Reviewed by Vero Caravetta

Six Geese A-slaying
by Donna Andrews

This is the tenth volume in Andrews's cozy series. Meg Langslow has a tough enough time trying to organize the Christmas parade, with its Twelve Days of Christmas theme, in Caerphilly, Va. Then someone goes and drives a stake through the heart of Santa, a grouchy citizen named Ralph Doleson, who hates children and animals. Finding the killer becomes Meg's highest priority. Assisted by police chief Burke (who was playing one of the camel-riding wise men), Meg does her best to negotiate the menagerie of animals and a strange assortment of relatives and neighbors. She's got suspects, of course: Members of SPOOR (Stop Poisoning Our Owls and Raptors) six of whom are playing geese in the parade, a local woman whom Doleson may have been blackmailing, and a Washington Tribune reporter who asks too many questions. The book has a lot of humor and a plot that keeps moving. Fans of the series will be delighted and newcomers to this author will be happy. (New Andrews fans should probably begin at the beginning of her series as the individual volumes build on each other.) Overall a good entertaining read.

Boston Scream Pie
by Rosemary and Larry Mild

Caitlin Neuman's been having nightmares and wonders if the dreams contain some truth about the crash which killed her family but not her. She hires retired Detective Paco LeSoto to see what he can find. Paco's wife, Molly, tags along, helping her husband earn his keep by uncovering some clues. Molly is quite a character who is always spouting peculiar words and using fractured English. The investigation takes has the pair discovering another family and a string of suspicious deaths.
In a Chesapeake Bay home not far Caitlin, newlyweds Newton Boston and his trophy wife, Delylah, are gripped by their own family problems. Delylah's adult children's vicious natures threaten the entire household. But their mother is also a piece of work: four dead husbands are buried in Delylah's past. When another family member dies under suspicious circumstances, the clues point to murder.
The LeSotos try to expose the sinister connections in time to stop yet another killing and bring the culprits to justice.
Boston Scream Pie has a title which is much lighter than the tone of the book. Don't be fooled, this is a mystery with comic moments but plenty of evil under the surface. Anger, jealousy, hatred, greed, and just plain vicious motivations are to be found in this novel.

Run into Trouble
by Alan Cook

Drake and Melody are teamed up to run a race along the California Coast for a prize of a million dollars (it's 1969 and a million was worth something). They once did undercover work together in England but neither knows the other is in the race before it starts. The nine other pairs of runners entered in the race are world-class marathoners, including a winner of the Boston Marathon. If this competition isn't enough, somebody tries to knock Drake out of the race before it begins. But Drake and Melody also receive threats calculated to keep them from dropping out. The race is sponsored by Giganticorp, a profitable government military contractor, whose ambitious CEO, Casey Messinger, is connected to Washington 's powerbrokers and deal makers. Which allows him access to classified information. The stakes for Drake and Melody increase when strange events produce fatalities and have an impact on the race itself. They wonder whether the Cold War with the USSR (it's 1969, remember) is about to heat up. They must decide whether it's safer to align with the hawks or the doves. A wrong choice will have dire consequences for them. With their training and their own contacts in Washington , Drake and Melody are best positioned to figure out if the odd events are connected and who might be behind them. Of course, they also want to stay in the race and win the money.

Preaching to the corpse
by Roberta Isleib

Advice columnist and psychologist Rebecca Butterman pens a column for “Bloom!” as well as dealing with numerous patients. Butterman is also an accomplished cook and dotes on the local police detective while getting herself involved in murder mysteries as an amateur sleuth. A you might imagine with a psychologist/advice columnist, Rebecca is better at dipping into other people's problems and coming up with a solution than she is at dealing with her own problems. She is happily involved in the life of her community also and often finds herself helping to clear up a crime here and there. When her pastor discovers a church member's body and the police suspect foul play, in fact, they suspect the minster, Dr. Butterman gets going. She needs to discover the killer of Lacy Bailes, a church member deeply involved in some bitter church politics before things get worse for the minister. The enjoyable, fast-paced story has you running around along side Rebecca helping to solve the case. You also get to accompany her in her kitchen where she's always trying something tempting (and Isleib generously includes recipes on her blog so you can try them, too). Food plays a big role and for those who enjoy the recipe murder subgenre, this is a series you'll like.

