A Beach House to Die For by K. C. Ames

A Beach House to Die For by K. C. Ames

by CarolNo Comments
When Dana Kirkpatrick inherits a Costa Rican beach house from her uncle, the newly divorced woman decides to leave her old life behind and move to Costa Rica. Unfortunately, her cousin, Roy, and his wife are contesting the will. Then Roy is killed, and Dana's the main suspect. A Beach House to Die for was like a mini-vacation. It was sunny and relaxed and the foods sounded delicious, but I think the howler monkeys might drive me crazy. Most of the locals were friendly and helpful. Dana was a good lead character. She's friendly and nice, but pushy enough to get answers. The mystery was fine. I didn't guess who the killer was but probably should have. This was a fun, light read, which is what I expect from a cozy. It has a fabulous setting, quirky characters, a potential love interest, and even a cat. ...
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A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison

A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison

by Carol2 Comments
A Spell for Trouble is the first in the Enchanted Bay Mystery series featuring former risk assessor, Alex Daniels. After quitting her job in New York, Alex accepts an offer to visit her Bellamy Bay relatives whom she hasn't seen in many years. Alex is welcomed into the family with open arms and soon joins her Aunt Lidia and cousin, Minka, working at their apothecary shop. But when a troublesome customer is found dead, Lidia is arrested for the murder. Alex is determined to find out who the killer is and prove Lidia’s innocence. Bellamy Bay is a wonderful oceanside setting and the characters are charming. I loved how the author incorporated Alex's family's Polish heritage into the story. The magic was woven into the plot well and it was nice to learn about how the magic worked and the rules around it along with Alex. A Spell for Trouble was fun. The killer wasn't a surprise, but getting there was entertaining....
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Travel by Bullet by John Scalzi

Travel by Bullet by John Scalzi

by CarolNo Comments
The Dispatcher series is set in an alternative present world, except for unknown reasons starting a few years prior 99.9% of murder victims come back to life, their bodies reset to a few hours earlier, reappearing somewhere (usually their home) where they feel safe. Dispatchers are licensed to murder (dispatch) critically injured, dying people to save their lives. This time around by saving a friend's life, Tony ends up in a mess, as always. This time it revolves around shady cryptocurrency and a few ethically questionable billionaires. It's a fun story, with a fast pace, snappy dialogue, and well-used humor. There were a couple of twists and turn I should have seen coming and Tony is very lucky to be on good terms with useful people. Travel by Bullet does take place in post-pandemic Chicago which adds an interesting layer. With most books, I'd rather the pandemic be left out, but here Scalzi uses it well, both as it affects the...
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The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

by CarolNo Comments
Mossa is an investigator who is in charge of a missing persons case. Or maybe it's a suicide. Or murder. Any which way, a man disappeared from a sparsely populated platform at the edge of the colonized portion of Giant (Jupiter). Turns out the man was on faculty at the University at Valdegeld, as is Mossa's former girlfriend from her college years, Pleiti. So of course, Mossa reconnects with Pleiti and asks for her help. The world was interesting. Humans ruined Earth, so they colonized Jupiter. I liked that it had almost a gaslamp feel. Yes, they're living on platforms above a surfaceless planet, but our characters bundle up against the cold, walk through the swirling storm, have tea and scones on a regular basis. I liked Mossa and Pleiti and their slowly rebuilding relationship. Mossa is our Holmes, brilliant, but a bit emotionally distant and not one to share her theories. Pleite, our narrator and Watson, is loyal and resourceful. I...
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Death of a Messenger by Robert McCaw

Death of a Messenger by Robert McCaw

by CarolNo Comments
I picked up Death of a Messenger because I needed a book set in Hawaii for one of the reading challenges I'm doing. I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it. It's a good mystery and I learned a lot about Hawaiian history and culture. Hawaiian Detective Koa Kane is called to investigate a grisly murder – a mutilated body discovered in a lava tube at an army training area. The victim is difficult to identify and bears disturbing marks indicating an ancient ritual sacrifice. Further investigation uncovers an unknown archaeological site nearby and leads Kane to wonder if the victim had stumbled across a rare historical secret people will kill to protect. The plot is complicated in a good way. There are several convincing suspects including black market dealers, astronomers, and amateur archeologists, in the case, and enough clues and red herrings to keep the reader, and detective, on their toes. The pace was a bit uneven, but...
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The Science of Murder by Carla Valentine

The Science of Murder by Carla Valentine

by CarolNo Comments
I am a huge Agatha Christie and read a ton of mysteries, so I couldn't pass up The Science of Murder. The author, Carla Valentine, is a forensic pathology technician and the curator of Barts Pathology Museum in London. She also clearly loves Agatha Christie's work. The book is a fascinating look at the forensics behind Christie’s mysteries and examples from real crimes of the past. The Science of Murder moves through eight chapters that focus on various areas of forensic study like fingerprints, trace evidence, ballistics, handwriting, impressions, blood splatter, and toxicology. While discussing the technical side of gathering and studying these types of evidence, we also get details from Christie's books and her real life. The author talks about some of Christie's most famous plots, without giving too much away. We also learn about Christie's wartime occupations, memberships in murder mystery writer clubs, and work on her second husband’s archeological digs. We also get details about modern forensics and...
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