Slay, Bells, Ring

Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-n-Craft Mystery #18

by Joanna Campbell Slan

A twisty, page-turning cozy mystery that spices up holiday magic with a pinch of danger.
Craft shop owner and amateur sleuth Kiki Lowenstein has more than gift-giving on her mind this holiday season. She is juggling family responsibilities, her thriving business, and preparations for her famous Holiday Crafting Extravaganza. But that’s not all. In a twist of fate, this mom-turned-snoop gets drawn into a series of mysterious burglaries that plague her quiet St. Louis suburb. Why is no one willing to talk about what happened?
Turns out, Kiki has stumbled onto a sinister plot that goes far beyond stolen goods in this cozy pet mystery with realistic characters. With the help of her Great Dane, her loyal employees, and a cast of colorful local characters, this amateur sleuth and her dog will solve crimes that threaten to unravel the very fabric of her community in this charming mystery filled with crafts and laughs.
And as Christmas Eve approaches, Kiki makes a shocking discovery that could endanger not just her family, but countless other innocent lives in this long-running mystery series. Can Kiki hold her family together and still spread holiday cheer? Or will this be the year that everything falls apart?
This cozy mystery with a lovable dog delivers the perfect holiday blend of suspense and good cheer!
This book can be read as a stand-alone, although if you skip the others, you’ll miss a lot of the fun! Eager for a “Happily Ever After” ending? Then this series will delight you. It’s perfect for readers who love Laura Childs, Clare O'Donohue, Elaine Viets, Alexander McCall Smith, Diane Mott Davidson, Brianna Bates, Ellery Adams, Tonya Kappes, Cindy Bell, Lois Winston, and Mollie Cox Bryan. If you crave stories that entertain, inspire, and educate, Joanna Campbell Slan delivers exactly the kind of books you'll treasure. Discover why readers call Kiki their "new best friend" and grab your copy today!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2024

About the author

National bestselling and award-winning author Joanna Campbell Slan was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but she grew up in a small town in Indiana. After graduating from Ball State University with a degree in journalism, she worked as a newspaper reporter, a newspaper ad salesperson, a television talk show host, a college teacher, a public relations professional, and a motivational speaker. In that capacity, she was named by Sharing Ideas Magazine as “one of the top 25 speakers in the world.”

Slan's work has appeared in five of the New York Times Bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and one of those became a television show. She is the author of nearly 80 books, nonfiction and fiction, including Death of a Schoolgirl, which won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence.

Joanna's personal essays have appeared in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and one was made into a television program on the Pax Network. The college textbook Joanna wrote—Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience—has been praised as an invaluable resource by Benjamin Netanyahu’s speechwriter and endorsed by Toastmasters, International.

RT Book Reviews has called Joanna “one of mystery’s rising stars.” Her first novel—Paper, Scissors, Death—was an Agatha Award finalist. It features Kiki Lowenstein, a spunky single mom who lives in St. Louis. The sixth book in that series will be released Summer 2013.

Kirkus Reviews has said, “Slan’s mysteries are most valuable for the well-developed characters and the issues they raise.” RT Book Reviews has said, “Kiki is so darn entertaining that she’ll keep readers hooked.” A series of short stories featuring Kiki are available on Kindle.

Joanna’s newest series—The Jane Eyre Chronicles—began with Death of a Schoolgirl (Berkley) and continues with the release of Death of a Dowager. The series features Charlotte Brontë’s classic heroine Jane Eyre as an amateur sleuth.

As “Lila Dare,” Joanna has penned the fourth book in the Southern Beauty Shop series—Wave Good-bye.

Joanna is married to David Slan. The Slans live on Jupiter Island, Florida.

Website: www.JoannaSlan.com

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/JoannaCampbel...

Twitter: @JoannaSlan

Reviews

[Karen M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Umm, I know this is supposed to be a cozy mystery but it seems maybe I’m missing something. The mystery is a very small part of this book and the clues are so obvious. The family story was very interesting with the main character’s, Kiki, having not one, but two mother-in-laws, each creating difficulties.

