River City Dead

by Nancy G. West

Setting is extremely important in River City Dead.  The title refers to San Antonio, TX, and the story focuses on the River Walk there during Fiesta week.  The author has done her homework in researching the historical and cultural background, and a lot of it is shared with the reader as Aggie, the heroine of this cozy mystery, takes her boyfriend Sam on a tour of the River Walk area. Some readers may feel the inclusion of this much background is too pedantic, but I enjoyed and appreciated it.

Aggie and Sam, a detective with the San Antonio Police Department, are set to take their relationship to the next level in a penthouse suite in a luxurious River Walk hotel.  Sam has arranged days off to be with Aggie for this special time.  As might be expected, things do not go as planned as a series of crimes occur requiring Sam’s attention and luring Aggie into sorting out mysterious events.

There is constant conflict as Aggie loves to get involved in investigative work and Sam tries to protect her. There are also limits she needs to put on herself to avoid hindering a police investigation.  Obviously this sets the couple up for relationship issues in addition to the trust issues Aggie already has.

The Aggie Mundeen Mystery Series is known for its humor.  This one starts off with a humorous chapter, but quickly deviates as the investigation unfolds.  I like the book, but I do have two criticisms. One is the frequent repetition of Aggie’s trust issues caused by someone in her past, Lascivious Lester.  Once that problem is established, I think the reader is ready to move on.  The other issue is how readily Aggie refers to and treats women she meets as “friends.”  It seems like an unrealistically brief amount of time–the length of a lunch or the sharing of a glass of wine. I consider those people acquaintances, not friends.

I must give special kudos to two parts of West’s writing.  One is the description of an elderly couple interacting in the swimming pool. It is absolutely beautiful.  The other is the technique of using her job in responding to “Dear Aggie” advice letters to help Aggie reflect on her own life and relationships. This approach works well because it is not overused.

This mystery has a lot of threads, an unusual method for murder, and an ingenious resolution.  I recommend it for cozy mystery lovers.

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: 4/5

Category: Mystery & Thriller, General Fiction–Adult

Notes: This is number 4 in the series. I have read one other and have found that they may be enjoyed as standalones.

Publication:   Henery Press–January 17, 2017

Memorable Lines: 

To calm the jumping beans in my stomach, I decided to make a quick detour to Barnes and Noble.  (Blogger’s note: it didn’t work out too well in the story, but I think it is great advice!)

Whatever else was happening in his life, as a law officer, crime tracked him like an insidious nasty aroma.

Integrity is knowing the right thing and doing it.

Pot Luck

by Kendel Lynn

Pot Luck by Kendel Lynn is a cozy mystery with a fantastic plot–so many twists and turns, surprises, and suspects that it makes your head spin. Elliott (Elli) Lisbon is the Director of the billion-dollar Ballantyne Foundation.  Since she often finds herself in the middle of other people’s problems, she is also in “hot pursuit” of her PI license with only “four thousand hours” until she becomes official.

The story is sprinkled with humor through references to Elli’s OCD regarding cleanliness  issues and to her temporary responsibility for two adorable pug puppies, Colonel Mustard and Mrs. White, named for characters in the board game Clue. Interactions with other characters also provide amusing dialogue.

The setting is a beach resort area, Sea Pine Island, near Savannah, providing both exotic beach life and glimpses of higher and lower echelons of Southern society. There is a love interest for Elli as former FBI agent Nick Ransom, who is currently working as a lieutenant in Sea Pine Island, interacts with Elli.  Tight lipped, he is actually not a valuable resource in solving cases, but Elli is attracted to him and is not deterred in her investigative work by his efforts to discourage her for her own safety.

There is a subplot involving Lucy, a former friend of Elli’s, who is currently working as a PI. The backstory may be explained in a previous book as this is the fourth in the Elliott Lisbon Mystery Series. In Pot Luck they have a strained relationship, and Lucy has an deep resentment of Elli. She blames Elli for not keeping in touch over the years, but their issues seem to go deeper than is explained in this book.

