Dollycas’s Best Reads of 2024

Dollycas’s Best Reads of 2024

2024 was a fantastic year in books!

I only read 1 book that was a real stinker and only a few received 3-stars. 

The books on this list were my favorites; I would have given them more than 5 stars.
I see I use the word compelling a lot.

 

The Lace Widow (An Eliza Hamilton Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (December 12, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 163910528X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639105281
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BY7WBKRB

Could Alexander Hamilton be at the center of a vast murder plot engulfing Old New York? As his widow, Eliza, pieces together the puzzle, she unearths a heartbreaking secret that threatens to tear her family apart.

New York, 1804. America’s beloved Alexander Hamilton lies dead after a duel with Aaron Burr. Meanwhile, Eliza Hamilton’s eighteen-year-old son, Alexander Jr., was seen fighting with a man in a tavern the night before his father’s duel and quickly comes under suspicion for murder when the man turns up dead.

Eliza searches for ways to clear her son’s name, even as she is grieving, but as she combs through her late husband’s papers, she finds evidence of a plot to steal money from the government during his tenure as secretary of state. Hamilton was accused of stealing that money, and it was a scandal that almost broke the family—but is Eliza now holding proof of Alexander’s innocence?

Deep in debt and despair, with eight children to support, Eliza turns to selling her handmade lace—and is drawn into a mysterious network of widow lacemakers who are intimately connected to New York’s high-society families. They know their dead husbands’ secrets—and soon, Eliza begins to piece together the truth.

There’s a dark plot connected with the duel, as one by one, witnesses to the bout are being killed. Now, Eliza must not only clear her husband’s and son’s names but keep herself out of the killer’s sights.

You can read my review here.

Murder in the Tea Leaves (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
27th in Series
Setting – South Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (March 5, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593200985
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593200988
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C777ZCXN

It’s Lights, Action, Murder as tea maven Theodosia Browning scrambles for clues in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

When Theodosia Browning reads the tea leaves on the set of the movie, Dark Fortunes, things go from spooky to worse. Lights are dimmed, the camera rolls, and red hot sparks fly as the film’s director is murdered in a tricky electrical accident.

Or was it an accident? Though the cast and crew are stunned beyond belief, nobody admits to seeing a thing. And when Theodosia’s friend, Delaine, becomes the prime suspect, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. But who among this Hollywood cast and crew had murder on their mind? The screenwriter is a self-centered pothead, the leading actress is trying to wiggle out of her contract, the brand new director seems indifferent, and nobody trusts the slippery-when-dry Hollywood agent.

Between hosting a Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea, a Poetry Tea, and trying to launch her own chocolate line, Theodosia doggedly hunts down clues and explores the seemingly haunted Brittlebank Manor where the murder took place. And just when she’s ready to pounce, a Charleston Film Board member is also murdered, throwing everything into total disarray. But this clever killer will go to any lengths to hide his misdeeds as Theodosia soon finds out when she and her tea sommelier, Drayton, get caught up in a dangerous stakeout.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

You can read my review here.

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties
Humorous American Literature
Asian American Literature & Fiction
3rd in Series
Setting – Indonesia
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (March 26, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593546210
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593546215
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9GXTY1H

What should have been a family celebration of Chinese New Year descends into chaos when longtime foes crash the party in this hilariously entertaining novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

After an ultra-romantic honeymoon across Europe, Meddy Chan and her husband Nathan have landed in Jakarta to spend Chinese New Year with her entire extended family. Chinese New Year, already the biggest celebration of the Lunar calendar, gets even more festive when a former beau of Second Aunt’s shows up at the Chan residence bearing extravagant gifts—he’s determined to rekindle his romance with Second Aunt and the gifts are his way of announcing his courtship.

His grand gesture goes awry however, when it’s discovered that not all the gifts were meant for Second Aunt and the Chans—one particular gift was intended for a business rival to cement their alliance and included by accident. Of course, the Aunties agree that it’s only right to return the gift—after all, anyone would forgive an honest mistake, right? But what should have been a simple retrieval turns disastrous and suddenly Meddy and the Aunties are helpless pawns in a decades-long war between Jakarta’s most powerful business factions. The fighting turns personal, however, when Nathan and the Aunties are endangered and it’s up to Meddy to come up with a plan to save them all.  Determined to rescue her loved ones, Meddy embarks on an impossible mission—but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is truly impossible…

You can read my review here.

The Witless Protection Program (A Catering Hall Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – New York
Kensington Cozies (March 26, 2024)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496744624
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496744623
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9W8W668

Mia Carina has steered her Italian-American family’s Astoria, Queens, catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor, into becoming the borough’s premiere party site, and nothing could make her happier—except her boyfriend proposing. There’s just one presumed-dead obstacle in the way . . .

A strong, independent woman and respected entrepreneur, Mia never imagined she’d pine for a marriage proposal. Yet lately, with her beloved Shane, she’s on tenterhooks. It’s especially surprising, considering Mia’s first husband, Adam, was a philandering grifter, assumed lost-at-sea after a boating disaster. But everyone knows what happens when you assume . . .

While working a huge wedding expo in Manhattan, Mia is shocked to spot the man who nearly destroyed her life. The one who’s supposed to be sleeping with the fishes. But she loses him in the crowd. And when it happens again the next day, it’s time for an emergency meeting with the family—and the Family. Because if Adam is alive, Mia is still married . . .