I enjoyed the family interactions and definitely, without knowing much past history, thought the husband was an idiot when it came to his own family and the one he and Kiki had created. It all seemed so disfunctional.

Perhaps, the problem is that I haven’t read any other books in this series but, seriously, this was not my idea of a cozy mystery, sorry.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn to make all types of Christmas crafts
from Kiki Detweiler-Lowenstein as she holds
her Holiday Christmas Extravaganza in her
store. But she has more on her plate then the
store. She is juggling family problems plus
neighbor burglaries where she gets
threatened then a small member of the
burglary ring comes down her chimney.
Great creatively written characters plus
a Great Dane named Gracie.
If you like cozy mysteries, you will enjoy
this read.
Thanks to Goodreads where I won a copy
Of this read. My opinion is my own.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very exciting Kiki Lowenstein book! This one followed the book where Covid arrives in the US. There are changes in families and life in general due to the pandemic. There are strange burglaries in Kiki’s neighborhood. It is the holidays and time for Kiki to decide what to do in her store. There’s also trouble on the home front with her husband. Her mother in law is a definite problem for her. Quite a lot of angst mixed in with suspense.

[Carol Filipow Pigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Slan did it again. She managed to start out strong, grab my heart, make me gasp, and make me love those close to me. I could not put this book down until after dark, when I finished it. She also touched on the dangers the youngest face when crossing the borders.
Now that I can breathe again, is it time to make a puffy Santa?

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a lucky Goodreads winner of this book. This is my first one from this author and it is a quick read.
The writing style is a little fractured, with a couple acknowledged mistakes from the author regarding the children's ages from previous works.
The story was cute, not really a mystery, more gentler than that.

[Marie Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

As usual this book was well written and excellent. You won't want to put it down. Kiki is dealing with problem after problem. She handles everything with help from her family and friends. I'm looking forward to her next adventure.

[patricia sonoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!!!

Slay, Bells, Ring was so good. As always I was immediately drawn into this next book in the series. I would highly recommend book #18 to any one looking for a great cozy mystery! I'm already waiting for book #19.

[Ruth King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiki's Christmas

I wasn't sure how Joanna would pull off another Kiki book, but this one was just as good as the rest! Another caper has Kiki investigating. There are some interesting twists! Be sure to read this one because Kiki is as wonderfully smart and lovable as always!

[Elaine J. Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to have Kiki back! While I enjoyed the read, I wasn’t too crazy about the strong family drama and smaller mystery story. I believe this is not a stand-alone read. You need to read the previous books to understand the whole family dynamic. I am ready for her next book!

[Ann]

Excellent Kiki book!

After the pandemic, life starts to become a bit more normal for Kiki and her family until her mother in law convinces Detweiler to move back into her house after his father died, leaving Kiki and their kids behind.

[Susan Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike's story continues post COVID

Family once again takes priority in this story about Kiki and her store Time In A Bottle. How people are treated attracts her attention. Even those that aren't treated well. And that is the clue that unravels the body in the trash.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holidays...

Excellent story, great characters, and wonderful writing. Joanna, as always, tells a great story with heart. Families can be such a creative source...

[Donna Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a fun read

Love Joanna's sense of fun and family. Enjoy the mystery as well. Reading this series got me interested in crafting too.

[B. Neufeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one, but so many different emotions reading it because of what was happening with Kiki and her husband, and what Ty was going through. Looking forward to the next one.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slay Bells Ring

I loved this book and all the others before it. Once I read the first one, I couldn't wait for the next! You'll enjoy them too.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Author seems to have knack for writing good stories that keep you involved throughout the adventurous storyline . Interesting and recommended book. 4 stars

[Linda Kleback · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful Read

I love this series so much. Kiki's growth has been remarkable. I love all the characters and the crafts. A+++

[Mabel Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

when will we have another Kiki book???

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this kindle edition via a Goodreads giveaway; thank you.

I had read one other book in this series and noticed several paragraphs of the book were catch up for first-time readers. The book seemed a bit repetitive on this point but not distracting. The characters, particularly the main character Kiki, were well drawn and interesting. The mystery carries the reader along and the the plot never lagged. A nice cozy for the Christmas holidays.