Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Arson Old Lace and Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries) by Michele (PW) Pariza Wacek!

Today we are featuring a review of book eight in this cozy mystery series. Meet Charlie. Also known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She’s back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.

Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews, and more! There is also a Giveaway for a signed paperback copy of the book!

🌟 ENTER HERE! 🌟

Arson, Old Lace and Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting – Redemption, Wisconsin, in the 1990s
Publisher: Love-Based Publishing
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 25, 2026
Number of Pages 200
Paperback
ISBN: 9798893510393
ASIN : B0GNZPYN1L
Digital
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FHQHXNGR

About the Book:

Charlie Kingsley is not a private investigator. She makes and sells custom teas out of her home. Which is why she initially refused to look into a recent case of a bar that had burned down.

Yes, it was tragic that the owner’s body was found inside. But this is an arson case, and what does she possibly know about arson?

Except…one of the waitresses is missing.

Who’s pregnant.

Who everyone thought was having an affair with the owner of the bar.

How can Charlie say no to the owner’s widow? And when Charlie accidentally finds the pregnant waitress, things start to take a strange turn. And suddenly, Charlie finds herself thrust into a decades-old mystery that haunts Redemption to this day.

A mystery that could very well cost Charlie her life.

While each book is a standalone, you may find it more enjoyable to read the books in order, which is:

The Murder Before Christmas

Ice Cold Murder

Murder Next Door

Murder Among Friends

The Murder of Sleepy Hollow

Red Hot Murder

A Cornucopia of Murder

Arson, Old Lace and Murder

Masquerading as Murder (coming 2026)

Other books in the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series include:

A Grave Error (prequel)

Loch Ness Murder

A Wedding to Murder For

Three French Hens and a Murder

A Room For Murder

Margaritas and Murder

Secret Santa Murder (coming 2026)

My Review:

This was such an intriguing mystery that I had a hard time putting it down. Thankfully we were on spring break so I was able to read during the day. 

I’ve read all of the Redemption Detective Agency Mysteries and adore them, so it is fun to be back in the area. And Charlie is a first rate sleuth – thoughtful and so brave. She’s not afraid to go where others won’t. 

I enjoyed the descriptions of the setting – both of Charlie’s house and her teas, and of the cold Wisconsin streets where Charlie explores alone. The writing does an excellent job conveying both the creepy and cozy in such a balanced way. 

There is so much unsaid about the decades old mystery Charlie is investigating, and I felt for Charlie as she tried to dig through secrecy. Sometimes I wanted to shout at those keeping the secrets. 

The mystery really picks up the pace towards the end and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The ending is most satisfying and I am anxious to get my hands on the next book in the series when it comes out. For now, I am going to go back and catch up on the others in the series I’ve missed. 

I did appreciate the author’s note at the end about how her series are connected and the vibe for each. 

About the Author:

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at her website. 

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links:  Facebook ~ Instagram 

Purchase Links: Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

• March 23 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
• March 23 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
• March 24 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
• March 25 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW 
• March 26 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
• March 27 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
• March 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
• March 28 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
• March 29 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
• March 30 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
• March 31 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
• April 1 – Because I said So – REVIEW
• April 1 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read– REVIEW
• April 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST  
• April 2 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
• April 3 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
• April 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
• April 5 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

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