Mystery – Page 90 – Carol's Notebook

Taking Out the Trash by Tristi Pinkston

July 16, 2019July 17, 2019 by Carol4 Comments

Taking Out the Trash is a cozy mystery that's trying to be funny, but fell flat for me. Estelle is a middle-aged housewife with an accountant husband, an adult son, and a quirky best friend, Vera. The cops find a Senator's body in her garbage can and her son, who has an internship in Washington, quickly comes under suspicion. Of course, Estelle and Vera have to investigate; they can't have Andrew convicted of the murder. I like that Estelle and her husband are a stable, loving couple, but I tend to prefer my heroines with a bit less lying to their husbands/having their husbands treat them like they can't take care of themselves. Granted, maybe she can't, she does end up in a couple of dangerous situations, but still, that's standard cozy behavior. And I wish she could have kept the hair color that made her feel so pretty. She also seemed a bit older than her early-60s to me,...

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

July 2, 2019July 2, 2019 by Carol8 Comments

So, if I had to pick a favorite genre I would choose mystery, but I can narrow it down even farther: mysteries that take place in country houses over the holidays. These tend to be vintage mysteries, which I love, but The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley fits right into that category too. The holiday is New Year's and the country house is actually a remote resort in Scotland, where the group of friends has been isolated from the outside world by a blizzard. We know from the first page that one of them is dead, but we don't know who exactly the victim is until the last few chapters. I was impressed by how well Foley kept unfolding the secrets and clues bit by bit, without letting on who either the killer or the victim was. I can't think of a book I've read lately that kept the suspense going that well. The friends are not nice, likable people. They're like...

Death of a Ladies’ Man by Helena Marchmont

June 27, 2019June 27, 2019 by Carol6 Comments

Alfie's life in London merges with his life in Bunburry in Death of a Ladies' Man. This is the fourth in the series and can stand alone, but it would be much better to go back and read them all. They're short and enjoyable, and like most series it's better to read them in order. Two of Alfie's acquaintances from London show up. They are gaudy and snobbish and want Alfie to invest a bunch of money in some scheme or other. Also in town is Mario Bellini, who makes the best ice cream in London. Mario makes a bit of a stir in town. He's handsome and an irrepressible flirt who makes at least one local husband quite angry. Alfie loves the ice cream and gives Mario his card so he can have some shipped. Unfortunately, when Mario is found dead, Alfie's card is still in his pocket, and the incompetent sheriff at first focusses on that. But the jealous...

A Knife in the Fog by Bradley Harper

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 by Carol4 Comments

A Knife in the Dark is a fun mix of fact and fiction. We all know Arthur Conan Doyle as the creator of Sherlock Holmes and many of us know that Homes was based on real-life Professor Joseph Bell. These two, along with Margaret Harkness are hired to help with the Jack the Ripper investigation. I didn't know who Margaret Harkness was, so I looked her up. She was a journalist and writer, was one of many late Victorian emancipated ‘New Women’ and was engaged in lobbying for progressive reform legislation. Harper also includes many other real people in his story, those actually involved in the investigation and those on the periphery. He uses the real clues and shapes his story around them. I'm not particularly fascinated with the Jack the Ripper murders, but Harper does a good job. I enjoyed the characters, especially Professor Bell. As a team, they are smart and not afraid to take risks. And it's...

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 by Carol2 Comments

Four women invented time travel in 1967. Three went on to become rich and famous. One went on to have a breakdown and be cut off from her friends. The Psychology of Time Travel is clearly science fiction, but it's also a murder mystery and even more about women and their relationships. I'm in general not a big time travel fan. It can so easily turn wonky. Here time travel is treated almost cavalierly. It was invented and people exploit it. Time travelers themselves regularly get together with their "green selves" and "silver selves," sometimes having over a dozen of themselves in the same place at the same time. It does allow for some interesting interactions and to see how time travel affects the individuals. Because that's what the book is about, how time travel affects people, mentally and emotionally, not about how it works or how it affects cultures or politics. The murder mystery bit was interesting. It's a locked...

A Taste of Murder by Helen Marchmont

June 7, 2019June 7, 2019 by Carol4 Comments

“A Taste of Murder” is the third in the Bunburry series. I guess it could stand alone, but I’d suggest reading the first two. They're short anyway, around 100 pages, so it’s not a huge commitment, and that way you’ll be introduced to the town and Alfie and have more background going on this one. Alfie is settling into village life. He has friends and a favorite restaurant, even though his friend, Oscar, is still trying to lure him back to London with food and Oscar Wilde quotes. And of course we have another murder in quiet little Bunburry. Just after Alfie's friend, Betty, learns that a local farmer is no longer treating his cows humanely, the farmer ends up dead. The incompetent and mean sheriff of course jumps to the conclusion that the killer must have been Betty and Alfie's ready to jump to her defense. I always wish the Bunburry books were a little longer. I really like the characters and the charming town....