom in the library’s basement and prepare to open it to their most loyal, trustworthy patrons.

But as Tru and her crew are putting the finishing touches on their new book room, the town manager, who was behind the big push for the library’s transformation, is crushed by an overturned shelf of DVDs. Tru becomes the prime suspect as she hadn’t hid the fact that she hated having all of those wonderful books replaced by tablets and computers. But if she gives the police her alibi, she’ll have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books.

Tru knows she’s in a heap of trouble, and it doesn’t help that the officer in charge of the case is her old crush from high school, who broke her teenaged heart. To keep herself out of jail and her beloved bookroom up and running, Tru—with the help of Tori, Flossie, and a brown tabby stray cat named Dewey Decimal—decides to investigate. And faster than you can say “Shhhh!” Tru quickly finds herself on the same page with a killer who would love to write her final chapter. . . .

I found this to be an interesting concept for a series. Sort of reminded me of a secret society!  four 1/2 paws!

CRIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINARA

Stephanie Cole

Tuscan Cooking School msytery

Berkley/Paperback

1/26/21

4 1/2 paws

American chef Nell Valenti's high hopes for a successful Tuscan farm-to-table cooking school are in danger of withering on the vine in this delectable cozy mystery.

Nell Valenti is settling into her role of transforming the Villa Orlandini into a superb farm-to-table cooking school, and the time has finally come for a full taste test run. But when Chef Orlandini prepares to reveal his top secret marinara recipe for the first time to a group of American gastro-tourists, Nell realizes she might have bitten off more than she can chew.

Nell begins to suspect that one of the tourists is actually a private detective sent to spy on her by her overprotective father, and the fussy foodies are noisy and disrespectful from the very start of the Marinara Mysteriosa workshop. Even worse, when one visitor appears to be poisoned by the famous marinara recipe, Nell will have to work fast to uncover a killer and keep a lid on bad press before her fresh start is spoiled for good.

We enjoyed the first one in this series and the second one is a good encore!!!!!!!!!

Last but not least......

MRS. JEFFRIES DEMANDS JUSTICE

Emily Brightwell

Trade Paperback/BERkley

/Mrs. Jeffries always keeps her friends close and now must keep an enemy even closer if she is going to catch a killer. . . .

Inspector Nigel Nivens is not a nice man or a good investigator. In fact, he’s terrible at his job and has always done everything he can to make life difficult for Inspector Witherspoon. But even his powerful family can’t help him after he maliciously tried to hobble Witherspoon’s last homicide investigation. He’s been sent to a particularly difficult precinct in the East End of London as penance.

When a paid informant is found shot in an alley, Nivens thinks that if he can crack the case, he’ll redeem himself and have a much-needed chance at impressing his superiors. But there’s one big problem with his plan—Niven’s distinct antique pistol is found at the scene of the crime and even more evidence is uncovered that links the Inspector to the murder.

Despite their mutual dislike for Nivens, Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Witherspoon know the man isn’t a cold-blooded killer. Now they’ll just have to prove it. . . .

Thirty nine books strong!  

ROCCO'S DECEMBER COZY REVIEWS!

 Meow!  Here are my December Cozy Reviews!

POPPY REDFERN AND THE FATAL FLYERS

TESSA ARLEN

BERKLEY PRIME CRIME

DECEMBER 1, 2020

FOUR STARS

Poppy Redfern is back on the case when two female fighter pilots take a fatal dive in an all-new Woman of World War II Mystery by Tessa Arlen.

It is the late autumn of 1942. Our indomitable heroine Poppy Redfern is thoroughly immersed in her new job as a scriptwriter at the London Crown Film Unit, which produces short films featuring British civilians who perform acts of valor and heroism in wartime. After weeks of typing copy and sharpening pencils, Poppy is thrilled to receive her first solo script project: a fifteen-minute film about the Air Transport Auxiliary, known as Attagirls, a group of female civilians who have been trained to pilot planes from factories to military airfields all over Britain.

