Month: February 2019

CYANIDE with CHRISTIE by KATHERINE BOLGER HYDE

Cyanide with Christie (Crime with the Classics Book 3) by [Bolger Hyde, Katherine]

Crime With The Classics Book 3

Emily and the gorgeous Victorian mansion, Windy Corner, which she inherited from her Great Aunt, are ready to open their doors to the first of hopefully many Writer’s Retreats.

Still on sabbatical from Reed, the literature professor and widow, is hoping to get into some of her own research and writing. With the beautiful surroundings and the holiday spirit, she may come up with some magic of her own.

The guests are all writers, some more prolific than others, but all working on the same goal of publishing books. Emily even has a new tenant in one of her smaller properties and everything is ready. Even though something about this tenant gives her pause.

As they are just getting settled one uninvited guest shows up and Emily can’t send her back out into this winter storm as much as she and the guests would like to. Cruella Crime, no of course that isn’t her real name, writes ‘true’ crime that isn’t true and is no friend to any of them.

When they find her dead of poisoning in her room, they are going to have to share space with a killer, as the weather holds them all hostage.

Emily takes a page out of Agatha Christie’s book and starts a bit of snooping on her own and what she finds out may get her killed this time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. All of the Christie references and the characters were very well done. This was my first time reading a book in this series but it won’t be the last.

Well Done!

Netgalley/  March 1st 2019 by Severn House Publishers

 

 

 

 

coffee and cake by Rick Rodgers

Coffee and Cake: Enjoy the Perfect Cup of Coffee--with Dozens of Delectable Recipes for Café Treats

Rick Rodgers is an expert at writing really good cookbooks! And this one is exactly what I was looking for. Focusing not only on the cake, but on making the perfect cup of coffee, no matter what type of machine you choose to use.

I prefer the French Press. It’s always reliable and gives me a smooth cup. He takes us through all of the different brewing methods and shares some excellent coffee drinks with us so by the time the cake portion comes around, you are ready with your cup of choice.

The cakes are the good old-fashioned kind our grandmothers made. Plus some European treats and two of my all time favorites, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Apple-Cranberry Ginger Loaf. Oh my goodness were those good. I plan on working my way through the entire book and pairing them with the appropriate coffee. Or tea. If you know me you’ll know it’s probably tea.

I can say honestly I love this little book!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murder in an Irish Pub by Carlene O’Connor

Murder in an Irish Pub (Irish Village Mystery #4)

Irish Village Mystery #4

When competing card sharps stir up Siobhán O’Sullivan’s quiet Irish village, a poker tournament turns into a game of Hangman . . .

Kilbane is a small village in County Cork. Hardly a place one would hold an International Poker Tournament, but the people of Kilbane will take the tourists and players if it brings business to the town.

Siobhan O’Sullivan, now a Garda, and her off the record boyfriend, Macdara Flannery and their small force are going to be very busy. As are Siobhan’s brothers and sisters working the tent for their own Naomi’s Bistro.

With the tournament barely started, one of the most popular players is accused of cheating. And winning with the dead man’s hand. As things get rowdy they all are kicked out of the pub and continue their drinking and gambling at Sharkey’s. With the understanding that a decision on the cheating will be delivered in the morning.

Early the next morning finds Siobhan walking to work and noticing Sharkey’s door is ajar. What she sees through the storage room window will shock everyone. 

This is the fourth in this series and the characters are so real they could be your neighbors. All the earmarks of a great cozy series are here! Great characters, even the sketchy ones, a real mystery and a surprise ending!

Very Well Done!

Netgalley/ February 26th 2019 by Kensington


 

 

naked cakes: simply stunning cakes by Hannah Miles

Confession Time….I am obsessed with naked cakes. Whoever thought of this idea must be a relative of mine. The reason I don’t eat a lot of cake is I’m not overly fond of the thick icing. It overpowers the taste of the cake and I love the aesthetic of a naked cake.

This one is probably my favorite. I have not found a single recipe I didn’t love. Especially the Earl Grey tea cakes. Oh my goodness those are good.

This book was a gift and has been well used for the short time I have had it. Nothing is as impressive as one of these naked cakes!

Give one a try and you won’t go back to a full frost!

THE PROMISE by TERESA DRISCOLL

The Promise

A secret. A promise made by three 14-year-old girls at boarding school. Buried, but never forgotten. Carol, Beth and Sally have lived with this terrible secret well into their adult lives.

Beth and Sally are still very close but Carol seemed to disappear off the face of the earth after she left school. While saddened by this, Carol seems to want nothing to do with them.

And then the cream-colored envelope appears. The school is being sold and torn down, the nuns reassigned and a long-buried secret is in danger of being dug up.

They set out to find Carol and decide what they should do. And that sets in motion a horrible threat to their very lives and their loved ones lives. But who? Who else knew what happened?

This was told through multiple points of view. There were maybe too many subplots here. In the end, even I was shocked by the biggest secret of all that had been kept!

Throughout the book I kept thinking how things we see at 14 seem so big and life shattering, when just telling the truth would have led them all down very different paths and spared a lot of pain in the end.

Netgalley/February 7th 2019 by Thomas & Mercer