Tag Archives: review

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Read-a-thon Book 2: Strictly Murder by Lynda Wilcox

 

Finished Book 2 for the Dewey’s Read-a-thon.  This was an interesting British murder mystery with twists and turns and tie-ins to a previous crime.  I really liked the fact that the sleuth was a researcher/assistant for a crime novelist, I think that is a great lead in for an amateur sleuth.  I felt the mystery was well plotted as far as the whodunnit portion of things.  However, some parts of the book didn’t really gel for me, the sleuth, Verity insisting that she wasn’t investigating.  Her reactions at times didn’t  ring true to the character, as developed in the book.  The constant references to the play on one character’s name, Candida = thrush, get it, heh heh, funny huh, elbow in the ribs, was well overdone.  The Detective Inspector Farish character needed some fleshing out but that might occur in later books in the series.

I might have appreciated the jabs at Strictly Come Dancing, if I had ever seen the show so I won’t hold that against the book.  Fans (or people who hate the show) might find the tie-in interesting.

I don’t know if I will read more of not of this series, I already have a huge TBR list.

 

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Read-a-thon Book 1: Murder on the Candlelight Tour by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter

 

Finished book 1 for Dewey’s Read-a-thon.  This is book 2 in a mystery series that I found when the first book was chosen  by the Cozy Mystery Corner book club on Goodreads.  I was one of the few members who liked the first book in this series.  I found the mystery well done in that book and this one.

Just like in the first book,, I like the main character, her sister and her sidekick.  Her love interest, Nick runs hot and cold, but it made him interesting to me.  Her sister’s boyfriend, Joel was a little too stereotypical Hollywood con man  This book connected several crimes, an old robbery and a couple new murders.  There were lots of clues and red herrings.  The issue with this book, like the first, is that sometimes the dialog is unnatural or stilted and in a couple places, I actually had to go back and reread to understand what I had read.  Still, I think there is enough good about this books, well plotted mystery and interesting characters, to make me want to continue with it.

On to a visit to my local book shop and then back for more reading!

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Death and the Lit Chick by G.M. Malliet

 

 

This is the second in the series, the first being Death of  a Cozy Writer.  I thought the first one was okay and so decided to try another in the series.  This started out definitely more interesting.  Very Agatha Christie-ish, as in And Then There Were None.

We had the group of isolated visitors, in this case writers at a conference.  There is a house that is cut off from the outside, power outage, fog, etc.  There is a first victim, who is a very unlikable character.  All this added up to a lot of promise for this book.

St. Just, the detective, is definitely more visible and engaged in this book than he was in the first outing of the series.  The characters are all very classic of cozy “house” mysteries, the elderly female, the brash American, the meek submissive wife, the femme fatale, the young “con man” type, and  the unlucky-in-love copper and others.

The book just didn’t live up to the promise of all the elements.  It was definitely okay, but I don’t know if I would read any others in the series.  I enjoyed about the first two thirds and then it just seemed to  peter out.

 

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Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan by Jamie Zeppa

I read this book for my One Drink Minimum Book Club.  We have a round the world theme this month and this was the book selected.  I really haven’t digested it fully but I will say there were definite positives and negatives.  On the positive side, the author excelled at giving us a sense of place.  I really came away with a feeling for Bhutan and the way the people lived.  She also revealed political issues that I was not aware of within Bhutan and managed to “educate” without the reader feeling as thought they were being lectured or reading a book for school.  Being a teacher, I enjoyed the detail about the school system she was teaching in and was surprised with some of the details she revealed.

On the negative side, the author comes across as really self absorbed, which is sort of odd for a Buddhist (she converted during her time in Bhutan).   I think it was supposed to seem self reflective, but that was not what I took away from it. She makes some …interesting decisions and although she is living there and others point out “home truths” to her she seems to hold this idealized/idolized version on Bhutan.  I kept trying to remind myself that she was only 22 at the beginning of this journey and that youthfulness probably was the part of her voice that seemed self absorbed and impulsive to me.

On the whole, I am glad that I read it and I did enjoy learning about Bhutan.  If the topic of Bhutan or teaching abroad interests you, this is a worthwhile read.

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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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Witch Way to Murder by Shirley Damsgaard & Artistic License by Katie Fforde

Another night of difficulty sleeping and so I read two more books off of my TBR list.  Witch Way to Murder by Shirley Damsgaard, which is the October read for the Cozy Mystery Corner book club on Goodreads.  This book was so much better than I expected!  I can’t wait to read more.  Often paranormal cozies are too cutesy for me but this was not at all. In fact, the paranormal elements were almost downplayed to highlight believable characters and a well crafted mystery that involves a very current issue, methamphetamine production.  I liked the protagonist, Ophelia.  Despite her cool, reserved persona I really connected with her.  She reminds me slightly of Miss Zukas from the Jo Dereske series, which I also love.  I will definitely be reading more of this series.

 

My second book was Artistic License by Katie Fforde. I should say from the outset that I always love Katie Fforde’s books.  I find it very easy to immerse myself in the world she creates for her characters and this book was no exception.  Thea Orville is a young woman who was unlucky in love and her career and became a landlady for a boarding house for students.  She meets an almost equally unlucky artist and decides to make some changes in her life, to become “unstuck” from the disappointing life she was living.  There are numerous twists and turns and more than one love interest and a charming young boy looking for a mother. Katie Fforde always writes about relationships and the effects people and their decisions have on others and their lives.  Her books celebrate how messy life can be and yet always there is  always this thread of hopefulness that makes them lovely and charming to read.  I recommend this book and any others by Katie Fforde.

