Happy Friday! We made it through another week and I’m so looking forward to the weekend for a couple reasons. Reason number one: the weather is supposed to be pleasant. Yay! Bye bye humidity. I know, it’ll be back. Just let me have my moment. 🙂 Reason number two: I’m going to be starting a new book to read because I just finished one. I’m not sure which one book I’ll choose. There are three I’m considering.

We’re easing into one of my favorite reading seasons. My reading sessions will involve a cozy fleece blanket, a hot cup of tea and Connie nearby for an extra layer of coziness (there’s never too much cozy, is there?). I also tend to shift toward reading more print books. In the warmer months I’ve found myself drifting toward e-books. Not sure why that happens, so I don’t give it too much thought, I just read. And now let me share with you the book I just finished reading last night. SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE BRASH BLONDE by by Gemma Halliday and Kelly Rey. This was such a fun read and I want to read the two other books in the series.

Martha “Marty” Hudson has it all…almost. While her best friend, Irene Adler, is a dot-com millionaire many times over, Marty’s days are filled with working as a barista at a Stanford University coffee bar, crashing various courses and lectures, and dodging the rent collector at her crummy apartment. But when Marty suddenly finds out that a long-lost aunt has left her a Victorian home at 221 Baker Street in the heart of San Francisco, she’s hopeful her luck is about to turn around! Okay, so the Victorian is run down and probably in need of more repairs than Marty could ever afford, but at least it’s a link to family. However when Marty starts sifting through the contents of the dilapidated home, she realizes her aunt’s death may not have been natural…and might have been a case of murder!

Taking her suspicions to the grumpy Detective Lastrade and the uber-hot medical examiner, Dr. John Watson, only gets her a pair of doors slammed in her face. But Marty and Irene don’t give up that easily. Instead, they invent fictitious private investigator, Sherlock Holmes, to open those doors for them! Between Marty’s eclectic class-crashing knowledge and Irene’s tech know-how, “Sherlock Holmes” investigates an over-the-hill yoga teacher, mob shops in Chinatown, pot dispensaries in the East Bay, and a slew of suspicious characters. But when the killer returns—this time with Marty in sight!—even the great Holmes may not be able to save her…at least not without a little help from the girls.

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Last year I wrote a post on How To Read in the Fall and I shared some tips for making the most of our autumn reading season. If you’d like to check the post out click here.

Inquiring minds want to know: What are you reading?

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Yep, I’m bringing back Friday Reads. Now, I won’t have a Friday Reads post every week because I don’t read that fast. So, next week I’m planning on reviving my Friday Faves posts. With that little bit of housekeeping out of the way, let’s get going on our post today.

Happy hot, humid Friday! This is supposed to be the last day in our heatwave. We shall see. The only good thing about this weather is that it’s kept me indoors working and reading. I got a lot of work done and I also finished reading A SPIRIT SEEKS ASYLUM by Lena Gregory. I shared this book when it released and I couldn’t wait to dive into it. I’m so glad I did because it was so much fun, as are all the Bay Island Psychic mysteries.

Cass Donovan is confronted by ghoulish crimes both old and new when a defunct asylum is the site of a fresh murder and a long-hidden injustice . . .

The old abandoned buildings of the Twin Forks Lunatic Asylum have always fascinated and frightened clairvoyant Cass Donovan, but she never dreamed her psychic abilities would be put to the test there. Then the new owner of the site tells her he plans to renovate it and turn it into a boarding school, and he’ll pay Cass handsomely to determine whether the place is haunted! Cass accepts his offer, but her search for hints of old ghosts soon has her looking for clues among the living when the man who hired her turns up dead.

Returning to the shuttered asylum looking for evidence of who may have wanted her client out of the way, Cass stumbles upon signs of yet another murder, even as she’s besieged by an onslaught of haunting voices from the past. When it comes to light that rival real estate developers have been hatching plans of their own for the property, Cass sees no shortage of motives for the murders, but she’ll have to find a way to quiet the disturbing voices from long ago and focus on the here and now, because whoever’s behind the killings has targeted Cass as their next victim . . .

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I’m going to have to wait patiently for the next Bay Island Psychic mystery. Patience is a virtue, so I’m going to do my best. While I wait, I have picked my next read and it’s not a cozy.

Inquiring minds want to know : What are you reading?

Is it me or has the first couple of weeks of August flown by? Wasn’t it just July? This has me thinking that the rest of the month may follow suit. We’ll be celebrating Labor Day in no time. Well you know what that means. We have to finish up our summer reading and get ready for our fall reading. 🙂 Luckily my publisher, Kensington, has put many, many books on sale this month and among those sale books are several first-in series books so you can start a new series with a discount!

THE UNINVITED CORPSE

Book one in the Food Blogger Mystery series

Leaving behind a failed career as a magazine editor and an embarrassing stint on a reality baking show, newly divorced lifestyle entrepreneur Hope Early thought things were finally on the upswing–until she comes face-to-face with a murderer . . .

Hope’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that grab her attention–it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy . . .

One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s younger sister, Claire Dixon–who, at best, saw Peaches as a professional rival. And suspicions really heat up when another murder occurs the following night. Now, with two messy murders shaking Jefferson and all evidence pointing to Claire, Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style . . .

To buy THE UNINVITED CORPSE click here

WINE AND PUNISHMENT

Book one in the Literary Pub Mystery series

In the first in an engaging new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, the owner of a charming literary pub finds her fresh start on the rocks thanks to a case of murder.

