Mystery – Carol's Notebook

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany

November 13, 2024November 13, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

This time around Gemma and the gang are in London for her sister, Pippa's, wedding. Her ex-husband, Paul, asks her to meet him in his bookstore to see a rare used book, but when she and Grant arrive, they find him dead in his office. Gemma feels like she owes it to Paul to help find the killer. I've read enough of the series to know most of the characters so I didn't feel overwhelmed by all the people we only meet briefly before they get sidelined for most of the story. Gemma and friends traipse all over London, to mansions and nightclubs and coffee shops. The clues lead in several directions, but at the same time Pippa is dealing with a government situation and it's no surprise when Gemma's case and Pippa's job overlap. The story is a little far-fetched and the motive a little weak, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I would rather have been on the Holmes...

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

November 12, 2024November 12, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

In this Christmas novella, which is the third book in the series, Ern once again finds himself on the case of a murder. This time the victim is the current partner of his ex-wife Erin. And of course Erin's been arrested. Ern doesn’t think she's guilty, but can he prove it? I don't usually like meta-fiction, but this series is an exception, mainly because it's fun and funny and knows exactly how hard it's trying. I listened to the audiobook which is the perfect way for me to read it. The story is told in the first person, which works super well for audiobooks. It's like Ern, who is likable as always, is telling us how events unfolded and it even has some minor nods to the listener. The set-up goes along with the season - and the story- 24 chapters, one for each day leading up to Christmas, one for each door in an advent calendar. The murders are clever...

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

November 6, 2024November 6, 2024 by Carol2 Comments

I should have enjoyed She Doesn't Have a Clue. It has so many of the elements I like - an isolated location, a closed circle of suspects, a spooky mansion, a quirky main character/ amateur sleuth. Turned out I was annoyed by it most of the time, but not quite enough to quit, probably because it was on audio. The narrator did a good job. Her pace fit the story well and she managed to keep the (too many) characters distinguished from each other. Quite honestly, she's the reason I stayed around for the reveal and the happy ending. Kate has come to her ex-fiancé's wedding at a mansion on an island in the middle of a storm. Kate is a mystery writer and has a habit of lapsing into thinking about her characters and how they would respond to events in her life, which can be a little confusing at first. The first person she runs into is Jake, aka...

Cupcake Bakery Mysteries #1-3 by Jenn McKinlay

October 29, 2024October 29, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

I picked up the first three Cupcake Bakery Mysteries as a bundle on Audible. The bundles are nice. A credit is not cheap and it's great when you can use one credit to get multiple books, presuming you enjoy them. In Sprinkle with Murder, we're introduced to Melanie Cooper, Angie De Laura and Tate Harper, partners in the Fairy Tale Cupcakes shop and best friends. Melanie and Angie do the baking and Tate supplied most of the start-up money. When Tate's fiancée, Christie, is murdered, all three come under suspicion. Christie was an absolutely terrible person, though, and everyone seems to have a reason to hate her, from her assistants to her wedding vendors. If I hadn't bought the bundle, I might not have listened to more than this first one. Mel and Angie are nice enough characters, but not especially interesting. Their main quirk, shared with Tate, is constantly quoting classic movies. Mel's mother's interference is half the reason she's...

The Manatee Did It by Kay Dew Shostak

October 25, 2024October 25, 2024 by Carol1 Comment

I picked up The Manatee Did It while I was on vacation on Amelia Island and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a cozy beach murder mystery that takes place on the fictional Sophia Island, which is heavily based on Amelia Island. It's always fun to be reading a book and think, "hey, I had dinner at that restaurant yesterday." It's a lovely place by the way. Jewel Mantelle and her husband, Craig, have moved to Florida after they inherits a decrepit old mansion. Jewel is also hoping to breath some life into the marriage, but that plan is not working out so well. Jewel is making friends, including a group of women who have lunch together, but settling into a new town is difficult. It becomes more complicated when the ladies find a dead body in the water during lunch and Craig become the chief suspect. Jewel, along with her new friends, start investigating. It's not that they don't trust the police-...

A Merry Little Murder Plot by Jenn McKinlay

October 23, 2024October 23, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

I am a sucker for Christmas cozies. So, even though A Merry Little Murder Plot is the 15th in the series and I haven't read any of the others, I picked it up. It worked fine as a stand alone for me. I'm sure reading them all in order would have given me more background on the returning characters, but I never felt like I was missing out on something I needed to know. This winter, the Briar Creek library is hosting a a writer-in-residence, thriller author Helen Monroe. She's a bit stand-offish, but writes in the library daily and participates in talks required by her contract. Lindsey Norris, library director and our amateur sleuth, starts to get concerned when another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, is overly interested in the author, maybe even a bit stalkery. When Jackie is found dead, electrocuted by Christmas lights and holding Helen's manuscript, Helen becomes the main suspect. Lindsey isn't sure she's guilty, but she...