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Dying to Read–murder and rare books
Dying to Read
by Lynn Cahoon
I don’t often listen to books instead of reading them, but I decided to go the audio book route with Dying to Read after I finished reading Cahoon’s Reading Between the Lies. C.S.E. Cooney is the narrator, and I think she did a very good job of distinguishing the various characters.
Cancer survivor Rarity Cole owns a bookstore in Sedona, Arizona. She also hosts a book club on Tuesday nights at the shop. It began as a mystery book club for cancer survivors, but has become more inclusive and even has an extension for a group of amateur sleuths who investigate and share information with law enforcement. As Rarity moves further in time from her breast cancer experience, she remains committed to healthy practices but seems to see herself less as a survivor as she moves into her new “normal.” It is clear, however, that the cancer and its treatment will always color the perspective of Rarity and the other survivors of cancer.
This book has a lot of plot complications. There is a murder at a Memory Care Center where Shirley, a part-time employee at the bookstore, has placed her husband who no longer recognizes her. There were shenanigans with the security system. Shirley’s husband George is accused of the murder. Another resident claims to be getting ready to marry George. There are many other suspects at the nursing home with a variety of possible motives. Meanwhile, rare copies of some first edition books appear randomly at Rarity’s bookstore. They seem to tie back into a theft/murder cold case. On the personal front, Archer, Rarity’s boyfriend, is ready to move in with her but suddenly stops regular contact causing Rarity to revisit emotional issues experienced with her ex-fiancé who decided she was “no fun anymore” when she was going through her cancer treatments!
Dying to Read is fascinating and the whodunit was a surprise but made sense. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series because clearly that good storyteller Lynn Cahoon has more adventures in mind for Rarity.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #5 in the Survivor’s Book Club mystery series
2, To amplify on my listening versus reading: I am thankful for the hearing aids I wear but while they amplify, they do not always clarify speech for me. For example, this week I thought I would do a quick listen to a book that I read about three weeks ago to refresh my memory before my book club meeting. I had to give up within a few minutes of listening; it just wasn’t working for me. I reread the book instead, enjoying the beautiful language even more the second time around. Envious of a fellow blogger who inhales books and listens to many audio books at an increased speed, I tried ramping up the speed which made the hearing process go from bad to worse. I’ll remain thankful for reading and only occasionally dip into audio books (while I walk my dogs).
Publication: May 6, 2025—Lyrical Press/Tantor Media
Pinned 4 Murder–mystery in the bowling alley
Pinned 4 Murder
By J.C. Eaton
Sophie Kimball, an accountant for an investigative firm, is now Sophie Kimball Gregory as she and private detective Marshall Gregory are now married. An informal sleuth, Sophie excels at listening in on conversations and passing along information to her husband and the local authorities. Most of the time what she does is legal, but she did step over the line once in this book. It’s one of those cases of suspending reality and judgement because it is, after all, fiction. Sophie’s mother and her friends have some hilarious responses when a crime occurs or someone tries to put through a policy in their community that they don’t agree with. They always turn to Sophie to solve the crime or straighten out the situation.
In my review of #12 (Revved up 4 Murder), I explained that I had loved this series, but #12 just fell flat for me. The humor was down, and the emphasis on the foods the characters ate was just too repetitious. Pinned 4 Murder was the chance I gave to the Sophie Kimball Mystery series before I decided to abandon it or stick around for more of the cozy mysteries. My judgement of Pinned 4 Murder is that the husband and wife writing team has somewhat redeemed themselves, and I will continue on to the next book they publish in this series. This recommendation, however, comes with a caveat. The humor level is back up in this book with the chiweenie Streetman on top of his game and the Sun City West Book Club ladies and the Pinochle Crew of men creating gossip and mayhem as usual. The crafting of the mysteries (murder, vandalism, and cyber-crime) is excellent. Where Pinned 4 Murder lets me down is the focus again on all the foods they consume—takeouts or deliveries from restaurants and coffee and pastries to share. Those repetitive passages do not entertain or move the plot forward.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Humor, Mystery
Notes: #13 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. I think it is too far into the series to be enjoyed as a stand alone, but the authors do include a very helpful “Cast of Characters” at the beginning of the book.
