Halloween is just around the corner, and I’m on a roll! Here’s my mixed review of the latest installment of the Cat Cafe Mystery series:

The Halloween vibes: I’ll hand it to the author; she did an OK job with the spooky season festivities. I especially enjoyed the premise of a celebrity psychic giving readings at a notoriously haunted inn because it’s always so much more fun when there’s a dash of paranormal!

What about the cat cafe? I read these books for a reason. I LOVE cat cafes! On the rare occasion when I do travel, my first stop is the cat cafe so I can get my kitty fix. Unfortunately, very few scenes take place at the cat cafe. The MC, Maddie, is too busy with her over-extended party planning schedule to work her actual job at the cafe, which is a bummer. Why do these characters always take on too much whenever a seasonal festival rolls into town? They make me so tired.

The spooky cold case: Despite my disappointment over the ignored cat cafe, I really enjoyed the murder mystery because it involved a cold case and spooky ghosts! There’s also some Nancy Drew action with secret trap doors and hidden rooms–fun!

The cat costume parade: Question: has Cate Conte ever met a cat in real life? I ask because there’s absolutely no way a cat costume parade could ever happen on planet earth. And how did the main character tote her cat around town without any fuss or drama? All the while, he’s wearing a Sherlock Holmes costume–hat and all! Ain’t no way I could ever get a hat on either of my cats, let alone take them with me when I’m running errands around town.

Too many characters: I get it, we need a bunch of suspects in cozy mysteries to keep readers guessing, but my God there were so many people and cats with human names thrown in the mix! We’ve got multiple cops, Maddie’s family, a pool of suspects, cat cafe co-workers and more. It’s A LOT!

Overall: Fans of the series who have a handle on the cast of characters may stand a chance of keeping track of who’s who. Otherwise, good luck reading this without giving yourself a headache. On the bright side, the mystery was pretty inventive, and I enjoyed the haunted inn.

I saw this cover and immediatley put this at the top of my Halloweenie reading list. What can I say? I’m a sucker for jack-o-lanters and costumed puppy doggies! I wanted to like this, but dang it was boring. I’m sorry y’all. I know this series is a fan favorite, but this is the thrd Bakeshop Mystery book I’ve read and so far they’ve all been very ho-hum, which is surprising because Ellie Alexander’s microwbrewery mystery series is top notch.

Here’re my thoughts:

The Halloweenie vibe: Despite the promising cover, this story didn’t have much to do with Halloween. I mean, yeah there was a dog costume parade and some sort of dog theatrical program going on, but this really could’ve been set at any time of year. I just didn’t get the fun, spooky feels whatsoever.

The dog mom drama: I just can’t with the women in this book. They take stage moms to a whole new, horrific level that I cannot even comprehend–and this is coming from someone who has a huge closet of dog costumes! The main suspect, Jax and her breeder dog, Pippa, are the worst part of the story. If this was a Hannah Barbara cartoon, I’d find her character to be more believable, but her stage-mom antics are way too over the top. I know our world has gone mad, but it’s a stretch to believe that a woman would kill and maim people to give her dog the lead role in some sort of theater pagent.

The long baking interludes: I’m not a baker, but I love eating baked goods…maybe a little too much. So, I could really do without the sporadic long cookbook descriptions of baking…snoooore.

The big reveal letdown: I’m wondering if the author meant for the big reveal to be a suprise. Seriously, it was such a no-brainer. Middle grade mysteries are more puzzing that this. I’m just puzzled about this not being puzzling…if that makes sense.

Overall thoughts: I’m kicking myself for buying a few of these mysteries for dirt cheap on Chirp. I dont’ think I can suffer through any more of this drivel.

Here we go again, y’all, another “Why the Hell am I reading this?!” review of a Carolyn Brown romance novel. I’m still climbing my way out of the grief crater, so this is the only form of entertainment I can handle right now. Does it make any sense? No, because these books are SO bad, they make recycled Hallmark Christmas movies look inventive. “Recycled” is a good descriptor for this author’s “plots,” and I’m using that word lightly because it’s hard to find a cohesive plot in any of her books. This one is no exception! When you pick up one of her small-town Texas books (I can’t speak for her sexy cowboy books because even I have limits), you can expect all of these themes woven into a story that goes nowhere: mean girls, big bad villains, hot new guy in town, sisterhood bonding, cheating, church, and sweet ol’ sassy Southern ladies. Oh–and Florida! Somehow things just end up there (insert shrugging woman emoji here).

