Leslie Keller Books

Here are some new mysteries released on Amazon in the last thirty days. These are randomly selected and in no particular order. My search included those new mysteries which had an amateur sleuth and were listed as humorous. This doesn't necessarily limit the list to cozy mysteries but it should weed out some of those which are too far out of the genre. Shot in the Dark (A Coffehouse Mystery) by Cleo Coyle At $13.99 for the Kindle version this better be a great book. Reading the book description leaves me unimpressed. I hope the book is packed with more excitement than it appears.   A new smartphone dating game turns the Village Blend into a hookup hot spot, until one dark night, when a gunshot leaves a dead body behind and the landmark coffeehouse becomes the center of a whole new scene--a crime scene.     As Village Blend manager Clare Cosi attempts to finalize a date for her wedding, her ex-husband becomes addicted to making dates through smartphone swipes. Clare ha

“I gave up on happily ever after. Maybe I'm not cut out for a relationship. Maybe, I just don't like being committed to one person for longer than two weeks.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clare hadn't been to her grandfather's farm since his death six months prior. She pulled over on the dirt road just before the driveway which meandered up to the dilapidated ranch-style house. Even with her windows up, the smell of hay made her hold her nose to suppress a sneeze.  The incessant clucking of the chickens, as they roamed the yard pecking at insects set her teeth on edge.  She wondered for the hundredth time that day why her granny remained so far from town.  She took a deep breath, sneezed and put the car in drive. The rental car bumped over the ruts in the driveway. Clare shook her head.  It was another thing to be fixed if she was going to sell the property. No doubt Granny would give her some pushback but Clare had to work for a living and Granny would have to adapt. 

What do you think of when you think of a cowboy? As a woman, I think muscles, chaps, horses and romance. As a man, I would guess the only common thread would be the horses.  As cowboys are on my mind, I thought it would be interesting to check Amazon to see how many romance novels have cowboys as part of the storyline.  As of right now, there are 20,000 results for "cowboy romance". At the top of the search results, Buck Me Cowboy: A Secret Baby Romance by Cassandra Dee. I couldn't have imagined a more interesting title!  Not only does the title intrigue me simply for its outlandish allure but the book has over 300 reviews. It raises the question in my mind - why am I not reading cowboy romance? Moving on (deep sigh) from Buck Me Cowboy, the titles do not become less interesting. There is Inheriting the Virgin: A Western Cowboy Romance by Joanna Blake and Bella Love-Wins, Cowboy's Fake Fiancée: A Single Dad & A Virgin Romance (Lucky Flats Ranchers Book 1 by

I make no secret of my love for Arizona - the weather is amazing, the desert speaks to me and I find I've never been happier than when I'm here.  When time permits and the sun isn't toasting me to the extreme you can find me walking or hiking through the desert.  This is a hike up Tom's Thumb in the McDowell Mountains and is one of my favorite places. To get here you can take the long route from the Gateway loop in the McDowell Mountain park. That trek is more than eight miles one way. If you want to cheat just a little, drive around to the north side of the mountain and hike it from there. Be forewarned that the road to the parking area can be rough so don't drive a car with low clearance. You will still get a difficult hike but without having the same distance. The trek is worth the effort as the views on the path to the summit are almost as fantastic as the peak itself. Bring plenty of water because none is available on the route. Happy T

In this installment of crazy criminals, we look back at an article in the BBC News on April 4, 2016, which goes to show you the U.S. doesn't have the market on crazy completely covered.  These are just a few of the cases in the article by Emma Ailes. Armed robber Andrew Hennells was caught after he boasted on Facebook about his plans to raid a supermarket in a post which included a selfie, a picture of a knife, and the words: "Doing. Tesco. Over." Police caught him 15 minutes later with the knife and £410 in cash stolen from a Tesco in King's Lynn, Norfolk. A retired couple from Lancashire returned home from a holiday in 2014 to discover a burglar fast asleep in their bed. Martin Holtby and Pat Dyson were amazed to find the intruder, Lukasz Chojnowski, had done their dishes, washed his underwear and even bought some groceries. Ms Dyson said their house "wasn't too tidy" when they went away, but Chojnowski - who is originally from Poland but moved to

I have found a new passion and it's called 'sicilan-style' bruschetta. In fact, I'm so in love with one combination in particular I made two trips to the restaurant in less than a week to savor the deliciousness.  The Sicilian Butcher is located in Phoenix on an unassuming corner of a small shopping area. I suspect I drove by it a time or two without even noticing it. That, in itself is a surprise because both nights I've been the restaurant has been popping. The restaurant's specialty is meatballs. You can order the style, the sauce and the bottom.  Meatballs vary from the meatiest (veal, beef and pork) to vegetarian (eggplant). The portions are decent and the prices are not outrageous. Following many other local establishments, the interior is basic and modern with a sizeable garage door which opens to one of the two patio areas. The outside tables have awnings, lights strung above and misters. I would guess interior seating to max out around 100 guests as m

Agatha Frost has written a number of cozy mysteries and this is the first book of ten in this series.  She is an Amazon best seller and also writes the Scarlett Cove Seaside cozies. We are introduced to Julie South as she heads to work in her small town café in the English countryside and gets stuck by her very handsome neighbor's moving van. As it turns out he is also the town's new Detective Inspector and soon there is a murder to solve. To make matters worse, not only is Julia a possible suspect but someone is breaking into her café and stealing baked goods at night. Julia is determined to find out who is responsible for murdering one of her patrons and that leads to clashes with the detective Barker Brown. Ms. Frost mixes the character and suspects well and keeps the action moving at a decent pace. Personally, I find that having the love interest be the detective working the case a bit worn out but she handles it nicely and it's not too rushed. I might read anothe

Spring time brings the opportunity to sip some delicious cold adult beverages while grilling out. One of my all time favorites is Sangria. I think you might enjoy this mix for your next poolside activity. Zephyr Sangria Serves 4 - so double it if you have a thirsty crowd 5 ounces Pinot Noir wine 7 ounces red Vermouth 2 1/2 ounces Cognac 1 1/4 ounces orange Curacao. 5 ounces fresh orange juice - the fresh squeezed is best 1 ounce lemonade 1 ounce ginger beer Orange slices and grapes for garnish Combine the Pinot Noir, Vermouth, Cognac, Curacao, orange juice, lemonade and ginger beer in a large pitcher Let sit in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight Add ice to the pitcher Garnish each drink with orange slices and grapes Remember to always drink responsibly. Cheers Jayne Leslie's Website       Twitter       Instagram       Facebook       Menu for Murder       Cocktails at Sunset