The Harmony Series by Nancy Mehl

I discovered Mehl a couple of years ago when I bought this book Cozy in Kansas on sale at a local store.  Such a fun, quirky cozy mystery.  A year later I read Mehl's Missing Mabel  -- another quirky cozy mystery.  So I had mixed feelings when I started hearing about her Harmony Series. There is a bit of mystery to them, but that is the only similarity to the earlier books. This trilogy is set in the Mennonite Town of Harmony, Kansas and while there are things that were "foreign" to me (since I am not a Mennonite), it is far from quirky.  But oh my, this is one of the best series I have ever read. I just loved them! You definitely want to read them in order, as they build on each other centering around the same focal character, Gracie, in each book.

Book 1 -- Simple Secrets -- finds Gracie living the life.. going for the gusto.. working as a Graphic Designer for a firm in Wichita and planning to move up the ladder to great success. And then, she learns that she has inherited a house from an uncle she has never met. She knew of him... her father's brother.  They had a falling out when her father left the Mennonite church and ways and moved with his bride, his parents following soon after.  All these years Gracie knew there was an Uncle Benjamin, but nothing more.

She sets out to look over the house... retrieve family treasures for her father.. and get the place ready to sell. What she never expects to is find a house full of secrets and mysteries and a town that seems so simple and backwards at first, but slowly become a refuge of peace and rest.

Book 2 -- Simple Deceits -- Gracie has grown to love Harmony and the people there and so she decides to work as a freelance designer, while making her life there in her "new" home.  Now that she has electricity and air conditioning, she can survive!

Things change when a baby is left at a local church and an anonymous note is sent saying Gracie is the mother.  The people who she thought loved her begin to look at her suspiciously.  Gracie has to find out who the real mother is and fast before she looses the most precious thing in life.. love.

Book 3 -- Simple Choices -- Gracie just wants to help Hannah. She never dreams by taking her for an art course in the city, she would be feeding into the girl's desires to leave her faith and community.  Hannah disappears shortly after their return and Gracie is blamed.  Certain she has run away, the police do little to look for Hannah. But Gracie knows better.. in her gut. Hannah wouldn't just leave.

And so she sets out again to solve the mystery and the day.  Only this time she gets a little to close and invites the danger home.

Excellent Series!

Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble (A Hope Beach Novel)

A friend loaned me this book... so glad she did!  I had never heard of this new series (Rosemary Cottage is coming Summer 2013).

As I have stated here before I love a Cozy Mystery.. I also love Christian Fiction.. this is both AND there is historic architecture involved which makes it even better!  I grew up in a town that thrived on its past and fell in love with old homes and the history and legends that go along with them.

Libby love old buildings and her passion is helping their owners restore and develop them back into the grandeur of their past life. An unexpected inheritance makes her the owner of a grand old hotel in need of her touch, but how can she afford to renovate it much less keep it up afterwards? There is an interested buyer offering her more money that she can fathom.. enough to take her business to a new level and afford her the ability to find more properties and develop them.

She has also inherited a family she never knew she had, but are they open to accepting her? Especially now that her business partner is missing and she is the main suspect.  Libby sets out to find her friend and prove her innocence with the help of a handsome Coast Guard Lieutenant. But it soon becomes apparent to her that even he suspects her of a crime.  As long as she is suspect, no one is searching for the real kidnappers or for Nicole... and time is running short for her and for Libby.

Everybody's Suspect in Georgia by Cecil Murphey

This is a 3 in one book... Everybody Loved Roger Hardin, Everybody Wanted Room 263, and Everybody Called Her a Saint.  Three Romance Mysteries in one.

This was a pleasant enough read, but none of the stories really grabbed me and made me want more.

The stories find psychologist Julie West and Pastor James Burton thrown together over and over at the wrong time and in the wrong place.  Their first meet each other at a dinner party in Everybody Loved Roger Hardin. The party, held on a private island, is a grand affair to dazzle all until Hardin is found dead.

Next they both show up at the Carledge Inn where their find a dead body of a mutual acquaintance in Room 623... and oddly enough after the murder Everyone Wants Room 623.

And their final adventure (at least in this compilation) happens on an Antarctic cruise where romance grows cold as they come face to face with the murder of yet another friend in Everyone Called Her a Saint.

A nice cozy read, but not wow.

The Double Cross by Clare O'Donohue

Book 3 in the Someday Quilts Mystery series

I thoroughly enjoy this series. It combines so much of what I love.. cozy mysteries, a touch of romance, a sense of community and quilting!  These are secular books, but most definitely G rated.

