Cozy Mystery – Carol's Notebook

Crime Rangoon by Vivien Chien

April 21, 2026April 21, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I might be getting a little tired of this series. This time around Lana's favorite author is killed at an event at Asia Village’s bookshop, The Modern Scroll. Surprise, surprise, her boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau, actually asks for her help this time. I like Lana and her roommate, Megan, but am annoyed by how mean they are to Kimmy, who seems like a decent, if annoying person. They want her help when they need it but otherwise leave her out whenever possible. There was too much of Adam in this one, and he really doesn't seem like the type to break some of the rules he does. The murderer is pretty obvious, not matter how many dead ends Lana complains about, even if the motive isn't. One of the red herrings just kind of fizzled out, which was a little disappointing. The most annoying thing, though, was how many times certain phrases were repeated. More people blew raspberries and flared...

A Staged Death by Samantha Larsen

April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

Tiffany and her husband, Samir, are headed to Bath with their good friend, Thomas Montague. Thomas is engaged to a lovely actress, Rosalyn, but his mother, the Marchioness of Harwood, does not approve. He's hoping Tiffany can help convince her it's a fine match. But of course, Tiffany tends to find dead bodies - this time it's Rosalyn's understudy who is murdered. When an innocent man is arrested, Tiffany starts asking questions. It's the late 1780s, but Tiffany and her family and friends are modern their views of everything from homosexuality, prostitution, to marriage and the treatment of women. It makes it a more enjoyable story to read, but is perhaps not terribly realistic for the era. I'm not sure that Tiffany wouldn't have been arrested for some of the things she did, even with her husband's approval. That being said, we have several nice twists and I do like Tiffany's persistence and intelligence. We have several strong female characters...

A Disorganised Death by Simon Brett

April 8, 2026April 16, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

A Disorganised Death is the fifth book in the of the Decluttering Mysteries, and I haven't/won't read any of the others. I actually disliked this one. The set-up is fine. Ellen is a widow who declutters clients’ houses, but doesn’t handle house clearances. Her daughter, Jools, runs the London branch of the company, and in this installment, they're both dealing with jobs that involve wills, in addition to the decluttering. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by the author. And while yes, I do think it's possible for authors to be great narrators and for men to narrate books told from a woman's first-person point of view, but neither worked here. Ellen is a 50-something woman who sounded like an 80-year old man. It's distracting. Ellen has two adult children. Jools, her daughter, is running her own branch of the decluttering company. She lives with her boyfriend in London. Ellen and Jools don't seem close, but they get along....

Fatality in F by Alexia Gordon

March 18, 2026March 18, 2026 by Carol1 Comment

I liked Fatality in F a little more than the previous one in the series. It's back to more solid ground, or at least as solid as it can be when a ghost is around. Gethsemane is one of those amateur sleuths who has a knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and usually discovering a dead body in the process. This time around a rose show has come to Dunmullach and one of the competitors, who is also Gethsemane's friend Frankie's main rival, is found dead with a pair of garden shears sticking out of his back. In the meantime, Frankie is receiving bouquets reminiscent of the Flower Shop Killer of decades ago. The plot moves along at a nice pace. We had several suspects, clues, red herrings, and several secret agendas. We also learn a bit about the language of flowers and plant-based pharmaceuticals. I like Gethsemane. She a brilliant musician. She's strong and independent....

A Very Novel Murder by Ellie Alexander

February 2, 2026February 2, 2026 by Carol2 Comments

Annie and Fletcher, from the Secret Bookcase Mysteries, have opened up their detective agency and have their first case. Kelly Taylor, a talented surfer and activist, recently drowned in her bathtub, but her elderly neighbor is convinced the young woman was murdered. I like Annie and Fletcher and their friends. They're smart and dedicated. They also have a good relationship with the police and have no problem keeping them updated or calling them in when necessary. Annie's boyfriend is handsome and caring and supportive and her best friend is adorable and a whiz with coffee. Annie's life is pretty good, aside from almost getting killed. There are no conflicts with her friends or employees. The town she lives in is appropriately cozy and walkable. Even the crows like her. Yes, we're told parts of her background have been tough, but it's really no surprise that with her first case, she solves a murder, uncovers a drug dealing operation, and gets...

The Mistletoe Murder Club by Katie Marsh

December 19, 2025December 19, 2025 by Carol6 Comments

I picked up The Mistletoe Murder Club, knowing it's the fourth book in the series and I haven't read any of the others. I am a sucker for a Christmas mystery and this one looked fun. The author did a good job of giving enough background without over explaining. Clio, Amber, and Jeanie are a fun team, but maybe rely more on luck and guesses than actual investigating. Clio is in a Christmas pantomime directed by the famous actress, Beatrice Butler. Unfortunately, there is tension among the cast members and Beatrice is not a nice person. When she ends up dead it's not surprising, the question is which one of them was angry enough to kill her. Detective Marco Santini is leading the investigation, but of course the women are determined to solve it. We have plenty of suspects and clues and the twist was decent. I'm not sure I'll bother going back and reading others in the series, but this...