mystery - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Amanda Flower (Emily Dickinson Mystery Series)

January 27, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Because I Could Not Stop for Death and I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died by Amanda Flower has her venturing into historical mysteries. These books have a unique portrayal of the famous American writer Emily Dickinson. Emily along with her maid, Willa, become sleuths and help to solve murders. But a bonus is having readers getting glimpses of how Emily thinks and what the culture of mid-19th century was like. Elise Cooper: …

Interview with Anna J. Stewart (A Detective’s Deadly Secrets and Vanished)

January 19, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A Detective’s Deadly Secrets by Anna J. Stewart is sadly the last in the series. The hero is FBI Agent Eaman Quinn, someone readers should be familiar with. He is reunited with a former girlfriend, Lana Tate. She is searching for answers surrounding her late husband’s death but needs his help. Together they work the case and become reacquainted. Vanished is the second book in the Circle of the Red Lily series. It features …

Interview with Kallie E. Benjamin (Sniffing Out Murder)

January 18, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin, the pen name for Valerie Burns, is the first in a new series. This book is a delightful read that has humor and a riveting ‘who done it.’ Readers are introduced to the main character, Priscilla Cummings, who is a teacher by day and a children’s author by night. That is until she has found success with her first children’s book, about the adventures of her dog, …

Review Roundup Winter ’23-’24

February 16, 2024December 30, 2023

A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Winter 2023 – 2024. Beware of spoilers! Title: Death by Demo Author: Callie Carpenter Series: Home Renovation Mystery #1 Much thanks to Callie Carpenter, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review. This book was great! Jaime was likeable and sympathetic, and I loved her conversations with Demo. I enjoyed watching her outsmart her adversaries. Also the lumber …

Interview with Korina Moss (Case of the Bleus)

November 25, 2023

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss is a fun cozy mystery. It brings back all the fun characters including the “cheese.” Cheesemongers from across the Northwest have come to the Sonoma Valley for the Northwest Cheese Invitational. As owner of the local cheese shop, Curds & Whey, Willa Bauer loves it. The event showcases custom cheese creations, and it’s the perfect time to gather with old colleagues to honor her former boss, the …

Interview with Wendy Walker (American Girl)

November 18, 2023

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper American Girl by Wendy Walker is a character study that begins as a murder mystery that then turns into a psychological thriller with elements of danger and twists. It is a story of good versus evil and life versus death. It is about friendship and relationships between women surrounded by solving the crime of murder. The story begins with the owner of a sandwich shop where Charlie Hudson works found murdered. Each member of …

Interview with Peggy Townsend (The Beautiful and the Wild)

November 11, 2023

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend is a riveting suspenseful mystery. There are secrets, the haunting terrain of Alaska, as well as hope. It is a fight for survival by a mother who dearly loves her son. Liv Russo thought she was happily married until one day she became a hero. This opened knowledge of her past where she was shunned by all. Then her husband leaves to supposedly go on an …

Inheritance by Nora Roberts

October 22, 2023

Title: Inheritance Author: Nora Roberts Series: The Lost Bride Trilogy #1 No self-contained plot, protag too perfect Much thanks to Nora Roberts, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to both read and listen to free ARCs of the ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The premise checked a lot of boxes for me, as it did for Nora when she was brainstorming her next trilogy. Old haunted mansion, ghosts, spooks, a family curse, …

Review Roundup Fall 2023

November 18, 2023October 21, 2023

A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I’ve written so far in Fall 2023. Depending on how many more I do, I may add on to the end, or make a part 1/part 2 deal, we’ll see. Beware of spoilers! Title: The Witchfinder’s Serpent Author: Rande Goodwin Series: The Witches of Windsor #1 Thank you to Rande Goodwin, Greenleaf Audiobooks, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. This …

Review Roundup Summer 2023

August 17, 2023

A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Summer 2023. Beware of spoilers! Title: A Fatal Illusion Author: Anna Lee Huber Series: Lady Darby Mystery #11 Thank you to Anna Lee Huber, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Yazmine Hassan for inviting me to participate in the blog tour; I’m sorry I didn’t get my crap together in time to participate properly. …