I really wanted to like this - I'd read one of Mollie Cox Bryan's Cumberland Creek books and quite enjoyed it despite the fact that I was jumping in to a well established series. So when I saw this on NetGalley I snapped it up. This is the second book in this series so I was hoping it would still be in the setting up stages. But unfortunately, I didn't have any empathy for either of the two lead characters and found the mystery confusing and not tremendously well thought through. Cora is foolhardy and naive and Jane is supersuspicious, overprotective and whiny. But they do sometimes seem to switchover to each other's personality traits. Lots of minor niggles - including but not limited to the precocious 5 year old who takes part in some of the crafting retreat classes (and why would you tell a 5 year old that her sitter is missing/kidnapped?!) and Jane's excessive paranoia and possessiveness over said 5 year old. Not for me sadly, though I'd still consider more Cumberland Creek books (and there's some cross over here from that which is nice) but I don't think I'd go for another one of these.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I could have sworn I read the first book in this series but as I started the book I realized I had not. Events from the first book are mentioned throughout this story so I did feel like I missed certain things but it did not hinder my enjoyment of this book.

Cora and Jane are hosting their second retreat in Indigo Gap featuring “wildcrafting” where the participants go on nature walks for leaves, flowers, rocks and even clay to use to make their projects. Cora receives a strange text message on her phone and soon after we learn that a nanny, Gracie Wyke, that takes care of Jane’s daughter has gone missing. Both Cora and Jane feel connected to the case and when Gracie’s boyfriend becomes a house guest they team up together in their own effort to locate the young woman. When another body is found other retreat members start to help in the investigation. They all need to be pretty crafty to stay safe and find Gracie if in fact she is still alive.

Cora and Jane have recently moved to Indigo Gap, North Carolina. Cora Chevalier, a former counselor in a woman’s shelter, has left that life behind and sunk most of her saving into a Victorian home to start a craft retreat business with her friend Jane. While Cora is the main character Jane is featured almost as much. They make a great team. Jane has a young daughter. Ruby also helps with the retreats. Each retreat brings a new set of characters. This time there was a character cross over from Mollie Cox Bryan’s Cumberland Creek Mysteries. I really enjoyed getting to know them all.

This story bring two generations together as the younger crowd introduces their elders to the world of cyber games. You know the one they are playing on their phones all the time. The police do not believe a game has anything to do with the disappearance or the murder and Cora dismisses it too until one of her younger retreat members changes her mind. Terms like the DarkNet and hacking scare the daylights out of me. With what happened in our recent election shows us that while all this new technology is great but it can also be very dangerous. This story had me really thinking about this new extension (cell phones) to so many people’s hands. It was a fantastic element of the mystery the author created. One we would not typically see in a cozy mystery.

The author blends together the crafting and the sleuthing in a balanced way. It was fun following the clues and learning about making charms and painting rocks. As the clues started to come together the mystery was the main focus especially as Cora and Jane ignore the police and get right in the middle of apprehending a murderer. Let me tell you there should have been steam rising from my kindle as fast as the pages were flying.

The characters and crafty them fit the standard of a cozy but for me this subject matter and the ending walked a very close line to more of a suspense thriller than cozy. I enjoy both genres very much but just want to warn those that like to stick to the strict definition of a cozy mystery.

I hope to read the first book, Death Among the Doilies before the third book is released. I recommend reading them in order. I am looking forward to joining Cora and Jane on many more retreats.

No Charm Intended is the second in the Cora Crafts Mystery series featuring Coralie "Cora" Chevalier set in Indigo Gap, North Carolina. Cora and her best friend Jane Starr, along with Ruby O'Malley are preparing for the second crafter's retreat to be held in their newly renovated Victorian.

Jane's daughter London's babysitter Gracie Wyke goes missing at the start of the retreat causing scheduling problems and emotional distress for London. When Gracie's boyfriend Paul and his best friend Henry arrive on Jane's doorstep looking for help in locating the girl, Cora soon finds herself drawn into an investigation involving an online computer game "The Wizard of Oz".

Like the first in the series this edition is chock full of crafting projects and tips, with the components for these being things found in the wild. Detective Brodsky is back leading the investigation and while Cora seems to have found happiness with Adrian, there is still a hint of attraction to the hunky lawyer Cashel.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to share my honest opinion.

