Showing posts with label Lena Gregory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lena Gregory. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

GROUNDS FOR MURDER : Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries by Lena Gregory, Read by Eleanor McCormick


Audio Book Book Blast 

Grounds for Murder: Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series 
Setting – Watchogue, Long Island, New York 
Audiobook (May 21, 2024) 
Publisher – Tantor Audio 
Listening Length – 6 hours and 55 minutes 
ASIN : B0D324Q1S7 
Audio CD ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CZ2KWM4M 
Gemma Halliday Publishing (November 21, 2023) 
 
About the Book

From author Lena Gregory comes a tasty new mystery with a killer twist… 

Danika Delaney is thrilled to have taken over her uncle Jimmie’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island and is working hard to make it her own. In an effort to increase business, Danika invites a mystery writer to the Coffee & Cream Café for a discussion and book signing. Things seem to be going well, until a guest shows up and confronts the author, accusing him of plagiarizing his work. 

Embarrassed by the incident, Danika goes to the inn where the writer is staying the following morning, hoping to apologize and offer him another chance to return. What she finds instead is his dead body—beside a cup of poisoned coffee! Now it’s up to Danika to find out who wanted to silence the author… before the killer decides to write Danika a not-so-happy ending! 

About the Author

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. 

Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links 


Purchase Links


Audiobook Coming Soon!

Release Date June 25, 2024




Monday, March 4, 2024

Book Review: DOUBLE SCOOP OF MURDER (A Coffee & Cream Mystery) by Lena Gregrory


Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – New York
Gemma Halliday Publishing (February 27, 2024)
Number of Pages 226
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CKV7QQB8
About the Book

From author Lena Gregory comes a hunt for more than just treasure… 

Danika Delany is loving running her uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island and putting her own modern spin on the treats they serve. Life is finally looking up for her! That is, until local billionaire Maxwell Crumbholtz dies and leaves his fortune in the form of a treasure hunt. Chaos descends on Watchogue, and Dani and the rest of the gang from the Coffee & Cream Café join the melee when they enter the contest, try to decipher the clues, and go in search of the treasure. 

But Dani digs up more than she expected when she discovers a dead body buried instead of a treasure! To make matters worse, a witness claims to have seen Dani at the scene of the murder. Now, instead of a four-billion-dollar payday, Dani is on the hunt for a killer. 

Book Review 

Crumbholtz fortune is up for grabs with the winner of the treasure hunt to get it all. Between the brothers who thought they'd be rich and the promise of a relationship with Jake who doesn't want Dani involved in any more murders, she wants nothing to do with the treasure hunt. Her sister,  and Eli have other ideas. Then as they follow clues, she's finds a dead body.

This was a fun cozy, with well-developed characters, and enough twists and turns to keep my interest. The story moves along and the community has enough "personalities" to make it interesting. As expected from Gregory, she has all the components of a cozy mystery all wrapped up nicely. Although this is the third in the series, it was easily read as a stand alone. Now, to go back and read the others.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way. 

Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo

Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries
Murder a la Mode
Grounds for Murder
Douple Scoop of Murder

About the Author

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York. 

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime. 

Author Links 
Newsletter ~  Website  ~ Facebook   

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Thursday, August 10, 2023

Spotlight: MURDER A LA MODE - A Coffee & Cream Mystery Book 1 by Lena Gregory


Murder A La Mode (Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries) 
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series 
Setting – New York 
Gemma Halliday Publishing 
(August 8, 2023)  
Number of Pages 230 
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C2LH144G 

From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new series that will warm your heart and leave you guessing until the very end…

About the Book 

When twenty-five-year-old Danika Delaney, black sheep of the Delaney clan, returns home to Long Island to take over Jimmie’s, her eccentric uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island, she’s not exactly thrilled. But things start to look up when her uncle tells her she can do whatever she’d like with the shop, and it seems she might realize her dream of a small trendy café. 

That is, until she discovers the body of her ex-boyfriend’s estranged wife in a melted puddle of rocky road in the malt shop basement. With her two sidekicks, her sister and a good childhood friend, in tow, Dani searches for–or stumbles upon—one clue after another. But as she narrows down the suspect list, she realizes if she’s not careful she may end up in a puddle of her own. 

About the Author 

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of Central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime. 

Author Links 

Twitter:  

Purchase Links  






Friday, December 24, 2021

Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa 2021

From my home to yours, may your holiday season be healthy and happy, regardless of what you celebrate or observe. As a reader, I continue to "escape" the pandemic and the confines through books. What about you? Here are some of the newest Christmas cozy mysteries I found this year - several are on my TBR list. Definitely not all that are out there. Feel free to leave your favorites in the comments! (I'll add them to my list for next year!) Note: Descriptions are shortened versions from Amazon.