Booklover Sadie Coleman knows that in life, as in fiction, the right setting can make a world of difference. The small town of Shady Creek, Vermont, seems like the perfect place to start over after losing her Boston job to a merger and her relationship to her ex’s gambling addiction. She’s bought and redecorated the old grist mill pub, transforming the Inkwell into a cozy spot where tourists and regulars alike can enjoy a pint or a literary-themed cocktail, or join one of several book clubs.

Little by little, Sadie is adjusting to the rhythms of her new home. Fall in Shady Creek is bookmarked by the much-anticipated Autumn Festival, complete with a pumpkin catapult competition and pie bake-off. Unfortunately, the season also brings an unwelcome visitor—Sadie’s ex, Eric, who’s angling for a second chance . . .

Before Sadie can tell Eric to leave, he’s found dead near the Inkwell. When the local antique shop catches fire on the same night, it’s clear the town is harboring at least one unsavory character. Now, with her Aunt Gilda, her friend Shontelle, and the pub’s patrons all in the mix, Sadie must uncover the truth . . . before a killer declares last call.

To buy WINE AND PUNISHMENT click here.

THE PLOT IS MURDER

Book one in the Mystery Bookshop series

The small town of North Harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan is about to have a new mystery bookstore. But before the first customer can browse its shelves, the store’s owner is suspected of her own murder plot . . .

Samantha Washington has dreamed of owning her own mystery bookstore for as long as she can remember. And as she prepares for the store’s grand opening, she’s also realizing another dream—penning a cozy mystery set in England between the wars. While Samantha hires employees and fills the shelves with the latest mysteries, quick-witted Lady Penelope Marsh, long-overshadowed by her beautiful sister Daphne, refuses to lose the besotted Victor Carlston to her sibling’s charms. When one of Daphne’s suitors is murdered in a maze, Penelope steps in to solve the labyrinthine puzzle and win Victor.

But as Samantha indulges her imagination, the unimaginable happens in real life. A shady realtor turns up dead in her backyard, and the police suspect her—after all, the owner of a mystery bookstore might know a thing or two about murder. Aided by her feisty grandmother and an enthusiastic ensemble of colorful retirees, Samantha is determined to close the case before she opens her store. But will she live to conclude her own story when the killer has a revised ending in mind for her?

To buy THE PLOT IS MURDER click here.

CREMAINS OF THE DAY

Book one in the Tallie Graver series

There’s no reverse on the hearse . . .

For Tallulah Graver, marrying wealthy Waldo Phillips seemed like the best way out of the family business, the Graver Funeral Home. But when her marriage falls apart and Tallie is left with next to nothing, she turns to cleaning houses to make ends meet. As humbling as it is to tidy the mansions of the snobby socialites she used to call friends, at least she doesn’t have to be around dead bodies. Until . . .

She discovers one of her employers lying in a closet with a knife sticking out of her chest. This unpleasant shock seems to be part of a web of weird experiences: Tallie’s friend Gina’s shop is broken into, her ex is stun-gunned where it hurts the most, and now she’s receiving flowers from the dead woman. Granted the deliveryman is handsome, but seriously, that’s enough to cast a pall over anyone’s day. Now Tallie needs to dig deep to clean up this mess—before she finds herself in a grave situation.

To buy CREMAINS OF THE DAY click here.

I hope you’ll find this short list of first-in series sale books helpful because we all know our TBR piles are never quite tall enough. 🙂

It’s August already! It’s hard to believe that the season of beach reads is winding down. With that in mind I made sure that Wendy Wax’s My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding was up next to read. Before I discuss any more about the book, let’s first take a moment to admire. It’s beautiful!

A majority of the book takes place in the Outer Banks, North Carolina and it’s about two best friends who had a falling out but are still connected by one of their mother’s. Lauren set out for New York City to make it big as an author and her best friend was supposed to go with her but Bree changed her mind and remained in NC to marry Lauren’s ex-boyfriend. Over the years, Bree took over the local bookstore while Lauren launched her publishing career with an idea they both had come up with. Yeah, that’s a problem. Lauren’s mother, Kendra, has been the perfect mother showing both women that even given the most difficult circumstances a woman can survive and be successful. Too bad she has a secret that will rip her daughter’s heart to shreds and maybe show she wasn’t as brave as everyone thought. The three of them must find the strength to forgive and welcome each other back into their lives. I loved how the relationship between Lauren and Bree mended. There were scenes that I could totally relate to where the two women slipped into their old banter, their old rhythm of conversation, their suppressed feelings for each other and then quickly regrouped because after twenty years, their disappointment and anger of each other had festered so they couldn’t have that feeling of friendship, of love. Those scenes felt very authentic to me. I really enjoyed the book and I’m looking forward to Wendy’s next release.

What are you reading? Are you getting ready for your fall reading? No, I’m not pushing the season (though I wouldn’t mind a little less humidity) but we do have to plan. There are only so many hours of reading time. 🙂

There’s nothing better than settling in to catch-up with old friends and that’s exactly how reading book 4 in the Hampton’s Home and Garden Mystery series felt for me. When I learned Berkley had made the decision to cancel the series I was sad because I truly enjoyed this series. Then the good news came – the series had been picked up by another publisher and there would be a new book! I made sure to pre-order Manor of Dying by Kathleen Bridge so that it popped into my app on release day.

This book had all the elements of a not-to-miss mystery for me – a manor house that was once a mental asylum on an island, a blizzard that strands Meg and her friend at the island, a creepy murder similar to one decades earlier and Christmas! As a reader I couldn’t ask for anything more. Well, I could ask for another installment for the series and I’m hoping there will be another Meg Barrett book soon.

What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments. Have you read any of the Hampton’s Home and Garden mysteries? If so, let me know.