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katreader's review
4.0
THE LITTLE SHOP OF MURDERS
Collected Cozy Mysteries
Little Shop of Murders is an anthology of fifteen short stories, all cozy mysteries. All the mysteries included are set in shops, although some are businesses rather than actually stores. I read about brazen thieves, missing money, a missing cat, skeevy real estate agents, vandalism, and more. There's some burgeoning romance, paranormal beings, and lots of pets. Some characters are part of established series, some will soon get their own series, and some are special to this book. Each story can easily be read in one sitting and I'm enjoying getting to know several authors who are new to me.
The one great thing about anthologies is that there is generally something for everyone. Such is the case here. There are stories for pet lovers, those who enjoy a paranormal slant, those who enjoy a bit of romance, and even those who enjoy seeing a bit of comeuppance. Some stories are more cozy than others, but all fit the theme.
A few stories really stood out for me. The most unique and my favorite of the bunch was "Nightly Nuisance" by Kathryn Mykel featuring a new quilt shop owner with a very unusual problem. A lot of great descriptions, solid likeable characters, and great storytelling makes me want to read more!
In "Always and Furever" by Eryn Scott you'll find a bookshop with cats, good friends, and a very charming tale. "Architect of a Murder" by Carlene O'Connor is a nice take on an impossible crime and "It was Our Song" by Nikki Knight is just one of the stories with a surprise ending. I also really enjoyed "Don't Toy with Me" by Diane Kelly and "Requiem for a Violin" by Geraldine Moorkens Byrne.
THE LITTLE SHOP OF MURDERS is a good mix of cozy mystery short stories centered around shops and businesses in the US and UK.
Collected Cozy Mysteries
Little Shop of Murders is an anthology of fifteen short stories, all cozy mysteries. All the mysteries included are set in shops, although some are businesses rather than actually stores. I read about brazen thieves, missing money, a missing cat, skeevy real estate agents, vandalism, and more. There's some burgeoning romance, paranormal beings, and lots of pets. Some characters are part of established series, some will soon get their own series, and some are special to this book. Each story can easily be read in one sitting and I'm enjoying getting to know several authors who are new to me.
The one great thing about anthologies is that there is generally something for everyone. Such is the case here. There are stories for pet lovers, those who enjoy a paranormal slant, those who enjoy a bit of romance, and even those who enjoy seeing a bit of comeuppance. Some stories are more cozy than others, but all fit the theme.
A few stories really stood out for me. The most unique and my favorite of the bunch was "Nightly Nuisance" by Kathryn Mykel featuring a new quilt shop owner with a very unusual problem. A lot of great descriptions, solid likeable characters, and great storytelling makes me want to read more!
In "Always and Furever" by Eryn Scott you'll find a bookshop with cats, good friends, and a very charming tale. "Architect of a Murder" by Carlene O'Connor is a nice take on an impossible crime and "It was Our Song" by Nikki Knight is just one of the stories with a surprise ending. I also really enjoyed "Don't Toy with Me" by Diane Kelly and "Requiem for a Violin" by Geraldine Moorkens Byrne.
THE LITTLE SHOP OF MURDERS is a good mix of cozy mystery short stories centered around shops and businesses in the US and UK.
wilko's review
4.0
This is a great collection of novellas where you get to discover new authors. One of my favourites was The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery by Victoria Tait and not just because I already read her books and just love Dotty and her friends, but also as the story within was great!
A few days of shop sitting should be easy for Dotty until something is stolen and whilst she thinks she knows who stole she can't prove it or work out exactly how it is done. Once again Dotty and her friends work together to find the bad guy and solve the mystery of how the antiques were stolen.
There are some great reads as well as a couple that don't quiet hit the spot either by feeling a bit rushed or leaving you with question, but all are still a good read.
A few days of shop sitting should be easy for Dotty until something is stolen and whilst she thinks she knows who stole she can't prove it or work out exactly how it is done. Once again Dotty and her friends work together to find the bad guy and solve the mystery of how the antiques were stolen.