Synopsis:

-The perfect weekend getaway: crafting, food, and a murder or two!- --New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon
Settling into her new life and career in small-town Indigo Gap, North Carolina, Cora Chevalier is preparing to host a -wildcrafting- retreat at her Victorian home. But a specter hangs over the venture when beloved local nanny Gracie Wyke goes missing. Amidst leading their guests in nature hikes, rock painting and making clay charms, Cora and her business partner, Jane, team up with Gracie's boyfriend, Paul, to launch their own investigation into her disappearance when the local police prove unhelpful.
Cora and her crafters take Paul in, believing he is in danger and not the suspect police have made him out to be. However as they uncover new clues and a body turns up at a local abandoned amusement park, Cora and Jane begin to question their decision. With more questions than answers arising, is Cora crafty enough to untangle a knot that could put an innocent in jail--and permanently destroy her reputation?
Praise for Mollie Cox Bryan's Mysteries
-Scrapbookers and hobby cozy fans will enjoy this delightful holiday escape.- --Library Journal on A Crafty Christmas
-Light and full of positive solutions... A great entry in a fun series.- --RT Book Reviews on Death of an Irish Diva
-A font of ingenuity...superb entertainment.- --Mystery Scene Magazine on Scrapbook of Secrets
Includes crafting tips! (Goodreads)



Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. I thought that the two main characters, Cora and Jane, were smart caring women but at times, I thought they were both a little wishy-washy. That is only my opinion and other readers may not feel the same way. At time I got confused keeping all of the characters straight in my mind. With all of the teachers and crafters I felt like there were maybe too many characters. While having crafters come to the retreats allows the author to introduce more characters, it can also be a bit overwhelming. Again, that is only my opinion and others may not agree.

What I did really like about this book was the mystery of what happened to Gracie? This book had a little edgier feeling than most cozy mysteries that I read. I found the idea of an online game murder mystery quite clever and it really held my interest. I could not help but turn the pages faster as I got more into the mystery. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book, I felt like I was right there, watching all the action taking place around me. That to me is a real plus.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery with a little bit of an edge to it.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

If you're looking for a cozy mystery that will provide you with some vicarious crafting, I highly recommend this one. Cora Chevalier's craft retreats sound absolutely wonderful and include lots of opportunities I'd have never thought of, like digging clay from a nearby riverbank. The mystery is completely separate from the crafting. I wish that the author would have given more details about the disappearance and the circumstances surrounding it (trying to avoid spoilers here), but the rest of the book was enough to make up for that. I'll be watching for the third book in the series.

I loved the setting of Indigo Gap, North Carolina. It is a small little town where the people seem nice and the atmosphere is cheery. I thought the author did an amazing job of describing the different crafts in the book. I'm not very crafty at all but I so admire the wonderful craftwork of others.

Cora is a very likable and talented woman. I would love to be a guest at her "wildcrafting" retreat. Just think of all the talented people you would be surrounded by. Cora is excited to spend time hosting the retreat along with her business partner , Jane and share her crafting abilities until someone turns up missing. It sure does put a damper on the retreat. How do you make sure your guests are having a great time when police officers stop by with questions? I thought Cora handled their appearance with grace .

I found it very interesting that a computer game called The Wizard of Oz could be behind the disappearance of the young woman who is missing. There are so many people playing online games these days that you don't really know who you are playing with. Did someone lure the unsuspecting woman into danger? I was not surprised that the first suspect was the boyfriend. Paul is a likable guy but at times I wasn't sure if he was guilty or not. He seems to have such bad luck that it's no wonder he is a suspect. Would you invite a suspect to stay at your house? I wonder what was going through Cora's mind when she said Paul could stay with her?

Cora, her friend Jane and Paul decide they can find the missing woman faster than the police and off they go on a journey that keeps readers guessing at every turn. This is not a typical funny cozy but one that challenges readers to look at topics that aren't easy to read or talk about. I appreciate the authors candor on the topics and the realism written about them. I have come to really like this book and enjoyed the writing style of an author that gives subtle hints of the mystery . What happens when a body turns up? That is when things start really heating up. I loved how the characters seemed to mesh so well together. This is one book you won't want to miss. It has intrigue, surprises and characters that are fascinating . Thanks for a great book that kept me entertained and moved at a good pace.

I received a copy of this book from the Cozy Mystery Book Review Crew and the author. The review is my own. opinion.

