Weekend Book Reviews

The Marmalade Murders by Elizabeth J Duncan is the ninth book in the Penny Brannigan Mystery series.  Penny is asked to help out with the annual agricultural show by checking in cakes, jams, marmalades, flowers, vegetables, etc for the contest judging.  Things seem suspicious when two items she checked in are no where to be found and one item she did not check in wins first place.  When the first place winner is found dead, Penny puts herself in the middle of the mystery which includes investigating the Women's Guild.  This book has several things going on at once, but they all come together in the end.


Pat Olski's Dishcloths to Crochet features 25 dishcloth patterns ranging from a bumblebee to a watermelon.  The range of patterns is sure to provide something for everyone.  The instructions are clear and written well enough for a moderate beginner like myself to follow.  Each pattern features information about the finished size, yarn used, and gauge.  The strawberry dishcloth is my favorite with the pansy coming in a close second.  I can see myself using the pattern book as my crochet skills grow.

Expiration Date by Devon Delaney is the first book in the Cook-off Mystery series.  Sherry has entered a cooking competition sponsored by an organic food company with a prize of $10,000.  When one of the judges dies immediately after eating her entry, Sherry feels she must find the true murderer to save her reputation and herself from jail.  I am hoping future books will go a bit more in-depth with the characters.  The story moves along quickly and is a good start to a series. 


Jane K Cleland's twelfth book in the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series is Antique Blues.  Josie's friend Mo asks her to appraise a Japanese woodblock print.  Josie's excitement is squelched when Mo is murdered.  Josie is determined to get justice for Mo by finding the murderer.  I had a bit more trouble getting into this book since I had not read any of the previous books.  Josie is a strong lead character, and the mystery had plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing.  I also enjoyed all of the information on antiques and the appraisal process. 

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!