Publication: July 16, 2024—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“That’s where nosing around comes in.”…“Please don’t suggest the dog park. You have no idea how stressful it is to take Streetman there. He doesn’t listen. He rolls in smelly stuff on the ground, pees in the water bowls, and worst of all, goes after female dogs like a sailor who hasn’t been to port in a year!”
Too bad my mother forgot that her dog had selective hearing and a total disregard for obeying commands. I looked on in horror as that sneaky little chiweenie raced after the bowling ball, only to find himself slipping and sliding on the freshly oiled lane. Still, it didn’t prevent him from following the ball and knocking down all the pins.
Within seconds, people scrambled to spread the rumor like hair lice in a kindergarten, and I knew if it reached my mother’s table, the book club ladies would waste little time circulating and embellishing it.
Reading Between the Lies–murder in Sedona
Reading Between the Lies
by Lynn Cahoon
There are a lot of characters in Reading Between the Lies, but the protagonist is Rarity Cole, a cancer survivor who quit her high pressure job to found The Next Chapter, a bookstore in Sedona, Arizona. She tries to make the most out of every day, and she treats her friends, her customers, and her employees with respect. Her boyfriend is Archer who owns a hiking and touring business.
This novel finds Rarity and the book club of amateur sleuths that meet with her on Tuesdays trying to prove Archer innocent of a murder and then determine the actual perpetrator of the crime. The investigation is clouded by other offenses committed in Sedona around the same time as well as the relationships of various characters.
Although Killer, Rarity’s Yorkie, is her almost constant companion, he doesn’t play an essential role in the story, but his inclusion is fun. A touching side plot is the developing relationship of Terrence, Rarity’s neighbor, and Shirley, who works part time at the bookshop and is known as “Sedona’s grandmother.” Shirley’s husband has dementia and doesn’t even recognize her, but Shirley is committed to their marriage.
The setting is a big part of the book with an emphasis on “certified” vortexes. A large corporation buys up some land with claims there is a vortex at its heart. They open an art gallery and pursue their plans for a time share. What role will this resort community play in Sedona and does it hold a motivation for murder?
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #4 in the Survivors’ Book Club Mystery Series. I think it might be enjoyed better if you don’t jump into this series in the middle, but the author is meticulous about introducing previous characters as they appear in this book.
2. This book includes a recipe for quiche written in a folksy style.
Publication: August 6, 2024—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“Once you stare death in the face, other problems don’t seem so dire.”
“The Next Chapter is a judgment-free zone. I don’t care what you read as long as you use a bookmark. Now, that’s the sign of a real monster, not what you wear or who you date.”
“I do like playing with investigations but if it was my job? I think I’d be depressed. I hate the fact that people would hurt other people for any reason.”
Olive You to Death–where’s the bride?
Olive You to Death
by Lynn Cahoon
Wedding bells are in the air for two couples. Jill, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, is ready to tie the knot with Greg, South Cove’s detective. First, however, Josh, the owner of the antique store, and Mandy, from the family who grows olives and products for sale at the South Cove farmers market, surprise the town with an announcement of their upcoming wedding. Mandy is sweet and has worked wonders on the formerly grumpy Josh.
When she disappears without a word, Josh is heartbroken and worried sick. Several other mysteries weave in and out with the assumed kidnapping. Josh and a professor are collaborating on finding a buried treasure that has been the stuff of local legends for many years. When the professor is killed, there are several suspects including some of his former teaching assistants who had previous ties to Mandy. Is her disappearance related to the murder or to the hidden treasure? Jill is involved in the various investigations while trying to locate a wedding venue for her own upcoming nuptials, finish her final paper for her MBA, reorganize her business plan and staff, maintain her friendships, and nurture her relationship with Greg. For her own health and that of Emma, her faithful golden retriever, Jill also tries to take a beach run every day.
Olive You to Death is a clean cozy mystery with lots of threads and a little danger. It will keep you wondering whodunit, but is tied up nicely in the final chapter.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #16 in the Tourist Trap Mystery series. It could be read as a standalone, but reading the recently published prequel (2024), Murder in a Tourist Town, first is a great introduction to the characters and setting.
2. Includes the author’s recipe for “Weekday Enchiladas.” With a pound of both ground beef and ground pork, this recipe must make a lot of enchiladas, but she says they freeze well to provide leftovers for extra lunches.
Publication: June 4, 2024—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
The sun sparkled off a stretch of the ocean as I drove by. Living here wasn’t bad at all. Even with the drought. And now the rivers of rain. Days like today made it all worth it.
