Peril in the Park by Barbara Venkataraman

Peril in the Park by Barbara Venkataraman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the Jamie Quinn Mystery series. Each one so far has been better than the last and I really enjoyed this instalment. These stories are cosy mysteries and they are really on the cosy side. There is a murder in this one, but it's almost a minor part of the rest of the story.
In previous books, there hasn't been really much investigating or many suspects. This time around there were a few more potential suspects and it was more like a traditional mystery book. What I really love about these books is the characters and the background story. All of the recurring characters, from private detective Duke to Jamie's best friend Grace and boyfriend Kip are lovely and really add to the whole read.
There are some more books in this series and I'd be definitely keen to check them out.


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Guardian Angel - Ruchi Singh

Guardian Angel

A thrilling tale of unconditional love amidst danger and certain death.

The Man 
Security expert Nikhil Mahajan is in mortal danger. Gravely injured and unable to see, he is in the midst of hostile strangers in an unknown place. Any hope of survival is fast fading away. 

The Angel 
Should an innocent man be left to die just because he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Someone has to intervene.

My Review

I don't mind admitting that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I didn't really know what to expect going in, but I was engrossed within minutes of picking the book up and I polished it off pretty quickly. I always enjoy a good un-put-downable read and this one certainly fell into that category.

The characters in this book and the story as it progresses soon drag you quickly along. I believe that Nikhil has been introduced in a previous book, The Bodyguard, but unfortunately, I haven't had the pleasure of reading that as yet. We meet him in this book in mortal danger. He has been injured in a bomb blast and now finds himself blind and bandaged. He has no idea where he is or what has happened to him to end up there.

His only assistance is from the young woman who tends to his wounds each day and patiently feeds hi via a straw. She won't talk to him and when he hears her speak it is in a language that he doesn't understand. 

I really don't want to give too much away about this book and what is going on. I'd hate to give away any spoilers as there are twists and turns in the plot of this book that I didn't spot coming. Needless to say, if you are looking for an exciting and thrilling read with a good dose of romance thrown in for good measure, then I would highly recommend this one. Give it a read, I don't think that you will be disappointed.

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Murder at Larkfield Barn - Betty Rowlands

Murder at Larkfield Barn by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm rapidly becoming a big fan of the Mel Craig mysteries. The more of them I read, the more that I enjoy.
This instalment, number seven in the series, is in some ways slightly different from the previous books. Where Mel has found herself in the thick of investigations, usually against the wishes of her policeman boyfriend Ken, she takes a less active role in investigating this time. It still works well though and I liked the bigger role that Ken played.
I wasn't sure about the relationship with Mel and Ken and wasn't sure if it was going to work or not. Things had changed a little by this book. Ken is no longer with the police service but has set up his own investigation service. He is away a bit seeing to other cases that he his working on, but much of the mystery this time is shown through him. Although Mel is still a little standoffish with him, I think that they will work things out in the end.
Again with this one, I had more or less solved it all by the time that they had. It worked and was enjoyable to read about, which ticks the big boxes for me with murder mysteries.
As I said, this book had a different feel to the others in some ways, but it was still a really good Mel Craig mystery. It goes without sayI received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.ing that I'm looking forward to the next one.


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Stolen Goods - Kay Marie

Stolen Goods

Catch Me If You Can meets Tangled in this funny and feel-good adventurous romance, new from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis, writing as Kay Marie.

Addison Abbot is a dreamer—she dreams of owning her own cake shop, of traveling the world, of finding Prince Charming. But when it comes to actually following any of those dreams, she's a little, well, stuck. So when a devilishly handsome stranger saves her from two robbers with guns and pulls her into the adventure of a lifetime, she's determined to find her fairytale ending—until she realizes he's the most wanted criminal in America, that is.

Thaddeus Ryder was just another run-of-the-mill international art thief until his latest heist went south. Now, his face is on every news station, his name is making headlines, and his partner is working for the feds. Talk about a bad week on the job. His only option is to flee the country. But when hitmen for the Russian mafia interrupt his getaway, Thad gains an accidental companion—a baking beauty who might be too tempting to resist.

When a good girl meets a bad boy, sparks are bound to fly. But this con man is about to discover the only thing he can't steal is her heart...

**To Catch a Thief is a romantic comedy series that's one part humorous and one part heartfelt, with a dash of adventure, a hint of criminal activity, and a whole heap of fun! Each book is a stand-alone romance with a HEA.

Where to buy

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5Q19MW

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07J5Q19MW

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07J5Q19MW

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07J5Q19MW

My Review

This is the second book in the To Catch a Thief series and having read both, I'd have to say that this is my favourite so far. This time we have Addison, who is one of the three online friends who all share an interest in baking. We met Jo in the first book, she has kept her true identity and the role that she's played in her father's criminal activities. Now, Addison finds out all about what Jo has been up to and finds herself plunged right into the thick of things.

