Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

A romantic seven-day cruise is the perfect start to bakery owner Hannah Swensen’s marriage. However, with a murder mystery heating up in Lake Eden, Minnesota, it seems the newlywed’s homecoming won’t be as sweet as she anticipated . . . 

After an extravagant honeymoon, Hannah’s eager to settle down in Lake Eden and turn domestic daydreams into reality. But when her mother’s neighbor is discovered murdered in the condo downstairs, reality becomes a nightmarish investigation. Victoria Bascomb, once a renowned stage actress, was active in the theater community during her brief appearance in town . . . and made throngs of enemies along the way. Did a random intruder murder the woman as police claim, or was a deadlier scheme at play? As Hannah peels through countless suspects and some new troubles of her own, solving this crime—and living to tell about it—might prove trickier than mixing up the ultimate banana cream pie . .

My Take:  I have read all of the Hannah Swenson Mysteries and have enjoyed all of them but this one wasn't as enjoyable as the others.  I don't know if it was because I really don't like Hannah's new husband.  He is just a blah character or if it was that the mystery was blah.  I really find it hard to concentrate on the mystery as I didn't feel that invested in the character who was murdered or in the crime itself.  I did figure out the murderer before the reveal.  Seemed as if most of the characters that I have enjoyed in the past were left out of this one.  Did end on a cliffhanger?  Maybe for next book.  I will continue the series.

I received a review copy from Amazon Vine in Exchange For my honest opinion.

A Question of Devotion by Anita Kulina

Then she saw it – a sheet of paper in the mailbox, underneath the mail. It was white with large black letters and said LEAVE IT ALONE.

Mrs. B has a quiet life, and she likes it that way. Morning pinochle games at St. Mary’s Senior Center. Afternoon lunches with Myrtle, Anne and Rose. Peaceful evenings with a cup of coffee and the classic movie channel.

But one day she wakes to a phone call, which leads to consequences she could never have foreseen. Secrets snowball and threaten to change the neighborhood of Burchfield forever. Someone has to make things right. It’s up to Mrs. B. 

My take:  This was a really good cozy mystery.  I like cozy mysteries as they don't have alot of profanity and no gory details of the crime.  This one was especially charming as it involvoed a little old lady named Mrs. B.  She reminded me alot of my mother in law as everyone knows her and she know everyone.  She now lives in a retirement community and she loves to go to the Senior Center.  The same way that Mrs. B. does.  I found it interesting to see Mrs. B. learn how to use the computer so she could use it for interenet searches.  I liked that Mrs. B. wanted to help others in her neighborhood and to make sure the real criminals were the ones being punished.  If you like your mysteries more soft boiled and with cute little old ladies like Jessica Fletcher this is the book for you. 

I received a review copy of this book from Virtual Author Book tours in exchange for my honest review.