These are my latest three reads.  Sun Storm is a Nordic thriller set in Northernmost Sweden.  Rebecka Martinsson is heading home after a desperate call from a friend.  She is now a Stockholm attorney and has left the past, which included leaving home and her church in disgrace, behind her.  She arrives to find out a local religious celebrity has been murdered in a rather gruesome manner.  Her friend and the victim’s sister, Sanna, found the body and has attracted the attention of the police with her rather odd behavior.  Sanna is not the only one acting oddly in this investigation. There is enough strange behaviors and guilty looks to spread suspicion around.   The weather, the isolation, and the landscape are an integral part of the plot, including even being a weapon of sorts.  The themes include religious fervor and corruption, pedophilia, loyalty and friendship.  Very good read for fans of Nordic fiction!

Literally Murder is book 4 in the Black Cat Bookshop series. In this book, Darla and Hamlet travel to Florida to appear at a Cat Show convention.  I am always hesitant when cozy mysteries attempt to leave their “home town” or regular locale.  I usually feel that something is lost without all the other regular characters and the setting, but that was not the case with this book.  I really enjoyed seeing Darla and Hamlet travel and meet new people.   The murder was interesting and started off with a twist right at the beginning.  There are some heartstopping moments in the storyline involving Hamlet.  Professor James T. James and the other regulars make some brief appearances but the main storyline involves Darla and Hamlet.   Well done cozy mystery in a very enjoyable series.

A First Date With Death is a new-to-me cozy.  The theme is “love or money”.  The book is based on filming one of those reality romance shows ala The Bachelor with a twist.  Our protagonist, Georgia, was left at the altar and then lost her job on the police force. She is getting pretty desperate for money and joins as a contestant on the show with a chance at a sizeable prize.  The idea behind the show is that some of the men are on it for love and some for money and she needs to figure out the ones in it for money and eliminate them.  Of course, one of the eligible bachelors ends up dead and then the fun…sleuthing begins.  Georgia is a great character, the plot is paced really well so the book flows by quickly, and the whole concept is fun to read about. I really loved this cozy and read it in one sitting.  My only concern is how the series will continue.  I don’t suppose Georgia will keep being on dating shows repeatedly so I’m not sure where the author plans on going with the series, but I am really looking forward to finding out.