Book Reviews – Page 40 – Carol's Notebook

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany

August 9, 2023August 10, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas is a fun cozy mystery set in the quirky town of Rudolph, New York, where it’s Christmas all year round. Merry Wilkinson owns the local gift shop and knows just about the whole town. Everyone is looking forward to the local theater group's production of A Christmas Carol, including Merry's mom, Aline, a retired opera singer who is the music director. The cast, however, is arguing about everything from costumes to parts. Then the actress playing Mrs. Crachit is found dead, murdered in Merry's shop. Everyone involved in the musical is under suspicion, including Merry's mom and her shop assistant, Jackie, which gives Merry plenty of reason to start snooping around. I've read a couple in this series before. I like Merry, her family and friends, and of course her dog, Matterhorn. The mystery itself was put together well. There were several suspects and clues and it's fun to hang out with Merry and...

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah

August 8, 2023August 9, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

First of all, Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant has me craving fall baked goods - pumpkin donuts, pumpkin spice cheesecake, pumpkin scones. And apple dumplings, but those weren't in the book. Lindsey runs her bakery out of a remodeled lighthouse and lives in the keeper's section. It's Halloween and in addition to the town festivities, Lindsey's best friend, Kennedy, has invited the Ghost Guys to come to the lighthouse to film an episode for their show. Lindsey knows the lighthouse is haunted, which makes her even more nervous about the Guys showing up with all their equipment and tech gadgets. The whole things goes horribly awry when a local teacher is found dead, hanging from a tree just outside of the lighthouse. This is the third in the series I've read. I like Lindsey and her family and friends a lot. They're caring, loyal, and the appropriate amount of quirky. The mystery is well done with plenty of clues, suspects, and red...

Mistletoe and Murder by Connie Berry

July 27, 2023July 27, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

I can never pass up a Christmas cozy. In Mistletoe and Murder, American-born antique dealer Kate Hamilton is all set to marry her English detective fiancé Tom Mallory in just a few days on Christmas Eve. Her dress is ordered, local friends have planned the ceremony and reception and family is flying in from near and far. Of course, nothing is ever easy and Kate and Tom are soon mixed up in a missing person case. And flights are delayed. And there's a fire and Kate's dress may have some lingering smoke smell. I read this as a stand alone and felt like the characters and setting were introduced well. I liked Kate and Tom and would consider picking up more in the series. For a novella, the mystery was well done with enough clues and suspects to keep it interesting....

False Truth by Helena Marchmont

July 25, 2023July 25, 2023 by Carol1 Comment

The Bunburry series is always fun. I always listen to the audios, Parker does a great job with the narration, and each is between 2 and 3 hours, which is a great length for when I can't quite decide what I want to listen to. This time around Bunburry is holding its Quincentenary Celebration, but something feels off. Dorothy from the post office starts doing a little digging on her own and ends up in a bit of trouble. The local historical society is involved too. It's a fun story, no one dies, and there's more love in the air than usual. I do enjoy these characters and their hijinks....

A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert

July 18, 2023July 18, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Jane Hunter was forced to take early retirement from her job as a University librarian. Needing to occupy her time and supplement her pension, she takes on the job of cataloguing the mystery collection of wealthy collector Cameron Clewe. Cam is thirty-three and attractive, but does not have many social skills. He also deals with anxiety and is agoraphobic. It's not surprising that his romantic relationships rarely work out well. But, Ashely Allen is the first to end up dead in his library. Convinced he will be the main suspect in the murder investigation, Cam convinces Jane to help him do a little sleuthing, in addition to her regular duties. I liked Jane. She's 60 and having to start over, but she's doing it with grace and humor. The story is told from her viewpoint, but she is the sidekick. She's smart and good at talking to people and understanding body language, but it's Clewe who can put all...

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost

July 17, 2023July 17, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

It's Christmas in Mistletoe, Maine, and for the fourth year in a row, someone is murdered. This time around, the dead woman is the lead ballerina in the visiting production of The Nutcracker. And of course, several members of the ballet and the choreography master are staying at Holly's inn at her parents' tree farm. I love a good holiday mystery and Stalking Around the Christmas Tree was fun. It's filled with all things Christmassy - The Nutcracker Ballet, presents for charity, delicious goodies, and plenty of snow. There's enough romance to make me smile, but not so much that it takes over the story. And there's a murder. I enjoy the characters in this series. Holly is surrounded by a supportive, loving, quirky bunch of family and friends. And yes, her boyfriend Evan is the town sheriff, which seems a bit of a cheat, but I actually like him and he treats Holly as if she's capable and intelligent....