Tag Archives: review

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Haunted Ground by Erin Hart

Picked up this at the library after seeing a reference to it on Goodreads.  I have never read anything, to my knowledge, by Erin Hart before.  The story revolves around a well preserved body discovered in a peat bog in an area where a young woman and child recently disappeared.  The two stories are told simultaneously.

There is a lot to like in this book.  The setting is very well done, excellent sense of place that develops through the book.  There is also cultural and historical references including music and folklore that add color and detail to the story.  The protagonist is an archaeologist, Cormac Maguire.  His sidekick/romantic interest/colleague is an American pathologist, Nora Gavin.  Both these characters are well developed with their own motivations and feelings.  The dark moody atmosphere is maintained throughout the story, very similar to Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves work, two writers I enjoy.

My issue with the book is that it was really, really obvious who the culprit(s) were and basically what happened.  It seemed so obvious to me and I was so sure of it, that for a minute I thought perhaps I had read the book before.  There are characters that are put forth, as so called red herrings, but I didn’t buy it at all.  This occurred so early on that I had a hard time staying interested in the rest of the story.  The reveal, when it did occur, felt rushed, like a sudden sprint to the end.  It was not in keeping with the pace and tone of the rest of the book.

Overall, there is a lot to like, but the mystery plot itself was a let down.

 

 

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The Silence of the Library by Miranda James

This is the 5th book in the A Cat in the Stacks Mystery series.  I loved this outing in the series!  Charlie Harris, a librarian and sleuth, and his sidekick Diesel, the giant Maine Coon cat, become entangled in a murder mystery involving classic mystery series books for children in the ilk of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys to name some of the most popular ones.  The fictional Veronica Thane series that is at the center of The Silence of the Library   is closely modeled on Nancy Drew, perhaps a more over the top version, and the centenarian author character is modeled on Mildred Wirt Benson, the original Nancy Drew author.

The mystery plot was  very well done and interestingly crafted in that the Charlie Harris story is interspersed with readings from a Veronica Thane novel, so the reader goes through both mysteries together to come to the reveal.  The parallelism was a fun plot device for the reader.

This mystery series does have several recurring characters, such as Charlie’s children and Helen Louise, a love interest.  These relationships have developed over time so reading the series in order is probably ideal, however this story can stand on its own, especially for lover’s of Nancy Drew type books.

A great cozy mystery read! Highly recommended!

As an aside, the author writes this series as Miranda James, a pseudonym, but writes the Simon Kirby-Jones series under his name, Dean James.  The Simon Kirby-Jones series is a different kind of cozy, a lot of fun and I really liked it.  I read that entire series.  I have now ordered a book from a third series by this author written under the name of Honor Hartman and can’t wait to give that a try.

 

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Reading through My Insomnia

pollifax double booked 18210686

 

Last night I couldn’t sleep…too many aches and pains from packing and hauling boxes I guess.  Anyway, I read the above three cozy mysteries.  Well actually I just finished the last part of the Ali Brandon and then read the other two.

Double Booked for Death was great.  I loved the theme, even though the whole bookstore and cat thing has been done to death.  This series even revives a little of the original Cat Who… series in which the cat gives hints in book titles.

The sleuth, Darla, really appealed to me.  She comes across as intelligent and having common sense, very “real” feeling as a person.  Her various sidekicks, Jake, a retired cop/store security/tenant, Hamlet, the series named “Black Cat”, and James, a retired Lit. professor/store manager all add to the story rather than detract from it.  The book was very well written, with a higher level of vocabulary than often seen in cozies.  There were many elements that gave it a modern feel, sometimes books can get “stuck” in a time and feel dated.  There is the tiniest hint of a romance that might develop in future books, but the focus really was on the mystery.  I did find a side plot resolution a little odd, but it was still ok.  The only other negative was James’ behavior regarding some questionable business practice, I just don’t think a small business owner would be willing to allow an employee to buy up what would be valuable stock to flog on Ebay.  It also seemed out of character for James as written.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax was my first introduction to this older series.  It is a book I never would have picked up on my own but it came highly recommended from a friend.  Well written, fun and humourous, I did enjoy reading it.  It is definitely not my normal type read.   I don’t know if I would classify it as a mystery, it was more of a comedic twist of a spy/adventure story.  Reminded me very much of Elizabeth Peters’ work and I’m sure Amelia Peabody fans would like it.  The character of Mrs. Pollifax is delightful and her relationship with Carstairs and the other spies or operatives is engaging.  I’m sure I will read more of this in the future.

