CANDY CANE CUPCAKE KILLER by Livia J. Washburn

Publisher:    NAL

Published:   November 3, 2015

ISBN:       978-0451416711

Genre:     Cozy Mystery

Format:    Print 

Obtained via:  Publisher

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

FIVE HEARTS

 

Retired school teacher Phyllis Newsome is more than ready to put her detecting days behind her—and one of these days she will.  Really, she will.  In fact, this Christmas holiday is the perfect time to do that. Phyllis never planned to get involved in solving crime—she kinda just fell into it over the past few years.  In the days leading up to Thanksgiving she and housemate Sam Fletcher head into downtown Weatherford for the holiday parade.  There they run into an old friend of Sam’s, Barney McCrory, who is driving the wagon carrying Santa.  Just as the parade begins though, Barney falls over in the wagon and the horses—spooked by some unknown reason, take off running.  After Sam manages to pull a move worthy of John Wayne he and Phyllis discovery Barney is dead.  At first they believe Barney has had a heart attack but it doesn’t take long for word to reach Sam and Phyllis—Barney was shot and killed. 

Phyllis remains determined not to get involved, but when Barney’s son-in-law is arrested for the crime she’s unable to help herself.  The question is, can she help him?

I’m a long time Livia J. Washburn fan and her latest, the CANDY CANE CUPCAKE KILLER is one of, if not the, best of her Fresh Baked series.  After my disappointment of her DEADLY TRICK OR TREAT I wasn’t so sure where this one would go.  This is one is Washburn at her best.  The relationships between Phyllis and her housemates are solid and I like how Washburn is moving things along with Phyllis and Sam.  She has a nice balance between their friendship and what could be a romance – but they realize how that romance could change their friendship.  In past books it has been clear and Sam and Phyllis were married to the loves of their lives and the way they are resolving the deaths of their spouses is realistically and compassionately done.

The mystery in this one was nicely developed.  At points it reminded me of the Kennedy assassination with the shots being fired from a high up floor in a downtown building.  But it wasn’t done in a trivial or sensationalist manner.  Washburn also has some pretty choice red herrings sprinkled throughout the book and the ending was a surprise because of how well she wove the mystery. 

Each book in this series is a stand-alone and they do not have to be read in order.  It is an advantage to do so if only to see the progression in the characters’ relationships – it is one of the most entertaining cozy series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

WEDDING CAKE KILLER by Livia J. Washburn

Publisher:  Signet
Published:   November 5, 2013
ISBN:  978-0451414786
Genre:   Cozy Mystery

Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Five Hearts

Eve Turner stunned her friends and housemates Phyllis Newsom, Carolyn Wilbarger and Sam Fletcher with the news that she was getting married over Thanksgiving weekend.  It wasn’t so much that serial bride Eve planned to marry again, after all they all knew she was on the prowl for her next spouse for quite some time.  No, it’s the fact that she’s marrying Roy Porter in a New Year’s Eve wedding a mere month or so after meeting him.  But Eve seems genuinely happy and Roy does seem devoted to her so the friends go ahead with plans for the wedding.  Together Phyllis, Carolyn and Sam throw the happy couple a bridal shower in the house they share with the wedding a week later.  When Roy and Eve leave on their honeymoon the three friends begin to adjust to life without their friend.  Not that Eve is leaving them for good…she’ll still be their friend.  It’s just that she won’t be there day to day with them.  The plan though is for Roy and Eve to stay at the house until they buy their own. 

But when Eve and Roy arrive back in Weatherford, Texas after their honeymoon they have some news for the friends—they aren’t going to be staying at the house but instead at a nearby bed and breakfast.  It makes sense though—after all they are newlyweds and do need some time to themselves, right?  But then a few days later Phyllis’s son, a deputy sheriff named Mike shows up and he has some news…Roy is dead and the police are looking for Eve as a person of interest. 

Once again Eve is in the middle of a murder investigation and this time a dear friend of hers may be convicted as the killer.  Can Phyllis find the real killer before Eve has to don an orange jumpsuit?

I love Livia J. Washburn’s Fresh Baked series.  Each book has gotten better and better.  The characters—Phyllis, Sam, Carolyn and Eve have grown and developed in each story.  Their relationships shift and deepen in each book.  When Eve announced she was marrying Roy at the end of GINGERBREAD BUMPOFF I wondered where Ms. Washburn was going and boy was I surprised at the twists in WEDDING CAKE KILLER!  Despite the fact I pretty much knew who the killer was when the character appeared Ms. Washburn still caught me off guard with several threads in the story. 

Ms. Washburn has such a great writing voice.  You feel as if you are sitting in a room with her while she tells you a tale that could well have happened to her.  She has this great down home style of writing that draws you into the story and you don’t want to put the book down until you’ve savoured every page.

