The Semester of Our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn

The Semester of Our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn

by Carol6 Comments
First off, the cat in The Semester of Our Discontent is Cady, named after the suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Our dog's name is also Cady. It's the one she came with from the shelter, but maybe I can use the suffragist line too? This is the first in the Lila Maclean mysteries, all of which I'm hoping to read during March for the Can You Read a Series in a Month? challenge. Dr. Lila Maclean, a recent PhD graduate, has just been hired at the prestigious Stonedale University, where her cousin, Calista, is also a professor. Lila loves teaching and is passionate about Gothic and Mystery writing, probably one of the reasons I like her. She is not however thrilled with the pompous, sexist chair of the English department, who of course winds up murdered. The Semester of Our Discontent is a smart, fun mystery, with a bit of humor to it. The college was a perfect setting and the...
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Secrets on the Côte d’Azur by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

Secrets on the Côte d’Azur by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

by Carol2 Comments
Yep, it's another one of the Mydworth mysteries. Secrets on the Côte d'Azur might be my favorite so far. Harry and Kat are on a work/pleasure trip to the French Riviera. Harry has to do a bit of government work and then they can enjoy themselves. Until Aunt Lavinia introduces them to a friend in need of help. Percy Porter, an English pickle baron, is being blackmailed over his relationship with a younger French cabaret singer. The mystery is good. Harry and Kat do a lot asking questions and tailing people. I appreciated the twist in the whodunnit. The characters in this one were great. Harry and Kat are their usual charming selves, but we meet some new people who are entertaining and add a lot to the story....
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The Wrong Man by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

The Wrong Man by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

by Carol2 Comments
The Wrong Man is #7 in the Mydworth series. I don't know that it can really stand alone. I think you'd miss too much about Kat and Harry's place in the village, and honestly, they're each short and fun so why not read them all? Actually, I listen to them. They are perfect for car rides, for walking the dog, for doing chores. The Wrong Man is interesting, has some twists and turns, but is light enough that doesn't need your full attention. It is almost Valentine’s day when Kat and Harry are asked to do whatever they can to save Oliver Brown who is set to be hung for murdering his lifelong friend Ben Carter. The problem is the evidence is overwhelming, and the execution is at dawn in just a couple of days. I really wish the wife would have talked to them earlier, but that would have taken away the tension the deadline provides. Ben’s murder was a...
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Danger in the Air by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello

Danger in the Air by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello

by CarolNo Comments
Amelia Earhart is in England doing a series of shows in order to raise money toward the “Ninety-Nines” – a new organization Amelia is helping found for all female aviators worldwide. Amelia has just finished a show in London and she, along with her sister, Pidge, American reporter Ronald Greene, scheduling agent Wallace Smythe, and chief engineer Paddy O’Brien are heading to a fundraiser at Mydworth Manor. She is flying in a new plane, the Firefly, while the others are driving there. Of course, something happens to the plane, but Amelia manages to land it without injury or damage. Harry realizes that the accident could have been an attempt on Amelia's life and he and his wife, Kat, decide to find out who caused the sabotage and to make sure it doesn't happen again. We've got several suspects, but it was pretty easy to figure out who the bad guy was. Overall, it's a fun story, but not my favorite of...
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The Valentine Dine or Die by J.B. Michaels

The Valentine Dine or Die by J.B. Michaels

by CarolNo Comments
I love a good holiday-themed cozy and The Valentine Dine or Die is only 99¢ for Kindle. I did read the first in the series last year, but this one could work fine as a standalone. Mac and Millie, our ex-cop and witch, are back in another fun mystery. What could be better than an interactive mystery dinner experience, especially for Valentine's Day? Mac can't pass up free tickets to the dinner, especially since he hasn't bought a present yet. Of course, since this is a cozy mystery, when the lights go out at dinner, someone ends up well and truly dead. Maybe it's a suicide, probably not. Mac and Millie make a good team, they have some cute banter and they actually trust each other. Vance, Mac's brother, is handling the case for the cops, but he's hitting some dead ends, and Mac doesn't have to follow the rules, which makes his help useful. The characters, even the secondary ones,...
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A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette

A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette

by Carol2 Comments
A Deadly Inside Scoop is the first book in the Ice Cream Parlor mystery series. Bronwyn "Win" has taken over the family ice cream shop, and she is off to a rocky start with the weather and then finding a body in the snow. It starts to look like her father is a suspect. Win and her friend Maisie team up and do some amateur sleuthing to find out who killed Stephen Bayard, a con man who has a past with Win's family. I love the ice cream shop and the flavors Win comes up with. I also like that it's set in my home state. I've never been to Chagrin Falls, but it sounds like a cute town. I liked Win and her family well enough, especially her grandfather. Win has two best friends, Riya and Maisie. Riya has quite a temper and Maisie is a little ditzy and maybe watches too many mystery tv shows. They are both mostly...
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