Review: Scent of a Dolphin by Barbara Silkstone

 

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Women Sleuth/Humor

Description:

“When Olive rescues a dolphin entangled in fishing net a friendship develops between ’Fluke‘ and Olive. During a game of catch Fluke the dolphin and WonderDog discover a body trapped near Lizzy’s dock. Can Olive and Lizzy find the killer in her neighborhood before he strikes again? Plus, meet Grams' new beau.”

Author:

“Barbara Silkstone's most current series is COLD CREAM MURDERS ~ GLOSSY LIPS, SMOKEY EYES ~ SOAP ON A ROPE ~ SUN SCREAM ~ LAVENDER TOES. And a bonus novella GRAMS'S CHRISTMAS BABY. This series will have at least 6 books when complete. The adventures take place in the imaginary burg of Starfish Cove, Florida ~ a place near and dear to Silkstone's hometown of Redington Beach on the Gulf of Mexico just north of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Barbara currently lives in Central Florida with her eccentric kitty who adores Liam Neeson and chasing lizards (the cat, not Barbara)”

To learn more about Ms. Silkstone’s many books visit her website or follow her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Olive finds a kindred spirit in a dolphin she rescues by cutting away the fishing net in which he has become entangled. She names the dolphin Fluke and he loves to toss Olive flotsam to entice her into playing catch. One of the things Fluke tosses to Olive is a small blob of green sparkly goo. Olive’s ever inquisitive mind is enthralled with this blob of goo that smells like a fresh ocean breeze. When Fluke finds a dead body stuck between Lizzy’s neighbor’s deck and the sea wall WonderDog understands Fluke’s alarm for Lizzy and Olive to follow him.

There is a lot going on in this story, Kal is out of town with his father, covering for him is a new young detective fresh out of training, Barney Piccolo. This murder is his first case so he ends up the butt of many jokes. It turns out the victim and her boyfriend were on a search for Al Capone’s secret stash in a set of bungalows on Scuttlebutt Point. There is also a TV journalist, Jerry Riviera, in town with his camera crew taping his hunt for Al Capone’s secret stash in the same location. Riviera has enlisted Grams to help him since Grams is the Silverfish Gazette’s ace reporter. Then there is that mysterious green goo. Olive is determined to find out what it is and whether it can be turned into a perfume? Olive’s white puffball of a kitten found her way into Olive’s blush. So Puff is now a pink kitten, even after Olive tried to scrub the blush out. And Gram’s has a beau she is totally smitten with.

Ms. Silkstone weaves all these threads into an entertaining adventurous mystery that keeps the reader guessing who the murderer is until the climactic ending that has a couple surprising twists. I have noticed that the Cold Cream Murders are becoming more complex. It surprises me that mystery crime writers don’t turn into criminal masterminds, or perhaps they do and they haven’t been caught yet. 

As with the other books in the series, Ms. Silkstone includes a recipe that helps you make your own signature scent.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Scent of a Dolphin is book 7 in Ms. Silkstone’s, Cold Cream Murders Series.

Format/Typo Issues:

Nothing to note.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Review: Dogs Don’t Lie by Lisa Shay

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Women Sleuths/Young Adult

Description:

“On call at Crater Emergency Animal Hospital, I, Doctor Kallie Collins, receive a curious request from the sheriff’s department. I’m to meet with a detective at a small ranch outside of town.

You see, there’s this dog with a bone he’s not willing to part with.

On scene, the dog tells me the bone is human. Actually, he shows me the location of the body, complete with a human skull, through an animal-communication technique I learned a couple years ago. Now I have to explain how this works to the detective, convincing him I’m not the murderer.

Who knew a simple farm visit would put me in the middle of a murder investigation? Well, I did kinda jump into this mess. I had to. I know what happened. The two four-legged witnesses to the murder told me.

And I’m the only one listening.”

Author:

“Yes. Lisa Shay is my pen name…

I live on the coast in the Pacific Northwest.

I read. A lot. Pretty much any genre.

I love animals. A bonus since the cozy mysteries are about a veterinarian who can communicate with animals… Yes. I'm a geek.”

Appraisal:

Kallie Collins is an enthusiastic young Veterinarian, who can understand animals’ thoughts. My first impression of her is of an educated, responsible young woman who wouldn’t run off half-cocked into what could be dangerous situations. But, add Kallie with her two best friends, a few cupcakes, and off they go willy-nilly. Even after the new cute detective asks her to let the department take care of the situation now that she, and the dog, had exposed a murdered victim.

I thought the premise of the story was a good one, but the execution fell flat. Kallie’s two friends were two-dimensional as were a few of the PD involved. The plot seemed to drag on and on with Kallie’s escapades. I wish the animals played a larger part, and I was disheartened when Kallie kept forgetting to listen to the cat’s side of the story. WTH? When the family disappeared from the house and left the animals behind Kallie took them both home with her. So, it wasn’t like she had restricted access to the cat.

The last fifteen percent was exciting, tense, and unexpected. I just knew Kallie’s goose was cooked and then I was afraid she was going to do something really stupid.  I really liked Detective Ben, he was smart, levelheaded, and intuitive. I think he is going to be around for a while.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Dogs Don’t Lie is book 1 in Ms. Shay’s A Kallie Collins Cozy Mystery Series.

Format/Typo Issues:

Nothing significant to mention.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: Crime Beat Girl by Geri L. Dreiling

Genre: Thriller/Women Sleuth

Description:

“A girl is dead. A boy is locked up. Can Debbie Bradley discover the truth before more lives are lost...maybe even her own?

A series of deadly shootings. An outbreak of stolen cars. When journalist Debbie Bradley returns home to St. Louis, the summer crime wave has started. And she's in the center: A witness, a reporter, a target.

Debbie's reasons for leaving behind her promising career in Washington D.C. were complicated. Her mother, a prominent lawyer, was diagnosed with cancer. Her engagement was cooling. When she got offered a job in St. Louis that she hadn't been looking for, Debbie recognized an opportunity. Or an escape.

But she didn't expect to come home and see a girl die. Debbie never planned to investigate a boy behind bars. And she didn't anticipate colliding with hostile cops and wary politicians. As her work gains attention, Debbie gathers enemies. Will her assignment to cover the St. Louis crime beat be her last?”

Author:

“Dreiling's background is eclectic. She is an award-winning alt-weekly journalist, a lawyer who represented clients in criminal defense matters, and she served a stint as the public information officer for the prosecutor's office in the city of St. Louis. Dreiling currently teaches media law and media ethics.”

Appraisal:

I loved this book. It had a lot of different things going for it. Obviously the first is the story. Or actually multiple story threads with different mysteries involved, although ultimately they do tie together. Then we’ve got the issues with our protagonist Debbie, both dealing with her mother’s illness and trying to figure out what direction she wants her life to go romantically and career-wise. Last, we have the setting of St Louis, a city that is unique in so many ways, much of this coming through in the story.

If you’re into female sleuths, prefer Woodward and Bernstein to Perry Mason, or just like a good mystery or thriller, Crime Beat Girl would be a good choice. I’m hoping to read about other adventures in the future from Debbie.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Minimal proofing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: Makeover Murder by Barbara Silkstone

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Humor/Woman Sleuth

Description:

“Olive Peroni was having a tough day. Her makeover client died a mysterious death before the woman could attend her husband’s inquest—where she would explain why she ran over him as he stood in front of her car putting coins in a parking meter.

Now Olive is both a suspect in her client’s murder and a victim-to-be. Can the Cold Cream team from the shop on Starfish Cove Beach catch the shadowy killer before he strikes again—killing the last person to see the makeover lady alive—Olive?”

Author:

“Barbara currently lives in Central Florida with her eccentric kitty who adores Liam Neeson and chasing lizards (the cat, not Barbara).”

Ms. Silkstone is the author of several series, from Regency to contemporary cozy mysteries. She has a wicked sense of humor, her many series are light-hearted and her off-beat quirky characters somehow come across as real people. To learn more about Ms. Silkstone visit her website or follow her on Facebook.

   

Appraisal:

I do believe Makeover Murder is the best story of this series so far. When Olive’s home makeover client ends up dead, Olive ends up being the last person to see her alive, thus making her the prime suspect. Grams thinking she has the inside scoop for a story in the Starfish Gazette, submits her article which clearly paints a bullseye on Olive’s back for the shadowy killer.

Not having a bad enough day already, Olive has an unexpected visit from her ex-husband professing his undying love, and she accepts custody of the murder victim’s pet cat, Minette, who hates her. Puff isn’t too pleased with the situation either.

With no clues or leads, and two attempts on Olive’s life, Lizzy decides to turn her flirtatious banter and wiggle walk on the victim’s handsome neighbor. The plot moves fast with unexpected twists and plenty of surprises that leaves the reader guessing. The ending is a tense, edge of your seat finale with an unexpected turn of events, but highly satisfying. Olive or should I say Ms. Silkstone, has me convinced to carry around a can of aerosol hairspray, and not just for protection. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries you are sure to love these quirky but interesting residents of Starfish Cove. Each book in this series, Cold Cream Murders Mysteries, can be read as stand-alone. However, with Ms. Silkstone’s witty and easy going style of writing you might find yourself going back to read the whole series.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Makeover Murder is book 6 in Ms. Silkstone’s Cold Cream Murders Series and can be read as a stand-alone.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: Murder Bytes by Gayle Carline

Genre: Mystery/Woman Sleuth

Description:

“In this fifth and final installment of the Peri Minneopa Mysteries, Peri has had enough. She’s closing her business, marrying her detective boyfriend, and settling down to a life of ease–until her brother shows up, accused of a murder he swears he didn’t commit. Now she’s back in the thick of things, investigating the death of an engineer who may have been stealing techno-secrets from other companies. Her relationship with her brother is an icy one, at best, and she struggles with her ambivalence, as well as her desire to leave investigative work behind. Digging around in people’s lives is reasonably easy, but when the bullets start flying, will Peri be able to keep her promise?”

Author:

A native of Illinois, Gayle Carline moved to Southern California years ago. She’s written in magazines about her favorite hobby, horse racing, as well as a humor columnist for her local newspaper. After years of doing that she added novelist to her list, writing the first of her Peri Minneopa mystery series.

Appraisal:

This was my first time reading a book in this series so I can’t compare it to prior books, but I liked the character of Peri a lot. She’s more real than a lot of fictional detectives. She has plenty of doubts, both personal and professional, but they aren’t so bad as to prevent her from doing a good job of detecting. This story has a bit of a tech thriller kind of story line that’s intertwined with the main mystery, the murder of an engineer. Add to that a complication and additional story line due to Peri’s long-absent brother being in the middle of this mess. I want to call him her estranged brother, which might be a fair description, or maybe not. The strange part of “estranged” definitely fits their relationship though, which only complicates things more. Throw in Peri’s close relationships with law enforcement, including her fiancé, other police officers and her friend, the coroner, and she’s able to get information a typical PI wouldn’t be able to. All in all, a fun, intense read with a lot of unique aspects I don’t typically see in a detective story.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

While the fifth book of a series, I haven’t read the prior books and felt that this story stood alone.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-70,000 words

Review: Grams' Christmas Baby by Barbara Silkstone

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Humor/Woman Sleuth/Novella

Description:

~*~ Christmas Eve ~*~

“Grams finds a baby on her doorstep—but what about the body in the bay?

Unarmed, can Olive keep the thugs away until the cops arrive?

Will Lizzy overcook the roasted faux goose?

Is WonderDog’s bite worse than his bark?

Will all this fit in one mini-read?”

Author:

 “Barbara Silkstone's most current series is Florence Nightingale Comedy Mysteries...The Giggling Corpse, The Killer Corset, and The Cheeky Coroner. Cozies all.

Silkstone is the best-selling author of both Regency Pride and Prejudice variations, including the popular the MISTER DARCY SERIES OF COMEDIC MYSTERIES ~ PRIDE AND PREJUDICE contemporary variations. All her books are light-hearted adventures based on Jane Austen's timeless tales of love denied and love discovered. ‘Feel good’ tales to warm your heart.

She is also the author of the Wendy Darlin Comedy Mystery series. Five coffee-snorting tales that combine cozy with outrageous adventures.”

For more from Barbara, visit her website and her Facebook page.

Appraisal:

When Grams finds a baby on her doorstep on Christmas Eve, she thinks he’s the answer to her prayers. She names him Herbie. Olive nor Lizzy want to turn Herbie over to Child Protective Services on Christmas Eve. With baby Herbie safely tucked away at Lizzy’s house, Olive, Grams, and WonderDog head back to Grams’ house.

Soon the focus of who baby Herbie is changes to how to protect him and his mother from the thugs who are chasing them. Olive is only armed with her trusty can of hairspray, Grams with her large brass candle stick, and WonderDog. They become trapped with a thug at the front door and another at the back door. Can Olive and gang stay hidden until the police arrive? These bargain basement thugs have no idea what they are in for.

Ms. Silkstone is an entertaining storyteller. Her plots are well thought out, clever, and endearing. This is a short read, but well worth your time. Enjoy!  

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Grams' Christmas Baby is book 5 in Ms. Silkstone’s, COLD CREAM MURDERS series. “Each book contains a recipe for homemade cosmetics!”

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 12-13,000 words

Review: Sun Scream by Barbara Silkstone

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Humor/Woman Sleuth

Description:

“A series of peculiar and highly suspicious accidents threaten the life of the Loud Mouth of the South. Can Olive and Lizzy find the predator before their friend becomes the victim at her own Murder Mystery Party?”

Author:

“Barbara Silkstone's most current series is Florence Nightingale Comedy Mysteries...The Giggling Corpse, The Killer Corset, and The Cheeky Coroner. Cozies all.

Silkstone is the best-selling author of both Regency Pride and Prejudice variations, including the popular the MISTER DARCY SERIES OF COMEDIC MYSTERIES ~ PRIDE AND PREJUDICE contemporary variations. All her books are light-hearted adventures based on Jane Austen's timeless tales of love denied and love discovered. ‘Feel good’ tales to warm your heart.

She is also the author of the Wendy Darlin Comedy Mystery series. Five coffee-snorting tales that combine cozy with outrageous adventures.”

For more from Barbara, visit her website and her Facebook page.

Appraisal:

Jamie Toast, Loud Mouth of the South, wants to have a Murder Mystery Party for an open house where all their friends dress up in roaring twenties attire. Jamie isn’t really a likeable character, but Olive and Lizzy have befriended her. The week before her party, mysterious accidents start happening to Jamie, which could have all been life threatening. All evidence seems to point to her husband, Chip Toast.

In the meantime, Sophia Napoli, an Italian film star, is considering backing and endorsing Nonna’s Cold Cream. One of her conditions is that Olive and Lizzy have to stop their crime busting antics, they would have to leave that up to the local police. Their involvement wouldn’t reflect well on Sophia. Olive agrees, but is torn. Being a psychologist, one of the things she does for the police is profile the people Kal brings in for questioning. She won’t let that go and figures she could do it on the sly.

Grams, Lizzy’s grandmother, is a spunky old coot who assigns herself, with her large brass candlestick, as Jamie’s bodyguard. She is also convinced that Chip is guilty of setting up the traps to kill Jamie. The night of the Murder Mystery Party Lizzy and Olive are assigned their roles to play. Everyone is having a good time and the game goes as planned with Jamie and her death scene. Then one of the party goers falls from one of the balconies and dies. Another mystery needs to be solved. This woman could have been mistaken for Jamie from behind. Was this another attempt on Jamie’s life?

Kal, Olive, and Lizzy scramble to clear Chip Toast and find the real person behind Jamie’s life-threatening attacks. And solve the real murder at the party. Was the woman pushed or did she jump to her death? Nothing can be found to link her to any of the party attendees. Olive invited her and her guest to the party. All possible leads are dead ends. Join Kal, Olive and Lizzy as they try to solve an unsolvable mystery…

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Sun Scream is book 4 in Ms. Silkstone’s, COLD CREAM MURDERS series. “Each book contains a recipe for homemade cosmetics!”

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Review: The Corpse Wore Stilettos by MJ O'Neill

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Woman Sleuth

Description:

“Since Kat Waters’s father took a trip to the slammer on what she’s sure are trumped-up racketeering charges, life’s been tough. All their assets are frozen, and she’s down to the last few pairs of Jimmy Choos she can swap for rent. To keep her family out of the homeless shelter, the former socialite took a job at the local morgue—a job she’s about to lose when the body of a murder victim goes missing on her watch.

While Kat’s processing the latest victim in the prostitute serial killings, ex-Special Forces soldier Burns McPhee strolls in with an air of confidence, expecting access to the Jane Doe. While Burns tries to flirt his way into examining the latest victim, whom he thinks is connected to the death of his best friend, someone else steals the body right out from under them.

Dodging questions from the cops and kidnapping attempts from a body-snatching psycho, Kat and Burns forge a deal. He’ll clear her name and keep her safe if she gets him information on her peculiar coworkers, one of whom he’s certain is involved with the body heist. But digging up secrets can lead to a lower life expectancy. The unlikely team will need all their talents not to end up as the morgue’s next clients while they hunt for a murderer, the missing corpse, and a pair of diamond-studded stilettos.”

Author:

MJ O'Neill: “As the owner of a boutique chocolate factory in Atlanta, MJ O'Neill loves to write lighthearted, romantic mysteries with a sweet twist. She has a degree in business communications from North Carolina State University. When she's not spinning a sweet yarn or creating delicious confections, she spends time with her husband, their kids, a hyperactive cocker spaniel named Devo (after the band), a princess tabby cat named Twilight (before the book stole her name) and a collection of stray fish. The whole gang can be found tooling around the back roads of the South in their RV where MJ uses the downtime to hatch her next sweet plot.”

Appraisal:

Katherine Waters is a socialite who had a lucrative career and a fiancé in Boston until her father was sent to prison for racketeering. Her fiancé dumps her and she leaves her job to move back to St. Louis to help her mom and grandmother since all of their finances have been frozen. They also had to leave their elegant family home. Grandma’s friend Claude, helps them find a small house they can rent, he also helps Kat find employment at a hospital morgue utilizing her minor in biology.

Things go amok for Kat when a body is stolen from the morgue one evening while covering for a fellow employee. The cast is full of oddball characters that range to fellow employees, doctors, hospital security, and the Russian mob. Kat takes it upon herself to try to recover the stolen body, or at least find out what happened to her since the detectives don’t seem to appreciate the details of the crime she gives them. The over-the-top storyline is humorous as it twists into areas I would have never expected. While the story arc of the corpse is resolved there is a larger arc that concerns Kat’s father’s incarceration. And who exactly is Claude? And will Kat ever give Burns McPhee a chance to become more than a friend? And what does Simon think Kat has that belongs to him? Dun, dum, dunnnnnn…

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

  

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: Emeralds and Envy (Junkin' Jewelry Mysteries Book 1) by Angela McRae

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Woman Sleuth

Description:

“Emma Madison loves junkin’ for old baubles to turn into dazzling new creations, and launching her new career as a jewelry designer in the small town of Roseland, Georgia, is a dream come true. After making out like a bandit at a garage sale one morning, Emma goes to the Silver Squirrel antiques shop to share her fabulous finds with a fellow jewelry lover. She’s shocked to learn that a salesclerk friend, Tina, has just been found murdered.

When the police can’t get any firm leads, Emma decides to use her newspaper reporting experience to assist them. According to the local gossip mill, not everyone in town liked Tina, including her two siblings. Soon, the list of suspects is longer than a strand of opera pearls.

Someone is trying to stop Emma from helping, even going so far as to threaten her new business. While eager to get back to making jewelry, Emma is determined to find the person responsible for Tina’s death, even if that means coming face-to-face with the killer.”

Author:

“Angela McRae is a former newspaper and magazine editor who started her own freelance writing and editing business so she could play on the internet even more. She currently writes social media posts for local businesses and reviews and edits books. Her dream job would be to edit all those clever Facebook postings for proper spelling and punctuation. She enjoys gardening and pursuing her passion for teatime, frequently blogging about tea with friends around the world.”

Learn more about Ms. McRae on her website or follow her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Emma Madison was a newspaper journalist a few years ago. When the paper started downsizing she knew she needed to change career goals. Her love of costume jewelry and rhinestones leads her to discover she has a talent for designing new pieces of jewelry from old costume jewelry and beads. Her creations are designed by watching trends for color, style, and size. Finding old pieces at bargain prices at garage sales and thrift stores excite her. Every now and again she will find a real treasure to sell on eBay. Her creations sell well at the art market in the small tourist town of Roseland, Georgia.