So, yet again, we have sisterhood theme going on—and all three leading ladies (Grace, Sarah and Macy) are dealing with dramarama as they sling greasy fried dough all day at the local donut shop. If I can just press pause on the synapsis for a moment (trust me, you’re not missing much), I have to admit that I’m not a donut girl. When I eat one, I just feel instantly remorseful, like I just ate an artery-clogging sugar bomb that was SO not worth the splurge. Hey—that’s the perfect analogy for how I feel after finishing a Carolyn Brown book. This just got deep!

OK, so back to the plot (or lack thereof). Let’s see if I can even remember this garbage…oh yes…so, Grace is the mother of a mean girl antichrist named Audrey. Macy is a sweet, innocent soul who almost got suckered into a marriage with a con-man. Sarah…hmm…dude, I don’t even remember. I think she was burned badly by an evil man and swore off love forever? You know, the usual Hallmark channel “hardened heart” trope. They all run a family-owned donut shop, and some hot CEO dude named Travis wants to take it over and turn it into something soulless.

Just when I thought I was onto a cohesive enemies-turned lovers storyline between Macy (or was it Grace?) and the corporate hot-shot guy, the author obviously got bored with the whole thing and sent all the characters—including Travis—to some beach in Florida. Geez…she does this a lot in her books. This woman loves, loves, loves her some Florida beaches. But hey, you know what? At this point in my life, I’m okay with a plotless book that requires zero thinking. I’m just taking a page from Miss Brown’s playbook and going along with the flow without giving any thought to character development, plotlines, etcetera, etcetera.

As with all of her other books, Miss Brown crafts some evil characters, particularly the teenage Audrey, the meanest mean girl in town. When the women take in a little orphan girl, Audrey has now qualms about ruthlessly bullying the poor, sweet thing. And then—just like that—she flips faster than a greasy donut on a skillet when she suddenly sees the error of her ways. I’m sorry, Audrey, but weren’t you the devil incarnate just two pages ago? And now you’re besties with your victim because why? Oh, if only this could be the case for the bajillions of people in this world with personality disorders. Maybe all they need are donuts and a trip to FloriDUH! Cured!

Speaking of donuts, how do these women eat so many in a day and not die of chronic diseases? I just don’t see this being a sustainable lifestyle for anyone—not even mean ol teenage Audrey. But I’m thinking too much, which is silly!

Long story short, if you’re looking for a good donut shop-themed book set in East Texas, give Joe Lansdale’s “Donut Legion” a try. I’ll post a review of that one a little later when I can get my head right again.

Until then, I’m off to go read another trash novel about small town Texas life, sisterhood bonding, hot cowboys and such.

Oh wow. This was bad. We’re talking hilariously, laughably, frustratingly BAD! But did I read it all the way through? Of course, I did! My love affair with Carolyn Brown’s books is a paradoxical mystery that, frankly, I will never understand myself. Note: If you see me posting multiple reviews on Carolyn Brown books, I am NOT OKAY. Send help! I’m kidding on the last part..sort of.

Either way, as I mentioned in my review of The Family Journal (see the review below), I turn to Carolyn Brown’s books when I’m in a very bad, dark place. I’m still climbing my way out of the grief hole, but it’s a struggle, y’all. CeeCee Honeycutt, if you’re up there looking down, holla! I miss you, sweet girl!

As for the story, well, there isn’t much of one. It’s the battle of two Southern women (Aunt Leddie and Matilda) who hate each other with a burning, raging, fiery passion. There really aren’t enough adjectives to put their deep-seated rage into words. Just trust me on this one; they HATE each other. And here comes the super fun plot twist. Leddie’s sweet school teacher niece, Amelia, and Matilda’s gallant son (a secretive mega-rich real estate agent) are falling in love. Awwwww snap! So there you have it: A Romeo & Juliet love story plopped into a podunk Texas town with a whopping dose of drama and lemon pies.