Blood Island
by H. Terrell Griffin

Griffin 's third mystery featuring semiretired lawyer and former Green Beret, Matt Royal is set in Longboat Key, Florida . Matt does mostly pro bono investigative work when he's not enjoying the Florida sun. His ex-wife, Laura, shows up needing help locating her stepdaughter, Peggy, who went missing in Sarasota while on spring break. Matt takes on the mystery and finds to his dismay that there's a quickly rising body count. Once Laura goes missing, Matt knows things are dire. He must now not only find Peggy but try to discover if Laura's disappearance is linked to that of her stepdaughter? With rising suspense the trail leads to Key West and the Heaven Can't Wait Spa, where Matt discovers the Rev. Robert William Simmermon, a preacher with a hidden agenda who's headquartered on nearby Blood Island . Royal is a good mix of street smarts, legal refinement, and physical strength. He can take on most of what's thrown at him. If you enjoy Florida based mysteries, this is one for you to tackle. A carefree narrative, lots of action, good pacing, and plenty of mystery make this book worth reading.

A Well Kept Family Secret
by Marja McGraw

Well-Kept Family Secret (A Sandi Webster Mystery) is set in contemporary and early 20th century Los Angeles and is a well written read. P.I. Sandi Webster's over-bearing mother arrives for a visit and insists that her daughter solve the mystery behind an old family scandal. In 1898 her great-great-great-grandfather was not the owner of several brothels and treated his family horribly, he was also accused of murdering a prostitute. Her mother wants Sandi to solve this cold case and entices her with the lure of a hidden treasure supposedly gold buried by her distant ancestor. In the course of events, Sandi collects a couple of her own stalkers who follow her just to steal the treasure, her partner/boyfriend kills one of his clients's stalkers, her mother elopes with a man she's been seeing, and Stanley (former client, now friend) joins the team for the action packed mystery. Characters in the 1890s flashbacks are based on Ballerino and Bauer who ran the Old Los Angeles Red Light District. The book includes some very interesting history, great fun, a good plot, and great writing.

Point Surrender
by Anne Carter

Amy Winslow isn't a person who likes secrets or mysteries and especially doesn't like being caught up in them. When an accident forces her to take over her brother's mysterious California lighthouse, Amy becomes immersed in the building's shocking past. Unable to help herself she becomes fascinated by the mystery, and refuses to rest until she uncovers who died in the old building and why. Point Surrender has a lot more in store for her in the person of Case McKenna. McKenna, another character with an unresolved painful history sails his crippled boat into Newburg Harbor, intending to stay only long enough to make repairs. His plans change when he becomes entangled with locals who want to restore a long-shuttered lighthouse. Case stays to follow intrigue and passion and finds himself drawn in by Point Surrender. The old lighthouse brings this pair together and forces them to face their pasts and try to see beyond the present.
Believable characters and situations and good writing make this a worthwhile read.

Buried Lies
by Peter Rennebohm

Restless, Gus Ivy decides to dry-run a retirement scenario by spending the winter with friends in Arizona . Endless hours on the greens convince him that an idle life is not for him and the restlessness returns. When Gus visits his barber and discovers an obscure Sagebrush western written by a favorite author something is sparked in him. He wants to add the book to his collection and buys it from the barber. But the purchase gets some unwelcome attention as a band of cutthroats will stop at nothing to get their hands on Gus's copy. He doesn't understand why the book might be valuable but he's determined to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Together with a mysterious woman from Montana , Gus sets off on a quest that will take them to the Navajo Indian Nation in Northeast Arizona , and beyond. In a chilling race against a decades-old deadline ruthless killers are intent on solving a puzzle contained in the book. But the chase is costly with multiple deaths and a kidnapping littering the trail. It turns out that the book was a gift to a select group of soldiers from a wealthy man whose money was hidden to avoid allowing the government to tax it away. The book is a cryptic treasure map, leading to the legendary treasure. His companion is definitely keeping secrets but Gus doesn't have time to deal with that. There are too many people popping up who are interested in finding the treasure. The novel is a good, fun read and the characters are engaging. The search for the money is a wild, fast-paced, nail-biting ride.

