In the first in a series Nancy Warren takes readers to Oxford where a knitting shop seems to be the hub for paranormal activity in town:

Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to escape from another bad relationship and just feeling like she has no direction and purpose in life but she know that her Gran will make her feel better and set her on the right path. Lucy is shocked to discover that her Gran is deceased and has been for three week, but Lucy is sure that she just saw her down the street. Lucy discovers that she is her Gran's sole heir to her shop Cardinal Woolsey's a knitting shop and that should keep her busy as she tries to process everything that happens. But it turns out her Gran just cannot stay away. Gran is very much alive, well Undead, a Vampire and the Vampires of Oxford have been using Cardinal Woolsey's as their knitting circle meet up. From Gran Lucy finds that she she did not die peacefully but cannot remember what happened only that her dying was not an accident. Lucy is determined to find out what occurred and she's about to discovery more about herself in the process.

I know this is not my usual read, but for the sake of Halloween Bingo I read one of these cozy mystery books a year and they quite fun and a nice change from what I usually read. I can sum this book up as a pretty cute read with a side of murder that occur. I also think that you can tell from the cover that the vampires within this book are not the scary blood sucking type. Actually you find out pretty early on they have a side hustle to get their blood supply and really a vampire knitting club, I guess who doesn’t have more time than the vampire to learn how to perfect the art of knitting. What I liked that Warren did though was not all the members of the club were old (when they were turned) and female, there were a few men in there as well. Additionally, I think that Warren did a good job in trying to throw as many suspects or red herrings as she could as to who the killer actually was, I did find myself changing my mind a few times, but was able to figure it out. Nevertheless, Warren does a good job with the mystery aspect.

I liked that there wasn’t any romance in this book. I mean it is hinted at that there may be a triangle in the future but this was much more about Lucy trying to adjust to her Gran’s “death” and trying to find out who did it. So minimal relationship and romance which is strange for a cozy mystery but appreciate it.

Warren does try to do a lot in this book, so a few things are missed along the way in regards to background as to some of the characters and not really fleshing out the main ones there. If I were to read farther in this series (there is always next year's BINGO) I would want a bit more substance to the characters.

So this is an easy read, that is cutesy as you have vampires who spend their undead years perfecting their knitting skills. So if you’re looking for a cozy Halloween read this one is for you.

Enjoy!!!

   

Book source ~ Kindle Unlimited

Lucy Swift is getting very good at running her undead grandmother’s knitting shop in Oxford. Cardinal Woolsey’s is running smoothly and the vampire knitting circle is producing hand-knitted items at an incredible rate. Well, they are vampires after all so they knit very fast. The classes Lucy has set up are also taking off and she has a sneaking suspicion her newly undead grandmother is thinking of opening a new knitting shop somewhere far enough away that she won’t be recognized by former customers. Lucy’s not quite ready to let her grandmother go though, but she knows she’ll have to do it soon. Which is why she’s trying to up her studying of all things witchy. Oh, didn’t I mention that part? Lucy is also a witch. And so was her grandmother. Now that she’s got a handle on running the store, she needs her gran’s help with the witchy things. And then there’s the occasional murder to solve. Yep. I said it. Murder. And let’s not mention her love life. Who am I kidding? Let’s!

Rafe Crosyer is a very old vampire and the unofficial leader of the group in Oxford. He’s been there so long that he needs to think about moving on soon. But Lucy just got there and she’s not ready to move again. Plus, while Rafe is yummy and protective and smart and all that good stuff, he’s also a vampire. Who won’t age while she will. Dilemma! Of course, there’s Inspector Ian, but Lucy seems to have written off the good officer. Well, pooh. In any case, I’m looking forward to seeing where Rafe and Lucy’s relationship heads.

Now, to the murder…it’s an interesting one. There’s  a poltergeist in St. Mary’s College library! And with someone dead, Lucy and the vampires think that maybe the poltergeist had something to do with it. In any case, Lucy wants to figure out why the poltergeist is there and how to move it along before someone else gets hurt. Or worse.

I love this series of cozy mysteries with vampires and witches and love and humor. This particular one seems to better put together than the previous ones though I love them all. It flows easily and while I had my suspicions about the killer it still kept me guessing until the end. The addition of the poltergeist is a nice touch and I like how Lucy is finally taking her witchy abilities seriously. I hope there are many more books in this series.

@partnersincr1me​, @NancyWarren1, #Culinary #Cozy #Mystery

A baker with secrets

Witches in trouble

The cameras are rolling

Ready, set, die.

Poppy Wilkinson is thrilled to be chosen as a contestant on The Great British Baking Contest. As an American with English roots, winning the crown as Britain’s Best Baker would open doors she’s dreamed of. In more ways than one. Appearing on the reality show is her chance to get into Broomewode Hall and uncover the secrets of her past.

But strange things are happening on the show’s set: accusations of sabotage, a black cat that shadows Poppy, suspiciously unsociable residents at Broomewode Hall—and the judges can be real witches.

There are murmurs that Broomewode is an energy vortex. It certainly makes Poppy see and do things that aren’t exactly normal, and seems to draw interesting characters to the neighborhood.

When a fellow contestant dies in mysterious circumstances, Poppy has more to worry about than burned pies and cakes that won’t rise. There’s a murderer on the loose and it’s up to Poppy and her new friends to solve the crime before it becomes a real show-stopper.

From USA Today Bestselling Author Nancy Warren, this delicious series of cozy paranormal mysteries will have you guessing until the end. Includes recipes.