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Charlie Kingsley Mysteries #6
Red Hot Murder
Charlie Kingsley’s tea customers have two things in
They rave about her teas.
AND they have a knack for attracting trouble.
There’s never been a connection between the two … until now.
One night, one of Charlie’s customers passes out, only to wake up to her fiancé dead in her home and no memory of what happened the night before.
She swears the only thing she drank was a cup of Charlie’s tea.
Charlie knows it wasn’t the tea, but everyone else is suddenly blaming her, so she has no choice but to get to the bottom of this mysterious death.
Meet Charlie. Better known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She's back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.
They rave about her teas.
AND they have a knack for attracting trouble.
There’s never been a connection between the two … until now.
One night, one of Charlie’s customers passes out, only to wake up to her fiancé dead in her home and no memory of what happened the night before.
She swears the only thing she drank was a cup of Charlie’s tea.
Charlie knows it wasn’t the tea, but everyone else is suddenly blaming her, so she has no choice but to get to the bottom of this mysterious death.
Meet Charlie. Better known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She's back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2023
206 people are currently reading
2669 people want to read
About the author
Michele Pariza Wacek
63 books1,435 followersA USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.
Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and currently lives there after spending nearly 30 years living in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona, with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.
When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)
Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and currently lives there after spending nearly 30 years living in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona, with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.
When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
April 25, 2025
This was a tense one. It had me gripped the whole book. How dare they accuse Charlie of anything?!?!
February 24, 2024
Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰
This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 6 of 7
Charlie gets a phone ☎ call from a tea customer. When Charlie arrives she finds her friend with her dead fiance and the fun begins. It all ends with the truth leading to the arrest of the killer.
I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure murder mystery novels 👍🔰. 2024
Too many authors, series, and books and not enough time. ⌚
This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 6 of 7
Charlie gets a phone ☎ call from a tea customer. When Charlie arrives she finds her friend with her dead fiance and the fun begins. It all ends with the truth leading to the arrest of the killer.
I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure murder mystery novels 👍🔰. 2024
Too many authors, series, and books and not enough time. ⌚
May 6, 2023
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Charlie Kingsley’s tea business has been attracting more customers and she makes every effort to meet their needs including rush orders. She will even answer their call in the middle of the night and rush to their home when they ask for help. That may change in the future though because when she rushed to Cherry’s home to help her she found the dead body of Cherry’s fiancé and Cherry with no memory of what happened after she drank Charlie’s tea.
With everyone trying to blame the man’s death on Charlie she has no choice but to find out what really happened herself before she loses her business and her freedom.
Charlie is back and finds herself again in hot water and even though she has grown closer to Officer Brandon Wyle she is not going to leave the case in the hands of the police. She again teams up with her friend Pat to get to the truth. Both are strong independent women with a drive to find the truth. Officer Wyle and Charlie’s romantic tension is very evident but is moving at a slow burn due to his job. I must say I enjoy the way this romance is taking its time, it is very refreshing.
We are introduced to an interesting group of friends. Cherry, Lola, Sage, Caleb, Flynn, and the now-deceased Marcus. Charlie suspects them all. The victim had a lot of secrets and so did his friends. I like the way Charlie goes right to them and asks the hard questions to find out who is trying to frame her for their work while trying to clear her client as well. I enjoyed the way the author plotted out this mystery and the way the ending played out. I was very entertained tagging along with Charlie as she filtered through the clues and the moment when they all fell into place.
The stories in this series are set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin. The town is a unique place where things are not always the way they seem. It has been said the town decides who stays and who goes. Michelle Pariza Wacek writes two series sent in Redemption, this cozy series and one that is psychological suspense. I have not yet ventured into the other series but several are on my TBR list. Charlie was introduced in the other series but the author does an excellent job of introducing her to cozy readers in this series. I also like that each story can be read totally on its own. The core character’s lives move forward but she is careful not to spoil anything in the other mysteries.
Red Hot Murder is another excellent story from Ms. Pariza Wacek and another Perfect Escape. I look forward to visiting Redemption again soon.
Charlie Kingsley’s tea business has been attracting more customers and she makes every effort to meet their needs including rush orders. She will even answer their call in the middle of the night and rush to their home when they ask for help. That may change in the future though because when she rushed to Cherry’s home to help her she found the dead body of Cherry’s fiancé and Cherry with no memory of what happened after she drank Charlie’s tea.
With everyone trying to blame the man’s death on Charlie she has no choice but to find out what really happened herself before she loses her business and her freedom.
Charlie is back and finds herself again in hot water and even though she has grown closer to Officer Brandon Wyle she is not going to leave the case in the hands of the police. She again teams up with her friend Pat to get to the truth. Both are strong independent women with a drive to find the truth. Officer Wyle and Charlie’s romantic tension is very evident but is moving at a slow burn due to his job. I must say I enjoy the way this romance is taking its time, it is very refreshing.
