Book Review: Murder Most Scenic by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #0.5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Meeting Jim and Sally in six good mysteries

Cons: A couple of these short stories are a little straight forward

The Bottom Line:

Series begins here

With these six good short stories

You’ll want to read more

Meet Jim and Sally in These Short Stories

When I read the first Lauren Highlands novel earlier this year, I quickly discovered that it wasn’t where we really meet the characters.  They’d been introduced in a series of short stories.  Murder Most Scenic collects them all into one place, so I picked it up to really see how it all begins.

We get six short stories here.  The first one introduces us to Jim Duncan, a State Trooper in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.  Here’s, he’s investigating the mysterious death of a woman in a rental cabin.  And it’s how he meets assistant public defender Sally Castle, who is assigned to defend his prime suspect.  Despite the fact that the two might be on different sides, they are both driven by a desire for justice, and they wind up both getting involved in solving the case.

Over the course of the next five stories, they get involved when a politician’s wife is murder, when a baseball player is killed, when the president of the local 4J club is killed in a barn, and when a brewery contest’s frontrunner is killed.

There is one of these stories that is not like the others.  That one features Deputy Coroner Tom Bruns, who gets pulled into a case when it becomes personal for him.  Jim is a supporting player, and Sally has a cameo.  So, it still features the characters and lets us get to know one of the series’ supporting players better.

Honestly, since I’d just read the one book with the characters, I didn’t remember much about the characters other than Jim and Sally.  It will be interesting to see how some of the supporting players I’ve met here pop up in the series.

And, of course, there’s Jim and Sally.  They are slowly admitting, at least to themselves, that they are attracted to each other.  I enjoyed their flirting in these stories.

The mysteries themselves are good.  Short stories don’t always deliver the twists that a full novel does, so a couple of these were straight forward.  Others kept me guessing until the end, which is always the sign of a good short story to me.

Do keep in mind that these are police procedurals and not cozies.  Some of the content is beyond what you’d find in a cozy.  But as long as you know to expect that, you’ll be fine.

Now that I’ve gone back and properly met the characters, I’m looking forward to spending more time with them in the novels.  If you haven’t read these stories yet, you’ll be glad you picked up Murder Most Scenic today.

Enjoy the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries.

Book Review: Murder in the Graveyard by Various Authors (Destination Murders Short Story Collection #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Nine fun cozy mysteries

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

These nine short stories

Find fun mayhem in graveyards

Each enjoyable

Watch Out for the Extra Body in This Short Story Collection

This the season for spooky, and the Destination Murders short stories anthology series is up for the task.  The fifth entry in the series is Murder in the Graveyard, and cozy mystery fans will enjoy these stories.

If you’ve missed these short story collections, they find a revolving group of authors contributing stories around the given theme.  Most of the time, the authors highlight their series sleuths, although sometimes, we get a stand-alone story.  I’ve never had an issue jumping in and meeting the characters I didn’t know in these stories, so there’s no need to worry about that.  And, while the authors might change some, there are plenty of returning authors.

So, just who stops by in this entry?  I’m glad you asked!  In these pages, here’s what you’ll find:

“Murder at the Midnight Madness Book Sale” by Meri Allen finds Riley Rhodes, the main character of her Ice Cream Shop Mysteries, helping at a fundraiser.  But when two mysterious people use the off-limits door that leads into the graveyard, Riley investigates to find one of them dead.

“The Devil’s Chair” by Leslie Budewitz takes her Spice Shop Mysteries characters into a Seattle graveyard where a reunion with a high school friend takes an unexpected turn.

“The Goode, the Dead, and the Hungry” by Karen Cantwell takes Barbara Marr and her two besties to a haunted bed and breakfast that is surprisingly low on food.  And staff.

“I Thought You Were the Dead Man” by Misha Crews introduces us to a man who doesn’t know who he is.  He just knows his head hurts after he wakes up in a graveyard.

