Antiques and Drinks

Antiques and Drinks #1

by K.C. Bellinger

In the small touristy mountain town of Manhattan, Annie's shop is the go-to spot for midday mimosas and vintage trinkets. Life was quiet for the shop owner until Pretty McCandless, a relative of Annie’s missing husband, shows up. Pretty places her heirloom blue and white plate collection on consignment, only to return and snatch the treasures back the next day.

Annie pushes the strange encounter with the woman out of her mind until Ms. McCandless's untimely death. The estranged relative bestows Annie with her remaining estate including the plate collection.

Once Annie unpacks the dishes, she finds the blue images have disappeared. Unfazed by the white porcelain, Annie sticks them into their cardboard box and piles them in her stockroom. Then something strange happens. People and things start to disappear, and Annie is faced with unraveling the mystery.

Luckily, she doesn’t have to do it alone. A witty and well-dressed ghost, Chester Shirley joins Annie to solve the plate fiasco. Little do they know, other people are after Pretty’s treasures, and things turn are about to turn deadly.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, Paranormal, Novella, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy

136 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2023

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on Kindle Vella.
Very entertaining with an assortment of
well created characters.

[Jeff Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Cozy Mystery

I started reading Antiques and Drinks on Vella.
I love everything about this story. Chester is one of my all time favorite book characters.
The story draws me in and leaves me no choice but to binge read. I'm so happy to have an ebook version to reread.
Looking forward to more in this series!

[Rachel Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the character development in this book. That one character, the former HS teacher, I love him! And the cliffhanger - I need more!

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie owns Annie’s Antiques and Drinks. She's waiting for a woman who has some items she wants to sell her plate collection. Amanda McCandless shows up a little late. The next day Amanda or Pretty returns and takes her plates back telling it's not her time. A day or so later a lawyer comes in and tells her her friend Ms McCandless has passed and left her something. He hands her an envelope and tells her not to open it till he's left. But she's also to be at the estate the next morning. She is totally perplexed till he leaves and she can open the envelope. She goes to the estate the next day and looks through the trunks. She has 30 days to decide whether she wants the whole thing or not. The day after she gets help from a couple of boys to move the trunks to her shop after they lug a picture from the high school. That's when she learns that the picture is haunted and the ghost attached to it has come to her shop. Chester Shirley .painted the picture and now haunts it, But he wants back to the school. She agrees to help him. They are going through the trunks when he begins to tell her about Pretty. Totally flabbergasted she listens and still can't understand why she got the plates. Chester isn't saying and she just knows there's more to it. She heads to her apartment above her story to be met by her cat who tells her she's late. WHAT!!!!???? Life has suddenly gotten freaky and well words fail her. She lost her cat and finds a picture on one of the plates. When she looks in the mirror she's years younger. Freaky things are happening and it's up to her to decipher the cryptic notes Pretty left for her. At least Chester is willing to help. Then she finds out that her husband was Pretty's grandson. Her cat, friends, plants and who knows what and who else has disappeared and shown up in the plates. Her plate (pardon the pun) is full. Will she ever get back to normal? And is it possible her husband disappeared into a plate too????
A mystery within a mystery with bits of fun from the resident ghost on occasion.







Chester Shirley.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Ghost, A Genie, and a Curse

Annie runs an antique store that also has a corner coffee/pastry shop in one area. The local high school is holding a fund-raiser and one of the items is a painting from the school. When Annie hangs it in the shop to display for people to look at and buy tickets for, she gets a lot more than just a nice piece of art. It comes complete with a ghost - Chester. He was once a teacher at the school and the artist of the picture.

Chester is a hoot! He’s such a fun character. But that’s not all Annie inherits - a strange woman comes into her shop with a set of plates, then turns around and takes them home. The next thing Annie knows, the woman ends up dead - and leaves her estate to Annie, including the plates, which are cursed. Annie has to solve the problem of the curse, meets a teenage genie, and a hot cop who can also see ghosts.

I really enjoyed this story, but it seemed like too much was happening in a short space. I would have liked to have seen the plot developed a little more fully - but since there was a decent ending, that was good.

Recommended.