Cottage on Gooseberry Bay: Santa Who? (A Gooseberry Bay Mystery) by Kathi Daley. Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She'd come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who'd both rescued and raised her. 
And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.


Christmas Dessert Murder (A Hannah Swenson Mystery) by Joanne Fluke. It's Christmas in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and there's no better way to enjoy the holidays than by cozying up to two Hannah Swenson yuletide mysteries with a plateful of goodies from the Cookie Jar Bakery. Yes, two Christmas stories. Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!

Tangled Up in Tinsel (A Kenni Lowry Mystery) by Tonya Kappes. Don't get your tinsel in a tangle... It's Christmastime in Cottonwood, Kentucky, and Sheriff Kenni Lowry is determined to keep the peace. Plus, the snowstorm of the century is headed right toward Cottonwood, leaving the residents in a frantic frenzy and potentially derailing Kenni’s Christmas plans with Finn. There's been a murder and there's a tinsel wrapped victim at the center of it. 


Slashing Through the Snow (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery) by Jacqueline Frost. Reindeer Games Christmas Tree Farm is going into the B&B business and Holly White is looking forward to her new role as innkeeper. But a cold wind ruffles the cheery holiday decorations when a new guest checks in - Karen.The short December days turn even darker when Evan and Libby find Karen's dead body in the gift-wrapped toy donation box.


Mistletoe Cake Murder (All Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery Book 6) by Lena Gregory. 'Tis the season for celebrating when Gia Morelli's holidays include both a wedding and yuletide festivities. Until someone naughty delivers a most unwanted Christmas gift - murder. Gia’s caterer friends are the prime suspects in what appears to be murder by poisoning. Includes recipes from the All-Day Breakfast Café!


The Twelve Jays of Christmas (A Meg Langslow Mystery) by Donna Andrews. Meg and Michael's annual holiday celebration is well underway, with a throng of out-of-town relatives staying at their house. Hosting these festivities is a little harder than usual - they have to relocate all the events normally held in their library, currently occupied by Roderick Castlemayne, the irascible wildlife artist...


Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery) by Darci Hannah. Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop cafe owner Lindsey Bakewell is ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe...


Twisted Tea Christmas (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs. Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are catering a Victorian Christmas party at a swanky mansion in downtown Charleston. Drucilla Heyward, the hostess is one of the wealthiest women in town. Theodosia finds her crumpled unconscious in the hallway... a syringe sticking out of her neck.


It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder (A Catering Hall Mystery) by Maria DiRico. Astoria, Queens, is decorated within an inch of its life for the Christmas season, and Mia Carina is juggling her job at the Belle View with a case of murder. Amid the holiday celebrations, she intends to find out who's the guilty party... Italian recipes included.

Fleece Navi Dead (A Kiki Lowenstein Mystery) by Joanna Campbell Slan. Every holiday season, Kiki Lowenstein plans 12 days of classes, her Holiday Craft Extravaganza. And every year, it nearly kills her. As the holiday season approaches, Kiki over-schedules herself and winds up running herself ragged. To make life more stressful, she must fend off a stalker.


A Lost Claus (A Christmas Cozy Mystery) by Mona Maple. As Christmas approaches in Candy Cane Hollow, it's time for the annual Claus family ice fishing trip. Holly Wood (yes, that's her real name) is a ball of nerves about meeting all of Nick Claus' relatives, until the trip ends in disaster. This is the third book in the series.

Nothing strike your fancy? Here's another selection of Cozy Christmas cozies (old and new) to consider.







Sunday, October 10, 2021

Blog Tour and Book Review: MISTLETOE CAKE MURDER (All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery #6) by Lena Gregory



Synopsis

’Tis the season for celebrating when Gia Morelli’s holidays include both a wedding and yuletide festivities. Until someone naughty delivers a most unwanted Christmas gift—murder. . . 

For a native New Yorker, palm trees and warm temperatures don’t equal winter, much less Christmastime. Nevertheless, Gia Morelli’s friends have decked the halls and trimmed the trees to truly welcome her into their “family” with an old-fashioned Boggy Creek, Florida holiday season. Even more joyous, Savannah Mills is getting married on Christmas Eve—the greatest gift Gia could ever wish for her best friend. 

But when Gia and Savannah stop by the caterer for a final tasting a week before the wedding, they overhear another bride arguing with her son about her husband-to-be. Moments later, the woman is sampling a piece of wedding cake—gorgeously decorated with mistletoe frosting—then suddenly dies. Now Gia’s caterer friends are the prime suspects in what appears to be murder by poisoning. To clear their names and ensure Savannah has a merry matrimony will require Gia to conjure up a Christmas miracle . . . Includes recipes from the All-Day Breakfast Café! 

