Audiobook – Carol's Notebook

A Merry Little Murder Plot by Jenn McKinlay

October 23, 2024October 23, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

I am a sucker for Christmas cozies. So, even though A Merry Little Murder Plot is the 15th in the series and I haven't read any of the others, I picked it up. It worked fine as a stand alone for me. I'm sure reading them all in order would have given me more background on the returning characters, but I never felt like I was missing out on something I needed to know. This winter, the Briar Creek library is hosting a a writer-in-residence, thriller author Helen Monroe. She's a bit stand-offish, but writes in the library daily and participates in talks required by her contract. Lindsey Norris, library director and our amateur sleuth, starts to get concerned when another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, is overly interested in the author, maybe even a bit stalkery. When Jackie is found dead, electrocuted by Christmas lights and holding Helen's manuscript, Helen becomes the main suspect. Lindsey isn't sure she's guilty, but she...

The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series #1-3 by Marcy Blesy

September 25, 2024September 25, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

Rosi is recently divorced and out of a job. She heads from her home in Illinois to Tucson to help out with her dad, who is having knee surgery, planning to stay for a couple of weeks. Her parents rent a house for the cooler months in the Tucson Valley Retirement Community. She meets a few of the locals, but of course it's not long until she finds a dead body, Salem Mansfield, the bookstore owner. Rosi doesn't think Police Officer Dan Daniel is up to the task of finding the killer, so does some investigating of her own. I like Rosi. She's funny and smart and the relationships between her and her mom and dad felt real. She also connects with the local landscaper, her potential love interest, and gets an adorable puppy. All the good ingredients in a cozy. I will say that even though the mystery was good, the characters stole the show. Rosi has, of course, decided...

Rockin’ Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

September 13, 2024September 13, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

Rockin' Around the Chickadee is #36 of the Meg Langslow books, a series I dip in and out of. I think that's part of my problem with it. Andrews does a good job with the characters growing and changing, but I only catch bits of it. But it's way too long a series for me to go back to the beginning. Meg is a blacksmith, wife of professor/ actor Michael, mother of twin boys, assistant to the mayor, and a member of the quirky Hollingsworth family, and, of course, our amateur sleuth. She wears a lot of hats and in each book one or the other seems to be at the forefront. This time, being a member of the Hollingsworth family is at the top of the list. Her grandmother is hosting a conference highlighting the Presumed Innocent organization and several of the family members are helping by being on panels or making sure it all runs smoothly. While most attendees...

The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt

August 23, 2024August 23, 2024 by Carol2 Comments

This series has the cutest covers. This is the typical Andy Carpenter book. We've got a rescue dog, an innocent client, and a possible mob connection. That being said, the formula works every time, mostly because Andy is a great character. He's funny, smart, self-effacing, sarcastic, and loves dogs. And the narrator, Grover Gardner, pulls it off wonderfully. Andy's friends and family are also likeable and well-developed, if a bit quirky at times. The mystery itself is well-done, with plenty of red herrings and potential suspects. I like how all of Andy's team gets in on the action. While the story takes place around Christmas, the holiday does not impact the story much. It's not a book I would feel the need to save till December....

Charlotte Gibson Mysteries #1-3

August 20, 2024August 20, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

I was surprised by how fun this one was. Charlie is in her late 20's and doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. At the beginning of the books, she is working as a clerk at a jewelry store, but that job doesn't end well. Now she's back home in Maui, living with her mother and working at an ice cream shop. Her new plan is to collect the $100,000 reward for solving the murder of a high-powered developer, whose last stop before his death was Charlie's ice cream shop. Rosie and Dot are two senior citizens who are also looking for the murderer and when they end up chasing the same clues, they decide to team up. Jake, hot cop, is not happy when they seem to be one step ahead of him and his partner. Charlie and her friends, including Dot and Rosie, are fun and also the type to attract trouble. The women are all intelligent,...

Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews

August 2, 2024August 2, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

I've been putting off writing a post about Between a Flock and a Hard Place because I really don't have much to say about it. I've read a few in the Meg Langslow series, but not enough for me to quite understand her character. She's a blacksmith, which doesn't come up in this one. She's also the mayor's assistant of some kind. Maybe because she always has her nose in everything in town so she might as well get paid for it? And I don't understand why the titles are all bird themed. Granted the wild turkeys are funny. We do eventually get to the murder. Mrs. Smetkamp is dead and there are several people with motive to have killed her. And several others who just seem shady. I do like the secondary characters, from Meg's kids to the townspeople. They're a quirky bunch and they do make me laugh. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a...