Tag Archives: Cozy Mystery

Review: Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Posted on August 13, 2024 by AmyB

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she’s catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don’t get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie’s worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing… and Nick’s afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

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MY REVIEW

All of Cassie’s friends are moving forward with their lives, either having babies or getting married. This turn of events makes Cassie do something completely out of the ordinary, which is how she finds herself buying a home on Boneyard Key. When strange and unusual things start to happen, Cassie starts to wonder if she made the wrong decision….

I absolutely adored Haunted Ever After. It was fun, and entertaining, with just the right amount of romance. I loved the spooky, yet humorous feel to it. Instead of being afraid of their town’s history, the residents immersed themselves in it and just went with the flow. I don’t know if I could be so chill about real haunted houses or unexplained events.

Now let’s discuss characters. While Cassie may have initially overreacted to the changes in her friends and her own life, I think that made her character more relatable as a lot of people find themselves stuck or at a standstill and desperately in need of a change. Cassie took a risk and embraced Boneyard Key. And when she meets Nick, she’s unsure what to make of the grumpy coffee shop owner. I, on the other hand, loved grumpy Nick!! His interactions with Cassie were so entertaining. I couldn’t wait to see how he would stick his foot in his mouth next. I loved all of the will they/won’t they moments between Nick and Cassie. And even though Nick made me a little crazy sometimes, I couldn’t help but root for him and Cassie.

Overall, I thought Haunted Ever After was a great summer read. This story had just the right amount of mystery and romance. I loved the spooky, paranormal vibes. After finishing this book, I find myself wanting to go the keys and see what haunts I can discover!

Haunted Ever After is my first book by this author and I can not wait to read more from her in the future.

*Thank you so much to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book*

Release Tour for The Murder Before Christmas by Michele Pariza Wacek

Posted on November 17, 2021 by AmyB

There’s no problem Charlie Kingsley can’t solve with tea, but when it comes to love, she doesn’t do love potions. So when her client asks about poison instead, Charlie thought she was kidding, that is until her client’s husband turns up dead. Fans of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple Series will devour The Murder Before Christmas by Michele Pariza Wacek, a fun, twisty cozy mystery.

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If you’ve got a problem, Charlie Kingsley probably has a tea that’ll help make it right.

EXCEPT when it comes to love. She does NOT do love potions.

Not even for Courtney, her pregnant new client who showed up three weeks before Christmas seeking a love potion because her husband was cheating on her.

So, Courtney asked about poison, instead.

She said she was joking That’s what happens between wives and husbands. They get angry and talk about killing each other. They don’t really mean it.

It seems to make sense … until Courtney’s husband turns up dead on Christmas Eve.

He was poisoned, of course.

And who is the number one suspect? Courtney. Of course.

But did she actually do it? Or is she being set up?

It’s up to Charlie to sort through all the twists and turns in a case that gets more complicated the deeper she digs.

Meet Charlie. Better known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She’s back, making teas and solving cases in this quirky, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.

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Excerpt

“Why are you here again?” Officer Brandon Wyle asked me, his chair squeaking as he shifted his lean, lanky figure into a more comfortable position. His dark hair was longer than he normally wore it, curling around his collar and into curtain bangs that he absentmindedly brushed off his forehead. I found myself wondering if this was a new hairstyle, or if he kept forgetting to make an appointment with a stylist. His expression was carefully blank, but his dark eyes didn’t miss a thing.

I hadn’t quite figured it out myself, but was doing my best to sound more confident than I felt. The longer I sat there, the more convinced I was that it was a huge mistake. But at that point, it would have been even worse if I’d left, so I had to brazen my way through it. “She’s my client,” I said, which was true. She had bought some tea from me. Once. “And you’ve seen her condition.”

Wyle’s eyebrows went up. “Condition? You mean her pregnancy?”

“Exactly. Stress isn’t good for mothers-to-be. Well, stress isn’t good for any of us, but it’s especially not good when you’re pregnant. And she’s already dealing with the stress of losing her husband …”

“Who she likely poisoned,” Wyle said.

Now it was my turn to raise eyebrows. “Are you saying she’s a suspect?”

