Book Review and Giveaway - A Necessary Death by Terri Karsten

My Review

In 1763, Penelope Corbitt travels with her two children and her brother-in-law on the way to his house.  She has lost her husband and her home and is reluctantly resettling.  They get stranded at an inn run by the town constable and Penelope finds a body in the outhouse.  The inn's owner, Miles, is also a recent widower and needs help at the inn's tavern.  Penelope starts cooking and helping ... while she juggles taking care of her children and working to solve the murder mystery.

I wanted to read A Necessary Death because the 1760's setting was intriguing.  I am interested in early American history but had never read a mystery set during this time period.

The first few chapters really set the scene of how different life was during this time period.  The conditions were very basic and challenging and danger was unexpected.  (An animal lover, I had to skip the chapter involving a beloved dog's death.) As Penelope settled in more at the inn, sleuthing - and a slow, reluctant friendship with Miles - became more central to the story.

The historical details in this book are very interesting.  The author did a wonderful job with this sense of history.  I enjoyed the details of historic food and cooking, which included several recipes (i.e. Dead Cakes, Mince Pies, Dauphiny Soup).

The mystery aspect of the story was well plotted, with several people confessing to the murder, a very surprising twist, and real danger lurking.

A Necessary Death is a unique read of interest to historical fiction readers, and especially to readers interested in early American history.

Book Synopsis

With Penelope Corbitt in the kitchen, the tavern will never be the same.

Penelope Corbitt can turn a lump of meat and a bit of flour into a mouth-watering pie or make a tasty meal of cabbage and vinegar. But all her skill can’t save her family in the spring of 1763, when she loses everything to pay off her missing husband’s debts. Walking a tightrope between the freedom of poverty and the confines of propriety, she must accept her stingy brother-in-law’s reluctant charity to keep her family fed and her children close. The miserable journey north from Philadelphia is interrupted when the coach crashes in the mud. Penelope and her children are stranded at a run-down tavern. Penelope doesn’t think things can get worse.

Then she finds a dead man.

Author Bio

Living in the shadow of the Mississippi River bluffs, Terri Karsten has been a writer and educator for many years. She grew up in sunny San Jose, California, playing amid the cherry orchards that soon gave way to houses. In her search for education and adventure, she lived in Iowa and Wisconsin, Mexico and France, before settling into a hundred-year-old house in Winona, Minnesota. She spends most days in her tiny office, surrounded by  books, papers, and good memories.

With more ideas than time, Terri writes a bit of everything, ranging from historical fiction novels to picture book folktales to dozens of short stories and articles in magazines, encyclopedias, and newspapers.

When she is not writing, Terri loves poring over old cookbooks and recreating dishes from long ago, especially medieval, Renaissance, and colonial  foods. Always ready for the next adventure, she enjoys camping, hiking, and traveling. Her latest goal is to visit National Parks in every state. Only 13 states to go!

Author Links

• Webpage: https://terrikarsten.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrikarsten
• Substack: https://historicalcookery.substack.com/
• GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7343260.Terri_Evert_Karsten
• Purchase Links – Amazon  B&N

Giveaway

Book Review and Giveaway - Death of an Antiquarian: A Mia Reid, Archaeologist, Mystery by Rose Kerr

My Review

Archaeologist Mia Reid is busy working on a new exhibit at the Lakeview City Museum in Ontario.  When she goes to an antique shop sale with her grandmother, she meets a local antique dealer ... who dies suddenly afterwards.  His daughter asks Mia to look into the case, and she becomes involved in solving the mystery of his murder.

I wanted to read Death of an Antiquarian because I have a lifelong interest in antiques.  The details in this book - antiques, Mia's archaeology work, Luke's Interpol work, and antiquities smuggling, were all absolutely fascinating!

Mia is such a smart protagonist.  I loved the way she approached the mystery with such a calm, methodical manner.  

This is the second book in the Mia Reid series but I had no problem at all enjoying Death of an Antiquarian as a standalone read.

