“Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine” is the ninth book in Traci Wilton’s Salem B&B Mystery series. This is a new to be series and I was drawn to it by the Salem, MA setting including the B & B, witches, and the mention of Jack the Ghost. And, while I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and characters, including B & B owner Charlene Morris, I do think I need to go back and read the other books in the series as I sometimes felt at lost at times about Jack’s character (a ghost who can use a TV remote?) and Charlene’s relationship to teenager Avery (who is like a daughter to her). The mystery itself was well done with more than enough suspects – twelve models who had good reason to want to the victim dead - , a unique murder weapon, nice touches of the paranormal, strong characters, many red herrings, twists, and turns. The ending, when all was revealed, was full of surprises, a bit of sadness, and plenty of suspense. Just when I thought I had things figured out, Wilton would throw in another twist or surprise. Finally, I thought the last sentence was perfect and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine is the ninth installment in the Salem B&B series by Traci Wilton. (Traci Wilton is the pen name for the collaboration of seasoned authors Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton.) Charlene Morris, owner of Charlene’s Bed and Breakfast, is now on the new business development board of her adopted home, Salem. As such, she keeps in mind the impact of everything on both her own business as well as all her fellow business owners.

Over Valentines week famous photographer Dane Stallone has booked all the rooms at the B&B to accommodate himself as well as a dozen models he is using to do a comeback of his original Cupid photos. Dane is also using the house and grounds for the shots as well as driving Minnie, chief cook and Charlene’s right had person, crazy with their zero calorie diet demands.

The arrogant and unkind photographer, although an artistic genius, is a cruel taskmaster with his models. He is also apparently deeply in debt, owing some pretty scary folks. When a killer strikes the group and they are stranded at Charlene’s both by Detective Jimenez’s orders and a serious winter storm, Charlene is forced to host the group and to help solve the crime.

This is yet another well done mystery with nuggets hidden along the way and twists that take the reader to the conclusion. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Charlene has photographer, Dane Stone, and his 12 models staying at the B&B for him to do a career boosting calendar. With Dane's terrible mood and 12 models made to pose in all sorts of weather, Charlene has her hands full. When someone decides they've had enough of Dane and murders him. It's up to Charlene to find out if one of her 12 model guests are be the culprit.

I love this series. There are always enough twists and turns to make the mystery not as easy to solve as some other cozy mysteries. Charlene, Jack, Sam, Avery, Silva and Millie are such great characters and I'm glad they are all in this book. There is always the love triangle between Charlene, Jack and Sam. I wonder who will one day win out!

I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Book number nine in this fun series. The B&B run by Charlene has been booked by a photographer along with a dozen calendar models. Filled with secrets and suspense. The victim was a not well liked person. Lots of action. Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine is book #9 in the Salem B&B Mystery series by Traci Wilton.

We’re back in Salem! Charlene’s B&B has been booked by a photographer and his models. Not quite the photo shoot she was expecting. The victim is very unpleasant which leads to plenty of suspects. The investigation kept me guessing until the end. I think this series keeps getting better with each book. Loved the ending! Can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

4.25⭐
Terrific new book in the Mrs. Morris series, definitely one of my favorites. Her B&B booked by a photographer and 12 renowned models to create a calendar, she begins helping with concepts and sees his vision to take form. Unfortunately, there is something very curious about what is happening. The plot is clever and all the characters are distinct with their own secrets.

I have read all of the Salem B & B mysteries and Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine does not disappoint. I highly recommend reading these books in order to best understand the relationships between the characters. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

I look forward to each of the books in this series. I have been charmed by the Ghost and Mrs. Muir vibe of Charlene and Jack and how, in spite of the fact that they can never be together in a physical sense, they have a deep and enduring love and have created a family of choice within the walls of her B&B. There is a triangle of sorts between those two and the very alive police detective who also loves her and whom she loves in return. But I suspect if all things were equal Jack would be the victor.

The B&B is beset with models from around the world who are shooting a calendar with narcissistic photographer. Narcissism is the least of his faults and when he is murdered some of the harm he has done is revealed and the ones he has harmed are finally freed. The murder weapon is quite unusual, which should be does not reduce the suspect pool. There are other things going on at the same time which adds to the suspense and there is a very exciting denouement that had me turning the pages to the resolution. It also leads some of the main characters clearly at a cross road. It will be interesting to see how things turn out. Five purrs and two paws up.

It was a very good murder mystery. I learned a lot about Salem and its history while traversing the investigation. It's a doozy. A tyrannical photographer and 12 models are staying at the B&B. When the photographer dies, Charlene is up to her elbows in suspects. Her relationship with Sam takes a big step forward. I am looking forward to the next book.

Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine by Traci Wilton takes us on a journey to Salem, Massachusetts where Charlene Morris’s B&B has just been overrun by a group of beautiful models and a narcissistic photographer. We get to catch up with Charlene, Minnie, Sam, and Jack (as well as Silva). My favorite character is Jack, the ghost that haunts Charlene’s bed and breakfast. My least favorite character is Detective Jimenez (she has a bad attitude). The murder did not occur until I was a third of a way into the story. This did allow the author to establish the groundwork for the murder. There were plenty of suspects, but I had an idea who had committed the deed before the victim was pronounced dead. Detective Jimenez is assigned the case (unfortunately) and her demeaner towards Charlene has not changed (Jack has an idea as to why the newly minted detective is unkind towards Charlene). Charlene asks questions and searches for clues with Jack’s help. There are breadcrumbs that readers can follow to solve the crime. There is a decent wrap up at the end of the book. I felt that the story lacked action. The two days following the murder (which takes up the last two-thirds of the book) seemed much longer. Details regarding food and drink seemed to dominate the story (do we need to know what they eat and drink for every meal and snack). There are repetitive details as well (an example is that Jack is jealous of Sam). Charlene is going to have a romantic dilemma on her hands soon. Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine can be read as a standalone for those new to A Salem B&B Mysteries. Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine is a photogenic tale with a cupid calendar, a ghostly pal, a prima donna photographer, diet troubles, unfriendly detective, a curious cybercrime, and unexpected present.

With a calendar being shot at the B&B, this might just put the them on the proverbial map. However when the photographer is killed, Jack is helping to try and figure out who wanted the man dead and why. Charlene has her hands full with the models being kept to the house, but is she safe with them, or will she be cleaning up after another murder in the B&B?

I adore this series! Each outing is unique in its theme and always a great read. I can’t get enough!

Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine is book 9 in Tracy Wilton's Salem B&B series. I adore this series, so I may be a bit bias, but this one didn't disappoint. Set around Valentine's Day Charlene is hosting 12 models and a photographer famous for his cupid themed photographs. He is planning to shoot a new cupid calendar at the B&B and it's proving to be a stressful situation for all involved.
The models are stretched thin and everyone is on edge, but the shoot gets done and Charlene may finally get to celebrate with her Valentine.... That is until someone falls ill and dies.
With so many suspects and secrets to unravel, plus a potential curse to undo Charlene has to use her skills of deduction and get help from her resident ghost Jack to uncover the truth.
Lots of red herrings and twists and even a bit of valentine's romance. A great cozy mystery and addition to this series!

3.5 stars. Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine is a really good mystery, but so many of the characters are unlikeable. Dane, the famous photographer is egotistical and possibly evil. The models are fairly terrible too.
Charlene goes to extremes to make their stay successful and ends up holding the bag. She is out lots of wine, money and possibly her reputation since the models cannot leave on time once there is a death.
The pacing felt slow to me. The murder doesn’t occur until a third of the way into the book. It made sense because the author had to solidly build the framework for why the death would occur. But the two days following the death took the rest of the book.
I did not figure out who the murderer was. There were plenty of good suspects. With both a murder and cyber crimes going on, there were plenty of puzzles to figure out.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read this book.

I can totally see why Charlene could be in love with Jack the ghost as well as her own flesh and blood detective boyfriend Sam. They're both amazing and Jack sure proved above and beyond in this book just how amazing he could be as far as helping in the showdown.

I loved that Avery was back for a visit and it was sweet how Charlene turned all mama bear when she was home since Avery was the closest thing she ever had to a daughter. The guests this time had been a group of self-centered models but they definitely came together against a common enemy toward the end. All mysteries were solved but the ending has me absolutely on pins and needles until the next book drops! I hope it comes in the spring!