Treasure of Eden
by S.S. Linnea

In 1954, in the Judean wilderness, two Bedouin boys dig up an ancient, box containing six beautiful stones. The box reappears more than a half-century later and is on the black market. A rogue CIA agent believes Army Chaplain Major Jaime Richards knows how to find it and what its secrets are since she helped discover the location of the Garden of Eden years before. After three years in Paradise , Jaime came away with mystical knowledge that others would kill to possess. A trained operative of the Army of Eden, whose purpose in Terris is to guide the course of human events toward their most favorable ends, Jaime finds herself tracked by the rogue agent, Frank McMillan, an efficient professional with top-secret government clearance. He's intent on taking the bix which he knows contains more than jewels. The reappearance of the treasure of Eden poses new problems and threats for Jamie. Having escaped one pursuer, Jamie is determined to find the treasure before it falls into the wrong hands. The fate of the world hangs on her ability to find the box and protect its secrets.
This is the third installment in the Eden series and readers are advised to begin at the beginning. Though they all stand on their own, having a more complete picture of the series doesn't hurt. The writer is knowledgeable and her writing moves the story along at a fast pace. The books contain plenty of information and action to keep different readers turning pages for different reasons.

A Night at the Operation
by Jeffrey Cohen

Elliot Freed and his Comedy Tonight theater venture is back for another fun mystery. This time his ex-wife, Sharon, is missing and he can't concentrate on anything else. There's no choice but for him to search for her himself. Though divorced he and his former wife are still close. So finding her is something he needs to do. She goes missing after the death of one of her patients whose family is at odds with Sharon so Freed feels there's got to be a connection. As with the two previous entries in the series, Freed liberally mixes comedy with his mystery – as any reader can tell from the titles of his books. Not only that, but movies aficionados will also recognize a plethora of references sprinkled through the books, not to mention a great list of movies you'll want to catch up on. These mysteries are usually fast paced, loaded with quirky characters, plot twists, and a great sense of humor.

Reviewed by J. DeMarco

Wonder Mom & Party Girl
By Marc Schuster

Full disclosure: Marc was a student who worked for me when I worked as the librarian at the high school he attended. He was also a member of the Writers Workshop I instituted and ran as a program of the library. It was easy to see that Marc had a love of writing and language. One of the stories he produced in that workshop has stuck with me ever since. I knew then, that of just about all the kids in the workshop over the years it existed, Marc would be the one to stick with it. And he did.

So, it was not without some pride that I discovered Marc had a novel coming out and I asked if I could review it. It's not our usual mystery fare, but, hey, it isn't every day that a former student turns out a book.

It's a colorful debut from the cover with its effervescent art work to the riveting portrait of a divorced mother inside. Her need to be everything to everyone paints a sorry picture of a woman lost and does a good job of exposing the secret life of America 's suburbs and the deep murky things that go on there.
Audrey Corcoran had never thought about trying cocaine, but after a bitter divorce battle which leaves her vulnerable, she meets Owen Little who convinces her that a bit of white dust and the buzz it brings might be what she needs to lift her spirits. Up to that point he'd been helping her cope in other ways: turning her on to jazz, for one. In those high flying musical circles no one even thinks twice about getting high. Audrey, however, gets in deep and her escalating drug use strains her relationship with her daughters. Then, she decides to sell cocaine from home to subsidize her habit. Good decisions are not Audrey's strong point. The novel is both horrifying and quite funny and makes a good case against American consumer culture and what it does to women. Society's expectations of women are examined here with a clear eye but one which sees things with a touch of humor. The conflicting messages that women (and all of us) get from society are deftly explored and laid bare. Be dependable but be fun and wild, be reliable but take risks, be sensible but carefree: it's all too much for any person to absorb and adhere to. People are expected to be everything to everyone all the time. The novel also tackles addiction and the struggle to become drug free while preserving a sense of identity and a bit of sanity. Audrey's confusion is more than understandable and her struggle is all too real.

It's an affecting read and a well written one. His characters are well thought out and he makes them not just believable but also alive on the page. His indictment of suburbia is equally well done. But, then, I expected no less from Marc.