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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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Insomnia Mystery Reading Fest

I  Really couldn’t sleep last night and so I finished a stack of mysteries due back at the library anyway.  The first was Murder in House by Veronica Heley.  I am reading this out of order, having read the rest of the series a while ago, my library just didn’t have this one and now they do. 🙂 I love the character of Ellie Quick; she is complex, likable, intelligent and brave, all packaged in the body of a middle aged woman.  Initially, when I began this series I thought of it as a cozy but I would say that it definitely progressed to more of a soft-boiled and this book in particular certainly has dark themes and events.  The plot was complex but what really drives Veronica Heley’s books are the characters. They have complicated, messy relationships, just like real life. The prime example is Ellie and her daughter Diana, which was prominent in this book.  Because the series is so character driven, I would strongly recommend reading it in order (even though I didn’t), as relationships change and develop over time.  If you enjoy cozies with a darker feel or soft boiled mysteries, this is a great series, driven by a great protagonist.

Moving on to the next book, The Burglar in the Rye.  from the wonderful mystery writer,Lawrence Block.  This is another series I read as I came across the books in the library, not necessarily in order.   I have really enjoyed this series and when I came across this one in the library, I didn’t remember the title so I picked it up, but after reading a couple pages I realized that I had indeed read it before.  Disappointing, I thought I had a new Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery to enjoy.  Anyone who has not tried this series definitely should, Bernie is a funny, irreverent protagonist and the cast of recurring characters only adds to the fun.  A quote from the book illustrates Bernie’s thought patterns:  “But old habits die hard, and I’ve never been able to look at something of great value without trying to  figure a way to rescue it from its rightful owner.”

Bernie is a burglar, but with a good sense of right and wrong and loyalty to friends, that makes him a lovable rascal type of character.  He also happens to own a bookshop, so people who like to read books about other bibliophiles have that to look forward to in this series.  His best friend and drinking companion is a lesbian, who owns a pet grooming business.  All in all eclectic, well drawn characters and excellent mysteries with humor drive this wonderful series.

Moving on to M.C. Beaton’s, Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came.  Agatha finds herself bereft when James  and Charles both abandon her,but she acquires a new “partner in crime” in the form of a new neighbor to help with the sleuthing.  This book focused on Agatha working with her new neighbor to solve a murder.  There are red herrings to follow and Agatha gets chastised by…just about everyone for her antics in crime solving.  The mystery  is well done and solved very satisfactorily.  Agatha’s personal life is still a shambles, very much in Agatha Raisin fashion.  I’ve begun to give up hope that she will ever find stability with a partner she loves, but I will keep reading to see if she does.  Charming, cozy mystery series that includes elements of comfortable village life and a more worldly view.  Agatha is really an incomparable character.  She brings much of her grief upon herself, at the same time you can’t help but feel for her as she fumbles through life.  Anyone who has offended someone unintentionally or had their life upset repeatedly can certainly relate to her.  In the end, she is intelligent and well meaning and certainly a capable sleuth.

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Thinking of You by Jill Mansell

 

I was on Twitter the other night and Jill Mansell tweeted about Thinking of You being available for $1.99 on Kindle so I picked it up.  I have read several of Jill Mansell’s works and enjoyed them and this one does not disappoint.  The character of Ginny was easy for me to relate to, a divorced mother whose daughter had left for university, separating them for the first time.  I loved the relationship between Ginny and Jem, mother and daughter and best friends.

Ginny suffers seriously with “empty nest syndrome” compounded by another loss and we follow her through a series of upheavals, new relationships, and betrayals.  Meanwhile, Jem gets herself involved in an inadvisable romance away at college and we follow mother and daughter’s separate misadventures.  Lovely, light chick lit with a well drawn cast of characters that you could meet around your own neighborhood.  A fun read, a plot that stretches belief in places, but it is chick lit after all.  Fans of light romantic reads will enjoy this.

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Deb Baker Books; Cooking & Evernote; SOA & Broadchurch; Dewey’s Readathon

    

Finally have a moment to breathe…I came back from vacation and then got immediately into getting ready to go back to school.  I moved schools so I had tons of unpacking to do and then setting up new classroom.  My room is in pretty good shape so I just wanted to stop in and talk briefly about two books I read on my kindle.

These books are both by Deb Baker, but they are two different cozy mystery series.  Both of them are cute, quick, cozy mysteries with interesting characters.  Out of the two of them I will say that I enjoyed Murder Passed the Buck more.  The protagonist is a feisty grandma named Gertie Johnson, who eagerly pursues her criminal investigation activities to the dismay of her son. The book has moments of laugh out loud humor.   The second book, Dolled Up for Murder, is also well written.  It is a cozy with a theme involving doll collecting and restoration.  The protagonist, Gretchen Birch, is younger than Gertie Johnson and as such is a more physically active sleuth.   Dolled Up For Murder is less humorous and slightly darker than Murder Passed the Buck.

In other book news, I signed up again for Dewey’s Readathon coming up in October.  I am sooooo excited. I really had fun with the last one and found lots of great book blogs and books.  I highly recommend joining in if you can!

In cooking news, I’ve been culling my cookbook collection and have found Evernote an invaluable tool.  I had lots of books and back issues of Woman and Home, BBC Good Food, and Olive, so I was able to scan in recipes I used from them and then get rid of the original sources.  I also am able to clip from my favorite recipe websites:  BBC Good Food, Woman and Home, and Delia Online and make them Evernote pages in my recipes notebook.  Even better I can share it  with the rest of my family.

In TV news, Sons of Anarchy will soon be on again!  I am also really into Broadchurch on BBC America. Not much else, I am doing in terms of TV viewing.

Finally, in movies – I have a guilty pleasure :

I really want to go see this, but I have to convince my daughter to come with me.