Poppy could not be more excited to spend time with these amazing ladies, but she never expects to see one of the best pilots die in what is being labeled an accident. When another Attagirl meets a similar fate, Poppy and her American fighter-pilot boyfriend, Griff, believe foul play may be at work. They soon realize that a murderer with a desire for revenge is dead set on grounding the Attagirls for good. . .  Good second entry in this series.

MURDER IS A MUST

Marty Wingate

Berkley/Hardcover

December 1, 2020

Four stars

Determined to make the First Edition Library a success, Hayley Burke wasn’t expecting to have to solve an old friend’s murder in this all-new mystery from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling's collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She's even made progress with Lady Fowling's former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling's life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.
 
     Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it.
 
     When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she's unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at Middlebank, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs. Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past? Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer.  Second in this series.

PREMEDITATED MORTAR

Kate Carlisle

Berkley/Mass Market PB

DEcember 1, 2020

Five Stars

Contractor Shannon Hammer gets tangled up in murder at a spooky old asylum in the latest Fixer-Upper Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Kate Carlisle. . . .

Shannon Hammer is about to embark on one of the biggest projects of her career. Her best friend Jane Hennessey has purchased one wing of the Gables, formerly the old state insane asylum, located on a bucolic hillside two miles northeast of Lighthouse Cove. Jane plans to turn her section into a small luxury hotel complete with twenty ocean-view rooms, a spa, and a restaurant.

Shannon is raring to get started on the enormous project and is shocked when a group of unruly protesters shows up at the groundbreaking ceremony and wreaks havoc. She’s even more freaked-out when someone pushes her into a pit of bricks in a closed-off room of the asylum. Despite her close call, Shannon wants nothing more than to get back to work . . . until she finds a body not far from where she was pushed. Now Shannon is determined to get to the bottom of the goings-on at the Gables even if it kills her. . . .

Shannon Hammer is back in another adventure and aren't we glad!  this is one of those series that just seemes to improve with each book!  A resounding five paws....

The Dead Season

Tessa Wegert

BErkley/ Trade Paperback

December 8, 2020

Four stars

Senior Investigator Shana Merchant has spent years running from her past. But she never imagined a murder case would drive her to the most dangerous place of all—home. 

After leaving the NYPD following her abduction by serial killer Blake Bram, Shana Merchant hoped for a fresh start in the Thousand Islands of Upstate New York. Her former tormentor has other plans. Shana and Bram share more than just a hometown, and he won’t let her forget it. When the decades-old skeleton of Shana's estranged uncle is uncovered, Bram issues a challenge: Return home to Vermont and solve the cold case, or the blood he spills next will be on her hands.

As Shana interviews members of her family and the community, mining for secrets that could help her solve her uncle's murder, she begins to realize how little she remembers of her childhood. And when Bram grows impatient and kidnaps again, leaving a trail of clues Shana alone can understand, she knows his new victim will only survive if she wins the psychopath’s twisted game. In order to solve one mystery, Shana must wade into her murky past to unravel another.

MURDER IN SEASON

A MURDER SHE WROTE MYSTERY

JESSICA FLETCHER AND JON LAND

BERKLEY, HARDCOVER

RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 24, 2020

FIVE PAWS!!!!!

ROCCO's note:  This was reviewed on an earlier blog, but it was so good, we're bringing it back for seconds!

Christmas has come to Cabot Cove, but a peaceful holiday season is not in the cards after Jessica Fletcher is pulled into a centuries-old mystery in the latest entry in this USA Today bestselling series.

With work on the reconstruction of her beloved home almost complete, Jessica Fletcher is in high holiday spirits, spearheading the annual Christmas parade and preparing for her nephew Grady and his family to come to town. The only thing dampening the holiday cheer is the discovery of two sets of bones on Jessica’s property: one set ancient, the other only about a year old. It’s concluded that they were both placed there during the reconstruction, and Jessica suspects that, despite the centuries between them, the remains might be connected. 

