The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden

September 29, 2025

I’m never sure which books will go on my list of favorite books of the year, but Rachel Linden’s The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake will make this year’s list. It’s a delightful story with a mature protagonist struggling with her fears There are...

Every Time I go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

April 30, 2024

I mentioned Catherine Mack’s Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies back in January for “A Peek Ahead”. It’s a funny book, purchased for a TV series, along with the book’s sequels, with Mack to write the pilot script. The format is...

A Peek Ahead

January 19, 2024

I’m not running a contest this week. After my move, I really don’t have a lot of books to give away. I did want to congratulate the winners of the last contest. Mark B. from Santa Clarita, CA won Murder Out of Character. Rental Person Who Does Nothing is...

Murder in an Italian Village by Michael Falco

September 25, 2023

Michael Falco kicks off his Bria Bartolucci cozy mystery series with Murder in an Italian Village. Readers who enjoyed Lorenzo Carcaterra’s Nonna Maria mysteries might enjoy this one. Just a warning, though, that there’s quite a number of Italian phrases...

Best Served Cold by David P. Wagner

July 29, 2023

I do know that the common saying is “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” However, in David P. Wagner’s latest Rick Montoya Italian mystery, as in the other books in the series, so much of the emphasis is on food that the title and jacket cover imply...