Entertaining and compelling as usual, another lovely addiction to this series.
A solid mystery featuring likeable and fleshed out characters, great setting.
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine by Traci Wilton is a delightful, page-turning mystery! The story kept me hooked with its unexpected twists and a large, fascinating cast of characters, each of whom was hiding a secret. The many potential suspects kept me guessing until the very end. And - wait for it - there’s a surprise twist at the very end! (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own)! If you enjoy a good whodunit with plenty of suspense and charm, this one’s a winner.

We are back in Salem Massachusetts with Charlene at her b&b. She's hosting a famous photographer and twelve models. The photographer Dane Stallone is a narcissist and not a nice person. He wants to recreate his famous work with a calendar. As they finish up and he's about to show the calendar he collapses. Jack the resident ghost tells Charlene he thinks he was poisoned. Charlene must help investigate to find the killer.

I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked right away and enjoyed following the clues and learning the models secrets. I'm excited to read the next one in the series.

This is one of the best books in this series IMHO. I thought the plot was intriguing and the whodunit came out of nowhere (but made great sense) and I love it when this happens because it takes a lot to stump me these days.

Charlene is hosting a group of models and a famous photographer in February for a week. The photographer, Dane Stallone, is hoping to either relaunch his career with this fancy cupid calendar or go out with a bang and retire. He also owes a lot of money to a lot of unsavory people and he is a narcissistic jerk. He is, of course, murdered and Charlene is stuck with a house full of models because the police won't let anyone leave until the crime is solved. After a while, she finds this trying and starts doing her own investigation, much to the chagrin of the prickly Detective Jimenez.

There was a lot of good character development in this book so you get to know each one of the models. It made the suspect game much harder, plus the surprise of the calendar pictures showing up online with the promise of destruction. No one knows who is posting them since Dane is dead.

This is one of the better cozies I have read this year. Quite enjoyable. I am glad I did not give up on the series. I look forward to her next offering.

Thank you Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I admit to being a fan of this series which sees Charlene, who owns a B&B in Salem, solve mysteries with the help of Jack, the ghost who lives there. Oh and Sam, the detective who is also her love interest. But don't worry if you haven't read the earlier ones as this will be fine as a standalone. Dane, the photographer who rented out the whole B&B to shoot a calendar turns out to be a real diva- and really dead. Who among the models did it? Or was it someone else? This is a classic cozy with the delightful addition of the paranormal that never gets too too. Fans will be pleased to see progression (and potential conflict) in the relationship between Charlene and Sam. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine is book 9 in Tracy Wilton's Salem B&B series, but it easily reads as a standalone novel, so if you've missed the previous books like I have, you can still jump in with this one.

Charlene has a gaggle of famous models staying at her B&B over Valentine's Day, while their famous photographer, Dale, tries to pull together a come back calendar before announcing his retirement. Their celebration after the shoot wraps is brought to an abrupt halt when Dale falls sick and then dies, and it's revealed that he was poisoned.

With every member of the group having secrets and grievances with Dale, there is no lack of suspects. Additionally there is a hacker threatening the entire group. Is the hacker responsible for Dale's death, or is it someone closer to home?

Charlene, and her ghostly resident, Jack, put their sleuthing skills to the test solving the murder of Charlene's former guest. In the meantime she must entertain this group of spoiled people, and that is no easy task.

The author kept me guessing with this mystery, simply due to the multitude of viable suspects. The only part I found a bit hard to believe was the whole blood contract portion and how all these people took it so seriously. I would have found it easier to believe if they had all been brought up with the same background, believing in witchcraft, but the models all came from very different cultural backgrounds. I found it hard to believe that at least one of them didn't question the validity of such a contract binding them to Dale (and possibly some dark lord after his death).

Other than that I really enjoyed the story. I would like to read some of the previous books, just to know the history of some of the background characters, like Jack, and Charlene's current love interest, Sam.

Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine releases on December 24 2024, and curling up with it, and a good glass of wine (or your drink of choice) with a cozy blanket, would be a great way to spend Christmas Eve (if you celebrate)…or any winter evening for that matter.