Tag Archives: mystery

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Steamed to Death by Peg Cochran

 

Just finished Steamed to Death last night, the second in the Gourmet De-lite Mystery series.  I did enjoy this book, but the first one Allergic to Death is my favorite of the two.  I like the slow progress in the romance between GiGi and Detective Mertz (I hope Declan is just a distraction).  Detective Mertz really won me over this book as a love interest – there is a scene with a kitten that just did it for me.  The other characters are interesting and provided red herrings in solving the murders (plural).  There was one clue that was a little heavy handed and I solved the mystery right at that point, but it did not spoil the book for me.  It wasn’t that far from the end anyway.

Light, fun mystery with cooking and animals and small town life mixed all together.

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Panic Button by Kylie Logan

This is the third book in the Button Box Mystery series by Kylie Logan.  I read and enjoyed the first book in the series when it was the selection of the month for my Cozy Mystery Club on Goodreads.  I picked up the second one on my own and was somewhat disappointed as it was very focused on the theme, button collecting, which is not really an interest of mine.  I am very glad that I gave, Panic Button, the third in the series a try, it is the best so far!

 

The protagonist, Josie, is asked to appraise a “cursed” button charm string and the curse does seem to follow it as the owner is killed.  There is more than one mystery going on, the murder and also the “curse” of the charm string.  Several possible villains are suggested as Josie does her sleuthing with her sidekick, Stan. I did figure out the piece behind the charm string prior to the reveal in the book, but it did not lessen my enjoyment of the book.  I found the book well written and paced with enjoyable characters.  I particularly like the relationship developing slowly between Josie and Nev, it seems very realistic, not overly rushed or part of some convoluted love triangle.  Josie’s ex is still in the picture, but just as someone she is concerned about not a romantic interest.

 

Fun, fast cozy mystery read, this is definitely the best in the series so far.

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Mrs. Pargeter’s Point of Honour by Simon Brett

 

Just finished another in the Mrs. Pargeter’s series, the sixth and final book to my knowledge.  In this outing, Mrs. Pargeter is trying to do a favor for the widow of one of her deceased husband’s friends…return all the artwork he had “acquired” during his career to the rightful owners.  We follow Mrs. Pargeter and her loyal band of ex-associates of her husband, Hedgeclipper Clinton, Truffler Mason, Gary the driver and some new additions.  In this book, we also meet a DI Wilkinson, who spent most of his less than illustrious crime fighting career trailing along in Mr. Pargeter and crew’s wake.

The story takes twists and turns and more than one villain is uncovered along the way.  Mrs. Pargeter weathers it all, maintaining herself as a lady despite the company she keeps.  The book is humorous in places, Mrs. Pargeter’s steadfast refusal to acknowledge that her husband was a criminal, and thrilling in others, the hiccups in the well laid plans.  I have enjoyed this series immensely both as a humorous cozy and as a social satire.

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

“Uncommonly pretty frock, that,” said Hugh entering….Hugh would never dream that I had done any more than put on a frock in the time he had spent bathing and shaving, and I mused, not for the first time, that if men believed a frock could do what had happened to me from the neck up in the last half hour, their world must seem a magical place indeed.

from After the Armistice Ball by Catriona McPherson

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Back from Traveling

Finally home again after an exhausting, storm ridden drive from Savannah, Georgia home to New Jersey. Savannah was beautiful, really nice walking city. Stopped in a Shoney’s in Dillon, South Carolina to wait out some of the worst of the storm.  Really nice staff there and great coffee!

Anyway back to books – I took my Kindle and one paperback on  my trip.  Didn’t squeeze in too much reading but I did read:

Laced with Poison by Meg London

Cute, fun cozy mystery. Loved the lingerie theme.  Better plot than the first book in the series.  I am enjoying the development of the characters and their relationships. 4 out of 5 stars

Stranger in Town by Cheryl Bradshaw

I will say I am not usually big on the abducted child mysteries but I like the character of Sloan Monroe and have read one other book in this series.  Well written mystery with good character development makes for an enjoyable read.  New possible romantic interest for Sloane is introduced in this book.  3 out of 5 stars

