Carries Book Reviews

The Cartagena Cartel
T.C. Roberts
(The Misadventures of a Modern-Day Nomad, #2)
Publication date: August 15th 2024
Genres: Adult, Crime, Humor

Archie, a heartbroken young man who has skipped bail, embarks on his first adventure as a wannabe digital nomad. Seeking new beginnings in the romantic old town of Cartagena, Colombia, he hopes to find love once more. But Cartagena is far from the idyllic escape he envisioned.

Instead, Archie attracts all the wrong kinds of trouble, hitting rock bottom in a foreign land, completely broke. Alone and desperate, he strikes a risky deal with a charming local street hustler, Christian, hoping to impress the enigmatic ” who could be his only saviour to make it out of Cartagena alive.

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Author Bio:

This author also writes as Tim Roberts

T.C. Roberts is the author of the non-fiction title, Goodbye Office, Hello World!, the novel, Highly Flawed Individual, and the forthcoming graphic novel Killer Sexbot. Originally from Sydney, Tim has no fixed address and considers himself a citizen of the world. When he is not writing, he’s traveling and exploring new places, or seeking out his next destination.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Breaking the Ice
Whitney Dineen

What do an entitled billionaire and small-town ice-skating coach have in common?

Ellie

My life is not turning out like I thought it would.

My mom’s arthritis has gotten so bad that I had to move in with her. I’m making ends meet by giving ice skating lessons at the arena in Maple Falls. I’d be in serious trouble had the Harts not given me that job.

Which makes it impossible to say no when they ask me to let Troy’s obnoxious billionaire brother stay in the cabin on my mom’s property during the charity hockey event they’re running.

Zach

First the tabloids call me out for being a cheapskate and then Yolanda Simms takes to national television to tell everyone what a vicious heartbreaker I am?

Yeah, my life has been better.

My brother thinks I can fix my bad press by coming to Maple Falls and donating big to his new charity endeavor. Too bad he didn’t mention the woman who owns the cottage I’ll be staying at hates me with a passion.

He also didn’t mention she’s everything I’ve ever looked for in a woman…

The Rebound Play
Kate O’Keeffe

If you get a second chance at love with your hockey star ex, should you take it?

Keira

What do you do when your NHL superstar ex skates back into your small town? Drop to the ground and hide behind the bleachers, praying he doesn’t see you. That was the plan, anyway. But Lady Luck must be having an off day because Dan spots me, my hood over my eyes, pretending I’m not there.

Mature? No.

Necessary? Absolutely.

Humiliation washes over me, and the wall around my heart stands firm. Dan might be back, but I can’t afford to let him in again. Not after the heartbreak of losing him once before.

When he offers to coach my nephew, I reluctantly agree. Every smile he flashes at me, every kind word, threatens to crack my resolve. But I can’t go through that again. I have to protect my heart.

Dan

I want Keira back. End of story.

The Friend Face Off
Grace Worthington

Getting involved with your brother’s best friend is risky enough. But when he’s a hockey player? It’s a whole new level of bad idea.

Emmy

As a ravenous reader, I’ve got a secret: I’m obsessed with hockey romances.

But let me tell you, real life hockey players are nothing like my book boyfriends.

So I threw down the gauntlet on BookTok. I challenged any single guy out there to prove me wrong. Can a real hockey player be as romantic as the ones in my favorite stories?

Enter Dawson Hayes, a goalie with a point to prove and my brother’s best friend. He’s confident he can win me over and take me on the most romantic date of my life.

But there’s a catch: for me to accept, I have to pretend that he’s my fake boyfriend. Now everyone in my small town thinks that Dawson and I are having a fall fling. Even if it’s a fling that can’t last.

Worst of all, I’m starting to believe this fling is real. I’m falling for my brother’s best friend.

Dawson

The first time I met Emmy, her brother warned me to stay away. As hockey teammates, that made her totally off-limits.

But now I’m back in Emmy’s small town to play in a charity hockey match, and I can’t resist her dating challenge: to find out if any man can be more romantic than the book boyfriends she adores.