There are some great reads as well as a couple that don't quiet hit the spot either by feeling a bit rushed or leaving you with question, but all are still a good read.
hugbandit7's review
5.0
If you enjoy a good mystery and discovering new authors, this is a great book for that. Not only do you get top-notch stories, but you might also find a new favorite author in the mix.
I have heard of a few of these authors, but not all, so I was excited to read stories to learn their writing styles and if these would be new authors for me to add to my ever-growing TBR list.
Each story is complete, with clues hiding or in plain sight and intriguing characters. Since these are short stories, there is not a lot of depth to the characters, town, or mystery; but that is to be expected since they are all short stories. There were a few that I wanted to know more about or be able to continue the story in other books. That may or may not be possible. I will have to look at the specific books to see if those characters continue into other books.
This is a great book to read over lunch or while waiting at a doctor's office or other places. The stories are just long enough to keep you engaged but wrap up quickly if you are short on time.
Overall we give this 5 paws up.
I have heard of a few of these authors, but not all, so I was excited to read stories to learn their writing styles and if these would be new authors for me to add to my ever-growing TBR list.
Each story is complete, with clues hiding or in plain sight and intriguing characters. Since these are short stories, there is not a lot of depth to the characters, town, or mystery; but that is to be expected since they are all short stories. There were a few that I wanted to know more about or be able to continue the story in other books. That may or may not be possible. I will have to look at the specific books to see if those characters continue into other books.
This is a great book to read over lunch or while waiting at a doctor's office or other places. The stories are just long enough to keep you engaged but wrap up quickly if you are short on time.
Overall we give this 5 paws up.
thisandthatwithkaren's review
4.0
“ Little Shop of Murders: A Cozy Mystery Anthology” by 15 amazing authors. Some authors are new to me and others are old friends. A terrific collection of varying stories involving small towns and the businesses that make up the community. These are all very quick reads .
Don’t Toy with Me by Diane Kelly
I really liked the story and Ciara and Nick. Nick Claus owner of Timeless Toys suddenly finds his rent envelope missing from the safe, who could have taken it ….
A Man With No Imagination by Millie Ravensworth
A message in a quilt …. Izzy and Penny King decipher a message on an old quilt that was thrown in a skip. You can go on more adventures with them in the Cozy Craft Mystery series.
I would recommend this Anthology to all my friends that enjoy cozy mysteries.
Don’t Toy with Me by Diane Kelly
I really liked the story and Ciara and Nick. Nick Claus owner of Timeless Toys suddenly finds his rent envelope missing from the safe, who could have taken it ….
A Man With No Imagination by Millie Ravensworth
A message in a quilt …. Izzy and Penny King decipher a message on an old quilt that was thrown in a skip. You can go on more adventures with them in the Cozy Craft Mystery series.
I would recommend this Anthology to all my friends that enjoy cozy mysteries.
grinningcat's review
4.0
This is a collection of short, cozy mysteries set around small businesses. The quality of the stories is uneven. Some of the mysteries are excellent, some are average. YMMV. Overall, the collection is entertaining and certainly worth a read if you like cozies. One thing I noticed was there was no internal navigation (like skipping forward or back from story to story) but this is not very problematic because one can always navigate via the table of contents.
Here’s the breakdown:
1) Don’t Toy With Me
h: Ciara
POV: 1st person
Setting: North Carolina
Small business: toy shop
Crime: theft
Rating: 3/5
There’s a hint of romance in this one.
2) A Man With No Imagination
h: Izzy (and Cousin Penny)
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small business: sewing shop
Crime: murder
Series?: Y
Rating: 5/5
3) The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery
h: Dotty
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small business: Antiques shop
Crime: theft
Series?: Y
Rating: 3/5
4) It Was Our Song
h: Jaye
POV: 1st person
Setting: Vermont
Small business: radio station
Crime: murder
Series?: Y
Rating: 5/5
5) Always and Furever
h: Louisa
POV: 3rd person
Setting: USA, somewhere near or on the west coast
Small business: bookstore
Crime: missing cat
Series?: Y
Rating : 5/5
Who can resist a story with a cat named “Catnip Everdeen”?
