Review: Death at a Fixer-Upper by Sarah T. Hobart

Title: Death at a Fixer-Upper
Author: Sarah T. Hobart
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: May 17, 2016

About the book: In Sarah T. Hobart's wickedly funny and fast-paced Home Sweet Home mystery series, small-town real estate agent Sam Turner discovers it's bad for business when her clients keep dropping dead.

Newly armed with her real estate license, Sam Turner loves Arlinda, her quirky seaside hometown in Northern California. But life by the beach isn't exactly a breeze: She and her teenage son, Max, are being evicted from their apartment, her long absent ex-husband unexpectedly resurfaces, and her possibly romantic relationship with sexy Chief of Police Bernie Aguilar is, well . . . complicated. All Sam wants is a quick and easy sale. What she gets instead is a killer headache—or three.

Sam's trying to drum up interest in 13 Aster Lane, a rambling Victorian fixer-upper that's more than a little neglected—and possibly haunted—so when a trio of offers arrive out of the blue, she can't help thinking it's too good to be true. But after a new client drops dead on the property, she fears she's lost more than a commission. Before Sam's out of house and home, she must unmask a killer targeting her clients, or the only property she'll be moving will be plots—at the local cemetery.

~I received a free copy of Death at a Fixer-Upper from Chatterbox for Random House. #RHMystery Pack #Sponsored.~

My thoughts: This was my third book to read of the cozy mysteries I have received from Chatterbox for Random House.  I must admit this one was not my favorite.  For some reason I had a hard time getting into this story.  I just wasn't invested in Sam in the beginning.  I couldn't get a feel for her very well.  I am thinking that this was maybe no fault of the book, but the fact that I was dealing with an ear and sinus infection - followed 2 days later with my son getting strep throat.  So my focus was on other things.  

Once my health cleared up a little, and I was able to get back into the book - then I became more invested and I had to find out who and why someone was killing all of Sam's clients!  The second half of the book I read in one sitting and it flew by!  While the killer from this book was eventually identified, there is a lot of story here that is just waiting to be told.  Story involving Sam and Bernie, Sam and Wayne, Wayne and Max, Sam and her sister. .. . et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.  I want to know where these are all going!   

So, even after a slow start, I would recommend this book for a quick cozy mystery.

Review: Mug Shot by Caroline Fardig

Title: Mug Shot (A Java Jive Mystery)
Author: Caroline Fardig
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: April 19, 2016

About the book: Former musician Juliet Langley has barely had a day off since taking over management of the coffeehouse owned by her best friend, Pete Bennett. But there's always more to be done—such as prepping for the annual Holiday 5K Race organized by Pete's snobby socialite girlfriend, Cecilia Hollingsworth. This year, Java Jive has a booth right at the finish line, and since Juliet and Cecilia don't always see eye to eye, everything has to be perfect. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing . . . like Juliet stumbling over Cecilia's dead body on the morning of the race.

When Pete is arrested for Cecilia's murder, Juliet sets out to clear his name. She'll do whatever it takes—even if it means standing up to the police, her ex-boyfriend, and the grande dames of Nashville. But there isn't enough espresso in the world for the greatest challenge in her path: infiltrating Nashville's high society to uncover the hidden hotbed of scandal without running afoul of the law herself. With her last dime staked on Pete's bail bond and her staff growing jittery, the last thing Juliet needs is for her trademark temper to land her behind bars. As time drips away, Juliet needs to crack this case before the killer comes back for another shot.

My thoughts: This was such a fun read.  I really like Juliet - spunky, mouthy, smart (though not always wise), loyal - really puts herself out there for her friends.   She is the kind of girlfriend that every girl (and boy) needs at least one of!  Especially if you have been arrested for murder!  She really puts everything on the line trying to prove that Pete didn't kill his girlfriend.  Pete seems like a good guy, though seems a little wishy washy at times.  Seems like he and Juliet are half in love with each other, but are afraid that if they have a relationship that they will lose the friendship - and the friendship seems to be more important to them.

As Juliet runs all over town doing her own "investigating" and dating most of the suspects, her on-again, off-again cop boyfriend Ryder tries to keep up with her and keep her out of jail. They seem like they are going to be a fun couple, as he seems content to put up with her sometimes reckless behavior (remember how I said she was smart, but not always wise?)  As for keeping the identity of the murderer a secret, I can say that I didn't see this one coming.  It wasn't until Juliet started to figure it out that I did as well. I think the author did a good job of keeping the waters muddied enough to not make it obvious who the  killer was.

I did not read the first book in the series, and do not think that it detracted from this story.  I would definitely pick up another book by Caroline Fardig though.

~I received a complimentary e-copy of Mug Shot through the Random House Chatterbox program by House Party from Net Galley.~ 

Book Review: The Skeleton Garden by Marty Wingate

Title: The Skeleton Garden (A Potting Shed Mystery #4)
Author: Marty Wingate

About the Book: USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate’s Potting Shed series continues as expert gardener Pru Parke digs up a Nazi warplane—and a fresh murder.

Texas transplant Pru Parke has put down roots in England, but she never dreamed she’d live in a grand place such as Greenoak. When her former employers offer Pru and her new husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, the use of their nineteenth-century estate while they’re away for a year, she jumps at the chance. Sweetening the deal is the prospect of further bonding with her long-lost brother, Simon, who happens to be Greenoak’s head gardener. But the majestic manor has at least one skeleton in its closet—or, rather, its garden.

Working on renovations to the extensive grounds, siblings Pru and Simon squabble about everything from boxwood to bay hedges. But when the removal of a half-dead tree turns up the wreckage of a World War II–era German fighter plane and a pile of bones, the arguments stop. That is, until a rival from Simon’s past pays a surprise visit and creates even more upheaval. It’s suddenly clear someone is unhappy their secrets have been unearthed. Still, Pru’s not about to sit back and let Simon take the fall for the dirty deed without a fight. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: Being the 4th book in the series, I am afraid there was some backstory that I was missing that might have contributed to a better understanding of the relationships in this book.  As far as the mystery goes, it read well as a stand alone.  However, sometimes there were people or relationships mentioned that I had to go back and try to figure out who they were.  

There is really more than one mystery going on here, beginning with the bones that were dug up when the German plane was unearthed.  It isn't long before another body - this one more recent - is discovered and the list of suspects begins to grow.  It seems like many people may have wanted this gentleman dead - or at the very least - to pay for some of his wrongs from the past. Pru's brother Simon is on this list, and Pru fears that the policeman in charge will find him guilty, due to his inexperience with murder investigations.  For this reason, her husband is running his own investigation in secret. Of course Pru is going to be doing her own investigation as well! 

I enjoyed meeting these characters and hope to go back and get caught up on how they all came to be a family.  It was a quick read and very much a cozy mystery.  All of the gardening references made me hungry for spring to get here so I can get outside and start playing in the dirt!

~I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from Random House Monthly Mystery Chatterbox in exchange for my unbiased review.~