A Body in the Backyard by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Another entry in the Myrtle Clover mystery series.  Very light fun cozy mystery reading.  Perfect travel read.  This is the fourth book in the series but only the second that I have read.  I got it for my Kindle and read it out of order.  I love the quirky protagonist, who is the bane of her son’s existence.  I really enjoy this type of sleuth.  The sidekick in the form of neighbor, Miles, who seems equally appalled as excited by Myrtle’s investigative antics is perfect. 3.5 out of 5 stars

Stirred with Love by Marcie Steele

This was a free download for my Kindle.  It is a romance/chick lit type story.  Although I am all for light reads at times, especially when traveling or just looking to unwind, this was a little too light.  Perhaps I am not the intended target market for this book, but I found it overly simplistic and quick. 2 out of 5 stars

Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredity Allard

This was a free Kindle paranormal romance download.  Deals with witches, Salem, reincarnation, and vampires, but I just found it lacking.  Not really any tension building and it seems like it should have been that type of romance.  I didn’t really connect to the characters.  Two out of five stars.

Tell No Lies by Julie Compton

Yet another free kindle download.  This one is a legal/thriller/mystery one and is actually quite good.   An interesting twist in the end.  The character of Jack is well developed and the story is well written.  The relationships between the characters are realistic.  I will read another one, if this is a series.  3.5 out of 5 stars.

Hide and Snoop by Sue Ann Jaffarian

The 7th outing in the Odelia Grey series.  I really enjoy this series and Odelia as a sleuth.  Although this was not my favorite in the series, it was still well written and enjoyable.  I would recommend reading this series in order to make sense of the character development over time.  4 out of 5 stars.

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Killer in Crinolines by Duffy Brown

This is the second book in the Consignment Shop Mystery series by Duffy Brown.  I am really enjoying this series so far.  I love the sleuth Reagan Summerside and her sidekick/aunt KiKi.  This is a mystery with a lot of humor.  Aunt Kiki quotes Cher when confronted with a variety of circumstances.  Reagan comes up against Walker Boone, her ex-husband’s divorce attorney throughout her attempts to clear the name of her friend Chantilly, who has been accused of murder.  The romantic tension between Boone and Reagan is very well done.  The mystery takes you all around Savannah, Georgia visiting eateries and colorful characters, including a baker who bakes “interesting” cookies, an alligator, and a gangster named Pillsbury.  The only criticism I would have is that the dialog involving the gang members doesn’t feel realistic, but that was a minor flaw in an otherwise enjoyable, fun  mystery.

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M.C. Beaton: Death of a Kingfisher & Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam

I am working on getting up-to-date on two of my favorite mystery series, Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth, coincidentally or not by the same author, M.C. Beaton.  I picked these two up from the library and read them last night.    What I found interesting is that somehow both of them had strong references to fairies, just seems funny that I am in two different places in the series and happened to read books from both of them that had to do with fairies, in some respect back to back.

Agatha Raisin is one of my very favorite sleuths.  I love that you can’t keep her down.  She is always trying to solve her problems, even though sometimes in very ill advised ways.  In this book, she is trying to get over James, still, yet again and so decides to move away from her little cottage and move to a village, Fryfam, in Norfolk.  Of course, being Agatha once she arrives there is a murder in the sleepy little village which she has to solve.  Her loyal sidekick, Sir Charles Fraith assists again in the investigation.  Mrs. Bloxby is also regularly consulted about the  “James” situation and village goings on in Carsely.  The mystery is neatly resolved, although the good folks of Fryfam are not so happy with the resolution.  There is also another twist in the Agatha and James romance but you’ll have to read it to see.  In my opinion, you do need to read this series in order to appreciate the references to past events and the relationshp between Agatha and the other recurring characters, Mrs. Bloxby, Charles and James.

Death of a Kingfisher seems to me to be a darker outing in the Hamish Macbeth series.  There is still humor particularly in the relationship between Hamish and his constable, Dick, an incomparable game show contestant and trivia buff.  There is more than one crime occurring and many twists and turns on the way to the end.  Some truly disturbing, darker  characters are part of the cast.  Par for the course, Hamish is unlucky in love, or as Patty, the Millionaire Matchmaker, would say – “his picker is broken”.  This was not my favorite in the series but still a good read, that being perhaps Death of a Poison Pen or Death of a Cad, i can’t really choose, I really liked so many of this series.

