At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie

At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie

by CarolNo Comments
Miss Marple is staying at the luxurious and old-fashioned Bertram's Hotel as a gift from her nephew, author Raymond West. She find several other interesting characters staying there, including the rather colorful Lady Bess Sedgwick, a dithering old Colonel and his pretty ward, Elvira Blake. The famous racing car driver, Ladislav, is also hanging around. All things considered, Miss Marple sees trouble coming. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Davies had been investigating a string of large, successful robberies with little progress. Add in an absent-minded cleric and we have an interesting, twisty, if slow-moving mystery. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a great job with the variety of characters and kept the story moving along at an appropriate place. I wish I could go stay at Bertram's Hotel, or at least one like it was pretending to be. I think I need a vacation....
Read More
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

by CarolNo Comments
We all know I love Agatha Christie and Poirot has always been my favorite of her detectives, but I can't really pick a favorite when it comes to the stories. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is not it, although it's a good one. A dentist dies of a gunshot wound in the middle of the day and it is believed to be a case of suicide by everyone, except Hercule Poirot who was a patient of his and had visited him the very same day. It's nice to have Poirot in at the very beginning, noticing potential suspects even before the crime is committed. As usual, Poirot observes and suspects far more than the police and doesn't take anyone's word as gospel. The mystery is solid with a nice mix of family drama and international tension - this was originally published mid- WW2. The characters themselves are a bit forgettable though. And, as always, Hugh Fraser does a fantastic job...
Read More
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

by CarolNo Comments
A couple of caveats: this is the first book by Kingfisher I've read and I'm a sucker for fairytale retellings, even if I don't read enough of them. In this loose retelling of the Snow White story. We have Snow White, of course, apples, and mirrors, but no dwarves. Our main character is a healer, Anya, a poisons expert who is summoned by the King to discover how Snow is being slowly poisoned. Anya, of course, has no choice but to go. Anya is essentially a spinster who has devoted her life to her studies, made possible thanks for her father being a wealthy merchant. She's smart but her discussion of poisons and poisonous plants tends to be a bit much for people in social situations. Anya is aided in her investigation by two of the royal guards, one of whom is a potential love interest, and a talking cat, who is just as haughty as you might expect. . I...
Read More
Murder by the Book by Amie Schaumberg

Murder by the Book by Amie Schaumberg

by Carol1 Comment
Forgetting for a moment the serial killer angle, I should have loved Murder by the Book. We've got murders, classic literature, and classic art combined with a small college setting, but in the end I was a bit disappointed. When a female college student is murdered and the scene is elaborately staged to resemble a famous painting, Detective Ian Carter is stumped. Thankfully he recently met Professor Emma Reilly, whose area of study might help give him some insights. Of course, after "accidentally" allowing her to see the crime scene photos, he is emphatic that he does not want her help, which accomplishes two things: 1.) pushing her to gather a group of friends to help her with her own investigation instead and 2.) cooling any romance that might have been developing between the two. Emily is the frazzled, socially awkward amateur sleuth who is rather over-confident in her ability to help. She's irritating. At the same time, our tough on...
Read More
Sounds Like Trouble by Pamela Samuels Young and Dwayne Alexander Smith

Sounds Like Trouble by Pamela Samuels Young and Dwayne Alexander Smith

by CarolNo Comments
Sounds Like Trouble picks up where the first in the series leaves off. Jackson and Mac have combined their PI offices and are working together. This time around they are "hired" by some major bad guys to find a certain package. These are not clients they can refuse. To make it worse, someone else is after the package an that someone is willing to kill whoever he need to to get it. There's a lot of action, plenty of good dialogue, and a bit of sparks, but some of their decisions are just not good. And they believe people when they obviously shouldn't. They are a nice break from my usual cozy mystery sleuths, though, so they get extra points for that. I listened to the audio and appreciated having two narrators, one for Mac's point of view and one from Jackson's. Both did a great job bringing the characters to life. They also kept the tension and humor balanced well. Overall,...
Read More
Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku

by CarolNo Comments
Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is a decent cozy murder mystery set on Chicago's south side. I love Savvy, who owns a soul food restaurant and does some catering. Business is good, until Grandy Jaspers drops dead while eating her famous sweet potato pie. Even though it was ruled an accident, people are avoiding the restaurant. And to be honest, while Savvy knows it wasn't her pie that killed Grandy, she does think he might have been murdered. Savvy is a middle-aged widow who is smart, sassy, and determined, but maybe not the best detective. This is her first case though. And it's a tough one. We have tons of characters, most of whom she knows from one place or another, and they all seem to have secrets, even her assistant/side-kick, Penny. I actually had a hard time keeping everyone straight, and since I listened to the audio, I couldn't exactly flip back to see who was who....
Read More