“Grave Millie Does a Bunker” by Eleanor Cawood Jones follows Karin Garcia as she tries to solve a hundred-year-old mystery in an old graveyard in a small town.

“A Killer Party by Tina Kashian flashes us back to when her Kebab Kitchen sleuth, Lucy Berberian, was in high school.  Lucy is trying to win the “Senior Assassin” that her classmates are playing, but to track down her target, she’ll have to join a party in the local graveyard.

“Grave Expectations” by Daphne Silver take Juniper Blume back to a graveyard where she once found a body.  This time, she’s volunteering to help catalogue the many graves in it.  She won’t find another dead body there, right?

“Battle of the Grapevine Creek Graveyard” by Rosalie Spielman finds Tessa Treslow and her aunt caught up in a local feud when trying to put up flags to honor veterans in the local cemetery.

“Rest in Peas” by Cathy Wiley pits food festival judge Jackie Norwood against her greatest nemesis – peas.  But that soon becomes the least of Jackie’s problems when she learns there’s an escaped convict in the area.

While a lot of these stories take place around Halloween, there is some variety of seasons represented in these stories.

A couple of these stories do lean a little into the spooky or supernatural.  While normally, I try to avoid that, in this case, I didn’t mind in the slightest.  They fit those stories perfectly.  Even the stories with those elements never betray their cozy roots, so cozy fans will be pleased.

Each story took me roughly half an hour to read, so there is plenty of bang for your buck.  And each story is just long enough to give you a good taste of the characters and storytelling prowess of the authors.  I know I got caught up in each story and couldn’t wait to see if my guesses on what was happening were right.

I genuinely enjoyed each story in this collection, often smiling and sometimes laughing as I read.

Reading this also reminded me that I really need to read some of the novels these authors have written.  I’ve bought them, so I have no excuse other than too many books to read and not enough time.

A couple of these authors also include a recipe at the end of their story for enjoyment later.

This collection is perfect for reading this month.  But if you can’t quite fit it into your October reading plans, you’ll enjoy Murder in the Graveyard no matter when you pick it up.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Review: Murder Walks the Plank by Carolyn Hart (Death on Demand #15)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters we enjoy and a solid mystery

Cons: Once again, no one believes Annie

The Bottom Line:

A mystery cruise

Turns real life mystery

As fun as the name

Mystery Cruise Ends in Mystery Death

We don’t talk enough about judging a book by its title. I’ve long looked forward to Murder Walks the Plank, the fifteenth Death on Demand Mystery from Carolyn Hart solely because the title grabbed my fancy. Fortunately, the mystery inside was fun as well. 

This book takes us back to Broward’s Rock, an island community off the coast of South Carolina. Annie Darling owns Death on Demand, a mystery bookstore. And she seems to find herself involved in plenty of real-life mysteries. 

She’s been organizing a harbor cruise as a fund raiser for a local charity. Naturally, it is mystery themed. But the mystery turns all too real one of the passengers falls over board. Annie is quick to declare that it wasn’t an accident, but no one seems to believe her. Can she prove her theory before another tragedy happens?

It’s always fun to revisit these characters, and this book was no exception. Yes, I was frustrated that, once again, Annie had an adversarial relationship with the police. It just adds an extra layer of conflict that feels forced given the relationship the characters have had in the past. Then again, even Annie’s husband wasn’t jumping on board with her theories this time. 

Anyway, the characters are a little thin, but they can be fun, and that was the case again here. I laughed and smiled at times as I was reading. 

Meanwhile, the plot was enjoyable. The twists and red herrings kept me entertained, and I appreciated the way everything came together at the end. The story made sense when we reached it. 

This book originally came out in 2004, so some of the references are dated. On the other hand, I enjoy seeing the books I was reading then start popping up when Annie is thinking or talking about other mysteries. 

I found Murder Walks the Plank to be as fun as the name lead me to hope it would be. If you are enjoying these books, you’ll enjoy this one. 

Climb aboard the rest of the Death on Demand Mysteries. 

Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - A Tale of Three Letters

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Interesting (if predictable) mysteries of the letters

Cons: Oliver and Shane’s storyline didn’t feel like them

The Bottom Lines:

Working through letters

While building relationship

As always, it’s good

“Well, Let’s Get This Over With.” “That’s the Spirit.”

It was in 2022 that I finally started watching the Signed, Sealed, Delivered franchise.  While I took my time getting through the movies (like one a year, how embarrassing), I took the lack of any new movies to mean that they were finished with the franchise.  Imagine my surprise when I saw a new movie pop up in 2024.  Now that I’ve almost caught up to it, I found that one aspect with this movie bothered me, but overall, I enjoyed A Tale of Three Letters.

While it’s been three years for us since we last checked in on the POstables, it’s been a matter of months for them.  (Six month, if I heard one line of dialogue correctly.)  Oliver (Eric Mabius) and Shane (Kristin Booth) are just getting back from their extended honeymoon.  Meanwhile, Rita (Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe) and Norman (Geoff Gustafson) are working on adopting.  That is, if Norman can stop being distracted by the baby of Charley (Rhiannon Fish), the single mother they’ve invited into their home, so he can finish filling out the paper work.

Oliver and Shane return to find that the POstables have received the letters from the Great Mailbox Breach of 2017.  There was a bomb scare in a mailbox outside a high school.  While it turned out there wasn’t a bomb inside, the letters got misrouted and messed up.  Oliver is happy to be diving back into work on such a challenging case.  Three letters in particular are worse than the others.  Can they figure out how to deliver them?

Let’s start with what didn’t work for me.  Shane and Oliver are settling back into normal life as a married couple.  And they started getting irritated over everything the other person does.  Okay, I get that.  But it seemed extreme for how little time they’ve been home.  Not only that, but it felt like they were out of character.  Over the franchise, we’ve watched them get to know each other and fall in love.  Their behavior at the end of the movie felt much more like the behavior I would have expected all along from them.  I feel like there was another way to tell this story without compromising the characters and the relationship we’ve watched over the course of these movies.

The letters themselves?  They were entertaining.  I figured a few things out along the way before the team did, but that was mainly because I knew they were in a movie.  I had fun getting from the beginning to the end as always.  And yes, I teared up.  Maybe not quite as much as I might have in other movies, but there were still some very touching moments.

As always, the acting was fantastic.  My complaint above had little to do with the actors and everything to do with the writing.  They bring the characters to life with ease and continue to make us love them.  Considering how eccentric they are, that’s saying something.

A Tale of Three Letters might not become a fan favorite in the franchise, but it is nice to see the characters again.  Considering where this movie ended, I’m very curious to see where things go with the next in the franchise.

October 12th's Sunday/Monday Post

That time of the week again - time for a Sunday/Monday Post.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

A fairly quiet week around here.  The three days I had to be in the office were interesting with iffy AC two of them and then our internet cutting in and out the last day, so they sent us home at noon.  Note: I'm not complaining.  I still miss working from home full time.

Our temps got into the 80's a few days this week, which was nice.  I'm enjoying the nice weather while I still can.  Looks like it will be cooler next week.

Saturday is game day, and I always look forward to that.

Told ya it was a fairly quiet week.  

Joke of the Week:

A chainsaw goes to the barber. The barber says, "Let me guess. Buzz cut."

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: A Case for the Yarn Maker

Tuesday - Book Review: O, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany

Wednesday - Movie Review: Too Much to Lose

Thursday - Book Review: Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer by Colleen Gleason

Friday - TV Show Review: Fuller House - Season 5

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - A Tale of Three Letters

Tuesday - Book Review: Murder Walks the Plank by Carolyn Hart

Wednesday - Book Review: Murder in the Graveyard by Various Authors

Thursday - Book Review: Murder Most Scenic by Liz Milliron

Friday - TV Show Review: Only Murders in the Building - Season 4

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got four books to tell you about this week.