Emmy and I are both fiercely competitive, and I’m determined to win her over.

When the moment of truth comes, the chemistry between us turns into something neither of us expected: a romantic face-off between friends who are insanely attracted to each other.

Now, I’m out to prove to her that you should never judge a book by its cover—or a hockey player when it comes to love.

The Friend Face Off is a brother’s best friend, closed door hockey romcom with fake dating, friends to lovers and You’ve Got Mail vibes.

Love in Overtime
Melissa Baldwin

Playing hockey in Maple Falls was meant to be just a charity gig, but then my new publicist showed up, melting the ice—and my heart.

Cooper

I never anticipated being roped into a charity hockey game during the off-season. But here I am, heading to Maple Falls, all because my publicist decided to retire. Change was inevitable, but I didn’t foresee it coming so soon.

Getting assigned a new publicist, Blair Radcliffe, didn’t sit well with me at first. However, there’s something about her – a fierce determination that’s both intriguing and challenging. I wonder if she’s ready for the whirlwind that is Cooper Montgomery. One thing’s certain– I can’t afford to fall for my publicist.

Blair

I still can’t believe I landed my dream job. The excitement is overwhelming, and I’m determined to carve out my path in the industry. But there’s one obstacle standing in my way– Cooper Montgomery, the seemingly uncooperative hockey star. Nevertheless, I’m ready to tackle the challenge head-on, and perhaps some time away in a quiet town like Maple Falls will work wonders.

What I didn’t anticipate was developing a crush on my own client. It’s the ultimate taboo in my profession, a mistake that could jeopardize everything I’ve worked for. I’m at a loss on how to navigate this newfound attraction, especially when it appears that Cooper might feel the same way. I’m not sure what to do next.

The Parent Playbook
Elsie Woods

I don’t know when dad jokes and mismatched socks became my type, but that hockey dude skated into my life like a runaway puck… and I think I like it.

Angel

I know I should be thankful that my charity was selected by the Ice Breakers hockey team. It’ll make a huge difference in children’s lives all over the state.

There’s only one problem:

I hate hockey dudes.

I have to remind myself of that fact when Scotty MacFarland with his groan-worthy dad jokes slips into my life like he’s always been there.

No matter how hard I push back on that perfectly formed chest, Scotty remains strong, giving me the space I need. I’m beginning to think I don’t want to have so much space anymore.

But by the time I figure that out, it just might be too late.

Scotty

The only thing I love more than hockey is my daughter.

It was a no-brainer for me to give up the ice when I became a single dad, and I didn’t look back. But when the call came to coach the Ice Breakers, the opportunity was too good to pass up, and I thought my girl would thrive with a fresh start in Maple Falls.

Turns out, the leaves weren’t the only thing falling in Maple Falls.

Angel Davis swooped into my life and pieces I didn’t know were missing started to fall into place. A devoted single mom, director of a children’s charity, and all-around spark of sassiness, she and I find an easy rhythm, despite her throwing a boot at my face.

But Lily comes first. And if I have to leave behind a future with Angel before it’s started in order to do what’s right, I will.

Though it seems fate has other ideas.

Love at First Skate
Ellie Hall

They say love is messy. Turns out friendship is too, especially when you’re stranded in a cabin with your best friend and hearts are on thin ice.

Teddy

I’ve heard that men and women can’t be friends without it becoming something more. Harlow and I put that theory in the penalty box, thank you very much.

She laughs at my jokes, secretly admires my hockey butt, trusts me with her biggest fear (it’s safe with me). In turn, she knows everything about me. Well, almost.

There’s been a recent development. I’m gone for her. Down bad. Solid Crush. She lives rent free in my mind. I’ve caught feelings. This wouldn’t be a problem except, you know, the whole it shattering our friendship thing.

Harlow

You know those days you want to erase? It went like this: my boyfriend broke up with me (it was overdue), and then I broke up with my job while at a work conference (it was mind-numbing).

In an ironic twist, I won the raffle for a romantic getaway trip for two. Who else to bring other than my best friend who’ll gladly commiserate with me? He has a hockey event nearby, so it works out perfectly.

