A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen

A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen

by CarolNo Comments
I picked up A Field Guide to Murder because I won the second one in a Facebook group and thought, since there are only two, I'd go ahead and read the first. The setup is good. Harry is a widower recovering from a broken hip, and Emma is his caregiver. When one of Harry's neighbors dies, maybe poisoned, maybe not, Harry and Emma get caught up in figuring out who the killer is.Harry was interesting but annoyed me after a while. He spends a lot of time alternating between feeling sorry for himself and bragging about how amazing his career was before he retired. He seems to have gone everywhere, done everything, and taken an interest in every aspect of anthropology. It was a bit much. And Emma? I don't know why the women in the books I've read lately are all engaged to men they don't really want to marry but seem unable to stop the ball from rolling....
Read More
Jay to the World by Donna Andrews

Jay to the World by Donna Andrews

by CarolNo Comments
Yes, I might be starting my Christmas reading a little early this year. No, I don't care. Jay to the World is #40 in the Meg Langslow series, but I haven't read even close to all of them. I like that you can jump in and out of the series without feeling like you've missed much.It's almost Christmas in Caerphilly, and we all know that means family, food, and chaos. Meg's mom, Margaret, has a lot going on - family and old friends are in town, she's working on a playhouse for two-year old Brynn, is decorating a room in the annual "Show House." It's all (almost) under control, until Margaret finds the playhouse vandalized and is attacked. It turns out she has several potential enemies in town, and it's up to Meg and the police to keep her safe and figure out who the bad guy is.I like how well Andrews balances the mystery and cozy aspects of...
Read More
The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

by CarolNo Comments
The Crow Trap was not what I expected. Granted, I've never watched the Vera Stanhope tv series, but I knew it existed, so I expected Vera to be more of a main character here. She doesn't show up until about halfway through the book and it takes even longer for us to see anything from her point of view.The three women at the forefront of the book are working on an environmental study of the area before a quarry is dug. Rachel is the leader, but she is preoccupied with her friend's suicide - and that she's working for her ex who stole credit for her work. The other two women, Anne and Grace, each has her own secrets. We get peeks into their lives and into what brought them here now. It's not "just a job" for any of them. It's complicated and messy and then there's another death, bringing DI Vera Stanhope on the scene. Vera is...
Read More
Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie

Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie

by Carol2 Comments
It's been a long time since the last time I read Ordeal by Innocence. It's one of Christie's standalones without any of her regular characters. Instead, we have the dysfunctional Argyle family, and Dr. Calgary who has upset their status quo. Jacko Argyle was convicted of killing his mother, despite his claiming to have an alibi, and died in prison. Now, two years later, Dr. Calgary shows up to provide Jacko's solid alibi - first the doctor had had amnesia from an accident, then gone on a research trip to Antarctica, so had been unable to testify at the trial. Now, the case is reopened, and all the "innocent" are under scrutiny again.This is not my favorite of Christie's books. Most of the Argyles are unlikable and we get to spend a lot of time learning about their odd relationships with their adoptive parents and each other. Rachel Argyle, the victim, had opened their home to children during the...
Read More
The Chester Grand Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin

The Chester Grand Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin

by CarolNo Comments
This time around, Lennox and Swift are called to the Grand Hotel in Chester. Three members of the Grand Proprietors’ Syndicate have recently died, each ruled an accident, but three accidents among ten members is more than suspicious.Lennox and Swift are there usual selves, Swift more practical and by the book, Lennox willing to act bit more on instinct - and to stop for a bite to eat. The whole gang shows up - wives and children and pets to add to the fun and chaos.I appreciate that the secondary characters get full personalities, with secrets and entanglements and plenty of drama. I did figure out the whodunnit and kind of wish the book had gone a different direction, but it all made sense and the clue worked together well....
Read More
And Then There Were Bun by Vivien Chien

And Then There Were Bun by Vivien Chien

by CarolNo Comments
I like Lana and her friends and family, but I've never been a huge fan of her detective boyfriend, Adam, and here he's the main suspect in the murder of her ex-boyfriend from college. Adam is suspended while the case is being investigated, which is even more awkward because Megan, Lana's best friend, is dating the chief, Adam's boss.I didn't necessarily love this one. The whole throwback to college people when you're 30 and haven't seen them since forever seems odd. It's weird that the ex even came to the party and Adam's behavior, both losing control during an argument and being so secretive about how he's spending his time recently, seemed out of character. Sometimes I just want characters, and people in real life for that matter, to act like grown ups.The mystery itself was fine. We had plenty of clues and several suspects. I'm not a fan of how quick Lana and Megan can be at jumping to...
Read More