Kalikimaka Killer by Jasmine Webb

Kalikimaka Killer by Jasmine Webb

by CarolNo Comments
It's Christmas in Hawaii and Charlie has two cases going on. The first is tracking down a bail-jumper - and of course she manages to get tasered again. Zoe brings her the murder case. Zoe believes one of her patients in the emergency room was poisoned, but the cops aren't taking her concerns seriously, so she asks Charlie to investigate. The mystery was decent. The dead woman's friends are basically the only suspects, since they are the only ones who would have had the chance to poison her. Charlie discovers the woman had a few secrets, but none seem to give anyone a reason to kill her. The clues are tucked in well and the whodunnit made sense. It's as fun and madcap as always. And it is Christmassy - we have several Santa gone bad moments and a kiss under the mistletoe....
Read More
Hibiscus Homicide by Jasmine Webb

Hibiscus Homicide by Jasmine Webb

by Carol2 Comments
Rosie recognizes a tourist who was killed and needs Charlie's help getting to the bottom of what happened. The characters are always fun and even though this one involves the FBI and CIA, it doesn't get too deep in the spy mire. And really how can you take a spy seriously with a name like Rex Thunder? And the FBI agents seem on the verge of incompetent. So the story is still fun and light and just over the top. Charlie figures out who the (unlikely, I thought) killer is and we get a nice show down. We also get a scene with Charlie and Jake making out, so hopefully their relationship will start moving in the right direction....
Read More
Pina Colada Poison by Jasmine Webb

Pina Colada Poison by Jasmine Webb

by CarolNo Comments
Pina Colada Poison, like the other Charlie Gibson mysteries, is fun and over the top. This time around an actress staying on the island is afraid that someone is trying to kill her, that the drink that killed her yoga teacher was meant for her. She's also trying to track down another client's missing husband. The mysteries were fine, if predictable. We had several suspects and red herrings, but the twist wasn't much of a surprise. I really enjoy Charlie - she's stubborn and snarky and her plans tend to go awry in amusing ways. Her friends, Dot and Rosie, are fabulous older women with plenty of skills. The three together are a hoot....
Read More
A Difficult Position by Helena Marchmont

A Difficult Position by Helena Marchmont

by CarolNo Comments
I really enjoy these short mysteries. This time around, Dorothy and the former Sargent Wilson are getting married. I have to say I like what the Sarge's recent health scare and relationship with Dorothy have done for his character. Everyone in town is at the reception, but that same evening, someone tries to set the Choudhury house on fire. Thankfully little damage is done, but the police, and Bunburry Triangle, are anxious to find the culprit. This is a fun, quick read. I love the characters, each of whom is just quirky enough without going over the edge into annoying. There are several suspects and it's good to see how many people care about the Choudhury family. I liked the yoga center and how it brings together people you wouldn't expect. I was happy Oscar had a part to play this time around too....
Read More
Summer of ’49 by David Halberstam

Summer of ’49 by David Halberstam

by Carol2 Comments
I love going to baseball games. I'm a Pirates fan, though, which means I can sit back and have fun but don't really expect too much. Not like the people watching the Red Sox and Yankees in 1949. Summer of ‘49 is in theory about the 1949 pennant race between the Yankees and the Red Sox. We know the Yankees ended up beating the Red Sox and going on to bee the Dodgers in the World Series, but really the book is about the people - the players, managers, press. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of numbers - hits, games back, percentages, salaries, it's what baseball boils down to after all, but the fun part is hearing about the people - who they are, where they came from. We get stories of how they interact with each other and how they view the game. Some are people I've heard of, but most weren't. This is definitely a nostalgic...
Read More
Crooked House by Agatha Christie

Crooked House by Agatha Christie

by CarolNo Comments
Crooked House is one of Christie's stand-alone mysteries. We have three generations of the Leonides family all living under the roof of the wealthy grandfather, Aristide. When Aristide is murdered, all the household comes under suspicion. His granddaughter Sophia tells our narrator and her fiancé, Charles Hayward, that they cannot marry until the killer is caught. Charles' father happens to be the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, so Charles investigates from the inside along with assigned detective, Chief Inspector Taverner. The Leonides family members are an interesting, mostly unlikeable lot and any of them could have a motive - money, control. There are plenty of tensions and secrets. Charles makes a decent amateur sleuth and this one is more about uncovering family dynamics and tensions than concrete clues. The whodunnit is surprising, but makes total sense....
Read More