Cate Conte's Witch Hunt

I had the most wonderful last few days of reading. I was granted an ARC of Cate Conte's book Witch Hunt, a new paranormal cozy for a new paranormal series and I loved it.  I am not sure what I was expecting when I sat down to read it, I love a great paranormal cozy and this one had a great paranormal twist but it also had a great mystery. I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle magical twists, mysterious characters and the fact that the shop that the main character owns is a crystal shop. I loved the information in the book about the crystals and like that this was not your typical Witchy Cozy. This one has some fun characters, relationships I am looking forward to seeing pan out and a whole lot of glitter!

Murder isn’t always crystal-clear . . . especially when the prime suspect discovers she’s a witch. Violet Mooney owns The Full Moon crystal shop in quaint North Harbor, Connecticut. Still grieving her beloved grandmother’s recent unexpected death, she takes comfort in her fat orange cat Monty and her work. Not everyone in town is thrilled with her business, however. When disagreeable town councilwoman Carla Fernandez picks a fight over Violet’s "voodoo shop," the two have a very public confrontation. Of course, when Carla turns up dead, Violet gets little sympathy from the police as suspect #1. But the shock of two policemen showing up at her door pales in comparison to the sudden appearance of her estranged mother Fiona and a surprise sister, Zoe. What Fiona reveals will rock her world and her sense of self—and reawaken her long-dormant mysterious power. Good thing. She’s gonna need it . . . 

This book is out on June 30th and you can find it on Amazon.ca by clicking here. ( I am not an Amazon affiliate) 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

On My Table and In My Cup July 1-8th

Another week has flown by in the blink of an eye. I am more busy now than ever before and I am so thankful for the time to do what I do! I get up much earlier then my family so that I may have time to share my passion for reading and enjoy a pot of tea or two before my full day of work begins. Dragging myself to bed when the sun is still high in the sky and the boys are unwilling to drift off to sleep makes for long days but I love it.  This weekend i am starting to read Kate Kingsbury's Doom with a View, this one is out in several weeks time and one I have been looking forward to reading. With summer, ghost stories go hand in hand. 

I announced earlier this week a collaborative project with author Jayne Barnard! I am so excited about this cup coming Facebook event and I have so many fun things planned to share during the party. I would be so honored to have you join us for a few hours on Wednesday July 26th. The Maddie Hatter series is one I discovered in May with the purchase of my first book in the series, and I just finished book two (will be sharing the review tomorrow) and it is a series I am so excited about. I am dreaming of clockwork birds, chickens and zeppelins! My creative brain has been spinning and I have some fun crafts to share. If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt or special friend of a young reader (I am 42 and this series I personally love) I recommend the adventure mystery series of Maddie Hatter !

I have exciting crafts, fun facts, prizes and more to share at the party don't miss it!

Paranormal cozy mysteries have a special place in my heart as many of you know. I read Ghost of a Chance by Cate Dean this week and absolutely loved it, it was exactly the story I needed at the time and lovely as well as light. I could love to read the series!

Out of my comfort zone I read a suspense thriller that is up coming by Kathleen Valenti, this one is a very good mystery and will keep you on the edge of your seat, not a cozy to be sure but it does have a happy ending.

Sunday I reviewed Cat About Town by Cate Conte, this one is out in September and has a lovely feel to it, a great cat, small town and new business, this is a series I hope that will be long running, who doesn't love a cat cafe? 

I also shared a bit on Monday in our Three Amigos Book Club post my choice for this weeks book or series and I chose Janice J. Richardson's series. Set in Niagara Falls and centered around a funeral home, this series amazed me with how calm and serene I felt while reading it even though the trauma of death and funerals is something that I struggle with, I came away from reading both books with an undeniable sense of comfort. I hope you will too!

I discovered something I had no idea about when I was picking up my supply of Murchie's tea this week, they offer something called Purple Majesty, a PURPLE TEA that steeps purple! I must get this tea to try! It is a rare one but stay tuned as I give this one a try! 

Click here to learn more about this tea and how to order it from Murchie's!

A special thank you to Author Laura Bradford for spending some time with us yesterday, I am quite honored she could spend some time with us this week during her busy tour! 

Below is my Friday Spotlight Youtube video, I would love to have you pop over and watch under a minute! I have 9 subscribers and would love to make it a dozen as I build my new channel and step out of my comfort zone of being on camera!

Thank you all for joining me here this week for  a look back at what I have had on my table this week!

I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Cat About Town by Cate Conte

This weekend I finished Cat About Town a new book by Cate Conte. This is a lovely first in series for a cozy mystery, cat book lover like me. The main character Maddie James comes home to attend her grandmother's funeral and finds things are not quite as she left them, out of sight out of mind. Staying with her Grandfather who is the town's old police chief, Maddie finds out that someone has been threatening her Grandfather and trying to force him to sell the family home. I loved the relationship between Maddie and her grandfather in this mystery. I also love how JJ her cat factors into this story. This is a sweet cozy mystery with some adorable twists. I am really looking forward to seeing where this series goes and what will happen next in this Cat Cafe Mystery Series. This book is out August 1st so keep your eyes out for it or pre order on Amazon by clicking here.

Maddie James has arrived in Daybreak Island, just off the coast of Massachusetts, eager to settle down and start her own business―and maybe even fall in love. When a stray orange tabby pounces into her life, she’s inspired to open a cat café. But little does Maddie know that she’s in for something a lot more catastrophic when her new furry companion finds the dead body of the town bully. Now all eyes are on Maddie: Who is this crazy cat-whisperer lady who’s come to town? If pet-hair-maintenance and crime-fighting weren’t keeping her busy enough, Maddie now has not one but two eligible bachelors who think she’s the cat’s pajamas . . . and will do anything to win her heart. But how can she even think about happily-ever-after while a killer remains on the loose―and on her path?

You can find out more about this series and book by clicking here.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

On My Table and In My Cup June 24th To July 1st Happy Canada Day From My Table To Yours!

Happy Canada Day! Today is Canada's 150th Celebration and we are starting our day early with a parade and then a large BBQ with family and dear friends. July 1st is not only the day Canadians celebrate Canada's Birthday it is also the day I moved to the province I live in now, actually I moved here 40 years ago today!

On my table this week I have had some lovely reads and in my cup today I have a special blend from Murchie's Tea to celebrate Canada's 150th. It is a blend of black and green tea with a hint of maple. It is a lovely blend I hope they keep in stock for years to come.

I will start the book part of my post by talking about the Summer Whodunnit Mystery Set of 6 Cozy Mysteries I bought on Amazon this week. Only two of the authors are known to me and I love discovering a great new author, book and series.

Reading Cate Conte's Cat About Town a new series and one I hope to share the review of tomorrow. I like a good mystery with a great cat and this book is shaping up to be just that!

Body on Baker Street by Vicki Delany is one I very much enjoyed, this one is out in September and is the second in the series.

I had Even Witches Get The Blues on my table this week a light paranormal fantasy story I found on Facebook and downloaded from Amazon.

Toast and Jam! This is the cookbook of the year for me, it would be hard to wow me with a better book at this point. I liked it so much I have ordered a copy for myself to have, hold, keep and make! There is a peach and green tea spread I am looking very much forward too along with so many more. I have already begun to hoard jars.

Sunday I shared Canadian Author Judy Volhart and her second in series Ice Whine and Irish Cheddar, this is the perfect book to read in the hot summer! It is out now and should go on your summer reading list for sure!

Also arrived but I have not yet started is a book by Kathleen Valenti! I will share more on this in the coming weeks!

Monday was the second week in our Three Amigos Summer Reading Club and we are all hoping you enjoyed our weekly suggested books and I am looking forward to sharing our next selections with you on Monday. We all love hearing from you so please leave us a comment below our posts, share them on social media and with all your friends.

Thank you for joining me here today for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery week in review. I wish you and yours a very happy and safe Holiday weekend.
I too would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com