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Knot What You Think–piecing together a mystery and a quilt
Knot What You Think
by Mary Marks
Martha Rose takes center stage in the cozy mystery Knot What You Think by Mary Marks. Martha has been quilting with a small group of friends in L.A. every Tuesday for seventeen years. They also form her support group as she investigates mysteries that come her way. She is an observant Jew, and so there are a lot of Yiddish phrases that spice up the writing with meanings inserted in a non-intrusive way. There are two love interests: Arlo Beaver, the straight shooting LAPD homicide detective and “Crusher,” a secret ops/undercover ATF agent.
This cozy mystery swirls with personal threads—weddings, funerals, ex’s, health issues, quilting, swindles, and dogs in fancy dress. Usually that would be too much distraction for me from the main point of the book: discovering the identity of a murderer. Surprisingly, Mary Marks is able to put it all together and make it work. The side issues are, in fact, important to Martha’s process of investigation. In spite of the fact that I was reading it during some traveling, I always enjoyed coming back to it until the mystery was solved.
There were interesting notes about quilting scattered through the story. The book ended with an epilogue that tied up some of the personal stories with promise of more to come.
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: #5 in the Quilting Mystery Series and good enough as a standalone to make me want to read more in the series.
Publication: July 25, 2017—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
I found endless fascination in the geometry of traditional quilts. Depending on how you placed quilt blocks next to each other in the top, secondary overall patterns could emerge.
Besides, even if I did want to get married, whose proposal should I accept? A generous, laid-back undercover ATF agent with a secret life and Israeli connections he refused to discuss or an upright, uptight LAPD detective with Native American roots, whose life was an open book? A future filled with anxiety and uncertainty or one that was reliable and predictable but not as exciting? A three-carat flawless diamond sitting in a black fuzzy box or my favorite German shepherd?
I was less interested in the hapless Kaplan and more interested in reading the whole three-volume story passing over Beavers’s face.
Killer Party–a good one!
Killer Party
by Lynn Cahoon
I had read the eighth book in the Tourist Trap Mystery Series by popular cozy mystery author Lynn Cahoon and was not excited as it focused more on extraneous details of the main character’s personal life and less on the mystery. I am so glad I gave this series and author another chance with Killer Party.
Set at The Castle, a luxurious resort/museum in South Cove, a small town in California, this tale finds Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More celebrating the upcoming marriage of her boyfriend Greg’s old college buddy. Cahoon does a great job of familiarizing the reader with old characters and introducing new ones, while jumping right into the plot. My favorite new character and coffee shop employee is Deek, who initially appears to be a disaster in the waiting. Despite calling everyone “Dude,” Deek is a talented, well-educated young man with great enthusiasm for his work.
There are lots of suspects and threads to the plot. Greg, who is the local police chief, is forced to investigate informally with Jill since he is a friend of the victim. Side issues evolve with Jill’s Aunt Jackie who is planning her own wedding.
Killer Party is fun, interesting and an all-round good cozy mystery. What’s next, Ms. Cahoon? I’m ready!
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: #9 in the Tourist Trap Mystery Series, but works as a standalone
Publication: July 18, 2017—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
Actually I wasn’t sure why I was apologizing to this woman I’d never met before. I’d read a book that said one of the ways women give up their power is by saying I’m sorry for things that weren’t their fault.
I needed to have one good meal before we started skirting the law. It was part of the investigators handbook. Or at the least the one I was going to write someday after I made all the mistakes first.
I liked doing laundry. It calmed me in some weird way. Take something dirty and stained and make that all go away. Too bad life wasn’t like that.
Dead Storage–dangerous secrets
Dead Storage
by Mary Feliz
What do you do when a good friend who also happens to be a really good person gets involved in a murder and asks you to keep a secret from his husband? If you are Maggie McDonald, professional organizing consultant, wife, and mother of two boys, you keep the secret, investigate the murder, and try to get your friend out of jail.
That is the short version of a fast-paced cozy mystery entitled Dead Storage. At times I was a little irritated with the way Maggie accepted red tape and being put off by those she was interviewing. Then I thought about three months this summer and the runaround I received in trying to get two birth certificates and repairs accomplished on a motorcycle under warranty. Actually what Maggie went through was pretty believable.