Until we’re stranded in the cozy cabin together. There’s a blaze of attraction. A friendship-changing kiss.

What now? Do we hit the reset button? Salvage what we had? Pretend it never happened? These are things I’d talk to my bestie about, but I can’t because I’m head over heels for him.

Penalties and Proposals
Anne Kemp

It only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch. When life hands me reformed hockey star Noah Beaumont, AGAIN, am I supposed to make cider or is there a sweeter surprise in store?

Willa

I never wanted to see Noah Beaumont again. EVER. When I kicked him off my set after he showed up intoxicated, his PR team tried to blacklist me. I made it over that hurdle, made a name for myself, and I’m heading to Maple Falls to cover a charity ice hockey team that’s making headlines…only to find out I have to work with HIM.

But this Noah seems different. He’s reformed and seems to be determined to show me he’s changed. Can I trust him, or will he be the same disaster I remember?

Noah

I’ve spent years trying to make amends for my past mistakes, questioning if I still belong in the world of hockey or if it’s time to step back, be ‘normal’. But seeing Willa again brings everything into sharp focus. She’s the woman who’s haunted my thoughts since the day I met her.

Now, she’s here in Maple Falls, and I’m determined to prove I’m not the same man she remembers. I want her to see the real me, the man I’ve worked so hard to become. Can I convince her to give me a second chance?

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**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Title: Beyond Summerland

Author: Jenny Lecoat

Publisher: Graydon House

Publication Date: July 2, 2024

Page Count: 288

About the book:

Beatriz Williams meets Laura Spence-Ash in this fast-paced and tension-filled novel about secrets and betrayal in a small community recovering from war, and the two young women at the center of a volatile mystery.

In June of 1945, Jersey is in the midst of change as the German occupation of the Channel Islands comes to an end. However, demands for punishment are rising for those suspected of collaborating with the Nazis. Neighbor turns against neighbor as distrust flourishes and accusations fly, especially towards women who had romantic relationships with the German soldiers.

When Jean Parris learns that her father, who died in a German prison, was reported to the Nazis by an anonymous woman, her rage hits a boiling point. The suspect, Hazel Le Tourneur, denies the accusation but has a motive for wanting Jean’s father gone. Then, when Hazel catches Jean secretly meeting with a German soldier, the women form an unexpected bond in the face of ruinous consequences. With tension running high and secrets at every turn, the truth behind the accusations may be more complicated than anyone could imagine.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon  /  BookShop.org / HarperCollins / Barnes & Noble 

Excerpt:

1

Jersey, Channel Islands

June 1945

Excitement billowed down the street. It poured out of every doorway and crackled in the air, tickling the back of people’s necks, beckoning everyone into this thrilling, historic morning. And what a morning! Yesterday’s storm had vanished north over the English Channel, leaving bright sunshine and a powder blue sky. Now the whole of St Helier was waiting, rinsed and gleaming, impatient with anticipation. A stiff southwesterly gusted through the streets of the town, carrying on it the faint murmur of a distant, chattering crowd, and standing on her front path to breathe it all in, Jean felt a surge of genuine optimism. She ran her fingers through her mousy hair to revive its sagging shape, tugged at her jacket to make sure that the moth hole in her blouse was hidden, then called back into the house:

“Mum! Hurry up, or we’ll get stuck at the back.”

Violet Parris shuffled out, her ancient leather handbag perched carefully on her arm. Jean watched as she turned, methodically, to lock the Chubb. It was a habit that recent years had ingrained, and with pilfering still rife around the parish, it made sense to be cautious, though everyone missed the days of open front doors. “Things will settle down by Christmas,” people kept saying. And perhaps they would. Jean took in the pallid face beneath the battered felt hat and considered what a frail, brittle figure her mother cut these days, the anxious, darting eyes and slight stoop of constant burden more pronounced in sunlight than in the gloom of the house. Certainly, most people would have guessed her to be older than forty-six. But then, Jean supposed, every living soul on this island had aged a lifetime in the last five years. She felt a sudden urge to reach out and hug her mum tightly but, knowing Violet would balk at such a display, offered her arm instead.

