Cozy Corgi Mysteries by Mildred Abbott (Books 1 – 5)

Cozy Corgi Mysteries by Mildred Abbott is an excellent cozy mystery series.

Winifred Page moves her life from Kansas City, Missouri, to Este Park Colorado to open a book store called the Cozy Corgi. Along the way to opening the store, she meets so new friends, finds a dead body or two, ends up with a bakery on the floor above her book store. Once both shops are open, not a lot of changes, she is still finding bodies, solving murders, eating good food, but now she has a couple of possible love interests.

This series is a wonderful cross between a cozy mystery and a food network show with a corgi added into the mix. It is adorable, and metallicly planned out. I will be reviewing the first five books. Karen will be reviewing the eighth through tenth books in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cruel Candy

by Mildred Abbott

Series: Cozy Corgi Mysteries #1
on December 5, 2017
Genres: Cozy Culinary Animal Mystery
Pages: 280
Format: Audible Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: , Wicked Wildlife, Malevolent Magic , Killer Keys , Perilous Pottery, Ghastly Gadgets, Meddlesome Money, Precarious Pasta

Estes Park, Colorado: picturesque mountains, charming shops, delightful bakeries, a cozy bookstore… and murder.

Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, move to Estes Park to hit the reset button on life. Fred is about to open her dream bookshop, and the only challenges she anticipates are adjusting to small-town life, tourists, and living close to her loveable mother, Phyllis, and hippy stepfather, Barry.

When Fred steps into her soon-to-be-bookshop for the first time, she expects dust bunnies and spiders… not the dead body in the upstairs kitchen. The local police have an easy suspect—Barry.

Determined to prove quirky Barry innocent of murder, Fred puts on her detective hat, and with Watson by her side, she explores her new town and gets acquainted with her fellow shopkeepers. Could one of her friendly neighbors be the real culprit? And what would be the motive for killing the owner of the Sinful Bites candy store? The secrets Fred discover put her at odds with the local police sergeant and threaten her cozy future in Estes.

With snow falling outside, all Fred wants to do is curl up by the fire with a good book and Watson snuggled at her feet. But before she can begin her new life and put her plans for her bookshop into action, Fred and Watson have a mystery to solve…

Cruel Candy by Mildred Abbott is the first book in the Cozy Corgi series. It is also the tale of Fred’s life reset.

Who killed Opal, and why in the taxidermy kitchen?

Winifred “Fred” Page

Fred is our main character and sleuth. She has moved to Este Park, Colorado, for a fresh start and to open a book store in a storefront owned by her stepdad and mom. Then she finds Opal, the candy store owner dead in her upstairs kitchen and her stepdad, accused of the murder.

Well, that starts Fred off to find out who killed Opal. In the process, she meets the townsfolk and gets to know the law enforcement officers. She also meets a couple of men that she might be attracted to, of course.

I like that Fred is a no-nonsense type; she is blunt and also honest. Fred’s inner voice is witty and fun, and the way that she speaks to her dog, Watson, is adorable.

The Mystery

Opal and her sister Lois own two sweet shops, one with sugar, and the other uses natural ingredients. Opal is found dead in Fred’s store, with a few other things that don’t make sense. But with the assistance of Watson, hopefully, Fred will figure it out.

The mystery is well-plotted, with a few red herring. I followed most of the clues, but my guess of the culprit was correct and formed from an early clue.

Five Stars

I enjoyed the characters, the picturesque location, the whole idea of a cozy bookstore, and the mystery is superb. With all these attributes, I am rating Cruel Candy by Mildred Abbott with five stars.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Traitorous Toys

by Mildred Abbott

Series: Cozy Corgi Mysteries #2
Series Rating:
on December 16, 2017
Genres: Cozy Culinary Animal Mystery
Pages: 278
Format: Audible Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: , Wicked Wildlife, Malevolent Magic , Killer Keys , Perilous Pottery, Ghastly Gadgets, Meddlesome Money, Precarious Pasta

