"Cookies in the Cottage" The Inn at Holiday Bay By Kathi Daley: Review/Giveaway

Review by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Mistletoe, Mangers, and Mystery! 

The “old” Abagail Sullivan might have wallowed in her despair after the tragic death of her husband and infant child, but two years later, the ‘new” Abby Sullivan has embraced her life as a innkeeper of a popular Victorian, good friend to many, girlfriend of the local cop, and valued member of the quaint seaside community of Holiday Bay, Maine. The picturesque Victorian during any season or holiday celebration has brought into Abby’s life a few fascinating acquaintances, some life-long friends, and many compelling mysteries. Joining her to ensure the success of the Inn or adding valuable assistance solving those compelling mysteries includes her BFF/manager/chef Georgia Carter, friend/decorator/mother of six Lacy Parker, boyfriend/Police Chief Colt Wilder, and several invaluable local residents and returning guests. Beyond responsibilities at the Inn or interest in mysteries, Abby continues with her successful writing career and the care and feeding of a trio of delightful, yet demanding, “fur” friends. The Inn at Holiday Bay isn’t all cozy holiday festivities, cliffside vistas, wintery weather, and freshly-baked scones, mysteries of all kinds abound!


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Cookies in the Cottage
earns 5/5 Bonfires and S’mores...Engaging Entertainment

Over Thanksgiving, three half-sisters, who had not been aware of each other, met as part of the conditions set down in the Last Will and Testament of their, also previously unknown, grandmother Henrietta Rosewood. One decision made by the trio was to meet again over the Christmas holidays to go through the inherited house and belongings and revisit decisions about what to sell and what to keep. Strangely, the house has “creaks and groans” and odd electrical issues they deem more unusual than just quirks of an old house. Additionally, during their search, a secret room was found along with “Henri’s” personal diaries; the diaries indicated Henri was experiencing the same noises the women were hearing. Ghosts? No. The theory is Henri may have been haunted by someone more corporeal, and it may have led to her premature death. Murder? Abby loves a good mystery, so the story sparks her interest. But, a full blown investigation became necessary after the former groundskeeper is found dead in the shed.

Delightful! Kathi Daley has penned another entertaining book in her Inn at Holliday Bay series with a couple of fascinating mysteries with bodies, another mystery with cookies and presents, and sleigh rides, s’mores, and lots of Christmas fun! Kathi’s writing style is very engaging using descriptive language that brings to life the wintery Maine setting and sights and sounds of Christmas. The dialogue does well to illustrate the various personalities and critical thinking strategies used by Abby and her compadres. However, it’s the characters that make this series a favorite. Abby has grown comfortable with this chapter in her life, and although she has not forgotten her tragic past, she has found a delightful and rewarding way forward and can now look upon her tragedy and see fond memories. She has also opened her heart again and the relationship between her and Colt is loving and supportive, and her involvement in many official mysteries is recognized and valued. Several avenues of interest happen off the page or quickly moved from “we should” to “here’s what we found out.” This keeps reader focused on the mystery and not extraneous investigations. However, there’re lots of holiday activities, taking care of the Inn and the guests, and just being with friends. Engaging. Fun. Endearing.

Alert! Book fourteen, Details in the Document, is set to release in March 2021, and currently is up for PREORDER.

Be a Big Kathi Daley Fan!

USA Today bestselling author Kathi Daley has twelve series (Book List) offering something for every cozy taste with clever dramas, arctic to tropical to west coast settings, close relationships with friends and family, and a variety of “fur” friends. She has a great social media community of fans and can be followed on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub. Keep updated on all of her book releases, events, and goings-on by signing up for her newsletter HERE.

Facebook - Kathi Daley Books

Join the Club Kathi Daley Book Club

On the Web Kathi Daley Website

Blog - Random Thoughts and Meaningless Musings

Christmas Cookies

Evermine: White-Chocolate Dipped Ginger Cookies

Thank you to Josephine Guicciardi, the nom de plume of a creative Evermine blogger.

White Chocolate-Dipped Ginger Cookies with Holly Leaves

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy.

Author: Evermine

Ingredients

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Image Source Evermine

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

3/4cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar in the raw (or regular sugar)

3 cups white chocolate chips

Wax paper or parchment

Red and green candy melts (or tinted royal icing/frosting)

Instructions

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg together in a large bowl, making sure the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add the egg until incorporated. Add the molasses and vanilla extract and beat, scraping down the sides, until everything is mixed together.

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Remove bowl from stand mixer, and scrape the sides down with a spatula. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Line your cookie sheet with a silpat mat and preheat oven to 375F. Place ½ cup raw sugar (or regular sugar) in a bowl and set aside. Remove dough from refrigerator and, using your hands, roll balls that are 1½ to 2 inches in diameter with the dough. Place dough balls in the bowl with the raw sugar until evenly coated. Place balls on cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches space between each ball. Flatten each ball into discs and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a cookie rack to cool.

5. Once cookies have cooled completely, melt the white chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir. The chips should be completely melted, but if not, place back in the microwave for another 10-15 seconds.

6. Tear off a length of wax paper and place it on your counter. Dip cookies into the melted white chocolate chips, one by one, scraping the excess off the bottom as you remove it from the bowl. Place on wax paper and allow white chocolate to set until completely hardened.

7. To decorate your cookies, start by tracing the outline of your holly leaves with icing. Fill in the leaves with the icing, and using a piping tip, create your berries using red frosting. You may want to experiment with a couple throwaway cookies first to get the hand of it.

8.  Allow all the frosting and icing to harden, and then package in medium cellophane bags. Attach a holly hang tag and hand out to all your favorite people for the holidays.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Cookies in the Cottage, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "cottage,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 2, 2021. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter.  You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new Christmas episode went up this week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:



Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Comments

  1. Kathi Daley never stops! Count me in!

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  2. Those cookies sound delicious and I'm really looking forward to the book!

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  3. I’d love to read this! Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  4. Sounds like another great book from Kathi Daley. Looking forward to reading the latest.

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  5. looks decadent and would love to read the book

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  6. Kathi keeps us wanting more.
    Can’t wait to make the cookies and read the book 🥰

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  7. The cookies sound delicious, I can't wait to read this!

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  8. This looks like a fun and enjoyable holiday read!

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  9. Omg.. this book looks like a fun and exciting holiday read (not to mention the delicious looking cookie recipe which has me drooling!) I would love to read this book!!

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  10. Sounds like a great book and cookies looks yummy.

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  11. Thanks for the review. Kathi writes wonderful books. kckendler at gmail dot com

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  12. The cookies sound absolutely delicious! Can't wait to read this! hollystover13(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  13. I am looking forward to this book and making those delicious cookies. Thank you for the chance.

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  14. I love that recipe and I'd love to read the book! legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  15. Thanks for the yummy cookie recipe!

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  16. Wow! This storyline looks amazing! Christmastime -- my favorite setting -- along with a cozy mystery -- my favorite genre -- to read with a beverage of choice in front of the fireplace -- what more could a girl ask for? I mean really!! Can't wait to get my claws -- or should I say "paws" into this one! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this prize!! Happy New Year to you, your authors, and your readers. 🥂 Be safe during this "crazy" time everyone! 😷

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  17. Oh but this looks like so much fun and full of laughter. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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