The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian

Tempest Raj is settling back into working for her family's construction company. They've just finished a basement for the newly single Lavinia. She's ready to banish the spirit of her ex-husband, Corbin Colt, the famous mystery writer. He's still alive... at least he is at the beginning of the book. 

Lavinia hires Tempest's friend (?) Sanjay to hold a seance. She invites her book club as well as Tempest. Tempest's grandfather also comes along. It is during the seance that a body lands on the table. But... they are in a locked room. Interestingly, the person the police look at as having the most motive is Tempest's grandfather. So it will be up to her to solve the mystery and get her grandfather out of jail before he can cause any more trouble. 

Four stars

This book came out

Follows Under Lock & Skeleton Key

Followed by A Midnight Puzzle

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Wisteria Wonders by Angela Pepper

Zara's had some changes since she moved to Wisteria but one of the better ones is her friend Frank at the library. Too bad he's just been turned into a flamingo. But was it her magic or is he just a shifter who is just discovering his talents?
He's whisked away to the Department of Water (and Magic.) They are willing to help because they need Zara's skill at finding spirits to capture one in particular. It's one that is particularly dear to Chet's heart.
Zara goes over and above to connect with this spirit which can be dangerous when gorgons are involved. But a lot of the confusion over why she's in Wisteria gets solved as well as some of the feelings that she's had that things here are familiar. We also find out that Zoey has been name checked in a hundreds year old prophecy.
There is so much drama in this series. I'm hoping that there is some ending to a few of the story lines in the next book or two.

Three stars

This book came out January 15, 2017

Follows Wicked Wisteria

Followed by Watchful Wisteria

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Grim and Bear It by Juliette Cross

We've been watching Clara Savoie and Henry Blackwater dance around each other for most of this series. Finally, the two will get their own story. In the last story, we learned that Henry has some sort of odd magic. He is raising his younger brother as a result of a contentious relationship with their father.
Clara has had a crush on Henry forever and finally makes her move. The two get together but there are external forces at play here when Henry's father is arrested after being found at the scene of a murder. Henry would rather not help him but does so anyway and Clara is pulled into the mystery as well.
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series but the rest were a little less closed door than I would have liked. I wanted to finish the series though and am generally glad that I did.

Three stars

This book came out May 9, 2023

Follows Resting Witch Face

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Death at the Dance by Verity Bright

Lord Lance stands accused of murder! Lady Eleanor attends a masquerade at his parents house and one of the guests ends up dead. The man had been a hero in some war but was considered by many of the younger set as something of a bore. But why was he killed?

We get to see more of Lancelot's life and the friends he hangs out with. He really doesn't seem to have a redeeming quality in this book so I'm hopeful he either grows as a person or gets dropped by Lady Eleanor in subsequent books. 

Why is Lance arrested? Well, he's found standing over the body holding the murder weapon. So... he seems to be the obvious choice. Eleanor is determined to clear his name, even when she is specifically warned off by the detective inspector. 

An interesting follow up to the first in this series but am interested to see how the characters grow.

Three stars

This book came out July 8, 2020

Follows A Very English Murder

Followed by A Witness to Murder

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse by Harper Lin

I really dislike books where the main character hides things from the police and Francesca Amaro, Franny, does so in this book. She's returned to her hometown after her mother's death and is trying to readjust to her new life running the family coffee shop. Her life is once again upended when she goes home early one day and discovers her neighbor, a man she grew up with, dead in the back yard. She does reconnect with the man's son, her childhood friend Matty. The two work together to try and figure out why his father was killed.
I'm going to try the second book in this series but I am a little worried about how hard Franny goes, not just in her investigating but her relationship with Matty as well.

Three stars

This book came out May 25, 2015

Cap Bay Cafe Mystery #1

Followed by Tea, Tiramisu, and Tough Guys

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Murder on Mistletoe Lane by Clara McKenna

Stella is eager to be Lady Lyndhurst but not everyone is willing to turn over the reins to a brash American. There is some dissension in the ranks and not all of the servants are happy about the changes that Stella is trying to make. Meanwhile, she is just trying to incorporate a bit of her own memories of Christmas. 

The holiday starts off with some food being stolen from the kitchen, escalates to the firing of a maid, and then really goes off the rails when a dead body is discovered. 

This mystery didn't feel as tight as others in this series. It was an okay story but not as well constructed as some of the previous books. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 24, 2023

Follows Murder at the Majestic Hotel

Followed by Murder at Glenloch Hill

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Wicked Wisteria by Angela Pepper

Zara Riddle is settling in to being a witch. But something mysterious is happening in Wisteria. First, her wolfy crush and neighbor Chet asks her to keep an eye out for a spirit walker (not that Zara knows what a spirit walker is.) Then, the books in town seem to have words that disappear. Zara and her aunt make up a bookwyrm recipe that returns the words but will also make your skin turn black if you taste it. 

The solution to both turns out to be a surprise connection to the first book. 

Is this book Great Literature? No. Is it fast, fun, fluffy and worth reading? Yes.

Four stars

This book came out September 10, 2016

Follows Wisteria Witches

Followed by Wisteria Wonders

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own