[Heather Duvall · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was gifted to me for free to review. My opinion is changed none by the fact it was gifted*

Annie Taylor owns an antique shop, the antique shop also doubles as a bakery, this cozy little shop is home to her and her cat honey. One day a mysterious woman nicknamed Pretty comes to drop off some mysterious plates, but quickly decides that Annie isn’t ready to receive them. Not too long after that Pretty dies in a tragic car accident and Annie finds out she’s the sole inheritor of her estate? Some friends help her move her things into the shop, in exchange for Annie holding onto a painting for a raffle for the local high school. The painting comes at a price though, and his name is Chester. Chester is a ghost and he’s very flamboyant. This book has friendly ghosts, genies, romance, a found family trope, it’s literally anything i could ask for. If you like cozy mystery, give this a read. I can’t believe it doesn’t have more attention.
This book was so cute! I loved it! Such a different thing than I usually read. It’s like if Hallmark made murder mysteries!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie Taylor has taken refuge in her antique store following the mysterious disappearance of her husband and son. Amanda McCandless brings in a set of blue & white plates to put on consignment, then returns the next day to take them back. Annie finds this confusing but puts it out of her mind until Amanda dies and Annie is named her heir. But just what is the connection between Annie & Amanda? And why are the plates now white? Soon strange things start happening, people and things are disappearing, and Annie finds that she can see ghosts. As she tries to unravel this mystery, things turn deadly.

Antiques and Drinks is the first in a cozy paranormal mystery series. Along with the mystery, there’s also the beginning of a sweet second chance romance and found family. Annie is a delightful character and relationship with Detective Tom Collins is endearing. I particularly liked that both Annie & Tom share a paranormal gift so that their relationship doesn’t start with secrets. Chester is a hoot as her unexpected ghostly guest, and I look forward to learning more about her other mysterious guest.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-1/2 stars. Annie sells antiques, drinks & pastries in her shop. Pretty McCandless brings in a blue & white plate collection on consignment, then reclaims them the next day. When Pretty dies unexpectedly, Annie inherits her estate, including the plate collection, which are now plain white. People & things start to disappear from Annie's shop, & Annie must solve the mystery. I enjoyed the unexpected twists & turns to the mystery & the relationships between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[B. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts out as a cozy mystery and ends on the same note, it thoroughly remains in the genre. Do not expect spice or anything majorly triggering within it. That being said if you’re a fan of the cozy this is for you. It’s a warm little adventure in which we see the main character explore something that is left to her without her consent. It causes all kinds of pitfalls and discoveries throughout and is just a really fun little read. It gets a little rushed at the end but the overall enjoyment of the book still brings it around to a solid five stars.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antiques and Drinks is book #1 in the Antiques and Drinks series by KC Bellinger.

This is an entertaining new series. I actually read the 2nd book, Voodoo and Vodka, before reading this. I enjoyed it and reading this one really added detail. Annie’s life changed in ways she could not expect when Pretty McCandless brought in plates for consignment and then picked them back up the next day. This book is full of interesting characters, dead and alive. I recommend this book and series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[monacia williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie Inherits

I was enjoying the time I was spending in reading this book when suddenly I realized that the book was coming to an end! I was wondering if I had omitted some pages but, but no I did not! So, while I liked the beginning and the ending, I felt that the story needed more in the middle
I liked the characters, they were great, Annie, Chester and Tom, as well as the other less dominant ones, Kendra, Angie. Michael's role was a bit complicated as far as the why of his involvement was concerned.
However, not a bad story overall. There were some laughable moments.

[April Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Fun!

Great ghost story, my favorite kind of read! Twists and turns throughout the book make it such an enjoyable experience. The characters were fresh and entertaining, especially the spirit of Chester. I found the combination of Antiques and Drinks intriguing, but the author tied them together perfectly with a big red bow. Highly Recommended for the holidays or anytime one needs a good haunt!

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. Chester for sure helped with the enjoyment, what an awesome and hilarious ghost! He wasn’t the only ghost—the other one was pretty cool too and then there was a cantankerous one in the high school library, but he just hung out there. There were so many wild ‘n crazy things going on, it was hard to put the Kindle down. I had no idea who the killer was. After the outcome of this book, I’m eager to get started reading the next book.

[Charlene (pageandplace) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy up with this fun ghost story! Drink it up with each cocktail and drink titled chapter as you delve into the mystery of Pretty McCandless’ china.