Out of Time
Connie Corcoran Wilson and Michael McCarty

Wilson and McCarty have written a science fiction novel that is also an action packed thriller. It'll keep you reading and wondering what happens next. Time travel novels and stories have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Who doesn't want to be able to travel back and witness great events or meet famous people? Wilson and McCarty deliver on the time travel theme and that is just the beginning of the fun. You'll find yourself having a load of fun as you read and read into the novel. Lots of political and cultural references pepper the book and give it that extra something, like a subtle flavor you can't quite identify. The book spans time and space and boasts a large cast of characters including a fictional President of the United States along with his family and a time traveling rock star. The narrative follows the characters as they travel around the world in an exciting race against the clock to keep devastating terrorist attacks and heart wrenching personal loss from occurring. In addition to the President and his twin daughters, the story follows rock icon Dante Benedick as he realizes that his ultimate destiny may not be on the stage performing while thousands of groupies hang on his every move. He understands that he may be the only one able to save humanity from destroying itself before it's too late. Of course, he must do so even for his own purposes or there won't be any fans to come back to, if and when he saves the world. The writers are good at producing cliffhangers in each chapter and that makes Out of Time difficult to put down. Wilson and McCarty have written characters who are well drawn and interesting. They are passionate about their lives, exceptional people and not shy about much making readers want to know more about them. It's a quick but fascinating read because it's so exciting.

The following reviews are by Dawn Dowdle mysterybks@yahoo.com

Visit her site at: www.mysteryloverscorner.com

Cream Puff Murder
By Joanne Fluke

When Hannah goes for the fitting of the Regency dress her mother picked out for her book party, she is appalled to find out it doesn't fit and can't be let out enough.  She has two weeks to lose the weight, and her sister, Andrea, offers to help.  She has keys to Heavenly Bodies health club since she is a member and is allowed to work out after hours.  They join one of Ronni Ward's exercise classes, even though Ronni is not one of Hannah's favorite people.  Ronni is constantly flirting, and thus most women do not like her.   
One morning when Hannah and Andrea are working out, they decide to get into the Jacuzzi.  When they arrive, they find Ronni dead in it.  Bill, Mike, and Lonnie are all suspended due to personal involvement with the deceased.  So since they can't work the case, they each ask Hannah (through someone else) to find the killer.  Hannah is quite surprised and not too thrilled when they each have their own opinions about how she should be conducting her investigation.  She enlists the help of her sisters Andrea and Michelle, her mother, Norman—who wants to be more than a friend, Norman's mother, Lisa—Hannah's business partner, and Lisa's husband to help with this investigation. With the plethora of suspects, can they figure out who killed Ronni? I love this series, but I hope that Hannah soon makes a decision between Mike and Norman.  The author has done a great job of creating small-town America .  There are always plenty of characters for her to pull from.

Killer Cousins
by June Shaw

Cealie Gunther gets a frantic call from her cousin Stevie Midnight. Her semi-psychic cousin had said she was afraid but wouldn't say why. So, on the way to Cealie's exotic vacation, she rushes off to Gatlinburg , Tennessee . When she arrives, she trips over a dead body in Stevie's yard. Stevie swears she doesn't know the man. Cealie isn't sure she fully believes her.Stevie is in a group to quit smoking. Cealie endures her cousin's upsetting behavior because of this. Plus Stevie goes into her extra bedroom, locking the door, and soon strange utterances emanate.To make matters more confusing, Gil Thurman, Cealie's hunky sometimes-ex-lover, has just opened a Cajun Delights restaurant in town. When Cealie and Stevie go there to eat, they find Gil at the restaurant. Though Cealie is widowed and attracted to Gil, she is on a journey to rediscover herself. Try as she might, she finds it almost impossible to resist Gil.Since Cealie can't leave until the murderer is found, she begins asking around about him. There are more strange people who knew the deceased, and odd happenings. Can she plow through them to find the truth? Cealie is a fun character who is trying to find herself. Her attempts at resisting Gil are funny.

Turn Up The Heat
By: Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant

Chloe Carter is studying for grad school finals in pursuit of her Masters degree in Social Work, and her boyfriend, Josh, is the executive chef at Simmer and working long days helping to make a go of the new restaurant. One morning she gives Owen a ride to the restaurant to pick up his truck. They go inside to visit Josh. Chloe makes the startling discovery of Leandra, a waitress at Simmer, dead in the refrigeration of Owen's fish truck. It is discovered she was strangled by the strings of a Simmer apron. Owen is engaged to Adrianna, Chloe's pregnant best friend. She knows there is no way Owen killed her, but the police think differently, especially as they find he has lied about finances, his job, and his whereabouts. As Chloe also discovers these facts, she begins to question her loyalty to Owen. And is very concerned about Adrianna if she finds out. Chloe interviews everyone at the restaurant and can't believe any of them are a killer. But as she gets closer to the truth, she puts herself in mortal danger. Can he find her in time? Chloe is such a fun character. I like the restaurant setting and feel I get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of restaurant life. Knowing the author's husband is a chef, she has insider's knowledge of life as a chef. As always, the plot was well constructed and I was unsure until the end who the real killer was. I highly recommend this book and series.