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 & Thriller

Notes: The author included several phrases that I found irreverent. One example is “For the love of Jesus in a jumpsuit.”  I realize this would not bother all readers and is mild compared to that found in many books. It actually would not keep me from reading another book by this author, but I did not appreciate its inclusion nor did I think it added authenticity to the work. It seemed strained.

Publication: Henery Press–December 13, 2016

Memorable Lines:

My thoughts were jumbly which set my very mild OCD on edge.  Like the very sharp edge of a very tall cliff over a very deep canyon.

A Composition in Murder

by Larissa Reinhart

I have read a variety of books recently: some YA/Teenage, general fiction, and historical fiction.  Although I enjoyed reading and reviewing them, it was time for a break.  Fortunately, next in my queue was a cozy mystery–always good for a mental getaway with an interesting puzzle, a smart and sassy heroine, witty dialogue, and definitely  lacking an excess of horror, gore, or inappropriate language.  Just a good diversion.

A Composition in Murder was just what I needed. Although this is the sixth book in the Cherry Tucker Mystery series, it was the first for me.  I enjoyed meeting Cherry, a somewhat down on her luck artist teaching seniors at an independent living center in Georgia, complete with sweet tea when y’all are thirsty.  Cherry gets involved in the affairs of two influential families in Halo and finds herself and some of her senior friends in danger.  Will her special deputy, Luke, be able to save her from her too helpful self? Will Cherry be able to get kidnapping charges against her brother dropped? And who is responsible for the deaths in the “Meemaw’s Tea” family?

The author has created a delightful supporting cast of characters at Halo House.  My favorite is Ada who never can seem to get Cherry’s name right.  Are seniors above a little passive/aggressive teasing parading as a bad memory? At Halo House they can do that and maybe more!

This book works fine as a standalone, but I would love to go back and read the first books in the series to see more of Cherry in action.  It would also flesh out some of the background storylines that I want to know more about.  Bring on more Cherry Tucker Mysteries!

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: Cozy Mystery

Publication: Henery Press–November 15, 2016

Send in the Clowns

by Julie Mulhern

The Country Club Murders is a series of cozy mysteries set in in the early 1970’s.  Send in the Clowns is the fourth in the series and the second one I have read.  While there is a lot of serious crime in this tale, Julie Mulhern knows how to write with humor and keep the reader coming back.  I honestly had trouble putting the book aside at bedtime. Then I devoured the last half the next morning.

There is no waiting for the book to get interesting.  In the first chapter, Ellison, who seems to attract handsome men and dead bodies, has to go to a haunted house to retrieve her teenage daughter.  While there she has an encounter with two clowns, one of whom calls her by name and then dies in her arms.  There are many more twists and turns in the plot which keep interest at a high level all the way through.

The likable Ellison Russell may have been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she is no stranger to personal tragedies and horrors.  The story is told from her perspective. The dialogue intermixes what Ellison says (in quotes) with what she thinks so well that her character takes on a reality not possible with third person narration. The way she is presented makes it very easy to identify with her and her struggles to get the men in her life to see her as capable and independent. Remember, this is the early seventies, an era when women are still expected to emerge from college with an “MRS.” degree.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is the setting of the seventies. The little details are right on target, but not forced. There is shag carpeting and the only telephones are those that are attached to the wall. The diet soft drink of choice is Tab, and a plaid coat in shades of plum and hunter green echoes one I wore in that time frame. Probably one of the best and most subtle references to an earlier time is Ellison’s admonition to the teenagers as they exit the car: “Lock your door.” Each door needed to be locked manually by the passenger.

I have absolutely no negative criticisms for this book.  In fact, I am going to return to the series to read the two out of four that I have not read yet. Additionally it is important to note that reading them out of sequence did not detract from my pleasure in reading these mysteries. Send in the Clowns has everything you want in a cozy–a fast pace, intricate turns in the plot, interesting characters and setting, a little romance with the requisite tension, and a good resolution.

This book is scheduled for publication on October 25, 2016.

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.