The first is a late breaking ARC.  Murder in the Graveyard is the latest Destination Murders short story anthology with contributions from nine cozy mystery authors.  The book actually came out on Tuesday, and I got the ARC on Monday.  As I said, late breaking.  But I prioritized it and finished it up Thursday.  Now, I just need to write my review to post on Wednesday.  (Spoiler alert: I enjoyed it!)

Up next is Myrtle Beach Burns by Caleb Wygal.  The ebook was slightly on sale this week, and I decided to snag it.  Not that the regular price of $4.95 is expensive, but I couldn't pass up a dollar and change off, could I?  It's book seven in a series I read and the climax of an ongoing storyline, so I know I'll want to read.  Got a couple of books in the series to read first.

I got the audiobook of The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman from the library.  I actually didn't take it the first time my hold came in because it was too early.  I need it for next weekend, but now I've got some extra time on the end in case I don't get it all listened to.  When it first came in, it would have been due Sunday next week.  I wasn't willing to commit to finishing it within two days.

My last book is one I snagged on Saturday.  A Hopeless Case by K. K. Beck is the first of the novels that Hallmark's Jane Mysteries are based on.  The ebook dropped to $1.99 today, so I snagged it.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I'm typing this, I am working on the ARC I have of Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere.  I'm about a third of the way into the book, and it just took a very interesting turn, so I'm very curious to see what will happen next.  This is book six in the Material Witness Mysteries, and Diane is one of my favorite authors, as I'm sure you could guess with how frequently her name pops up around here.

I'm not sure if I will finish the book this weekend or Monday.  It depends on how much reading time I get.  Either way, up next will be another Halloween themed book.  Or at least Halloween adjacent book.  The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse is the fourth Anty Boisjoly Mystery from P.J. Fitzsimmons.  We are dealing with a supposedly cursed castle, and with the gravestones on the cover, it kind of seems like something to read this time of year.  Whether it's really Halloween related or not, I'm excited to dive in since I generally find these books to be funny and good locked room puzzles.

Have a great week!

October 11th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Celebrity Weakest Link – I did not enjoy that episode.  Lisa was really annoying me, so the fact that she continued on was my problem.  Overall, the comics really struggled.  They had some pretty low rounds.

Only Murders in the Building – So, will the building itself be murdered?  I’m very curious where they are going to go with this twist as the season plays out.  And what, if anything, does it have to do with the murders?  And whose finger is that?  But there was no need for the flash forward opening.  And how did Loretta know what color scarf he was wearing?  On the other hand, the trivia game and Oliver talking to the strangers was both hysterical.

Dancing with the Stars – I like Andy.  I really do.  But he needs to go soon.  You know me, I’m looking at dancing talent the further we get into the season, and it’s time for that to happen.  Having said that, I’m not sorry to see Hilaria go.  She is a good dancer, but I just wasn’t connecting with her.  As to the dances, this is always my favorite of the season since I love the songs.  I think Scott’s dance to “Bop to the Top” was tops for me.  So much fun, and they channeled the characters perfect.  I was laughing so hard at their interview afterwards.

Shifting Gears – As much as this new relationship bugs me, I found their scenes together really sweet this week.  And they at least acknowledged the age issue, which I appreciated.  The other storylines were fun as well.  Loved the guys working through their issue, and Reilly’s storyline with the other mother was fun if predictable.

The Challenge – Once again, the team that left was hurt by one partner.  The man, too.  It will be interesting to see if that trend continues.  Although, I’ve got to say, she didn’t seem to be trying to really work with him.  She wanted him to just believe everything she said, which is never going to work in a situation like that.  So maybe her mouth had as much to do with them being in that position as his ego did.

Survivor – That was a tough episode to watch.  They were kicked twice in the episode.  I’m glad the guy is okay, however.  Talk about being very scary.  And then to lose on top of that.  I am glad to see the other teams felt it, too.  Although if they had celebrated, I would have understood (unlike when it had happened in previous seasons).  I know this is an extreme, but I still feel like one tribe mostly losing in the first half is a feature of the new era.  Maybe they need to rethink things a little?

The Amazing Race – As a race, that was rather boring.  Did anyone change places?  No more than one if they did.  And I’m never a fan of a super alliance like this, especially when they are in the lead.  We need something to shake things up.  Having said that, the team that came in last wasn’t going to last too long.  But I was rooting for them anyway.  They seem like a great couple.

TV Show Review: Fuller House - Season 5

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Lots of laughs and emotion with the extended Tanner family

Cons: Things feel a bit forced in the early episodes, but that goes away

The Bottom Line:

One last chance to laugh

With a family we love

Sad to see it end

“I Heard a Rumor They Have Cake that Tastes Like Pie.”

I have no excuse.  I’ve had the DVD set for Fuller House season 5 since it was released over four years ago.  I guess I was just trying to put off seeing the end.  But I finally watched the final season of the show, and I enjoyed it.

If you aren’t familiar with the show, Fuller House was a continuation/reboot/sequel series to the classic 80’s/90’s sitcom Full House.  When the show started, recently widowed D.J. Tanner Fuller (Candance Cameron Bure) had asked her sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and her best friend Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) to move into her house, aka the old Tanner house, to help raise her three boys, Jackson, Max, and Tommy (Michael Campion, Elias Harger, and twins Dashiell and Fox Messitt).  While Stephanie was single when the series started, Kimmy brought with her a teen daughter, Ramona (Soni Bringas), and an ex-husband who didn’t want to stay an ex, Fernando (Juan Pablo Di Pace).

Along the way, Stephanie found love in the most unlikely place – Kimmy’s brother Jimmy (Adam Hagenbuch).  And D.J. rekindled her romance with her high school boyfriend, Steve Hale (Scott Weinger).

Season 5 picks up where season 4 left off.  Stephanie and Jimmy are coming back from the hospital with their new daughter, which Kimmy was the surrogate for.  While Stephanie and Jimmy try to adjust to being parents, the guys go into partnership to buy a favorite sandwich shop.  Ramona gets a new boyfriend while Jackson winds up with the lead in the school play.  Stephanie decides to cook Thanksgiving dinner, which turns into a disaster – but not in the way you are thinking.  And Steve proposes to D.J., leading to planning a triple wedding for three very different brides.

No, the Olsen twins don’t make an appearance here, which means Michelle is the only character from the original we never see.  Because this season filmed while Lori Loughlin’s legal troubles were going on, we didn’t get to see Aunt Becky this season (which seemed weird given the wedding that ended the series), but Bob Saget, John Stamos, and Dave Coulier popped up several times as Danny Tanner, Uncle Jessie, and Joey.

And yes, this show is built on nostalgia for the original series.  There are lots of nods to the original either in moments, storylines, riffs, or outright copying.  But you know what, I was here for it.  Having rewatched the first half of Full House since I watched season 4 of Fuller, I caught more of those references this time.

Not to say that this is a carbon copy by any means.  There are plenty of fresh storylines and jokes to be had, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I was watching.

One thing I really appreciated was the way the show portrayed the friendship between the three guys, Fernando, Jimmy, and Steve.  The show did a good job of giving them chances to act together, and I loved watching their chemistry.  It might not be as strong as the chemistry between D.J., Steph, and Kimmy, but those actresses have been friends playing these characters longer.  Anyway, it was nice to see a show that showed such great friendships.  We can even include John Brotherton’s Matt, D.J.’s ex-boyfriend but still current business partner, in the circle.  Yep, he shows up a few times.

I’ve found that many modern sitcoms feel forced to me, with the shows working too hard to bring the laughs.  I felt that here with the first few episodes of the season, but once the show got rolling, the laughs came more naturally.  Either it is because I was watching this show over the course of a couple of weeks, so I could get more used to the rhythm, or the writers and actors took a couple of episodes to find the rhythm again.  Either way, I was laughing and enjoying the show completely by the time I’d hit the first quarter of the season.  And that continued until the end.

