A Christmas Peril by J.A. Hennrikus

A Christmas Peril by J.A. Hennrikus

by Carol2 Comments
In A Christmas Peril, Sully has her hands full. This year's Christmas Carol is turning into a disaster and her best friend is arrested for murder. One of the difficult parts of cozy mysteries is having a legitimate reason for the amateur detective to be investigating. Sully, however, is perfect. Yes, she's currently a theater manager, but she had years of experience as a cop and it's her best friend who is the chief suspect. She really has no choice but to get involved, and it certainly helps that the family has asked for her assistance. I liked her. She's funny, loyal, smart, strong, but she's also learned some lessons along the way. And she only manages to place herself in major danger once. The dead man was not overly-loved, even by his family, but he was important in the community. The suspect list could have been long, but the only people who could actually have done it had to be...
Read More
Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan

by Carol6 Comments
It's probably no surprise that I enjoyed Murder for Christmas. It ticks off all the boxes: √ Vintage murder mystery √ English manor house √ Eccentric set of characters √ Christmas celebrations √ Amateur detective with a romantic streak Benedict Grame always throws a large house party for Christmas and this year is not exception. It's an interesting collection of people. There's the usual household, Grame and his assistant Nicholas Blaise, his old friend Jeremy Rainer and Rainer's ward, a lovely young woman and her suitor. Grame also has a spinster sister who lives with them and another relative he assists, a gambler with a penchant for practical jokes. There's also a visiting scientist, a politician, a glamorous woman who both Grame and Rainer are attracted too, a couple from the village, and of course Mordecai Tremaine, our amateur detective who has been specially invited. It should be a fun, traditional Christmas. Of course the merriment is interrupted by murder - Father Christmas dead under the decorated...
Read More

Killer Holiday by Amy Korman

by Carol7 Comments
Killer Holiday is a fun, slightly silly romp of a mystery. Kristin and her friends are a hoot and I wish I had read the series in order, so I could feel like I knew them better. They're all introduced well here, but I felt like I was missing some insight into their relationships. It's a large cast, too, and knowing them better would have made it easier to keep track of who was who. As far as the mystery goes, it's pretty straightforward. Once the crew meets Eula's new boyfriend there's little doubt who stole the luggage, but who kidnapped Chip is still a question. It's actually nice to have a mystery that involves theft and kidnapping, but no murders. It's light-hearted and has enough Christmas cocktails, decorations and parties to make it a true holiday read.   Read an excerpt from Killer Holiday: Chapter One Bootsie McElvoy burst through the front door of The Striped Awning, a bag of ice in her right...
Read More

Bones to Pick by Linda Lovely

by Carol8 Comments
Bones to Pick is a fun cozy mystery and I have to admit I love the goat farm setting. Goats are so cute as are their guard dogs. Brie, a vegan, is helping out her Aunt Eva who she adores, when the first skeleton is discovered on the property. I love Brie and her aunt is a hoot. She may be older, but she's competent with a gun, loved by (most of) her neighbors and has a good sense of humor. The other characters are well-drawn to, from the moonshiner, who is way sexier than you would picture, to the vet to the New Age best friend. Even Brie's parents get involved in proving Eva's innocence. The part I didn't like is the love triangle. Brie broke up with her cheating fiancé maybe a year ago and the minute she comes to town she got two attractive decent guys drooling over her. Okay, that was a slight exaggeration, but there are...
Read More

The Case of the Cursed Dodo by Jake G. Panda

by Carol4 Comments
I listened to the full cast audio of The Case of the Cursed Dodo. I am not used to listening to books with more than one, or at most two, narrators, so it did take me a chapter or two to get into the groove of it. It was an interesting set-up though. The book is written in kind of a screen play style, so on audio it felt like you were listening to an old-style radio show, which was pretty neat. I liked the characters, all endangered species, and the hotel that serves as the base of operations. Jake is a good semi-hard-boiled detective, gruff and tough, but also loyal. We've even got a dame, although condors are not really my idea of sexy birds. My one complaint is that there are a few too many bad guys, it got a bit confusing who was on which side and why. I also expected to learn a bit more about the...
Read More

Death at Breakfast by Beth Gutcheon

by Carol8 Comments
I expected to enjoy Death at Breakfast. It seemed right up my alley. Recently retired Maggie Detweiler and her old friend, Hope Babbin, are staying at an inn in Maine and attending a week-long (I think) cooking class held by the chef. A great setting, two intelligent but quirky amateur detectives and food - a promising set-up. Quick review: Fine, but not outstanding. It's not exactly a waste of time, but if you have something you're dying to read, skip this and pick that one up instead. On the other hand, the choice of murder weapons is semi-unique. I guess my main problem with the book is that the character I found most interesting is the one who ends up dead. And he was interesting because of his thoughts, his way of seeing the world, things that we no longer see once he's dead. Maggie and Hope are nice and smart, but I didn't connect with either of them. There are a lot of...
Read More