6) Wild Irish Dreams
h: Alix
POV: 1st person
Setting: Wyoming
Small business: Art Gallery
Crime: theft and kidnapping
Series?: N
Rating: 3/5
I just couldn’t connect with this one.
7) Architect of a Murder
h: Tara
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Ireland
Small business: architectural salvage
Crime: murder
Series?: N
Rating: 5/5
I thought the mystery was very clever.
8) Blooms and Blackmail
h: Lacey
POV: 1st person
Setting: Port Danby
Small Business: Flower shop
Crime: blackmail and assault
Series?: Y
Rating: 4/5
9) Second-hand murder
h: Maude and Gertrude
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small business: secondhand clothing shop
Crime: murder
Series?: N
Rating: 5/5
I thought that this one was brilliant.
10) The Lady of the House
H: Charles
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small business: real estate agency
Crime: I can’t say without spoilers
Series?: N
Rating: 4/5
11) Requiem for a Violin
h: Mrs.O’Brien
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Ireland
Small Business: Music shop
Crime: murder
Series?: Y
Rating: 4/5
Beginning of a series
12) Nightly Nuisance
h: Sarah
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Massachusetts
Small Business : Quilt shop
Crime: theft
Series?: N
Rating: 3/5
This is a paranormal story
13) The Gift of Dragons
h: Harvey Beckett (female)
POV: 3rd person
Setting: USA (South)
Small Business: bookstore
Crime: Mystery Book
Series?: Y
Rating: 4/5
I’ve read another book by this author and I enjoy his or her work.
14) Nowhere to Hide
h: Sophie
POV: 1st person
Setting: Britain
Small Business: bookstore
Crime: assault
Series?: Y
Rating: 5/5
This story was more of a character study than a mystery, but it was so good that I gave it 5 stars. I’m definitely going to check out more books in this series.
15) Murder in the Bookshop
h: Freya
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small Business: bookstore
Crime: murder
Series?: N
Rating: 3/5
I think that this collection would benefit if stronger mysteries opened and closed the book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Here’s the breakdown:
1) Don’t Toy With Me
h: Ciara
POV: 1st person
Setting: North Carolina
Small business: toy shop
Crime: theft
Rating: 3/5
There’s a hint of romance in this one.
2) A Man With No Imagination
h: Izzy (and Cousin Penny)
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small business: sewing shop
Crime: murder
Series?: Y
Rating: 5/5
3) The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery
h: Dotty
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small business: Antiques shop
Crime: theft
Series?: Y
Rating: 3/5
4) It Was Our Song
h: Jaye
POV: 1st person
Setting: Vermont
Small business: radio station
Crime: murder
Series?: Y
Rating: 5/5
5) Always and Furever
h: Louisa
POV: 3rd person
Setting: USA, somewhere near or on the west coast
Small business: bookstore
Crime: missing cat
Series?: Y
Rating : 5/5
Who can resist a story with a cat named “Catnip Everdeen”?
6) Wild Irish Dreams
h: Alix
POV: 1st person
Setting: Wyoming
Small business: Art Gallery
Crime: theft and kidnapping
Series?: N
Rating: 3/5
I just couldn’t connect with this one.
7) Architect of a Murder
h: Tara
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Ireland
Small business: architectural salvage
Crime: murder
Series?: N
Rating: 5/5
I thought the mystery was very clever.
8) Blooms and Blackmail
h: Lacey
POV: 1st person
Setting: Port Danby
Small Business: Flower shop
Crime: blackmail and assault
Series?: Y
Rating: 4/5
9) Second-hand murder
h: Maude and Gertrude
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small business: secondhand clothing shop
Crime: murder
Series?: N
Rating: 5/5
I thought that this one was brilliant.