We are introduced to an interesting group of friends. Cherry, Lola, Sage, Caleb, Flynn, and the now-deceased Marcus. Charlie suspects them all. The victim had a lot of secrets and so did his friends. I like the way Charlie goes right to them and asks the hard questions to find out who is trying to frame her for their work while trying to clear her client as well. I enjoyed the way the author plotted out this mystery and the way the ending played out. I was very entertained tagging along with Charlie as she filtered through the clues and the moment when they all fell into place.
The stories in this series are set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin. The town is a unique place where things are not always the way they seem. It has been said the town decides who stays and who goes. Michelle Pariza Wacek writes two series sent in Redemption, this cozy series and one that is psychological suspense. I have not yet ventured into the other series but several are on my TBR list. Charlie was introduced in the other series but the author does an excellent job of introducing her to cozy readers in this series. I also like that each story can be read totally on its own. The core character’s lives move forward but she is careful not to spoil anything in the other mysteries.
Red Hot Murder is another excellent story from Ms. Pariza Wacek and another Perfect Escape. I look forward to visiting Redemption again soon.
April 28, 2023
It seems that Charlie’s special blend of teas has her in hot water once again, and it’s going to require a lot of amateur sleuthing to clear her of drugging a client and murdering her fiancé.
We have a locked door murder scene with Cherry, one of Charlie’s tea clients, frantically trying to remember what happened as she stands in the middle of what looks to have been a huge fight. The TV is busted, photo frames are trashed, the tables are knocked over and her fiancé, Marcus, is dead on the kitchen floor.
Now the logical thing to do would be to call the cops. However, Cherry is not at all behaving logically and the first person she calls is Charlie. It’s the middle of the night, and Charlie should have immediately called 911. But no … we need her to do her amateur sleuthing to discover the real killer.
We’re not short on suspects as Marcus is a cad. He sleeps around, but everyone pretends he’s Cherry’s faithful fiancé.
With the help of her friend, Pat, Charlie starts working her way down the list of suspects, not only to clear Cherry of any wrongdoing, but to clear herself of supposedly tampering with Cherry’s special tea blend by adding a date rape drug. It’s going to be really bad for business if Charlie can’t figure out who done it!
For the most part I enjoyed "Red Hot Murder (A Charlie Kingsley Mystery) by Michele Pariza Wacek". I did figure out who the killer was early on, but continued to the end to verify if I was indeed correct.
My only negative on the book is the overly detailed, down to the last chipped fingernail polish, descriptions. Everything from how food gets displayed, to everyone’s furniture style and colors, the exterior of the buildings, the hallways, the clothing people are wearing upon each and every encounter and of course Tikki’s and Pat’s matching ensembles for the day. I admit to skipping through a lot of that filler text.
"Red Hot Murder" is a decent murder mystery and shouldn’t take more than half a day to read, if that. Put it on a mobile unit and take it along to the doctor’s office or when heading for the beach.
31/2 stars – upgraded to 4
I received this ARC for free from BookSirens in exchange for a freely given and honest review.
We have a locked door murder scene with Cherry, one of Charlie’s tea clients, frantically trying to remember what happened as she stands in the middle of what looks to have been a huge fight. The TV is busted, photo frames are trashed, the tables are knocked over and her fiancé, Marcus, is dead on the kitchen floor.
Now the logical thing to do would be to call the cops. However, Cherry is not at all behaving logically and the first person she calls is Charlie. It’s the middle of the night, and Charlie should have immediately called 911. But no … we need her to do her amateur sleuthing to discover the real killer.
We’re not short on suspects as Marcus is a cad. He sleeps around, but everyone pretends he’s Cherry’s faithful fiancé.
With the help of her friend, Pat, Charlie starts working her way down the list of suspects, not only to clear Cherry of any wrongdoing, but to clear herself of supposedly tampering with Cherry’s special tea blend by adding a date rape drug. It’s going to be really bad for business if Charlie can’t figure out who done it!
For the most part I enjoyed "Red Hot Murder (A Charlie Kingsley Mystery) by Michele Pariza Wacek". I did figure out who the killer was early on, but continued to the end to verify if I was indeed correct.
My only negative on the book is the overly detailed, down to the last chipped fingernail polish, descriptions. Everything from how food gets displayed, to everyone’s furniture style and colors, the exterior of the buildings, the hallways, the clothing people are wearing upon each and every encounter and of course Tikki’s and Pat’s matching ensembles for the day. I admit to skipping through a lot of that filler text.
"Red Hot Murder" is a decent murder mystery and shouldn’t take more than half a day to read, if that. Put it on a mobile unit and take it along to the doctor’s office or when heading for the beach.
31/2 stars – upgraded to 4
I received this ARC for free from BookSirens in exchange for a freely given and honest review.
