Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Every so often I read a book that perfectly matches up with the time of year, and this was one of those times.  What could be more perfect than reading a delightfully chilling Jack the Ripper story in October, right before Halloween?  I was hooked on Stalking Jack the Ripper from the moment I received the book.  The back of the cover is minimalist, with a picture of historic autopsy tools and

He murdered women in cold blood.  He terrorized an entire city.  He taunted those of us who hunted him down.  But despite all these horrors, in the end, I could not deny it... I was the girl who loved The Ripper."

Chills, right?  And although the jacket copy refers to Aubrey Rose's love for The Ripper, the book is so much more than that.  It's about a wonderfully fierce and feisty independent young woman and a mystery too!

Aubrey Rose is an excellently well-developed main character.  She is complex and unpredictable.  Stalking Jack the Ripper is set in 1888, so the reader sees her daily struggle between what society expects of her and what she expects of herself.  Rather than going full-tilt rebel, we witness her desire to still befriend her much more feminine cousin and to not overly upset/scandalize her older brother.  I always find that it's a mark of great character development if the character grows or changes any over the course of the book, and Aubrey Rose definitely does.  At the beginning of the book she is a very bright young lady who is good at following her uncle's instructions to complete an autopsy.  By the end of the book, she is very much thinking for herself and making her own decisions both on the streets and in the autopsy room.

Stalking Jack the Ripper also has a secondary character, Thomas Creswell, who is an absolute bonus!  I just loved him to bits!  I'm a huge fan of "snark," and he has "snark" for days!  His demeanor and witticisms had me smiling often through this book.  I found myself especially looking forward to any extended dialog between him and Aubrey Rose- they both gave as well as they got in the sarcastic remarks!

Finally, the mystery- this was a really good mystery.  It kept me guessing straight up to the end... and maybe beyond.  ;)  I'm not giving anything away!  You HAVE to read this one yourself.  Kerri Maniscalco reveals only one clue at a time, with a couple of red herrings, to keep you hooked.  I work in a library and ended up reading the latter part of the book on the reference desk because I couldn't put it down!  Not only will you want to solve the mystery, but you'll also cheer for Aubrey Rose as she works through the clues in the male-dominated Victorian era.

This standalone book left me craving a lot more, so I was very glad to read an author interview in which it was revealed that there will be more standalone Aubrey Rose stories in the future.  Go read Stalking Jack the Ripper now so that you can gush about it with me, and keep your eyes peeled for further adventures!

Thanks to the publisher of Stalking Jack the Ripper, we're giving away one copy of the book and some lovely soap from Skull & Bones!  (Because stalking a murderer is dirty work!)  Enter here!

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by Tynga at Thursday, October 06, 2016

 Fiction, Girls amp; Women, giveaway, Historical, Jimmy Patterson, Kerri Maniscalco, murder mystery, Mystery, Publisher, Review, young adult  15 People left their mark

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Spells and Scones by Bailey Cates

Bailey Cates has done it again. It seems like she has found the right recipe for the perfect magical cozy mystery and keeps switching up the ingredients to entertain us with a new story with each new release. In Spells and Scones, not only do we unravel a new murder mystery, but we also have the chance to delve deeper into the relationships between characters.

Katie Lightfoot is a witch. She has only known for the last couple of years yet she has grown into her power relatively fast. She's a hedgewitch, sourcing her powers from plants and their magical properties. As a baker, it comes to her naturally, and as part owner of the Honeybee Bakery, she practices her craft daily by mixing positive ingredients and sending positive thoughts into her food. She also happens to be a lightwitch, meaning she's attracted to situations that need help finding a resolution.

Katie often finds herself near murder scenes and it's definitely true in this book. Only this time, it seems like there's very little magic involved in the crime. A Dr. Dana, a self-help guru and famous radio personality is found dead in the bookstore next to Katie's bakery. Katie feels compelled to help solve the mystery, especially when she learns the main murder suspect is an ex-witch, who just happens to be the previous owner of her familiar, Mungo. Her little terrier seems convinced that Angie is not guilty and for Katie, that's enough to convince her to help the ex-witch.