A Tough Nut to Kill is a brand new series.  I attempted to grow nut trees once, years ago when I was married and we had a huge yard, well not huge by Texas standards I’m sure, but pretty big by Suburban NJ standards.  They all died. So,  I thought the nut farming theme might make for an interesting read.  The book was well written and edited and full of local color for the Texas setting.  The murder mystery was interesting and was tied to an older death in the family, so two mysteries twined together.  I just didn’t connect with this one for some reason.  I’m sure that it will work for other readers, particularly ones that are a fan of the Texas setting.

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The Trouble with Witches & Murder, Lies and Chocolate

hot chocolate witches

 

 

Murder, Lies and Hot Chocolate was free Kindle read.  The supporting characters are some of the best parts of the book, her neighbor and employee.  They add most of interest to the story. The mystery was okay and was actually more about a “treasure hunt” than the murders.   This read more like a chick lit to me than a “cozy”, lots of girly-type bonding over chocolate, a no-good cheating ex, a battered wife friend, etc. I did not read Book 1, so perhaps I would have enjoyed this more if I had.  As it stands, I would just rate it as an okay mystery.

The Trouble With Witches is book 3 in a series that I have been reading.  The protagonist, Ophelia, is becoming more and more comfortable with her gifts and in this book the magic takes more of center stage. Ophelia and Abby leave home in this book to explore a “cult” that is implicated in a young woman’s disappearance.  The disappearance of Brandi, a murder, and some older crimes are all bound together and resolve neatly in the end. The “cult” has connections to magic and psychic research.  Out of the three that I have read in the series so far, I still find the first one my favorite.  I will continue to read the series to see what happens in Ophelia and Abby’s lives.

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Larceny and Lace by Annette Blair

This is the second book in the “A Vintage Magic Mystery” series.  I liked the first one, A Veiled Deception enough to pick this one up to read.  I have mixed feelings about this cozy.  When it comes to cozies you expect to suspend your disbelief and when it comes to paranormal cozies, doubly so.  There are just some places that the character’s reactions veer off into the ridiculous.

There is plenty to like in Larceny and Lace.  I love the theme, vintage clothing and the covers of this series are beautiful.  I like the relationships between the main characters, Madeira & Eve, Madeira & Dante, Professor Dad & Aunt Fiona, and Madeira & “Weiner”.  The setting  and the idea of a  shop in a former funeral home and the discussion of the features of the building is all fun and interesting.  Sort of a re-purposed building vibe, like those shows where people make homes from old churches, schools, cargo containers or airplanes, etc. The mystery plot itself is good, too.

On the flip side, too many unnecessary characters flitting about the story, this seemed to slow the book down and cause me confusion at times, which leads into another issue.  The writing felt really scattered for some reason, disorganized almost.  Usually cozies are light, quick reads but here I sometimes felt lost.  Finally…the puns, really unrealistic punny dialogue that went along with some unrealistic behavior.

I am undecided over whether to try another book in this series.

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Lost and Fondue by Avery Aames

 

This is the second book in the “A Cheese Shop Mystery” series by Avery Aames.  I finally got to it in my TBR pile.

Fun cozy mystery, but not as quick a read for me as the first.  I think there were so many characters and location changes (a closed winery, an inn, the shop, etc.) that I had to read more carefully. Many new characters and recurring ones from the first book round out a robust cast.

The mystery was well done and I really had no idea “whodunnit” until Charlotte, the protagonist, did.  Charlotte is a good cozy mystery sleuth, in that she actually investigates the mystery.  I prefer that to sleuths who just seem to stumble on the resolution.  I enjoyed all the cheese information (I love cheese and food themed cozies so this is a great combination for me).  This outing was very romance light, almost a passing note, which was fine with me because there was so much else going on in the story.

All in all, a good cozy mystery with a bit more reading “meat” in it than the average cozy.  The first one in this series, The Long Quiche Goodbye,  is still my favorite so far, but I intend to read the next one, Clobbered by Camembert, soon.

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Bran New Death & Peach Pies and Alibis

 A new series from Victoria Hamilton, who also writes the Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series, which I love.  Bran New Death does not disappoint!  From the setting, upstate small town in upstate New York to the protagonist Merry and her friend sidekick Shilo, everything is well crafted and written.  The mystery has all the twists and turns and reveals of family secrets that you want in a cozy mystery.