Nell and the Someday Quilts ladies are taking a break from their normal everyday life to accompany friend and teacher, Susanne, as she teaches at a retreat being held at a newly opened B & B.  It just so happens that the owners were once friends of Bernie's... which causes a bit of a stir. Once there, the group is baffled at the poor state of the Inn, as well as the mismatch of folks they have assembled for the retreat. And then when the owner shows up dead and Bernie is a suspect, well everything seems to fall apart.

With the local-yokel law enforcement focused solely on Bernie, Nell and the other ladies determine to clear her name and find the real killer.. before he or she has another victim.

Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton

Book 2 of Sefton's Knitting Mysteries series.

You do not have to be a knitter to enjoy these books... I know, I love reading this series and have never knitted a stitch in my life (haven't purled either! LOL!)  I do think you will relate a bit more to the characters if you are a crafter. There is something about a community of people who share a love of fibers or fabrics or embellishments or beads etc.  But as with knitting, I don't think it is necessary to be a crafter to enjoy these books.

Kelly Flynn is settling into her "temporary" life in Fort Connor, Colorado... telecommuting from her office in DC, taking breaks for caffeine and knitting with friend at the House of Lambspun, attempting a casual relationship with a handsome fella and trying to keep her dog in the yard and away from stray golf balls.  If only she could figure out a way to make this permanent.

But it seems homicide is a part of this new life also.  Volunteering to drive a group of touring knitters to a local alpaca farm seems harmless enough, until Kelly finds the owner dead on her latest creation. The police jump right in, but Kelly feels the need to aid them, whether they really want her help or not.

Needled to Death is a fun cozy mystery.. just like book 1 (Knit One, Kill Two) was and just like I expect all the others to be! Book 3 is winging its way here via USPS even as I type!

If you like mysteries... especially the cozy kind, check out Sefton's Knitting Series. You won't be disappointed.

From a Distance by Tamara Alexander

This is book 1 is the Timber Ridge Reflections series.  It took a bit for me to get into this book, but I think that was more to do with me than the book. I had just finished a series that I adored and was still caught up in the characters there.  However, once I got connected with the characters of this book I was enthralled.  This would be classified as a historic romance but what I love is the romance is light... not overbearing... it is very real feeling... not fairy tale.  There are other issues and circumstances happening and the romance is just a part of it all, not the main thrust.  I am hopeful the other books in this series will be the same.

The setting is the late 1800s, after the Civil War.  Elizabeth Westbrook has travelled from her refined upbringing in Washington, DC to the rugged wild west of the Colorado Territory. Her goal? to capture the grandeur of the landscape with her camera lens and send them back to the Washington Chronicle in hopes of becoming their next photojournalist.. and the first female on staff.

Former Confederate Sharpshooter, Daniel Ranslett is running from a past riddled with hurt and death and guilt.  He will do whatever it takes to protect his secrets, his land and his solitude.

When Elizabeth and Daniel's paths cross it is not an easy passing.  The two start off on the wrong foot and appears they will never find common ground.  Then Elizabeth stumbles across a murder and finds herself in the danger.  Her protection falls to Daniel as he is called on to repay a debt to an old friend.  Forced to journey together through the Colorado mountains, these two come face to face with their pasts, their futures and each other.

Excellent book!  Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Nosy in Nebraska by Mary Connealy

Nosy in Nebraska is part of a series called America loves a Mystery. In each of these, the reader finds 3 novels set in the same state... often the same town and with overlapping characters and plot lines.  These are cozy mysteries with a bit of romance stirred in for good behavior.

The three novels in Nosy are Of Mice and Murder, Pride and Pestilence, and The Mice Man Cometh.  Now I have to tell you I was skeptical. These stories all center around a town in Nebraska whose mascot is a field mouse! Yuck!  I do not like mice at all!  I am one of those women who squeal and jump on the nearest piece of furniture at the slightest sight of a mouse.

Truthfully, it was a issue as I read the first book. Of Mice and Murder is good and definitely necessary to set up the other 2 books, but the mice focus was just a bit much for me. However, I am thrilled I pressed on and faced my fear. LOL!  All three stories were fun and quirky (to say the least!)

This is a great summer read... or really whenever you want to be entertained without having to strain your brain!

A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins

I discovered Collins' Flower Shop mysteries a year or so ago in my local library when I was perusing the shelves to see what was there. I devoured every one they had in stock and loved them all!  So I was thrilled when I stumbled across some more books in the series at a local used bookstore.

Again, this is a secular series.. one of the few I read. Cozy mysteries with fun characters.  This series has some of the most delightful clever writing I have enjoyed in a while.  I enjoy books that entertain and even are a bit light hearted, but not dumbed down. I appreciate clever and witting and even subtle humor in books. This series has all of that.