Asking For Murder
By: Robert Isleib

Rebecca Butterman is a clinical psychologist and writes an advice column in her local New England newspaper. Her dear friend, and fellow therapist, Annabelle Hart, misses a luncheon appointment. Rebecca finds her badly beaten in her home in New Haven . Annabelle's sister arrives in town and refuses to let Rebecca visit her in the hospital. Rebecca pocketed Rebecca's Day Planner at the scene almost without realizing it because they had an agreement to cover each other's appointments in the case of an emergency. Soon Rebecca begins to suspect it wasn't a simple case of burglary gone bad and begins to investigate. Rebecca finds it enlightening in helping Annabelle's clients with sand therapy. She isn't well versed in it and goes to her own therapist and uses it herself to deal with the men in her life, her father, her ex-husband, Detective Tiegs, and her almost-boyfriend Bob. There are plenty of suspicious people to interview when Rebecca sets out to find out who beat up Annabelle and why.

The Battered Body
By: J. B. Stanley

In preparation of Jackson Henry and Milla's New Year's wedding, her sister, Paulette Martine who is a television chef, comes to town to bake the wedding cake. James Henry, of the Flab Five, tries to be nice to Milla's relatives to keep his mind off of Murphy Alistair's upcoming book which will feature the adventures of the Flab Five, and probably not in a flattering manner. He's also hoping to rekindle his romance with Lucy, another member of the Flab Five and a sheriff's deputy. Bennett, another Flab Five member, is studying for his upcoming Jeopardy appearance. The Fitzgerald twins, from the library James Henry manages, are looking for love but not always in the right places. When Paulette is found murdered, James Henry investigates to try to speed things along. Jackson and Milla have postponed their wedding until it is resolved. As Milla's family prepares for the funeral, they show their true colors. Plus James is trying to buy his first house. There is so much involved and in the midst of all this, he gets a big surprise. Can he find the killer and help his dad and Milla to go on with their wedding and their lives? Each of the Flab Five characters brings something unique to the mixture.

Baring Arms
By: Jo-Ann Power

Texas Representative Carly Wagner's twelve-year-old daughter, Jordan, finds their neighbor Judge Goodwin Deeds dead in his home. Carly wonders how grounded Jordan escaped the house to go to the neighbor's. She'd been caught with other teens in the raid of a computer gaming party and escorted home by "Jones." A dead judge isn't so amazing, especially since he had enemies all across the state. But the fact that his den looked as if a bomb had gone off and his computer had been destroyed make Carly question what had gone on. And why was a computer chip removed from being embedded in his hand. Over the course of things, Jordan admits to Carly she is covering for her friend Sherry Bunting, the daughter of a Kentucky senator, as well as the judge's two children in the war with their stepmother. Things heat up with Jones as Carly tries to discover the truth. Can Jones keep her safe while she does this? Will she let him? Having lived in the DC area, I always enjoy reading books set there. We also get a glimpse of politics in Washington.

Too Rich And Too Dead
By: Cynthia Baxter

Mallory Marlowe finds out Carly Cassidy Berman, her old high school classmate, has opened a superexclusive Tavaci Springs spa in Aspen . So when Mallory's editor calls to discuss her next assignment, she gets him to send her to Aspen to do an article on whether nonskiers can have fun in Aspen .

She goes to dinner at Carly's house and goes along to watch one of her presentations about the new Rejuva-juice that is supposed to help keep you looking younger. The next day Carly's corpse is discovered in the mud bath at her spa. The spa's accountant, Harriet, who discovered the body is soon one of the top suspects. She asks Mallory to help prove her innocence. Can Mallory uncover the identity of the real killer without putting herself in danger? Or did Harriet really kill Carly? There's a plethora of suspects, but there's plenty of danger too. Mallory is near my age and has two college-aged children. But thankfully I don't find dead bodies everywhere I go! She is a sensible woman, yet she is a risk taker. But even in her risks, she makes good choices.