10) The Lady of the House
H: Charles
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small business: real estate agency
Crime: I can’t say without spoilers
Series?: N
Rating: 4/5
11) Requiem for a Violin
h: Mrs.O’Brien
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Ireland
Small Business: Music shop
Crime: murder
Series?: Y
Rating: 4/5
Beginning of a series
12) Nightly Nuisance
h: Sarah
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Massachusetts
Small Business : Quilt shop
Crime: theft
Series?: N
Rating: 3/5
This is a paranormal story
13) The Gift of Dragons
h: Harvey Beckett (female)
POV: 3rd person
Setting: USA (South)
Small Business: bookstore
Crime: Mystery Book
Series?: Y
Rating: 4/5
I’ve read another book by this author and I enjoy his or her work.
14) Nowhere to Hide
h: Sophie
POV: 1st person
Setting: Britain
Small Business: bookstore
Crime: assault
Series?: Y
Rating: 5/5
This story was more of a character study than a mystery, but it was so good that I gave it 5 stars. I’m definitely going to check out more books in this series.
15) Murder in the Bookshop
h: Freya
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Britain
Small Business: bookstore
Crime: murder
Series?: N
Rating: 3/5
I think that this collection would benefit if stronger mysteries opened and closed the book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
lolasreviews's review
I got a free copy from ACF Bookens and am voluntarily reviewing.
I like cozy mysteries and ones set at shops, so when I received a review copy of this book I decided to start at the start.
Don't Toy with Me by Diane Kelly
This was a fun, but short read. I liked the main character and the setting and it was interesting the mystery was about a theft instead of a murder. Unfortunately the story felt a bit rushed, lots of time passed by quickly and then the theft got solved pretty quickly. I also guessed the culprit correctly right away, not that there were many suspects. The toy shop was such a fun theme for the story and I liked reading about it. I just wanted a bit more as it felt a bit rushed and short. I am planning to try one of this author's full length stories.
A Man With No Imagination by Millie Ravensworth
I quite enjoyed this one. It had a clear start and ending and I liked the way it progressed. There was a murder and I liked the way it got resolved despite it not following the traditional cozy mystery format. I liked the way the quilt played a part in the mystery and was instrumental in them figuring out what happened. There wasn't much time to get to know the characters, but this little short story made me curious and I plan to check out this series.
The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery by Victoria Tait
The pacing was quite solid in this one, although the time skip later on was a bit jarring. This mystery is a theft and there was a nice twist at the end. This one did really feel like I was jumping in the middle of the series, with the way the main character knew one of the police officers and called her directly. I thought the robbery plot line worked well for a shorter read and I enjoyed seeing it play out. It was too short to get much of a feel for the main character, but I might be interested in checking out this series.
It Was Our Song by Nikki Knight
I thought it was interesting how the main character ran a radio station, that was unique and not something I've read about before. There was a murder, but not much of a mystery due to the way the truth comes to light pretty early before I even realized what had happened and that it was murder. I thought it was quite nasty and cruel the way this murder took place and it made me feel uncomfortable.
Always and Furever by Eryn Scott
I quite liked this one. I liked the writing style and the pacing and progression of the story. It's clearly part of a series, but written in such a way that it makes me curious about the rest of the series instead of confused. There was a missing cat and the search revealed some interesting tidbits, one related to a side character and the other related to a long ago murder. I enjoyed the story and thought the tie with the past murder worked well. I enjoyed reading this one and the bookshop setting and the presence of multiple cats was a nice touch.
Wild Irish Dreams by Lise McClendon
I didn't really like this one. It felt like I got dropped in the middle of a series and the story felt quite rushed. I did like how it was a complete story and the progression of events made sense and the plot was neatly wrapped up by the end. There is some suspense toward the end and some danger.