April 25, 2023
Charlie has an urgent tea order from Cherry. Charlie also gets an urgent call in the middle of the night from a distraught Cherry whose fiance is unconscious. Charlie goes to Cherry and finds the place trashed and her fiance dead in the kitchen. The police find the tea drugged. Who would want to spoil Charlie's reputation? An entertaining cozy mystery with a lot of suspects and intrigue. A page turner not to be missed
November 12, 2024
Though an enjoyable read, the mystery didn't really grab me this time. The obvious solution to the issue was something I couldn't imagine Charlie missing--yet it seemed she did. The obvious culprit... too obvious. The "main suspect" for much of the book was so unsympathetic, despite us hearing how "nice" she was for the whole thing that... yeah. Fell flat for me. But it still was as a STORY an entertaining read. So, while it might be closer to a three star for me, I think that if an author can make me enjoy a story within a mystery without enjoying the mystery much, I really should give credit for that. So I did. :D
April 14, 2023
Cherry calls Charlie the “ The Tea Lady” in the middle of the night wanting help with Marcus. Cheery had lost her memory and the house was in a mess. She only remembered having drunk tea, putting a rose in a vase and eating chocolate coated strawberries. Inspector Wyle was not happy with Charlie that she had not informed him sooner about the murder. It was very puzzling as there was no evidence to Charlie and she was a suspect it was up to her and her friend Pat to find out what really happened to Marcus .Cheery being related to the Duckworths may have been the reason Marcus had a relationship with Cheery as he was a womanizer and there was more to him than meets the eye. A very exciting with a surprise finish to the book. I received this book free via booksirans and I leave a honest review. I recommend this book to other readers.
April 10, 2023
A phone call received late at night catapults Charlie into the very messy life of one of her customers - a young woman who claims she drank a tea prepared by Charlie that lead to her passing out and awakening with her fiance dead in the next room.
This fast paced cosy had me on the edge of my seat. The main characters are, by now, old friends and though their relationships have grown, it's very satisfying to enjoy the company of people I know so well. The mystery is well crafted and winds up with a conclusion that is sure to please even the most ardent of cosy fans.
As always, I highly recommend this series.
Thank you to BookSirens and Michele Pariza Wacek for the opportunity to review this eARC. My opinions are left freely and are, as always, honest and true.
This fast paced cosy had me on the edge of my seat. The main characters are, by now, old friends and though their relationships have grown, it's very satisfying to enjoy the company of people I know so well. The mystery is well crafted and winds up with a conclusion that is sure to please even the most ardent of cosy fans.
As always, I highly recommend this series.
Thank you to BookSirens and Michele Pariza Wacek for the opportunity to review this eARC. My opinions are left freely and are, as always, honest and true.
April 14, 2023
I really enjoy the Charlie Kingsley mysteries! Charlie gets a panicked call in the middle of the night from one of her regular tea clients. She arrives to find an odd situation: her client has no memory of what happened but when she came to, realized her fiancé was dead in the kitchen! Her last memory was of receiving a rose and some chocolate covered strawberries, but they are no where to be found! Knowing Charlie has helped solve crimes in the past, she want her to figure out what happened, but Charlie is stumped! A wonderful Cozy Mystery with a very twisty plot and familiar great characters. I received a free ARC of this book and write this review voluntarily.
April 24, 2023
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Michele Pariza Wacek for an advanced copy of Red Hot Murder!
This was such a fun and cozy little mystery and I couldn't put it down. Charlie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when her friend/customer Cherry's fiance is found murdered. Charlie then finds herself involved as a suspect which means she needs to solve the case in order to clear her own name.
Red Hot Murder is part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone. All of the characters were well written and gave a small town, everyone knows everyone and everyone's business kind of vibe which I love.
The story was extremely well written, and easy to follow while also leaving the reader guessing until the end.
Easily a 4 star read and I plan on reading the rest of the series!
This was such a fun and cozy little mystery and I couldn't put it down. Charlie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when her friend/customer Cherry's fiance is found murdered. Charlie then finds herself involved as a suspect which means she needs to solve the case in order to clear her own name.
Red Hot Murder is part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone. All of the characters were well written and gave a small town, everyone knows everyone and everyone's business kind of vibe which I love.
The story was extremely well written, and easy to follow while also leaving the reader guessing until the end.
Easily a 4 star read and I plan on reading the rest of the series!
April 15, 2023
Red Hot Murder is Book 6 in the Charlie Kingsley Mystery by Michele Pariza Wacek. I found this Charlie Kingsley book to be an outstanding mystery. Charlie's tea customer, Cherry, phones in the middle of the night and is totally confused on what happened to her fiance, Marcus. This begins a mystery with several people checking the box for possible murder. Charlie is a great amateur sleuth at least until the police look at her as a suspect! The author writes great characters and a fantastic story. Make a cup of tea and settle down for an afternoon of reading enjoyment. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
October 20, 2025
4.5 stars
Another really enjoyable, addictive, easy-to-read and thoroughly entertaining cozy mystery by Michelle Pariza Wack. Red Hot murder is the sixth book in the Charlie Kingsley paranormal mystery series and confirms that this series is an absolute winner for me.
Another really enjoyable, addictive, easy-to-read and thoroughly entertaining cozy mystery by Michelle Pariza Wack. Red Hot murder is the sixth book in the Charlie Kingsley paranormal mystery series and confirms that this series is an absolute winner for me.
December 27, 2023
Charlie makes specialized teas from her own home and when Cherry requests a urgent refill she happily accommodates her. Things take a weird turn when Cherry's fiancée ends up dead later that evening, Cherry is unable to remember anything and calls Charlie for help. I liked the story overall but was disappointed in the beginning when nothing was specifically mentioned Cherry might of been drugged when she did not remember the evening events. This book is part of a series and can be read as a stand alone story but there are a few plot items being carried forward. Charlie is a very likeable character, an amateur slueth with a few enemies though. The town has some secrets and mysteries to add to the mystery.
I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 27, 2023
I really enjoy this series and have put this series in the slot where I see a book by this author, I automatically get it because I haven't been disappointed yet. This book is good but I feel it's not as good as the others in the series. There were a few typos and missing sentences which really bothers me when I'm reading. I would suggest to others that if you haven't read any of the series, to start at the beginning, however, if you don't, there will be just a couple of things you won't know about while reading this book. I definitely would recommend this series if you haven't read it yet!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 29, 2023
Another extraordinary book from Michele PW! If I could give this 10 stars I would. I absolutely love the Charlie Kingsley series. The fictional town of Redemption is a fascinating, albeit seemingly deadly town.
Here we are once again in the town of Redemption and once again, Charlie has gotten herself in to a predicament. She runs a thriving tea business and this time, it just night land her in jail, or worse.
Cherry is a client of Charlies tea business and regularly buys a blend from her for her skin. After picking up a fresh bag from Charlie, Cherry goes home in anticipation of an exciting night her fiancé Marcus is putting together for them. Cherry is hoping that he's finally decided to set a date. However, that is not what happens. Instead, Cherry passes out and when she wakes she discovers Marcus in the kitchen on the floor, dead. Upon waking she calls Charlie to come over and help her, thinking that her amateur sleuthing skills might come in handy. Cherry has no recollection of anything after drinking the tea and it is soon discovered that her tea had been spiked with roofies.
Unfortunately, there is no shortage of suspects. Amongst Cherry and Marcus there was a group of friends, Lola, Sage, Caleb, and Flynn. They are all suspects. Marcus was also sleeping with Lola and Sage as well as several women around the town of Redemption. He had recently been promoted to a job in Riverview an hour away. Did his philandering have something to do with his murder or was it his promotion, knowing he'd be leaving behind not only his fiancé but his mistresses, hoping to find someone better.
This was another great story, and I cannot wait to get to the next one. I've already preordered it. This is a fast-paced story, and I could not wait to see what was going to happen next. The main characters, Charlie, Pat and Wyle, are old friends, with solid established histories yet every book reveals more about them, and I love how they interact. I wish Wyle and Charlie would get together already though. The mystery of this story is wrapped up well with a satisfying conclusion. You definitely will not be disappointed with this book. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.
Here we are once again in the town of Redemption and once again, Charlie has gotten herself in to a predicament. She runs a thriving tea business and this time, it just night land her in jail, or worse.
Cherry is a client of Charlies tea business and regularly buys a blend from her for her skin. After picking up a fresh bag from Charlie, Cherry goes home in anticipation of an exciting night her fiancé Marcus is putting together for them. Cherry is hoping that he's finally decided to set a date. However, that is not what happens. Instead, Cherry passes out and when she wakes she discovers Marcus in the kitchen on the floor, dead. Upon waking she calls Charlie to come over and help her, thinking that her amateur sleuthing skills might come in handy. Cherry has no recollection of anything after drinking the tea and it is soon discovered that her tea had been spiked with roofies.
Unfortunately, there is no shortage of suspects. Amongst Cherry and Marcus there was a group of friends, Lola, Sage, Caleb, and Flynn. They are all suspects. Marcus was also sleeping with Lola and Sage as well as several women around the town of Redemption. He had recently been promoted to a job in Riverview an hour away. Did his philandering have something to do with his murder or was it his promotion, knowing he'd be leaving behind not only his fiancé but his mistresses, hoping to find someone better.
This was another great story, and I cannot wait to get to the next one. I've already preordered it. This is a fast-paced story, and I could not wait to see what was going to happen next. The main characters, Charlie, Pat and Wyle, are old friends, with solid established histories yet every book reveals more about them, and I love how they interact. I wish Wyle and Charlie would get together already though. The mystery of this story is wrapped up well with a satisfying conclusion. You definitely will not be disappointed with this book. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.
April 29, 2023
Huge fan of the Charlie Kingsley series here and with the latest book, "Red Hot Murder" I'm even more on board for the duration. These characters are now familiar and welcome in my home, the town of Redemption seems like a great place to live if you don't mind it's dark past and current crime rate where murder is often on the menu and the residents know to keep their eyes open for anything that seems untoward or suspicious.
Charlie sells custom made tea blends from her home and her customers swear by their magical benefits. Late one night, or better very early in the morning she gets a call from one of her customers and is summoned to her house to help. Not knowing what she's getting into but having concern for all her customers she runs right over. Once there she finds her customer in hysterics. When Charlie gets the woman to calm down to tell her what's going on, she learns the woman has no memory of the evening or how her fiancé ended up dead on her kitchen floor.