Speaking of which, if I took a shot every time Aunt Leddie’s lemon pies were mentioned, I would be drunk as a skunk by page five! For reals, cool it with the pies already. I get it! They’re famous and delicious and a real party pleaser at the funeral dinners. Sheesh!

Then a few more subplots started to form, then fizzled out. Why? I’m guessing the author just got tired and wanted to skip to the part where they randomly go beach-combing in Florida. For a while there, I thought I’d get some fun dramarama with the diabolically evil Matilda (we’re talking Charles Manson meets Hitler evil) trying to take over all of Aunt Leddie’s town planning committees. But then, that all just evaporated into nothingness. I also thought I’d get to see Matilda go bankrupt by turning an old house into a vegan-friendly B&B. Nope, the sale didn’t happen, and we just moved on to the next meandering plot point.

As per usual with Carolyn Brown books, the reading experience was frustrating yet cathartic. No matter how much my mind wandered, I didn’t miss a beat. It’s like listening to a really long sleep story on my Headspace app…but with shrieking women. On second thought, don’t try that if you’re trying to fall asleep. Aunt Leddie and Matilda don’t hold any punches—and they’re even packing heat when they’re forced to square up with each other! Yeehaaaw!

I have so many questions, but one, in particular, is how could someone as stupid as Matilda’s son (sorry, his name escapes me) get so far in the real estate business? I get that Stockholm syndrome is a thing, but he just kept subjecting himself to his mother’s torture, time and time again. He even decided to swear off romantic relationships for the rest of his life because he wouldn’t want to subject innocent women to his mother’s wrath. Ummm….couldn’t you….oh, I don’t know…cut that B ***H out for good? This woman is the freaking devil incarnate! Cut the umbilical cord and move the F on!

I could go on and on about the absurdity of it all, but I’ll stop so I can go read my next Carolyn Brown disaster…I mean book! I’ve got “Miss Janie’s Girls” sitting on my bookshelf, and it ain’t gonna read itself! I know I make zero sense. I just can’t handle any other form of entertainment besides Hallmark movies (the really bad Christmas ones) and fluffy Southern Belle romance books.

It makes ZERO sense why I love my Carolyn Brown books so dang much. Firstly, I’m not religious, and these books are borderline Christian fiction. Ah hell, let’s face it: These books ARE Christian fiction. Who am I kidding here…just myself. Secondly, romance plots (without dead bodies, vampires and murder) bore me beyond belief. Thirdly, I hate, hate, hate books about single moms and kid drama.

For reasons unknown, these books are my go-tos when life gets bad. My mind is whirling around like Texas tornado, and this is all I can handle, OK!? Sorry…that got intense really quick. Either way, these books require no thinking. I can space out and not miss anything important, and I get the good ol’ down-homey country vibes that make me nostalgic for my childhood summers in Baytown, Texas. Hell, I even enjoy he church crap because it makes me think of my Sunday School days with grandma and grandpa…and all the donuts I’d snarf down at the refreshments table.

But what about the book, you ask? Oh yes, I should get to that. This one is, by far, the worst one that I’ve read by Carolyn Brown. I hated it yet listened to every minute of Brittany Pressley’s fantastic narration. She really nails it with the Texas twang and does an amazing job capturing various voices–from grandmotherly women to sexy cowboys to screeching, annoying teenage brats. On second thought, I could do without that last bit. Why did I read this again? Oh yes, impending doom and the feeling of being dead inside. Moving on.

This book is very focused on the kids, which is probably why it’s my least favorite. We’ve got a single mom from Austin moving her wayward kids to the country so they can stop their delinquent ways. Apparently, a teen smoking a joint is akin to shooting heroin in this woman’s eyes. I can’t remember what the little brother did that was so wrong, other than being annoying and irrelevant, but whatevs. They all move to “Comfort,” a little fictional (I think?) hamlet not too far from my favorite getaway town: Fredericksburg, TX. They live the good ol’ country life of feeding chickens, raising goats, sitting on porch swings, yada yada yada. Romance ensues with the local principal/goat farmer, and all is well in the world. Oh yeah, and there’s a family journal discovered in the “old secretary” (aka desk), which is essentially a plot device halfheartedly planted by the author to give the book a cool title. The mother-daughter bonding ensues as they read historic journal entries by the farmhouse’s past residents. My brain turned off whenever this happened, but I think they all learned lessons about strong women who fought for rights and stuff during the suffrage moment. I don’t know…it’s been a horrible month, y’all. My dog is dying, and I can’t’ handle it.