“Man, every day we’re on this earth is a sightseeing trip. You just need to open your eyes to the magic.”
I felt like the upheaval of my life was finally slowing down to at least a workable amount of stress. I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I just hoped it wasn’t a train.
Murder in a Tourist Town–well done novella
Murder in a Tourist Town
By Lynn Cahoon
I don’t usually read novellas as it is too hard for an author to cram character development and a good mystery into one short read. I do usually read anything by Lynn Cahoon (except her one paranormal series) because she does an outstanding job of giving background information about the characters in each of the books in a series without boring readers whether they are new or returning to the series. She also creates good mysteries without the redundancy of food choices that some cozy mystery writers resort to for word count. I find that technique irritating. We do find out what the main character eats on her vacation, but the author does not dwell on it.
As a prequel to The Tourist Trap Mystery Series, the purpose of Murder in a Tourist Town is to provide a backdrop for the series, introducing protagonist Jill Gardner, a family lawyer in a large firm. Although she has put in the hours and has the skills to become a partner, as a woman she is yearly passed over. She is in a “use it or lose it” situation with her vacation hours so she takes advantage of this opportunity to visit South Cove, California, to relax, avoid burnout, and consider her career future. She meets some nice people there who encourage her to rethink her options. She also discovers the body of a former client and meets the charming Detective Greg King. The murder mystery is wrapped up satisfactorily, and the reader learns how Jill came to South Cove and how she meets Greg. This reader closed the book with a smile!
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Novella
Notes: 1. Prequel to the Tourist Trap Mystery Series
2. I have not read all the books in this series, nor have I read them in order. They have all worked well as stand alones.
Publication: 2024—Kensington (Lyrical Press)
Memorable Lines:
My mood would be better after a few hours of book shopping and eating. Two things that always brightened my day.
The Ghost Orchid–so many questions
The Ghost Orchid
By Jonathan Kellerman
When you want to read a hard core mystery (i.e. not the cozy mysteries I enjoy so much with predictable characters and happy endings), The Ghost Orchid is a good choice. The protagonist of the series is a PhD. psychologist. He has a home office where he specializes in working with judges and divorcing parents when there are issues involving children. He also consults on special cases for the police, especially Milo, a detective with the rank of lieutenant.
I really like Alex as a character. He is both smart and wise and can withhold judgement until everything he needs to see comes to light. I especially like that although he is extremely talented at both detecting in the criminal realm and helping others with psychological issues, he is a humble man.
In The Ghost Orchid, the major plot line is the murder of a man and a woman, both shot while relaxing at a private swimming pool. Just determining their identities, addresses, and family connections is a major puzzling challenge. Whose home are they in and what are their occupations? The usual channels of text messages and social media don’t reveal much, but Milo and Alex keep picking at the pieces until they get some leads. When interviewing subjects, Milo takes the lead as the officer in charge of the case, but sometimes Alex’s perceptive insights are more effective and soften the interviewee. The duo is good at sharing the questioning depending on the situation.
Another plot line involves a young teenager who was adopted out of bad circumstances in Ukraine when he was five. Now, his rich adoptive parents are divorcing. The judge views this situation with compassion for the boy and asks Alex to evaluate, recommend, and treat. This minor plot line does not intersect the main one, but as a reader I found it important for understanding more about Alex. It also allowed me to come up for air after reading the tense and surprising conclusion to the major plot. Hint: when a book begins with two dead people, the ending will not be one of cupcakes and confetti. The journey through the lives of the protagonists as clues are discovered and revealed is a difficult one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery & Suspense
Notes: 1. #39 in the Alex Delaware Mystery series, but could be read as a standalone. I have only read a few in the series, but I enjoyed all of them and had no problem needing further background information.
2. There is a lot of swearing.
3. The author has a PhD. In psychology, but that in no way turns the novel into something pedantic.
Publication: February 6, 2024—Random House/Ballentine
Memorable Lines:
“Unknown suspect from an unknown place murdering a mystery woman? Gee, thanks for clarifying.”
Rooney’s nomadic life offered an additional fringe benefit: law enforcement tends to think locally so by shifting locales criminals avoid piling up too much iniquity in any one jurisdiction.
Time was nearly up and there’s no point in opening up worm cans unless you’re going to be sitting for a while and fishing.
