Hope Callaghan has quickly become one of my favorite authors and these two books are a good sample as to why. Both are clean cozies, both are centered around a middle-aged sleuth with adult children, both are holiday-themed, and both are very different in every way while being very representative of their respective series.
Suite Revenge: (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 8)
I was really excited to see a Christmas themed installment for this series. Millie has come back to the ship after spending time with her family and she is looking forward to reconnecting with her friends aboard ship and resuming her duties as assistant cruise director. She is excited when her daughter and grandchildren plan on spending the week-long cruise with her but trouble shows up in the form of her ex-husband and his fiancee who have decided to be married aboard the Sea Siren. When the nasty fiancee shows up dead, Millie and those closest to her are the most suspected and she must find a way to clear suspicion.
I just adore Millie Sanders and her cabal of crime-fighting buddies. Millie is not your typical granny type and her sharp mind and generous personality make her a lot of fun to read about. Descriptions of life on board the ship make even me with my irrational fear of the sea consider that cruises might be fun, though it takes a special person to make a career of it. The people (note I didn’t say characters) that Millie surrounds herself with are just the kind of old, and young, friends that every woman would love to have and they are the heart of this series. I will eventually manage to read every book.
As of this posting, all the books in this series are priced between $.99 and $3.99 and are also available in several boxed sets and on Kindle Unlimited. I highly recommend it any way you can get.
Merry Masquerade in Savannah:(Made in Savannah Cozy Mysteries Series Book 8)
By Hope Callaghan
Switching gears to the south and New York transplant Carlita Garlucci. She and her adult children are facing their first holiday season without her husband Vinnie and despite their recent adventures in their new hometown, the holidays only highlight how much Vinnie is missing in their lives. While helping a friend investigate a theft at her estate Carlita and Daughter Mercedes get pulled into yet another murder mystery when a body is discovered during a formal holiday masquerade ball.
This series offers an eclectic mix of zany characters and this book is no exception; from a high society dame with mystery on her hands and house full of loyal or maybe not so loyal employees, a nosy personal security “expert” with an ex-con sister and a penchant for floodlights, to a young girl with the charm and innocence to melt the heart of a staid old butler. There is no lack of suspects and plenty of twists as the investigations wind their way through back alleys, a supposed haunted house, and a mild hurricane. What comes out at the end is a mix of fun and old-fashioned murder mystery.
As of this posting of the books in this series are priced between $.99 and $3.99 and are available on Kindle Unlimited as well. It is for sure a series that you will enjoy from start to finish.
#MondayMysteries Cruise Ship Mystery Box Set 1
Hope Callaghan is an author who loves to write Christian Cozy Mysteries & Mystery/Suspense books.
Born and raised in a small town in West Michigan, she now lives in Florida with her husband. She is the proud mother of one daughter, a stepdaughter, and stepson.
When she’s not doing the thing she loves best…writing books…she enjoys cooking, traveling, and reading books.
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