Dream A Little Scream ( Dream Club Mystery Book 2) - Mary Kennedy, Author

Kahlua Brownies

(Author Mary Kennedy sent 200 pounds of these
to the troops in Iraq over a 3 month period)

½ cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup Kahlua

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.

Step 2

In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder and kahlua. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Step 3

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  16 servings

Dream A Little Scream - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Ali and Taylor Blake are sisters.  Ali owns a candy Shop in Savannah, Ga called Oldies But Goodies.  Taylor arrived in Savannah a few months ago to find the vintage candy shop, just a couple of blocks off the Historic District, struggling.  Between the two sisters, changes were made, they invested in some marketing, added a cafe menu, and things were looking up.  They had bone from the red to the black and felt sure their changes would keep it that way.  That is until they agreed to host a book signing for cookbook author Sonia Scott.  The turnout was great and everything was going just as planned until Sonia starts complaining that her chest feels so tight she can hardly breathe.  Apparently she is allergic to cats, and Ali owns two.  But when Sonia's employee Olivia explains that it was something besides the cats, something much worse.  And when her EpiPen turns up missing, nine-one-one was called.  Apparently, Sonia is allergic to more than cats.  She is also allergic to nuts of any kind.  But everyone who made snacks for the signing knew this and would never have put nuts into their dishes, or would they.

Taylor and Ali are part of a group they call The Dream Club.  They meet weekly in the apartment above the shop, and they serve sweet tea, coffee, and a delicious array of pastries.  She calls the Dream Club members their "beta testers," and she adds the most popular items to the cafe menu downstairs.  With what has just happened to Sonia, it's time to call an emergency meeting of the club's members, which were all present at the signing anyway, to see if they could put their heads together and solve yet another mystery.

Dream A Little Scream had so many twists and turns that each time I thought I knew who the culprit was I found myself doubting my ability to determine the good guys, or gals, from the bad.  And I must say this is the norm for Author Mary Kennedy.  I've read just about everything she has written and am always hoping for more.

Vegas Lies ("Lies" Mystery Thriller Series Book 3) - Andrew Cunningham, Author

ANISETTE COOKIES

(Andrew Cunningham - My wife’s mother—the greatest baker in the world--used to make them every Christmas)

2 ½ Cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon anisette

1 cup sugar

½ cup shortening

Cream shortening, add eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add flour, salt, and baking powder (all sifted together). Add milk. Add anisette.

Put on greased pan (each one about a heaping tablespoon size). Cook 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Glaze:

Mix confectioner’s sugar and milk to make a thick glaze

Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze

While the glaze is still wet, cover with sprinkles or nonpareils

Vegas Lies - Book 3 - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Emma began to cry.  Lucy nuzzled up against her in an effort to comfort her friend, but there was no comfort, just abject fear.  If his hand being there had been so unpleasant, what would the other thing be like?  Slowly the crying subsided, only to be replaced with anger.  No, she wasn't going to let that happen to her.  It would be far worse than death.  She was going to find a way to escape, and if she couldn't, she was going to die.  

Five young teenage girls from the small town of Vista, Oregon disappeared in the same night.  At first it was thought that the five friends, who were coming home from a movie, had run away together, escaping the stifling atmosphere of small-town America.  But once it was determined that they were all reasonably happy, fairly well-adjusted young people, the focus shifted to the unthinkable.

Peep was Mo's partner.  Even though they didn't live together, they had been a couple for about five years.  Peep was in Las Vegas for a trade show.  Sabrina and Del are on their way to Las Vegas for a BookExpo.  Sabrina, a best selling mystery author, hates the publicity that follows her but had agreed to take the trip and had also promised Mo that she and Del would meet Peep for dinner the night of their arrival.  For some reason Peep never showed up.

As Author Andrew Cunningham combines the stories of the missing teenagers as well as the disappearance of Peep, the tension grows.  Where is the connection between the missing girls and Peep?  Can they all be found before it's too late?  And who is behind the disappearances?  These, plus many more questions popped into my head as I read, yet another, suspense filled book in this series.

So, if you enjoy a good page turner, full of twists and turns, don't miss out on this book.  It's one that kept me up late at night reading just to see what happens next.