Book Review: Death of Mad Hatter By: Jenn McKinlay

Scarlett Parker and her British cousin, Vivian Tremont, are hard at work at Mim's Whims their ladies' hat shop on London's chic Portobello Road to create hats for an Alice in Wonderland themed afternoon tea, a fund-raiser for a local children's hospital. It seems like a wonderfully whimsical way to pass the hat, and Scarlett and Viv are delighted to outfit the Grisby family, the hosts who are hoping to raise enough money to name a new hospital wing after their patriarch. 

Unfortunately, the Grisby heir will not live to see it, he's been poisoned. When traces of the poison are found on the hat Scarlett and Viv made for him, the police become curiouser and curiouser about their involvement. Now the ladies need to don their thinking caps and find the tea party crasher who's mad enough to kill at the drop of a hat...

Scarlett Parker and Vivian Tremont are back at it again, "Mad" with suspense and excitement in this "hare" raising tale of mystery! Like most of Jenn McKinlays other mystery books, I am quickly falling in love with this series as well. I love all the characters and a certain slow boiling romance between Scarlett and Harrison! I also love being transported to the quaint village of Notting Hill, and I feel right at home at Scarlett and Viv's shop on old Portobello Road. Death of a Mad Hatter is Jenn's second edition in the series and I love it as much as the first! It was very witty, fun and suspenseful. It really had me guessing up until the end, and you'll never guess who's just "mad" enough to commit murder! 

Book Review: Cloche and Dagger by: Jenn McKinlay

Not only is Scarlett Parker's love life in the loo as her British cousin Vivian Tremont would say it's also gone viral with an embarrassing video. So when Viv suggests Scarlett leave Florida to lay low in London, she hops on the next plane across the pond. Viv is the proprietor of Mim's Whims, a ladies' hat shop on Portobello Road bequeathed to both cousins by their beloved grandmother, and she wants Scarlett to finally join her in the millinary buisness. 

But a few surprises await Scarlett in London. First, she is met at the airport not by Viv, but by her handsome business manager, Harrison Wentworth. Second, Viv who has some whims of her own seems to be missing. No one is too concerned about the unpredictable Viv until one of her posh clients is found dead wearing the cloche hat Viv made for her and nothing else. Is Scarlett's cousin in trouble? Or is she in hiding? 

Loved it! Classically witty and brilliantly suspenseful! Jenn McKinlay has out done herself in writing this amazing little British crime cozy! I loved the descriptive writing and it really had me longing for a stroll on Portobello Road and cozing up in a pub in the heart of Notting Hill. I loved the characters very much and am happy to say, it feels like reading about friends rather than characters in a book. Then again Jenn always manages to make her characters feel that way, it's one of the many reason why I enjoy her writing so much. This is a perfect written "first in a series" and if you love Jenn's other books than rest assured you will love Cloche and Dagger just as much!

Our Summer Reading List!

Our read together stack.

 It's that time again... the days are hot and long and the kiddo is out of school (finally!) and we are kicking off our summer reading with a big bang! I am hoping to get through most of these books that I have on our list at least by mid July, early August. The kiddo doesn't have to go back to school till the first week in September, which to me seems like a long time for summer but apparently it's pretty normal up here lol! I am thankful for her improved reading skills this year, it seems ever since we've moved up here her reading has become ten times better than it was when we lived in Biloxi. I praise her school for that of course, they have 100 times more patients with the kids, they give them realistic goals to achieve and praise the kids ever step of the way no matter how small of a step it is. She has truly enjoyed her new school and enjoyed reading again.

Her stack of read all by myself books. That I will add to a little at a time.

 I have divided her stack of books into two categories this summer; one stack is for her to read by herself or with minimal help and the other is for us to read together. I love the fact that she is wanting to read on her own, she still comes to me whenever she gets stuck on a word but for the most part she can get through the 2 year readers all by herself! I am also excited to share some of my favorites with her from when I was a kid like; the goosebumps series (shes recently become obsessed with the tv show since its now on netflix) and the boxcar children a classic I adored! We've also got a few new ones we've picked on sale at Barnes and Nobles to add to our growing library, like "The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop" which is about two kids who make candy as a superhero power in London England... even I'm excited to read this one! And also, "Catch the Bouquet" the first in the English Roses series written by Madonna!