And I have to give the actors their due.  We have quite a large cast, obviously, but they all shine when they are on screen.  And no matter who the actors are playing off of, the chemistry is strong and brings the laughs.

Season five consisted of 18 episodes, and they are all in the DVD set on two discs.  Each episode is roughly 30 minutes.  Since this was a Netflix show, there aren’t commercial breaks, and the shows run the length of time needed, sometimes a little longer, sometimes a little less.

Along with the laughs, we also get some serious storylines and moments.  Nothing remotely preachy, but some good storylines that reflect who the characters are and what they’ve been through.  These storylines ultimately turned into very heartwarming moments that I loved.

Which brings us to the series finale.  I hit me harder than I was expecting, and I mean that in the best way possible.  Be prepared for all the feels.  It’s a perfect ending.

If, like me, you’ve been putting off watching the final season of Fuller House, it’s time to watch season 5.  You’ll really enjoy seeing where the characters end up.  If we ever get more with this very full family, I would be there in a heartbeat.

Book Review: Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer by Colleen Gleason (Lady Darling Mysteries #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Lady Darling and a good mystery

Cons: Over writing and Lady Darling’s backstory

The Bottom Line:

A new sleuth appears

Interesting first story

Backstory bothers

Hunting a High Society Killer

I’ve been enjoying the mysteries that Colleen has been releasing under her Colleen Cambridge pen name, so when she announced she’d be being writing a new one under as Colleen Gleason, I paid attention. Unfortunately, Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer didn’t grab me as much as I would have liked. 

Lady Darling is a widow of a certain age (50), wealthy, and willing to live out her life in the country. But when her friend asks Lady Darling to chaperone her daughter as she comes out in society, Lady Darling reluctantly agrees to go to London for the season. 

At their first dinner party, the host is killed in his study. Lady Darling takes it upon herself to investigate and find the killer. After all, no one takes her seriously, so she can worm her way in and get answers. Certain that the killer was one of the men at the dinner party, she starts looking closer at them. Will she find the killer?

One thing I’ve notice with Colleen’s books is that they can be over written for my taste. We get a little too much about the character’s thoughts and their self-reflection. That’s usually tempered with well-developed characters and some good twists. Here, it got in the way of the book, especially at the beginning. I feel like it was done on purpose to more mimic the style of the 1890’s, when the book is set since it did seem more so than the other books I’ve read. 

Now, this isn’t to say we didn’t get some good twists. Once the story got going, I was entertained. The ending made sense when we reached it, although it was a little drawn out for my tastes. And Lady Darling made a couple of leaps along the way I didn’t think were supported by what she had learned when she made them. 

Lady Darling herself is a hoot. She’s got plenty of spark and enjoys taking advantage of being underestimated. 

The story is told from a few different points of view, and it worked well to give us the complete story and get to know a few of the other characters. 

However, my big gripe with the series was something in Lady Darling’s backstory that didn’t sit right with me. I’ll probably be alone in my take on this, and I can understand why she did what she did. I just feel like someone as smart as she is could have found another way to solve the problem, even given what society was like back then. 

I’m not sure if I will continue on with this series. However, plenty of other readers are enjoying meeting Lady Darling. If you enjoy this time and place, give Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer a chance and see what you think for yourself. 

Movie Review: Too Much to Lose - The Jane Mysteries

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good mystery with fun characters

Cons: Typical low budget cheese at times

The Bottom Line:

Missing Reporter

Appeared on pun themed game show

Another good flick

Hunt for a Missing Reporter

Hallmark has finally released the final Jane Mystery to cable.  And Too Much to Lose was a return to form for this franchise.