Fragile Designs–valuable history
Fragile Designs
by Colleen Coble
I woke up in the middle of the night and continued my reading of Fragile Designs. Unfortunately it did not make me sleepy as I had hoped. Instead I finished the book. I wanted to “help” put all the loose ends together, and it was worth the lost sleep time. What a good read!
The main character Carly is a really nice person, always putting others’ needs ahead of her own. Family circumstances made her take on a mothering role for her sisters, but they ended up resenting her and expecting life on a silver platter. Part of the book revolves around family drama. Several of the characters have breakthroughs and get a new perspective on life and love of all kinds.
When she becomes a widow with a new baby three years into her marriage, Carly is taken in by her grandmother Mary and offered an opportunity along with her sisters to refurbish the huge family home and transform it into a bed and breakfast with Carly as the manager giving Carly a flexible schedule with her baby and perhaps the opportunity to explore writing as a career.
Along the way, Carly becomes reacquainted with the two handsome brothers next door. The murder of her husband who was in law enforcement was never solved, but Carly discovers clues, a Fabergé egg, and a huge secret her husband had been hiding. There is a slow burn, clean romance. Carly’s neighbor Lucas is a law enforcement officer who shows a protective streak for the whole family next door, but especially for Carly and her adorable son Noah, when they are endangered by an intruder, thief, stalker, and murderer. What is worth killing over and who is doing it?
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Mystery, Romance
Notes: standalone
Publication: January 2,2024—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
What she’d wanted to do since she was a teenager was to write historical novels. Selling collectable items had seemed a good option instead of putting a toe in the craziness of the publishing world, but the itch to create her own novel had blossomed lately. Maybe was finally ready to try.
She might have been beautiful with the perfect skin that needed no makeup, but the petulant twist of her mouth and the angry slant of her eyes erased anything attractive in her angular face.
She eased down two steps and paused to listen. The headlamps went out, and the bottom of the stairs went dark. With the bat in one hand and her phone in the other, she slipped down two more steps.
Murder on Tour–plot within a plot
Murder on Tour
By V.M. Burns
Samantha Washington is an independent bookstore owner in North Harbor, Michigan. As a local author with her first book, a cozy mystery, to her credit, she is invited to be on panels at the North Harbor Book Festival hosted by Michigan Southwestern University.
When a publicist is murdered, Samantha (Sam) recruits her Nana Jo and her friends from Shady Acres Retirement Village to join her in solving the crime. It turns out to be more difficult than one would imagine as Sam uncovers among the authors multiple layers of affairs and treachery that could rival a soap opera.
This series is unusual in that Sam is writing historical fiction. We witness the process in spurts as Sam turns to her laptop frequently when she is blocked or needs a break in her investigations. The occurrences in the book she is writing with a setting of 1939 mirror in some ways the current crime. The first time I read a book in this series I found the technique somewhat distracting. In Murder on Tour, however, I thought it played well. Either the author has become more skillful or I have incorporated this style into my reading mindset.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #9 in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone
Publication: November 28,2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“But don’t discount the importance of escapist fiction. Books are subjective, and people read books for different reasons. Given everything that’s happened in the world, many of us need to escape to maintain our sanity.”
These women didn’t know a lot about mysteries, but they would defend me to the death if anyone said an unkind word about my book. Some days, you need people like that in your corner.
He stared at me for several beats…I didn’t flinch. I taught English to high school students who could smell fear a mile away. Woe to the teacher stupid enough to blink during a stare-down. But he was good. Really good.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It–dark, comedic mystery
Finlay Donovan is Killing It
by Elle Cosimano
Normally a cozy mystery/Agatha Christie reader, I decided to see what all the buzz is about with Finlay Donovan is Killing It and the other books Elle Cosimano has written in this series. The author has created a protagonist that many women can related to. Finlay finds herself in a morally shaky and sticky situation. Her happily ever after has disintegrated under her feet. She is divorced from her ex-husband who is a philanderer and a manipulator. She is deeply in debt to so many people including her ex who has become her landlord.
When a private conversation at Panera is overheard and misunderstood, Finlay becomes entangled in a scheme to murder a serial date-rapist who drugs and then blackmails his victims. He also works for the mob.
