As Dark as My Fur–a disappointment for this reader
As Dark as My Fur
by Clea Simon
I looked forward to the novelty of a mystery narrated by a cat in As Dark as My Fur. I had read positive reviews and thought the cat’s perspective might add interest as well as a touch of humor. It didn’t contribute any amusement, but that was the author’s choice and is acceptable. The cat is, in fact, a man who has been murdered and reincarnated as a cat with only partial memories of his prior life.
The author, Clea Simon, has a remarkable command of the English language, excellent powers of description, and insightful views into the frustrations of being a cat. Unfortunately, she calls upon the latter strength over and over again at the expense of the plot. The average reader can easily grasp the difficulties of trying to communicate with a human from a cat’s body. The author belabors the point in every chapter. I easily put the book aside multiple times with no sense of loss. Finally, at the end of chapter thirty-one (88% through the book), the author inserted a hook that made me want to finish reading the book. Simultaneously, the plot pace picked up and I completed it. I was disappointed that the active mystery has resolution, but the main villain is not revealed.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Severn House for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 2/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: Blackie and Care #2
Publication: April 1, 2017—Severn House
Memorable Lines:
Silence elicits speech.
As I have noted, I am a cat. And while I may be frustrated by my inability to communicate directly, at least with the girl with whom I have forged a bond, I do enjoy my superior senses.
There is joy to be found in a bright morning, in the company of one who may be trusted.
Tightening the Threads–family secrets abound
Tightening the Threads
by Lea Wait
Tightening the Threads is a very good cozy mystery, set in Maine and focusing on family relationships Most of the characters in the story are the product of dysfunctional to nonexistent relationships with their parents. Some emerge from childhood with pain and an inability to have meaningful connections. Others find solace and stability with extended family or build strong bonds with friends.
There are mysteries to be solved that tie into the relationship issues; these crimes center around the patriarch Ted Lawrence, son of famous artist Robert Lawrence. The novel shows us once more that money and fame do not necessarily insure happiness or wisdom.
This author obviously has an interest in needlework in general and needlepoint in particular as evidenced by her main characters belonging to a group called the Mainely Needlepointers. She displays her historical interest by starting each chapter with a quote from a child’s sampler as well as a description of the sampler and information about the creator as available. I enjoyed this book and am definitely interested in reading more by author Lea Wait.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #5 in the Mainely Needlepoint Mystery Series, but works as a standalone.
Publication: March 28, 2017–Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
During the ten years I’d lived in the almost perpetually neutral shades of Arizona, I’d missed seeing Maine hills glowing with gold and scarlet and orange in late September.
“Love you, too. As always, for always.”
“I think all families have mysteries, and secrets, and stories. I don’t think they’re all meant to be uncovered.”
Families weren’t simple. They weren’t like television show casts where everyone supported everyone else and laughed over dinner.
When the Grits Hit the Fan–cozy mystery with a touch of thriller
When the Grits Hit the Fan
by Maddie Day
There is a little initial background, setting the scene for small town Indiana with a country store/café, Pans ‘N Pancakes, that appeals to both tourists and locals. We meet many of the characters as described through the eyes of owner Robbie Jordan. Only a few chapters into When the Grits Hit the Fan, a crime is discovered. The storyline moves along well, as any good cozy mystery should, until about one-third of the way into the book. Then, hold on to your hat! The plot becomes twisted and tangled, the tension increases exponentially, and you won’t want to put this book down.
If you are a “foodie,” you will enjoy the culinary descriptions, but they at no time overpower the mystery. Recipes are a bonus at the end of the book, including one shared by Georgeanne Ross, the Original Grit Girl, whose ground corn products are highly sought out by chefs and restauranteurs across the country.
Interesting characters and setting, suspense, a little romance, food, and Indiana dialogue combine into a cozy mystery you won’t want to miss!
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: This is the third book in the Country Store Mystery Series, but it worked well for me as a standalone. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Biscuits and Slashed Browns, but I was unable to locate the anticipated publication date.
Publication: March 28, 2017–Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
A lot of people my age mostly read on their tablets, but I liked the heft of a real book in my hands, another way I was an anachronism in my generation. The smell of the paper, the crack of the binding, even the cover art–all of it appealed to me.
As usually happened, the repetitive motion of physical work, whether removing rubble or preparing biscuit dough, freed up my mind to work through problems.
My California upbringing had not included the simple mesmerizing joy of watching white stuff fall from the sky. Whether a steady straight-down storm like this one or a howling blizzard, I never tired of gazing at it. And I’d seen all forms in my four years in Indiana. I put on the outside lights so the flakes glistened in the illumination like fairies dancing. A gust of wind made them twirl and swirl before returning to their steady descent.