The police are called in and not long after Charlie who was only trying to help is their prime suspect. They believe Charlie who'd just made and sold this woman a new batch of her specialty tea that day must have laced it with drugs. Now we all know Charlie would never do anything like this, but rumors are rampant, and Charlie worries for her future business.
I look forward to the release of each book in this series and for good reason. They're well written, have great characters that all have their own distinct personalities and quirks and then the town of Redemption, which is steeped in mystery, rumor and false allegations. They're fun, often quick reads and the mysteries are always well thought out and plausible. Happy Reading!
Charlie sells custom made tea blends from her home and her customers swear by their magical benefits. Late one night, or better very early in the morning she gets a call from one of her customers and is summoned to her house to help. Not knowing what she's getting into but having concern for all her customers she runs right over. Once there she finds her customer in hysterics. When Charlie gets the woman to calm down to tell her what's going on, she learns the woman has no memory of the evening or how her fiancé ended up dead on her kitchen floor.
The police are called in and not long after Charlie who was only trying to help is their prime suspect. They believe Charlie who'd just made and sold this woman a new batch of her specialty tea that day must have laced it with drugs. Now we all know Charlie would never do anything like this, but rumors are rampant, and Charlie worries for her future business.
I look forward to the release of each book in this series and for good reason. They're well written, have great characters that all have their own distinct personalities and quirks and then the town of Redemption, which is steeped in mystery, rumor and false allegations. They're fun, often quick reads and the mysteries are always well thought out and plausible. Happy Reading!
May 1, 2023
RED HOT MURDER, is the fourth installment in the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series+ by Michele Pariza Wacek. While part of a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone. Ths is a well-written and well-crafted murder mystery filled with interesting and detailed characters. The storyline and plot flow smoothly throughout the story, holding the reader's interest until the very end.
Charlie owns a tea shop and lives in the most haunted house in the town of Redemption, WI. She is also an amateur sleuth that's made a few enemies (even in the PD). But when her tea is suspected as being part of a murder it's time to do some investigating on the down-low.
When Cherry's fiancée ends up dead, Cherry is unable to remember anything and calls Charlie for help. Her last memory is of receiving a rose and some chocolate covered strawberries. It's not long before roofies are found in Charlie's tea that she sold to Cherry the day before. That puts Charlie at the top of the suspect list.
On a visit to Charlie’s house to discuss some details of the case, Officer Wyle finds her friend Pat with Charlie and a stranger. That's when he meets Tilde Tillerson, owner of the Redemption Detective Agency and gets some twisted and bizarre reasons on who the real murderer is.
I liked the story overall, unfortunately there were a few typos and missing sentences therefore only 4 stars for rating. Still, this is a great and worth your time to read. For me, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, A Cornucopia of Murder.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charlie owns a tea shop and lives in the most haunted house in the town of Redemption, WI. She is also an amateur sleuth that's made a few enemies (even in the PD). But when her tea is suspected as being part of a murder it's time to do some investigating on the down-low.
When Cherry's fiancée ends up dead, Cherry is unable to remember anything and calls Charlie for help. Her last memory is of receiving a rose and some chocolate covered strawberries. It's not long before roofies are found in Charlie's tea that she sold to Cherry the day before. That puts Charlie at the top of the suspect list.
On a visit to Charlie’s house to discuss some details of the case, Officer Wyle finds her friend Pat with Charlie and a stranger. That's when he meets Tilde Tillerson, owner of the Redemption Detective Agency and gets some twisted and bizarre reasons on who the real murderer is.
I liked the story overall, unfortunately there were a few typos and missing sentences therefore only 4 stars for rating. Still, this is a great and worth your time to read. For me, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, A Cornucopia of Murder.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 18, 2023
This is the 6th book in the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series. How can each book just keep getting better? We are back in Redemption, WI, where mysterious things and murders happen. Charlie our resident tea maker is an amateur sleuth. Cherry is a returning tea customer and she has ran out of her tea rather fast and asked Charlie to make her another batch. Cherry has been engaged to Marcus for a couple of years and she is hoping tonight is the night they set the wedding date. She calls Charlie in a panic to come over to her place, when Charlie gets there she finds Marcus dead.
Officer Brandon Wyle wants Charlie to stay out of the sleuthing but she does help solve several murders. But unfortunately this time it appears to be Charlie is the suspect because of tainted tea and wine. So Pat who is Charlie’s best friend and Charlie set out to prove Charlie is innocent. What they discover is a lot of infidelity amongst Cherry’s friends that have hung out forever!
One of the funniest scenes was when Officer Wyle was at Charlie’s house discussing with her and Pat different scenarios of what could have happened, they had wine and cookies out and he was a little skeptical of drinking or eating anything there.