In true Carolyn Brown fashion, there is an evil nemesis (the ex-husband) who–just like that!–turns on a dime and becomes a human being again after just one therapy session. Seriously, this author crafts the evilest of villains and then BOOM! they do a 360 and we’re all learning lessons in resilience, forgiveness, self-awareness, blah, blah, blarg.

I’m not mad at it, though. As a matter of fact, I’m close to finishing another horrible yet cathartic Carolyn Brown book called “The Bluebonnet Battle.” It’s a doozy, let me tell ya.

One note for the narrator: I love you, Brittany, but please know that kids born and raised in Austin do not have a Texas twang. Sadly, we all talk like bland Californians out here. No offense to any Californians who managed to make it this far in my review.

My book slump continues! The synapsis gave me so much hope for a spooky, gothic haunted house story, but all I got was family dramarama. Yes, there’s creepy ghost kid noises up in the rafters and rocking chairs moving about, but that’s about all you get.

The gist: Set in a haunted English manor, this ghost story/family drama (light on the spooks, heavy on the drama) revolves around a bereaved widow named Stella who visits her preggers sister Madeline to help cheer her up. Things get complicated when ghosts start making themselves known. A persistent child ghost clearly won’t stop until the two women discover the truth of his demise. This proves to be an impossible task as everyone int he household–including a spiritualist debunker and a nefarious, patriarchal doctor–work against them. Damn, it’s hard being a woman.

Thoughts on the pacing: This OVERLY descriptive book slogs along at a snail’s pace, and you really don’t get much action until the very end. Most of the story involves Stella and her sister trying and failing to convince the awful head matriarch and her hired hands that ghosts are haunting the joint. Since they’re women, they’re obviously being hysterical and need to be toted away to the nearest insane asylum post haste!

Thoughts on the main character: Stella is broody and not a whole lot of fun, but yet she’s got moxy, which I appreciate. I’m also really happy to see a character who isn’t overly feminist in an anachronistic way. This is an ongoing annoyance with ballsy main characters in Victorian era novels that seem so out of place. I’m all for feminism, but these characters dreamed up by modern-day writers do not match the times. Stella, however, felt authentic and believable.

Thoughts on the spooks: Sadly, the ghost story is hardly there. We hear voices and stuff moves around the upstairs room, but that’s about it. This is more of a scandalous, skeletons-in-the-closet kind of story with a twist ending that a lot of readers will probably see coming.

Overall thoughts: This book was really, really, REALLY slow moving. Maybe it could appeal to historians and fans of WWI family drama. It’s just not for me, dog.

Bedbugs and weed. Weed and bedbugs. That’s all Mari thinks about, and boy is she tiresome. Honestly, I need to get rid of this sense of duty I have with books. No matter how bad they are, I feel the need to power through them. But to be fair, I spent $20 on the hardback, so I really needed to get my money’s worth.

Harsh, I know, but I have to keep it real. On the upside, the cover is quite gorgeous, and some very small parts of the story were spooky and atmospheric. I just really, REALLY did not like the main character. She’s pouty, hates her stepsister with a burning passion, bullies her best friend into mailing her weed seeds (isn’t that illegal?), and uses her new friends to score more weed. There’s an annoying carrot the author keeps dangling about some tragic event that caused Mari’s entire family to rebuild their lives in a new town. This momentous event is mentioned here and there, and toward the end I got so tired of being teased and stopped caring.

To be fair, Mari is battling really bad OCD issues with bedbugs, so I have some compassion for her. Yet, her misguided actions only make the problems worse. I’m telling you, her OCD is BAD. When she gets triggered, she goes into a panicked, violent frenzy. The only thing that can pacify the anxiety is, unfortunately, weed. So, WHY is she not on long-term SSRIs??? She mentioned just once that she didn’t like how they made her feel, but how is the never-ending waking nightmare of bedbugs any better??? Couldn’t her mother see how much she’s suffering and address the OCD with meds rather than letting her daughter white-knuckle her fear on a 24/7 basis? This is not a life I would wish on my worst enemy.