Architect of a Murder by Carlene O’Connor
This is probably my favorite story of this anthology so far. I've read a few of Carlene O'Connor's stories in other anthologies and I was looking forward to this story. This one just read really well, there's a clear sense of the situation and who the main character is. Then there is a murder, the main character finds the body and there are three suspects. I also thought it was quite unique in which the murder happened and also how they resolve it. I liked seeing the main character figure it out. The pacing was well done and it kept my attention. It was a very satisfying read and this story only made me more convinced I have to read more of this author's books.
Blooms and Blackmail by London Lovett
Secondhand Murder by J. New
The Lady of the House by Flora McGowan
Requiem for a Violin by Geraldine Moorkens Byrne
Nightly Nuisance by Kathryn Mykel
The Gift of Dragons by ACF Bookens
Nowhere to Hide by Debbie Young
Murder in the Bookshop by Rachel McLean
I like cozy mysteries and ones set at shops, so when I received a review copy of this book I decided to start at the start.
Don't Toy with Me by Diane Kelly
This was a fun, but short read. I liked the main character and the setting and it was interesting the mystery was about a theft instead of a murder. Unfortunately the story felt a bit rushed, lots of time passed by quickly and then the theft got solved pretty quickly. I also guessed the culprit correctly right away, not that there were many suspects. The toy shop was such a fun theme for the story and I liked reading about it. I just wanted a bit more as it felt a bit rushed and short. I am planning to try one of this author's full length stories.
A Man With No Imagination by Millie Ravensworth
I quite enjoyed this one. It had a clear start and ending and I liked the way it progressed. There was a murder and I liked the way it got resolved despite it not following the traditional cozy mystery format. I liked the way the quilt played a part in the mystery and was instrumental in them figuring out what happened. There wasn't much time to get to know the characters, but this little short story made me curious and I plan to check out this series.
The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery by Victoria Tait
The pacing was quite solid in this one, although the time skip later on was a bit jarring. This mystery is a theft and there was a nice twist at the end. This one did really feel like I was jumping in the middle of the series, with the way the main character knew one of the police officers and called her directly. I thought the robbery plot line worked well for a shorter read and I enjoyed seeing it play out. It was too short to get much of a feel for the main character, but I might be interested in checking out this series.
It Was Our Song by Nikki Knight
I thought it was interesting how the main character ran a radio station, that was unique and not something I've read about before. There was a murder, but not much of a mystery due to the way the truth comes to light pretty early before I even realized what had happened and that it was murder. I thought it was quite nasty and cruel the way this murder took place and it made me feel uncomfortable.
Always and Furever by Eryn Scott
I quite liked this one. I liked the writing style and the pacing and progression of the story. It's clearly part of a series, but written in such a way that it makes me curious about the rest of the series instead of confused. There was a missing cat and the search revealed some interesting tidbits, one related to a side character and the other related to a long ago murder. I enjoyed the story and thought the tie with the past murder worked well. I enjoyed reading this one and the bookshop setting and the presence of multiple cats was a nice touch.
Wild Irish Dreams by Lise McClendon
I didn't really like this one. It felt like I got dropped in the middle of a series and the story felt quite rushed. I did like how it was a complete story and the progression of events made sense and the plot was neatly wrapped up by the end. There is some suspense toward the end and some danger.
Architect of a Murder by Carlene O’Connor
This is probably my favorite story of this anthology so far. I've read a few of Carlene O'Connor's stories in other anthologies and I was looking forward to this story. This one just read really well, there's a clear sense of the situation and who the main character is. Then there is a murder, the main character finds the body and there are three suspects. I also thought it was quite unique in which the murder happened and also how they resolve it. I liked seeing the main character figure it out. The pacing was well done and it kept my attention. It was a very satisfying read and this story only made me more convinced I have to read more of this author's books.
Blooms and Blackmail by London Lovett
Secondhand Murder by J. New
The Lady of the House by Flora McGowan
Requiem for a Violin by Geraldine Moorkens Byrne
Nightly Nuisance by Kathryn Mykel
The Gift of Dragons by ACF Bookens
Nowhere to Hide by Debbie Young
Murder in the Bookshop by Rachel McLean
sweets_reads's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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