Everyone wants Adam dead. Everyone except Mia. She’s dealt with enough police for a lifetime. Mia needs to be a divorcée, not a widow. But someone out there disagrees, and if Mia doesn’t discover who, she may never be free to marry Shane—or anyone else . . .

Italian recipes included!

You can read my review here.

Think Twice (Myron Bolitar)
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
12th in Series
Setting – Across the U.S.
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing (May 14, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1538756315
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1538756317
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CKTVJ3M9

A man presumed dead is suddenly wanted for murder in this thriller of secrets, lies, and dangerous conspiracies that threaten to cover up the truth.

Three years ago, sports agent Myron Bolitar gave a eulogy at the funeral of his client, renowned basketball coach Greg Downing. Myron and Greg had history: initially as deeply personal rivals, and later as unexpected business associates. Myron made peace and moved on – until now, when two federal agents walked into his office, demanding to know where Greg Downing is.

According to the agents, Greg is still alive—and has been placed at the scene of a double homicide, making him their main suspect. Shocked, Myron needs answers.

Myron and Win, longtime friends and colleagues, set out to find the truth, but the more they discover about Greg, the more dangerous their world becomes.  Secrets, lies, and a murderous conspiracy that stretches back into the past churn at the heart of Harlan Coben’s blistering new novel.

You can read my review here.

Breach: A Terrifying Summer Adventure
Psychological Thriller
Setting – Off the coast of California
Publisher ‏ : ‎Independently Published (March 22, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 202 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8320606989
Digital: Wicked Story Telling (June 20, 2024)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CQYXJ3T1

Craving the vastness of the open sea, Kate and her family set out on a journey of forgiveness and healing aboard Ryan’s Gift, their newly remodeled yacht. After a tragic accident, it’s imperative that Kate returns to the ocean, the place she once called home, in an attempt to restore her spirit.

In the middle of their idyllic voyage, the nightmare begins. With no power or communication, a monster lurks below the surface and the family must find a way to defeat the darkness before it destroys them.

Experience this gripping story of a family’s fight for survival and a terrifying reckoning from the deep.

You can read my review here.

Queen of Hearts:
A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist
Domestic Thriller
Setting – West Virginia
Publisher ‏ : ‎ WoodHaven Press (July 23, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 230 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8987556962
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D64RDGRY
Audiobook ASIN B0D9KR7NN6

Her readers love her…
but one has gotten a little too attached.

Alexandra Dubois, a NYT bestselling author, has made a name for herself by crafting twisted serial killers in her romantic suspense series. When threatening notes from an “invested reader” escalate into violence, Alex has to admit she’s not safe in her own home. Although her autism makes any changes to her routine difficult, she reluctantly accepts her editor’s advice to fly to his sprawling vacation home in West Virginia so she can focus on her looming deadline.

Fighting paranoia that the stalker has discovered her mountain hideaway, Alex still forces herself to write several chapters in her novel. But when a thunderstorm leaves her stranded and she hears a knock at her door, she’s about to discover that life truly is stranger than fiction.

You can read my review here.

Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (October 22, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496748174
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496748171
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CTDKHJ4G

Featuring twin hooks that cozy readers can’t get enough of—classic books and delicious food—this new series from the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of several much loved series, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the French Bistro Mysteries, is a delicious treat for mystery lovers, especially fans of Ellery Adams, Krista Davis, and Lauren Elliott.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more.

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues.

With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .

You can read my review here.

Murder at the Lemonberry Tea (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Michigan
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (November 26, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-13: 9781496747402
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CWLHGYCZ

Lindsey Bakewell’s iconic lighthouse bakeshop in beautiful Beacon Harbor, Michigan, is hosting a celebrity cookbook author from the UK—but the notorious diva is now DOA . . .

Lindsey’s patrons have a new outdoor patio where they can eat their treats in the glorious summer weather. But even more exciting is that the Beacon Bakeshop is going to host British celebrity chef Vivi Lemonberry—and what could be a more appropriate event than a tea party?

What Lindsey didn’t realize is that Vivi is here to put some distance between herself and her recent professional and personal scandals. Despite assurances that Vivi is as sweet as a chocolate-dipped strawberry, Lindsey is cooling rapidly toward the culinary icon . . . especially after she banishes Lindsey’s beloved dog, Wellington, from the bakeshop and then flirts outrageously with Lindsey’s boyfriend.

She’s not the only one feeling hostile, though. While Vivi’s in the middle of making a tart in front of the cameras, a woman runs up and slaps her. Soon, Vivi’s nowhere to be found, and folks are speculating on whether she’s run off with her secret lover or just laying low due to embarrassment. That is, until Lindsey finds a body bobbing near the surface of Lake Michigan. It’s a sour ending for the diva, but Lindsey is determined to squeeze the truth out of every clue until she finds the killer . . .

You can read my review here.

What were your favorite books this year?
Please share them in the comment section below so we can all see them and add them to our wish lists!

Books are arriving for 2025 and my January calendar is already packed.
I am excited about new series starting, new books in established series, new authors, and new-to-me authors, and I am curious to see what my favorites have up their sleeves for their characters.

I hope you will continue to come back to Escape With Dollycas for Book Reviews, Book Tours, Book Recommendations & Giveaways too!

I love being your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent!

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