Carol's Notebook

Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

February 18, 2026February 18, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I am not an organist at heart, but I have played the organ for churches in the past. I think Murder Will Out might be the first book I've read with a main character who is an organist, which of course grabbed my attention. Willow is a grad student/organist who comes back to Little North Island, Maine for her semi-estranged godmother, Sue's, funeral. Of course, it turns out Sue was murdered, the island and Sue's house are haunted, and no one wants Willow poking her nose into the island's secrets.Willow is not, at least at first, a great lead. She's quiet, afraid of confrontation, and easily intimidated. She does grow and become more confident both in herself and the people around her. I like her, but not as much as I wanted to. Most of the story is told from Willow's point of view, but once in a while we gets pieces from another person's outlook, which was a...

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

February 16, 2026February 16, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I don't typically read a lot of sci-fi - last year I think I read two books that would qualify. I enjoy science fiction, but maybe take my opinions as those of a casual reader, not someone who is immersed in the genre. And, no, I have not seen the The Expanse tv series.One of my complaints about science fiction is that sometimes it gets so caught up in the technology and concepts that I end up not really caring. Here the world and politics are definitely center stage - Earth and Luna versus Mars and its outposts, versus the Belters, who live and work in the Asteroid belt, and the issues that seem to plague any society regarding race and income and exploitation, but it's told through its characters. We learn about the world, history, and tensions from their viewpoints.Jim Holden and his crew are at the center of a lot of the action, for really no good...

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

February 10, 2026February 10, 2026 by Carol4 Comments

The Killer Question is a clever book. The shtick is that it's all told through texts, emails, police interview transcripts, and assorted documents. The story's frame is that Dominic is trying to sell his aunt and uncle's story to a streaming service to make into a documentary. Sue and Mal operated a small pub that ran a Monday evening trivia contest. Were not surprised when a body is found in the river near the pub - after all, something made Dominic think it was a story worth pitching, but we'll have several good twists and at least one actual surprise by the end.We have a lot of characters to keep track of and we don't get to know any of them well. That's not a complaint, it's the nature of the style and important to the plot. I think this is one of those books that will either work for you or won't. I enjoyed it, but I'm not...

Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

February 5, 2026February 5, 2026 by Carol4 Comments

I like this series. I enjoy Ernest's narration and how often and well he breaks the fourth wall. I typically find them amusing and clever. This time around, however, the choices he makes just seem ridiculous.Ernest and his fiancée, Juliette, go to a bank trying to get a loan to open a detective agency. They've been to several banks and this one is essentially their last hope. Instead, the bank manager hires him to find his brother who has gone missing along with the code to the vault. Then a bank robber takes them all hostage and things start to spiral out of control.I like the set-up, that everyone is a thief of some kind, and there were a couple of very good twists. Some parts were downright funny and took full advantage of the characters and world the author's created. The hostages are an interesting bunch and it would be tough to keep control of. I'm fine with storyline...

The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell

February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Carol1 Comment

I wish I had read The Other Half, the first in the Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp series, before picking up The In Crowd. Not that The In Crowd doesn't work as a stand-alone, it does, but Caius is a full, rich character, the kind you appreciate more the more time you spend with them. His interactions with his staff, Matt Chung and Amy Noakes, are well done, too. I also feel like some of the other characters had parts in the first case that I missed.This time around, Caius is working on two cases: the death of a woman who had been the girlfriend of a missing man suspected of stealing pension fund assets and the disappearance of a girl from boarding school years ago. The mysteries are complex and and the twists were incorporated well, and I liked how certain things pulled together. Honestly, though, it's Caius himself that would make me come back to the series....

A Very Novel Murder by Ellie Alexander

February 2, 2026February 2, 2026 by Carol2 Comments

Annie and Fletcher, from the Secret Bookcase Mysteries, have opened up their detective agency and have their first case. Kelly Taylor, a talented surfer and activist, recently drowned in her bathtub, but her elderly neighbor is convinced the young woman was murdered.I like Annie and Fletcher and their friends. They're smart and dedicated. They also have a good relationship with the police and have no problem keeping them updated or calling them in when necessary. Annie's boyfriend is handsome and caring and supportive and her best friend is adorable and a whiz with coffee. Annie's life is pretty good, aside from almost getting killed. There are no conflicts with her friends or employees. The town she lives in is appropriately cozy and walkable. Even the crows like her. Yes, we're told parts of her background have been tough, but it's really no surprise that with her first case, she solves a murder, uncovers a drug dealing operation, and gets...