Book Review : Christmas cozy... Organized for Christmas Wishes (Organized Mysteries)

In the spirit of the season, I have a number of Christmas books and novellas to share with you, starting with this one. 

About Organized for Christmas Wishes

Christmas is days away, but a puzzling mystery leaves residents in Hazelton, Vermont wondering about more than what presents are wrapped and under the tree... 

Kate & Meg are making their lists and checking them twice, trying to finish all their Christmas tasks on time and stress free. However, things take an unexpected turn when they find a mystery in their hometown. 

This year, there's a Secret Santa who's keeping everyone wondering who the mysterious benefactor is, why the goodwill is suddenly coming to town, and if more surprises are on the way. What is this benefactor's true motive? There might not be a murder to solve this time, but there is a festive mystery that grows bigger each day--and the organizing duo keep a-sleuthing... 

Organized for Christmas Wishes is a holiday novelette in the popular Organized Mysteries series from USA TODAY bestselling author Ritter Ames. The series features a small town New England setting and interesting characters, along with humor, strong family and friendship ties, and absorbing cozy mysteries.

Review

Kate and Meg have their hands full with the cookie exchange - one larger than I've ever heard of. This was a fun "mystery" and Ted is an interesting character. There are a few not so fun characters, and the twins, Sam and Suze, add to the family friendly story of kindness without recognition.  If you've enjoyed the "Organized" series, you will like this one. New to the series? No worries. This is easily read as a stand-alone, and will give you a taste of the characters. Beware, though, you might get hooked and have to read the rest! Best yet? This short Christmas story is FREE.

Amazon

Book Review: MARKED MASTERS : A Bodies of Art Mystery Book 2 by Ritter Ames

Synopsis

Laurel Beacham made working solo a personal success story and is known for her nerve, instincts, and ability to do whatever necessary to return each priceless masterpiece safely intact. As the world’s leading art recovery expert, she’s thwarted more heists than the average law enforcement professional. Museums applaud her skills. Thieves admire the cunning way she operates.

Her last job landed her the head position over the London branch of Beacham Foundation, but bringing one case to a close only opened a bigger one. More importantly, the new case inextricably ties her to Jack Hawkes, a man smart enough to be her equal but who keeps her trust meter firmly in the red zone. Trying to stop a rumored heist of the century, the pair leap headlong into a plot that gets more dangerous and illusive by the minute. The clock counts down as the bodies and forgeries stack up.

Review

Laurel is an art critic with a very interesting sideline - she reclaims stolen art but not through the usual channels. She much prefers to work alone, but she is forced to work with Jack, who infuriates her. He wants it all his way and that is an obvious trait she can take issue with, but she also has developed feelings for him. Laurel has some trust issues that are great for her job, but not so great for building relationships. And Jack is as slippery and cunning as can be.

Ames has created a complicated plot with twists and turns taking the reader from Florida to London and on to Florence. This could be read as a stand alone, however, there are references to the first in the series so you might want to start there. Bottom line? If you like other works by Ames, you will definitely like Marked Masters and likely the others in this series. 

The Bodies of Art Mystery Series by Ritter Ames:
COUNTERFEIT CONSPIRACIES (#1)
MARKED MASTERS (#2)
ABSTRACT ALIASES (#3)
FATAL FORGERIES (#4)

Review: ORGANIZED FOR MURDER by Ritter Ames

Synopsis

The right business hook is the most important criteria for success, and Kate McKenzie thinks she’s found a perfect one. As an organizational expert, Kate knows Americans are running out of space and money, and renting more storage units is usually not the best solution. Starting an organizational business, Stacked in Your Favor, in her new hometown of Hazelton, Vermont seems like an answer to her family’s budget problems and an answer to southern Vermonters’ prayers. Business looks good when she snags collector, Amelia Nethercutt, as her first client, signing on to organize the wealthy woman’s eccentrically-filled mansion. But things take a turn beyond chaos when Amelia is murdered and Kate’s fingerprints are found on the poison that killed her.

Review

This is the first in a new series featuring Kate, organizer extraordinaire.  She has many good tips for how to organize and thinks this is the niche for her.  She no sooner gets the contract to "organize" (really inventory) a large old estate and the person who hired her, Amelia, is killed.  It ends up that Amelia was concerned about antique pieces that seem to go missing, some of which she had found being sold in a near by antique shop.  Someone is trying to frame Kate.  Her only solution to being framed and staying in business is to keep the job and do the inventory for the estate.  There are a lot of suspects, and organized as she is, Kate keeps a casebook of all the tidbits she finds out and her own suspicions.  Interesting new take on cozy mystery setting.