The mystery aspect of this book was well done, with strong suspects and some unexpected plot twists.  I enjoyed this read and look forward to future books in the series!

Book Synopsis

When archaeologist Dr. Mia Reid takes a contract position at the Lakeview City Museum, she expects artifacts, exhibitions, and research notes, not murder. The death of a local antique dealer, with unexpected ties to artifact smuggling, draws Mia into a dangerous mystery.

As chatter of an international smuggling ring surfaces, Mia and Luke race to uncover the truth. The stakes rise when threats reach her—and her beloved grandmother.

With lives in jeopardy and artifacts at risk of vanishing forever into the black market, Mia must use all her skills to piece together the puzzle. Can she expose a killer before the next artifact or person disappears?

Author Bio

Retired in Southern Ontario with her husband, Rose spends her days crafting mysteries featuring strong, smart women who use their resourcefulness to solve crimes. When she’s not writing, she enjoys discovering the hidden gems of the region and indulging her lifelong curiosity.

Author Links

Website: https://rosekerr.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseKerrAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.m.kerr/?hl=en

Pinterest: https://ca.pinterest.com/RoseKerrauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22146877.Rose_Kerr

Amazon Author Central page:  https://www.amazon.com/author/rose-kerr-mysteries

Purchase Links:  Amazon  Barnes and Noble    Kobo    Bookshop.org

Giveaway 

Book Review - Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

My Review

After Maeve and Therese Dunigan's mother passes away, they meet at their childhood home in Savannah.  They could not be more different;  Maeve is a by the rules professor, while Therese is a rule breaking actress.  They are both single, out of work, and at odds with each other.  Three things happen that change everything:  they discover their mother had mortgaged their family home and they are in financial straits;  they find out that an old ancestral portrait hanging in their home may be worth a great deal of money;  they learn that their mother saved money for them to take a trip to Ireland together, as her last wish.  They go to Ireland to learn about their ancestry and the mysterious painting.  They discover more mysteries there, possible romance, and twists and turns that effect them both.

I wanted to read Road Trip because I love Mary Kay Andrews' books.  She is one of my favorite writers and I always enjoy her summer reads.

This was such a delightful, engrossing book!  I found myself going slowly because I wanted to savor the story.  I liked Maeve right away, and Therese grew on me as a character as the book went on.  I loved Liam, the Irish whiskey distiller, the gruff and quirky Esme, who is a previously unknown relative, and of course Esme's cocker spaniel, the memorably named Sinead O'Cocker.

I enjoyed the Irish inn, the countryside, and the mystery that unfolded there about their great-grandmother Kathleen.  Kathleen is at the center of their history.  She disappeared in the 1920's along with a family portrait and a mysterious murder, traveling to America and a new life there.  The glimpses of her life in Ireland, and later in America, are fascinating.

Road Trip is an absolutely perfect summer read, especially for anyone who enjoys some armchair travel and a mystery mixed in.  It is sure to be one of my top 10 books of 2026, and I highly recommend it.

PS - I have to add that I found Celtic Relaxation Music at Spotify a perfect soundtrack for reading this novel!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Book Review - The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay

My Review

Hannah Spencer has spent five years traveling in her bright yellow van with her Harlequin Great Dane named Dude.  When her beloved grandfather Pops passes away and leaves her his cottage in the Outer Banks, she travels to take care of the house and decide what to do next.  The only problem?  Someone else is already there - illustrator-turned-insurance-man Simon O’Malley, who has been told he inherited the cottage from his grandfather Gramps.  It turns out their grandfathers left them the cottage together, with the understanding that they will live there for two months and then work out a solution.

I wanted to read The Summer Share because it sounded like a great beach read.  The Outer Banks setting and the Great Dane were added pluses!

This is such a lovely book, full of some unexpected but sweet twists and turns as Hannah and Simon research their family history ... and also get acquainted.  The little beachside town of Cape Split is charmingly depicted - with old cottages, a beachfront ice cream parlor, and the quirkiest, most charming small town south of the Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow.

