Review: A Killer Day in Paradise (Elmo Simpson Mysteries, Book 5) by J.C. Kenney

 

Christmas in Paradise Springs is in full swing—even if it’s shaping up to be a quieter one for Elmo Simpson. Until a little girl asks Santa for the impossible.

Wild animal removal specialist Elmo Simpson is spending the holidays playing Santa at the community park—and his girlfriend is about to head out of town to visit family, leaving him to a quieter-than-planned Christmas.

Then a child makes one simple wish: bring her father home for Christmas.

The problem? Her father is in hiding—accused of murdering a shady investment banker with a long list of enemies.

Elmo trades his Santa hat for his investigator instincts and dives into a case tangled with small-town secrets, financial schemes, and suspects who all had a reason to want the victim gone. Some wanted revenge. Others wanted silence. One of them is a killer.

Elmo’s got a plan…sort of. But with Christmas fast approaching and a promise he can’t break, he has one shot to uncover the truth, clear an innocent man—and catch a killer before Christmas morning comes with the wrong kind of surprise.

 

My Review:

An entertaining holiday cozy mystery. 

I totally enjoyed this book.  I have read all of the books in this Elmo Simpson Mysteries series and this is my new favorite.  In this book Elmo is asked to play Santa and receives a special request from a little girl who just wants her father home for Christmas.  Turns out her father was accused of a murder and is now on the run.  Elmo sets out to find the real killer and clear the wrongfully accused father’s name so they can reunite for Christmas.  I struggled putting this book down.  I always enjoy returning to the Paradise Springs books with all the fun and quirky characters.  With a list of suspects, I was left hanging until the very end to find out who the killer was. 

 

 

Review: Crime and Croissants (Cooking Club Murder Mystery, Book 1) by Emmie Lyn

 

Milly Rosebush thought the hardest part of starting over would be moving into the lakeside home she once owned with her ex-husband. In a small New Hampshire town where everyone knows her history, she’s determined to rebuild her life—with good food, fresh starts, and her best friend by her side.

Then she finds a woman in her upstairs bedroom. Dead.

Worse, a stranger walks in to find Milly holding the murder weapon—and just like that, she’s the prime suspect.

As gossip spreads faster than a kitchen fire, clearing her name means asking questions no one in Fox Hollow wants answered. Because the deeper Milly digs, the more unsettling the truth becomes.

With the help of her cooking club—a group with sharp opinions and sharper instincts—plus a too-helpful neighbor, Milly finds that every gathering comes with good food… and a side of suspicion.

But in a town built on secrets, getting too close to the truth can be dangerous.

If Milly wants a second chance, she has to catch a killer—before she ends up on the menu.

 

My Review:  

Fast paced and unpredictable. 

After her divorce, Milly Rosebush was starting over and moving into the lake house she once owned with her ex-husband.  But when she arrived, she discovered a dead body, her ex’s girlfriend.  When Milly learns she is the prime suspect, she will do anything to clear her name even starting a cooking club to get people in town together to help solve the crime.  This is a fun book and great start to a new series.  I really enjoyed the characters, setting and fast- paced story.

 

Review: A Little Taste of Home (From the Outback to the Sea, Book 2) by Jacinta Peachey

He’s an award-winning chef with a bank account that just hit zero. She’s an overworked single mom with a crumbling hotel and a toddler in tow. In a kitchen this small, tempers won't stay on simmer.

Cameron McCracken was the darling of the Sydney food scene until burnout—and a highway robbery—left him stranded in nothing but a wetsuit. Now, he’s stuck in Dolphin Cove in the middle of nowhere, trading gourmet plating for Sunday roasts at a run-down hotel. He’s used to calling the shots, not taking orders from a manager who thinks his "deconstructed parmigiana" is a crime against pub food.

Emmie Hewett is at her breaking point. Between her father’s surgery, a failing legacy, and the demands of raising her daughter, she has no patience for an ego-driven chef—no matter how brilliant he is with a whisk or a toddler.

As the hotel finds its feet, the heat in the kitchen turns personal. But when the city offers Cameron a way back to the top, Emmie faces her ultimate test: can a man who lives for the spotlight ever truly settle for a taste of home? 

 

My Review:

An unexpected career changes leads to love. 

Emmie Hewitt didn’t expect to be heading back home to run her parent’s aging hotel.  She packed her belongings and headed back home with her little girl.  But when she got there, she had no idea what she was in for.  With her chef quitting, she had to find someone fast.  That turned out to be Cam McCracken, a burnt out, recovering addict, chef who was spending his time surfing his way across Australia until his van was stolen.  Filled with emotionally charged scenes, quirky characters and tender moments, I didn’t want this book to end.  I can’t wait to read what comes next.