Tag Archive: cozy-mystery


Review: Cables and Conjurers by Nancy Warren

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June 23, 2025

Cables and Conjurers (Vampire Knitting Club, #15)Cables and Conjurers by Nancy Warren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Why is it over so soon? It was such a welcome relief when Libby shared with me that they are now carrying Nancy Warren’s books, including this latest addition to the Vampire Knitting Club. These books are so much fun! With all that is going on in the world, one needs a good escape.

No, you don’t need to know anything about knitting. After all, the yarn store owner, Lucy Swift, knows only enough to get in trouble. Nor do many vampire rules apply in these books. Hence, the fun of the club that meets after the store closes.

I think my only issue with any of these books is the murder that must be solved. But somehow, we’ve grown cozy with folks being killed. Besides, it does keep the story going.

Nancy Warren’s writing, including her fantastic sense of humor make these stories perfect. Sarah Zimmerman (Narrator) knows how to relate the scenes flawlessly.

Sadly, I’m finished with the series. I must seek out more of Nancy Warren books! Please, if you need a lightweight read, look for this Vampire Knitting series.

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Review: Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear

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March 20, 2025

Pardonable Lies (Maisie Dobbs, #3)Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my favorite Maisie Dobbs mystery yet. The addition of Orlaugh Cassidy as narrator brought this story to life. Also, the author brought more depth to Maisie Dobbs. Her past resurfaces, and her life is in constant danger.

Ms. Dobbs travels in this book. That’s where a narrator who can speak dialects and other languages comes in. I can’t imagine reading this with Kindle Text-to-Speech. Or even visually, as Orlaugh Cassidy helps you feel like you are watching the movie. The France trips were a great experience.

All the Maisie Dobbs are fun so far. Jacqueline Winspear puts a lot of research into her books to help readers feel they have fallen into that era and place.

Libby had this audiobook to loan. I am so happy to be able to read these books.

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Review: Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

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March 16, 2025

Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs, #2)Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun series so far. Each book is a quick read and not too deep, so great as a bedtime book. Orlagh Cassidy (Narrator) gave a bit of authenticity to the writing that simple text-to-speech could not. The British text-to-speech voice reads these stories well, but a human voice is better when it comes to different dialects. Granted, I don’t know one dialect from another, but Ms. Cassidy’s switching from formal to cockney or other voices helped keep the characters separated.

This mystery had me going. I couldn’t figure out who did it or why. But the author, Jacqueline Winspear, told the tale with intrigue. She builds the world to help readers feel they are in post-war English towns. The feathers were a curious touch. Why? Was it important? Eventually, it will all be solved by our Maisie Dobbs, who is graceful and respectful of her fellow humans and their psychological intricacies.

I was happy to find this audiobook on Libby. I think the series is quite enjoyable. I think you’ll like it, too.

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Review: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

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March 13, 2025

Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs, #1)Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My friend Kay recommended this series. She’s right. These are fun and engaging.

This first installment came from Libby and was in Kindle form. That meant that I could listen to it with text-to-speech. Since I have my Fire set to a British female voice (think Mary Poppins), it fits quite nicely with this story.

War is a horrid thing. This particular war in England and Europe was one of the worst. Yet, for women, it became a way to escape the housewife, childbearer, whore classification most women were forced into. With the men fighting, the jobs were open for women to learn and show their abilities. Sadly, when the men came home, most of the women lost that step up to being wholly human.

Some women did find careers to move on. Maisie Dobbs is one of the ones it worked for.

This first book lays the groundwork for Maisie’s history and sets up the world she’s in. She’s a woman of spirit that can solve mysteries and make friends with all classes of people.

I have already started book two. I am in for the ride!

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Review: Spellbound Box Set, Books 1-10: Paranormal Cozy Mysteries by Annabel Chase

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February 10, 2025

Spellbound Box Set, Books 1-10: Paranormal Cozy MysteriesSpellbound Box Set, Books 1-10: Paranormal Cozy Mysteries by Annabel Chase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This boxed set has probably been on my ‘currently reading’ shelf for quite a while. Library books always take preference due to due dates. I think it was at the 85th position. I am trying to read the earliest between the newest and borrowed books. It’s a work in progress.

This set is so fun. Each book could hold its own, but I think it is more fun to binge-read them all. Think of it as a long book. Still, it didn’t take me long to get through.

I think the best part of these books is the characters. A ghost vampire, an owl familiar, a fallen angel, and a witch who didn’t know she was a magical being. But there are others, like her gorgan receptionist.