I received this ARC from Booksirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Officer Brandon Wyle wants Charlie to stay out of the sleuthing but she does help solve several murders. But unfortunately this time it appears to be Charlie is the suspect because of tainted tea and wine. So Pat who is Charlie’s best friend and Charlie set out to prove Charlie is innocent. What they discover is a lot of infidelity amongst Cherry’s friends that have hung out forever!
One of the funniest scenes was when Officer Wyle was at Charlie’s house discussing with her and Pat different scenarios of what could have happened, they had wine and cookies out and he was a little skeptical of drinking or eating anything there.
I received this ARC from Booksirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 24, 2023
This was my first book by this author. Although this book is the 6th book in a series, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone and I didn’t feel like I had missed anything I needed to know for this storyline.
The main character, Charlie, gets involved in solving a local murder when one of her customers calls her in the middle of the night after finding her fiancé dead. She becomes a potential suspect and wants to solve the crime herself to protect her reputation. I gather that she has become somewhat of a amateur detective in previous books in the series.
I enjoyed this ‘who done it’ style mystery and I wasn’t entirely sure who I suspected. I enjoyed the outcome and the reveal was done well.
I wouldn’t say there was a huge amount of suspense or excitement to it though… I wasn’t really eager to solve it. But I enjoyed following along as Charlie investigated the victim’s friendship group.
Overall, a nice mystery which was a light-hearted easy read. I’d probably read more from this author in the future.
The main character, Charlie, gets involved in solving a local murder when one of her customers calls her in the middle of the night after finding her fiancé dead. She becomes a potential suspect and wants to solve the crime herself to protect her reputation. I gather that she has become somewhat of a amateur detective in previous books in the series.
I enjoyed this ‘who done it’ style mystery and I wasn’t entirely sure who I suspected. I enjoyed the outcome and the reveal was done well.
I wouldn’t say there was a huge amount of suspense or excitement to it though… I wasn’t really eager to solve it. But I enjoyed following along as Charlie investigated the victim’s friendship group.
Overall, a nice mystery which was a light-hearted easy read. I’d probably read more from this author in the future.
May 1, 2023
Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series:
Grave Error, prequel - I'm surprised at how interesting this short introduction is, along with the characters and story lines. Unfortunately, I was clueless about the references made about the Redemption Series. 4*
A Wedding to Murder For - I suggest reading A Grave Error first. Interesting characters and story lines but easy to figure out whodunit. 4*
The Murder Before Christmas, #1 - An interesting story complete with a variety of characters and story lines that run amuck. There is a lot on Charlie's plate as she helps the widow of a murdered man. 4*
Red Hot Murder, #6 - The best story I have read so far, which aren't many. The writing style has improved since the first book of the Charlie series. Intentions are mentioned on the romantic side. 5*
Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series end.
The Riverview Mystery series:
Today I’ll See Her - Almost like an original Twilight Zone show with the writing style and story lines. A sad story that hold your interest until the end. 4*
The Riverview Mystery series end.
Grave Error, prequel - I'm surprised at how interesting this short introduction is, along with the characters and story lines. Unfortunately, I was clueless about the references made about the Redemption Series. 4*
A Wedding to Murder For - I suggest reading A Grave Error first. Interesting characters and story lines but easy to figure out whodunit. 4*
The Murder Before Christmas, #1 - An interesting story complete with a variety of characters and story lines that run amuck. There is a lot on Charlie's plate as she helps the widow of a murdered man. 4*
Red Hot Murder, #6 - The best story I have read so far, which aren't many. The writing style has improved since the first book of the Charlie series. Intentions are mentioned on the romantic side. 5*
Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series end.
The Riverview Mystery series:
Today I’ll See Her - Almost like an original Twilight Zone show with the writing style and story lines. A sad story that hold your interest until the end. 4*
The Riverview Mystery series end.
April 8, 2023
This series keeps getting better and better, while the heroine Charlie finds herself in another deadly predicament. The array of new characters are bold steeped in secrets, lies and betrayals .while Charlie's friends and acquaintances are vibrant, colorful and quirky. No matter, you will find yourself drawn into the mix of those who live in the town known as Redemption, the strange happenings surrounding this town. You will be enticed further through the intriguing mystery of mayhem and murder while the plot takes you from one betrayal to the next,lieving a trale of clues for you and Charlie to piece together. Hopefully before anyone else ends up hurt or worse .This cozey mystery murder is so well written you won't want to put it down once you start reading it, not until you've reached the unexpected and climatic conclusion. Acquire " Red Hot Murder " the sixth exciting (Charlie Kingsley Mystery ) for hours of intrigue and enjoyable entertainment. Kat
April 26, 2023
Red Hot Murder is an excellent light read. Charlie's tea customer, Cherry, calls in the middle of the night and is confused about what happened to her fiancé, Marcus. It seems as if Charlie is the culprit because Cherry had her custom blend tea and now she can't remember anything! I truly enjoyed Charlie, Pat & Tilde. I could clearly picture them and their personalities. I also like the developing relationship between Wyle and Charlie. I can't wait to see where their relationship goes. Plus, having all the other characters who could potentially be the culprits keeps you guessing until the very end. I had never read any Charlie Kingsley books and was able to jump right in without the feeling of being lost. I appreciate that. I will go back and read every book from the series because I enjoyed this book so much.
Thank you to BookSirens and Michele Pariza Wacek for the opportunity to honestly review this eARC.
Thank you to BookSirens and Michele Pariza Wacek for the opportunity to honestly review this eARC.
May 1, 2023
Extra! Extra! “The Tea Made Her Do It”
The townfolk go from a who-dun-it to witchcraft in ten seconds flat. Nothing like a small town with a dark past to get people all worked up and forming a posse. Unfortunately, that may lead to false arrests while allowing the murderer to get away with…well, murder.
The author stresses the importance of calling the police first and right away. Who knows what one will find is lurking in dark corners. A culprit waiting to finish up the dastardly deed? Or a reluctant witness spooked into self-defense? I for one don’t want to be the next-in-line at the morgue – I’ve got Brandon Wyle on speed dial!
Charlie’s pal Pat has some great lines:
‘I would definitely rather remember eating a chocolate-dipped strawberry than killing my fiancé.’
‘As much as I love your tea and cookies, I think after this day, a glass of wine might be more appropriate/’
Fave quote:
‘My tea customers regularly found themselves in some sort of hot water.’
It’s now time to get out ‘an assortment of cheese, nuts, olives, grapes, and crackers’ to go with my wine before going back to read book #1 from the ‘Secrets of Redemption’ series. JUST realized last night after finishing ‘The Murder Before Christmas’ that I already read book #s 2-4 (‘It Began with a Lie’, This Happened to Jessica’, & ‘The Evil That Was Done’) and I still have #1 (‘The Secret Diary of Helen Blackstone’).
This series continues with ‘A Cornucopia of Murder’ in Nov.
The townfolk go from a who-dun-it to witchcraft in ten seconds flat. Nothing like a small town with a dark past to get people all worked up and forming a posse. Unfortunately, that may lead to false arrests while allowing the murderer to get away with…well, murder.
The author stresses the importance of calling the police first and right away. Who knows what one will find is lurking in dark corners. A culprit waiting to finish up the dastardly deed? Or a reluctant witness spooked into self-defense? I for one don’t want to be the next-in-line at the morgue – I’ve got Brandon Wyle on speed dial!
Charlie’s pal Pat has some great lines:
‘I would definitely rather remember eating a chocolate-dipped strawberry than killing my fiancé.’
‘As much as I love your tea and cookies, I think after this day, a glass of wine might be more appropriate/’
Fave quote:
‘My tea customers regularly found themselves in some sort of hot water.’
It’s now time to get out ‘an assortment of cheese, nuts, olives, grapes, and crackers’ to go with my wine before going back to read book #1 from the ‘Secrets of Redemption’ series. JUST realized last night after finishing ‘The Murder Before Christmas’ that I already read book #s 2-4 (‘It Began with a Lie’, This Happened to Jessica’, & ‘The Evil That Was Done’) and I still have #1 (‘The Secret Diary of Helen Blackstone’).
This series continues with ‘A Cornucopia of Murder’ in Nov.
April 30, 2023
As usual, this was a very enjoyable read. Also as usual, Charlie finds herself in the middle of things when a client calls her in the middle of the night in a panic when she discovers her fiance's dead body in her kitchen. She has no memory of events and pretty soon, the finger of suspicion points towards Charlie and her tea being responsible for rendering the client unconscious by containing rohypnol.
It soon becomes clear that the dead man was not loved by many and was a bit of a cad, so Charlie of course continues her role as an amateur sleuth to find out the truth before her business reputation is destroyed. Despite the storyline, this is again a fun read, and I really enjoy seeing Charlie and her friend Pat get in the way of Wyle and the police investigation. I had no idea who was responsible until the actual reveal. I look forward to the next story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It soon becomes clear that the dead man was not loved by many and was a bit of a cad, so Charlie of course continues her role as an amateur sleuth to find out the truth before her business reputation is destroyed. Despite the storyline, this is again a fun read, and I really enjoy seeing Charlie and her friend Pat get in the way of Wyle and the police investigation. I had no idea who was responsible until the actual reveal. I look forward to the next story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 19, 2023
I received an Advanced Reader copy from Book Sirens for my honest review. I have read the other books in the series and have enjoyed each one. Charlie owns a tea shop and lives in the most haunted house in the town of Redemption, WI. Her tea is suspected as being part of a murder, therefore her reputation is under scrutiny. Charlie, her friend Pat, and Tilde are trying to solve the case without interfering with the police investigation. There are a list of potential suspects. An underlying attraction between Charlie and Officer Wyle is kept on the surface since Charlie is also a suspect. The stories each suspect shares makes it anyone’s guess as to who did it. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Thank you also to Michele Pariza Wacek for sharing her stories! I would give this 4.5 stars if possible.
April 25, 2023
I received an advanced review copy for free and leaving this review voluntarily.
