(Image from Barnes & Noble)

As a former psychiatrist, Cass Donovan knows enough about people to read them with fair accuracy.  This makes working as a psychic in little Bay Island, New York, an easy gig.  She might not be the real deal, but she's a good enough fake to lure plenty of customers to Mystical Musings, her beachfront shop.  And, she can't deny, there are times when strange visions do overcome her, giving her otherworldly insight that is difficult to explain away.

That's exactly what happens when Ellie Callahan, a young newlywed, comes to Cass for a reading.  Although Cass doesn't mention the bad juju she's sensing to Ellie, that doesn't stop Ellie's mother from accosting Cass later that evening.  Cass is embarrassed by the encounter, but it's not like she would ever lift a hand to overbearing Marge Hawkins.  When Cass discovers Marge's dead body in the local theater, however, that's the story that starts buzzing around town.  Although the police peg her as Suspect #1, Cass knows Marge had made all kinds of enemies.  Which one of them finally had enough of her interfering?  Who actually shot the woman?  With the real detectives investigating the wrong person, it's up to Cass to Nancy Drew her way to the truth.  Even if it means making herself a target for a cold-blooded killer.  

Cozy mysteries can be hard for me to take, but I tend to turn to them when I grow tired of the nightmares that often stem from the gory, graphic thrillers I usually read.  I'm down with "clean" murder mysteries, especially if they're written in a fun, engaging way, as they often are.  If they get too cory or ridiculous, though, I'm out.  Someone recommended the Bay Island Psychic Mystery series by Lena Gregory, so I picked up the first installment, Death at First Sight.  Guess what?  It's an entertaining romp that I quite enjoyed.  The quaint beach town setting is vividly drawn, the characters are likable (if cliché), and the story is predictable, but still intriguing enough to keep the pages turning.  Not all of its plot points made sense, which annoyed me a little.  Overall, though, Death at First Sight is a quick, easy read that made me smile.  That's enough to get me reaching for the next installment.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other cozy mysteries by Lena Gregory as well as those by Ellie Alexander)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Death at First Sight with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Murder Made to Order, it may inadvertently spoil plot surprises from its predecessor, Scone Cold Killer.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

Gia Morelli, the newest resident of Boggy Creek, Florida, and owner of the popular All-Day Breakfast Cafe is still reeling from finding her ex-husband's body in the dumpster behind her restaurant.  The last thing she needs is another shock. Gia just wants to run her business in peace, but the forceful president of the town council has other ideas.  A forgotten city ordinance is being trumped up by the council in an effort to close Gia down.  Truth is, it might be just the motivation Gia needs to leave all of Florida's quirks behind and head back to New York, where she really belongs. 

While Gia is debating whether to stay or go, she comes across a shocking sight while out on a walk with her dog.  It's not a dreaded gator, but the dead body of Marcia Steers, the very woman who was trying so hard to shut down the All-Day Breakfast Cafe.  Although Marcia had plenty of enemies in town, suspicion immediately falls on Gia.  There's only one way to clear her name and that's to find the killer herself.  Hunt Quinn, aka Detective Tall, Dark, and Gorgeous, will frown on Gia's do-it-herself sleuthing, but when has that ever stopped the intrepid chef?

Murder Made to Order, the second installment in Lena Gregory's All-Day Breakfast Cafe series, is another fun cozy mystery.  Not gonna lie—these books require a big suspension of disbelief, but once you're past that, they're great for a bit of light entertainment.  I enjoy the Boggy Creek setting, the likable townspeople, and Gia's friends.  I'm hoping the characters get more developed as the series goes on.  Even with that, though, I enjoy this series.  It's nothing shout-it-from-the-rooftops amazing, but the books make me smile and they don't give me nightmares, so I'll for sure keep reading them.

(Readalikes:  Scone Cold Killer by Lena Gregory.  Also reminds me of cozy mysteries by Ellie Alexander.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and innuendo/non-graphic references to sex

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Little Boggy Creek, Florida, is a far cry from New York City, but it may be just what Gia Morelli needs.  In the wake of her ex-husband's betrayal—not only of his clients, but also of their marriage—she's looking for a place to start over, a refuge where she can lick her wounds and start rebuilding her shattered life.  Opening the All-Day Breakfast Café is a brave first step.  Despite a few hiccups, things are going well for Gia—until she discovers a dead body in the dumpster behind the restaurant.  She recognizes the corpse's manicured hands and a distinctive ring.  It's her ex-husband, Bradley Remington, but what is he doing in Florida?  And how did he end up dead in a dumpster?

Suspicion for the murder naturally falls on Gia.  Despite his gentle questioning, even handsome Detective Hunter "Hunt" Quinn seems to think she had something to do with Bradley's death.  Although she's warned against sticking her nose into police business, Gia knows the only way to clear her name is to find the real killer.  Can she get to the bottom of the puzzling case?  Or will Gia's dead body be the next one stuffed into a dumpster?

I'm not a huge fan of cozy mysteries, but occasionally I stumble across a series that I enjoy.  Katherine over at I Wish I Lived in a Library mentioned Lena Gregory, so I decided to give her All-Day Breakfast Café books a whirl.  Scone Cold Killer, the first installment, introduces Gia and her cozy new hometown of Boggy Creek.  Although the townsfolk are not as colorful as I would have liked, there are some fun and abrasive personalities who should make for entertaining reading throughout the series.  Mystery-wise, the plot is pretty straightforward.  Nothing too surprising or original.  As in most cozies, there's a lot of improbable action going on in Scone Cold Killer, but the willing suspension of disbelief is a requirement going into any book in this genre, so that didn't bother me.  Much.  All in all, I enjoyed this light, fun read.  It's quick, entertaining, and written well enough that I want to continue reading about Gia's adventures.  I've already read the second installment, checked the third out of the library, and bought the first book in Gregory's Bay Island Psychic series, if that tells you anything!

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books in the All-Day Breakfast Café series [Murder Made to Order and A Cold Brew Killing] by Lena Gregory as well as of cozy mysteries by Ellie Alexander)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Scone Cold Killer from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.