Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton

Oh this was so good! I have book hangover. I loved Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton. This is a great read. This cozy mystery is Scotland based and a great mystery with lots of twists, history and fun artifacts await you inside!
A dream job, friends and family made up of the people you surround yourself with. Local lore and legend and a whole lot of mystery and fun await you. Book three is one you are going to want to read. Actually the series is binge worthy.  This one is out April 3rd by Minotaur books and one not to miss!

Delaney Nichols, originally of Kansas but settling happily into her new life as a bookseller in Edinburgh, works at the Cracked Spine in the heart of town. The shop is a place filled with curiosities and surprises tucked into every shelf, and it’s Delaney’s job to research the rare tomes and obscure artifacts that people come to buy and sell. When her new friends, also students at the medical school, come to the shop to sell a collection of antique medical books, Delaney knows she’s stumbled across a rare and important find indeed. Her boss, Edwin MacAlister, agrees to buy the multivolume set, perhaps even to keep for his own collection.

But not long after the sale, one of Delaney’s new friends is found murdered in the alley behind the Cracked Spine, and she wonders if there is some nefarious connection between the origin of these books and the people whose hands they fell into. Delaney takes it upon herself to help bring the murderer to justice. During her investigation, Delaney she finds some old scalpels in the bookshop’s warehouse―she and discovers that they belonged to a long-dead doctor whose story and ties to the past crimes of Burke and Hare might be connected to the present-day murder. It’s all Delaney can do to race to solve this crime before time runs out and she ends up in a victim on the slab herself.

You can find Lost Books and Old Bones on Amazon.com by Clicking here. 

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 December 9-16th

As I write this I have just sat down after hosting a birthday party here for the reformed reluctant reader who turns 10 on Monday. We had friends from school, hockey and baseball here. 20+ people, Pizza, Chips, Cupcakes, Cookies and more. I am tired but so thankful it was so much fun. His two good buddies just gave him two books in the series he loves  and I have tried to tell him to go to bed for the last two hours and just now he was in there trying to read by glow stick! I am impressed and yet overwhelmed by the need to get him to sleep so he can play hockey in the morning...torn, but grateful.

So excited to have The Hostess with the Ghostess on my table to read, I love an E.J. Copperman mystery and this is one of my most favorite series. Today on the Booked For The Holiday Event I am hosting on Beyond The Bookmarks Facebook Page our them is Christmas Ghost Stories. I hope you can pop by!

This week I shared a Fiction short story I wrote for Christmas I hope you got to read. I am so thrilled with the lovely comments and emails I got about it. I was very nervous to share but thrilled I did, thank you to all who took the time to read it.

Not a lot of reading got done this week but what I read was superb! Comic Sans Murder was a very good read! I held my breath so much and was so excited by the twists! Great book and it is out now!
Teas on this table I have had so very many and I am so excited to have so many different teas to try with my advent calendar. Some I hope I can order and add to my rotation of teas!
Thank you for taking time to check in this weekend. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Paige Shelton's Comic Sans Murder.

I finished Comic Sans Murder last night at nine and boy did I enjoy it. Like in life a good book should be measured by the times it takes your breath away. This one did and I loved it. I did not want to rush a single word and this was a great slightly more suspenseful cozy and written beautifully by Paige Shelton. 

This is a great read and a wonderful series. I cannot believe this is book 3, this reads like as series that should run for a long time! 

The visit of quirky world-famous horror author Nathan Grimes to Star City is especially thrilling for Clare Henry and her grandfather Chester. As the owners of The Rescued Word, a charming boutique shop in town, Clare and Chester specialize in restoring old typewriters and repairing beloved books. They’ve invited Nathan to their shop to use their equipment for his next book. But all plans to work on the book take a step in the wrong direction when a tourist discovers an abandoned ski boot on the slopes—and the only sign of the owner is the dismembered foot he left inside! Nathan’s writer’s curiosity for all things horror is further piqued after the body of Clare’s high school friend Lloyd Gavin is discovered sans one foot. When all toes point to a class reunion gone wrong, Nathan can’t help but join Clare and her best friend, police officer Jodie Wentworth, as they hurry to track down the killer before more former classmates become Most Likely to Be Killed.