Each book has some wonderful recipes at the end.  They are simple to make and pretty tasty.  Each book is a standalone but you don’t want to miss a one.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

 

THE PUMPKIN MUFFIN MURDER by Livia J. Washburn

Publisher: Signet
Date published: November, 2011
ISBN: 978-0451232397
Cozy Mystery
Reviewed by Gina
Obtained Via Publisher


Retired school teacher Phyllis Newsom is looking forward to Weatherford’s first annual Harvest Festival and not only because her friend and housemate Carolyn isn’t going to be competing against her in the baking contest. The festival is going to support a good cause with the entry fee being a bag of groceries. With thanksgiving around the corner, Phyllis is brimming with plans. Phyllis’ entry into the contest will be her pumpkin cheesecake muffins. Eager to help out where she can, Phyllis joins Carolyn in preparing for the festival by delivering a dozen scarecrows to the site. Arranged in various locations they add to the atmosphere. But as the festival opens, something goes awry with one of the scarecrows. Just when Phyllis thinks her days of finding dead bodies are over, she makes a startling discovery. This time even Phyllis is stymied, especially when it looks like the victim ate one of her pumpkin cheesecake muffins. Not that the police are looking at Phyllis as a suspect; but murder does seem to turn up everywhere she goes.

I’ve been following Ms. Washburn’s Fresh Baked series and except for a less than satisfying ending in A PEACH OF A MURDER I’ve enjoyed this series. Not as much as her literary series but enjoying it just the same. Her literary series focuses predominantly on one character where as her Fresh Baked series has a wonderful cast of characters that appear in each of the books. It’s been fun seeing what man-hungry Eve is up to in each book, how Carolyn breaks a little more out of her role, watching grandson Bobby growing up through the different books and the chances in Phyllis and Sam’s relationship. THE PUMPKIN MUFFIN MURDER has some great character development, especially for Phyllis. The contrast between Phyllis and Carolyn is realistic and a great look into how each character as his or her own well developed personality.

One of the things I particularly like about Ms. Washburn’s characters is they are your basic, every day kind of people. They could be your neighbour or friend which makes it easy for a reader to feel like he or she is part of the action. Phyllis is written in such a way you feel either know her or perhaps even be her as she goes about solving crimes. The recipes at the end of each book are unique and at the same time easy to make.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

A PEACH OF A MURDER by Livia J. Washburn

Publisher: Kensington
Date published: October 2006
ISBN: 978-0451219749
Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Gina
Obtained Via library


Retired school teacher Phyllis Newsom has a big heart and a strong love of her community and friends. After the death of her husband, Kenny, she opened up her home to friends Eve, Mattie and Caroline. And even though Caroline not only wins the peach baking contest every year, and smugly so, Phyllis remains loyal to her friends. While off picking peaches at the best orchard in the county, the owner, Newt, suddenly dies. It isn’t long, however, till what seemed to be an accident turns into a murder investigation. Phyllis wasn’t too fond of the deceased, but proper lady she was brought up to be, she won’t speak ill of the dead. With Newt dead and buried life moves on and she prepares for the peach festival.

The day dawns with Phyllis determined to win first place this year. Just as the head judge, Donnie, approaches her place he keels over dead. Two less than likeable just still popular townsfolk are dead and both suspiciously so. With the evidence pointing toward a direction Phyllis doesn’t like she digs in to find the murderer.

After thoroughly enjoying Ms. Washburn’s later series, her literary tour mysteries I decided to check out her earlier Fresh Baked series starting with A PEACH OF A MURDER. Something about the story just didn’t work for me. I spent a few days trying to figure out just what it was. I was disturbed by who the killers turned out to be. While the reasons behind the murders were valid, I had a hard time with it. There are characters you just plain like and when you find out they aren’t as wonderful as you think, it’s like a real life betrayal.

Despite the fact most of the characters were pretty two dimensional I liked the majority of them. Mattie reminded me of my grandmother; Eve was like Blanche from the Golden Girls, in fact, that’s who the four women reminded me of. And Sam – I really liked Sam. He’s that strong, silent type that despite being retired and getting on in years has something of the debonair hero to him. I hope to see him in future stories.

The competition of the peach bake-off was realistic and left me wanting some peach cobbler myself. I will continue with the series, but am hoping for a bit more depth.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

KILLER ON A HOT TIN ROOF by Livia Washburn

Publisher: Kensington
Date published: December 2010
ISBN: 978-0758225702
Cozy Mystery
Hardcover
Reviewed by Gina
Obtained Via library


Delilah Dickinson is off on another literary tour. This time it’s off to New Orleans and the Tennessee Williams festival along with the local university literature professors. If it hadn’t had been for her steady date, Will, also a professor at the university she would not have landed this plum excursion. Or is it?

Okay, so the rather loud disputes…er…discussions between the various professors at the airport is kind of part of the course. After all, they all know each other and are passionate about the subject matter at hand, right? And the last two attendees who are running a tad late? That’s to be expected, right? That someone will show up just before you’re supposed to board? And everyone knows Tennessee Williams wrote Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, right? There’s no reason for Delilah to stumble over a dead body, either, right?