I recommend this book for its intricate mystery and interesting social elements. You will especially like it if you have a heart for the homeless, empathy for those with PTSD, and a passion for dogs.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books (Lyrical Underground) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #3 in the Maggie McDonald Mystery Series, but works as a standalone
Publication: July 18, 2017–Kensington Books (Lyrical Underground)
Memorable Lines:
Clutter costs time and money. Even if you aren’t renting extra storage, if you’ve got so much stuff that you don’t know what you have or where it is, or you can’t find it when you need it, it’s nearly the same as having nothing at all.
Neighborliness wasn’t restricted to streets with single-family homes and gardens. Apartment buildings, parks and anywhere that people came together could provide community too.
While electronic communications are great for efficiency purposes, any emotional or dicey situation is so much better handled face-to-face.
Room for Doubt–does the motive justify the crime?
Room for Doubt
by Nancy Cole Silverman
When is a murdered person not a victim? Who is Mustang Sally? Why would a policeman turn a blind eye to a crime?
There are lots of questions to be answered in the fast-paced cozy mystery, Room for Doubt, by Nancy Cole Silverman. Carol Childs is a single mom trying to make a living as a reporter for talk radio when she finds herself hosting a late night talk show. Throw into this mix a handsome PI, an aging “Psychic to the Stars,” and some bizarre murders and you have a recipe for a mystery you won’t want to put down.
There is not a lot of deep character development, but you won’t miss it because the plot has the focus. The reporter Carol and PI Chase, who would like to get to know Carol better, are both likable. Supporting characters add interest as they move in and out of the action. The setting provides a realistic touch as it is the L.A. area where the author currently lives.
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: #4 in the Carol Childs Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone
Publication: July 18, 2017—Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
Whoever said fashion made the woman certainly knew the right outfit could cover a world of insecurities, and right now I felt like I needed all the help I could get.
“I thought the arguments and his escalating violence was my fault and that I could fix him. So I didn’t leave. I thought I could make it better. Abusive men can do that to you.”
“Things have changed some today but not enough. Abuse is a social stigma. A lot of women are too embarrassed to tell their friends and family the truth about what’s happening. Most end up living in fear.”
To Kill a Hummingbird–the middle is good
To Kill a Hummingbird
by J.R. Ripley
I enjoy word play so I was immediately attracted by the title of J.R. Ripley’s To Kill a Hummingbird. This is the fourth book in his Bird Lover’s Mystery Series with two more waiting in the “wings.” This cozy mystery gets off to a slow start with rather stilted dialogue. Ripley spends the requisite amount of time introducing his characters and setting the stage, but the story just seems to drag as the former professor of Birds and Bees shop owner, Amy Simms, arrives in Ruby Lake, North Carolina, for a book signing. The book rambles on for four chapters with the only suspense being the alcoholic state of the professor.
The author includes some interesting information on hummingbirds, but often the inclusion seems forced. I do think, however, that this is a book bird aficionados will really enjoy. My opinion of the book grew steadily more positive as the plot increased in complexity and as the characters interacted with each other. There were interesting twists to the plot as Amy and her boyfriend Derek try to determine who is responsible for several murders. Unfortunately, after the mystery is solved, the author attempts some comic relief which is both unsuccessful and unwanted.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books (Lyrical Underground) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Bird Lover’s Mystery Series
Publication: July 11, 2017— Kensington Books (Lyrical Underground)
Memorable Lines:
“Sometimes when you see a hummingbird hovering over a flower, it isn’t because it’s about to feed on nectar—it could very well be that the bird has spotted a tasty spider or even an insect trapped in a spider’s web.”
Unnatural Habits–Phryne at her best
Unnatural Habits
by Kerry Greenwood
Kerry Greenwood created a much more complex mystery in Unnatural Habits than others of the Phryne Fisher Mystery Series that I have read. There are several significant investigations occurring simultaneously as well as some minor threads to be unravelled. I remember viewing the movie version of this book years ago. With this series, I usually like the movie better than the book, but in this case I must insist that the book is, in fact, light years past the movie which can not begin to do justice to the intricate plot or character development.
Greenwood, through Phryne Fisher, takes up the cause of girls and women who are treated like sexual property in a time when most women receive little respect and the Catholic church ignores various kinds of ill treatment of girls, women, and boys. Phryne is unable to rest until all of the immediate problems are solved, and she puts her own life at risk to rescue less fortunates.
