Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin

Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin

by Carol2 Comments
If you know me as a reader, you know a country manor house at Christmas is my favorite setting for a murder. After finding a dead man on his doorstep - apparently from natural causes - Lennox heads to his uncle's manor house for Christmas. Unfortunately, one of the other guests, his uncle's fiancee, is murdered and Lennox becomes the chief suspect. When the house gets snowed in and the police can't come, Lennox does his own investigating. He's a charming character. He fought in the war and is now mostly gathering debt, but he's intelligent and funny and willing to act in his own self-interests. He's a bachelor and has the most adorable dog. Of course one of the house party must be guilty. Lennox knows it's not him or his uncle, but is suspicious of almost everyone else. They all have secrets and potential motives. Even the servants come under Lennox' scrutiny, if only temporarily. It's a good set...
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Nogged Off by Barbara Ross

Nogged Off by Barbara Ross

by Carol4 Comments
Yes, I've started reading Christmas books. No, I haven't started Christmas shopping. I read a Halloween novella in the Maine Clambake Mystery series and enjoyed it, so I picked up this Christmas one. I do love seasonal reads. Nogged Off was fun and light and has a bit of a twist at the end. Julia is trying to wrap everything up in New York, bringing all of her belongings back to Maine. The problem is that Imogene, who was going to take over the apartment, has just lost her job and broken up with her boyfriend. Julia takes pity on her and brings her to Maine for Christmas. And that's when all the trouble starts. Imogene just attracts disaster. And then Imogene's ex-boyfriend shows up, murdered in the back of the moving truck. This is a novella, and the focus is mostly on Julia and Imogene. The mystery itself was good. We see the clues along with Julia and the cops are...
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Double Indemnity by James M. Cain

Double Indemnity by James M. Cain

by Carol6 Comments
Up until a few years ago, I was an insurance agent, but not like Walter Huff. Huff is good at his job, hard-working, and knows the insurance business inside-out. Then he meets a married woman who he falls for immediately. Her name is Phyllis and she has a thought, not even a plan, just a thought of what she would like to do about her husband. We don't realize at the time, but Phyllis knows exactly what she's doing, exactly what she's suggesting, and really has no qualms and is perfectly capable of holding up under pressure. She is not a nice girl, no matter how she seems at first. It doesn't take Huff long to come up with full-blown plan. They'll kill the husband and they'll get away with the insurance money. He has been in the insurance game for a long time and he knows about every angle ever thought up by anyone to try and pull one over...
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Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers

Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers

by Carol2 Comments
Did you listen to the bell video above? Do, because it's the background to the book. We start with church bells and end with church bells, but it's not a tune like the carillon at our church plays. It's change ringing, more mathematical than melodic. The story actually talks about it a fair amount, but basically, the bells are rung in a sequence, but then go through the "changes" or permutations of that sequence. It can more complicated and the jargon itself is interesting, with bobs and hunts and dodges. Lord Peter Wimsey is the series' amateur detective, an English gentleman, second son of a duke, who is wealthy and solves mysteries for his amusement. On New Year's Eve, his car goes off the road near the village of Fenchurch St. Paul. It just so happens that the church has a fabulous set of bells and Wimsey is recruited to help ring a nine-hour peal, as one of the regular ringers is...
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Fell Murder by E. C. R. Lorac

Fell Murder by E. C. R. Lorac

by Carol6 Comments
In Fell Murder, Lorac does a great job setting the scene. Before the murder even happens, we know the family and their quarrels, the neighboring farmers and the landscape well. For some, the prolonged introduction may make the book seem to start off slow, but I like getting to know the eventual suspects and seeing how they interacted with the victim when he was alive. Garth was a respected, rather than loved, elderly and wealthy landowner. Even though he was tough and mean, he was a hard-worker and dealt with people fairly for the most part. Nevertheless, there are plenty of suspects among the family and neighbors.  MacDonald, our series detective, is called in from Scotland Yard because the local man is too busy and not used to dealing with murders, and it's for the best. The local man is a townie and treats the farmers as if they're stupid. MacDonald is gentler and realizes their slowness in speech and action...
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Binding Dante Lovelace by Jennifer Rainey

Binding Dante Lovelace by Jennifer Rainey

by Carol2 Comments
My two favorite demons, Dante Lovelace and Iago Wick, are in trouble again. Definitely go back and read The Last Temptations of Iago Wick, the first in the series, before Binding Dante Lovelace though. It gives some extra background to the characters that I think it's better when reading this one. The first gives more attention to their jobs as demons, while this one's focus is a bit different. Dante has been bound by a witch, which Hell lets occur. They don't really have their demons' backs when it comes down to it. The witch needs his power to add to hers, but we don't find out why for a few chapters. Turns out the world is actually in danger and Dante has been forced to help save it. Of course, Iago leaves Boston to join him. Of course, saving the world is never easy, especially not for demons. The costs are high. I adore Dante and Iago. I love how...
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