Being an ex-journalist she has an inquisitive nature. To tell the truth she is up in everyone’s business. A real Nosy Nellie. When there is a murder at an upscale antique jewelry and bobbles shop, The Silver Squirrel, Emma vows to catch the murderer. Of course the police are on it, and Detective Shelton is perfectly capable. He’s smart, intuitive, and trying to keep Emma from becoming the next victim. He warns her time and time again to let him handle it. However, Emma thinks her unique perspective will help them solve the murder, and catch the killer. There are egos galore in Roseland. It is your typical stereotype of a small town.

The characters were well written, diverse, and unique. From tea sippers, pretentious artisans, talented weavers, painters, and talented jewelry designers. All with their own brand of sanity.    

Much of this story read more like Woman’s Fiction than a Cozy Mystery. There were lots of descriptive prose that didn’t move the story forward. The middle of the book dragged for me. Since this is the first book of a series it is necessary that we meet the other shop owners. For one reason or another I didn’t feel a kinship with Emma. She is very talented and has a heart of gold, but she thinks a little too highly of herself.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

  

FYI:

Emeralds and Envy is book 1 of Angela McRae’s, Junkin' Jewelry Mysteries. There are also a couple of recipes at the end to try at your next tea party.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues with proofing or formatting.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: Smokey Eyes: Cold Cream Murders by Barbara Silkstone

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Humor/Woman Sleuth

Description:

“Olive and Lizzy’s Cold Cream shop on the beach is jumping—business couldn’t be better. But when land shark mogul Brent Toast is found floating in the Starfish Cove marina, with his sneer-side up and a knife in his chest, the prime suspect—among his many enemies—is his brassy daughter-in-law. Can Olive & Lizzy save their friend or will this be the end of the Loud Mouth of the South?”

Author:

“Barbara Silkstone's most current series is Florence Nightingale Comedy Mysteries...The Giggling Corpse, The Killer Corset, and The Cheeky Coroner. Cozies all.

Silkstone is the best-selling author of both Regency Pride and Prejudice variations, including the popular the MISTER DARCY SERIES OF COMEDIC MYSTERIES ~ PRIDE AND PREJUDICE contemporary variations. All her books are light-hearted adventures based on Jane Austen's timeless tales of love denied and love discovered. ‘Feel good’ tales to warm your heart.

She is also the author of the Wendy Darlin Comedy Mystery series. Five coffee-snorting tales that combine cozy with outrageous adventures.”

For more from Barbara, visit her website and her Facebook page.

Appraisal:

Nancy Nemo, a local restaurant owner, buys herself a sailboat for her fiftieth birthday. Olive finds herself on the boat's maiden voyage around the cove, which should have been a fun time, everyone else is having fun. However, Olive is sure she’s going to end up as shark bait as all of her water phobias swirl in her mind. After making it back to the dock Olive discovers she left her bag on Nancy’s boat and has to return to retrieve it. With a misstep boarding she finds herself clinging to the side of the boat. When Brent Toast’s body floats by with a knife in his chest, Olive finds her voice to scream. Brent Toast is a money hungry land mogul with many enemies.

Ms. Silkstone introduces a few new quirky characters as she weaves Olive’s cold cream business with her armature sleuthing savvy, and her psychological finesse to clear Jamie Toast of her father-in-law’s murder. Smokey Eyes is a multi-layered story as Kal, the local detective, advises Olive to stay clear and let him handle the investigation for her own safety since word has gotten out that she may have seen the killers eyes through the fog. With Lizzy and WonderDog at her side, Olive ignores Kal’s advice. Tension builds as pieces of the puzzle come together as Olive eliminates suspects as only she can. In the midst of murder mystery there seems to be a problem with Nonna’s cold cream recipe. In her haste to reproduce the cold cream, Olive overlooked a key ingredient that turns Nonna’s miracle cold cream into a magical cold cream.

Ms. Silkstone has a delightful way of playing with words that make her stories entertaining and easy to read. Her characters are realistic, intelligent, and loveable. With exception to the evil-doers who are shrewd and not so easy to spot. If you enjoy clever, smartly written cozy mysteries you are sure to find Ms. Silkstone worth your time. As a bonus there is a Smokey eyeshadow recipe at the end of the book.

Buy now from:    Amazon US     Amazon UK

FYI:

Smokey Eyes is Book 2 in Ms. Silkstone’s, COLD CREAM MURDERS series.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words