Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz

by Carol3 Comments
If you've read the first two in this series, you know that Susan should stay far away from Atticus Pünd novels, they only lead to trouble. If you've read the blurb above, you know that this time is no exception, even though there's a new author since Alan Conway was killed in book #1. I would suggest at least reading Magpie Murders first, since a.) there are spoilers in this one, and b.) there are a couple of returning characters who have major pieces in this one. As usual in this series we have a book within the book. In Pünd's Last Case written by Elliott Crace, Lady Margaret Chalfont has been poisoned. Elliott believes his own grandmother, renowned author Marian Crace, was murdered 15 years ago and has worked clues to who the killer was into his novel. Then Elliott is killed in a hit and run before finishing the book - with Susan being the main suspect in...
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Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines

Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines

by CarolNo Comments
I should probably not have started this series at #26. And probably not with the one dealing with dog thefts. Sara Booth and her partner at the Delaney Detective Agency, Tinkie, have been contacted about a dog that was stolen right out of someone's backyard. We had so many characters that it was hard to keep everyone straight. The author provided plenty of background, but I'm sure if I had read the previous books, I would have had a much better handle on who was who and how everyone is connected. Sara Booth has a good batch of friends, including her boyfriend sheriff, and several animals: dogs, horses, a cat and a crow. Oh, and she has a ghost haunting her house that often appears to her as historical figures. The mystery this time around involved several dogs who were stolen from homes, including Sara Booth's Sweetie Pie. There's rumors of a dog-fighting ring, but Sara's old nemesis, Gertrude, seems to...
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No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack

by Carol4 Comments
Eleanor’s first novel, When in Rome, is being made into a movie and she is spending a lot of time on set. To make it even better, her best friend, Emma, is playing the lead role. After filming wraps, the cast and crew head to Catalina Island for Emma's wedding to her co-star. And then we find out that Emma's been receiving threats and that someone is going to be killed at the wedding. My problem is I don't like Eleanor and she's the one telling us the story - in the first-person with tons of her internal thoughts, asides, and footnotes. Maybe it was too much? Funny and clever are good, but not when they become the whole point. Maybe it was just trying too hard. She's self-centered and doesn't seem to register the feelings of the people around her, even her sister. We have lots of characters, all of whom are suspects, but there's more theorizing about motives than...
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My Father Always Finds Corpses by Lee Hollis

My Father Always Finds Corpses by Lee Hollis

by Carol2 Comments
Apparently this book is a spin off of Rick Copp's Actor's Guide mysteries from 20-ish years ago, which I never read. Then, Jarrod was a former child actor trying to make a comeback, living with his LAPD cop boyfriend, Charlie, and solving murders. Now, he's given up on acting and writes and directs plays. He's still grieving over Charlie, who died ten years ago, and has an adult daughter, Liv, who has just found her boyfriend's dead body in his film studio. I listened to the audiobook and I don't know if it was the writing or the narrator or just how much set up there was before the murder, but it took me a while to get into the story. It felt awkward, there was something annoying that I just couldn't put my finger on. But once the story got moving, it held my attention well. Jarrod and Liv have plenty of suspects, including a pair of half-siblings Liv met thanks...
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Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie

Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie

by CarolNo Comments
Poirot is on holiday at a secluded hotel on an island in Devon and, as always, is very much interested in the people around him. The other guests are a varied lot, including an actress and her family, a young married couple, and several single individuals. Most of the conversation (gossip) centers around the actress, Arlena Marshall, who is obviously flirting (having an affair) with Patrick Redfern, upsetting both her husband and Patrick's wife. When Arlena is found dead, strangled, at one of the coves, no one seems surprised. Evil Under the Sun is not kind to its women characters. With one or two exceptions, their importance/ relevancy to the plot comes from the men in their lives. But the plot is clever and the clues fit together well. I liked the setting too. The small, isolated hotel seemed relaxing, until with the murder it becomes isolated and claustrophobic. I listened to the audiobook narrated by David Suchet and feel like...
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Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

by CarolNo Comments
Most Agatha Christie's are rereads for me, including Cards on the Table. I remembered the setup. Mr. Shaitana invites Poirot to a dinner party, promising to introduce him to one of his collections, murders who have gotten away with their crimes. It turns out there are four "murderers" and four of Christie's detectives, Poirot, Colonel Race, Superintendent Battle, and Ariadne Oliver, at the dinner. After dinner, they play bridge and by the end of the night Shaitana is dead. It's a clever mystery. We only have four suspects, but figuring out which one is guilty is not as easy as it seems. All of them have the same motive - Shaitana made several veiled references to the crimes and, if they were actually guilty, any of them may have been afraid he would go to the police. Poirot is the lead, but he does a nice job collaborating with the others. It's fun to see the different personalities and...
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