It’s Christmas in Estes Park, Colorado: cozy fires, twinkling lights, soft snowfall, and… murder. The winter holidays in charming Estes Park lulls Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, into thoughts of spiced chai and gingerbread as they settle into their new home. Fred’s dream bookshop is becoming a reality, and with Christmas only days away, her only concerns are spending time with family, enforcing Watson’s diet, and finding the perfect gifts. The toy store beckons Fred and her friend Katie, who dash in out of the cold, during a shopping spree to discover handmade toys, cuddly stuffed animals… and a dying man on the floor. When Katie’s desperate attempts to save the man ends in her being taken in for his murder, Fred once again dons her detective hat. She puts aside her Christmas list and—with Watson sniffing around—begins a list of suspects. But as quickly as clues point to one person, new discoveries shift the spotlight to another.   With Katie’s freedom in the balance, Fred has little time to think about gifts or to enjoy the holiday lights and music. A killer is on the loose, one who became violent in a picture-perfect Christmas toy shop, and Fred and Watson can’t begin to predict what might happen next…


Traitorous Toys by Mildred Abbott is a holiday mystery with many twists and blinking lights.

Will Fred figure out her killed Declan before Katie goes to jail?

Fred is our sleuth, but Katie, her new friend, is accused of murder by the despicable Officer Green. Katie and Fred are doing the last of their Christmas shopping when Katie finds the toy store owner with garland wrapped around his neck. Katie tries to get the garland off, but its fiberglass pieces just keep cutting her hands. Fred comes in to help, and they call the police, Branson is out of town, and Officer Green is on the scene, she quickly arrests Katie. Well, now Fred and Watson are out to find the person responsible before Katie is convicted.

Katie, the Baker

Katie is blunt, to the point and truthful. Can you see why she and Fred get along so well? Katie is also a fabulous baker; she makes terrific pastries that have everyone drooling. Although Katie doesn’t have a bakery of her own. She worked for Opal (murdered in the first book), and now she is working a the coffee shop. Katie has a great idea, but will Fred go along with it? We shall see. I have a feeling Katie will be around for a long time.

The Mystery

Let’s say that Fred won’t let Katie go to jail, and she can’s seem to let it go at all until she figures out who killed the womanizing toy store owner. So, with the assistance of Watson, she finds the culprit, but containing the killer is a bit harder than she would expect. Throughout the process, Fred makes friends with some more of the townsfolk. She truly is a great detective like her father.

Love Interest

Fred is attracted to Sergeant Branson Wexler, but Park Ranger, Leo Lopez, is also a strong contender. Which will she choose?

Four Stars

I truly enjoyed Traitorous Toys, and therefore I am giving it four stars. The Cozy Corgi Mysteries is fast becoming one of my favorite series. Check it out when you have time. Believe me, and you won’t want to put them down.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Bickering Birds

by Mildred Abbott

Series: Cozy Corgi Mysteries #3
Series Rating:
on January 23, 2018
Genres: Cozy Culinary Animal Mystery
Pages: 280
Format: Audible Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: , Wicked Wildlife, Malevolent Magic , Killer Keys , Perilous Pottery, Ghastly Gadgets, Meddlesome Money, Precarious Pasta

Rocky Mountain National Park has it all: rugged peaks, pine-scented forests, enchanting bird-watching locations, and… murder.
The Cozy Corgi bookshop finally opens, and Winifred Page and her headstrong corgi, Watson, are ready to welcome their first patrons. With her new best friend, Katie, creating heavenly pastries in the bakery on the top floor of the store, Fred’s dreams are all coming together in delicious and unexpected ways.
When Katie caters a meeting of the Feathered Friends Brigade and drags Fred along, they expect nothing more than loquacious chatter about birds as they endeavor to build a professional relationship with the owner of the wild bird shop. Fred and Katie are quickly roped into a moonlight snowshoeing hike in hopes of spotting a rare owl. While the endangered bird proves elusive… the murdered man in the snow is hard to miss.    Fred’s growing relationship with Sergeant Wexler hits a snag when he forbids her from donning her sleuth hat yet again. But Fred is a lot like her corgi—she doesn’t like being told what to do, even if it puts an end to a possible romance. As Fred and Watson delve into the lives of the ornithological club members, the tangled birds’ nest of an investigation makes Fred wonder if she should have left this one to the police. But when feathers begin to fly, Fred has no choice but to flush out a killer…

Bickering Birds by Mildred Abbott has many aspects that contribute to the murder of one of Myrtle’s disciples.

