Ornament Review: Cocoa Cuddles - Making Memories #11 - 2018 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Warm memories

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Drinking chocolate

Spending fun time together

A great memory

Sipping Cocoa

Is there anything better than drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night?  Yes!  Drinking it snuggled up next to someone you love.  And that moment is captured in Cocoa Cuddles, 2018’s addition to the Making Memories series.

As always, this series features a SnowAdult and a SnowChild.  They are bundled up and looking festive in their red and green caps, scarves, and boots.  They have mugs of hot chocolate with little marshmallows floating on top and are sitting side by side looking at each other and smiling.  The Adult has their arm around the Child.

And, looking at this ornament, I can’t help but smile, too.  You just know this is the beginning of happy memories whether it is being silly and giggling together or watching a favorite Christmas special; this is going to be an evening that they will both treasure.

Of course, it helps that the ornament looks good.  Yes, it is very white, but the glitter on the ornament helps is sparkle, and the colors pop.  Plus, the ornament looks great on a tree since it stands out.

Speaking of how the ornament looks on your tree, yes it hangs straight.  Or, if you want to set it out to display, you can do that, too.  The two SnowPeople are sitting on a snowflake (one of the details I love about this series), and it has a flat base.  You’ll also find the 11 in a Christmas tree series marker on the bottom of the ornament.

Making Memories has always conjured warm memories, but Cocoa Cuddles may be the warmest yet, between the hot chocolate and snuggles involved.

Enjoy more warm moments with the rest of the Making Memories series.

Original Price: $15.99

Book Review: Murder at the Palace by Margaret Dumas

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun, good characters, good mystery

Cons: Pacing at the beginning is slow due to set up

The Bottom Line:

New job, dead body

Plus ghost keep Nora hopping

In this fun debut

First Days are Murder

With my love of movies, I was immediately interested in the Movie Palace Mysteries, set in a theater that shows exclusively classic movies in San Francisco.  I almost passed on the debut, Murder at the Palace, but it called to me too loudly to ignore, so I picked it up.  I’m glad I did.

When Nora Paige’s movie star husband is caught having an affair with a co-star, she decides it is time to start over.  Fortunately, Nora’s friend Robbie needs someone to manage the Palace Theater up in San Francisco.  Given Nora’s love of old movies, she jumps at the chance.  Plus, starting over in a new city sounds good.

However, Nora’s first day doesn’t go as planned.  She’s barely met the staff when she finds a dead body in the backup ice maker in the basement.  Naturally, she doesn’t recognize the victim, but none of the staff know who he is either.  Could his murder be tied to the death of the previous manager?  And, if that shock weren’t enough, Nora starts to see a hallucination that just might be the ghost of an usherette named Trixie from the 1930’s.  Is Nora going crazy?  Can she figure out what is going on?

So, I’m sure you can guess why I almost passed on this book – I rarely do paranormal cozies.  However, there are exceptions to every rule in my life, and I am certainly glad I let this book be one of them.  Yes, Trixie is a ghost.  No, I don’t believe in ghosts.  However, this book wouldn’t be the same without her in it.  She is her own character and adds some fun and charm that the book would be missing otherwise.

Of course, her presence also slows down the book in the beginning.  Yes, we get the initial body early, but when Nora begins to see Trixie, her trying to figure out if Trixie is real or not drives the book for a while, and the mystery is a little slow to get going as a result.  However, the further along we get, the more things really take off, and I got caught up in a great mystery.  We get some interesting twists and surprises before Nora pieces it all together.

And the cast of characters is wonderful.  Nora may be a bit shaky in her personal life with so much upheaval, but she is a strong lead and it is easy to fall in love with her.  The rest of the staff at the theater is a hoot.  I am looking forward to seeing more of them as the series progresses (although I would like to know how some of them could go to school and do their jobs).

Those who love old movies will feel right at home in this theater and with these characters.  There are some fun discussions and plenty of references to the classics.  I have heard of most of the movies talked about although I must admit I haven’t seen many of them.  That is something I want to remedy now.  Scattered throughout the book are excerpts from a blog that talk a bit more about some of the films being mentioned, and they are lots of fun.

If you haven’t noticed by how often I’ve repeated it, I found this debut fun.  I will definitely be buying a ticket for the new book.  Anyone looking for a promising new series will want to pick up Murder at the Palace.

TV Show Review: Timeless - Series Finale

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Wraps up a creative, fun show well

Cons: A few things a bit rushed to wrap everything up well

The Bottom Line:

Last trips back in time

Released to wrap up Timeless

Bit rushed, but still good

“’Tis the Season – To Finish What We Started.”