This second entry in the Cora Crafts cozy series finds main character Cora Chevalier and her friend and business partner Jane settled in to a new town in a stately old home suitable for hosting their crafting retreats. Their first ever wildcrafting event, featuring a variety of crafts and instructors, is interrupted by the disappearance of Jane's babysitter followed closely by the murder of a young friend.

I found this book to be a little disjointed, and a little more background from the first book might have been helpful. Evidently Cora suffers from anxiety stemming from her previous career working with abused women. Jane has trust issues due to a bad marriage. There are a lot of references to a previous murder investigation and Cora has an oddly nervous romance and a strange relationship with the local police.

Lots of characters to keep track of and a somewhat preposterous ending. I received an ARC of this novel via Net Galley in return for my honest review.

A trait of a cozy mystery is one person who can not seem to believe the police can solve a case on their own. In this series we have Coralee, and in this book she has friends who also can not resist becoming amateur sleuths. The key word here is amateur as no one really seems to know how to run and follow this investigation.
A young, highly intelligent woman is missing. Some people are thinking she made bad choices and her disappearance is of her own making.
Others believe it is the result of playing a computer game based on The Wizard of Oz.
Her boyfriend and his roommate feel responsible since they were the ones to introduce her to this game, played on the Darknet.

Meanwhile, back at Kildare House, a crafters' retreat run by Cora and Jane, with lots of help from Ruby and various craft teachers they bring in, a diverse and interesting mix of creative souls gathers together. This wonderful portion of the book keeps it from becoming too dark.
WARNING: reading this series will cause you to want to play in the mud and take appreciative walks through the woods.

This book is a veritable twister of sweetness and danger.
The characters are well written and likable. We discover more about each as the stories are crafted.
With the changing population of the retreats, and as Cora and Jane meet new people around town, we will never be bored with the personalities and possibilities.

This book does take on an above average number of topics and social challenges, including emotional and mental health, relationships gone bad and potential drug sales and abuse.
I don't see them as triggers, the way they are written, but the combination can be a bit overwhelming to readers looking for a cozy escape read. I felt the balance was handled well.

I did not find it to be as quick a read as the previous book in this series but just as Jane and Cora are finding their way in this new adventure, this series is just getting started. Mollie Cox Bryan has big goals for this series and I feel she is off to a wonderful beginning.

I did receive this book via Netgalley and voluntarily left my review.

I read the first book in this series and the second one did not disappoint. The descriptions of the craft classes were so clear that I felt like I was right there with them. Can't wait for the next one...

I did not read book 1 in this crafting series and I think it might have helped having background on Cora and Jane. When Jane's nanny disappears the dark side of the internet rears its ugly head. Cozy readers that are interested in crafts will love the hints and blurbs on a wide variety of projects. The mystery is well written and the clues and the alibi make for an interesting story.

I received an advanced copy of this book. I chose to provide a review. Again Ms Bryan ties into her Cumberland Creek series. If you haven't read them, you will not notice the tie in. It does not diminish the story. Cora Chevalier and Jane Starr are the sleuths and they run a craft retreat. The words have you sitting in the classes and on the prowl as they chase down clues. There are twists and turns which keep you guessing. I enjoyed the relationship between Ruby, Cora, and Jane. The craft retreat was plausible and enjoyable. I could see myself attending. There was a lot going on in this book with a good portion dwelling on the side of a thriller as opposed to a cozy due to the darkness of the subject. Can't wait for the next book in this series.

Cora and Jane are together again in Indigo Gap, North Carolina where they run a crafting, retreat house. Every time they run a weekend retreat, they seem to get involved in a mystery/murder. This time Jane's nanny is kidnapped and a young man is murdered so Cora takes in Paul, the nanny's boyfriend who fears for his own safety. Together, Cora, Jane and Paul try to solve the mystery surrounding the crimes. The author includes many fun crafts and information about them. The retreat characters are fun and quirky, the plot is twisty and intriguing. I enjoyed this cozy addition to the Cora Crafts Mystery series. Recommended for those who love mysteries peppered with entertainment and crafts!

No Charm Intended by Mollie Cox Bryan will be available April 25, 2017 from Kensington Publishing Corp. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

REVIEW:

Just as Cora Chevalier and her friend Jane start hoping that their latest crafting retreat will go off without a hitch, an ominous text message, a missing nanny and a murder get in the way. Can the pair run the retreat and work to ferret out a killer? If anyone can, it's Cora and Jane!