Will Fred figure out what happened to Henry before the killer strikes again?

Feathered Friends Brigade

Myrtle and the 12 members of the bird watching club are at the center of this mystery. The group is all about saving birds, conservation, and not interrupting the birds’ habitat. They are an elite club, with limited members, a high annual membership fee, and they are crazy about birds (well, most of them). That is where it stops as they don’t all believe in the same things, that doesn’t seem to be an issue or does it.

I think that Myrtle is brilliant. She has found a way to help her favorite charity, birds. Myrtle keeps the members happy with vests and badges. Yet, the members don’t have Myrtle’s strength of character, which is disconcerting to her. I like Myrtle, her bird side is eccentric, but she seems to have a good heart. She wouldn’t like me for owning a cockatoo, of which I am sure she would tell me all about my wicked ways.

“I don’t like people very much. But I understand them, part of why I don’t like them. I was looking for a way to as much good as I could for the birds. I couldn’t do it on my own. So I made a club. Twelve spots, because people like things that are exclusive. I made it expensive, ridiculously so, because people like things that are expensive. If I’d made it only a thousand dollar annual fee, people would’ve balked, but ten grand? She laughed and winked at me. “Ten grand means it’s expensive and doubly exclusive. And that’s one hundred and twenty thousand a year that I can use to help save birds.” ~Myrtle

The Mystery

The mystery has a few things going on besides murder and possibly poaching. It reminds us that love should be reciprocated; otherwise, it isn’t real, and no creature should be forced to love another as that also isn’t real. The murder of Henry starts this domino effect on the bird club, which the members’ true sides come through.

Love Interest

So, Fred and Sergeant Branson Wexler are on the outs, maybe, and now Leo is on his way in, maybe. We shall have to see which one she picks. On the upside, the Cozy Corgi book store and bakery have officially opened, and business is good.

Five Stars

I really enjoyed the mystery and meeting different townsfolk. There is most definitely a bunch of unique people living in Este Park. My rating for Bickering Birds is five stars. I thought about this rating, and I have to say that even though I disagree with some of what Myrtle says, I think the story is well written, the mystery is well-plotted, and  I still like Fred, Katie, and Watson.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Savage Sourdough

by Mildred Abbott

Series: Cozy Corgi Mysteries #4
Series Rating:
Published by Amazon Media on February 21, 2018
Genres: Cozy Culinary Animal Mystery
Pages: 296
Format: Audible Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: , Wicked Wildlife, Malevolent Magic , Killer Keys , Perilous Pottery, Ghastly Gadgets, Meddlesome Money, Precarious Pasta

Opening the Cozy Corgi in Estes Park is a dream come true: small-town charm, fresh-baked bread, hours by the fire reading mysteries, and… murder.
For Winifred Page and her devoted corgi, Watson, the puzzle pieces of life are falling into place as they settle into their home in the Colorado mountains. Surrounded by family and friends, Fred begins to relax into the charm and beauty of being the owner of a bookshop and bakery.
The buzz of possible romance—though Fred wasn’t looking for a relationship—has quieted as one of her suitors is no longer a viable option while the other has moved into the friend zone. But all thoughts of romance, wanted or not, fly out the window when Fred finds a dead body in the Cozy Corgi bakery… again.
Things get stickier when Fred’s main suspect turns out to be a family member of one of the local police officers—the one who already despises Fred and her little dog. Determined not to let past grievances cloud her judgment, Fred tips her detective hat and pokes deeper into the murder investigation. But in a mystery that becomes smoke and mirrors, nothing is as it seems.
The revelations Fred unveil threaten not only her picture-perfect world but her very life….

Savage Sourdough by Mildred Abbott, has lots of surprising twists and turns.

Who would want to kill Sammy, and why?