Toward the end of the book, the rampant thoughts of bedbugs and weed simmer down a bit as Mari FINALLY starts to investigate the spooky happenings within her new home and discovers everything is tied to a shady all-powerful real estate developer. On top of drug addiction and mental illness, we’re also dealing with gentrification and displacement issues. There is a LOT going on here…and sadly none of it is spooky.

The effects of gentrification are terrible, and mental health is a serious issue our government needs to do more about. That said, I wanted more ghosts and less societal problems. Can’t authors write good, spooky ghost stories anymore without having to shoehorn in all the socio-political issues with an overarching moral to the story? I signed on for a supernatural haunted house thriller/mystery, and this book did not deliver. If you’re looking for a fun YA paranormal thriller, try something by Cat Winters or Victoria Schwab

Looking for a light and fluffy read to stash in the beach bag? CeeCee has some suggestions! Here are some of hits and misses from our summer reading list.

Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander

This book is a little odd. It looks like a cozy mystery, yet it’s not a whodunnit. I’m not quite sure what it is, really. It’s tagged as “magical realism,” which is probably the best description. In a nutshell, it’s about a career woman named Emily who’s about to embark on her “dream job” as a book editor, yet her plans get derailed when her estranged grandmother dies and leaves her a multimillion-dollar Victorian mansion on the Lost Coast! The catch? She has to edit her grandmother’s dusty manuscripts, which leads to big trouble when the stories she’s editing magically come to life! Oh, and her estranged family members are slightly bitter and rude. But, hey, can you blame them?

This all sounds very interesting, yet I’m struggling to decipher a plot. With no murder to investigate, what’s the endgame here? I guess it’s all about uncovering her family secrets that were so carefully hidden by Emily’s enigmatic father. Will she return to big city life and take on this editing “dream job” that she can’t stop talking about? Or will she make a new life for herself in California’s beautiful Lost Coast? Seriously, how is this even a question? Why would you want to leave all this behind to return to the nine-to-five drudgery of big city life? Maybe that’s what bothers me the most about this character. How does she not see what I’m seeing? This is every book lover’s dream come true! Sheesh!

Anyhoo, I’m not too impressed with this one. If it continues into a series, I think I’ll give it a pass and read more of Ellie’s fantastic bakery shop and microbrewery mysteries.

Love and Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean

Ever since reading 13 Little Blue Envelopes, I’ve been really into summer stories that involve mixed up teenage girls finding themselves overseas escapades. When I saw this at BookPeople, I had to buy the hardback because look at that cover! Although not quite as magical as 13 Little Blue Envelopes, this book really sparked my wanderlust. Could you imagine being handpicked by a teacher to go on a free literary-themed scavenger hunt across the UK with a whopping cash price no less?! True, this does require a huge stretch of the imagination, but it’s nice to dream, isn’t it?

So, the story revolves around a small group of high schoolers who scored this trip of a lifetime. Our main character, Britt, is hoping to win the grand prize so she can pay for UCLA after suffering a catastrophic knee injury and losing her soccer scholarship. We hear about this soccer issue A LOT throughout the book, which kind of makes her a bit of a pill. I think this story would’ve been better told through different narrators because Britt is kind of a broken record. But she’s a teenager, and everything is super dramatic at that age, so I must give her a little slack.

Minor gripes aside, I enjoyed the kiddos’ chaperoned scavenger hunt journey to various touristy destinations that inspired seminal classics by Sherlock Holmes, Jane Austen, King Arthur, Shakespeare and Chaucer. When I win the lotto, I’m going to follow their footsteps and visit all of these magical places and more!

There’s a buddling love story thrown in, of course, between Britt and local British boy named Luke. He accompanies her on the journey, which teeters on the verge of cheating, but whatevs. They both have a lot of issues to unpack along the way, but I’ll save you from any spoilers. I will say that this was a very sweet little romance about two people who helped each other see the best in themselves. Ah, young love!

Overall, this is a fun European adventure that is worth the price of a hardback. I highly recommend to fans of Jenna Evans and Maureen Johnson!

Killer Cruise by Laura Levine

I admit it! I knew nothing about this author, yet bought this book based on the cover alone! Put a cat and a cruise ship on a cover, and I’m sold! My gamble paid off because this book had me laughing out loud…which can be problematic when I’m listening to it on my swimming headphones while doing my evening laps.

