Review - The English Breakfast Murder by Laura Childs

A Tea Shop Mystery



TITLE:    Title  The English Breakfast Murder
AUTHOR:    Laura Childs
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 265 pages
PUBLISHED:   Berkley Prime Time, 2003
SOURCE:   Purchased myself

FROM AMAZON:    It is a truly exhilarating experience for Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning-helping Charleston's Sea Turtle Protection League shepherd hundreds of tiny green loggerheads safely into the sea. But just as she's about to celebrate all her hard work, she spots a dead body bobbing in the waves. Now it's up to Theo to get to the bottom of the murder before the culprit's greed stirs him to kill again.


MY TAKE:     Cozy mysteries have become a go-to genre for me when I want something light and fun.  I like to try to solve the puzzle before the end and I enjoy tackling the twists and turns the authors throw at the reader.  This book fit that requirement well.

Laura Childs has created a fun series with her Tea Shop Mysteries.  The characters are well written and fun to get to know.  Theodosia's story this time has a lot of interesting facets to it with the task of saving sea turtles, solving a murder, skirting a little romance and promoting her tea shop all combined into one tale.  There was a lot of camaraderie and action packed into this fairly quick read.  The author did a good job with the red herrings as I didn't figure it out until almost the end!

This is a really fun series with an enjoyable heroine who makes you want to hang out at her tea shop and go on fantastic adventures with her and her wacky cast of characters.

  

    

  

    

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Blood Memories by Barb Hendee

TITLE:    Blood Memories
AUTHOR:    Barb Hendee
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 243 pages
PUBLISHED:   Roc, 2008
SOURCE:   Purchased myself

FROM GOODREADS:    Eleisha Clevon has the face of a teen angel, but she is no angel. Unlike most vampires, she doesn’t like to kill, but self-preservation comes first.

When an old friend destroys himself by walking into sunlight right in front of her, Eleisha is shocked. And what she finds afterwards points to how very sick of his existence her friend had become—piling drained corpses in the basement and keeping records of other vampires’ real names and addresses. That’s a problem.

Because now, there are policemen on the case: two very special humans with some gifts of their own. They know who Eleisha is, and, even more dangerous, what she is.
MY TAKE:  This book was first published in 1998 and has been reprinted.  There are two more books in print with two scheduled in the next year or so.  Barb Hendee is the author of The Noble Dead saga as well as The Vampire Memories series.

With all of the sexy, sparkly teenage vampire stories out there right now, this was a welcome change in the genre.  Eleisha and her fellow vamps were much more cerebral, darker and maybe "realistic"?  This was a very nice change of pace from the love triangles and teen angst.  This was a short book that read very quickly.  There was a lot of action and drama that kept me turning the pages. 

The characters were quite interesting.  Besides Eleisha, I really enjoyed Maggie, Wade and eventually even Phillip.  They added quite a bit to the story.  In some small ways, this reminded me a bit of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire.  I think it was probably because of the dependant relationships the vampires shared.

Enjoyable book that I think most vampire fans will enjoy - especially if you're looking for something a little less sparkly.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

The Vampire Memories Series

  

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Scandal in Scotland by Karen Hawkins

TITLE:    Scandal in Scotland
AUTHOR:   Karen Hawkins
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 333 pages
PUBLISHED:   Pocket Books, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM AMAZON:    A DESPERATE BEAUTY...Despite fame and countless admirers, actress Marcail Beauchamp has never forgotten William Hurst, the audacious seafarer she once loved . . . and lost. Now, forced by a mysterious blackmailer who threatens her family, she must steal an ancient onyx box from the one man she’s vowed never to see again.

A BOLD ADVENTURER...To save his brother from a ruthless abductor, William must deliver the artifact as ransom. He’s stunned when Marcail, more lovely than ever, suddenly appears on his ship. But when she drugs him and steals the box, his fury knows no bounds.

THE TREASURE EVERYONE WANTS...William pursues Marcail, but too late: she has already delivered the box. The estranged lovers realize they must work together—both to regain the artifact that could mean life or death to his family and to destroy the mysterious blackmailer’s power over her family. Thus begins a high-stakes quest through the reaches of Scotland, a quest that stirs up long-forgotten memories and an unquenchable passion. . . .

MY TAKE:    This is my third Karen Hawkins book since I started this blog last July.  I absolutely love this lady's writing!  I reviewed Much Ado About Marriage in September and then followed it with the first book of this Hurst Amulet series One Night In Scotland in November. 

Karen has created a very devoted fan in me with these fantastic stories.  I love the idea of the mysterious amulet and the effect on the family and those around them.  This latest installment has all of the excitement, humor and of course, romance as the others.  I really enjoyed delving into this and didn't put it down until I was finished.

Marcail is a fun and sympathetic heroine or protagonist.  She is a beautiful woman who appears to have it all - on the outside.  She doesn't let anyone in except for her grandmother who was also a famed actress.  Marcail has made numerous sacrifices to protect and provide for her family, without them knowing about it.  One of these sacrifices was William.

William is a hunky sea captain who is furious with Marcail, both for stealing the onyx box in the present and for breaking his heart in the past.  He's extremely proud and rather stubborn.  He holds onto a grudge and finds it hard to see the truth about the woman he loved and can't forget.

The action and mystery kept me quickly turning the pages.  I really liked that the feeling of excitement and adventure carried over so well from the first book.  These books can be read by themselves, but the backstory and history of the characters really adds to the entire tale.  I'm really looking forward to the next installment Seduced in Scotland to be released in October.  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

  

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.