Thursday, November 16, 2023

Cozy Mystery Review Spotlight: A Felonious Finale by C.S. McDonald

I love cozy mysteries! Today, I have a book from on my favorite cozy mystery writers! Check out A Felonious Finale by C.S. McDonald, read my review of the book and learn about the series and author.



Book Title:   A FELONIOUS FINALE (The Owl's Nest Mysteries) 
Author:  C.S. McDonald
Category:  Adult Fiction, 268 pages
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  April 2023
Tour dates:  Nov 6 to Dec 8
Content Rating:  G. C.S. McDonald's books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults--no bad language or sexual content.


About the Book

Alexa Owl has one burning question: Who killed Bobby Starr?

Out of the blue that ornery angel, Detective Bobby Starr, shows up at The Owl’s Nest Couturier Shoppe. Much to Alexa Owl’s surprise, Bobby doesn’t need her help. Rather, he’s brought along someone else who wants to qualify for Saint Peter’s Guardian Angel Squad. Saint Pete has delegated this new inductee to solve a murder to get into the group, and it’s a doozie: Who killed Detective Bobby Starr? How can Alexa turn this assignment down?

Back in the 60s, Bobby’s fifth wife, Katherine was a diva in a community operetta company. During a performance of The Merry Widow, Bobby was forced to stand-in for a member of the chorus who fell ill. Only, Bobby’s first performance would be his last! The suspects are hitting all the notes as this mystery comes to crescendo!

My Review

A Felonious Finale is a Great Addition to the Series. I love The Owl's Nest Mysteries. Over the past few years, I have read several books from the author and this series. They are all fun, young adult-friendly, cozy mysteries that are clean, entertaining, and easy to read. A Felonious Finale is another fun, time-travel-style mystery with twists and turns and humorous interactions and surprises for readers.


A Felonious Finale Brings Together Another Cast of Likable, Interesting Characters. I love the unique cast of characters that the author uses in her stories. If you have read previous books in the series, you will find old favorites like Bobby Starr and Winnie and old characters like Clifton Slater shifting into new, central roles. Personally, I think I like Slater's mystery-solving style and personality a little more than Bobby's--but both characters offer humor and perspective to their roles.  


Would I Recommend A Felonious Finale by C.S. McDonald? If you enjoy a clean, cozy mystery that combines a well-done mystery with some unique, paranormal, time-traveling twists--this is another excellent book from C.S. McDonald. Even if you are new to the series, the author gives you enough backstories and history to settle quickly into the story and enjoy it from beginning to end. This mystery is simple but has enough twists and surprises to make it engaging enough for cozy, mystery-loving adults and tweens or teens. While this novel is a "finale," of sorts in some respects,  I love these characters so much that I hope to see more of them in the future! 
Buy the Book
Amazon ~ Audible 
BookBub

Enjoy These Other Owl's Nest Mysteries:


Book Details:

Book Title:  Back to the Burgh and Beyond (The Owl's Nest Mysteries, Book 1) 
Author:  C.S. McDonald
Category:  Adult Fiction, 208 pages
Run Time: 5 hours, 59 minutes
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Sep 10, 2020
Formats Available for review: audiobook (audible download), ebook (mobi for kindle, epub, pdf)
Tour dates:  Nov 6 to Dec 8, 2023
Content Rating:  G. C.S. McDonald's books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults--no bad language or sexual content.

Book Description:

​Meet Alexa Owl. She's returned home to Pittsburgh after a divorce to start a new life and a new business, The Owl’s Nest Couturier Shoppe. Much to her surprise, she's getting more than she ever bargained for: Detective Bobby Starr, and he's no ordinary sleuth. Bobby is an angel who's returned to Earth in hopes of earning his way into the Guardian Angel Squad. He's been sent by none other than Saint Pete to acquire Alexa’s help to solve three cold case murders he left behind. Except, here’s the catch: he’s only been allotted four days to solve the first case! How in heaven’s name is she supposed to do that? Alexa is a professional seamstress—not a detective. Bobby insists the only way to solve the first case is to return to 1953, and Alexa’s not in love with that idea at all!
Buy the Book:
Audible

Amazon ~ B&N
Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Book Title:  Maxed Out (The Owl's Nest Mysteries) 
Author:  C.S. McDonald
Category:  Adult Fiction, 184 pages
Length: 5 hours, 32 minutes
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  April 2021
Formats Available for Review: audiobook (audible download), ebook (mobi for kindle, epub, pdf)
Tour dates:  No 6 to Dec 8, 2023
Content Rating:  G. C.S. McDonald's books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults--no bad language or sexual content.

Book Description:

The Owl’s Nest Couturier Shoppe is a huge success! Business is booming and Alexa Owl’s love life is heating up. Yet much to the seamstress’s dismay, Detective Bobby Starr is suddenly back again! Bobby isn’t your everyday gumshoe. Rather, he’s an angel who’s trying to earn a place in Saint Peter’s Guardian Angel Squad. He’s required to solve murders he had left unsettled from when he walked the earth in order to be accepted into this prestigious group. Of course, they will need to return to the time period in which the murder took place, and again, Alexa is a reluctant time traveler. Oh, and there’s one more little problem—this time, Bobby’s brought along a friend, Maxi Krogen, and she’s no angel!
Buy the Book:
Audible

Amazon ~ B&N
add to goodreads

Book Details:

Book Title:  DOUBLE DOG DARE (The Owl's Nest Mysteries) 
Author:  C.S. McDonald
Category:  Adult Fiction, 274 pages
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  May 2022
Tour dates:  Nov 6 to Dec 8, 2023
Content Rating:  G. C.S. McDonald's books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults--no bad language or sexual content.

Book Description:

That ornery, but oh, so handsome, charming, and somewhat, wayward angel, Detective Bobby Starr, has returned. This time, he’s back to fulfill his third and, hopefully, his final requirement to get into Saint Peter's prestigious Guardian Angel Squad. This time, the usually reluctant time traveler, Alexa Owl, is ready to go back to the 1960's to assist in solving one more long-ago murder. Why? Because if all goes well, she'll be rid of the menacing angel once and for all. Except, an emergency jerks Alexa back to her own time, and to complicate matters, she’s got a tag-along. Can Bobby solve this last case without Alexa’s help? After all, she’s got her hands full with a life-or-death mystery in the twenty-first century!
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible 
add to goodreads

Meet the Author

For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries includes nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg.

Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh and the female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Nest Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!

Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister. 


Connect with the author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook ~ Instagram




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