Sudden Death Sudoku
By: Shelley Freydont

Katie McDonald is the Avondale Puzzle Museum 's curator and is sponsoring The First Annual Avondale Sudoku Challenge. Lots of people are attending and participating in the challenge. She has gotten many of the local businesses and residents to participate in making the challenge a success. Scandal soon rears its ugly head when Katie is made aware of a cheating scandal related to a top challenger, Gordon Lott. Katie's Aunt Pru thinks he would make a great husband for Katie. She's always on the lookout for a husband for Katie. Katie watches Gordon as he competes and doesn't see him cheat. Even though some of the locals who know his past want him disqualified, Katie lets him continue to compete. When he makes a mistake and loses, he is quite upset. With a snowstorm bearing down on the town, everyone leaves quickly from the first day of competition. When they arrive early the next day to finish the clean up and setting up, Gordon is discovered dead in the snow. Police Chief Brandon Mitchell wants to shut down the competition. Katie and the local merchants have too much at stake and she finally gets him to agree to keep it open. When the prime suspect turns up dead, things really start to heat up. With everyone going home after the competition, investigating proves to be much more difficult. Plus there seems to be tension between the Police Chief and Harry, Kate's teenaged assistant, who lives with him. Kate worries that this tenuous relationship she's pushed upon them will not last. Can Kate and Harry help the Police Chief without putting themselves in any danger and getting him upset with them? This is such a fun series. I'm not a Sudoku lover, but I love the setting, the characters, and the plots. The writing is so great that I just fly through each book. While I enjoy that, it means I'm soon waiting another year for the next book! I hope this is a series that goes on for years. Kate, Harry, Brandon, and Pru are fun characters. The other puzzle lovers and locals really round out the cast of characters.

Night Of The Loving Dead
By: Casey Daniels

Pepper Martin is on a business trip in Chicago at a cemetery conference. She thought she left all the ghosts behind, but Madeline, a young woman in a lab coat, asks Pepper to help Dan Callahan. Madeline says he's in danger. Madeline is difficult to deal with, and as Pepper starts looking into things, she finds out they are much more complicated than Madeline made them out to be. Dr. Hilton Gerard, Dan's boss, is using him as the fall guy for misappropriation of funds and Dan doesn't know it. When a very bizarre twist of events happens, Pepper finds it ever more challenging to investigate than normal. Can she help Dan as well as herself? I love this series. While I'm not big into ghosts, I find these books to be well-written and enjoyable. Pepper is a likeable character, and her interactions with the ghosts are hilarious. I can't wait for the next book! I highly recommend this book and series.

Killer Keepsakes
By: Jane K. Cleland

Josie Prescott hired Gretchen to be the assistant at Prescott 's Antiques and Appraisals some time ago. When Gretchen doesn't show up for work one day, Josie becomes concerned. When a dead man is found in Gretchen's house, Gretchen becomes the prime suspect. Josie is certain Gretchen isn't a killer. But as she begins to investigate, she realizes she doesn't know much about Gretchen and even less about Gretchen's past. She is more determined than ever to find Gretchen and help prove her innocence. Some of the information she turns up does make her begin to question where Gretchen could really be the killer. Josie and all the people working with her are such a great group. The plots are so well-written. The characters are three-dimensional and I often forget this is fiction. I am not a big fan of antiques, but I learn a lot from each book in this series. And I love the New Hampshire setting. While Josie often gets herself into some jams, she is a very smart woman and always finds a way to get out of these tight spots.

Frame and Fortune
By: Misty Simon

Ivy Morris' best friend, Bella Landry, finds a body in the unused walk-in freezer in the back of her hair dressing shop. Her policeman boyfriend has cuffed and booked her, so she calls Ivy for help. Bella's ex has shown up in town wanting help and only making things worse. The town still hasn't forgiven Bella for running him out of town some time ago. Then there's the thief who is stealing picture frames but leaving the pictures all around town. Could this be related to Bella's problems? Plus Ivy's dealing with Ben Fallon, her boyfriend, having moved in and turned gourmet cook. She's not sure how she feels about all this. And she has hired someone who previously stole from her store to now work at the store. He seems to be good for the store, but can she trust him? Ivy, with Ben's help, sets out to help Bella figure out who killed the man found in her freezer and clear Bella. Things start to heat up, but can Ivy discover the killer without being put in deep freeze? Ivy, Ben, and Bella are so much fun. I always love reading another installment in this series. Ivy's insane family and the various characters in town always make each book so much fun to read. Plus the author does a great job of plotting the mystery that I can never figure out who did it before Ivy does. And the romance between Ivy and Ben and the many mishaps that happen keep me laughing.