With the amount of murder scenes she "attracts", you would think Katie could start a side business as a private investigator. However, her true passion is her bakery so I highly doubt she would ever be comfortable leaving her business for a new one. She is good at investigating, using her magical powers only when necessary and only using her skills for good. However, even though it seems like she has everything figured out in her business life, it's her personal life she has a hard time dealing with. Her wonderful boyfriend Declan seems to want more (wants to move in more) but Katie is hesitant because of a past relationship that failed miserably. On top of everything, Steve Dawes professes his love for Katie and will stop at nothing to prove to Katie that he has turned his life around for her. That would put a damper on anyone's one year anniversary!

I love this series because it's light and easy to read compared to some of the other darker books I tend to read. The small town feeling, the sense of community and the wonderful food keeps me coming back for more. One of these days I'll try one of the recipes included. The Pumpkin Spice Softies sound delicious and yes, I just happen to be one of those people obsessed with pumpkin spice anything. Perfect for autumn, fans of Bailey Cates and cozy mysteries will fall for this book.

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by Tynga at Monday, September 19, 2016

 A Magical Bakery Mystery, Bailey Cates, bakery, cozy, food, Library, Magic, murder mystery, Mystery, NAL, Penguin, Review, Witch  Leave your mark

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Magic and Macaroons by Bailey Cates

Another sweet and magical treat from Bailey Cates! Since I've started reading this series a while back, I've really come to enjoy the characters and the small town feel of Savannah, Georgia. Personally, I don't know much about the practice of magic and Wicca, but I always feel like what the characters practice might actually be authentic.

Katie Lightfoot hasn't been practicing as a witch for very long but as a catalyst/lightwitch, her magical powers are curiously strong. Trouble seems to find her at every corner, but always for a good reason. With her intuitive mind and the help of her fellow coven members, she helps solve murder mysteries. This time, the murdered victim is particularly close to Katie and she feels it's her duty to help solve the mystery, especially since the victim's niece and protogée appears to be magically cursed into a coma. The niece's life might depend Katie fishing out the truth, but Katie's own life is at risk when she is targeted for asking too many questions. Since she suspects voodoo is part of the answer, she has been sleuthing around, asking questions about voodoo and black magic. Obviously someone isn't thrilled that Katie is poking her nose in the voodoo community. However, the near-death experience doesn't stop Katie for long.

In this book, Declan, Katie's boyfriend, seems to have embraced Katie's magical side and is more open to that aspect of her life. He almost doesn't have a choice because he has recently discovered that he, himself can channel his great-uncle from the after life. Katie's other "suitor", Steve, seems to have finally acknowledged Katie's rejection by getting engaged, which is a whole other story. Suffice to say, nothing is ever boring when it comes to Katie's love life.

I keep coming back to this series mainly because it's an easy and light read, but let's be honest, I'm also interested in the food. Although I've never tried any of the recipes at the end of the books, they have me salivating throughout the story. Since I love coconut, and macaroons are some of my favorite deserts, I've decided to try one of the recipes at the end of this book. I'll make sure to come back and let you know in the comments how they turned out.

MAGIC AND MACAROONS is the fifth book of the Magical Bakery Mystery series, and as the series goes on, we learn more about Katie and what her purpose as a lightwitch might actually be. The series is nothing too complicated but I do recommend reading the books in order. I would recommend this book and series to any fan of cozy mysteries. The magical elements makes it that much more original and adds a little flair to some of the eccentric characters. Personally, this book is the best of series so far. The last few chapters are particularly gripping and I hope the author is already working on the next book.

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by Tynga at Monday, August 31, 2015

 A Magical Bakery Mystery, Bailey Cates, Library, Magic, murder mystery, Mystery, Obsidian, Penguin, Review, Voodoo, Witch  1 Person left their mark

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If You've Got It, Haunt It (A Haunted Vintage Mystery) by Rose Pressey

If you sell clothing in a small town, it can be very beneficial to have the attentions of a well known person of influence known for their  style.  Cookie Chanel may have agreed before she actually received such attentions if that person hadn't passed on before they met.  I suppose the endorsement of a ghost wouldn't be received in the same spirit as it would from a living person.  That is the least of Cookie's problems because, now that she has Charlotte Meadows' attention, she can't seem to get rid of her.  That is unless, possibly, maybe there could be a chance that if Cookie solves Charlotte's murder, Charlotte will move on.

