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TJ Jensen Mystery #10

Thanksgiving in Paradise

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The shroud is lifted and truths too disturbing to believe are unveiled when an explosion at the town hall traps Tj under a pile of rubble as the walls of the building rain down around her. When the dust settles, Tj is left wondering if you can ever really know another person or if the armor you see is simply an illusion created to conceal the lies that are buried beneath. While Tj struggles with the duplicity of someone she'd previously held dear, she is also forced to deal with the fact that two popular residents are dead with four others in the hospital clinging to life. As the remaining town council members struggle to rebuild from the ashes of what was lost, Tj commits to helping Roy find the individual responsible for this horrific event while trying to juggle an important life decision.

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2019

431 people are currently reading
180 people want to read

About the author

Kathi Daley

332books1,670followers
Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.

Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books () for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter ().



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5 stars
390 (51%)
4 stars
240 (31%)
3 stars
103 (13%)
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26 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
Profile Image for Micky Cox.
2,247 reviews36 followers
December 23, 2019
Someone blew up city hall, but who was it meant for? The building itself or one of the city council members or staff? Nothing is as it seems and lots of secrets are about to be exposed while TJ and crew work to find the culprit while healing and moving on with their lives as well! Great characters help draw you into a well thought out plot and have you invested in the outcome!
Profile Image for Dr. Andy.
2,533 reviews251 followers
November 16, 2019
This is not the first time I've read a random book in the middle of a series. I seem to do this a lot with cozy mysteries I've never heard of.

I was pretty shocked by the opening of this book, which is literally an explosion. Yes the main character is hurt from a bomb. And this triggers the mystery of why. Why the council hall? Why these specific people? Did the bomber know they'd be in a meeting? The mystery was well woven into the plot. In the end, it was also much more convoluted than I thought it was going to be.

What I enjoyed more though was learning about Tj's life. I loved her relationship with her family, which was crazy. And seeing her boyfriend and her become closer. Granted, I didn't know who any of these people were, but it was easy to pick it up. I might keep reading others in this series because they're nice and short!
Profile Image for Mary Brown.
1,290 reviews71 followers
October 8, 2019
Thanksgiving in Paradise
The Tj Jensen Mystery Series, Book #10
Kathi Daley
5 Stars

Synopsis:

The shroud is lifted and truths too disturbing to believe are unveiled when an explosion at the town hall traps Tj under a pile of rubble as the walls of the building rain down around her. When the dust settles Tj is left wondering if you can ever really know another person or if the armor you see is simply an illusion created to conceal the lies that are buried beneath.

While Tj struggles with the duplicity of someone she’d previously held dear, she is also forced to deal with the fact that two popular residents are dead with four others in the hospital clinging to life.

As the remaining town council members struggle to rebuild from the ashes of what was lost, Tj commits to helping Roy find the individual responsible for this horrific event while trying to juggle an important life decision.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

THANKSGIVING IN PARADISE by Kathi Daley | A Henery Press Mystery. If you love one, you’ll probably love them all. (ŷ)


Review:

It seems like it has been a while since I visited Tj and her family and friends, and I really enjoyed spending time with them. As is usual with this author, the characters really care about each other and their relationships are so loving and refreshing. There are a lot of changes taking place in Tj’s life, but she will get through it all with the help of her family and friends. I really like reading about Tj’s relationship between her and her sisters, Ashley and Gracie, it is so sweet.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The first chapter of the book had me reading with my jaw dropped open, I could not believe what was happening. I was pulled in right from the beginning and pulled in for a great read.

There were two mysteries in this book (which is typical for this author) and they were well plotted and moved along at a nice pace. There were enough clues to sift through and red herrings thrown in and was not easily solved.

I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am already looking forward to the next one.



Profile Image for Deanie Nelder.
1,131 reviews21 followers
April 25, 2021
When teacher TJ Jensen accompanies boyfriend Kyle to an emergency town council meeting, she has no idea she'll be involved in events that will change the town forever. An explosion rips through town hall, killing two council members and injuring several others (including Kyle and family friend Bookman). This leaves the town government in shambles, and uncovers a literal skeleton buried in the concrete under town hall.