They set off at a pace that Jean calculated her mother could maintain for the half-mile walk. The street was filled with the sound of garden gates clanging as women shooed husbands and children onto the pavement, reknotting ties and smoothing errant hairs before scuttling toward the town center. One or two of them carried folded Union Jacks ready to unfurl at the crucial moment, and Jean felt a pang of envy; their own flag had been used for kindling back in the winter, and no replacements could be bought now. But then, it would be inappropriate for the family to appear in any way frivolous. Jersey was a small island. People liked to talk.

By the time they reached the end of Bath Street, the roads were already thick with people heading for the Royal Square. At the corner of the covered market on Halkett Place, two streams of moving bodies became a human river, pushing the two of them along like paper boats, and Jean wished again that they had set off earlier. As a woman behind stumbled slightly, forcing them both forward, she felt her mother’s fingers tighten on her arm; quickly, Jean tugged her away from the melee toward a quiet side street and leaned her mother against the concrete wall, supplying a handkerchief, which Violet immediately dabbed across her forehead.

“All right?”

Violet shook her head. “So many people. Why didn’t we go down the Albert Pier, see the SS Jamaica coming in, or find a place along the Esplanade?” Jean, who had suggested these exact choices last night, merely took the dampened handkerchief back and tucked it into her sleeve. As she did so, her eyes fell on the shop front, a small bakery set halfway down the turning. The display window had been boarded up to replace the shattered glass, but evidently the vandals had returned for a second visit, because now a huge swastika was painted on the plywood in black pitch. She glanced at her mother and saw that she too had become transfixed by it.

Violet jerked her chin a little. “Collaborators.” Jean nodded. What had the proprietors done to earn such a reputation? Had they served German soldiers their bread? Fraternized with them? She imagined the angry faces of men rushing toward the shop in the dead of night, bricks and rocks in their hands. What had happened to this island in such a few short weeks?

Liberation Day, less than a month earlier, had been the most significant, emotional event that any islander, young or old, had ever experienced. The most longed-for day in their history had come at last, and, with the arrival of a British task force in the harbor and the official surrender of the German military, five brutal years of Nazi occupation had finally come to an end. So long and arduous had the Occupation been—Jean was a schoolgirl of just fourteen when it began—that for the first week of freedom she had found the transformation impossible to take in. To be able to leave the house without curfew…to speak fearlessly on the street without fear of spies or listen to the BBC news on a neighbor’s radio! But best of all was the joy of eating a proper meal again, as the British army unloaded crate after crate of supplies, and the Red Cross ship Vega brought more relief parcels. Given the near starvation of the previous year, extravagances such as tinned meat, lard for cooking, sugar and tea had moved them to tears of relief as they unpacked their box. The taste of raspberry jam, spooned straight from the jar in a moment of pure elation, would stay with her forever.

Yet those early days had also brought bewilderment. After years of inertia, with entire months punctuated by nothing but the tedious struggle for food and fuel, Liberation brought a tornado of welcome but exhausting developments. They had dutifully exchanged their reichsmarks for sterling at the local bank and watched the mines being cleared from the beaches; they had read public announcements that the non-native islanders deported by the Germans in the autumn of 1942 had been flown back to England, and that their return was imminent. They had even received, at long last, a letter from Jean’s older brother, Harry, released from service and now back home with his own family in Chelmsford. Horrified at the long-belated news of his father’s arrest, Harry spoke of his frustration at being cut off from all island information for so long but, to Jean’s delight, promised that he would visit as soon as regular transport services resumed. Encouraged by a sense of returning normality, she and her mother would sit at the kitchen table of an evening, cutting out every significant article from the Evening Post and pasting them all into a scrapbook for posterity. And as they pasted, in a whispered voice too soft for the fickle fates to hear, Jean would dare to speak of the coming weeks and the news from the continent that even now might be on its way. Violet would nod and smile, but rarely responded. Hope, Jean calculated, was too heavy a burden for this exhausted woman in the final length of a horrendous journey; better for Jean to button her lip and direct her own dreams into the rhythmic movements of her pasting brush.