Charlie blends and sells teas and one of her clients has a romantic date with her fiancé however in the middle of the night she phones Charlie saying Marcus, her fiancé has been attacked and not moving and is reluctant to call the police. Unfortunately it is a very weak storyline and makes out the Police are incompetent and only put up with Charlie sleuthing as the Inspector has a romantic interest in her. The plot gets facial when another amateur sleuth joins in and actually solves more of the mystery than Charlie does, however it is a simple and easy book to read and serves well as light entertainment. It is obvious it will be part of a series that will focus on Charlie and the Police Inspector's budding relationship
Charlie blends and sells teas and one of her clients has a romantic date with her fiancé however in the middle of the night she phones Charlie saying Marcus, her fiancé has been attacked and not moving and is reluctant to call the police. Unfortunately it is a very weak storyline and makes out the Police are incompetent and only put up with Charlie sleuthing as the Inspector has a romantic interest in her. The plot gets facial when another amateur sleuth joins in and actually solves more of the mystery than Charlie does, however it is a simple and easy book to read and serves well as light entertainment. It is obvious it will be part of a series that will focus on Charlie and the Police Inspector's budding relationship
April 21, 2023
Red Hot Murder is my first Charlie Kingsley story, the cover caught my eye ❤️ this is a murder mystery set in the town of Redemption (love the name + there are hints of witchcraft), Charlie as the owner of a tea shop, also solves crimes for her customers which I find really sweet.
I found the plot a little complicated but the wrap up was really satisfying and I love how none of the characters held hard feelings for one another even though there were much bickering and confrontations leading up to the reveal.
Even though this is book 6, I have no problem reading it as a standalone although I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to some of the supporting characters more if you read the previous books.
I found the plot a little complicated but the wrap up was really satisfying and I love how none of the characters held hard feelings for one another even though there were much bickering and confrontations leading up to the reveal.
Even though this is book 6, I have no problem reading it as a standalone although I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to some of the supporting characters more if you read the previous books.
April 27, 2023
First, I want to say thank you for letting me read the ARC of Red Hot Murder. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and it kept me on my toes until the very end! Charlie is "The Tea Lady,, and she makes special blends of tea. Cherry asks for an emergency special order of her tea. And BAM! her fiance is killed and Cherry can't remember anything!! So who killed Marcus? Cherry? Charlie, "the tea lady?" Lola? Or someone else?? Red Hot Murder drops bread crumbs throughout the book until you find the killer. This book is part of a series. It's #6. I'd like to see how the other books fit together with this one. This is my first book by Michele Pariza Wacek. And even though this is the 6th book in the series, I didn't have any trouble or missing pieces with the characters or etc.
April 30, 2023
This was another great story in the Charlie Kingsley mysteries!
This time finds Charlie on the police radar for drugging a friend's drink. But did Charlie do it? Or were one (or some?) of Cherry's friends the culprit? A murder has occurred and Charlie's friend Cherry has no memory of the event. Things look bad for Charlie, as the cops believe she drugged Cherry AND her fiance.
The only thing I really didn't care for is that everyone in these stories all seem to be wino's. Everyone is always drinking wine. In abundance! That bit needs to be given a break. It's just too much.
There are plenty of red herrings thru out the story and a mystery that'll keep you guessing to the reveal!
I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving my voluntary review.
This time finds Charlie on the police radar for drugging a friend's drink. But did Charlie do it? Or were one (or some?) of Cherry's friends the culprit? A murder has occurred and Charlie's friend Cherry has no memory of the event. Things look bad for Charlie, as the cops believe she drugged Cherry AND her fiance.
The only thing I really didn't care for is that everyone in these stories all seem to be wino's. Everyone is always drinking wine. In abundance! That bit needs to be given a break. It's just too much.
There are plenty of red herrings thru out the story and a mystery that'll keep you guessing to the reveal!
I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving my voluntary review.
May 2, 2023
Stirring Up Trouble . . .
Charlie Kingsley makes custom blends of tea for her customers who love the product. But when Cherry, one of her customers, calls her one night, Charlie finds herself immersed in a murder and mystery to solve.
Cherry had purchased some tea and awakens from unconsciousness to find her fiancé dead in the kitchen. Cherry has no memory of any of this except for the fact that she had drunk a cup of the tea she had purchased from Charlie. When it turns out her tea was laced with a date-rape drug, Charlie needs to quickly get investigating before her own reputation is ruined and her business in trouble as everyone is quick to make assumptions. Can Charlie get to the bottom of this? Can she track down the murderer and clear her name?
Charlie Kingsley makes custom blends of tea for her customers who love the product. But when Cherry, one of her customers, calls her one night, Charlie finds herself immersed in a murder and mystery to solve.
Cherry had purchased some tea and awakens from unconsciousness to find her fiancé dead in the kitchen. Cherry has no memory of any of this except for the fact that she had drunk a cup of the tea she had purchased from Charlie. When it turns out her tea was laced with a date-rape drug, Charlie needs to quickly get investigating before her own reputation is ruined and her business in trouble as everyone is quick to make assumptions. Can Charlie get to the bottom of this? Can she track down the murderer and clear her name?
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