This book is a lot more serious than previous novels, and for good reason. While TJ only suffers mild injuries from the blast, Kyle spends several days in the hospital, and family friend Bookman spends most of the book fighting for his life in ICU. Unlike previous murders in town, this one is personal for the whole gang. It's also a very well written mystery. Plus, there's plenty of family drama and character development, too. I think this is the best of the TJ Jensen Paradise Lake mysteries.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,209 reviews61 followers
November 2, 2019
Thanksgiving in Paradise earns 5/5...Explosive Entertainment!

BOOM! Two dead. Four injured. Tj only recalls a memory of playing chess with her late friend, “Am I dead?� Then...wet, debris, and pain. Kathi Daley grabbed readers right off with in the tenth book of her Tj Jensen Mystery series and didn’t let go. The mystery had secrets, revelations, and a sad realization that sometimes people are not what they seem...keeping me quickly turning the page! How could this happen? Was someone targeted? Was this just poorly executed? And why was the town council meeting called in the first place? All intriguing questions to challenge Tj and Kyle as they evaluate possible motives, interrogate possible suspects, and navigate more possible peril. Kathi Daley’s signature style immerses readers insights in vivid descriptions and dialogue that illustrates well the various personalities and emotions, but it’s always the characters that stand out. She has created a set of characters that often have traits and connections with which readers can identify as family, friends, and neighbors. This makes this series and this book enjoyable. Newbies just need to know a lot has transpired in the series, but this tenth book can stand by itself...KABOOM! You’ll love it!

Disclosure: I received an ARC from EdelweissPlus. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
Profile Image for Brenda.
1,466 reviews
September 3, 2019
A lovely cozy adventure.

Two people are killed when a bomb levels the town hall as an emergency meeting gets underway on Halloween evening. Kyle & Tj survive their injuries and set out to find the person responsible.

Surprises pop up as the investigation focuses on various people who may be the target and on the town's previous unsolved mysteries.

Plenty of plot twists, more character development and a happy ever after conclusion leading to future changes in the life of Tj an her family and friends.

I volunteered to read an ARC from Henery Press through Edelweiss.
Profile Image for Sandy Bartles.
1,395 reviews38 followers
October 1, 2019
Tj and Kyle are caught up in an explosion and spend the time leading up to Thanksgiving trying to figure out who set the bomb. I was so swept up in the story that I was at the end when I felt like I had just started reading. There are also a lot of things going on with their friends and family that helped keep the story rapidly moving along. I never was able to figure out who set the bomb! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Something tells me it will be wonderful!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Edelweiss.
Profile Image for Millie Taylor.
247 reviews14 followers
September 19, 2020
I was super excited to see that there was another TJ Jensen book! Apparently it came out in October 2019 and it makes sense that I didn't see it because it was around the time I was getting a bit burned out on cozy mysteries and audiobooks in general. I felt the itch for an audiobook the other day and was not disappointed in this story.

In the latest adventure, the story opens up with there being an explosion at the Paradise Lake town hall and TJ and Kyle were hurt, along with other members of the town council. They spend the weeks leading from Halloween to Thanksgiving trying to solve the mystery of how and why the explosion happened.

As always, the characters were enjoyable and felt like family. It was nice to get back to TJ, Kyle, Jenna, and the rest of their extended family. You always feel so at home in these books and it's like having lunch with a dear friend. One thing I like about these books is that I'm always surprised at who the culprit is. It's always someone you don't really expect, which is nice and unpredictable. Hopefully there will be many more books to come.
Profile Image for Crazy for Books (Stephanie).
1,856 reviews231 followers
July 9, 2024
This isn't the first installment where TJ has complained about money. Again, did the author forget that Zachary left her a box of coins (worth about a million dollars) and his mother's favorite necklace in his will? I hate when authors forget their own storylines.

Also, TJ has always said she saw herself married with kids. Why would she change her perspective on that based on her sisters (whom she's raising) but aren't her children and will be out of the home in a few years? I think there's room for more kids, especially since she's not even 30 yet and is marring a millionaire.

In this series, I didn't really love how so many beloved people died, as well as how many friends of the family or people they thought they knew well, committed so many crimes. At one point in the series Rosalie was still young enough for TJ to wonder if she would have more siblings. Then, all of a sudden, Rosalie is too old to have children. What happened there? I thought she was much younger than TJ's father.