I loved the leads: Hannah - a kind hearted reporter turned vlogger, and Simon, an artist at heart, someone who has been taking care of his siblings for years.  Their connection is instantaneous, sweet, and natural.  Unfortunately the obstacles they face are also real.

I read The Summer Share slowly because I wanted to enjoy my time in Cape Split with this lovable cast of characters.  It would be a perfect beach read.   This is a five star book for me, and I recommend it for other readers who enjoy southern beach settings, small town reads, quirky communities, and gentle, heartwarming love stories.


Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Book Review and Giveaway - Masher of Ceremonies: A Vintage Kitchen Mystery by Victoria Hamilton

My Review

Jaymie Müller is planning a big fundraiser in her Queensland, Michigan hometown called Tea with the Queen.  It is a week long event, even including townspeople dressed up as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  In the midst of this festival, her friend's assistant is found murdered.  Jaymie works - on her own and with the police's blessings - to find the killer and solve the mystery.  

I wanted to read Masher of Ceremonies because of the Vintage Kitchen Mystery theme.  I love all things vintage, and especially kitchenware, cookbooks, etc., so I was intrigued.  

This is my first read in this series, but there is a wonderful, descriptive Cast of Characters list included.  This helped me to jump right in and enjoy Masher of Ceremonies as a standalone read.  I wish more cozy mysteries would include a character listing - it is always so helpful!

This is a fun, leisurely paced read.  (The murder occurred almost half way through the book.)  

I really like Jaymie.  We see her home life with her husband, daughter, cat, and little Yorkie Hopalong (Hoppy).   We see her doing event planning, working with vintage kitchenware, and also as an amateur detective.   The author did a wonderful job at creating a fully rounded character with a lot of nuance.  

Jaymie has a gift of detecting, following her hunches, and having great intuition.  I really enjoyed solving the mystery along with her.

I found the details of the weeklong Tea With the Queen festival interesting as well!

I look forward to reading more books in the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series.  I recommend Masher of Ceremonies to other cozy mystery fans.  It's an engrossing, well written mystery.

Book Synopsis

A fundraiser for the local historical society nearly goes bust when someone fills the coffers with blackmail and murder . . .

The annual Tea With the Queen fundraiser always makes for a festive weekend in Queensville, drawing visitors from far and wide and giving local shops a welcome boost. This year, vintage kitchenware collector Jaymie Müller is running the event, and she’s got her hands full organizing old and new volunteers along with a surly catering crew. Then her master of ceremonies tells her he’s being blackmailed but can’t go to the police, and before Jaymie can sort that out she stumbles over a dead body at the tea.

Despite the demands of keeping the event up and running, Jaymie can’t help puzzling over the murder. There’s no concrete evidence linking the cretin behind the blackmail scheme to the dead body, so she begins questioning everyone connected to the blackmail, hoping to expose the killer. And just as she discovers a web of relationships that leads her to the culprit, she realizes that the Tea With the Queen may have been a royal pain, but outwitting a blackmailer and catching a killer may be the death of her . . .

Includes a vintage recipe!

Author Bio

Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym of nationally bestselling romance author Donna Lea Simpson. Victoria is the bestselling author of three mystery series, the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, and the Merry Muffin Mysteries. She also writes a Regency-set historical mystery series, starting with A Gentlewoman’s Guide to Murder. Visit her website at victoriahamiltonmysteries.com.

Social Details:

Website: http://www.VictoriaHamiltonMysteries.com (Sign up for her newsletter for all the latest!)

On Substack (Sign up for newsletter… always FREE!): Go to: https://substack.com/@victoriahamiltonmysteries and ‘Subscribe’ for the FREE Victoria Hamilton Mysteries newsletter!

On  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaHamiltonMysteryAuthor

On BlueSky: @mysteryvictoria.bsky.social

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysteryauthorvictoriahamilton/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/598635.Victoria_Hamilton

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Hamilton/e/B007T7LGAU

Purchase Links

Ebooks:

Amazon CA     AmazonUS      Kobo      Barnes & Noble      Smashwords     Google Play Books

Giveaway