I approach most book and TV series with two minds.  Quite obviously, I am a fan, and I want to spend time with characters I love and their adventures for a long time to come.  My day job is as an accountant, so I get that, if something isn’t making money, it isn’t going to continue on for a long time.  That’s why I respect what NBC did so much.  While they couldn’t justify ordering a third season of Timeless due to the low ratings, they did greenlight a two hour movie to wrap up the story.  Considering the cliffhanger that season two had left us with, that was a huge reward to the show’s loyal fans.

As you’d expect, the movie picks up moments after the season two finale.  Future Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer) and Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter) have just shown up and announced that there is a way to save Rufus (Malcolm Barrett), who had just died on the team’s last mission back in time.  Naturally, this involves another trip back in time, this time to the California gold rush with Garcia Flynn (Goran Visnjic) along for the ride.  Will they be able to change just enough history to save Rufus?  Or will Rittenhouse be waiting for them to stop them once and for all?

Yes, I’m giving just the very basics of a tease here because if you are a fan, you’ll definitely want to watch how this unfolds.

This two hour movie aired in December, so they worked Christmas into the episode, both the present and the past.  I definitely liked how they did it, especially one of the past stories they chose to use.  Yes, we do go back to a couple of different times as the story unfolds in an effort to save Rufus and finally take down Rittenhouse.

The writers had a monumental task with this movie.  They had two hours to wrap up two years’ worth of story.  My hat is off to them – they managed to do it.  They closed up all the loops the show had opened, touching on just about everything I felt needed to be mentioned.  And they still had to tell us an entertaining story with action taking place in the past.  I did feel like some of the things that happened were too easy or happened too quickly, so it left me a little unsatisfied.  But I also realize I’m being very nitpicky here.  They had two hours, essentially two episodes, to wrap everything up.  If they had been given more time, they could have easily wrapped it up in a more satisfying manner.  So, knowing where they were coming from and appreciating NBC’s willingness to give us this much, I will accept what we get here.

All the actors came back to wrap things up, and they poured their heart and soul into this.  They were fantastic, which is no surprise.  The acting on this show has always been a strong point.

Likewise, the production values, from historical costumes to modern special effects, are also still outstanding.

A quick word about this release.  While it is being put out on DVD and counted as a season two finale, it is not part of the season 2 set, which was released before this movie came out.  So if you have season two, you will need to buy this separately.  And if you haven’t bought any of the series yet, you’ll still need to buy it separately.

While this ending may have some flaws, I am still satisfied with the Timeless series finale, especially considering how close we came to never even getting it.  Fans will be happy to get closure on this creative, fun, and addicting show.  And if you haven’t discovered just how wonderful the show was, you can pick up the DVD sets without worry that you will be left hanging.

Book Review: Malice Domestic 14 - Mystery Most Edible edited by Verena Rose, Rita Owen, and Shawn Reilly Simmons

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong stories of culinary crime

Cons: A couple stories, theme a bit repetitive if read back to back

The Bottom Line:

Food served with murder

In short story collection

Meant to be savored

Delicious Short Story Collection

The return of the Malice Domestic short story collection happened to coincide with my first time attending the convention.  I started buying the collections that year, and even though I haven’t been able to attend the last couple of years, I have continued getting them.  I could hardly resist this year’s considering the theme.  I mean, with all the culinary cozies I read, how could I pass up Mystery Most Edible.

This book contains 36 short stories, and I’m sure it isn’t a surprise to learn that they all revolve around food.  That means there is plenty of poison involved as one person or another eats or drinks the wrong thing.  However, that’s not always the case.  In fact, some are fantastic twists on the theme, like Nancy Cole Silverman’s story “The Gourmand,” which features the wife of a renowned food critic.  Fan of historical mysteries?  There are entries by Victoria Thompson, Harriette Sackler, and Stephen D. Rogers.  And for pure fun, it’s hard to pass up Parnell Hall, who, as their year’s honoree, introduces the collection and provides the first story.

Parnell’s story features his series sleuth, Cora Felton, as she solves a murder at a tea party.  Any fan of the series will immediately start laughing at the premise since it is so not Cora, and she notes that as well.  Some authors also feature their series sleuths.  Leslie Budewitz takes us on a honeymoon with the main characters of her Food Lover’s Village series.  It was great to catch up with a couple of the characters in Elizabeth Perona’s series.  Most of the stories feature character the author has created for this particular story or characters an author returns to for short stories.  Either way, the authors are good at making these stories self-contained.  There might have been a wink that fans of a series will enjoy, but for those of us meeting the characters for the first time, we aren’t left wondering who all these characters are.