Thaddeus has been Jo's partner in all of these criminal activities, although he knew more of what was involved with it all. Now he's on the run and needing to get in touch with Jo, he breaks into Addison's bakery and tries to use her to reach Jo. Things don't quite go to plan and before she knows what happens, she's on the run with America's most wanted criminal.

Thaddeus and Addison work well together and although Addison is quite a fluffy and soft type, she has a bit of a backbone to her, which is always good to see. The story reminded me a little bit of French Kiss, the film with Meg Ryan in from the 90's, although it was different in many ways.

Like the first book, I didn't see how the happily ever after was going to be able to come about with Addison and Thaddeus, but of course, everything worked out in the end. I won't give anything away and explain what happens, but I enjoyed it.

There's another book to go in this series, with the third member of the baking group set to get her story. I'm looking forward to giving it a read.

Giveaway

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The case of the Killer Divorce - Barbara Venkataraman

The Case of the Killer Divorce by Barbara Venkataraman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second in the Jamie Quinn mystery series. I think I said when I reviewed the first a day or so ago that this was a classic cosy mystery. In many ways it is, it's an easy read with fun and quirky characters and although there is a murder, it's of a very 'gentle' variety (I do realise how odd that sounds when talking about a murder). In other ways though, it's not really a cosy mystery at all. While the cosy part holds true, there isn't really a puzzle type mystery to try and solve. There are only really two people who could be the 'murderer' and it's fairly clear who the guilty party might be. To be honest though, for me at least, that didn't really matter.
In many ways, the murder plays a secondary role to that of Jamie's life. In the course of this story, she gains not only a boyfriend, but we find out a lot about her long-lost father. In many ways, what would probably be the sub-plot in other books, becomes the main storyline in this and the mystery is secondary.
I actually really enjoyed this quick read. I like the main recurring characters. Jamie is great, as is her friend Grace and there seems to be potential for love interest Kip. By far and away the most entertaining member of the cast is private detective Marmaduke, who, for probably quite obvious reasons usually goes by the shorter version of his name; Duke.
I'm enjoying this quick little series. The plots aren't taxing on the little grey cells, but they are certainly entertaining. I'll no doubt be dipping into the next one soon.

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Death by Didgeridoo - Barbara Venkataraman

Death by Didgeridoo by Barbara Venkataraman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read a proper 'cosy mystery' for quite a long time. This is quite a short book and a quick read, but if I'm looking for an easy mystery read then that's what I prefer. Death by Didgeridoo is the start of a series and I think that there is potential here for the series to develop well.
Jamie Quinn is a lawyer who works in family law but finds that her family calls on her whenever they have a legal problem. When her cousin gets accused of murder, of course, she gets called on to help him out.
There isn't a complex puzzle to solve here, the mystery more or less is spelt out for you as you read, but for a bit of light escapism where you don't want to spend too much brain power, then it' perfect. As well as Jamie herself, there's a cat that she hates and an alcoholic private detective who looks as though he could become a fun character. In many ways this is a good start and I'll be interested to see how this series develops in future books.

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Outside the Veil Boxed Set - T.J. Shaw

Outside the Veil Boxed Set by T.J. Shaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I feel a little mean not giving this more than a four-star score, I was in two minds whether to give it five or four, but decided to go with four. There was a lot I loved about these books, but I suspect that there's room for even more in future instalments of this series, so I decided to go with four.
I had intended to read the three parts of this boxed set separately, possibly reading something in between each one. This time, that just didn't happen. With each part, I couldn't put it down and was dying to know what was going to happen in the next. I was warned that the first two books would finish on cliffhangers, but I still didn't expect to be so caught up in the story.
Both Jaxon and Amari were fascinating and I loved how they were together. Finding out how they managed to navigate their way through the problems that faced them and their finding a way for Amari to become who she should be. I also really liked the other members of their cardre and I hope that we see more of them in future books. This is the start of a series I believe and there is certainly scope for plenty more storylines. Amari's sister Lizbet has got her own issues to face in the near future, as well as dealing with the shadowy villain of the piece. I suspect that we have only seen a small amount of this person so far, their motives or what they are ultimately trying to do hasn't really become clear as yet.
The setting of this book means that there is a fair amount of world-building to be done. This doesn't get in the way of the story or the action and our understanding grows as the plot develops so that you almost don't notice it, but certainly know far more about the world in which they live by the end of the books.
There is romance here and I loved the interaction between Jaxon and Amari as they at first find themselves drawn to one another and then as their relationship and love begins to grow and develop.
If you are thinking of giving Outside the Veil a go, then I would suggest going straight for the boxed set. You probably won't be able to put it down so you might as well get all three to begin with. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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