Cookie Chanel is such a bright, energetic and independent character, it's easy  to not just like her but to nearly fall in love with her.  She reminds me a lot of  GirlBoss ,Sophia Amoruso.   We get to see more facets of her personality than just the chipper young woman who owns her own vintage clothing store but, that is the enduring impression.  A person that most people respect and like.  She has her now constant companion, Charlotte Meadows who, while she was alive, was a person most people respected and tolerated.

The small town setting fits with the vintage clothes store and gives the story the feel of a pulp fiction detective novel.  The reader is ever at risk of drifting into feelings of nostalgia either from the descriptions of clothing or Cookie's own car. Rose Pressey did a wonderful job of weaving the fashion and feeling into her fiction.
This is a murder mystery and characters get hurt and some die. With that said, it's still a very light and fun read. We experience this quaint town with it's eccentric cast of characters through the eyes of Cookie as she tries to navigate the politics and societal pressures all while trying to help Charlotte and keep her business going. I probably could point out half a dozen tropes that have been used (some over-used) but, I won't. The story works, tropes and all, and it's entertaining.
If You've Got It, Haunt It is a very fun read especially for anybody into vintage clothing or nostalgia for the early to mid 20th century. It's a very light PG13 due to some of the subject matter but, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it to a teen.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, July 22, 2015

 A Haunted Vintage Mystery, ghosts, Kensington, murder mystery, Paranormal, Purchased, Review, Rose Pressey  2 People left their mark

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Some Enchanted Éclair by Bailey Cates

Truthfully, I was a little disappointed when I read Charms and Chocolate Chips, book 3 of this series. However, this fourth book has redeemed the series and I find myself looking forward to the release of the next book. My main concern with the previous book was that Katie Lightfoot was newly aware of being a lightwitch, but had no clue what it meant. She speculated about it, wondered about it, but didn't try to find out what it meant. Now, in this book, at least she's trying to find out what it means and has learnt to accept that she's different from other witches. Her investigation into lightwitches doesn't go very far unfortunately because the one that revealed her ability, Detective Taite, seems to have disappeared. We might not know more about what it means to be a lightwitch, but at least Katie is trying to find out more.

The murder mystery of the story was ordinary but still fun to follow.  It was definitely a mystery since I never suspected who the murderer was until the very end. The motive was kind of hard to understand but all in all, I think it came to a nice close. I especially liked the fact that the victim was part of the crew that was filming a movie in downtown Savannah, Georgia. Obviously Katie gets involved in yet another murder investigation since her bakery was hired to cater the movie set. She seems to be attracted to murder mysteries, and always finds a way into the investigation.

What I found interesting in this book is the fact that we don't actually see lots of magic being performed. The author decided to introduce us to a new character instead and Ursula Banford just so happens to be a psychic, someone able to communicate with the dead. The coven decides to hold a séance to find out more about who the murderer was, and while the séance doesn't reveal much about the killer, it does reveal something unexpected about one of the participants of the séance.

This next paragraph contains a slight spoiler so you might want to avoid it (however it won't spoil too much). One thing I was not expecting was Declan having some magical powers. From the start of the series, he hasn't been very understanding about his girlfriend Katie's magic and her dedication to learn more about it, but in time, he has learnt to accept it. It came to a total shock when we were made aware that one of his ancestors had some magical power and was rumored to have been a leprechaun. This magic or spiritual power has more or less manifested in Declan in this book. He is not happy with his new (latent) ability, that's for sure. However, it does bring a new and interesting twist to the series.

I'm glad the ending wasn't rushed. In the previous books, I found that once the mystery was solved, the booked ended a few pages later. This time around, we were able to see how everything fell into place. It also answered a lot of questions. SOME ENCHANTED ÉCLAIR might just be my favorite of the series. I really hope we see more of Bailey Cates's Magical Bakery series because to me, while not being exiting or riveting, her books are a nice change of pace and always get me out of a reading rut.

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by Tynga at Sunday, September 21, 2014

 A Magical Bakery Mystery, Bailey Cates, Chick Lit, food, Magic, murder mystery, Mystery, Obsidian, Penguin, Purchased, Review, Wicca, witches  2 People left their mark

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