More squeaking as he moved again. We were sitting by his desk, which was tucked away in the corner of the police station. The room was too hot—Wyle had mentioned there was something wrong with the heater—but the combination of the heat, cigarette smoke, and the burnt-coffee-old-sweat odor made my stomach turn. Even though we weren’t alone, no one appeared to be paying any attention to us. The constant collective noise of the phone ringing, typewriters clacking, and people talking filled the space. “Oh come on, Charlie. You’re smarter than this. Everyone is a suspect in the beginning. Heck, you even made the list.”

I was aghast. “Me?”

“Yes, you. Don’t you think it’s pretty suspicious you’re even in here?”

“I never even met Dennis,” I said.

“You don’t need to meet the guy to sell his wife some poison.”

“I don’t sell poison,” I said firmly, deciding I would definitely not be mentioning Courtney’s request for something to kill her husband to Wyle. “I sell teas and tinctures.”

“Uh huh.” Wyle tapped his pen on his notebook, which was balanced precariously on top of a stack of paperwork. His eyes continued to study me.

About Michele Pariza Wacek

When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories to be exact, ranging from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she also hosts a virtual book club you can check out and join (for free!) at MPWNovels.com.

Michele holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Release Blitz: The Murder Before Christmas by Michele Pariza Wacek

Posted on November 9, 2021 by AmyB

Blurb

If you’ve got a problem, Charlie Kingsley probably has a tea that’ll help make it right.

EXCEPT when it comes to love. She does NOT do love potions.

Not even for Courtney, her pregnant new client who showed up three weeks before Christmas seeking a love potion because her husband was cheating on her.

So, Courtney asked about poison, instead.

She said she was joking That’s what happens between wives and husbands. They get angry and talk about killing each other. They don’t really mean it.

It seems to make sense … until Courtney’s husband turns up dead on Christmas Eve.

He was poisoned, of course.

And who is the number one suspect? Courtney. Of course.

But did she actually do it? Or is she being set up?

It’s up to Charlie to sort through all the twists and turns in a case that gets more complicated the deeper she digs.

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Excerpt

“So, Courtney, is it?” I asked with what I hoped was a comforting and nonthreatening smile. I set the mug holding my newest tea blend I created for the Christmas season down on the kitchen table. A blend of a variety of fresh mint and a couple other secret ingredients, I called it “Candy Cane Concoctions,” and hoped others would find it as soothing as it was refreshing. “What can I do for you?”

Courtney didn’t look at me as she reached for her tea. She was young, younger than me, and extremely pretty, despite looking like something the cat dragged in. (And believe me, I know all about what cats can drag in. Midnight, my black cat, had presented me with more than my share of gifts over the years.) Courtney’s long, wavy blonde hair was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, and there were puffy, black circles under her china-blue eyes. She was also visibly pregnant.

“Well, Mrs. Kingsley,” she began, but I quickly interrupted her.

“It’s Miss, but please, call me Charlie.” Yes, she was younger than me, but for goodness sake, she wasn’t THAT much younger. Maybe it was time to start getting more serious about my morning makeup routine.

Her lips quirked up in a tiny smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Charlie then. I was hoping you could make me a love potion.”

I quickly dropped my gaze, busying myself by pushing the plate of frosted Christmas sugar cookies I had made earlier toward her, not wanting her to see my shock and sorrow. She was pregnant and wanted a love potion. This just couldn’t be good.

“I don’t actually do love potions,” I said. “I make custom-blended teas and tinctures.”

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. “But people have been raving about how much you’ve helped them. Mrs. Witmore swears you cured her thyroid problems.”

I tried not to sigh. “My teas and tinctures do have health benefits, that’s true. Certain herbs and flowers can help with common ailments. In fact, for much of human civilization, there were no prescription drugs, so all they had to use were herb and flowers. But I can’t promise any cures.”

“What about Ruthie?” Courtney asked. “She claims those heart tinctures you made are the reason Bob finally noticed her.”

I gritted my teeth. Ruthie’s dad had been recovering from a heart attack, so I had made a couple of teas and tinctures for him. Ruthie, who had a crush on her coworker Bob for years, was apparently so desperate for him to notice her that one day, she decided to bring one of my tinctures to work (I’m unclear which) and slip it into his drink. And apparently, shortly after that, Bob started up a conversation with her, and eventually asked her out on a date.
It didn’t help matters that Jean, Ruthie’s mother, had claimed my tinctures had reignited her and her husband’s love life, which is probably how Ruthie got the idea to try them with Bob in the first place.

Needless to say, that was an unintended benefit.