Murder at Feathers & Flair by Lee Strauss

Murder at Feathers & Flair by Lee Strauss

Felicia, Ginger's sister-in-law, asks for Ginger's help in finding in hunting down a missing actor, but that is rather left to the side when someone is killed at an event Ginger is hosting at her dress shop, Feathers & Flair. There's a lot going on here, missing actors, a stolen necklace, a dead society lady, a coded message. Ginger is her usual clever, fashionable self. Once again, she's working with Chief Inspector Basil Reed -whose wife is back in the picture. I could do without the "will they - won't they" but looking ahead it seems like that situation will be resolved soon. It's a fun mystery with I enjoy the '20s details. I've been enjoying listening to the audio versions of this series. They're relatively short and lively....
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Murder at Bray Manor by Lee Strauss

Murder at Bray Manor by Lee Strauss

Lady Ginger Gold is called back to her late husband's family home, Bray Manor. The Dowager Lady Gold, Ginger's grandmother through marriage is convinced there is a ghost in the house, moving items from room to room to frighten her. Ginger's relatives have opened the manor to host group events to bring in some much-needed income. The manor hosts a charity dance that goes quite well, but the next morning one of the guests is found dead at the edge of the pond. The local police are out of their depth, so Ginger suggests the services of Scotland Yard be brought in and has them call Detective Inspector Basil Reed. This time around there were a lot of people to keep track of - neighbors, the members of the knitting group, a man Ginger knew during the war. It was another fun entry though, even if I felt "meh" about the solution. I just finished listening to the 4th but...
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Murder at Hartigan House by Lee Strauss

Murder at Hartigan House by Lee Strauss

Murder at Hartigan House picks up where Murder on the S.S. Rosa left off. Ginger has just arrived back at Hartigan House in London where she grew up, to take care of her deceased father's estate and decide what she wants to do with the house. The house has been shut up for the past 10 years and has just been readied for her return. There is some distressing news, however. Pippins, the family's long-time butler, has discovered the body of a woman. When circumstances and evidence begin to point towards her father, Ginger decides to investigate and once again finds herself "assisting" Chief Inspector Basil Reed. If I'm ever involved in a murder, remind me not to go the "party" where all the people who were at the event when the person was killed get together again. It never turns out well. Either somebody else gets killed, like in this story, or I'd end up getting accused of murder. The mystery...
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Murder on the SS Rosa by Lee Strauss

Murder on the SS Rosa by Lee Strauss

It's the Roaring 20's and Ginger Gold is sailing on the SS Rosa to settle her father's estate in England when the captain is murdered. There are several suspects among the passengers and crew. Ginger used to work for the secret service in some form or other and is more than capable of helping solve the case. This novella is a fun introduction to Ginger and her dog Boss, her American friend Haley, and the handsome Chief Inspector Basil Reed. It's a charming mystery and I have to admit to loving all of the 1920s touches. Ginger is fun and observant. She's a member of upper society but after the war society is changing and she's fine with that. The dialogue is witty and it kept me guessing. It's also short, which is nice sometimes....
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A Death in Tokyo by Keigo Higashino

A Death in Tokyo by Keigo Higashino

A Death in Tokyo is the third entry in the Detective Kaga series that has been translated into English. Once again, it's a solid, enjoyable read, with a couple of good twists. Kaga is part of a squad investigating the brutal murder of a middle-aged man. The man was stabbed but stayed alive long enough to drag himself to the famous Nihonbashi Bridge, in order to die at the foot of the statue of a kirin adorning it. Not far away, a young man in a park flees police and runs out into traffic where he is struck and seriously injured. The young man, Yashima, is carrying the murdered man's wallet. Unfortunately, the man ends up in the hospital in a coma, unable to answer questions. This is a police procedural. Kaga is unsatisfied with Yashima as the killer, so he keeps questioning people and walking the neighborhood where the crime occurred. He's persistent, follows his hunches, and step by step...
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Invitation to a Killer by G.M. Malliet

Invitation to a Killer by G.M. Malliet

Our amateur sleuth in Invitation to a Killer is Augusta Hawke, who doesn't seem to actually do much writing. I guess she isn't quite an amateur, she got her PI license after helping solve the case in the first book, which I didn't read. This time around she's at a party hosted by a lobbyist's wife when a celebrated doctor dies. At first, the death is written off as a heart attack, but of course, we're not surprised when it turns out he was murdered. Someone at the party killed him. Was it one of the CIA couple, the lobbyist or his wife, the book publisher, the image consultant, the congressman or his wife? It could even have been the cook or the butler. Augusta decides the police aren't treating the death as the murder it clearly was, so starts investigating on her own. Augusta is kind of a bland character, but hearing the story (I listened to the audiobook) from...
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