And a few of my own for some summer reading :)

I also have a few stacks of books to get through before the summer ends which of course are my favorite mysteries, there have been so many new ones coming out lately I have a hard time keeping up with them all! What are you and your kiddos reading this summer? I would love to hear your suggestions also! :)

Book Review: Buried in a Bog by: Sheila Connolly

Honoring the wish of her late grandmother Maura Donovan visits the small Irish village where her Gran was born-though she never expected to get bogged down in a murder mystery. Nor had she planned to take a job in one of the local pubs, but she finds herself excited to get to know the people who knew her Gran. 

In the pub, she's swamped with drink orders as everyone in town gathers to talk about the recent discovery of a nearly half century old body in a nearby bog. When Maura realizes she may know something about the dead man and that he might be connected to another, more recent, death she fears she's about to become mired in a homicide investigation. Maura has a sinking feeling she may really be getting in over her head... 

Shelia Connolly is a well established author and this new series has the potential to be a great success much like her other cozy mystery novels, I can't wait to read the next addition!

Buried in a Bog is not your typical cozy mystery... no this one has a story within it. One that was set long ago, it's only now how Maura Donovan has discovered the truth behind it. It has great Irish charm and plays out exactly what one would think the typical Irish lifestyle would be like.

So I pretty much loved it! It was a little slow at times and didn't have the climax I had hoped for but all in all it was a great read. I am excited to see what's in store for Maura next and Sullivans Pub
and you'll see its no secret that even Officer Sean Murphy has a bit of a crush on Maura... let's hope she might not stay out of trouble for his sake... ;)

Book Review: Trouble in the Tarot by: Kari Lee Townsend

Lately Sunny has been experiencing a period of big opportunity: her business in Divinity, New York, is thriving, and Detective Mitch Stone has finally agreed to take Sunny on a date. But thanks to her clairvoyant abilities, Sunny knows better than anyone that life deals out bad cards along with good. 

When Sunny agrees to read tarot cards at the annual Summer Solstice Carnival, she meets her Granny Gert's "arch nemesis" Fiona Atwater, and is overcome by a vision of Fiona in a violent argument. Sunny knows trouble is brewing when Granny and Fiona start having squabbles all over town. But the fighting comes to a head when a local backer gets run over by a big white Cadillac and Granny and Fiona are found at the crime scene. 

Sunny knows she should step aside and let Mitch handle the investigating, but she's not about to ignore her visions and leave her granny's life in fate's hands... 

Oh Sunshine Meadows... you might have actually outdone yourself this time! What a great book! This mystery kept me guessing from start to finish! I had an idea of who I thought did it but in the end.. I had no idea how deep this mystery really went! I also loved the mini sub plot involved too, it gave it a lot more twists and turns than your average mystery! Sunny's Granny & her "nemesis" Fiona had me cracking up at just about every hair brained idea they came across... and once again Morty, Sunny's "special" kitty steals my heart! I also can't wait to see how Sunny & "Detective Grumpy Pants" turn out... big steps in this book... hopefully even bigger ones will happen for them both in the next! :)

Dino-rific Weekend!

What have we been up to? Paleontology of course! LOL! And another of our magic tree house books/craft/project. I have noticed how we've been reading them a little out of order but honestly it doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad shes been taking an interest in reading and, learning about new things like dinosaurs such. We finished reading "Dinosaurs After Dark"and she has been craving to learn more about dinosaurs... so we borrowed a few books from the base library and discussed how dinosaurs lived and what fossils are. I found a few great craft/projects about dinosaurs through google and pinterest.com and well... we went a little nuts LOL!


I decided to whip up a batch of salt dough and I found some plastic dinosaurs at Walmart... I laid out our "rocks" and then smashed down a dinosaur in the middle of each of them, hence making an imprint or what I like to think looks like a fossil. ;) Then we baked them for quite a while, after they finished baking and cooling we painted them and then let them dry.


We "burried" them in sand and dirt from the back yard and then "dug" them back up to dust them off and pretend we were excavating them! It was AWESOME! And if you have a kid who's into dinosaurs... I highly recommend partaking in your own dinosaur dig! Oh so much fun! And your kids will love it!


