My Nails and My Book Review - I Know What You Bid Last Summer by Sherry Harris

**NetGalley**

Title: I Know What You Bid Last Summer

Series: Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #5

Author: Sherry Harris

Goodreads Summary: Sherry Harris presents the fifth installment of this charming, bestselling cozy mystery series! One man's junk is another man's treasure. But finding that treasure can be murder. As Sarah Winston discovers, someone is always ready to kill someone else for seemingly worthless pieces of junk.FOUL PLAY IN THE GYM
When it comes to running a successful garage sale, Sarah Winston believes in doing her homework. She also believes in giving back. But when she agrees to manage an athletic equipment swap, she doesn't bargain on an uncharitable killer. The day of the event, the school superintendent is found dead in the gymnasium.

HAS SARAH PLAYING DEFENSE
Suddenly the murder suspects are the school board members--including the husband of a very difficult client who's hired Sarah to run a high-end sale and demands she do her bidding. In between tagging and haggling, Sarah studies the clues to see who wanted to teach the superintendent a lesson. But as she closes in on the truth, the killer intends to give her a crash course on minding her own business . . .

My Review: **I voluntarily read this ARC**
This series gets better and better with each book. There is so much going on in this book, but it never gets overwhelming. I was a little sad that there wasn't really a focus on the military this time. I really liked the balance of humor and mystery.

My Manicure:  For today's manicure, I was inspired by the sports equipment swap. Then I realized that I am severely lacking sports images. I started with a base of Great Lakes Lacquer Kanaloa, mainly because I really didn't want to take it off of my nails. I stamped my vaguely soccer ball like image with Bundle Monster 408 and So Metal.

My Nails and My Book Review - Death by a Whisker by T.C. LoTempio

**NetGalley**

Title: Death by a Whisker

Series: Cat Rescue Mystery #2

Author: T.C. LoTempio

Goodreads Summary: Getting used to life back home in Deer Park, North Carolina, Sydney McCall and her right-hand tabby, Toby, are helping her sister Kat run the local animal shelter. Syd and Kat are all excited about the prospect of the shelter's newest fundraiser: shopping channel queen Ulla Townsend. Shelter admin Maggie Shayne vehemently refuses to have anything to do with the woman, but the fundraiser ensues as planned. That is, until Ulla turns up dead in the middle of the event.

The cause of death is determined to be an allergic reaction, but Syd and Toby are sniffing out something fishy. When Syd met Ulla, it was clear she was distasteful and rude. And right before the event, Syd spotted some behind-the-scenes drama between Ulla and her manager. As they begin to investigate, they realize there is no shortage of suspects, and Maggie is at the top of the list.

Now Syd and Toby must claw their way to the truth before everything goes paws up at their animal shelter in Death by a Whisker by national bestselling author T. C. LoTempio.

My Review: **I voluntarily read this ARC**
I really enjoyed this book, but I did feel that it had some minor pacing issues. The mystery was well-written, and I was surprised by the ending.

My Manicure: Meow! I was inspired by calico cats today. I started with a base of Sinful Colors Kovet. Then I dabbed on Zoya Dove and KBShimmer Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana. Sort of abstract, but it sort of resembles a cat pattern.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - The Cat of the Baskervilles by Vicki Delany

**NetGalley**

Title: The Cat of the Baskervilles

Series: Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #3

Author: Vicki Delany

Goodreads Summary: The show is coming to town on Cape Cod. The West London Theater Festival is putting on a stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Gemma Doyle is excited and participating with her friend Jayne Wilson, whose mother, Leslie, just happens to be volunteering with the company. Leslie arranges a fundraising tea party at the home of the festival organizer, catered by Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. The tea is a rousing success, but Sir Nigel Bellingham, the famous star cast as the lead of Sherlock, goes missing. And Gemma finds him at the bottom of the cliff. Dead.

Before the tea, Sir Nigel had come by the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop, only for Gemma to realize that he’s not at all suited to the role. But as Gemma and Jayne investigate, the list of suspects just grows longer. Long past his prime, Sir Nigel was second to a younger actor who had first been given the role. The festival’s executive director also expressed that he had been hired over her objections. Then there are the slew of people to whom Sir Nigel was rude. They all have motive, but then a scrap of Leslie’s apron caught on a bush by Sir Nigel’s body is found. And the police are set to pounce as she becomes suspect #1.

It’s up to Gemma and Jayne to team up again and clear Jayne’s mother’s name in The Cat of the Baskervilles, the delightful third Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.

My Review: **I voluntarily read this ARC**

This series is definitely growing on me. Gemma is a strong, yet flawed character who also knows that she has flaws. I really enjoyed the mystery and the backstory that was given with it.

My Manicure: Tea time! Since tea is such a big thing in this series, I went for a simple tea time look. I started with Vapid Catch Me If You Can because, well, look at it. It is such a gorgeous color. My tea image was stamped with Bundle Monster XL156 and So Metal.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - A Grave Issue by Lillian Bell

**NetGalley**

Title: A Grave Issue

Series: Funeral Parlor Mystery #1

Author: Lillian Bell

Goodreads Summary: After an on-air gaffe goes viral and jeopardizes her career, journalist Desiree Turner retreats home to Verbena, California for some peace and quiet. She begins working one of the quietest jobs around: presiding over funerals for her great-grandfather’s funeral parlor. But the action seems to follow her as a fistfight breaks out between neighbors Rosemarie Brewer and Lola Hansen at one of the first funerals she’s in charge of running. It exposes a nasty dispute and Rosemarie’s husband, Alan, is found murdered shortly after.

Lola’s husband, Kyle, is immediately arrested. Desiree, whose own father’s death was devastating, has always viewed Kyle as a second father. Determined to clear his name, Desiree jumps head first into the investigation and quickly discovers that Alan had several unsavory habits at his job and in his personal life, including putting assets into his mistress’s account to hide them from Rosemarie. People murder for money and love all the time, and there’s no telling who he offended just enough to push them over the edge.

Desiree is looking in all the right places, but she better catch the killer fast before they come for her next in A Grave Issue, the clever series debut by Lillian Bell.

My Review: **I voluntarily read this ARC**
A fun start to a new series. I really enjoyed reading the "newspaper articles". It was a fun way to have new information introduced. The mystery was well written with some great suspects. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series.

My Manicure: Today, I was inspired by the newspaper articles. I started with three coats of ILNP Mega (L). Then I stamped the writing with Bundle Monster S241 and Straight Up Black.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Class Reunions Are Murder by Libby Klein

**NetGalley**

Title: Class Reunions Are Murder

Series: Poppy McAllister Mystery #1

Author: Libby Klein

Goodreads Summary: For fortysomething Poppy McAllister, taking a stroll down memory lane in Cape May, New Jersey, isn’t just awkward—it’s deadly.

Newly widowed and stuck in a middle-aged funk, Poppy has been running on cookies, infomercials, and one-sided chats with her cat for months. There’s no way on earth she’s attending her twenty-five-year class reunion—especially after receiving a very bizarre letter from Barbie, the popular cheerleader who taunted her all through high school. At least, not until Poppy’s best friend practically drags her to the event . . .

Using the dreaded homecoming as an excuse to visit her eccentric Aunt Ginny, Poppy vows to leave Cape May with pride and Spanx intact. Too bad Barbie is still the queen of mean at the reunion. And worse, that her dead body is lying right in front of Poppy’s old locker. Singled out as the killer, it’s up to Poppy to confront her past and clear her name. But between protecting her aunt from disaster and tackling a gluten-free diet, can Poppy crack the case before she’s voted “Most Likely to Die” by the murderer?

Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!

My Review: **I voluntarily read this ARC**
This was a super fun start to a new series. Poppy is great as a main character. She has her flaws, but she also knows what is important to her. The mystery was well written with a great ending.

My Manicure: Oh my gosh, I am cringing so bad right now. This is supposed to look horrific, and it is directly inspired by the book, but wow it is worse than I imagined. I started with an unlabeled Color Club yellow that decided to apply horribly. Then I painted half of my nail with OPI Hey Baby. After that dried, I carefully used a black Kiss striping polish to paint the thin line.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Curses, Boiled Again! by Shari Randall

**NetGalley**

Title: Curses, Boiled Again!

Series: Lobster Shack Mystery #1

Author: Shari Randall

Goodreads Summary: Welcome to the seaside hamlet of Mystic Bay, where the fish is always fresh, the folks are ever-friendly, and murder is on a roll. . .

Allie Larkin was living her dream as a ballet dancer when a bad fall put her out of business. Now she’s back home in Mystic Bay to heal a broken ankle while also helping her dear Aunt Gully get her Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack off the ground. Nothing would help Gully more than winning the local food festival’s Best Lobster Roll contest. The competition is sure to be killer―especially after one of the contest judges dies after eating a roll from one of Gully’s biggest rivals.

Soon, all eyes fall on Gully as the prime suspect. Allie may only have one good leg to stand on, but she’s not going to let her aunt go down for a crime she never could have cooked up. Can Allie, along with her devoted crew of friends, family, and customers, find a way to trap the killer and claw herself out of this hard-boiled murder case?

My Review: **I voluntarily read this ARC**
I had a little bit of trouble getting into the story at first, but it ended up being a good book. It has a highly unique ending. Even the characters point out how bizarre it was. The mystery was enjoyable with interesting characters.

My Manicure: Since Allie is a ballerina, I decided on a ballet themed manicure. I started out with Zoya Gie Gie. It is such a pretty, soft pink. Then I stamped ballet slippers with Bundle Monster 620 and Bam! White.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Biscuits and Slashed Browns by Maddie Day

**NetGalley**

Title: Biscuits and Slashed Browns

Series: Country Store Mystery #4

Author: Maddie Day

Goodreads Summary: For country-store owner Robbie Jordan, the National Maple Syrup Festival is a sweet escape from late-winter in South Lick, Indiana--until murder saps the life out of the celebration . . .
As Robbie arranges a breakfast-themed cook-off at Pans 'N Pancakes, visitors pour into Brown County for the annual maple extravaganza. Unfortunately, that includes Professor Connolly, a know-it-all academic from Boston who makes enemies everywhere he goes--and this time, bad manners prove deadly. Soon after clashing with several scientists at a maple tree panel, the professor is found dead outside a sugar shack, stabbed to death by a local restaurateur's knife. When an innocent woman gets dragged into the investigation and a biologist mysteriously disappears, Robbie drops her winning maple biscuits to search for answers. But can she help police crack the case before another victim is caught in a sticky situation with a killer?

My Review: **I voluntarily read this ARC**
Another great addition to the series. I love how it has a "Southern Lite" feel to it. Some of those sayings are absolutely hilarious. I really enjoyed the mystery, and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.

My Manicure: I have to start this out with two notes - it is really hard to find words that work for this and fit on my nail, and it is really hard to write legibly on nails. Ok, onto the inspiration. This is how Robbie fits clues together to solve mysteries (or at least how I picture it). I'm not sure how she manages it, because just doing this little bit was hard for me. I started with Finger Paints Of Quartz You Can to give a sort of neutral background. Then I wrote with Sharpie for the puzzle. It ended up taking three tries, but I was able to use non-acetone remover so I didn't have to completely start over.

~Kelly