Review

Getting ready for her best friend's wedding and Christmas with no family is hard enough for Gia, and then there's a murder. With the cake shop closed for the investigation, Gia finds an alternative location, determined not only to find the killer, but to ensure Savannah's fairy tale wedding. Savannah and Gia both help with the investigation, especially after a second murder, not totally supported by Hunt and Leo, both police in Boggy Station. Adding to the confusion, is the presence of ecology-minded people who disagree with decisions being made in the town. That adds to the list of suspects, along with someone trying to break into the cafe.

Like Gia and Savannah, as I read this, I came to appreciate the small town of Boggy Station and the close knit friendships of Gia and her friends. The story moves at a good pace, with tension, twists, and turns. The characters are wonderful, with a few exceptions, and the mystery unfolds to a logical conclusion and HEA wedding for Savannah and Leo. It is the 6th in the series, but can be read as a stand alone. Of course, then, like me, you might need to go back and read the earlier ones.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way. 

About Lena Gregory 

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime. 

Author Links 

Amazon  

Purchase Links  

Google Play  - GoodReads Link Includes recipes from the All-Day Breakfast Café!



Saturday, May 1, 2021

Blog Tour and Spotlight: WHOLE LATTE MURDER - An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery by Lena Gregory

Synopsis

Ex-New Yorker and local diner owner Gia Morelli is still getting used to the sweltering Florida sun. But this summer she’ll have to deal with a more dangerous kind of heat—when she’s hot on the trail of another murderer . . . 

Summer in Boggy Creek has arrived, and Gia’s best friend, successful real estate agent Savannah, is getting hitched. Now she’s enlisted Gia’s sleuthing talents in a desperate search for the perfect wedding dress. But when Savannah mysteriously vanishes after showing a mansion to a bigwig client, Gia investigates the house Savannah was trying to sell. The first clue she finds is Savannah’s car in the driveway. Inside the house, they stumble on Savannah’s potential buyer—dead. Someone had apparently closed the deal—with a two by four full of nails to the client’s head. Soon afterward, a woman’s body is fished from the lake near the same house. The townsfolk are now sweating bullets over the murders, and the heat comes down on poor Gia to find her missing friend, and track down the killer . . .

About the Author

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest. 

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime. 

To learn more about Lena and her latest writing endeavors, visit her website and be sure to sign up for her newsletter 

Author Links 

Amazon Author Page

Purchase Links

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Kobo      Kensington  

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Blog Tour and Spotlight: A WAFFLE LOT OF MURDER All Day Breakfast Café Murder by Lena Gregory

 

      

 

     Synopsis          

For diner owner Gia Morelli, her seasonal fall menu calls for two main ingredients—maple syrup and murder . . .

While the first hints of autumn grace Boggy Creek, Florida, Gia misses the colorful harvest traditions she left behind in New York. On a scramble to make new fall memories—and promote her irresistible pumpkin spice waffles—things take a dark turn when she gets roped into the Haunted Town Festival, a spooky celebration held on deserted farmlands. The desolate area conjures plenty of eerie vibes at night, but Gia and her best friend, Savannah, are nearly frightened to death upon the discovery of the event organizer’s body buried in the nearby woods. More alarming, the local rumor mill says the woman’s shady dealings may have egged someone into sending her to an early grave. Now, there’s no shortage of creepy clues to feast on as Gia and her pals try to stop a killer with a very scary appetite . . .

Includes recipes from the All-Day Breakfast Café!

         About Lena Gregory 

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest. Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island. She recently relocated to Clermont, Florida with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.  

Author Links Newsletter: http://lenagregory.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9765d0711ed4fab4fa31b16ac&id=49d42335d1 

Website: http://www.lenagregory.com/ 


Purchase Links 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
October 6 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
October 6 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT October 7 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT 
October 7 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
October 8 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST 
October 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT 
October 9 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW 
October 9 – Christa Reads and Writes- SPOTLIGHT 
October 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT 
October 10 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW October 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
October 11 – Moonlight Rendezvous - REVIEW 
October 12 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW 
October 12 – Ms. Cat's Honest World – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
October 12 – Thoughts in Progress – SPOTLIGHT 
October 13 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT 
October 13 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
October 14 – Diane Reviews Books - REVIEW 
October 14 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
October 15 – Baroness' Book Trove – GUEST POST 
October 15 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – RECIPE 
October 16 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW 
October 16 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST 
October 17 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW 
October 17 – Christy's Cozy Corners - REVIEW 
October 18 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
October 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW 
October 19 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT