Mystery – Page 54 – Carol's Notebook

The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian

February 14, 2023February 14, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

There are some things I loved about The Raven Thief and some things I could do without. The mystery itself is well-done. Tempest and her grandfather are invited to a "seance" to rid a woman's house of the bad vibes of her ex-husband. Right in the middle, however, her ex drops onto the table - dead, surrounded by raven feathers. Ash, Tempest's grandfather, becomes the chief suspect, so of course, Tempest has to do everything she can to clear his name. Tempest is a former stage magician, so is the perfect person to figure out how the "trick" was done. I'm pretty sure it's a fair play mystery, that the reader gets all the same clues as Tempest and her sidekicks, but I didn't put them together. These books rely a lot on misdirection on the killer's part that our magicians and builders need to unravel, which is fun. I enjoy the puzzle of it. Tempest is a great character, too...

The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman

February 6, 2023February 6, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

I absolutely adore the Thursday Murder Club. This time around Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim are looking into the ten-year-old unsolved murder of Bethany Waites, a journalist/co-host of a television news show. Along with this mystery, Elizabeth has an “encounter” with a man they are calling “The Viking”, who is trying to force Elizabeth to kill someone for him or he will kill Joyce. Each of our characters gets a chance to shine. Elizabeth gets to see spend time with an ex-KGB acquaintance. Joyce gets to flirt with a handsome TV personality. Ron makes a couple of new friends, and Ibrahim gets to do some brainstorming and use his therapy skills. Donna, Chris, and Bogdan are back too. Bogdan is still my favorite character and I love how his relationship with Donna is progressing. The mystery was maybe a little convoluted, but I enjoyed it. Yes, it's unlikely that all these characters would form friendships and work together to bring down (another)...

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews

February 3, 2023December 12, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Against the Currant is the first in a new cozy mystery series set in a newly opened Caribbean bakery. Lyndsay Murray's dream has always been to open a bakery/eatery featuring food and recipes from Grenada where her family came from. It's finally opening day and everything is going wonderfully until in storms Claudio Febrizi, another local baker who does not want any competition. He causes a scene in front of a bakery full of customers and Lyndsay ends up arguing with him and asking him not so nicely to leave. When Claudio turns up dead the next day, Lindsay finds herself as the number one suspect. Lyndsay and her family are close and it was nice to see their connection and how supportive they are to each other both in work and in their personal lives. We get a sense of family, but of community too. We see how the community can band together to support local businesses and culture. I...

Murder at an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan

February 2, 2023February 2, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

I wanted to love Murder at an Irish Castle. On her 30th birthday, Rayne's boyfriend leaves her, taking all of her money and the wedding dresses she's made with him. As the police search for him, Rayne heads to Ireland for her uncle's funeral and finds out she's inherited a castle, but with stipulations. And the uncle's death was murder. Rayne was fine enough as a character on paper, kind of a fish out of water, but creative and determined. I just never really connected to her. Why didn't she check the weather before she packed for Ireland? Why does she not have any normal clothes? Yes, I get that she loves fashion and comes from Hollywood, but it's no wonder her cousin, Ciare, calls her princess. Ciare thought she was going to inherit the castle and is angry that Rayne got it instead. But Ciare is angry and mean and prickly almost the entire book. It's a bit too much....

Sun, Sand, Murder by John Keyse-Walker

January 31, 2023January 30, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Sun, Sand, Murder is set on Anegada, the northernmost of the British Virgin Islands. Unlike the rest of the BVI, it's low and flat, formed by coral and limestone. Teddy Creque is the Special Constable on the quiet island. He's also the customs officer, works the night shift at the power plant, and takes tourists on fishing outings occasionally. Honestly, the "law enforcement" part of his day is probably the easiest, right up until a dead body is found on the beach at Spanish Camp. I have never been to the Virgin Islands or any tropical island, but Sun, Sand, Murder did a good job of making me feel like I was there with its descriptions of the sandy beaches, the feel of the sun, the smell of the breeze. Like at any tourist destination, there is a solid difference between tourists and locals, and those who are in between, like the dead man. Teddy is not a great...

A Good Day to Pie by Misha Popp

January 28, 2023January 30, 2023 by Carol4 Comments

I loved A Good Day to Pie. This is the second in the series featuring pie baker Daisy Ellery. I would suggest reading the first, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies, before starting this one. Daisy has magic that she can bake into her pies and she most often uses that skill to kill abusive men. This time around Daisy has entered a baking contest, apparently like the Great British Bake Off which I've never seen - I've watched enough competitions on the Food Network to get the idea though. It turns out that one of the judges is a man she is supposed to deliver a murder pie to after the contest, which is a bit worrying. It becomes an even bigger problem when the man ends up dead before she can even give him the pie. Now she needs to find out who killed him and whether there is any way the cops might be able to connect Pies...