By the way, this is free with Kindle Unlimited. Text-to-speech works well with this set. We all need a little levity. Here’s a fun adventure to lift the mood.

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Review: A Cream of Passion by Nancy Warren

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January 3, 2025

A Cream of Passion (Great Witches Baking Show #7)A Cream of Passion by Nancy Warren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Once again, the book came to me out of order, so I’ve yet to read the first four novels in the series. Still, the author keeps the reader up-to-date on the main character’s goals and needs.

Hollis McCarthy (Narrator) acts out the characters flawlessly. Between the writing and the audio, the reading went quickly. It is a good book if you want something fast between larger reads.

Between cooking and murder, this book is not nearly as fun as Nancy Warren’s Vampire Knitting Club series. I don’t like cooking. I’m forever on a diet of gluten-free or carbs so that these pastry-rich stories may be invoking a murderous feeling. Still, I like meandering between books of differing subject matters.

I will keep reading the series and other books by Nancy Warren. This just wasn’t a favorite. By the way, I was happy to listen to it on Libby’s audio version.

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Your prompt for JusJoJan January 3rd, 2025 is “meander.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

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Review: Blood, Sweat and Tiers by Nancy Warren

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December 17, 2024

Blood, Sweat and Tiers (Great Witches Baking Show #5)Blood, Sweat and Tiers by Nancy Warren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once again, Nancy Warren and Hollis McCarthy brought a fun whodunnit adventure. The author wrote this series in such a fashion that you can catch up and know what is happening no matter where you start. I read all her Vampire Knitting Club. Then, a bit of the Book Club. I found 5 and 6 of the Great Witches Baking Show when I needed something light. But I couldn’t read the tiny print that said which number in the series I started on. So I started on number 6 and then just finished number 5.

As usual, Hollis narrated each character so well that I knew whose point of view I was visiting. I can’t wait until I can get caught up with the series on Libby or buy the Audible version soon.

I hope you can enjoy this series. It’s light, even if it is a murder mystery.

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Review: Crumbs and Misdemeanors by Nancy Warren

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December 16, 2024

Crumbs and Misdemeanors (Great Witches Baking Show #6)Crumbs and Misdemeanors by Nancy Warren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Because of the availability at Libby, I am reading this series out of order. After the fun of GingerDead, I found book 6. I dislike reading things out of order, but I figured Nancy Warren does such a nice job of filling in the needed details from the previous books. I didn’t feel I’d get lost. And I don’t think I did.

This book went nearly as fast as the Gingerdead novella. It was a fun ride.

Hollis McCarthy narrated this one, also. She could voice all the characters so well that I often forgot it was just one woman reading aloud.

Nancy Warren’s series are all so light and cozy, yet engaging. I don’t like that mysteries are always about murder. But everything else is fun. It’s always an adventure.

It was one of those sleepless nights, so I not only finished this one, but I went on to the other one Libby had available. Again, way out of order. On to number 5!

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Review: Gingerdead House by Nancy Warren

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December 15, 2024

Gingerdead HouseGingerdead House by Nancy Warren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After the month it took me to read the Complete Oz book, I needed something light and short. This one was available to listen to on Libby just when I needed it.

Do you need a fun little who-done-it with a fun character who happens to be a witch? It took three hours. The bad side is that it created a crazy desire for gingerbread cookies. Luckily, we don’t have any, and I don’t like cooking.

Hollis McCarthy is a fun narrator who can act out the various characters that show up. And she was able to make me laugh at the main character, Poppy Wilkinson, with her foibles and sense of humor.

For this reason, and that I know I can’t be let down by any Nancy Warren book, I picked up a few other Great Witches Baking Show novels to brighten my sudden depression. This is not the time to get caught up in that. Right? On to the fun stories!

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Review: In Want of a Knife by Nancy Warren

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June 6, 2024

In Want of a Knife (Vampire Book Club #5)In Want of a Knife by Nancy Warren
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’m so sorry. I found this to be the most boring of all the series. I guess even Nancy Warren has to have a bad few days of writing.

Hollis McCarthy (the Narrator) made it sound pompous and unrelatable. I couldn’t stay awake to it even while playing my games. So, the shortest book took me twice as long to read.

Worst of all, the murder wasn’t even brought up until near the end of the book. The story was about how our main character was trying to figure out why the producer was in town to make a porno of Jane Eyre. And how this witch doesn’t get arrested for murder in any of these books amazes me. She is always there when it happens or nearly so.

And I still can’t figure out how the lady with the watch was electrocuted. I listened to that part a couple of times. I just had to know that it happened, and there is the whole case. Bah!

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