This particular tale is enhanced by the frequent inclusion of her “minions” as she calls her willing helpers—Tink, her apprentice; Dot, her assistant and companion; Jane and Ruth, her adopted daughters; Burt and Cec, socialist taxi drivers; and Mr. and Mrs. Butler, providers of specialty drinks and food. Each character is called upon to use their unique skills to aid in the investigations.
Australia of the 1920’s comes to life with descriptions of dress of various levels of society, examinations of attitudes, laws, and customs, and use of unique terms. Some of the moral issues examined in the book would be considered reprehensible by most people today. Others are still being debated. There are some actions taken in the novel by Miss Fisher and others that are illegal, but are ignored because ignoring them promotes the general good and provides food for thought for the reader.
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: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Notes: All of the Phryne Fisher books may be enjoyed as standalones, but the characters are more interesting if you have read a few of the books in the series.
Publication: July 4, 2017—Poisoned Pen Press
Memorable Lines:
She was pursuing a very perilous line of enquiry and appeared to have the sense of self-preservation of a chocolate Easter egg in a blast furnace.
“Assume the rules do not apply to you, and they don’t.”
The tone of voice could have been used in the fishing industry for freezing prawns.
“Government reports are like that,” Phryne told her. “Not altogether meant to be understood, thus easily denied.”
Lowcountry Bonfire–is it a paranormal?
Lowcountry Bonfire
by Susan M. Boyer
When is a paranormal not a paranormal? When it is part of the Liz Talbot Mystery Series. When it deals with ghosts who are not angels of any type, but are guardian spirits. When the guardian spirits have a mission assigned by the Almighty, not the devil. When the town psychic doesn’t tell fortunes, but does share gut feelings about people.
Lowcountry Bonfire takes place in a small South Carolina town where everybody knows everybody else, iced tea and fried foods reign, and houses are built a story above ground level to avoid water damage. Liz Talbot and her husband Nate are private investigators working on contract for the local police department headed by Liz’s brother Blake. When Tammy Sue learns her husband Zeke has been cheating on her, she sets his classic car on fire. With the neighborhood watching, a corpse is found, and in the course of the investigation Liz discovers she does not know her neighbors as well as she thought.
Author Susan M. Boyer has developed a good plot with interesting characters. Many are suspected of murder with a surprise ending ahead. The semi-paranormal aspect was initially puzzling. As this is the sixth book in the series, I assume the guardian spirit’s presence was explained thoroughly in an earlier book. Not normally a paranormal reader, I did not find that aspect bothersome in a demonic sense; it’s a fictional tool whose purpose is to add a comedic touch. I would compare it to Shakespeare’s use of Falstaff.
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: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery
Notes: #6 in the Liz Talbot Mystery Series
Publication: June 27, 2017—Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
“It’s hard to believe anyone in this town is that isolated.”
“Small towns can be the loneliest places on earth if you feel like you’re on the outside looking in at all that closeness.”
“I told him he didn’t pay me enough for how hard I worked. He said if I was more contentious I might get a raise. We went back and forth a while.” I rolled my lips in and out, nodded. Zeke must’ve told him to be more conscientious. Good grief.
“People often do things that make no sense to the rest of us,” she said. “The challenge is to love them anyway.”
The Trouble with Harriet–what is in that urn?
The Trouble with Harriet
by Dorothy Cannell
The Trouble with Harriet is different from many cozy mysteries that start with a crime to immediately draw the reader in. Instead the reader is enticed with more personal events—a chance meeting with a gypsy, a prospective getaway trip to France, and the appearance of a surprise visitor.
Replete with quirky characters displaying a flair for the dramatic, this book reads like a play from the era of Arsenic and Old Lace. I can picture cousin Freddy climbing with little ado through the living room window to make his entrance. Ellie’s father possesses a penchant for the dramatic. The Hoppers, who resemble stacking Russian dolls, are the things comedy is made of. The vicar in his dotage who rarely remembers what he should be doing provides all kinds of interesting possibilities. This book is quite enjoyable and would make an amusing theatrical production, featuring a play within a play.