I’m not really one for slapstick comedy, but the characters were over-the-top ridiculous in the best way. The main character, Jaine Austen (no relation) is a hot mess express who, quite honestly, should not own any animals. Yet, she charmed me nonetheless with all her many bumbling mishaps…like getting caught stealing sand for her cat’s makeshift litterbox while wearing Tweety Bird pajamas. Somehow her cat Prozac stowed away in her luggage (how does that even happen?), and she had to keep it a secret to avoid putting him in quarantine.

The cat mom in me wants to judge, but then I must realize that this is slapstick humor at its slappiest. All of the characters are so cartoonish and over-the-top, so you really can’t take anything seriously. As a paid member of the cruise staff, Jaine must teach a course in memoir writing and gets stuck with a hodgepodge of bored passengers who have zero interest in writing. Poor Jaine just can’t win anybody over except for her new crush who happens to be a murder suspect when a gold-digging Cassanova gets killed with an ice pick! It’s up to Jaine to investigate a very suspicious group of passengers before the wrong person–the ship’s lounge singer–gets locked in the slammer.

Shenanigans and buffoonery ensue as she follows the clues. Oh, and did I mention the zany subplot involving her parents? OMG! Through a series of emails, she learns that her father is slowly ripping her place apart with home improvement projects, and her mother is planning her sham wedding! It’s just ridiculous, I tell you. If you enjoy slapstick humor and very light mystery plots, this one’s for you!

Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

I scored this hardback for two buckeroos the Austin Library’s bookshop just before I had to jump on a plane to Seattle. Sweet! I don’t know about y’all, but flying is stressful and uncomfortable, so I need a SUPER light book that doesn’t require too much thinking. This book did the job! It’s just a very simple and sweet story about a teenage girl who’s spending her summer in a quint Michigan beach town.

There’s some sadness sprinkled in as she and her family are coming to terms with the recent loss of their grandmother while they’re staying at her little beach cottage. I feel like the author did a really great job describing the jumble of emotions a teenager endures while reconciling a big loss. But have no fear! The heaviness is balanced out with all sorts of summer fun shenanigans—from kite flying parties to first-love butterflies with the boy next-door! Ah, young love.

Our protagonist, Chelsea, falls big time for a little cutie who’s helping his mom run a bookshop called the Dog Ear, which houses a resident Labrador Retriever of course! She soon lands a summer job at the local cafe (conveniently next to her crush at the bookshop) to afford a new e-reader and makes a bunch of new friends along the way.

Needless to say, this little bookworm is relatable and a character to root for. This is the kind of book that leaves you a little heartsick when the story’s all over, but yet there are quite a few more summery romance books by this author that can help fill the void. Sarah Dessen fans are sure to love this book.

Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway 

The title and the cover lured me in–and then I discovered the story takes places at an apple pie shop in Julian! Needless to say, I hit the purchase button faster than you could say alamode! All of my fondest summer memories took place at Camp Marston, a YMCA sleepaway camp in the mountains surrounded by looming pine trees. Oh, how I miss those days of food fights and boating on Lake Jessop!

Set somewhere near main street, the story revolves around a flailing pie shop ran by a couple of nice women who do good deeds for others. They take in a deeply troubled pre-teen, Cady, and provide a safe haven, far removed from her homeless lifestyle. The story is told by Cady, which can be uncomfortable at times because she’s so mixed up, but she slowly comes around. With the looming threat of her drug addict father showing up at the doorstep to take her back to the mean streets of San Diego, it’s quite clear that her sweet life (see what I did there?) could be gone in an instant, but there’s always hope! That’s what this book is all about: hope, resilience and self-discovery. This was a super fun read, and the subplot of saving the pie shop moved the story along at a nice pace. There’s some politics involved here that have to do with immigration, which has caused a bit of a commotion with some reviewers who slap a “PC” label on anything that doesn’t align with what they’re watching on Fox News. Either way, I found this to be a most enjoyable summer read that took me back to my favorite summer memories in the Julian mountains!