If you’ve missed the series, it features Jodie Sweetin as Jane Da Silva, a singer who has returned to Baltimore to help run the charities her late uncle was part of.  One of those is looking at old criminal cases and trying to solve them or free those wrongfully convicted.  When she does that, she works alongside Detective John Cameron (Stephen Huszar).  Rounding out the main cast is Jane’s aunt Sadie (Paris Jefferson).

As this movie opens, Sadie is gearing up for a fundraising gala that is supposed to help a local children’s hospital.  While Jane is all in to help, she gets sidetracked by a very active case.  Reporter Irene March (Sherry Miller) has gone missing after winning a pun themed game show.  With the police reluctant to do anything, Jane starts nosing around.  What will she find?

This movie engaged me from the start, and I appreciated the fact that we were starting off with a missing person case instead of a murder.  I always enjoy a variety in the plots even if most mysteries wind up dealing with a dead body at some point.  This one didn’t wind up going where I thought it might, and I appreciated that.  But everything made sense at the end.

Considering Irene was on a pun related game show, I wish the movie had included some better puns.  I mean, there is no such thing as a bad pun, but these still could have been more original.  Granted, we didn’t see much of the show itself, which was probably for the best.  What we did see was pretty bad.  Yep, it was the worst of the low budget cheese in this movie, but not the only example we got.  But as long as you know to expect that going in, you’ll be fine.

We really don’t have any supporting characters, just the three leads.  And, naturally, the romance between Jane and John.  I enjoyed watching that play out here.

And we got to see Jodie sing again here.  And she plays dress up thanks to Sadie’s extensive costumes, which is always fun.

All told, Too Much to Lose was a fun addition to the franchise.  I’m glad I finally got to see it.  If you’ve enjoyed these movies, you’ll want to watch it.  I haven’t heard anything about any more, but if we do get more, I’ll be watching.

Book Review: O, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany (Year-Round Christmas Mysteries #8)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Characters and setting charm as always

Cons: Pacing of mystery and repetition

The Bottom Line:

Mystery neighbors

Merry must find her landlord

Some charm, some issues

Suspicious New Neighbors

Being the Christmas lover that I am, I’ve read Vicki Delany’s Year-Round Christmas series since it started. While I still enjoyed popping in on the characters, I did find the most recent, O, Deadly Night, a bit disappointing. 

The series is set in the fictional town of Rudolph, New York. When the city’s economy was dying years ago, they took advantage of their name and rebranded themself the Christmas capitol of the country. The tourists loved it. Our main character is Merry Wilkinson, who runs an upscale gift shop, called Mrs. Claus’s Treasures. 

It may be busy season, aka December, but Merry’s landlord at home is distracted by the new neighbors who have moved in. Mrs. D’Angelo hasn’t been able to meet them, and as the center of the town’s gossip mill, that doesn’t sit right. And, she keeps noticing weird things going on at the house. Merry’s too busy to give it too much attention. That is, until Mrs. D’Angelo disappears. Was she right about something strange going on across the street?

As always, I love the setting for this series. The town names are so charming, and I can easily get caught up in the magic of a town that celebrates Christmas all the time, especially when we are visiting in December. That holiday spirit infuses the pages and draws me in. 

Sadly, the book suffered from repetition. It was worse with a subplot involving a cookbook that Merry’s friend is putting together. But there is an entire scene near the beginning that could have been removed without confusing the reader at all. In fact, I made sure that I hadn’t wound up going back a chapter. 

Once the mystery really does get going, it was interesting, but I didn’t feel Merry was active in the investigation. She kept getting updates from others. She does figure things out at the end, but she was also pretty stupid at the end. Overall, the pacing could have been better. 

The characters are their normal charming selves. I do love the cast of characters, so seeing them again was fun. Yes, a couple annoy, but I find I even enjoy seeing them. 

While this isn’t a culinary cozy as such, we do get lots of discussion of delicious food, so I was happy to see the two recipes at the end. 

While there were things I enjoyed about O, Deadly Night, there were things that needed to be smoothed out. The result, for me at least, was a mixed bag. 

Here are the rest of the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this mystery.