Mona Marple

This is the second book of the A Witch In Time Series. This series is being written by several authors, each of whom has a main character and a mystery to solve. In the previous book we met Vee and time traveled to New York. In this book we meet Felicity, (Flick), and go to 1999 London. This series is fast becoming a must read more series. I love that each character goes on her own adventure, (though the other characters may make appearances), and solves their own mystery. So far, you don’t need to read the books in order of publication. I would encourage you to, though, just for the fun of it and, of course, to meet each witch. In the weeks before the first book was released I found myself wondering who will be my favorite witch. I think it is going to be more difficult than I thought to choose her.
I love that Flick is in a beginning of the craft, (by this I mean she is becoming an independent witch). She comes from a prestigious line of witches, yet seems to truly want to find her own way. Her Gram places emphasis on high standards and the family. She has made sacrifices for them and expects Flick to do the same. Yet she loves Flick deeply. Flick is aware of all this but isn’t certain making the sacrifices her mother and grandmother made are for her. This complexity makes for an interesting secondary story. I found the mystery that Flick needs to solve intriguing and fascinating, (perhaps because Johnny and Candice had me remembering Sid and Nancy - their story was another one that was heartbreaking for me). Another thing I loved about the story was the way Flick tried to use her power to do good. It’s not often that I feel like crying in a mystery but I did with Bill and his wife.
I cannot wait to read the next book in this bewitching series. I find myself wondering about the next witch, her personality and mystery, at odd moments of the day. I am also anxious for more from both Vee and Flick.… (más)

I was blown away by this box set. I was familiar with all the authors but had only read books by two of the authors, Tonya Kappes and Jenna St James. Mona Marple and Summer Prescott were new to me in the sense that I had not yet read their books.
The first story is Christmas Parties Are Murder by Jenna St James. This was a hilarious cozy. If you need to read a quick story that will lift your spirits, choose this one. It was super fun and will quickly hook you into wanting more from Nan and Amanda. You might even find yourself looking forward to your holiday office party.
The second story is The Candy Cane Killer by Mona Marple. The entire time I read this story, I honestly felt like I was back in my teen years reading Nancy Drew! If you are a Nancy Drew fan and are feeling nostalgic for her, choose this story. The sleuths are teen sisters making this an excellent story to share with the pre-teen and up in your life. I am looking into her books to see about a Christmas gift for the special pre-teen in my life.
The third book is A Charming Blend by Tonya Kappes. The characters in this story are from her Killer Coffee series and her Magical Cures series. If you are hoping to put a little paranormal magic into your holiday, choose this one. If you aren’t familiar with the two series you will become interested in them, I’m sure. If you are familiar, you might want to catch up a bit with the Killer Coffee series. This blend has a spoiler for it if you are not caught up.
The fourth book is A Lime to Kill by Summer Prescott. If you are feeling the need to completely get lost in a somewhat complicated relationship cozy and forget the hustle bustle going on, choose this story. I love the relationship between mom and daughter. It is a very realistic portrait of real relationships, the deep love yet growing up complexity that happens when your child is suddenly an adult. This was a carefully crafted mystery that builds slow then springs on you, leading to non-stop reading. This is a, ‘just one more chapter, oh my I’m done book.’
This holiday set will have you de-stressed in no time. Definitely add this one to your Christmas reading list, (it will work for Christmas in July too!).… (más)

I listened to this book on Audible. I recommend it for those who enjoy British cozy mysteries. The author paints a detailed picture of the setting. You can easily picture every scene as you listen. The narrator is excellent. She has a soothing voice and uses different voices for the characters. Listening to her reminded me very much of listening to story time at the library. I ended up listening to the entire book in one day. I was so caught up in the story I didn’t try solving it. I was enjoying listening while running it as a movie in my mind.… (más)