I must be a masochist because there’s no other explanation as to why I chose to simultaneously read two bakery shop cozies—both revolving around wedding catastrophes! Seriously, why do I do this to myself? I had a heck of a time teasing the two mysteries apart while I listened to them on audio (one in my swimming headphones, the other in my phone for commuting, chores, etc.). My reading/listening system is getting a little chaotic these days. Either way, I made it through both books and must now jot my thoughts down before they get mixed up in my mind like a bowl of cinnamon swirl muffin batter!

Donut Disturb by Ellie Alexander

The gist: Bakery shop owner Jules is putting on her gumshoes yet again as another murder afflicts her adorable Shakespearean town of Ashville, Oregon. The mysterious death of a wedding band member has cast a dark cloud over the wedding, and everyone is looking at the bride’s ex-con father! It’s up to Jules and her Torte bakery crew to save the day before the killer strikes again!

What I liked: This series has two big selling points: The gorgeous, whimsical Ashland setting and the colorful characters who run the bakery. I enjoy Jules’ dynamic with her beloved stepfather, The Professor. I also really get a kick out of Lance, her loyal employee who has a flare for drama. They make a great little crime-solving team.

What irked me: Now don’t get me wrong; I love me some delicious confectionary delights! However, the many, many long descriptions of baked goods seemed more like sausage stuffing to me. Did the author need to just plop two pages of recipe descriptions here and there to meet the standard page count? These interludes were as welcome and commercial interruptions during my favorite, most scandalous Lifetime movies. So annoying!

Thoughts on the subplot:  To break up the mystery, the author threw in a little side-drama about a formerly cantankerous employee, Steph, and her budding romance with some character whose name already escapes me. See! This is why I keep a running book blog. It’s the only way to reflect upon all my literary escapades! Either way, I thought this was a sweet little side-story with a funny twist with Steph’s parents. This is a great way to build character development as the series progresses. Well done, Miss Alexander!

Will I continue this series? Yes! I look forward to visiting this quaint little hamlet once again! Like many of my other favorite cozy series (the Bones Mysteries especially!), I always feel like I’m reuniting with old friends. Ah, the joys of reading!

Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake by Sarah Graves

The gist: Bakery shop owners Ellie and Jake find themselves in a bind as their business dwindles. The only thing that can keep them afloat is the successful completion of a wedding cake for the town’s power couple, Sharon Sweetwater and Andy Devine. Much to their dismay, the groom becomes suspect No. 1 when Sharon’s blackmailing ex dies inexplicably by an arsenic-laden milkshake—from the bakery shop, no less!

What I liked: The biggest selling point here is the setting. I enjoyed transporting myself to the waterfront bakery full of sweet confections! The descriptions drove me wild, which is probably not a good thing since I’m trying to boycott sugar while battling the bulge. Needless to say, I will not be trying out any of the book’s delectable recipes…sniff, sniff.

What irked me: As with most cozy mysteries, the main character’s TSTL (Too Stupid to Live) complex was a little much. I agree with many reviewers that her decision to kayak out to a suspect’s house without alerting the authorities was beyond ridiculous. Plus, it’s a little confusing why she needed to kayak or canoe (I can’t remember!) out there when she probably could’ve just taken a car. Considering her inability to handle a watercraft of any kind, and her phobia of leeches, this misadventure made zero sense.

Thoughts on the subplots: Again, I agree with many of my fellow reviewers that the subplot involving her elderly father’s rebellious ways really didn’t do anything for the story. However, I do feel her pain! My dad can barely function, but he just bought himself a brand-new truck. It’s terrifying thinking about him driving around in that thing. But I digress…where was I? Oh yes, and then there was the stolen baby. This event seemed rather random and unnecessary, but it did humble the main character a little bit, making her second guess her involvement in murder mysteries. Yet even after a brief moment of introspection, she went on and did TSTL things anyway…sigh.

Things that confused me: I’m really not understanding why their popular bakery shop is in dire straits. If it’s as good as they say, why are they losing business? And how the heck does one wedding cake sale put them back in the black?  I know wedding cakes are crazy expensive, but do they cost enough to singlehandedly save a tanking business? I just don’t get it!

Will I continue this series? Meh…I don’t know. I stopped reading Sarah Graves’ Home Repair mysteries because the main character is just a little too crusty. I wasn’t too fond of the characters in this one, so I’ll probably give this series a pass. There’s plenty of other bakery shop mysteries out there to satisfy my literary sweet tooth!

