A Fraying of Schemes - Perfect for fans of clean, sweet fiction

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Blythe Baker’s A Fraying of Schemes is a delightful historical cozy mystery that’s both easy to read and sweet in tone, even while centering on a murder. This third installment of the Dickinson Sisters Mysteries finds Iris and Lily staying at a hotel while their home is under repair—a temporary inconvenience that quickly turns into something far more sinister when a guest is found dead.

 

 

About the Book: A Fraying of Schemes

The historical setting adds an extra layer of charm and atmosphere. Social expectations, reputation, and the rhythms of the time period all shape how the sisters approach their investigation, grounding the mystery in a believable past. I enjoyed the way Baker wove these details into the story without making it feel heavy-handed, the history enhances the plot rather than slowing it down.

BookHookup Review: A Fraying of Schemes 

One of the strongest parts of the book is the interaction between the characters. The bond between the Dickinson sisters is warm and engaging, and their exchanges with the other hotel guests provide both humor and tension. The mystery itself is well-paced, with enough clues dropped along the way to keep me guessing. I found myself actively piecing things together, trying to determine who killed Mr. Igram, and the eventual reveal was satisfying without feeling too predictable.

Overall, A Fraying of Schemes is an enjoyable and accessible read. With its mix of historical flavor, likable characters, and a solid puzzle at its core, it’s a perfect choice for fans of cozy mysteries who enjoy a touch of history alongside their sleuthing.

A Cozy Mystery with Heart: Scraps of Paper

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Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Scraps of Paper (Spookie Town Murder Mysteries Book 1) is more than just a murder mystery—it’s a heartfelt story of loss, resilience, and the unexpected ways new beginnings can unfold.

At the center is Abigail Sutton, a woman grieving the tragic loss of her husband. Hoping to heal, she settles into a quiet small town and purchases an old fixer-upper. But this house carries dark secrets of its own. Hidden scraps of paper—tucked away in walls and floorboards—whisper of a long-ago disappearance that has haunted the town for thirty years. Soon, Abigail uncovers not just clues but graves, drawing her into a decades-old mystery alongside Frank Lester, a retired homicide detective.

What follows is a carefully woven tale where everyday life blends with intrigue. Griffith captures the rhythms of small-town living, the comfort of unexpected friendships, and the healing power of community, all while layering in suspense. A touch of the paranormal adds an atmospheric chill without overwhelming the cozy, slice-of-life feel. And threaded through the tension is a quiet, believable spark of romance between Abigail and Frank—two wounded souls finding solace in one another while chasing justice.

For readers who enjoy mysteries that are as much about people as they are about crimes, Scraps of Paper offers a satisfying mix. It’s a cozy mystery with heart, rich in atmosphere, and anchored by a heroine whose compassion makes her both relatable and inspiring.

Cozy mystery filled with layers of enigmas to unravel

John J. Delaney’s murder mystery, A Dangerous Fossil (a Jurassic Jemma Mystery), is set in the small coastal town of Lulcombe, England where two-hundred-year-old seams of fossil-filled rocks from the early Jurassic period attract fossil hunters and tourists. When native-born, 43-year-old Jemma Thorne and her Springer Spaniel, Dino, head out to scour the beach for fossils following a storm, she has no idea how it will change her life. 

Dressed in heavy boots and a long-waxed coat she steps out into the dark of a windy, rainy early morning with her rucksack, dog, and hopes of beating the local fossil hunters to what the waves have kicked up on shore. Dino’s barking draws her attention to a large section of cliff that slipped during the storm, and Jemma makes a lifetime discovery. A plesiosaur skull. And it gets better. The whole skeleton is preserved. And it is huge. A major find. “Jurassic Jemma” is excited. Not only will it put Lulcombe on the map but it will also save the museum from being bought out and replaced by a large development that would ruin the sleepy little town. But time is not on her side. The tide is rising.

A Dangerous Fossil book review

This cozy mystery murder takes place in the museum. Delaney masterfully weaves a tangle of complicated relationships linking several people with possible motives in this entertaining whodunit. Jemma’s independent lifestyle becomes cramped with surveillance. All she wants is her independence back. When the police can’t come up with answers, Jemma makes a plan of her own. It puts her life at risk, but she’s willing to take the chance if she can get her life back and, if she’s lucky, get “Plessie” back in the process.

A Dangerous Fossil features a strong independent female protagonist in Jemma Thorne. Fossils are her passion and her home life as a divorced, single mom with a college-aged daughter and detective boyfriend let her personality, independence, strengths, and weaknesses shine. I recommend this page-turner to fans of cozy mysteries, detective novels, and soft-boiled mysteries. If you enjoyed reading the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths or Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie, this book is for you. Delaney provides plenty of neatly packaged clues for readers to follow. A Dangerous Fossil is a five-star cozy mystery winner filled with layers of enigmas and secrets ready to be unraveled. 

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer, and I received a free review copy of this book and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About author John Delaney

 Since 1999 John has written plots for thirty murder mystery party games (boxed and downloadable) with worldwide sales in excess of 100,000 copies, mainly in the UK and USA.

John has written three musicals (Directions, Dream Home and 68 The Musical ) and a pantomime. He has also written an opera called Tir na Nog and one of the arias from the opera, This Mortal Man, was included on the composer's album which reached number 1 on the Classical charts in the UK and number 18 on the USA Billboard chart.

A Dangerous Fossil is John’s first novel and features sassy fossil hunter ‘Jurassic’ Jemma Thorne. A tale of discovery, greed and murder set on Dorset’s Jurassic coast.