I read this book in a few days, scarfing down as many stories as I could at a time.  Honestly, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had savored it over many days, maybe only reading one or two at a time.  I actually set aside a culinary cozy I was thinking about reading next in fact since I was ready for something different in my reading diet.

Now, this isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the stories here.  There are plenty of good twists and enjoyable characters to keep us turning pages.  However, the theme got a little repetitive.  That’s one thing that made stories like Nancy Cole Silverman’s stand out – the creative way into the theme.

Of course, there were a few stories that weren’t to my taste, especially stories where the villain managed to get out of the hot water they should have been in for their crime.  But the vast majority of the stories were delightful convections that went down easy.

If you are looking for recipes, a staple of the culinary cozies I read, you will be disappointed.  I must admit, one or two of the items described really made me with for a recipe since I would have loved to try it out.  But, since this collection is almost 400 pages as it is, I certainly understand why recipes weren’t included.

If you just have a few minutes here to there and want a delicious mystery to fulfill your cravings for something to read, definitely check out Mystery Most Edible.

Movie Review: We Bought a Zoo

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good hearted movie that grows on you by the end.

Cons: Predictable, slow to pull you in

The Bottom Line:

Predictable film

Grows on you the more you watch

With smiles by the end

Predictable but Ultimately Charming Movie of Healing

Sometimes, when a movie crosses my radar, it takes me a while to actually watch it.  That was the case with We Bought a Zoo.  I’d always been curious to watch it, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally sat down to do so.  (And let’s not discuss how long it sat on my DVR before I did.)  I’m glad I finally made that time.

This movie is inspired by a true story (which probably means they kept the names and basic idea the same).  It tells the story of the Mee family.  When we meet them, it’s been six months since their wife and mother died, and they are struggling to move on.  Hardest hit seems to be son Dylan (Colin Ford) who has finally crossed the line and been kicked out of school.  On top of that, father Benjamin (Matt Damon) has quit his job.

Hoping a new house will help them start over, Benjamin goes out house hunting with his seven-year-old daughter Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones).  Way out in the country, they find the perfect house.  The only catch?  The zoo in the backyard comes with it.  Benjamin doesn’t care, and he buys it, figuring he can get the zoo ready to reopen by the summer with the help of the very small staff.  Can they do it?  Or will Benjamin run out of money before they do?

Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you that this film breaks any new ground.  It doesn’t.  You can probably guess where this is going to go based on what I already described.  And yet, it works.  Oh, a few things seem to happen rather abruptly as we neared the end, but I didn’t mind too much.  It was a very powerful film ultimately filled with hope as the family comes together.

That’s not to say it was good all the way through.  The beginning seemed a bit rough.  I’m not sure how they could have eased us into the story differently, but it took me a bit of time to get into it.  While this is billed as a comedy and drama, the only part I found that was supposed to be truly funny was the visits by the inspector played by John Michael Higgins.  Notice I said supposed to be.  Instead of actually being funny, I found them awkward, as if they were piped in from a different movie.

Outside of that character, I found all the acting to be good.  (And, honestly, I’m sure that John Michael Higgins was following the direction he was given, it was just a poor choice for the film.  Maggie Elizabeth Jones was absolutely adorable as the daughter.  Colin Ford made his early teen into a believable young man.  Matt Damon kept a few scenes from becoming too cheesy.  Other members of the cast include Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church (who had to grow on my a bit but was great by the end), and Elle Fanning.  They were all fantastic as well.

In the end, I was okay with not rushing out to see this film.  But I also don’t regret watching it.  We Bought a Zoo grows on you as you watch, and you’ll find you enjoyed it when it is over.

June 8th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Another mostly quiet TV week.

Blood & Treasure – It’s very obvious I haven’t been paying much attention to what is happening on this show since I was pretty much lost any time the two leads weren’t on the screen.  I was considering just letting the show, and then we got the cliffhanger.  I’ll probably tune in next week, but that may be it.

American Ninja Warrior – Anyone surprised that Drew got it all?  I wasn’t.  Wouldn’t have minded him not getting the speed pass since I find myself rooting for the underdog, but I like Drew, so I am happy with the results.  No real surprises as far as I am concerned this week.  (There’s always some veteran who doesn’t make it.)  The ring swing looked fun, but the Ferris wheel looked diabolical.

The Amazing Race – Rachel is gone!  I was hoping that would be the case when they got U-Turned.  And, as to why it happened, think about all the drama you caused.  I was laughing about Colin and the cow, but glad their cow this time wasn’t as broken.  I have really been impressed with them this time around, certainly much more mature than their first go around.  Nice to see people growing and changing.

Book Review: A Baker Street Wedding by Michael Robertson (Baker Street Mysteries #6)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Another fun visit with Reggie and Laura

Cons: Slow first half, but hard to put down in second half

The Bottom Line:

Quiet honeymoon

That quickly turns dangerous

Page turning by end

Laura and Reggie Honeymoon with Danger

While I still haven’t read very many of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, I’ve enjoyed several contemporary takes on the Holmes legacy.  Probably the most unique is the Baker Street Mysteries, which finds a modern barrister in London tasked with responding to the letters people write to Sherlock Holmes.  A Baker Street Wedding celebrates an event fans have been waiting to see, but with these letters still playing a part.

This book finds Reggie Heath, the aforementioned barrister, marrying Laura Rankin, a famous actress.  They have tried to keep the details of the wedding a secret to avoid the paparazzi, but word leaked out, and the two have to make a hasty retreat and change their honeymoon plans.

Fortunately, Laura is able to find them a place to stay in a remote village on the British coast.  What Reggie doesn’t know is that this place has a connection to Laura’s past, and she has an ulterior motive for suggesting they honeymoon there.  Even Laura doesn’t suspect what is really happening in this sleepy village.  Will the newlyweds figure it out before it is too late?

If you are reading that teaser and wondering where the Sherlock Holmes letters come into play, trust me, they do.  But that’s all I’m going to say on it.  I’ll let you read about that when you pick up the book.

I have found the books in this series to be uneven at times, and this book is no exception.  The pacing early on is slow.  We know danger lurks below the surface, but we don’t seem to be making much progress in figuring out what is going on.  Then things suddenly switch into high gear and I couldn’t put the book down.  I do think that there was a missing day or two in the timeline somewhere, but it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, and everything was wrapped up successfully.

This series has been rather light on recurring characters to this point, and this book feels even lighter.  Reggie and Laura are off on their own for the first half, and we are meeting all new people.  Reggie’s brother doesn’t have much of a presence, which is actually disappointing to me since I love him.  In the second half, another recurring character comes into play as does a character introduced in the previous book.  Honestly, I wasn’t super thrilled to see him again, but I grew to appreciate him a little more here.

Naturally, that gives plenty of time for the new characters to grow, and they do.  In fact, I grew to like some of them quite a bit, which also drew me into the story.

I know I have nitpicked some elements, but overall, I really enjoyed A Baker Street Wedding.  It was great, as always, to spend time with Reggie and Laura, and I found the second half extremely hard to put down.  Fans of the series will definitely enjoy this latest installment.

New to the series?  Be sure to check out the rest of the Baker Street Mysteries.

June 7th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

It's another Friday, and this one couldn't come soon enough.  It's been another long week at work, but next week should be quieter.

Anyway, I'm not here to talk about work but to participate in this week's Book Beginnings and Friday 56.

This week's book is Murder at the Palace by Margaret Dumas.

                                                      

This is a fun mystery.  A bit slow to start, but I really enjoyed it in the end.

Of course, I found the beginning fun as well.

It all started because of the seance scene in Blithe Spirit (1945, Rex Harrison and Constance Cummings).  But before that it was because I got bonked by that stupid light.  But before that it was because I took the job at the Palace movie theater when Robbie offered it.  But before that it was because Ted left me.  So everything, ultimately, was Ted's fault.

Jumping ahead to page 56, we find this (shorter) teaser:

"Why are you here?" I asked her.
She blinked.  "Because I loved Eddie Wheeler more than was good for me."

I'll have a full review posted on Wednesday, so I hope you come back for that.  In the mean time, have a great weekend.  I'll be down at Camp Pendleton for their Mud Run on Saturday.  Looking forward to it as always.

TV Show Review: Murder, She Wrote - Season 3

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mysteries, Jessica

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Many mysteries

Jessica on hand to solve

Still clever and fun

“Aunts are Very Neglected These Days.”  “Not This One.”

When it comes to nice, friendly murders, few TV shows can top Murder, She Wrote.  I regularly use it as a comparison for the types of books I love to read since so many people are familiar with it.  And the show was still going strong in season three.

Very little in this show ever changed over the course of its run, which means that fans can jump in here and feel right at home while new comers don’t need much introduction either.  The series revolves around Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), a widowed English teacher who has reinvented herself as a best-selling mystery writer.  Unfortunately, she seems to find herself getting involved in real life murder mysteries no matter where she goes, usually with a good friend or a family member involved somehow.  In season 3, she solves 20 baffling new cases, including the season opening two-parter set in a traveling circus.  A former student finds himself being haunted by the headless horseman.  Jessica’s on hand when a bodyguard is murdered on a plane trip to London.  And Jessica clears the name of a parolee who claims he didn’t commit the murder he was convicted of 30 years ago.

The mysteries on this show continue to be strong.  Occasionally, I remember who done it or I have an inkling where things are going, but when I don’t remember, I still can’t figure it out.  Yet the clues are there, and when Jessica confronts the killer (usually with backup just outside the room), she recounts just what gave them away.  I’m still amazed at the things I miss while watching this show, but it’s one reason I love to revisit these episodes.

The other reason, of course, is to spend time with Jessica.  Angela Lansbury is absolutely delightful in this role.  She brings a warmth and concern to the character that makes her feel like everyone’s favorite aunt.  And, considering how many nieces and nephews she has, that’s saying something.  Yet, when working on a case, she can get hard nosed when people ignore her, and she has no shame in playing any part needed to get the information to clear a family member or friend.

I mentioned earlier that Jessica solves 20 cases this season, yet the show had the typical 22 episodes.  The season opened with the two-parter I mentioned earlier set in a traveling circus in the south.  Meanwhile, another episode is devoted to Jessica retelling us the plot of her latest bestselling novel.  It’s fun to see what one of her books looks like – no surprise in many ways it could be an episode from her very active life solving crime.

This season also had one extra long episode, almost long enough to be a two-parter.  “Death Takes a Dive” features Boston PI Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach) quite heavily and was the backdoor pilot to the short-lived spin off The Law and Harry McGraw.

This season also featured the crossover with Magnum, P.I.  The story for this episode started on Magnum P.I. and concluded a few nights later on Murder, She Wrote with “Magnum on Ice.”  We actually get both episodes here, although the Magnum episode is on disc six instead of being a special feature on the disc where the second half is featured.  Also, they included the Magnum as edited for syndication, which wraps things up and doesn’t give us the cliffhanger that would propel us into the second half on Murder, She Wrote.  I’ve seen the Magnum episode before, and I’ve only ever scene the syndication ending.  I’d love to see how it is supposed to end with the cliffhanger some time.

And, of course, there are the Cabot Cove episodes.  For those unfamiliar with the show, Cabot Cove, Maine, is Jessica’s hometown, and the show is often mocked because of how many murders supposedly take place in this small town.  I think people remember these episodes the best since it is one of the few places where we get recurring characters in Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley) and Dr. Seth Hazlett (William Windom).  I know I always loved these episodes, so I am happy when I see their names pop up in the guest star list.

However, I still maintain that there aren’t as many episodes in that small town as people remembered.  In this season, we only get four episodes in Cabot Cove, with a fifth being set near enough that Amos and Seth are included.  Of those four episodes, one involves a team diving for treasure off the coast and one involves the team of a news show coming to town to profile the home town of best-selling author J. B. Fletcher.  All the characters truly involved in these plots are from out of town.  On the other hand, when the phone lines get crossed in a storm, Jessica overhears a murder plot.  Then an artist in town is killed in his studio.  Both of these definitely feature residents of the town.  I’m keeping a running total as I rewatch the series, and of the 64 murders that Jessica has solved in the series so far, 10 and a half have been in Cabot Cove, and of those, only 5 have involved residents of the town, while the other 5 and a half have involved groups of people visiting town.  That may still be high for a small town, but over three years, it isn’t nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be, right?

Another thing the show is famous for is the guest stars.  Angela Lansbury had been in Hollywood for a number of years, and she got many of her friends guest starring roles on the show over the years.  While I don’t recognize many of those names, I do enjoy looking for names and faces I recognize.  This season, we get to see the likes of Courtney Cox, Adam West, LaVar Burton, John Amos, Erin Moran, Hayley Mills, David Ogden Stiers, Marcia Wallce, Leslie Neilsen, Ken Olin (creator of current hit This is Us), Barry Williams, Kate Mulgrew, Shaun Cassidy, George Takei, George Clooney, and Bud Hackett.  Quite a list, right?