I liked that this was a multigenerational family who lived under the same roof, worked together and played together. I
3 reviews4 followers
November 23, 2024
Well I did start reading this author towards the end of a series but was very blah. Lots of irrelevant characters that seemed to be introduced only to keep the story going. Struggled to finish
Profile Image for Debbi.
796 reviews3 followers
November 2, 2019
This is the 10th book in the TJ Jensen mystery series and it doesn't disappoint. It keeps you interested and turning the pages to see what happens next. There is an explosion at the town hall just when an emergency meeting of the town council has been called. TJ and Kyle were caught in it and two people died. So amateur sleuth TJ and her boyfriend Kyle try to help Roy figure out who set the bomb and why. The plot is very well written with lots of twists just when you think you might have it figured out. It has great characters, lots of family and friends with a just a little romance. So enjoyable. Looking forward to see what’s happening next with TJ and Kyle.
Profile Image for Marissa.
3,434 reviews43 followers
September 26, 2019
Kindle Copy for Review from Edelweiss and Henery Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

TJ finds herself trapped after an explosion at the town hall which killed several people. She starts to wonder if you can really know anyone as she questions her own judgment of the people she thought she knew.

She will once again help to find the culprits involved as she must face an important dilemma on her own life as everyone tries to move on from the tragedy. It will be a Thanksgiving not to be forgotten.
Profile Image for Joy.
339 reviews21 followers
November 4, 2020
The story was ok, altho I might have liked it more if I hadn’t started on book 10 of the series.

The writing bothered me. I think it was the fact that the dialog seemed stilted. Everyone spoke so properly, saying “it is� instead of it’s, “I am� instead if I’m, every single time. Even the children! Sometimes I had a hard time figuring out who was speaking bc they all sounded the same.

I did enjoy the small town family feel of things, and it was a nice quick holiday read.
Profile Image for Elisabeth.
138 reviews2 followers
August 22, 2019
I really love this series! I enjoy the character and relationship developments as well as the mystery. A little romance, a little mystery, what more could you ask for. I look forward to many more of TJ’s adventures.
Profile Image for January.
2,501 reviews112 followers
November 4, 2021
Thanksgiving in Paradise by Kathi Daley 232 pages
TJ Jensen Mystery #10

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Featuring: Off Camera Murder, Scandals, Petty Motives, Mountain out of Molehill Fillers, Soap Opera Drama

Rating as a movie: PG for adult situations

My rating: ⭐⭐

My thoughts: 18%- This isn't what I expected.

I was looking for a Thanksgiving themed book and this titled sounded like fun. It turns out it's part of a cozy mystery series, all are something in Paradise and bummer this is the final installment so you are left with no closure. Immediately I was hit with issues that one should expect when starting a cozy series at a random number, many of the characters were spoken about as if I already knew them. The few that got introductions survived perils of previous books. There were so many questions I never got the answers to, particularly about the family dynamics. Our heroine is a teacher who is better at solving crimes than the police, along with her hacker boyfriend. They are allowed to handle evidence and even interviews prior to the police and of course she has an issue with the new police officer that thinks she should stay in her lane. 🙄 I didn't like it. It wasn't horrible but I didn't like any of it. I didn't want to go back and start with Pumpkins in Paradise I just wanted to find out who planted the bomb. Also this is a Thanksgiving book and while there was some shopping lists and meal planning they never had dinner nor described the meal. It literally ends in the middle of giving thanks at the table. So all of that drama and no food.