Very quick read. There’s no fuss or muss, no spice, just a cutesy mystery to be solved in a flash! Easy to enjoy!

Thank you to the author, KC Bellinger, and Booksprout for the opportunity to read this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ingrid Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved loved loved it!
Loved the characters, loved the spirits, loved the mystery and loved the developing love story.

The combination of a mystery I didn't see through (pun intended) within the first chapters and the characters of the people involved made it a great read.

I hated to see the end of the book, so looking forward to reading more!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a complete joy. I loved the characters, especially Chester, he was something (someone?) completely fascinating! His addition to the story made it that much better. It's original, funny and the mystery kept me on my toes 'til the end. This was great fun. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

[Avery Dill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute read. Annie runs an antique shop and she wound up inheriting a set of plates that were cursed. Annie starts losing the people and things she cares about because of these plates, so she works to solve the mystery before she loses everything for good. I hope the second book goes more into her possible relationship with the love interest. I’d like to know more about him.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so well written and the characters are what makes you feel like you are transported to their little town. Annie's is the place to be when you need a midday mimosa or a good ghost story because the element of mystery is amazing in this book and I couldn't put it down until the last page.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Margarita Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ink and plates. Annie has inherited some plates. With various scenes from Amanda which she calls memories. What do they reveal? How can Annie save her friends and restore some order?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carla Zanghellini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's an easy read and will guide you to solve strange events. Who can be trusted and why is Annie being targeted? Then unexpected things help shed light on the mystery.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun and cute story. I couldn't put it down. Chester is a lot of laughs. I'm really wanting this to be a good series. I hope it is. I'm ready for more!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun book , getting ready to read book 2, love the characters , didn't want to stop reading but it did have short enough chapters that I could read just a little bit at a time. loved the ghost he was fun. i wholy recomend for a fun read

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Cozy Mystery

Fun characters, entertaining story. Sweet and sad, keeps your interest and makes you want to read more about the characters and what happens in their future.

[Janis Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read

I read this in 2 days part time. Enjoyed it immensely. Keep up the good work Thanks a million for such a good book

[Rachella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too Convenient

I enjoyed the cursed plates and the creepiness of disappearances and not knowing how to get people out from the trap. I found it a bit generic of cursed item trope but it's what pulled me in.
There were parts this book could have done without, like the break in. Also, everything about the actual mystery felt convenient and too easy for the characters to figure out. I did not buy the emotionlessness of one of the characters during the reveal.

[Patricia Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it has everything you could want in a book, great storyline , fantastic characters, mystery, intrigue, magic and mayhem

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a new series for me. I enjoyed the story, the characters and the genie and ghosts. Looking forward to reading more of this series. Recommend reading.

[Dawn Ireland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a mystery

The woman on the cover looks like her head is on sideways. Awful! The story was unique. Lots of interesting characters.

[Pilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it!, an easy read with fun characters and a fun story!

[JoAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s cute. And cozy. And there is a mystery lurking in this suburban-y, bougie town. Antiques and Drinks delivers on its promise. For readers who enjoy light mystery with a bit of cheeky humor, this novel will be a delight.

The novel revolves around a middle-aged woman, alone and without family, who runs an antique shop in a tourist town. A set of plates is brought on to be put on consignment, but the owner of the plates rescinds the deal. The plates are not as they seem. They are enchanted and the results are fatal. This is how the mystery — and the fantasy — begins.

I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped to. However, I think this is more about myself as a reader, than the merits or demerits of the novel itself.

On that note, a few things which lessened my enjoyment of it. First, I could not get a full sense of place or person through the dialogue or exposition; the novel failed to flesh out the physical environment of the town, the store itself, and the atmosphere of the place. Similarly, the characters did not come to life for me; they were unique, but did not become tangible in a way that would bring me into their world. Second, there were elements of the story that felt like reaching, or seemed to me to be so outrageous as to feel like farce.

On a more positive note: the novel is amusing and the twists of its mystery are unexpected and — perhaps because of their absurdity — compel the reader to keep going, if only to see what on earth could happen next. Another factor in its favor: Bellinger writes well. The expectation here is not for literary prose, but the prose is clear and thoughtful. It is perfect for a cozy mystery.