Mystery – Page 63 – Carol's Notebook

Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison

September 8, 2021September 8, 2021 by Carol4 Comments

I loved the setting in Death at High Tide. We have a 1920s hotel that was updated a bit too much in the 70s on a remote island in the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall. The island can only be reached at low tide and it's off season, so very few people are staying there. Like any good isolated setting, we have a limited number of people. Evie and her sister, Margot, are our main characters. Evie's husband has recently died, leaving Evie on pretty shaky financial ground. But, there were papers that suggested she may be the owner of the hotel, so Evie and Margot head off, to see the hotel and to get away for a weekend. The sisters are a good pair, opposites who nevertheless support each other when push comes to shove. We've got the husband and wife who own the hotel, a couple of staff, and an older, nosy woman who lives there...

Deadly Cargo by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

September 3, 2021September 2, 2021 by Carol2 Comments

American Kat Reilly and Brit Sir Harry Mortimer are settling into married life together in Mydworth. Kat no longer works in interesting ways for the American government, but Harry still works and has connections in Whitehall. Together, they have investigated some interesting cases, which they love doing. This time around, a local companies delivery trucks are being stopped and their contents, radios, stolen with some regularity. Kat and Harry use their training and intelligence to get to the bottom of the mystery. We've got some twists, turns, red herrings, and a glimpse at how technology was changing at the time. The story moves quickly, without any dull moments, and I was surprised by the whodunnit. It's always fun to spend time with Kat and Harry....

Red Tide at Heron Bay by Gerri Hill

September 2, 2021November 12, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

The romance and mystery in Red Tide at Heron Bay are evenly balanced. Harley Shepherd comes to Heron Bay Resort to investigate a case of vandalism. Lauren Voss is the manager of the resort, which is owned by her grandmother. Even though both women have been living in the town for a while, this is their first meeting. Harley is friendly and casual, but Lauren immediately finds her annoying. Of course, they both have pasts. Lauren had a bad breakup; Harley has come to the small town after an incident when she was a homicide detective in San Antonio. The mystery was interesting. Of course, the vandalism is just the tip of the iceberg. First a dead bird, then a dead body is found. There's a killer at Heron Bay and Harley will need Lauren's cooperation to find them. The clues were tucked in well and Harley was a competent investigator. Once Lauren realizes the danger, she is reasonable...

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

August 25, 2021August 25, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

First off, A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second in the series, and it really is better to read #1 first. It will give you a much fuller picture of our main characters and their backstories. I really enjoyed A Good Day for Chardonnay. Sunshine is a fabulous character, sarcastic, funny, loyal. She is surrounded by quirky but incredibly helpful and supportive friends, some of who are on her staff, and parents who are caring but have a bad habit of meddling in her life. She's got a smart 16-year old daughter, who has a boyfriend that is way cooler and competent than any kid I knew at that age. There's a lot going on in the book. Sunshine Vicram is still looking into a case from her past. Auri, her daughter, thinks she's on the trail of a serial killer who was active in the 50s and 60s. And then there's a stabbing in town that leads to a...

Sinners and Saints by Helena Marchmont

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 by Carol2 Comments

Sinners and Saints was a fun addition to the series. And do read them in order. They are short and you get to know the colorful cast better that way. Here we get to know a bit more about the vicar, Philip, who has been a good friend to Alfie, but has a pretty big secret. This time around the crime is a theft and vandalism, and while Philip is a suspect, Alfie and the crew can't quite believe it. I don't understand why Harold Wilson is still a police sergeant, he's worse than incompetent. Yes, cozies often need bumbling police, but Wilson is a little over the edge. Thankfully, this series relies more on characters than plot. I was disappointed that the culprit didn't show up at all until the very end. He walks into the scene, admits he did it, and Emma takes care of the situation. Sorry for the spoiler, but you knew the vicar didn't do it....

Deadlier than Fiction by Helena Marchmont

August 14, 2021August 11, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

This time around much of the action is center on the new Bunburry public library Alfie has helped set up. It's in the massive home of Mrs. Radford-Jones, who is a wonderful character, caring and proper and rich. A widow comes to the "Bunberry Triangle" convinced her husband was frightened to death, so scared of something that he had a heart attack. Turns out the man was the second member of a book club to die. The story is good and I love the new characters. Alfie doesn't actually do much investigating, more stumbles onto things. And really should stop worrying about Betty, who has still not come back or communicated with him. Liz and Marge have very little to do this time around either. While I loved the new characters, the plot was a bit lacking. There was too much "we just happened to be talking about this yesterday," and "I just happened to wander past her empty cottage." Really...