Recommend to others?: No. 1. It's not that good. 2. It's a cliffhanger series at the moment.
2,000 reviews44 followers
March 28, 2020
I am a fan of Kathi Daley's TJ Jensen Mystery series. The tenth book in the series is Thanksgiving in Paradise and it gives us an update on TJ and her family/friends as well as a mystery to solve. Halloween in Paradise Lake begins with TJ and Kyle taking Gracie and Kari trick-or-treating. The fun is interrupted when Kyle gets a text about an emergency town council meeting for later in the evening. Shortly after TJ and Kyle enter the town hall, there is an explosion that leads to two deaths and four people being seriously injured. TJ's leg is pinned beneath a beam and Kyle is hurt. Once they begin recuperating, they began to work with Roy to discover what or who the target of the bombing was. Were all the town council members targeted? Was one specific member targeted? Or was the building and its contents the target? Besides finding the person responsible, Kyle needs to come up with a strategy to rebuild the town council and get a new mayor. As this is happening, preparations are being made for Thanksgiving and changes are being made in the lives of TJ and her best friend Jenna Elston. There are many things I like about this series and in particular this latest installment. The characters are likable and easy to relate to. I like the addition of all the Jensen pets. It's fun to visit Paradise Lake and get updates on all the main characters who represent three generations! And it's always fun to solve a murder! 5 stars! This book kept me entertained from start to finish.
3 reviews
Read
October 3, 2022
I really do love all the characters in Kathi's books. And I love all the animals in the books. I love my cats and dogs, so characters that have a special bond with their animals is wonderful.
I've read the Zoe Donavan series, the Writer's Retreat series, the Whales and Tails series, Tess & Tilly, Inn at Holiday Bay and just finished TJ Jenson series with book 10. Kathi's characters are just fun and interesting and all the series have been fun reads, so much so that I just jump from one book to another, then I'm left wishing there was more. The only issue I find with reading thru all of these series is the similarity some have between the characters, the gals that are working to solve the mystery likely fall in love with either a rich computer genius or a law enforcing type and they aren't likely to be good cooks but their best friends are.
But as mentioned I just love all the characters in the books so I keep going back for more books and I'm sure I'll keep reading Kathi's books as long as she keeps writing.
Profile Image for Judy.
270 reviews
November 3, 2021
Great ending

It was a hard time for Tj and the community after the bomb. The death of her friend Harriet was sad. There was a lot of shake up in the town after information came to light and the identity of the bomber was a complete surprise. Tj's relationship with Kyle heats up and I appreciate Ms. Daley treating us like adults when she discusses them. I'm assuming the series has ended, which is sad because I love these characters.
193 reviews
November 12, 2024
It felt like a Hardy boy mystery novel. Totally cheesy and unrealistic. In all fairness, this was #10 in the series so I could not relate to any of the characters that maybe the previous books would have introduced me to and made me feel more invested with. It felt like I started the book in the middle of a story where I didn't have the first half. It was a book club book, so I read it but nah, not for me.
434 reviews
November 13, 2020
Hallmark style book with a few love stories intertwined in a small town that is rocked by a bomb explosion at the town hall. The characters in the town are endearing as they face the unimaginable reality that one of them has caused catastrophic loss to their town. An interesting twist unfolds as the mystery evolves with the conclusion at Thanksgiving.
148 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2021
A mystery bombing leads to an old murder in Paradise

While trying to solve the bombing of city hall in which 2 people were killed and others, including tj and her now fiancé, were injured, tj, her family, and friends set out to solve this crime so Thanksgiving can be celebrated peacefully and joyfully.
47 reviews2 followers
December 4, 2024
It was a very confusing book. I read it for Book Club and I feel like we missed out on a lot by starting at book 10 of the series. I don't think the author did a good enough job giving us backstory, assuming we've read her previous books. With that being said, I couldn't not figure out "who did it", so I did enjoy that fact. It was definitely a surprise ending!
251 reviews
July 18, 2020
Thanksgiving in paradise

Another great story. This says book 10 is the final book in the series. I have to say I have enjoyed it even if she didn’t end up with the guy I wanted. Overall good mysteries
4 reviews
February 19, 2021
I am in love with this series, and I’m very sad this is the last book. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because I was very disappointed with how the series ended. I wish she would continue with it. It leaves you with an incomplete feeling.
Profile Image for Teri Huggins.
69 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2021
Wonderful series

I love this series and all of Kathi Daley's. I had tears in my eyes at the end of this book, not only because of the sweet ending but because it's the last book so far. I hope there will be many more to come.
Profile Image for Autumn Riley.
626 reviews2 followers
November 1, 2024
This was a easy quick read. I really enjoy this series, and I wouldn’t mind tackling it in its entirety. The characters are easy to like and follow. The mystery in this story was easy to get hooked on and kept me engaged.
Profile Image for JANE VAN HORN.
2,084 reviews11 followers
March 16, 2020
Great book

This was really the greatest series and I am safe that it had ended. But it has a very happy ending.
224 reviews1 follower
June 17, 2020
A great conclusion to Tj Jensen series!

Sad to see this series end. This is my favorite book. I loved the mystery and the conclusion! I look forward to the next series.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,509 reviews
August 18, 2020
really enjoyed the whole series, loved all the characters, I will miss them...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews

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