The Curse of Braeburn Castle by Karen Baugh Menuhin

The Curse of Braeburn Castle by Karen Baugh Menuhin

Heathcliff Lennox (please call him Lennox) was in WW 1 and his butler Greggs, with whom he has an entertaining and humorous relationship, was his batman. Now back home, Lennox is having a bit of an adjustment to civilian life. He prefers solitary activities like fishing or walking his dog, Mr. Fogg, in the countryside around his slowly declining estate. However, he has friends and family that can bring him out into the world beyond his gates. Lennox is likable and intelligent, tongue-tied around women, but loyal and honest. The Curse of Braeburn Castle is the third mystery I've read featuring him and may be the best so far. This third one begins when Lennox's newly-married friend, former detective Swift, asks him to come to Braeburn Castle to help with the discovery of a centuries-old skeleton. The discovery of the skeletons has brought a team of archaeologists to the castle, a group Swift doesn't trust, and now the skull and it's...
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The Black Cat Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin

The Black Cat Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin

I'm becoming rather fond of this series. This time around, Lenox visits another country house, this time the home of a childhood friend for her wedding celebration. There are several activities leading up to the wedding including a couple of operas performed in the theater on-site. (Yeah, several of the guests find this a bit odd, too.) During one of these performances, a man is killed when a trapdoor gives way under him. It's considered an accident at the time, but the doctor thinks it's fishy and asks Lenox to do a bit of investigating while he's there. Lenox is in the difficult position of helping Scotland Yard's investigating, pursuing his own leads, and not disrupting the wedding party. I liked how everything wound together, the paintings, the various characters, the swords. I felt all the clues fell together well, although I'm not sure I actually liked who the culprit turned out to be. It made sense, but only up...
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Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin

Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin

If you know me as a reader, you know a country manor house at Christmas is my favorite setting for a murder. After finding a dead man on his doorstep - apparently from natural causes - Lennox heads to his uncle's manor house for Christmas. Unfortunately, one of the other guests, his uncle's fiancee, is murdered and Lennox becomes the chief suspect. When the house gets snowed in and the police can't come, Lennox does his own investigating. He's a charming character. He fought in the war and is now mostly gathering debt, but he's intelligent and funny and willing to act in his own self-interests. He's a bachelor and has the most adorable dog. Of course one of the house party must be guilty. Lennox knows it's not him or his uncle, but is suspicious of almost everyone else. They all have secrets and potential motives. Even the servants come under Lennox' scrutiny, if only temporarily. It's a good set...
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Taking Out the Trash by Tristi Pinkston

Taking Out the Trash by Tristi Pinkston

Taking Out the Trash is a cozy mystery that's trying to be funny, but fell flat for me. Estelle is a middle-aged housewife with an accountant husband, an adult son, and a quirky best friend, Vera. The cops find a Senator's body in her garbage can and her son, who has an internship in Washington, quickly comes under suspicion. Of course, Estelle and Vera have to investigate; they can't have Andrew convicted of the murder. I like that Estelle and her husband are a stable, loving couple, but I tend to prefer my heroines with a bit less lying to their husbands/having their husbands treat them like they can't take care of themselves. Granted, maybe she can't, she does end up in a couple of dangerous situations, but still, that's standard cozy behavior. And I wish she could have kept the hair color that made her feel so pretty. She also seemed a bit older than her early-60s to me,...
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99 Percent Kill by Doug Richardson

99 Percent Kill by Doug Richardson

In 99 Percent Kill, Lucky Dey has to find the missing/runaway daughter of a Wisconsin millionaire; a tough enough job in LA, where a pretty young girl is a target for all kind of nasty stuff, made even tougher by the father who insists on riding along. I liked Lucky a bit better this time around than I did in the first of the series, Blood Money. He's still tough, but he's not as mean. He's still single-minded, but this time it comes off as a good thing, an asset. He's also addicted to painkillers. He's one of those characters who has a chip on his shoulder and a black cloud over his head. I think I'd like to see him working as an actual cop one of these days. 99 Percent Kill is action-packed, not surprising when the author started as a screenwriter, but it gives us moments to breathe, essential when most of what we're reading is disturbing and violent....
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Blood Money by Doug Richardson

Blood Money by Doug Richardson

Blood Money is an action-packed thriller with plenty of violence—it's not surprising to learn the author is also a screenwriter of action movies. The book is non-stop, it never gives you time to breathe. There are several people whose lives intersect in disastrous ways. Few of the characters are likable, but you get their motives. Lucky Dey is out for revenge against the man who killed his brother, if he can find him. He is relentless and is basically a renegade cop at this point. He is hard to like. He's mean and single-minded and just a tough guy. He is joined by Lydia "Gonzo" Gonzalez, his "chaperone" from the LAPD, who is my favorite character. She's a single mom who realizes how close to out of control Lucky is, but still hangs on for the ride. Lucky's interactions with Gonzo and her son let you see his softer side a bit, which helps. The man Lucky is hunting is a...
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