I love Ms. Washburn’s voice in these series. Normally I’m not a fan of first person, but most cozy mysteries are written in first person so there’s really not much choice. Ms. Washburn brings a marvellous southern charm to the genre and Delilah is just plain ole marvellous. She has great perspectives and her curiosity is presented in such a way you want to be by her side as she ventures into her latest mystery. Ms Washburn chooses what are either some favourite locales of mine or places I dearly want to visit. Through Delilah’s eyes each venue comes alive to where you feel like you are there with her. There’s a part of me that wishes she were a real person with a real travel agency so I could partake of her tours. This is the third book of the series and in looking ahead I don’t see any indication it will be continuing. That is sad because it is such a fun one to read.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

HUCKLEBERRY FINISHED by Livia J. Washburn

Publisher: Kensington
Date published: October 2, 2009
ISBN: 978-0758225696
Cozy Mystery
Paperback
Reviewed by Gina
Obtained by Library


A year after solving the Gone With The Wind tour murder, Delilah Dickinson is back on the road with another tour group. This time it is cruising down the Mississippi on a river boat with Mark Twain. Well not really Mark Twain, but an actor playing him.

Along the way to Twain (Samuel Clemmons)’s home town of Hannibal the Twain character entertains the tour group with quotes and quips by the famed author. In Hannibal the participants will have a chance to see where Twain lived and his creative genius sprang from. Before they reach Hannibal, however, there is not one but two incidents on the paddle-wheel. One a loud, blustery guest who doesn’t seem to want to be there and the other, a fight between one of Delilah’s tour participants and the head of the boat’s security. Delilah is relieved the situation is under control until the captain summons her below. Apparently one of her group won’t be returning—someone killed Ben Webster. Once again Delilah finds herself embroiled in a mystery and not just who killed Ben Webster. Several of the tour’s participants aren’t what they seem and one of them could be the killer.

While not as immersed in the original story as FRANKLY MY DEAR I’M DEAD, HUCKLEBERRY FINISHED still draws on aspects of Mark Twain’s wit. Instead, it takes pieces of Twain’s era and stories and interweaves them in a well told mystery. Delilah has matured a bit since book one, FRANKLY MY DEAR and a year after her divorce has begun to date and find herself attracted to a few of the men she meets. She is still a lady and a southern lady at that. I loved some of her quips and expressions. Delilah is a fully drawn, multi-dimensional character who comes across as someone you’d like to know. You have no idea till the very end just who the perpetrator is which makes for some good suspense and fun speculation. At one point Delilah thinks about some of her favorite southern authors which was a heads up to me for more stories based on some favorite books and authors will be on their way.

HUCKLEBERRY FINISHED stands on its own and you do not have to read the books in order, but you will want to read all of them.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

FRANKLY MY DEAR, I’M DEAD by Livia J. Washburn

Publisher: Kensington
Date published: October 2, 2009
ISBN: 978-0758225672
Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Gina
Obtained by Library


In the aftermath of her divorce, Delilah Dickinson embarks on a new path in life – as the owner of a travel agency. Not just any travel agency though. The venture is a literary travel agency. Her plan is to organize tours to various locales made famous by fiction. First stop is a marvelous Gone With The Wind tour complete with a ball at Tara. Well not exactly Tara, but a perfect replica of Scarlett O’Hara’s famous home complete with those well-known characters, Rhett Butler, Ashley Wilkes, Melanie Wilkes and Scarlett herself.

The tour begins with a visit to the Gone With The Wind museum and a tea before the tour group is escorted out to Tara where they are met by Scarlett’s father. Well not really his father, but an actor playing him as well as an assortment of other actors playing the long time favorite characters. The tour participants aren’t on the grounds very long before someone is murdered. Despite her attempts to stay out of it, Delilah is responsible for her customers and on top of that, she can’t resist a good mystery. The problem is the murderer now has Delilah in his sights.

I first came across author Livia J. Washburn when one of her Fresh Baked mysteries found their way to me the same day I spotted her KILLER ON A HOT TIME ROOF at the library. I took that as a sign that she was an author I needed to read. I’m so glad I listened to the sign!

I’m a huge Gone With The Wind fan and the idea of a tour that includes a visit to Tara, albeit a fictional one, is high on my list. Ms. Washburn’s Delilah Dickinson (literary tours) series is a refreshing idea – and what avid reader wouldn’t be interested in a book-based series? Initially I was a little overwhelmed with the introduction of the cast of characters at Tara—Steven Kelley who is Rhett, etc. I felt their real lives and the characters they were portraying could have been done a bit more cleanly. You needed a bit of a score card to remember who was who and then the double naming (i.e., Steven who was Rhett) became a bit overdone.

That said, FRANKLY MY DEAR, I’M DEAD introduces not only a fun idea for a series, but a wonderful leading character. Delilah is a mature woman with a great sense of humor. She’s hurting from her divorce, but that doesn’t stop her from a healthy attraction to a nice guy. I found myself rooting for her with two or three of the male characters because I liked the character so much. More than once I found myself wishing Delilah’s literary tours were the real deal and not only a part of Ms. Washburn’s marvelous imagination.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.