I don’t want to give away more of the plot. I can share that despite the dark nature of the predicaments, the author includes many humorous situations and twists and turns that are truly unpredictable. Characters are a big part of this book. Finlay is motivated to keep her two preschool age children safe and retain custody of them. To do that she needs reliable childcare and financial independence from her ex-husband. She is a writer and her profession plays a large role as fiction and non-fiction intertwine. There are two romantic interests, a detective and a law student. She is supported in many ways by her sister Georgia, a cop, and by Vero, her babysitter and partner in crime.
I did enjoy this book. It has lots of women-focused themes and ethical issues. It addresses practical concerns—nosy neighbors, malfunctioning alternators, and inoperative garage doors—and issues that we hope we will never encounter like hitmen, affairs, and date rape drugs.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. very insightful discussion questions
2. a fair amount of swearing
Publication: February 2, 2021—St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books)
Memorable Lines:
If you’ve never had to wrestle a two-year-old slathered in maple syrup into a diaper while your four-year-old decides to give herself a haircut in time for preschool, all while trying to track down the whereabouts of your missing nanny as you sop up coffee grounds from an overflowing pot because in your sleep-deprived fog you forgot to put in the filter, let me spell it out for you.
Patricia withered, clearly mistaking my mom face for something else…some callous expression worn by contract killers and hit men. Maybe they’re similar. I wouldn’t know.
Theresa was all about social cachet and prestige. If there was a chance to flaunt a high-profile client like Feliks by sticking her head out of the roof of his slick black limousine and shouting it to the moon, she wouldn’t miss a chance to do it.
It Cannoli Be Murder–Italian food mystery
It Cannoli Be Murder
by Catherine Bruns
Isn’t this book’s title just too punny? I have to smile when I read it! Let me introduce its two main characters. Tess loves to cook. Food is her love language; she loves to see people enjoying the food she made. When It Cannoli Be Murder opens, Tess is in the restaurant she and her deceased husband dreamed of opening. She is cooking up fresh, from scratch foods. She enjoys making her own pasta. Can’t you just smell the aromas in her kitchen? Opening day is in two weeks, but she has no reservations booked so far. Will it be a flop before it even opens?
Gabby is Tess’ best friend and the owner of a new bookstore. Gabby has her own business crisis to deal with, but the two ladies try to help each other. Gabby is depending on a book signing to perk up her failing shop. She is in a “make or break” situation when Preston, the famous author, enters her bookstore with his entourage. They all treat Gabby as a servant, but there is clearly conflict among his helpers. When a murder occurs in the bookshop, Gabby and Tess are both implicated, and Gabby’s detective brother is not allowed to investigate the case because of their relationship.
Gabby and Tess predictably, for a cozy mystery, take it upon themselves to find the real murderer. They are warned off by the police because their actions are dangerous; they also receive warnings from an anonymous person who may have been involved in the crime. I enjoyed their antics and relationship, but they really did go over the line into illegality several times. There are any number of people who might want to kill the victim as she was a “mean girl” in high school (especially to Gabby and Tess) and hasn’t mended her ways as she grew older. Generally self-centered and narcissistic, she does have a good side which Tess discovers in the process of interviewing those who knew the victim. The murderer and the motive are a surprise, but the ending is satisfying.
You will certainly want to see Gabby and Tess succeed in their business ventures. There is a tad bit of romance along the way, but Tess’ husband died only 6 months prior to this story, so she is not ready to have a new relationship. Her priority is her restaurant. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and would love to have Tess, a trained chef with an Italian family background, cook some of her delicious Italian dishes for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #3 in the Italian Chef Mystery Series but can be read as a standalone as the author backfills information as needed. I had read #1, but not #2. Except for one event that I had forgotten from the first book in the series, there were no story gaps for me.
2. This book contains some delicious sounding recipes that Tess makes. Only one of them would be in the easy category, but they are all satisfying to read if you love food.
Publication: July 28,2020—Poisoned Pen Press
Memorable Lines:
A wave of anxiety passed over me. Sure, police weren’t supposed to be fuzzy and warm, but this guy’s demeanor was colder than a New York icicle in January.
The room was so quiet that you could have heard a chocolate chip drop.
“I’m an only child, and I wasn’t sheltered,” I reminded her. “You don’t count,” Gabby said. “In Italian families, it doesn’t matter whether there’s one kid or ten. Everyone gets suffocated equally.”
education pathways 