Abby Knight is the owner and operator of a flower shop, Bloomers,  and she will do just about anything to make it succeed.. including attending a convention for funeral directors to drum up some business.  She laughs at the various characters there.. the pranks.. the jokes.. the events (casket decorating!).. but she isn't laughing when the director of the conference is found dead in a casket and her friend, Delilah is the prime suspect.

Abby sets out to  prove Delilah is innocent and find the real killer no matter what.... and that what could be serious business for Abby!

There are 10 books in this series (don't know if more are coming). I have now read the first 6 and have #7 & #8 in my "to read" pile.. and no doubt I will be snatching up #9 & #10 soon!

Barb

Cozy in Kansas by Nancy Mehl

This book is part of Heartsongs America Loves a Mystery series. Each book centers around one state and contains 3 romance mysteries. I have enjoy each one I have read so far. Light-hearted cozy mysteries... love it!

This one may be may be my favorite so far. I love the setting, the characters (and there are some characters here!)... all of it.

Winter Break, Kansas is a small town with some of the most fun eccentric characters seen... and they are all so real to me!  Not so strange they couldn't really exist.  Ivy Towers grew up in and out of Winter Break as she came to visit her Aunt Bitty. Now Ivy is back not to visit Bitty, but to bury her after an accident in her bookstore. But was it an accident and if not, who would want to kill Bitty?  Ivy is determine to get to the bottom of things and along the way she finds that small towns where folks know everything about everyone also have secrets.

Each mystery builds a bit on the previous ones as the reader not only comes along to find out "Who Done It", but also enjoys life in Winter Break as its citizens go about day to day.

I am a sucker for small town America... Romance.. and Mystery... and then add that the main character owns a book store... perfect!

There is a 4th Ivy Towers Book. I plan to purchase it soon and dive right in to see what she, Amos, Ruby, Bert and the gang are up to these days!

The Lover's Knot by Clare O'Donohue

I am a quilter, so I am drawn to books that involve quilts or quilting. I love Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series and Emilie Richards' Shenandoah Album series. I have been seeing Care O'Donohue's The Lover's Knot for a while now in a quilting catalog I receive, so when I placed an order and needed a few more things to bring me up to the "free shipping" amount, I toss it in my cart. I am sooo glad I did!

The Lover's Knot is book 1 in O'Donohue's Someday Quilts Mysteries. There are 2 more and I plan to snatch them up soon!

This book combines so much of what I love... mystery, romance, and quilts!  Nell is months away from her wedding to Ryan.  Plans are moving along as they should and life is good. To top it off, she receives her wedding quilt from her Grandmother... a gorgeous Lover's Knot pattern done in elegant neutrals as she requested.  Her excitement is doused when her finance' announces that they need to postpone the wedding a while.

Shocked and confused, Nell takes off to Archer's Rest... a small town in upstate New York .. to spend some time with her grandmother.  As she reconnects with her grandmother's friends and plays a bit around Someday Quilts, her grandmother's shop, Nell starts to relax a bit. She even enjoys the attention of the local handyman. But then he turns up dead... the same day Ryan comes to talk with Nell.

Nell sets out to prove Ryan's innocence and discovers more than she bargained for along the way

Colorado Crimes by Lisa Harris

A while back I discovered a series called "America Loves a Mystery." Each book consists of 3 romance mysteries set in a specific state. I have read one other in the series before this one.... Alibis in Arkansas  In Arkansas each story was written by a different author. In Colorado Crimes, Lisa Harris pens all 3 mysteries.

Pricilla Crumb, a widow and professional chef, has come to her son's hunting lodge to help out... permanently, she hopes!  What she doesn't plan for is a guest dying after sampling one of her salmon-filled tartlets.  Pricilla determines to save her reputation and find out the truth behind Charles Woodruff's death. Along the way romance is sparked for her son and for Pricilla. Maybe God has more for the rest of her life than just growing old after all!

Just as Pricilla is trying to learn to balance a long distance relationship while running the kitchen of a lodge, her favorite baker is found dead.  Once again Pricilla plays amateur sleuth in a search for the truth.  Can Max handle being in a relationship with such a risk taker? Or will they come to realize that it is too late to teach old dogs new tricks.

And in the final mystery, Pricilla is the emcee for a prestigious cooking contest. She and Max use this time to get away and explore the possibilities of their future. But when one of her former students is arrested for murdering one of the contest judges, Pricilla feels obligated to help out in the investigation.

The 3 mysteries in Colorado Crimes are "cozy" mysteries.. a bit like watching Murder, She Wrote (which I love!).  They are well written and very entertaining and fairly clever plot lines that will keep you guessing.

I will soon be reading and reviewing another of these "cozy" mysteries -- Mainly Mysteries by Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis.