This is a week that has flown by, a one foot in front of the other week. I found out over the weekend that a friend, mentor and author I worked closely with, passed away suddenly. Jessica Simon was a fellow Sister in Crime member and our membership secretary at Sisters In Crime Canada West, it was a shock and we are deeply saddened with the news of her sudden passing.
At this time I am looking at still holding the event we had planned on September 24th, but will proceed after consultation with her husband Mike. To all who knew and loved Jessica, my heart is with you as we mourn this incredible loss to our community.
My Witchy Wednesday book this week was Crystal Magic, a book that is coming out in October and a book I felt I really learned with. This is a book that would make a great gift to those who love the stones and crystals.
I was surprised to find a mystery in my mailbox, a book I have had on my wishlist and am excited to read! Midsummer Night's Mischief, arrived from a mystery sender and I wish to thank them and hope they will let me know who they are! #buyafriendabookdaymystery.
I finished Donna Andrews How the Finch Stole Christmas, this is a lovely holiday cozy and a review I will share in the next week or so. Keep your eye out for this one!
Oh boy did I love Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander, I have so many things I want to share about this book . To start withI will share a cautionary tale with you about Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander, you are going to want to clear your schedule to read it and if you are reading on a device, make sure it is fully charged before you start! The only reason I did not finish this in one night is my ipad battery died, this is a very good binge worthy book and I am delighted it is on my table! I love it when a first in series captures me in this way!
I am almost finished Murder on the Toy Town Express by Barbara Early! This one is a great story and easy to picture for me, I would love to go to a toy fair like the characters do in this book, more to come with the review. Thank you so much for joining me this weekend for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery week in review. I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com
Making my way through Death Overdue a Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook this weekend. Makes being mostly couch bound bearable. If you follow my blog or social media you know I have been unwell for more than a month now and I am slowly fighting my way back to health. Spending most of my day couch bound. Lovely to have such amazing books to read and I have even been able to enjoy more of my Murchies Vanilla Tea this week, I also finished my cranberry cream tea I bought earlier this summer, thinking of making the ten hour drive to get more...dreaming really. I have been doing lots of reading, and a bit of visiting, having my Uncle Ross, my dad's brother, drive more than 3,000 miles with his truck stacked full of photos of the family from the 1800's for me to have. Unbelieveable how these photos of many times removed relatives look just like family members alive today! DNA Wow! I can not wait to share some photos with you soon, also a gem was a photo my family took during the second world war of the then Queen of England touring Canada, that will go in a frame for sure!
I am getting really excited for Buy a Friend A Book Day which is August 31st! This is one of my most favorite days of the year and I am hoping I will be well enough to shop locally, otherwise I may have to do my shopping on line for a few people! Be sure to remember to pick up a book for someone in your life on August 31st!
I am excited to announce that I am co-hosting an event on October 3rd for the Release day party of author Joyce Tremel's A Room With A Brew on my Beyond The Bookmarks Facebook Page and you are invited! Great prizes, recipes, and so much more, I hope you will join us for an evening of fun and get to know other cozy lovers, we all want to go somewhere where everyone knows your name, come make a new friend and learn about this series! Click here to RSVP to the event!
I meant to share this last week, something I put together to share a bit about why I love cozy mysteries and one of the lessons I take away from some of my favorites. While I don't have daughters I do love the books about eccentric aunts who do something that guides them and helps them makethe changes that lead to a direction change in their life trajectory!As you can see above I have a few nieces, and what I think is a great goal!
Announced earlier this week over on Lisa Ks Book Review, we have enjoyed so much our Summer Three Amigos reading club that we have decided to expand and continue with our Five Amigos Fall-O-ween Fun Series. Adding My dear Friend Karen Kenyon to my blog here as a guest blogger, and our dear friend Sheryl of Booth Talks Books! We will be sharing our favorite Fall themed cozies and then in October switch to our Halloween themed, or paranormal cozy favorites.
Lisa, Mary, Sheryl, Karen K and I look forward to sharing with you and seeing what each other chooses for our fall selections and our Halloween ones we hope you will join in the fun too! We hope you will welcome our new Amigos and love our new series! This all starts September 4th.
The Witching Hour was my Witchy Wednesday selection for review this week, I enjoyed this book and shared a bit about this October release, I would not mind having this one on my shelf either.
Tonya Kappes has some wonderful books and this is a series I adore, I know you are going to love ax to Grind, do check this one out! I read it in one sitting not wanting to put the book down.
I read and reviewed the up coming release of From Ice To Ashes, this book is going to be out soon as an e-copy for you to enjoy!
I have a review of Dressed to Confess for you tomorrow I hope you will come back and see what I thought of this third book in series.
I made a point of getting my Friday spotlight video made and this weeks video is a spotlight on Ellery Adam's Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery Series. It is up on my Youtube Channel, I invite you to stop by and subscribe! Click here for the video if it doesn't play above.
Thank you all for joining me here for what has been on my table, in my cup and on my mind this week. I love having you stop by and I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com
Over the last week I read From Ice To Ashes by Jessica Simon. This book was unlike any mystery I had ever read before.
This adventure mystery is set in the Yukon Territory of Canada near the Alaskan border, in February, during an endurance race called The Yukon Arctic Ultra , (which is a real race by the way!) . The Yukon Arctic Ultra race is a race through the arctic tundra, spanning up to 430 miles beginning in Whitehorse, Yukon . It is a multiday marathon with three disciplines, mountain bike, Cross Country Skies or on foot! This is the toughest Ultramarathon in the world and temperatures drop upto -50 and then there is the wind chill to consider.
The book focuses on those putting the race on, the organizers and the volunteers, as much as the contestants. The gripping story line of a potential terrorist attack being carried out during the race coupled with the relationship between Auxiliary RCMP member Markus Fanger and his unlikely partner, young offender and juvenile delinquent Donjek Stoneman will have you turning the pages and not wanting to put this book down. I was blown away by the way Jessica unfolded the mystery, the story and described in glorious detail of the beauty, mystery and rugged terrain of the Yukon. I am in awe of the idea of a race such as this, throw in some very tough and strong characters and a mystery that feels ripped from the headlines and you have From Ice To Ashes. I will say this author Jessica Simon tells a great story and is very careful to be respectful in the way she delivers the story, respectful to the people of the Yukon, those who are first nation aboriginal and to the Muslim community. She represents the North extremely well! This book had my heart pumping, my feet freezing and me not wanting to put it down. I feel like I learned about the Yukon, I learned about perseverance, endurance and personal strength in the face of adversity. This was a very impressive read.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and an adventurous mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com
What a crazy week that has just passed. I continue to recover from pneumonia and though I am on the mend I am not 100%, I spent Thursday back in hospital with Pleurisy, which is a posh word for inflammation of the lungs and had it been the early 1900's possibly fatal. Thankfully the makers of Advil are my savior this week and I am hoping that I am on the mend. As I write this I am feeling ever so slightly better. The raging forest fires this summer have added to the slowness of recovery with the air quality not being the best for recovering. I try not to complain about it as many people have been displaced and their lives ruined due to these fires and I have only been inconvenienced.
Upon arriving home Thursday a delivery from Berkley arrived, with these two books for September and I am beside myself with excitement at the chance to read and review them. Julia Buckley has become one of my most favorite authors and who doesn't love a great magical cat mystery?
I was blessed to receive to care packages in the mail this week from my friends Lin and Sheryl! Feeling the love this week!
Earlier this week my youngest son and I made carrot soup from all the rainbow carrots he grew over the summer. This carrot and rosemary soup was extra special knowing that he was so proud to harvest his own veggies this summer.
We have been so lucky to have moved to a home with an established orchard of Figs, we have been amazed at the bounty we have received and how much we can share with our friends and neighbors. Our landlords have been kind enough to allow us to harvest and process the figs... I have the most amazing friend who shared her recipe for Fig and Balsamic Jam! It is almost gone and such a treat to have with crackers and cheese, or a turkey sandwich!
Carole shared her D.I.Y book with the recipe in it and we all made the jam. This was the first day I had visitors in two weeks and Squirrel would not leave my side, guarding me and caring for me these past two weeks. On my table and in my cup was the English Breakfast tea my dad picked up in London, the Westminster Abby Blend. Last remaining Walkers Shortbread on the table too. I had lovely visits with Carole, my friend Banafshe and her daughter Rana, who baked me a lovely chocolate cake, Hey-Jung, A-hin, Hoon who joined me for tea and fig jam, cheese and crackers.
My friend Daniela who kindly visited twice with macarons and treats to lift my spirits. My sister, nieces, dad and in laws and puppy niece too! I felt lots of love this week.
There have been books too! I read loved and pre ordered my own copy of Monica Crosson's book The Magickal Family, it comes out in October and this lovely resource guide, self help and pagan life guide was such a wonderful read I can not wait to have it in my hands to refer to often.
VIctoria Laurie, wow 15th book in the series which is out now and a great read, lucky I am to have been able to read this book and its entire series, one of the first I ever bought and still love.
Chime and Punishment by Julianne Holmes I reviewed on Sunday, this was a surprisingly great read and a series I hope will continue.
Jean Flower's book Addressed to Kill the third book in the series was wonderful also. I can relate so much to the main character and love the idea of working at the post office. As a lifelong lover of mail and admirer of those who carry the mail this is a series I just love!
I will have the review of Cat Got Your Secrets by Julie Chase tomorrow. This is a series that earned a place in my heart and favorites list late last year, book three was the best and I am thrilled to have had the chance to read it before it comes out this September.
I also finished From Ice To Ashes by fellow Sisters In Crime- Canada West Member Jessica Simon, I had 4 hours to read it mostly uninterrupted at the hospital on Thursday. Every time a nurse came to get me for a test or to take blood my nose was buried deep in this adventure mystery. I will have this review for you on Tuesday.
Thank you all who reached out this week and over the last few weeks, I am touched by your concern, generosity and friendship. Thank you all who continue to support me by visiting my blog here and the sponsors on the page.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com