This book is out now and you can find it on Amazon by clicking here. 
Thank you for joining me here today for a cup of tea and a cozy 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 February 4th-11th

Another great week of reading has come to an end and I am delighted to share a recap of the books that have crossed my table this week. Above are the books my friend Karen sent me for our January books swap. I am so excited to read these as Karen introduced me to this series and I love Sid!

Sunday I shared my review of Fran Stewart's Scotshop Mystery A Wee Homicide in the Hotel. As I sat inside looking out over the snow covered yard it was wonderful to have this summer set cozy to escape too!

Monday on my table I reviewed Clover Tate's new release Blown Away, set on the West Coast and in the Spring it was another great escape cozy!

I was so thrilled to find my quote on the inside War and Peach!

I love this series and it was a great honor to find that quote inside! Family loyalty and great mystery await you in War and Peach by Susan Furlong.

Paige Shelton's Bookman Dead Style was a book I just did not want to end! I am new to this series and thrilled with this book. It is well written and felt like a guilty pleasure to read. A must read for sure!

A Chocolate Paranormal Witch Cozy that was exactly what I needed mid week! Having a good escape cozy with a chocolate theme made it all the more sweeter! This is a first in series and a good read! At the time of publishing this post it is on sale at amazon.com for less then the cost of a chocolate bar! A sweet deal for sure. Click here to learn more. 

Also on my table (and very excited to share my review with you tomorrow) was Murder is Uncooperative by Merrilee Robson. This cozy is based here in Vancouver and was an honor to read.

Monday I will share my review of Poison in the Heart by ST Englert. This Bite Sized Read is one I know you are going to love!

Have you been following the clues? Kathi Daley Books is hosting a very fun Valentines Day Scavenger Hunt.  Do check my Facebook on February 13th for the clue of the day! 

This week I have had a selection of Murchie's Teas in my cup, their Vanilla black tea is my favorite and with all the stree of the snow storms this week I have also truly enjoyed their Lavender Black tea as well.
Thank you so much for joining me for a cup of tea and a week in review. I look forward to having you here each and every day. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Paige Shelton's Bookman Dead Style

Have you ever not wanted a book to end? I just finished Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton and I did not want it to end, it was really good. This is the first I have read in this series and on page 1 I had no idea what to expect, by page 276 I was sad, my time with the book had come to an end! 

This book was outstanding. I am not normally one for "tabloid" type/based mysteries but this one was really, really good. Fictional completely but not completely implausible. Much to love in this one, main character Clare and her best friend Jodie who happens to be a police officer, movie stars running all over town, a mystery or three and a twist with a sister wife? Seriously not making this up, Paige did and it is fantastic. I can not wait to read more in this series! Bookman Dead Style is out now and lots of fun.

It’s January, and the Star City Film Festival has taken the Utah ski resort town by storm. Movie stars are everywhere, carving fresh powder on the slopes and crossing the thresholds of Bygone Alley’s charming boutique shops—including The Rescued Word, where Clare Henry and her grandfather restore old typewriters and beloved books. When cinema’s hottest superhero, Matt Bane, enters their store to buy some personalized notecards, it’s hard not to be starstruck. But when Clare sees the police leading Matt out of The Fountain hotel in handcuffs only a few hours later, she can’t believe her eyes. The affable actor is accused of killing his sister, but Clare’s convinced he’s wrong for that role. Now it’s open call for suspects as Clare tries to reel in the killer before another victim fades to black...

You can order your own copy from Amazon by clicking here.
Learn more about books by Paige Shelton by clicking here. 
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 January 28th- February 4th

As I write this weeks week in review I am watching the snowflakes continue to fall. The way they fall is not exactly romantic nor is it delicate, they are coming down hard and sticking as if to taunt us. The largely wet west coast is not used to this, nor am I. We do not enjoy this type of weather at the best of times and as it is falling steady and unending I can only hope the rain starts soon. Snow like this is unusual and we are almost always unprepared. Though this time we have salt, shovels and the clothes necessary, I have been unable to muster the childlike excitement I used to have on those very rare occasions of snow. In protest of the falling snow I put Clover Tate's new series with its very spring like cover on my table with a very pretty pink tea cup. This is the book I am reading today.

Just finished Fran Stewart's A Wee Homicide in the Hotel looking forward to sharing this review with you tomorrow.

I loved all the pet themed cozies I read this week and could really use a vacation at the Wagtail Inn, Krista Davis Paws & Claws series had me so excited this week and I hope you will enjoy this February release as well.

My cat Mia fittingly joined my morning tea photo this week with Miranda James Twelve Angry Librarians. This is a fantastic series about a very smart man and his main coon cat. I have truly enjoyed each book in this series, this one is out February 21st.

In addition to the package of books that arrived I was lucky to also have a care package from a dear friend arrive, the bird is a stunning statue and all the goodies were so delightful and a surprise. I also got a lovely notebook with a lighthouse on the front, just waiting for me to put some ideas down in.

This has been a busy week and the return of the snow will have us all slowing down a bit. I hope you find some time to read and stay warm this weekend.
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 January 21-28th

Thank you for joining me here for a cup of tea and a week in review. This has been a very difficult week for me, in many ways. While I was very lucky to have had some fantastic books to read and take me away from the world for a few hours each day, I have been troubled by how much pain and suffering has surrounded so many people I know this week. I am so very blessed in my own life, but I am not with out anxiety and stress. This Wednesday was Bell.ca's Let's Talk day, a day to bring awareness to the important task of removing the stigma around mental illness. A very large sum of money was raised with each text sent, or #letstalk tweet, message and more. The photo above was my contribution, I salute Bell for this campaign . This week I have witnessed strength and courage previously not witnessed by own eyes and it has had a impact on my life I have yet to fully understand. There are people in life that will have the most profound effect on the trajectory of your future, by how they become solidified in your past. The ones we seek the most are in the happy memories, however it is the difficult defining moments and memories that show our true character. I have lit many candles this week and said many prayers for strength for so many.

There have been incredibly happy moments this week as well, my son turned 16, I got flowers twice, from my husband this week, visits from friends and support from people placed so very perfectly in my life. I also sipped tea from some of the most beautiful and delicate vessels, tea made from perfectly formed leaves and infused flavors complemented each moment of reflection and self care.
And there have been so many wonderful books! And yes I have read them all this week!

Currently on my table is Granny Hooks A Crook, by Julie Seedorf, a gift of humor and mystery from my wonderful and thoughtful friend Lisa from lisaksbookthoughts. 

Nell Hampton's April 11th release was a delight to have on my table and a great escape, imagine working for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington Palace! Honestly this was a great cozy in a very perfect imagined great British home. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

Murder at the Fortune Teller's Table by Janet Finsilver was not at all what I thought, not exactly a paranormal mystery however this was a fun book 3, first I had read in the series and I enjoyed the team feeling of this book.

An impromptu visit to Scotland this week with Of Books and Bagpipes, a true arm chair travelers delight. I could picture so easily this setting and the story was filled with history and mystery. I highly recommend it. 

I was off skiing in Colorado with Lynn Cahoon's Fatality by Firelight, a lovey writers retreat mystery with Cat as she handles her second writers retreat while living in her own mystery. So many elements of this story to love, the food mentions as well had me making soup and feeling as though I was snowed in and loving it. 

I shared a review of a very fun cozy by CeeCee James, this one is out now and a great deal of fun.

I also was delighted with Snowed in with Murder by Auralee Wallace, I was very lucky to have so many wonderful stories to read and escape with. I hope that you may also have the same experience with these titles, a cozy spot and a cup of tea too. 
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery week in review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Of Books and Bagpipes by Paige Shelton

Wednesday is upon us and I have just finished reading Of Books and Bagpipes by Paige Shelton. This is the second book in the Scottish Bookshop Mysteries and a wonderful follow up at that. First of all being set in Scotland is something that I very much enjoyed, never being there myself as an armchair traveler I fully enjoyed the imagery that Paige created. The mystery and the history sucked me in and it was a very intricately woven tale. I did not have it figured out which I truly enjoyed and I loved main character Delaney even more with each word, situation and chapter. Delaney is brave, smart and quick. The characters are rich and as inviting as the cozy Scottish setting. I am very thrilled to have read this upcoming April cozy.

Delaney Nichols has settled so comfortably into her new life in Edinburgh that she truly feels it’s become more home than her once beloved Kansas. Her job at the Cracked Spine, a bookshop that specializes in rare manuscripts as well as other sundry valuable historical objects, is everything she had dreamed, with her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, entrusting her more and more with bigger jobs. Her latest task includes a trip to Castle Doune, a castle not far out of Edinburgh, to retrieve a hard-to-find edition of an old Scottish comic, an “Oor Wullie,” in a cloak and dagger transaction that Edwin has orchestrated.While taking in the sights of the distant Highlands from the castle’s ramparts, Delaney is startled when she spots a sandal-clad foot at the other end of the roof. Unfortunately, the foot’s owner is very much dead and, based on the William Wallace costume he’s wearing, perfectly matches the description of the man who was supposed to bring the Oor Wullie. As Delaney rushes to call off some approaching tourists and find the police, she comes across the Oor Wullie, its pages torn and fluttering around a side wall of the castle. Instinct tells her to take the pages and hide them under her jacket. It’s not until she returns to the Cracked Spine that she realizes just how complicated this story is and endeavors to untangle the tricky plot of why someone wanted this man dead, all before getting herself booked for murder.

You can order a copy the April release, Of Books and Bagpipes from Amazon by clicking here.
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 February 13-20th

This has been a Kindle App week, with out it I would not have enjoyed so many wonderful hours of reading. I am just about finished the ARC of Tamar Myers Tea with Jam and Dread, out May 1st this is one fantastic funny cozy but I will share more about that tomorrow.

A wide range of cozy goodness on my table this week, The Madness of Mercury is a first in series by Connie di Marco, a bit on the darker side this astrological mystery I found is more of a suspense thriller.

A very promising first in series awaits you in The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton, I wish this cozy to anyone snowbound, in need of a break, a vacation or an armchair adventure. It is a wonderful idea for a series and I can not wait to see what happens next!

Dog lovers are going to truly enjoy Linda O Johnston's To Catch A Treat. 

In my cup this week I had some lovely different teas mostly from Davids Tea. I had Irish Breakfast tea most mornings, I love tea #7 in the afternoons and I even had a mint blend or too. 

All in all this was a successful week of reading and I feel very blessed to have had so many great stories to read and write about this week. 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

The Cracked Spine A Scottish Bookshop Mystery Review A True Armchair Adventure Novel!

Saturday was a cold, rainy and windy afternoon and the perfect time to pick up my Ipad, settle into the couch with a cozy blanket and a perfect cup of tea. As I opened my Kindle app and began reading The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton, I knew in the opening "Wanted Add"  that this was going to be a very special cozy mystery and one I knew straight away I would love.

"Wanted: A bold adventurer who wants to travel the world from a comfortable and safe spot behind a desk that has seen the likes of kings and queens, paupers and princes. A humble book and rare manuscript shop seeks a keenly intelligent investigator to assist us in our search for things thought lost, and in our quest to return lost items to their rightful owners."

Who would not want to apply for that job? I am telling you I think I might even pay for an opportunity to do so! I could not put own The Cracked Spine and I read it in one sitting. I was immediately caught up in the story, characters and charm that was evident in the warm and welcoming characters that main character Delaney encounters once landing in Scotland for her new job.  

"Never an adventurer, no one was more surprised than Delaney Nichols when she packed her bags and moved halfway across the world to Edinburgh, Scotland to start a job at The Cracked Spine, a bookshop located in the heart of the city. Her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, has given her the opportunity of a lifetime, albeit a cryptic one, and Delaney can’t wait to take her spot behind the desk.

The Cracked Spine is filled with everything a book lover could want, each item as eclectic as the people who work there; the spirited and lovable Rosie, who always has tiny dog Hector in tow; Hamlet, a nineteen-year-old thespian with a colored past and bright future; and Edwin, who is just as enigmatic and mysterious as Delaney expected. An extra bonus is Tom the bartender from across the street, with his cobalt eyes, and a gentle brogue—and it doesn’t hurt that he looks awfully good in a kilt.

But before she can settle into her new life, a precious artifact goes missing, and Edwin’s sister is brutally murdered. Never did Delaney think that searching for things lost could mean a killer, but if she’s to keep her job, and protect her new friends, she’ll need to learn the truth behind this Scottish tragedy."

This cozy mystery  is even more inviting then the lovely cover would have you believe and one of the most diverting and enjoyable stories I have read this year. This may actually become one of my most favorite series.  The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton is out March 29th, you can pre order a copy from Amazon by clicking here. 

You can also order from The Book Depository by clicking here.

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