The Mystery

In this installment, we learn many things. I don’t want to spoil it, so I will throw out a few highlights and some questions that I was left with

• Katie’s past totally blew me away.
• Sammy acted high and mighty there towards the end.
• Wow, if Officer Green know about her brother, things might be different.
• Leo is back in, playing Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. He is hanging out with Katie and Fred a lot.
• Fred is jealous of Katie and Leo’s friendship, but she still likes Branson.
• Where the heck is Branson going all the time that he isn’t around or available by phone?
• Can we get a Habanero’s in Kalispell?
• Fred has a great family, even if they like tie-die.
• I wonder if Fred will get a new Mini Cooper.

Five Stars

I love this story, I was so caught off guard by Katie, but I got the culprit after the accident. You will have to read the book to figure out what I am talking about. So, five stars for Savage Sourdough. So, far my favorite.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Scornful Scones

by Mildred Abbott

Series: Cozy Corgi Mysteries #5
Series Rating:
on April 27, 2018
Genres: Cozy Culinary Animal Mystery
Pages: 300
Format: Audible Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: , Wicked Wildlife, Malevolent Magic , Killer Keys , Perilous Pottery, Ghastly Gadgets, Meddlesome Money, Precarious Pasta

With summer approaching, Estes Park is abuzz with flowers, baking, tourists, and… murder.
Tourist season is about to begin, and the lovely weather has Winifred Page and her corgi sidekick, Watson, leaving the comfort of the Cozy Corgi Bookshop and Bakery to reluctantly attend a celebration at the Black Bear Roaster coffee shop. But a chill of uncertainty settles over Fred when a choking death doesn’t seem so accidental—despite the dry hazardous scones.
As Fred and police sergeant Branson Wexler rekindle a possible romance, Fred shares her suspicions. But is she seeing murder at every turn? Learning to trust her gut feelings, Fred risks the ire of the coffee shop owner to investigate not one, but two, deaths.
As suspects and motives abound, old resentments are uncovered, and Fred and Watson build new friendships even as they follow the crumbs to find clues to a killer.

Scornful Scones by Mildred Abbott is a tale of regret, revenge, and people who use power to belittle and berate those considered beneath them.

Is Eustace’s death something that Fred needs to investigate?

The Mystery

Black Bear Roaster’s owner, Carla, is back from maturity leave and introducing a new expresso flavor named after her son. Carla is trying her best to be nice to everyone until her father-in-law chokes on a scone and dies. No foul play is detected, and yet Fred feels as though there is a game afoot. No evidence is found until Fred convinces Branson to test the scone for poison. Then before Fred gets those results, she heads over to speak with Carla, and another of Carla’s customers dies from anaphylactic shock. Fred is more convinced that someone is murdering people.

In this installment, Fred spends time feeling guilty and doubting herself. Until a young man that had the means and motive but not the backbone is arrested, then Fred really starts to figure out what is going on.

Secondary Plots

• Fred and Katie hire assistants, twin brothers. Nick, who worked at The Black Bear Roaster and Ben who wants to be a writer.
• Barry’s daughters work on getting their shop together with the family’s assistance.
• Uncle Percival was hurt in a car accident that destroyed the front of Verona and Zelda’s shop, Chakras.
• Everyone also helps out with Jonas and Noah’s new shop, name to be determined.
• Fred goes out on a few dates with Branson.

Five Stars

Another excellent job, Ms. Abbott. I adored Scornful Scones. Kate, Leo, and Fred have a wicked sense of humor. My favorite part was watching Fred figure out her gut feelings. But seriously another orange mini? Still, I am giving Scornful Scones a rating of five stars.

If you like cozies, this is an awesome series. Corgis, food, recipes, books, and murder, what more would you like?

Other Books

 

Coming on March 31st

When a dead body is discovered at Madame Delilah’s Old Tyme Photography, things look like a run of the mill investigation for our bookseller, Winifred, and her sidekick corgi, Watson. However, just when they hunker down to examine the clues over the Cozy Corgi Bookshop & Bakery’s pastries, a revelation of a love-one’s past makes even Katie’s baking taste bitter. Before the dust can settle or Fred can come to terms with this new reality, the clock begins to tick, and if she and Watson don’t put the puzzle pieces together in time, death is an inevitability. Official blurb and cover coming soon.

Giveaway

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Don’t forget that all but the first two books have delicious recipes that I can’t wait to try included at the back of the book.

Until the next time,

 

This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove. 

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