The basis for this book and indeed the series is that Merry has inherited this castle in the small town of Autumn Vale from a basically unknown family members.  She is a widow and pretty much alone in the world.  She moves into the castle with the expressed purpose of getting it ready for sale, but you definitely get the impression that she is there to stay.

The town has it share of quirky or eccentric characters, but they don’t overwhelm the plot.  The theme, muffin baking, is also kept low key.

Another highly recommended cozy mystery from Victoria Hamilton!

 

Next up, Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams.  I enjoyed the first book in this series, Pies and Prejudice.  These books are well written, the story line is well crafted and the characters are engaging.  The book definitely lives up to the series name – charming.  I would  call this second book in the series much more a paranormal than a mystery.  In the first book, the paranormal element was a light feature of the story but in this book it definitely takes center stage.

Fans of Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire series will probably enjoy this as a lighter version- no vampires or werewolves in sight yet, but an assortment of other “fey folk” and much magical action incorporated with realistic features.  Think fairies that pack guns!

Fans of paranormals will definitely enjoy this!

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The Lewis Man & Death in Four Courses

four courses lewis man I read a couple very different mysteries last night.  The first was Death in Four Courses by Lucy Burdette, the second in the Key West Food Critic series.  In this book Hayley is covering a foodie conference with her mother along for the ride.  Hayley’s mother is a great addition to the cast and Gloria becomes slightly more prominent as well.  The keynote speaker is murdered and Hayley’s friend is accused and this kicks off the sleuthing.  This was a good cozy mystery.  I didn’t like it as much as the first in the series, but it was still a fun, quick read.

The Lewis Man by Peter May is book 2 in the Lewis Trilogy.  Fin is such a sympathetic and even noble character and he pulls you into the story.  This is an emotional and suspenseful read as Fin explores Marsaili’s family background in the wake of a body that has been discovered in the peat. At the same time Fin’s son is dealing with his own issues with Donna and his daughter.  The overarching theme in both the books I’ve read so far is memory.  In this book, personified by Tormod MacDonald, Marsaili’s father and dementia sufferer.  The search for the truth and the consequences are what drives the plot.  Excellent read.  I can’t wait to read the next book, The Chessmen.

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Organize Your Corpses & Beef Stolen-off

organize beef

I have been looking forward to Organize Your Corpses for  a while, the theme of a professional organizer really interested me.  This cute cozy mystery did not disappoint.  The main character, Charlotte Adams, was likable and professional (for the most part).  She has enough flaws to be human and seem like a real person.  The mystery was well done with an interesting twist at the end.  Well written, with a plot that flowed at a good pace.  I look forward to reading more in this series.

Beef Stolen-off is the second book in the Clueless Cook Series.  I liked the first one enough to read this one.  There is quite a complicated plot line involving a haunted lake house, cattle rustling, a stroke victim unable to communicate something vital, and a whole slew of cowboys and cattle ranchers along with the already established characters from Jordan’s apartment building and newspaper job.  The mystery tied up neatly in the end and there was a reappearance of a love interest from the first book.  This was an okay cozy mystery, but it seemed to me that there were too many characters and it made it difficult to get invested in any of them.

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Defending Angels by Mary Stanton

 

I have had this book sitting on my nightstand for a while (I was cheating and piling new books on top of it instead of below).  I purchased it at the strong recommendation of a friend and really against will.  🙂

I don’t generally read paranormals and I really don’t read religious reads and I really don’t care for “angel” books, so…anyway.

After reading it, I have to admit it held my attention and skipped along at a pretty good pace.   I had some issues with the book but not what I would expect. There is really no “preachiness” that I thought for sure would be there. The angels are not the sickly sweet, Lifetime TV movie types so that was good as well.

If I had to characterize this, I would definitely say that it is much more of a paranormal than a cozy.  The mystery takes a back seat to the celestial beings. I don’t want to reveal too much but it is hard to discuss my issues with the book without saying something.  The protagonist, Brianna, behaves…really strangely at times and doesn’t really sleuth.  Things that should terrify and upset her don’t really and other times she is a violent rager with no real cause.  She doesn’t have concerns or ask questions that I (and any rational person) would.  This may be due to something revealed towards the end, but that was not really made clear, it is just my supposition.

My other issue is that the ending felt really rushed…We had the reveal for the story on the temporal plane, but when it came to the celestial one, it just ended quickly and with no detail.  It seemed really odd because the angel story was the main story line throughout.

I am intrigued enough that I will buy the next one and see if it resolves these issues.