I then glued a make shift dino of my own on some heavy stock paper and let her paint over it so she could see the "bones" of the dinosaur... she thought it was pretty neat how the paint didn't stick to the bones...


We also made a hand print dinosaur and her very own dinosaur necklace! The necklace she LOVES and I probably will have to pry it off of her at some point LOL! Best of all... soooo easy to make! I just took the left over plastic dinosaurs and screwed a frame clasp screw at the top and then threaded it through a ball chain. And wha-la! Instant dinosaur necklace and instant fun! For hours!

The Reading List

Well, with a new year... we have started a new challenge... chapter books! YAY! I'm so glad she is finally at the stage where she can focus a little longer in reading. I like that she is reading a level above what they are required also. She still has trouble with words and needs my help a lot but I know it will be for the best! I am so excited about the books she chose too! The boxcar children books were probably my favorite in 3rd grade! I can't beleive she can actually read them... she is so much smarter than I was at her age, but I guess that is the point... isn't it? To want your child to be better than you and excel at everything they do. I am so proud of her! Now, I just have to make my long but distinguished book list for this year, I completed my challenge of 30 books in 2011 and I hope to do at least that many this year as well. I still have one Black Dagger Brotherhood book to read, and a few mystery books in my collection left to read as well. I also want to try to read a few more of the "popular" books that will be coming out this year too. What will you be reading this year? Have you made your list yet?

Calling All Bookworms

Hey guys... psssst... guess what I made...

Just wanted to make a little something to show my love for books... :) And its so easy to make... i just used regular white paper to make the pages of the books. I eyeballed the size I wanted cut the strips and folded them in half, I used maudpague to glue the pages together and the covers (which are just pieces of scrapbook pages) on the tops and then I hot glued around all the edges to "seal" it. And then I hot glued all the books together and then glue them on top of adjustable ring. Cute right?

Ohhh and speaking of reading... I went to the thrift store yesterday and picked up new books for .99 cents! YES! .99 cents! You just cant beat that! I have started one of the books today and am about half way through it... it is such a page turner! They are "Candy Shop Mysteries" by Sammi Carter, she has 5 books in the series and I have 3 so far, I think I'm going to have to get the other 2 if the rest of her books are like this one I'm reading. I also did a little research on amazon and thanks to amazon suggestions I have found a ton of other books by the same publisher with similar themes. I call them the "house wives or stay at home mom mysteries" because they all revolve around baking, cooking, sewing, crafting, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc... I see a new addiction in the works for me. And just because when I start something I never stop unless I go all out I have compiled a list of these type books! LOL!

Hooked on Murder (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman
Dead Men Don't Crochet (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman
You Better Knot Die (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman
By hook or By Crook (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman
A Stitch in Crime (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman

Knit One, Kill Two (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Needled To Death (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Unraveled (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Double Knit Murders (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Dropped Dead Stitch (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Dyer Consequences (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
A Killer Stitch (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Fleece Navida (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
A Deadly Yarn (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton

The English Breakfast Murder (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Scones and Bones (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Death by Darjeeling (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Gunpowder Green (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Shades of Earl Grey (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Dragonwell Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
The Teaberry Strangler (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Oolong Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
The Jasmin Moon Murder (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Blood Orange Brewing (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs

Fiber & Brimstone (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Keepsake Crimes (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Death Swatch (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Frill Kill (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Motif for Murder (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Death by Design (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Bound for Murder (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Photo Finished (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Tragic Magic (A Scrapbook Mystery)

Sprinkle with Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery) Jennifer McKinlay
Buttercream Bump Off (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery) Jennifer McKinlay

A Peach of a Murder (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn
The Pumpkin Muffin Murder (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn
Murder by the Slice (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn
Killer Crab Cakes (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn
The Christmas Cookie Killer (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn

Roast Mortem (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Holiday Grind (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
On What Grounds (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Through the Grinder (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Espresso Shot (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Latte Trouble (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Murder Most Frothy (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
French Pressed (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Decaffeinated Corpse (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Murder by Mocha (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle

Stuck on Murder (A Decopage Mystery) Lucy Lawrence
Cut to the Corpse (A Decopage Mystery) Lucy Lawrence
Sealed with a Kill (A Decopage Mystery) Lucy Lawrence

