A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford

A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford

by Carol2 Comments
I love Emma's idea for a business - well actually her friend's idea, but it's Emma's business. She's a friend for hire, someone to go to the gym with or take to a party. When one of her clients dies at an open mic night, Emma takes on the role of (very reluctant) amateur sleuth. Thankfully, she has some help - an elderly woman she has tea with once a week and a nurse who has paid her to be a gym buddy. I like how the three women work together and combine sleuthing with real life activities. We are immediately given a list of 4 suspects, a list put together by the dead man himself. Each of the four had a good reason for hating the dead man - a writer who was determined to bring all the town's corruption to light. The clues and red herrings were placed well. I liked the three main characters. Emma is sweet and honestly...
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Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman by E. W. Hornung

Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman by E. W. Hornung

by CarolNo Comments
I can't remember what I was reading that mentioned Raffles, but clearly something put him on my to-read list. Raffles is a gentleman and a good cricket player. He's also a charming jewel thief. His exploits are written up by, Bunny, his partner in crime who is never quite all in the know. These are a fun collection of interrelated stories. Raffles is unrepentant but has a lack of seriousness that lets you root for him. The thefts are sometimes clever and Scotland Yard is mostly incompetent, of course....
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Murder at the Mansions by Sara Rosett

Murder at the Mansions by Sara Rosett

by Carol5 Comments
It appears that there has been a murder in Olive's building and it seems highly likely that someone on her floor is dead. The trouble is that there is no body and no one seems to be missing. Olive's friend, Minerva, is not one to imagine things though. She's practical and intelligent and she saw a foot sticking out of the end of a wrapped rug, so Olive takes the case and together they are determined to get to the truth. Murder at the Mansions is a fun little mystery. Olive is smart and clever as always. I liked that it was set in her building which has a nice variety of people and their pets living in it. We get to meet some new characters, but Jasper is still around and I like their relationship. He helps her out, but she is definitely the one solving the case and the romance doesn't take over the book. I really like this series....
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Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman

Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman

by CarolNo Comments
For Vivian, dancing at the Nightingale, and the occasional free drink, is a way to escape the dullness and monotony of her life. She and her sister, Florence, barely make enough to live on as seamstresses. They live in a crowded tenement building and life is tough. This is not a glitzy, sparkling 1920s setting. The bobbed hair, bootleg liquor, and dance halls are there, but so are the poverty, racial oppression, and police raids. We see Vivian's squalid building, but also the opulent homes of the rich. Vivian and her best friend, Bea, a waitress at the club, find a dead man in the alley outside the back door. Vivian becomes our amateur sleuth, with a gentle nudge from Honor Huxley, the club's owner. Honor knows how important, and deadly, information can be. The mystery has several twists and turns and the ending surprised me. I liked the diversity in the characters and that the Nightingale was a place that allowed...
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A Killer Sundae by Abby Collette

A Killer Sundae by Abby Collette

by Carol2 Comments
A Killer Sundae might be my favorite of the series so far, which is good since I wasn't thrilled with the first two. The only reason I picked this up is because it was immediately available to download from the library and I didn't hate the others. This time around a local reporter, and old high school classmate of Win's, has been killed. Win reluctantly becomes involved, mostly at the insistence of her friends - she has a bit of a reputation by now. The plot was well done, with plenty of suspects and several twists - and some delicious-sounding ice cream flavors. There's also a mystery involving a cookbook that seemed a little silly for Win to get so obsessed over. Win is smart and caring. Her friends were a little more realistic this time, and I love how loyal and helpful her family is. It's a good bunch of characters, and I feel like I should enjoy them more than...
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