Not all the recent news was good. Among the celebratory headlines and the public announcements had been other, troubling pieces. Dreadful photographs of murderous Nazi camps where untold numbers had died. Accounts of local “jerrybags”—island women who slept with German soldiers—chased through the streets by marauding gangs who shaved their heads and stripped them naked. Reports of the island’s insurmountable debts. And one terrifying front-page report of a local father and son, deported eighteen months earlier, who had both perished during their incarceration. After reading these, Jean would retire to her bed and lie awake for hours in the grip of a dark, low-level panic, until falling into a fitful sleep just as the sun rose. She told no one about this, especially not her mother. She could not pinpoint the exact moment when she had assumed the maternal role in their relationship, and suspected it had crept up on them over many months. But Jean now knew instinctively that her mother’s shaking fingers indicated that Jean would need to peel the vegetables for dinner, or that Violet’s single, hot tear on her book’s page in the quiet of the evening required a hot drink and an early night. There would be time enough for her own feelings, Jean told herself, when this nightmare came to an end, which it surely would soon. So today, despite the sight of the boarded-up bakery and the unsettling feelings it brought, Jean squeezed out a comforting smile and placed a hand on her mother’s arm.

“We can just go home now, if you want.” Jean thought of their still, gray kitchen at the rear of the still, gray house and dreaded her mother’s nod. But Violet just gave a little frown.

“No, we’ve come this far. Come on.”

The Royal Square was, as expected, heaving with people.

Men, women and children were squashed together like blades of grass and stewards had placed barriers across the middle of the square to contain the crowd. Jean dragged her mother through the jostling bodies and, instructing Violet to hang on to the back of her jacket and not let go, began to slither her way through the crush, making the most of any tiny gap. She smiled helplessly at any gentleman in her path until he retreated, and threw apologetic backward looks when she trod on someone’s foot or dislodged their hat, until they found themselves only two heads back from the barrier just as the official cars pulled into the square. A huge cheer tore through the crowd, and by standing on her tiptoes and craning her neck Jean managed to find a sliver of a clear view.

The cars lined up outside the library. A young, uniformed Tommy opened the door of the shining black Ford. And suddenly there they were. Right there on the pavement in front of the States of Jersey government buildings, not thirty feet away, all the way from Buckingham Palace—the King and Queen! Jean gazed at King George, resplendent in his uniform, as he was greeted by low-bowing Crown officials. The Queen, magnificent in a feathered tam hat and draped decorously in a fox fur, accepted a huge bouquet of Jersey carnations, waving graciously. The cheers around the square were thunderous now, with snatches of patriotic songs breaking out here and there. Jean looked at her mother and saw her own excitement reflected back. But at that moment a woman next to them wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and grinned at Violet.

“Isn’t it marvelous? I can’t believe it!’

Jean felt her mother’s body stiffen beside her as she dredged up a suitable courtesy. “Yes, wonderful.”

“It’s over, really over! We can start living again!”

Jean watched Violet’s mouth turn to a grim line of sandbagged wretchedness. By the time her bottom lip began to tremble, Jean knew it was over—public tears were a humiliation that could not be tolerated, and the window of fake composure was closing fast. With one last reluctant look at the royal couple, Jean put her arm around her mother’s waist and pushed out through the crowd until they were both back on the high street, breathless and unsteady. In the doorway of a shop, shielding her from passersby, Jean again offered her handkerchief, and this time Violet pressed it across her face as she sobbed into it for several moments, emanating tiny stuttering sounds like a wounded animal. Eventually the shaking eased, and she took a deep breath.

“Sorry. It was just what that woman said.”

Jean rubbed her arm. “I know. But it can’t be long now. For all we know Dad’s already on his way home. Could be out there on a boat right this minute.”