No Charm Intended is the second book in the Cora Crafts Mystery series. I like the two main characters. Cora is enjoying her new life in Indigo Falls, NC, while still trying to work through anxiety caused by her former job at a women's shelter. Jane is raising her daughter London after leaving an abusive marriage. Both are strong, independent, intelligent women who can run a business and teach others how to make beautiful handcrafts. The idea of craft retreats in a huge, victorian house sounds awesome! I live in western NC and wish Kildare House were real! I would book a retreat weekend in a heartbeat!

The mystery portion of the plot is interesting and engaging. I enjoyed the fact that even the retreat guests got involved in sleuthing. The subplots of crafting and the video game industry didn't overpower the mystery but added depth to it. I enjoyed the fact that a portion of the action was at the abandoned Wizard of Oz theme park in NC.The park actually exists. It closed in 1980 but opens for special occasions and a once a year fall tour, "Autumn in Oz.'' It was nice to have it featured in a cozy mystery!

The book also includes some craft instructions and tips related to projects the retreat guests made at Kildare House during the story.

I enjoyed this second installment in the Cora Crafts Mystery series even more than the first and I am definitely looking forward to the next!

Mollie Cox Bryan is also the author of the Cumberland Creek Mystery series. To find out more about the author and her books, check out her website: http://molliecoxbryan.com/

I was really intrigued by the crafting retreat portion of this book. I've heard wonderful things about these kinds of events from friends that have attended them and they always sound like so much fun. I'm not a crafter by any means but it still sounds fun nonetheless. However, the mystery portion of this book and the reveal of the killer just didn't draw me in.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

When I first read the premise of this book I was intrigued by the idea of a place were you could go for a craft retreat and then of course the murder. After reading the first book in this series I loved the characters and I couldn't wait to get into the second book in this series.
In this story during a crafter's retreat a baby sitter goes missing and then one of the searchers is found dead. Threads to the dark web and a video game lead to a bizarre obsession. All the while the crafter's are making crafts using nature.
I really like this story line and I can't wait for the next book in this series!

This is book two in the Cora Crafts Mystery series and the first I have read in it. I liked this book. I loved the idea of a craft get away and thought that the relationship between Cora and Jane was wonderful. Their supporting characters also were interesting and realistic. I was impressed by the complexity of this mystery and the subject. An on line game based murder mystery that is quite intricate. I liked that it was not your average murder mystery and even though it was more of a thriller mystery it does have lots of cozy tendencies.

Mollie Cox Bryan captured a few subjects that I like a rolled them into one book in No Charm Intended. There were strong female characters working through their scars and starting a new business, artists being supportive of one another's work, and a mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I read this book in exchange for a review, but I will purchase a copy for my sister.

I felt this book pulled in too many directions. Cozy crafting, personal growth for Cora & Jane, Darknet gaming did not blend well. I did enjoy the crafting retreat storyline and learning more about Cora and Jane.

Cora's left the social work career back in Pittsburg to open a crafting retreat center in Indigo Gap North Carolina with her friend Jane Starr. As their second retreat starts, Cora is drawn into a police investigation of a missing college student who happens to be Jane's babysitter.

Wildcrafting session include pressing flowers, making pom-poms and clay charms. Instructions for these and three other crafts are included at the back of this book.

Thanks Netgalley. This is a real cosy mystery story and absolutely loved the style of writing. Another author to add to my ever growing list

No Charm Intended

SynopsisNo Charm intended

This is the second book in the series “A Cora Crafts Mystery”. Cora Chevalier and Jane Starr (plus daughter) are hosting a “wildcrafting” retreat. However, Jane’s nanny (Gracie) has disappeared and their technology is going haywire. The guests are going on Nature hikes in order to find things for their crafts and Jane is teaching them how to make charms. Gracie’s boyfriend is the chief person of interest and as a result has been kicked out of his home. The ladies take him in and proceed to uncover clues in order to locate Gracie.

A Book Review (4.3)

I wasn’t as excited about this book as I was with the first book. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the book, I just wish more time was spent on the wildcrafting part of the story. I know it is a cozy mystery, not a cozy crafting story, but the information about the wildcrafting was good and I liked it. Also, the technology that was incorporated into the story wasn’t that new for me, I just didn’t like all of the drugs incorporated into the story. It was bit over the top for me. Once again, I LIKED THE STORY, HENCE THE STARS. You should read it!!!!