Fans of the series will be interested to note that this season has the first appearance of Richard Paul as Cabot Cove Mayor Sam Booth.  Eagle eyed fans will note appearances by both Ron Masak, who would become the Sheriff in Cabot Cove later in the series run, and Debbie Zip, who would play nephew Grady’s love interest in later seasons.  And yes, while I haven’t mentioned Grady, he does show up a couple of times.  He’s another recurring character I love to see.

One final casting note – modern day cozy mystery fans are familiar with the profilic writing of Daryl Wood Gerber, author of the Cookbook Nook mysteries, the French Bistro mysteries, and, as Avery Aames, the Cheese Shop mysteries.  Well, before she was a writer, she was an actress, and she shows up as Daryl Wood in one of the episodes here.  She’s in one scene of her episode, but it is still extremely fun to spot her.

Clearly, I can talk about this show for a long time.  I’m a big fan of the show, and rewatching it is a great chance to catch up with old friends.  If you are a fan of Murder, She Wrote, you’ll enjoy revisiting season three.  And if you have missed this mystery classic, jump in anywhere and find out why it continues to have so many fans.

Book Review: Full Bodied Murder by Christine M. Blum (Rose Avenue Wine Club Mysteries #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Halsey; setting

Cons: Too much keeps the book unfocused

The Bottom Line:

Wine series debuts

Too much packed into this book

Makes book uneven

Uneven Debut

Since I don’t drink wine, I had initially passed on the Rose Avenue Wine Club mysteries, but after meeting the author, I decided to give Full Bodied Murder, the first in the series, a try.  I had really hoped to like it, but the flaws made it uneven.

Annie “Halsey” Hall has moved from New York City to Southern California, buying a house on Rose Avenue just a couple miles south of Santa Monica and a couple of miles from the coast.  She’s excited about her new neighborhood, except for her snooping next-door neighbor, and pleased to have been invited to join the Rose Avenue Wine Club.  Not only does she love wine, but she figures this is a great way to make new friends.

On her way to her first meeting, Halsey and her puppy, Bardot, stumble into the wrong house and find a dead body in the backyard.  Even though Halsey has never met the victim, the police consider her their prime suspect.  With the help of her new friends, Halsey begins to investigate.  But with everything happening in the neighborhood, will they be able to figure out what really happened in time to clear Halsey?

The problem with this book is that it doesn’t seem focused.  At times, the author will reference Halsey having done something we had never seen before.  I originally thought this was a fractured time line issue, a huge pet peeve, but as I entered the second half of the book, I realized that this book was taking place over the course of several months.  Might that account for what I thought were time line issues?  I really couldn’t tell because it just wasn’t focused enough for me to know.

Part of this is because the book tries to do too much.  There is a sub-plot with Halsey’s dog that is fun and interesting, but it could have been a plot thread that carried over into multiple books in the series instead of taking up so much time here.  Likewise, the romantic sub-plot has enough storyline here to fuel several books, although I must say I thought Halsey was rather stupid in the romance department for the first half of the book.

Then there’s the mystery.  Halsey soon learns that her new picture perfect neighborhood isn’t quite as perfect as it looks at first, which is what you’d expect in a mystery.  It does seem like the book has a bit too much plot, although it is hard to argue that since these all provide great red herrings for the mystery.  I was stymied on who the killer was and what was really happening until Halsey figured it out, which is always a good thing.  Even then, I thought a vital clue was a bit questionable because of the time frame involved in the book.  If it had taken place over the course of a week, it would make more sense.

The characters are a bit soft as well.  Halsey and Bardot are certainly well developed, but it was hard to keep all the women of the wine club straight, especially since we also have suspects to remember.  I’m not necessarily worried about this since they can become better developed as the series progresses, but it is still a weakness.

Really, this book feels like an early draft of the story.  There is definitely promise here, but it needed some serious work to focus on and polish up those gems.

I was a bit surprised to find a fair amount of foul language here.  While it doesn’t rise to the level of the foul language in a harder mystery or thriller, it is more than any other cozy I’ve read, even those that are pushing this boundary.

One thing that did draw me to the book was the Southern California setting.  While I’m not familiar with the particular neighborhood featured, or the real neighborhood that inspired it, I still get a kick out of seeing place names I’m familiar with pop up in the book.

Those who do enjoy wine will appreciate the wine list included at the end that features all the wine enjoyed over the course of this book.  (And there is plenty of it.)  Non-wine drinkers like me will appreciate the glossary of wine terms at the end.

I already have the second book in the series, and I am tempted to give it a try at some point.  There is potential in Full Bodied Murder, and I’d like to see how the series progresses as it ages.