Hi there, guys and dolls!  First of all I would love to wish you all the best for the holiday season!  Merry Christmas, Soulful Solstice, Joyful Kwanzaa, Happy New Year — and all the other ways you share the love of life in your life!  Here’s another recap of my Cozy Cat Press friends’ works.

SLIP AND GO DIE — Meet Mabel Wickles and her best friend Flori Flanders who live in the charming little town of Parson’s Cove. When long-time resident Beulah Henry is found dead after slipping on ice near her lake-side cabin Mabel decides that is is up to her to solve the crime! Of course whenever Mabel is involved Flori is not far behind so she can keep an eye on her.
Parson’s Cove has it’s share of charming misfits that brought tears of laughter to my eyes! I found myself wanting to drop by Mabel’s quaint store of nick-knacks for one of her home-baked muffins and a freshly brewed cup of coffee so I could catch up on all the news. Mabel’s arch nemesis since childhood Esther Flynn is sure to drop by! She is usually there to cause nothing but trouble, sniff st the merchandise, insinuate that Mabel is up to no-good and suggest that she needs to mind her own business. This adds more fuel to Mabel’s investigative fire!

These little towns certainly make for a whole brew of gossip,and turmoil! Will Mabel be silenced before she can get to the bottom of Beulah’s unfortunate demise or will she figure out what’s really going on in their cozy community and bring the murderer to justice? Reg Smee Mabel’s friend and local sheriff has her help whether he wants it or not! Be sure to visit Parson’s Cove to find out what all the residents are up to including the murderous and mischievous ones. Enjoy your stay! Bravo Sharon Rose!

PERPLEXITY ON P1/2 — Well friends I have only one question: Will the Yellow Rose of Texas ever bloom again? That is after Mabel Wickles and her best friend Florie Flanders have paid a visit to Yellow Rose,Texas to investigate the murder of Grace Hobbs who was found in Parson’s Cove! Mabel is the only one from Parson’s Cove who knew Grace,they met on a trip to Vegas that they both won just before Grace’s body was found. This is a winding, twisting and sometimes mischievous road that we go down with two of my favorite cozy characters. To find out how Mabel and Florie get to the bottom of the murder of Grace Hobbs and figure out what is happening on Avenue P1/2 be sure to read the second book in this highly entertaining series. Put your troubles aside and curl up with a cup of coffee (hopefully as good as Mabel makes!)and once again meet Charlie, Sheriff Reg Smee,and Mabel’s arch nemesis Esther Flynn,a visit to Parson’s Cove would not be complete without them and all the other colorful folks that live there!

CALAMITY @ THE CAR WASH — The car wash in Parson’s Cove is apparently not just for washing cars anymore. It’s a place for crime, murder and mayhem! Longtime resident and amateur super sleuth Mabel Wickles, her best friend Flori Flanders, and her cat Sammy are on the case when a local couple’s spat turns to murder or it least it looks that way. Will they find out who really hit Bernie over the head with that brick and why another resident’s dog was killed with the same weapon or will calamity rule the day? Yours truly enjoyed the ride and wouldn’t hesitate dropping by the town of Parson’s Cove to meet the quirky and mischievous residents. Once again Sharon Rose’s story of this small-town sparkles with wit and wisdom. Never a dull moment when Mabel Wickles is involved!

SAVE AS MURDER — Well guys and gals, all yours truly wants to tell you is that the Parson’s Cove Mystery series is well worth reading! Save as Murder is making me look forward to more sleuthing by Mabel Wickles and her best friend Flori Flanders who is sometimes reluctantly along for the ride. In this the fourth story in the series there’s a new sheriff in town who is a mystery to all, a new side kick a young man named Nathan who is teaching Mabel to use a computer and she’s letting him in on the sleuthing game as another murder is committed in this quaint little town. Mabel is out to prove that her dear friend Charlie Thompson is innocent of murder and she will stop at nothing. Plenty happens in this story before all the loose ends are tied up, even Mabel’s livelihood is threatened. The charming residents of the town will be sure to stand by Mabel and Charlie! You’ll find out just what happens when you are ready to put your feet up, with a great cup of coffee and some muffins to nibble on as you sit down to devour the latest from the pen of Sharon Rose. I always find myself laughing and I am sure that a tear or two will fall before you reach the end of this one.

IT TAKES TWO TO STRANGLE — I have to say that if I need a mystery solved or a date for my next soiree Damon Lassard would certainly fit the bill. He’s savvy, smart, and single! Stephen Kaminski’s It Takes Two to Strangle proves that a carnival can be fun for some and dangerous for others. One of the owners of this traveling operation is found strangled in his trailer. Damon who is community minded and curious by nature finds himself playing amateur sleuth,and he’s good at following the clues that lead to a darker history of those involved in the case. Yours truly is hoping Damon will get a clue about Rebecca who is his “best” friend! Of course it doesn’t help that he only has his romantic sights set on local weather girl Bethany and won’t even take a hint from his own mother. It Takes Two to Strangle has plenty of suspense, a dash of romance and a loveable cast of characters that I can’t wait to read more about! With Detective Gerry Sloman and Damon on the case a girl can’t help but feel safe! Bravo Stephen Kaminski!

DON’T CRY OVER KILLED MILK — Now yours truly has a double the reason to love Damon Lassard! In this the second of author Stephen Kaminski’s brilliant series our amateur sleuth is hard at work on not just one but two mysteries in the charming community of Hollydale and the surrounding area. This well written and complicated twist of events made clear by the end of the book is intriguing, delightful and down-right entertaining. I also found that the author handles sensitive issues with a deft, yet gentle hand. There is of course the on-going mystery as to whether Damon will choose his best friend Rebecca or that darn weather-girl Bethany! With detective Gerry Sloman and Damon on the case along with all the other people who in-habit their little corner of the world,you are sure to be in for a real treat! Can’t wait to read more in this swell series!

GRAVE SHIFT — Oklahoma where the wind isn’t the only thing that comes “sweepin” down the plain, when a letter arrives from a desperate mother asking Darcy Campbell and her mother Flora Tucker to investigate the unsolved disappearance of her daughter Andrea who they soon find out may have been mixed up with local criminals and their dark deeds. Earthquakes unearth more than just soil, and the little community where they reside will never be the same after secrets that were long thought buried are uncovered. Darcy and her mother are both warned in more ways than one to mind their own business. The local Sheriff also shows more than just a little friendly concern for Darcy who he’s known since they were both young.
Blanche Day Manos and Barbara Burgess dish up a mystery that is both endearing and dangerous! I sure can’t wait to read more about these two gals and their many adventures in Oklahoma– which sounds by the way grand to yours truly. Bravo Blanche and Barbara!

So there you go — a nice little recap of some of  the books I was able to have the pleasure to enjoy over the past year (sigh, so many books, so little time….).  Until next week, dear friends!

Toodles,

Barbara Jean