Chapter & Hearse (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett
Murder is Binding (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett
Bookplate Special (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett
Bookmarked for Death (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett
Sentenced to Death (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett

A Killer Crop (An Orchard Mystery) Sheila Connolly
One Bad Apple (An Orchard Mystery) Sheila Connolly
Red Delicious Death (An Orchard Mystery) Sheila Connolly
Rotten to the Core (An Orchard Mystery) Sheila Connolly

Fundraising the Dead (A Museum Mystery) Sheila Connolly
Lets Play Dead (A Museum Mystery) Sheila Connolly

Dirty Rotten Tendrils (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Mum's the Word (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Slay it with Flowers (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Dearly Depotted (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Snipped in the Bud (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Sleeping with Anemone (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Acts of Violets (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Evil in Carnations (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Shoots to Kill (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
A Rose from the Dead (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins

Pinned for Murder (A Southern Sewing Series) Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Sew Deadly (A Southern Sewing Series) Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Death Threads (A Southern Sewing Series) Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Deadly Notions (A Southern Sewing Series) Elizabeth Lynn Casey

The Quick and the Thread (A Embrodiery Mystery) Amanda Lee
Stictch Me Deadly (A embroidery Mystery) Amanda Lee

Spinster Sprinkles (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck
Glazed Murder (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck
Fatally Frosted (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck
Evil Eclairs (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck
Tragic Toppings (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck

Scoop to Kill (A Mystery a La Mode) Wendy Lyn Watson
I Scream, You Scream (A Mystery a La Mode) Wendy Lyn Watson
A Parfait Murder (A Mystery a La Mode) Wendy Lyn Watson

A Brisket, A Casket (A Deadly Deli Mystery) Delia Rosen

Delicious and Suspicious (A Memphis BBQ Mystery) Riley Adams

Sketch Me if You Can (A Portrait of a Crime Mystery) Sharon Pape
To Sketch a Theif (A Portrait of a Crime Mystery) Sharon Pape

A Slice of Murder (A Pizza Lover's Mystery) Chris Cavender
Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder (A Pizza Lover's Mystery) Chris Cavender

The Long Quiche Goodbye (A Cheese Shop Mystery) Avery Aames
Lost and Fondue (A Cheese Shop Mystery) Avery Aames

Tressed to Kill (A Soutern Beauty Shop Mystery) Lila Dare
Polished Off (A Southern Beauty Shop Mystery) Lila Dare

Cookie Dough or Die (A Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery) Virginia Lowell

The Missing Ink (A Tattoo Shop Mystery) Karen E. Olson
Driven To Ink (A Tattoo Shop Mystery) Karen E. Olson
Pretty In Ink (A Tattoo Shop Mystery) Karen E. Olson
Ink Flamingos (A Tattoo Shop Mystery) Karen E. Olson

Bundle of Trouble (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) Diana Orgain
Motherhood is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) Diana Orgain
Formula For Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) Diana Orgain

Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery) Juliet Blackwell
A Cast Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery) Juliet Blackwell
Hexes and Hemlines(A Witchcraft Mystery) Juliet Blackwell

If Walls Could Talk (A Haunted Home Renovations Series) Juliet Blackwell

The Ghost of Mrs. McClure (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Dead Deb (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)

A Crafty Killing (A Victoria Square Mystery) Lorraine Bartlett

The Trouble with Magic (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
A Charmed Death (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
Hex Marks the Spot (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
No Rest for the Wiccan (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
Where There's a Witch (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
A Witch in Time (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
Home for a Spell (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt

Town in a Blueberry Jam (A Holidays Mystery) B.B Haywood
Town in a Lobster Stew (A Holidays Mystery) B.B Haywood

Fatal Fixer-Upper (A DIY Mystery) Jennie Bentley
Spackled and Spooked (A DIY Mystery) Jennie Bentley
Plaster and Poison (A DIY Mystery) Jennie Bentley
Mortar and Mystery (A DIY Mystery) Jennie Bentley

Have any of you guys read these kinda books before? Or do any of you guys have any reading suggestions for me??? I just love to read!