I just love a good mystery set right here in gool ol’ rootin’ tootin’ Texas—land of gunslingers, country crooners, cheap Lone Star beer and old timey honkey tonks. That’s why I always enjoy the Al Quinn thrillers by local author Russ Hall. I also tried out a new author, Celso Hurtado, whose title “Ghost Tracks” caught my eye at BookPeople. How could I not read a paranormal thriller involving a legendary stretch of road in San Antonio? Read on to see if these books might be your cup of Texas tea.

Kiss and Kill in Texas by Russ Hall

The synopsis on the back cover does not lie. This could very well be the most dangerous, dare I say suicidal, mission Al Quinn and his mystery squad, including an infant and a dog, (I’m judging just a tad) have taken on. And let me tell you, they’ve endured countless entanglements with drug lords, mercenaries and psychos. This book involves a nasty crime ring in Port Dexter, and it’s up to Al and his crew to clean up the streets before more unsuspecting tourists end up in Davy Jones’ locker! Eeek!

What I liked: I keep coming back to these books because the author really gives his readers a strong sense of place. I love, love, love that this book takes place in a seedy coastal town right next to Port Aransas. I could practically feel the salty, humid air on my skin and see the rustic shrimp boats out in the distance. Although, believe me, you won’t want to have anything to do with the shrimp boat in this story! I also loved the side characters, especially Luke Boy, who despite his sketchy beginnings became a real asset to the crime-solving team as they kept running out of the fire pan into the fire with gun-toting, missile-launching thugs on their trail.

What irked me: OK, so I know that Al’s squad works as a unit, and every single member of his family are assets…however, I was really judging the new mom, Bonnie, for bringing her baby along on this mission, especially since every past crime-solving voyage has involved countless near-death experiences. Also, Tanner the dog really should’ve sat this one out. I know their Lake Travis homestead was ransacked by killers early on, but couldn’t the new mom and children be dropped off somewhere safe?

Overall: Normally I don’t read action thrillers, but the Al Quinn mysteries are always a good time! Yes, I was judging Bonnie for bringing her baby along, but other than that little grievance, I rather enjoyed this thrill ride. The pacing just keeps ratcheting up, and you will not want to put this thing down until the evil criminal mastermind is taken down for good! Also, might I add that the writing is top notch, and I did not see even one typo! That’s more than I could say for many books I’ve read from the big publishing houses.

The Ghost Tracks by Celso Hurtado

I did a double take when I saw this paperback on the horror shelf at BookPeople. A ghost story revolving around the haunted railroad tracks in San Antonio? Yes, please! I lived in San Antonio for three years and am ashamed to say I never visited that legendary road where people stop their cars and wait for ghost children (the spirits of kiddos who perished in a bus-train collision) to push them across the railroad tracks to safety. My guess is that this road is on an imperceptible incline, but hey who knows? Anyhoo, this book was interesting, and mostly very sad, but it didn’t give me what I wanted.

What I liked: The main characters, two best friends named Erasmo and Rat, are starting up their own ghost-busting business to make ends meet. Such fun! These two are what the kids call “ride or die” BFFs, which I really appreciate. They have each other’s backs…at least until Rat goes rogue, but I’ll save you from spoilers. Either way, these two characters—and all their emotional baggage—are the main reasons why I continued reading this book. I was invested in Erasmo’s quest to pay for his grandmother’s cancer treatments. I felt so much for him and really wanted to see everything work out in the end!

What irked me: I wanted a ghost story, and didn’t get one! This is more of a crime thriller involving two hapless teenage ghost hunters getting tangled up with some shady, shady clients. The author certainly doesn’t shy away from gruesome scenes, but the scares had very little to do with the paranormal. Also, this book is set in San Antonio, but the setting is woefully lacking. The only nods to Texas are some scenes outside the HEB, and maybe a few rides on 410. And the ghost tracks? Not really a big part of the story whatsoever. Big disappointment!

Overall: This book has its share of problems, but the “How’s this going to end?” question kept me from trashing it in the DNF pile. I loved the themes of friendship and family, but the plot was all over the place and the big reveal was super bizarre.