Soon tabloid reporter Tad Hollenbeck arrives in Cabot Cove to write a story about what he calls “the murder capital of the country.” But when Tad himself is murdered, Jessica speculates that his arrival, his death, and the discovery of the bones are all somehow linked.

As Jessica digs deeper to find the connection between the bones and Tad’s murder, everything seems to come back to a mystery that has long plagued Cabot Cove. If she wants to solve the case, she’ll need to delve into her beloved town’s dark history, or else this holiday season may be her last....

'Holidays can be murder, I tell you!"  Seth Hazlett delivers the opening line in this latest Murder She Wrote mystery, a line we often find all too true, although not for the same reasons as Jessica.

Once again, Jon Land comes through with a deliciously intricate mystery for America's favorite sleuth to solve.  I've enjoyed watching Jessica evolve through the last few books, her mysteries more thriller than cozy and reminiscent of the final seasons of MURDER SHE WROTE.  Land weaves a good tale, and the characters are as lively and in some cases as stodgy as ever (although I still feel there is just a tad too much bickering between Jessica and Mort!)  Fans of the series will love this.   A good read on a chilly afternoon (or any afternoon or evening, really.)   Five paws!!!!!

Want to win one of these review copies?????????

Leave your name and email address in our comments section!  Winner will be chosen at random by random.org (who else?????)  US entries only please. Contest ends midnight, December 28th!

Celebrating CRIME AND CATNIP!

 Four years ago today the third Nick and Nora mystery, CRIME AND CATNIP, was published by Berkley Prime Crime. Little did we know at that time it would be the last we'd see of Nick and Nora for four long years!!!!!

But thanks to the good people at   BEYOND THE PAGE publishing, Nick and Nora are getting a new life!  HISS H FOR HOMICIDE the fourth Nick and Nora mystery, will debut in February of 2021!

In the  meantime to celebrate the anniversaries of both book one (12/2/14) and book three (12/6/16)  I'm going to re-run the Meow contest since we didn't have a winner.  The prize will be a $15 Amazon gift card to the first person who can answer the below questions.  Post your answers in the comments section below along with your contact info (email addy) Contest ends midnight tonight! 

Good luck!

What is the name of the newspaper Nora wrote for when she lived in Chicago, and what was the title of her column?

What is the name of the online magazine Nora writes for now, and what is her boss's name?

And finally:

What is Nick Atkins' partners name, and what was Nick the cat's original name when he belonged to Nick Atkins?

Bonus question (doesn't count toward the prize, but I just want to see if you're paying attention)

What real life event is Meow if its Murder based on?

Celebrating MEOW IF ITS MURDER and the Return of Nick and Nora!

Meow!

Six years ago today a little cozy named Meow if its Murder debuted from Berkley Prime Crime, introducing ex-crime reporter turned sandwich shop owner Nora Charles to the world, along with her partner in solving crime, a tubby tuxedo cat named Nick.

As we all know Nick and Nora, along with many other wonderful cozy mysteries, was one of the casualties in the Great Cozy Massacre.  The human, however, had their adventures planned through Book 7, with outlines up to Book 12, and was not about to give up on what remains to this day her favorite characters.

Finally, after much blood, sweat and tears (and nagging to the human's agent)  Nick and Nora found another home!  HISS H FOR HOMICIDE, the fourth Nick and Nora mystery, will debut in February 2021 from Beyond the Page Publishing!!!!!!!!

To commemorate the sixth anniversary of the release of the book that started it all, the human will give away an autographed first edition copy to the first person to correctly answer the below questions.  US ENTRIES ONLY, PLEASE.   Put your answers in the comments section below along with your contact info (email address) and good luck!

What is the name of the newspaper Nora wrote for when she lived in Chicago, and what was the title of her column?

What is the name of the online magazine Nora writes for now, and what is her boss's name?

And finally:

What is Nick Atkins' partners name, and what was Nick the cat's original name when he belonged to Nick Atkins?

Bonus question (doesn't count toward the prize, but I just want to see if you're paying attention)

What real life event is Meow if its Murder based on?

Good luck, people!!!!!!!