Violet nodded and managed a small wet smile. Jean, working hard to hide her disappointment at missing this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, again offered her arm, and the two of them began the slow walk back to the house, Jean’s mind whirring. Was it right to offer such optimism? No one knew if her father was actually on his way home. It was fifteen months since he’d stepped onto that German prison boat, headed God knows where. Twelve months since his last letter. And not a word from the authorities since Liberation. She told herself they had no choice but to believe, but one thing was certain—the Occupation was far from over. Not for them.

Excerpted from Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat. Copyright © 2024 by Jenny Lecoat. Published by Graydon House Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

About the Author:

Jenny Lecoat was born in Jersey, Channel Islands, where her parents were raised under German Occupation and were involved in resistance activity. Lecoat moved to England at 18, where, after earning a drama degree, she spent a decade on the alternative comedy circuit as a feminist stand-up. She also wrote for newspapers and women’s magazines (Cosmopolitan, Observer), worked as a TV and radio presenter, before focusing on screenwriting from sitcom to sketch shows. A love of history and f

actual stories and a return to her island roots brought about her feature film Another Mother’s Son (2017). She is married to television writer Gary Lawson and now lives in East Sussex. Her debut novel, The Girl from the Channel Islands, was an immediate New York Times bestseller.

Author website   / Goodreads  / Twitter 

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Another week with only a handful of new books to tempt everyone with having only four new titles for my ever towering TBR. One is a new addition to one of my favorite cozy series so I definitely know that will be at the top of my list to read!

As always clicking the covers will take you to the book on Amazon!**

New additions from Netgalley June 23rd  – June 30th

In Michelle Chouinard’s clever mystery The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, the granddaughter of a serial killer shows readers another side of the beloved city.

Welcome to San Francisco, a city with killer charm.

The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. Capri has been interested in the topic since she was a kid, when she discovered she’s the granddaughter of serial killer William ‘Overkill Bill’ Sanzio. She’s always believed in his innocence, though she’s never taken the leap to fully dive into the case.

But now an Overkill Bill copycat has struck in San Francisco. And Capri’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri’s daughter’s tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. The case is back in the news and the police will be looking to understand the past to catch a present-day killer. Capri could finally uncover the truth about Overkill Bill—documenting the process with a podcast and a book—and hopefully earn some money.

Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat’s latest victim: Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police’s investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspects.

Sparks fly when Ada and Rian just-so-happen to find themselves at the same charity gala—but there’s something rotten behind the sparkling gowns and dazzling wealth on display

This heist turned rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis is perfect for fans of sexy, romantic science fiction and readers of Martha Wells and Becky Chambers

Ada had no intention whatsoever to continue working for the rebel group that hired her to retrieve the government’s plans for a nanobot climate cleaner if they weren’t willing to pay her for it, but then they offer a different perk: an undercover mission to a charity gala where Rian will be in attendance. Rian, meanwhile, has volunteered his services for the gala believing that the rare items up for auction will attract Ada’s eye. Hoping to catch her in the act and pin her with a punishable crime, Rian has no idea that Ada’s real mission is to convince him to join the rebels. And the rebels have no idea that Ada’s decided that kidnapping Rian is the most efficient means to an end.

How to Steal the Galaxy continues the sexy, rip-roaring good time that Beth Revis began in Full Speed to a Crash Landing, with the return of Ada, Rian, and all the tension, twists, and turns that made the first novella so much fun.

For fans of Laura Childs’ Tea Shop Mysteries and Ellery Adams’  Culinary Cozy Mysteries, the Ohio-set Amish Candy Shop series combines a fascinating look at Amish life with the fun of candy making, plus the romance between chocolatier Bailey King and her county sheriff fiancé.

Amish Candy shop owner and star of TV’s Bailey’s Amish Sweets, Bailey King has a lot to be excited about.  She’s happily engaged to Aiden Brody, newly appointed county sheriff, and her candy factory is finally having its grand opening in Harvest, Ohio—just before Christmas! Bailey is ready to let the sweet celebrations
begin . . .

