Murder at Harbor Village by G.P. Gardner is the first book in the Cleo Mack series. This book is a true cozy mystery without the folly found in some series. Cleo is offered early retirement by her current college employer and finds herself in Fairhope, Alabama. She stumbles into a new job at a retirement community, Harbor Village. It seems like the perfect place until the body of the director is found in the community pool. Cleo gets promoted to the director position and inherits the mess left by the former director. She sets out to do a bit of investigation of the murder and of the problems with the community. I loved that this book had everything needed for a cozy mystery (life change, adorable pet, mystery) without the silliness that can be found in some cozy mysteries. Cleo is an intelligent woman and has a great cast of supporting characters. The premise of how things fall into place is a slight stretch, but it was not enough to make me dislike the book. I would describe this as a mature cozy mystery, and I am already looking forward to the next book!
The fourth book in the Kate McCall Mystery series by Gail Oust is The Twelve Dice of Christmas. Kate and her bunco friends like in the active senior community of Serenity Cove in South Carolina. They agree to help Eula Mae decorate her home for the upcoming Christmas home tour. Kate is sent to the cellar to find old Christmas ornaments, but instead she finds an old body that is now just a skeleton. Even more shocking it is the skeleton of Eula Mae's husband who has been "gone" for over 20 years. I figured out the killer very early into this book, but I did enjoy the southern theme and the characters.
'Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost is the second book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. Holly is busy between helping out at her family's Christmas tree farm and filling orders for her jewelry business. She still has time to comfort her friend Caroline who had a very public altercation with her date the night before. When the man is found dead and put on public display along with Caroline's monogrammed knife, she is the obvious suspect. Holly comes to the rescue by investigating the murder. The various suspects kept me guessing until the end. I loved the quaint holiday theme and look forward to the next book!
Vicki Delany's fourth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery is A Scandal in Scarlet. Gemma, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop, and her dog Violet are out for a walk one night when Violet alerts her to a burning building - a local history museum. When the new director is murdered at a fundraiser auction at the tea shop soon after, Gemma again finds herself in the middle of a mystery Having gotten accustomed to Gemma's mannerisms, I enjoy this series. New readers may find her less than charming, but she grows on you. This book is a nice addition to the series!disclosure: I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews. All opinions are my own!
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