The mystery develops gently during the course of the book, but with the reader unaware of it. It begins simply, but adds complexity as the book progresses. The Trouble with Harriet is an enjoyable book in an enjoyable series.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House (Alibi) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Historical
Notes: #8 in the Ellie Haskell Mystery Series (which currently has 13 books). In spite of having previously read only #7, I found this book delightful. I’m sure reading the whole series would be fun, but not necessary.
Publication: June 13, 2017—Random House Publishing Group (Alibi)
Memorable Lines:
She had a fatal flaw as a listener. She enjoyed the sound of her own voice.
And the world is filled with qualified interior designers, although possibly not in Chatterton Fells, where people tend to consider switching a picture from one side of the room to another a major renovation.
“You can’t go through life being an irresponsible charmer and not expect impressionable females to fall all over you.” “Sometimes I feel like a pound of bacon during wartime rationing.”
Fatal Facade–What does it take to be famous?
Fatal Facade
by Wendy Tyson
Fatal Facade is the fourth book in the Allison Campbell Mystery Series by Wendy Tyson. It is the first book I have read in this series, but I am already a fan of this author’s Greenhouse Mystery Series. Tyson displays her versatility as I found this book to be very different from her Greenhouse Mysteries in characters, setting, and plot development.
Although the solution to the mystery was unexpected for me, I enjoyed the journey to that point. The way the clues were revealed reminded me of action on a stage where the spotlight hits one character briefly and then moves to a different part of the stage focusing a larger circle on another character. As the spotlight pings around the plot, different characters are revealed.
Tyson uses her law and psychology background to good advantage to flesh out her amateur detective, Allison, who professionally creates images and brands for her clients. Allison’s fiancé is a lawyer and their personal relationship plays a role in the story, but Allison’s original goal is to rebrand a rock singer’s daughter who is famous for…being famous, a concept familiar to the current generation, but previously unheard of.
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: #4 in the Allison Campbell Mystery Series, but I read it as a stand alone without problems
Publication: June 13, 2017—Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
The Dolomite Mountains were stunning, but at night their splendor was matched only by the depth of their darkness. Night so complete it felt like a tomb, silence so pervasive you could hear the blood pulsating in your carotid.
Wildflowers in a rainbow of colors waved their stalky necks in the breeze. Tiny pastel butterflies buzzed from flower to flower. And past the pasture, the Dolomite Mountains stood tall and imposing, their granite-colored caps jagged reminders of nature’s awesome brutality.
“…we all think it’s great to be rich and famous. It’s not. It just distorts your sense of what’s important.”
Bad Housekeeping–a humorous cozy mystery
Bad Housekeeping
by Maia Chance
Bad Housekeeping is a fairly typical cozy mystery that will keep you laughing and shaking your head in dismay as Agnes, recently dumped by her professor boyfriend, and Effie, her quirky great aunt, drive from adventure to misadventure in a “borrowed” Cadillac. This is a fun read, not intended to shake your world or be a realistic portrayal of anything. It is a great diversion as a summer beach read or a session curled up on the couch.
Agnes, freshly returned to her Dad’s home, has literally the clothes on her back. Effie gives her a job helping save the condemned Stagecoach Inn. Agnes stumbles over a body at the inn, precipitating a murder investigation and leading to the uncovering of lots of personal secrets in the little town of Naneda.
The plot clips along at a good pace with some twists and turns as the story develops. The characters are predictable in a comfortable sort of way with a stuffy ex-fiancé and an old high school flame with boy-next-door kind of appeal. The police hover in the background, but all of the successful investigation is done by Agnes. While this book is not destined for number one on the New York Times best seller list, it will provide a good afternoon’s entertainment.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #1 in the new Agnes and Effie Mystery Series
Publication: June 13, 2017—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
Maybe salvaging a wreck of a building is a metaphor for salvaging the wreckage of our own lives. It’s like we’re telling ourselves, See? It can be done. It’s never too late. I’m not sure if it’s tragic or inspirational.
I tried not to notice Otis’s tanned biceps. Yes, I know, women may have evolved to be attracted to muscles as a way to select mates with better survival odds. But this is the twenty-first century. The wise thing these days is to find a little nerd like Bill Gates if you’re interested in survival odds.
“I cannot believe you’re wearing poor little dead animals,” I said. “It’s vintage, darling. Vintage fur doesn’t count. These little animals have been dead since the Nixon administration.”
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