With the help of local community organizer Margot Rawlings, Harvest will have a Candy Land themed Christmas on the village square—featuring Bailey’s recently perfected recipe for gingerbread men. When the big day comes, everything is going well—until bitter news arrives. One of Bailey’s Amish friends has been killed in an apparent accident just outside the candy factory. Aiden is promptly on the case—with more than a little input from Bailey . . .

Together, they soon learn that the victim was working for some powerful men in the county, and in doing so was spying on his own Amish community. Still, Bailey is determined to find the perpetrator. If she can’t cut out the killer from the rest of the suspects, her gingerbread men won’t be the only ones in danger of disappearing . . .

Featuring twin hooks that cozy readers can’t get enough of—classic books and delicious food—this new series from the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of several much loved series, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the French Bistro Mysteries, is a delicious treat for mystery lovers, especially fans of Ellery Adams, Krista Davis, and Lauren Elliott.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more. 

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?  

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues.  
With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Title: Haunting License

Author:  Carol J. Perry

Publisher: Kensington Cozies

Publication Date: June 25, 2024

Page Count:  312

My rating: 4 stars

About the book:

The latest novel in this exciting supernatural cozy series from the author of the Witch City Mysteries features a New Englander transplanted to a Florida town along the scenic Gulf of Mexico when she inherits a charming, century-old—and very haunted—inn from a mysterious benefactor. Fans of Amanda Flower and Heather Blake will delight in murder, ghosts, and the heroine’s golden retriever, Finn.
 
It’s June in Haven, Florida, a “between seasons” time in the tourism business, and Maureen’s Haven House Inn is feeling the pinch. There are plenty of ghosts in residence, but Maureen needs living guests to pay the bills.
 
Inspired by an old brochure she finds in a trunk she inherited along with the inn from her mysterious benefactor Penelope Josephine Gray, she gets the brilliant idea to revive a June fishing tournament from twenty years ago, hoping to reel in anglers who’d love to catch the Gulf Coast’s popular kingfish and take home a trophy.
 
But one fisherman won’t make it to the tournament. While walking on the beach with her golden retriever Finn, Maureen discovers a body. When Officer Frank Hubbard arrives, he recognizes local charter boat fisherman Eddie Manuel.
 
Now it’s up to Maureen and her spirited sleuths to sort through the red herrings and bait a hook for a killer before someone else ends up sleeping with the fishes . . .

Haunting License by Carol J. Perry is the third book in the paranormal cozy A Haunted Haven Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book in this new paranormal mystery series will contain it’s own mystery that will be solved within so they can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. Of course there will be some character development that carries over from book to book for those that follow the series in order.

Maureen Doherty had been settling into her career as a sportswear buyer for a department store when she got the news that the store would be closing. At just that moment when Maureen needed it most she received a letter from a lawyer informing her that she had a mysterious inheritance waiting for her in Haven, Florida. Maureen is now the new owner of a cozy inn on the Gulf of Mexico. The only catch to the inheritance is the inn is supposed to be haunted but not believing in ghosts Maureen saw it as the opportunity for a new career path.

Now as Maureen is getting settled into her new life in Haven, Florida it’s June and that is the slow season for tourism in town. As Maureen is going though an old trunk in the inn she finds an old brochure from twenty years before advertising a Haven fishing tournament and gets the idea to revitalize the event to bring in guests. Unfortunately for Maureen just as the idea for the tournament begins to take shape she stumbles upon the body of a fisherman as she’s walking the beach leading to yet another murder needing to be solved in the small town.

I have been following the A Haunted Haven Mystery series from the beginning since I really enjoy the crossing of the two genres bringing the paranormal into a cozy mystery. When I ask for quirky fun characters in my mysteries they don’t necessarily need to be of the living variety so incorporating a couple of ghosts here or there will also do the trick. And on top of the small town vibes and the quirky characters there’s also a fun mystery to be solved in each installment of this series which will continue to bring me back time and again.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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About the author:

Carol J. Perry was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween eve, and that magical city serves as the backdrop for her Witch City Mystery series. She is also the author of several young adult novels. Her nonfiction articles on travel, antiques, and ecology often appear in regional and national publications.