This was my first introduction to this author and this series. The story is well written with extensive character development. Although the reader may be reading this as the first book in the series, instead of the 8th, the author keeps the story background fulfilling to where the reader is never lost.

The storyline is complex and keeps the reader guessing through out, as the author feeds the reader various clues and options. The protagonist is interesting, likeable, and believable. A smidgeon of romance is interwoven into the story as well which adds to the overall appeal of this book. This would make a great gift for any mystery lover or reader who enjoys books about relationships.

Fireworks in Paradise

by Kathi Daley

TJ Jensen transported her sisters, good friend Kyle, grandfather, and his friend Doc, along with a menagerie, across the country to help a family friend for the summer. They are suddenly recalled to the resort the family owns in Paradise Island by a car accident that puts TJ’s father in the ICU.

Fireworks in Paradise is a good cozy mystery that ties in a cold case with vehicle tampering and local politics. Despite personal problems, TJ and her family’s resort host a number of the town’s Fourth of July celebrations. I enjoyed the tale but there are a lot of nuanced relationships that play into the story. The author does a good job of bringing the reader up to date, but there are also a number of new characters incorporated into the eighth novel in this series. Although I enjoyed Fireworks in Paradise, I don’t think this mystery would work as well as a standalone as some of the others in this series.

I do recommend the book and the series, but I have some residual hesitation about a 100% endorsement of this mystery. I found the amount of time TJ spent solving the crime to be unrealistic given other issues she should have been addressing. I know she felt like she could help her father most by finding the saboteur, but having rushed across the country you would think her focus would be spending time with her dad at the hospital or filling in at the resort’s Fourth of July activities for him. In spite of that, I did like the book’s underlying theme of the importance of family and friends.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #8 in the TJ Jensen Mystery Series

Publication: October 10, 2017—Henery Press

Memorable Lines:

Love isn’t something you have to dissect and analyze. It’s something that just is.

…you never knew when someone or something in the background of an otherwise unspectacular photo would provide you with just the clue you needed to solve a case.

This book was a delight. I enjoyed the plot, the backstory and the relationship between a daughter and father, as well as her friendships in solving the case.. Recommend highly, I read it in one sitting.

You can never go wrong with a book by author Kathi Daley. FIREWORKS IN PARADISE, as with all her books, especially in this series, is very well written. There are plenty of suspects to keep the reader on the hook. I was completely taken by surprise at the reveal. This is a cozy series readers of all mystery genres will love.

TJ rushes home after finding out her father is in critical condition and a long time family friend is dead after an auto accident. TJ arrives at the hospital to see her father in a coma clinging to life. TJ, of course, is very upset and emotional but when she finds out the accident was not really an accident she is determined to find out who was behind killing her friend and nearly killing her father. After getting everyone else and the animals safely home joins TJ in her search for answers. Can TJ find the truth of who is behind this tragic accident and why without putting herself and Kyle in harm's way?

I really enjoyed this book. This is only the 2nd book of this series that I have read so I was a little lost at when it came to TJ's love life. The only other book I have read in the series was the first book so I was a little behind on who TJ was dating. Other than TJ love life I had no issues in reading this book out of order. This is a great mystery, with fabulous twists and turns to keep you entertained and intrigued until the end. I love the characters and the setting is ideal for the storyline. Author Kathi Daley is a wonderful storyteller. I have very much enjoyed all her books from all her different series and this book doesn't disappoint.

I would recommend this book to all mystery lovers especially cozy lovers. I was provided with an ARC if this book from Netgallery in hopes I would submit a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tj has her hands full between her two sisters, all the preparations for the fourth, and trying to solve the murder of Judge Harper with Kyle as her willing assistant. Only he is as much a distraction as help. Roy helps when he can, but his new partner is the one investigating Harper's death. A known suspect and one that the Judge may have identified as a killer in another case - Tj follows the leads along with her friends. The culprit isn't obvious until the end and the ending makes sense. Family, friends, romance and murder - what more could you ask for? Another great read from Kathi Daley!

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

I’ve not read any other books, but that did not stop me from requesting this from NetGalley. In this one, Tj Jensen’s vacation on the South Carolina coast is interrupted by a call that her father has been in a bad accident and is near death. Tj hurries home to see him, and finds that the authorities think this was not an accident, but an attempt at the life of Judge Harper, who was giving her father a ride home, that has left her father clinging to life. Tj partners up with Sheriff Roy Fisher, who is working with a new partner who does not want Tj anywhere near the case. Tj enlists the help of her best friends to get to the bottom of this case and determine who the guilty party is, knowing her father may never wake up from his coma, while, at the same time, moves into a new romance.