Mother’s Day, Muffins, and Murder–a cozy teachers will love
Mother’s Day, Muffins, and Murder
by Sara Rosett
Mother’s Day, Muffins, and Murder is a thematic shoe-in for me, and it surpassed my expectations. The setting is Georgia, but the author grew up in and currently lives in Texas. The action occurs at an elementary school which is the unlikely scene of a murder. Except for the murder and mayhem, this could have been the elementary school I taught at for a few years in Leander, Texas. The details are perfect for a middle class school where parent participation is high, students wear an assigned color T-shirt for field day, and the Teacher Appreciation Week is five days of food, small gifts, and recognition for hard-working, appreciated teachers.
The main character is Ellie Avery, an Air Force wife, mother of two children, part-time organizing consultant, and very active volunteer at her children’s neighborhood school. The amiable Ellie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. She tries not to actively involve herself, but others look to her for help because of previous associations with a murder. Later, someone takes the threat to her doorstep, potentially endangering Ellie and her children.
This mystery is a fun, “don’t put me down” kind of read. The plot has twists and turns that keep the reader engaged and wanting more. The characters are interesting and there is a subplot concerning a competing organizer in town which enhances the appeal. If you like cozy mysteries, you will love Mother’s Day, Muffins, and Murder.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #10 in the Ellie Avery Mystery Series, also called the Mom Zone Series. I enjoyed it as a standalone.
2. The book also includes “Organizing Tips for PTA Moms” placed at the end of some chapters so as not to be intrusive into the storyline. They are practical and are approved by this former teacher who also volunteered with my school’s Parent/Teacher Organization.
Publication: March 28, 2017–Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
“Yes, that is my favorite way to relax, supervising twenty-two eight-year-olds hyped up on sugar at eight in the morning.”
I wished the rest of the school year could be more like the end of the year. The end of the year–when the standardized tests were over–was when the kids got to do all the fun stuff, instead of studying for the standardized tests. Why couldn’t the kids do more hands-on activities like this throughout the year?
We rush through our days so quickly and have so many little rituals that we do, day in and day out, but then a moment like that last day of school comes along. It’s a milestone that makes a definite break in the continuum and emphasizes that one phase is ending and another beginning.
Double Up–witty cozy
Double Up
by Gretchen Archer
Davis Way is a former security officer and investigator for Bellissimo Casino and is currently a stay-at-home mom for twin baby girls. Blitz, Inc. buys up land in the same town for a competing casino and Davis’ home and livelihood are in jeopardy. To make it worse, Davis is convinced that it is her fault that the Bellissimo Casino is about to go under.
There are many humorous aspects to this story–both in situations and in characters. As always with books from the Davis Way Crime Caper Series, this cozy mystery is very witty with Archer frequently popping dialogue with one liners that Davis thinks, contrasting them with what she actually says. The plot moves quickly especially during the second half as extreme action kicks in. Think: explosions, auto theft, murder, decaying seafood, and dumpster diving. Two really quirky characters emerge: Bea, Davis’ ex-ex-mother-in-law, who is lacking in basic hygiene and good taste and takes physical action in her determination to set things right and “the House” which responds to voice suggestions by controlling Davis’ huge suite in a very frustrating way. All of this (and more) adds up to a fun book worth reading.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Humor, Mystery
Notes: #6 in Davis Way Crime Caper Series, but works as a standalone
Publication: March 21, 2017–Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
[Bea to Davis] “That’s one thing I like about Don Juan.” She took me into her confidence like I was her best girlfriend. “No back talking. ‘Course I don’t speak Italyish, so he could be back talking my ears off and I wouldn’t know it.”
If I’d been doing my job, I could have stopped it. Or at least slowed it down. At the bare minimum, we could have been prepared. To say I felt responsible was to say there were stars in the sky, the desert was hot, and Bill Gates had a little money in the bank.
Our daughters, who’d never known anything other than computer-generated, gender-neutral, max-volume broadcasts interrupting our lives via seventy hidden speakers followed by their parents yelling back, didn’t think a thing of it. One day they’d realize they lived in the world’s only home that spontaneously shrieked and yelled and demanded an explanation, but for now, they mostly hollered along. (“Aaagaah!” and “Gaahaah!”)
