Cozy Mystery – Page 23 – Carol's Notebook

Murder at Bray Manor by Lee Strauss

January 24, 2023January 20, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Lady Ginger Gold is called back to her late husband's family home, Bray Manor. The Dowager Lady Gold, Ginger's grandmother through marriage is convinced there is a ghost in the house, moving items from room to room to frighten her. Ginger's relatives have opened the manor to host group events to bring in some much-needed income. The manor hosts a charity dance that goes quite well, but the next morning one of the guests is found dead at the edge of the pond. The local police are out of their depth, so Ginger suggests the services of Scotland Yard be brought in and has them call Detective Inspector Basil Reed. This time around there were a lot of people to keep track of - neighbors, the members of the knitting group, a man Ginger knew during the war. It was another fun entry though, even if I felt "meh" about the solution. I just finished listening to the 4th but...

Murder at Hartigan House by Lee Strauss

January 23, 2023January 20, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Murder at Hartigan House picks up where Murder on the S.S. Rosa left off. Ginger has just arrived back at Hartigan House in London where she grew up, to take care of her deceased father's estate and decide what she wants to do with the house. The house has been shut up for the past 10 years and has just been readied for her return. There is some distressing news, however. Pippins, the family's long-time butler, has discovered the body of a woman. When circumstances and evidence begin to point towards her father, Ginger decides to investigate and once again finds herself "assisting" Chief Inspector Basil Reed. If I'm ever involved in a murder, remind me not to go the "party" where all the people who were at the event when the person was killed get together again. It never turns out well. Either somebody else gets killed, like in this story, or I'd end up getting accused of murder. The mystery...

Murder on the SS Rosa by Lee Strauss

January 21, 2023January 23, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

It's the Roaring 20's and Ginger Gold is sailing on the SS Rosa to settle her father's estate in England when the captain is murdered. There are several suspects among the passengers and crew. Ginger used to work for the secret service in some form or other and is more than capable of helping solve the case. This novella is a fun introduction to Ginger and her dog Boss, her American friend Haley, and the handsome Chief Inspector Basil Reed. It's a charming mystery and I have to admit to loving all of the 1920s touches. Ginger is fun and observant. She's a member of upper society but after the war society is changing and she's fine with that. The dialogue is witty and it kept me guessing. It's also short, which is nice sometimes....

The Christmas Caper by Gigi Pandian

January 4, 2023January 4, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Edinburgh at Christmas sounds wonderful. In this short story, Tempest is asked by her grandmother's friend to figure out how a painting was stolen from a museum, a seemingly impossible crime. The plot is pretty straightforward, but I loved the setting. The author does a fabulous job at bringing Edinburgh and its Christmas market to life. I would really love to visit sometime. One of my favorite fictional bookstores even gets a mention. Tempest is her usual clever self and her grandparents are a joy. We don't get to know the new characters well, but they worked fine for the story. There are also a couple of recipes in the back that sound delicious. I haven't tried the yet though....

Not Mushroom for Death by Helen Golden

December 16, 2022December 16, 2022 by CarolNo Comments

Lady Beatrice, Simon Lattimore, and Perry Juke are back at it again and totally at odds with Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam. I really enjoy these characters. Lady Bea can get a little annoying, but the banter between her, Simon, and Perry, and the friction with Fitzwilliam make up for it. There is a celebrity cooking event being held on the grounds of Fenn House, the king’s private estate in Fenshire. Lady Bea and Perry are at the estate to refurbish several rooms of Fenn House. Sebastiano Marchetti, Bea's boyfriend, is there too, overseeing the event which features several celebrity chefs. I was not a fan of Seb in the last book and continue to feel the same way. Daisy, Bea's West Highland Terrier, doesn't like him either. When chef Luca Mazza becomes ill after his demonstration and ends up dying, Fitzwilliam has to investigate and decide if it is accidental or murder. Of course, Bea and her friends can't help...

Death at Beresford Hall by Emma Davies

December 12, 2022December 12, 2022 by CarolNo Comments

Death at Beresford Hall is the 4th in the Adam and Eve series. It worked okay as a stand-alone, but I think I would have benefitted from knowing a bit more about Fran and Adam and their previous cases. We're kind of dropped in the middle of the action. Fran is undercover at a cooking show tv competition, posing as a writer gathering "behind the scenes" info about the show, with Adam there to assist. The show's star, Miranda Appleby, has been receiving threatening gifts and Fran and Adam are charged with finding out who is doing it. Things turn more complicated when Miranda manipulates Fran into stepping in as a contestant on the show. Then, of course, Miranda ends up murdered, killed with a cake knife. The "behind the scenes" peek at a reality cooking show was fun. There's plenty of jealousy and backstabbing and secrets. The clues were tucked in well, with several red herrings and enough suspects to...