This was an interesting book, but I never related to Tj, the main character. The writing is fine, but a bit stilted to my taste. The characters are interesting. The setting is a good one. However, the book lacked a certain “je ne sais quoi” for me and did not pull me in. It may be just that I have not read any of the other books in the series—or by this author, so I was unfamiliar with the style or the characters. Finally, I felt the book focuses heavily on the town and its people rather than the story. I guess I am just not into Tj, the main character. I think this book will appeal to anyone who has read the other books by the author or in the series. As I said, it just did not do it for me. I received this form NetGalley to read and review.

This is book eight in the series and it is great- just like the rest of them. At the start of the book we dive in head first into the drama and action. Wow, this story was a roller coaster of emotions- sadness, betrayal, insecurity, and happiness too. There was so much more. I'm not sure I like the new character (the new police officer.) I still adore Gracy and Ashly. The romance is kicked up a notch! A very well delivered story.

Tj's on vacation in South Carolina when she receives a call telling her that her father's been in a car accident and might not make it. Hurrying home, she discovers he's in a coma, and the Judge he was with was killed. She also discovers it wasn't an accident - the brake lines were cut; meaning someone wanted the judge (who was driving) dead.

Roy Fisher, deputy assigned to the case, has no problem with Tj's help in solving it, since she's helped him many times before. But this time is different - he has a new partner who wants nothing to do with 'civilians' and threatens to report Roy if he allows Tj and her friends near the case.

But Tj isn't giving up. After all, he father was nearly killed, so this hits close to home. When Tj and Kyle, her new boyfriend, start investigating on the sly, they discover that the judge was looking at several old cases that weren't resolved the way he thought they should be, and wanted to reopen them again.

Could any of these people have caused the accident? If so, she's got her work cut out for her, since she also has to help run her family's resort for the Fourth of July weekend and worry about her father until he's out of danger. But will she discover the truth before the new deputy - Kate - discovers what's going on and arrest her for obstruction?

While I enjoyed the book for the most part, I don't understand why anyone would tell the new detective that Tj investigated crimes. She's not a PI, not a police officer, so really she has no business doing so at all. Yet her friends - and Roy - seem proud of that fact and naturally, it rankles the new detective.

Secondly, I didn't like Kate at all. She's too hard-nosed to be a police officer. She has no compassion, understanding or humor in her, and she seems like the type of person that would arrest someone for sneezing in her direction. She's ungrateful to boot. Not a nice person and I couldn't see any redeeming qualities for keeping her in future storylines.

Aside from that, there were several subplots going on at the same time - the Fourth of July festivities, Tj's new relationship with Kyle, and family drama, along with trying to find out who the murderer is. There's no lack of suspects, and Tj has plenty of help from townspeople to get any information she might need.

When we finally discover who the murderer is, there is no sympathy for the killer. In fact, one feels he pretty much deserved everything that happened to him. While this book was more family centered than mystery centered, it was still an interesting way to spend an evening. Recommended.

I received this book as a wish from Henery Press and NetGalley to read and give my honest review. I have read Kathi Daley's other TJ Jensen mysteries and enjoyed them so I was really looking forward to this one. And it didn't disappoint. I enjoyed being back at the resort on Paradise Lake and the town of Serenity. The characters are great and you get to feel like you would fit right in. She did a great job of continuing where TJ and Kyle left off in the previous book. But you didn't have to read that one first. Again TJ did a great job unraveling the mystery as to who killed the Judge. You got ideas of who it might be, but it all fell into place at the end. And there was just enough romance in it to spice it up a little. Looking forward to what will happen in the next book.

Murder or accident? I really enjoyed this cozy Fireworks in Paradise written by Kathi Daley. Even though I have not read any prior books in this series (this is book #8), the storyline was easy to follow.
TJ Jensen is called home from her camping vacation due to her father and a judge who was a close family friend. It was determined that the brakes had be tampered with and that had caused the accident. TJ and Kyle who are no dating investigate to find the person or persons responsible for the accident. Kathi keeps you guessing right up until the end. I will have to go back and order books 1-7 because this one kept me on my toes. I have received an advance copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

Enjoy this series. TJ is a great character. Liked the story flow and characters of this story. Keeps you guessing until the end. Highly entertaining and would recommend.

Fireworks in Paradise is the 8th book in the TJ Jenson series. I have not read all of the series but found the storyline very easy to follow. We have a combination cozy mystery and clean romance story. The story begins with TJ's father and his close friend involved in an auto accident which took the friend's life and put Mike Jensen in the hospital with serious injuries. It was immediately determined that the brakes had been tampered with causing the accident. Thus begins the investigation to find the person responsible.  TJ and longtime family friend, Kyle have brought their friendship to a new level with a romantic relationship. Together they become sleuths to find out who wanted to harm the Judge and why.

The reader is introduced to a gambit of possible culprits for the crime. But TJ and Kyle mix mystery, romance, family and the long fourth of July festivities  at Maggie's Hideaway to keep you interested and guessing to the very end. Highly recommended for readers of this continuing series.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and have volunteered to write this review.

This gentle cozy is heavy on characters and their backgrounds and the relationships they share. Teacher and family resort manager Tj Jensen gets called back from vacation when her father is seriously injured in a car accident that kills the driver, a local judge. When Tj discovers that the car was sabotaged, she vows to solve the crime. Tj is a sympathetic character who is raising her two young step-sisters after their mother dies.

The plot is not strong on logic or common sense. TJ and her boyfriend Kyle consider themselves to be unpaid consultants to the police dept. As in some other cozies, the utter unlikelihood of police detectives sharing files and confidential discussions is never mentioned. In this outing a local librarian reveals patron records when TJ and Kyle go snooping. In my state of residence, this is a criminal offense and certainly something no librarian would do without a warrant.

But if those sorts of red flags are less important to a reader than the character development and motivations, a trip to Paradise might be an enjoyable ride.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest reviews.

Fireworks in Paradise by Kathi Daley, is the 8th in the Tj Jensen Mystery series. While Tj and Kyle along with family and friends were enjoying a camping vacation searching for buried treasure on Gull Island while assisting Tj’s father’s friend Garret Hanford after he had a stroke. When a phone call was received from Hunter Hanson, town doctor for Paradise Lake, Tj’s father had been in a serious accident and his survival was uncertain. With Kyle’s influence, Tj was booked for a flight from Charleston to Serenity on a sold-out flight. A limo picked Tj up after she departed first off the plane and her best friend Jenna Elston was in the back seat of the limo to keep Tj company and to offer comfort to her. Jenna filled Tj in on information provided by Hunter that her father was still unconscious, but that Hunter was doing everything he could to help her father regain consciousness. After Tj stops at the hospital to check on her father, she returns to the resort and is given the news the accident her father was in, had also killed Judge Harper… and it was now thought it was meant to murder the judge with Tj’s dad being an innocent spectator. Will Tj be able to carry on the festivities of the 4th of July as usual while still trying to give her father the support he needs to regain consciousness and remain alive? Will her relationship with Kyle bloom into something more than friends? Only Kathi Daley knows for sure.

Well done kathi Daley. What a wonderful book , I enjoyed this book not having read any of this series before .Serenity sounds of lovely place to visit .Not having meet Tj and her family before I was drawn into her family and friends with ease, it had plenty of twist and turns throughout the book to keep you guessing .Really enjoyable book .
Thankyou net galley for letting me review this book and will look out for her next one in the series.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
This is the second book in this series that I have read. I enjoyed the first and enjoyed this one more. I am now getting to know the characters and relationships so I can better appreciate the stories. I like Tj. She is a smart capable lady with a good incisive mind. I do confess to having a little problem with the way she is asked to get involved in the investigation by the local deputy. I know she has an incredible track record, etc but it jars just a bit.
She certainly has no shortage of reasons to want to help. She has cut short of trip to the east coast when her father is in critical condition after a horrific car crash. The accident killed an old family friend but when evidence arises that is was no accident but an intentional act, Tj has all the more reason to find out who did it and why.
The driver, a judge, also served as town mayor earning. There are lots of people with reasons to dislike him but to cut the brakes on his car crosses the line. Tj is compelled to dig deeply into his cases and his decisions to find out who would resort to murder.
Complicating things is the new deputy in town who is outraged when she learns the local deputy has enlisted Tj. She is against civilians getting involved in cases for a very good and very personal reason. So not only must Tj tread in dangerous water, she has to be surreptious about it too.
It is a good mystery that didn't give anything away too quickly. I am enjoying the relationships in the book which compliment rather than overpower the story.
I may go and read the back catalogue at some time. I look forward to future books in the series too.
I give it four purrs and two paws up.

Fireworks In Paradise is the eighth book in the TJ Jensen series by Kathi Daley. In this book we find TJ rushing home from vacation to deal with a family emergency, when she arrives she uncovers not one, but two mysteries.
Once again, Kathi Daley writes an engaging story that grabs your attention at the beginning and holds you until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fireworks In Paradise and would recommend it to any reader who enjoys a well thought out, fast paced cozy with an emphasis on families and relationships.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henrey Press for an ARC of this book.. the opinions are my own.

Kathi Daley's Tj Jensen mystery series is easy to get into. The latest book Fireworks in Paradise certainly starts off with a bang. While vacationing off the coast of South Carolina Tj gets a very upsetting call. Her father and family friend Judge Harper have been involved in an auto accident. Judge Harper dies and Tj's dad is in a coma. As facts come out about the accident it seems it is less of an accident and more of an an attempt to murder the Judge and Tj's dad. It is already the busiest time of the summer at the family owned resort and having her father in the hospital means everyone has to step up to help out. Throw in the fact that this was no accident Tj (with a little help from her friends) tries to find out who would dare hurt the Judge and put her dad's life in jeopardy. (ARC) #Mystery #Amateur Detective #Paradise Lake