If Not for You–gentle romance
If Not for You
by Debbie Macomber
If Not for You is part of the New Beginnings series by Debbie Macomber. These are books related more by theme than by characters, although there is some overlap of characters. Each could definitely be read as a standalone. I am not a fan of the romance genre, but I do enjoy reading one occasionally. I like Macomber’s romances because she manages to talk about relationships without taking the reader into the bedroom with detailed descriptions. If Not for You begins with a blind date between Beth, a young socialite struggling to escape a controlling mother, and Sam, a bearded, long-haired, tattooed mechanic. The date doesn’t go well, the evening ends in physical disaster, and a romance begins.
If Not for You details the ups and downs of Sam and Beth’s relationship as well as their respective backgrounds which brought them to this point. Other characters in the story have romantic issues as well. Beth has a tendency to want to “fix” other peoples’ affairs. Her efforts sometimes backfire despite her good intentions.
This romance is set in Portland and in Chicago. The characters are interesting and likable. Most of the story is predictable, but there are surprises along the way and I think fans of the gentle romance genre will enjoy it.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House (Ballantine) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance
Publication: March 21, 2017–Random House (Ballantine)
Memorable Lines:
…the look in his eyes that said more than an entire library of books.
My mother will find a way of making sure the entire facility knows she’s arrived. She’ll make more of a production than Hannibal crossing the Alps.
My husband would have disapproved, but he’s been gone three years so I do what I want these days. That’s one of the compensations of being a widow.
…when we fail to be kind and loving, then we fail to be wise.
No Way Home–abundant suspense!
No Way Home
by Annette Dashofy
No Way Home combines elements of a cozy mystery with elements of a thriller, and the result is an excellent read. As a cozy, No Way Home’s main character is Zoe Chambers, a county EMS paramedic and Deputy Coroner, who gets involved in trying to solve a murder when a riderless horse returns to the stable she manages. She is also trying to help her friend Rose find her missing son Logan. Meanwhile, several young people have overdosed in her county, and Zoe’s boyfriend Pete, Chief of Police, is driven to find the dealer. In this book, there are all the components of a good cozy: a likable heroine, a love interest, and a fascinating mystery with lots of threads. In addition, we are exposed to Native American culture as found in the Four Corners area.
No Way Home is also a thriller, however. A crucial characteristic of a thriller is suspense. This book kept me interested and wanting more from start to finish and fearful of what might happen next. The book has two contrasting settings as it bounces back and forth from Pennsylvania to New Mexico in such a way that the reader wants to keep going with each plot thread in turn, a thread which is dangling just out of reach. It is a book you won’t put aside easily or for long.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, General Fiction (Adult)
Notes: #5 in the Zoe Chambers Mystery Series, reads well as a standalone
Publication: March 14, 2017–Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
He had an easy smile, a hearty laugh, and a talent for putting everyone at ease, whether they agreed with his politics or not. In addition, Dale was always happy to help with chores even if it meant getting dirty. Not what Zoe had expected from a well-to-do politician.
He held the phone away from his ear. At Rose’s current decibel level, Pete could almost hear her from New Mexico without the device.
In Farleigh Field–World War II spy novel
In Farleigh Field
by Rhys Bowen
I was late coming to the TV series Downton Abbey, but it is now a fait accompli, and I enjoyed it very much. I found In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen to be reminiscent of Downton Abbey in its focus on the titled upper class during the hardships and upheavals of World War II. The plot is not highly complex, but it is interesting as characters of various social ranks use their skills to help England survive the Nazi onslaught.
I have two criticisms of the book. The character of Lady Diana (Dido) repeatedly whines about the war’s hampering her coming of age social season. I suppose a young woman could be that self-centered, but I kept wanting to tell her to grow up and look at the devastation surrounding her. Even her younger sister, Lady Phoebe (Feebs), seems mature, especially in times of crisis, at age twelve compared to her eighteen year old sibling. My other issue with In Farleigh Field is the ambivalence over secrets that are crucial to national security. The rules were emphasized over and over again and then broken on several occasions. At the same time, it seemed that more would be accomplished if branches of government cooperated.
The book does give insight into what it must have been like during World War II in England to work as a civilian for the government. Women were assumed to have secretarial jobs and men were thought to have bravery issues because they were not in the military.
I enjoyed the book, including the spy intrigue. There were surprises that kept the reader engaged, the setting was interesting, and the characters were appropriately either agreeable or unlikable.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Lake Union Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: General Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction
Notes: World War II era
Publication: March 1. 2017–Lake Union Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“Nasty Americanism, the word ‘weekend,’ ” Lord Westerham remarked. Although he had known Clementine Churchill for many years, he still hadn’t quite forgiven her for being American.
“I said she should have Margot’s bedroom, since she’s not likely to need it, but Pah said that standards had to be kept up, and it was not right for the staff to sleep on the same floor as the family, even if there was a war on.”