Abstract Aliases

by Ritter Ames

Abstract Aliases is the third book in the cozy mystery series Bodies of Art written by Ritter Ames. A typical cozy mystery series continues from book to book with the same main characters.  Each novel has a unique plot, and the author only has to fill in some background information about the characters and their relationships for the reader to be ready to enjoy the story.  Abstract Aliases is different because the plot continues into the next book.  This format is not a bad thing, but the reader should be aware of it.

Laurel Beacham is an art recovery expert with high end tastes (Fendi purse) and great survival skills (telescoping baton).  She rarely knows who to trust as the complicated plot keeps tossing surprises her way.  The person she most wants to trust is the handsome and resourceful Jack Hawkes, but he has mysterious connections and reveals little about himself.  Together they try to unravel the murders of forgers, an office break in, and the identity of the enigmatic Ermo Colle.

I read Abstract Aliases as a stand-alone and I enjoyed it.  It had an engrossing plot, well-developed main characters, and multiple interesting settings as the characters travel the world seeking to unravel a multi-faceted mystery.  There are abundant surprise twists to the story.  Although not an art historian myself, I took pleasure in reading about famous works of art and museums and learning about the world of forgery.

I recommend Abstract Aliases to cozy mystery lovers, but I suggest reading this series in sequence.  It will make much more sense, and you will have a better understanding of the minor characters.

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.

This book is scheduled for publication on October 11, 2016.

Lethal Lifestyles

by LynDee Walker

I read and really enjoyed Cover Shot, the fifth cozy in the Headlines in High Heels Mystery Series.  Therefore, I looked forward to reading Lethal Lifestyles, the sixth book in the series by LynDee Walker, which is scheduled to be published on September 27, 2016.

I have one problem with Walker’s latest book, and it is a difficulty that sneaks up on many cozy mystery writers. There are so many minor characters, either possible suspects or helpful sidekicks to the sleuth, that few are well-developed enough to be memorable.  For once, I was very glad to be reading an e-book so I could search quickly for the introduction of the various characters and thus identify their roles.  At first I thought the fault was mine.  Late in the book, however, a character named Chad contributes an important clue via a text message to his wife.  In searching the name, I confirmed that Nichelle, our crime reporter in high heels, had in fact contacted him earlier in the book, but the reader is given no information about his relationship to Nichelle’s good friend, Jenn.  This was probably the most egregious example.

While this overabundance of characters is a problem in Lethal Lifestyles, it is also indicative of what makes this book a really good cozy mystery–an intricate plot with lots of puzzle pieces to keep the reader interested.  The story centers around the wedding of two of Nichelle’s co-reporters.  Nichelle, as maid of honor, is acting as a wedding planner for the couple and wants the wedding to be perfect.  Unfortunately, a man is found dead at the site of the rehearsal dinner, and the groom is implicated.  Nichelle has one week to clear the groom’s name by finding the murderer.  Clues that are reasonable go off in all directions.  The author brings it all together with a very surprising ending.

I do recommend Lethal Lifestyles if you enjoy cozies.  In addition to great mystery elements, you will find humor and romance.  The only mystery remaining to me is how Nichelle manages to do all that sleuthing in an assortment of stilettos and one good pair of wedges.  It makes my feet hurt just to think about it.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Michelangelo’s Ghost

A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery

by Gigi Pandian

Michelangelo’s Ghost is an interesting cozy.  The mystery is good and the characters and setting took me out of my comfort zone, which is good in this case.  Jaya Jones is a history professor in San Francisco.  She is attractive, feisty, petite, intelligent and adventurous.  As Jaya is of Indian and American descent, like the author herself, the book has many authentic references to Indian culture and foods.

In her pursuit of the killer of her former mentor, Jaya, accompanied by her successful brother Fish and his exotic girlfriend, travels to Italy to trace the Renaissance roots of an art find that the mystery is centered around.  The little known artist has connections to  India and possibly to Michelangelo.

There are twists and turns to the plot, characters who are not really as they present themselves, and a good tying up of loose ends. I recommend this book and am interested in reading others in the series.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.