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Mrs. Pargeter’s Plot by Simon Brett

Have I said lately how much I love Simon Brett’s mysteries?  Mrs. Pargeter is a wonderful sleuth and the cast is fleshed out by a colorful, fascinating cast of characters, such as Gary the driver, Concrete Jacket  the builder and his wife Tracy, Truffler the detective, Hedge clipper Clinton, Keyhole Crabbe – lock pick extraordinaire, and Fossilface.  Mr. Brett’s trademark sly social humor is threaded throughout.  The mystery resolves quite satisfactorily through Mrs. Pargeter’s sleuthing with the help of her deceased husband’s cohorts.

In one episode from the book, Concrete Jacket is locked up in his cell awaiting trial and Keyhole comes to visit to talk some sense into him.  The only issue is that Keyhole himself is currently incarcerated in another prison:

A suspicious light came into Concrete’s eye.  “‘Ere, this isn’t an escape, is it?”

His visitor was appalled by the suggestion.  “Good Heavens, no.  Very risky business, escape.”

“Too right,” the builder agreed.  “Makes you a marked man, that does.”

Keyhole nodded.  “Oh yea.  Wouldn’t catch me doing it.  Server your time like a good boy, no fuss, get your remission for good behavior – that’s my philosophy.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s all right to nip out for kids’ birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, that kind of number – otherwise, you just got to knuckle down and do your bird.” 

Anyway – fun, well written, good mystery plot.  I highly recommend Simon Brett’s books.

 

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The Shooting in the Shop by Simon Brett

Just finished this one in the Fethering Mystery series by Simon Brett.  A very good whodunit, I really didn’t know the culprit until the reveal came together.  In fact, I was off following another red herring for a good part of the book.  🙂 The misdirection was particularly well done in this outing of the series.

As always the intrepid team of Jude and Carole work together, relying on their disparate talents to come together to solve the crime.  The partnership of sleuths, Jude and Carole, really make these books for me.  In this book, Carole becomes more aware of her place in the community  of Fethering  and succumbs to more of Jude’s influence.  The characters of Jude and Carole are well crafted to give a humorous nod to stereotypical characters without being stereotypes themselves.  The other characters have their own quirks and personalities creating a believable community set in the backdrop of Fethering, a British coastal village.

For readers of British village mysteries, particularly if you like some sly humor thrown in the mix.

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The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne & Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by M.C. Beaton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my book clubs selected The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne, better known for being the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh.  This well crafted mystery  showed that A.A. Milne was not a one trick pony.  This was a traditional British mystery with a full complement of  “upstairs downstairs” characters set on an estate in a locked room.  We have the sleuth, Antony Gillingham, and his not so sharp sidekick.  There is misdirection in the form of disguise and assumed identity.  Very clever mystery with dry humor and a classic feel, Agatha Christie-esque.  The copy I picked up from the library is not the edition pictured, it is the 1962 edition printed by E.P. Dutton  & Co., Inc and there is a wonderful dedication page from A.A. Milne to his father:

My Dear Father,

Like all really nice people, you have  a weakness for detective stories, and feel that there is not enough of them.  So, after all that you have done for me, the least that I can do for you is to write you one.  Here it is:  with more gratitude and affection than I can well put down here.

A.A. Milne

Highly recommended read!

My second read of last night was another outing in the indomitable Agatha Raisin series, Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden.  Poor Agatha is in poor shape, unlucky in love more than once, the victim of  a vengeful hairdresser and stuck in a senior living facility disguised as a hotel.  Still Agatha manages to find a murder or two, trace down the clues, adopt a cat and along the way she gets some things muddled and meddles in some other people’s lives.  The character of Agatha Raisin is really the star, Agatha strives for love and companionship.  She wants to be liked but comes across as prickly and even high handed at times.  The mystery is fun and fast paced as is the whole book. I heartily recommend this series.  I do think you will appreciate it more if you read the books in order.