It was such a typical thing for someone like Lord Westerham to say. Not admitting that anything was allowed to change, even when the whole world was disintegrating around him.
Every Trick in the Rook–fun mystery with an ingenious bird
Every Trick in the Rook
by Marty Wingate
If you are looking for a fun, engaging read—a good mystery, but nothing to keep you awake at night, look no further than Every Trick in the Rook. The bottom line is that I had a good time with this book. The main character Julia is predictably at odds with law enforcement as she both finds herself in bad situations not of her own doing and also pursues investigations putting herself in harm’s way.
I especially enjoyed meeting the young Tennyson and her trained rook, Alphie, who plays an important part in solving the mystery. I kept wanting Julia to help Tennyson’s mother find a good job, but since it was hinted at a few times, perhaps it will happen in the next novel. Every Trick in the Rook is the third book in the Birds of a Feather Mystery Series, but I didn’t feel I had missed anything by jumping into the series with this book.
The overarching theme of Every Trick in the Rook is obviously birds, but you don’t have to be an ornithologist to enjoy it. It has the typical small town feel of a cozy mystery with the added interest of a special setting, a small village that is part of Lord Fotheringill’s estate. Julia (Jools) wears many hats as she manages the Tourist Information Center and promotes the village through public relations efforts to draw tourists to the village for hiking, birding, and special events. she is the daughter of a famous ornithologist, a former Cambridge professor, and is therefore well acquainted with “all things bird.” She has a busy, happy life until her ex-husband, Nick, shows up unexpectedly in the village after a five year absence—dead. And so the mystery begins…
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Alibi for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: Part of a series but works well as a standalone
Publication: March 7, 2017—Alibi
Memorable Lines:
Their leaves had only just begun to unfurl, turning the wood into a shimmer of fluorescent green that glowed in the last of the sun that peeked out from beneath the clouds.
For the first half of my journey back to Smeaton, I dutifully slowed down every time I saw a warning for a speed camera.
I marveled at how easy it was these days to throw up a website and toss out a load of lies.
Blood and Circuses–the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd…and a murder
Blood and Circuses
by Kerry Greenwood
Blood and Circuses is my second foray into Kerry Greenwood’s Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Phryne Fisher is recruited by some carnival workers to investigate mysterious problems with the circus they work for, a failing endeavor named Farrell’s. The mystery begins commonly enough, but as Phryne goes undercover as a bareback rider, she learns about the stratified and well ordered world of the circus. There, the trapeze artists have the most prestige, carnival workers are second class citizens, and Gypsies are low life.
Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, Sargeant Terence Grossmith, and Constable Tommy Harris are up to their necks with gangster warfare and the disturbing murder of a circus member known as both Christopher and Christine. The source of these crimes seems to connect with the troubles of the circus, but it is hard to discover just how they are related.
In the process of these investigations, the reader learns more of Phryne’s background–some of the things that helped form her character. Several moral issues are addressed: an audience’s hunger for disaster in the circus ring, the need of people to order their society in classes and then discriminate based on the labels they attach to each group, the disparagement of people who are different with the label of “freak,” and the emotions and needs of those born with a physically inconclusive gender. Phryne faces personal issues when she chooses to live in deprivation, giving up her creature comforts, her safety, and her status in the name of relieving her boredom and helping others.
Blood and Circuses is a convoluted mystery, but all of the plot lines are explained in the end. It is not just an exciting tale of adventure. There are philosophical elements which invite Miss Fisher and the reader to engage in a bit of self-examination without even a touch of preachiness.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Notes: 1. #6 in the series, but could be read as a standalone
2. some bad language and a number of sexual encounters, but the emotions are described more than the physical aspects of the encounters.
Publication: March 7, 2017–Poisoned Pen Press
Memorable Lines:
Sargeant Terence Grossmith was huge. His expanse of blue tunic was as wide as a tent. He had thinning brown hair and large limpid brown eyes, which seemed to hold an expression of such placid benevolence that hardened criminals had occasionally found themselves confessing to him out of a sense of sheer incongruity.
[speaking of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson]…always at the start of a case, he felt downhearted and tired. There was so much evil in the world. “O cursed spite! That ever I was born to set it right,” he quoted to himself. The Mechanics’ Institute English literature classes which his wife had taken him to, much against his will, had been very useful. A man could always rely on Shakespeare to hit the nail on the head. Robinson wondered how he had done without him.
Phryne speaking: “…what’s fascinating about the circus is the people. And I don’t expect you to like them, Dot. They aren’t respectable.” “That’s why you like them,” commented Dot. Phryne looked at her companion’s reflection in the mirror and grinned.
education pathways 