The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny

by Carol10 Comments
I love Penny's Gamache series. I may want to live in Three Pines and be friends with the characters - as long as I didn't get murdered; it's one of those towns where you don't want to be a minor character or a new arrival. Actually, there are a lot of new characters in this one and we know one (or more) is the killer. The Nature of the Beast is set in Three Pines, where Inspector Gamache has now retired with his wife Reine Marie, but of course life can't be quiet for Gamache. A young boy is killed in the village and by not believing what the boy had told him, Gamache feels partly responsible for the death. At the same time, the local amateur theater is planning on producing a play written by a serial killer. As readers, or listeners in my case, we know the two have to be connected, but the question is how. This time, the...
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Malice by Keigo Higashino

by Carol4 Comments
Keigo Higashino is a Japanese author, apparently a very popular one. I've read two of his books before from the  and loved them. This one is from a difference series, #4, but the only Kaga mystery translated into English at this time. Happily is stands well on its own. As the blurb states, the story is more of a cat and mouse game than a traditional mystery. We learn early who the killer is, even hear their confession, but as Kaga, our detective, digs deeper he questions what he's been told. I have to say I've never read a mystery quite like this one, and I've read a lot of mysteries. The killer's thought process and actions are pretty fascinating really and the motive was not what I was expecting. In the beginning, we see things from two points of view, Kaga's and Nonoguchi's, but as time goes by we hear more Kaga's thoughts and his interviews with people who knew the...
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Bigfoot Blues by Ricardo Sanchez

by Carol1 Comment
Loved it! I might have a soft spot for quirky mysteries that involve taxidermy - alright, I've only read 2, but both were great. Bigfoot Blues is the second in the series, and it works fine on its own, but honestly I'd suggest reading Elvis Sightings first. I read this one first and liked it so much I had to go back and get #1 anyway. This is just a flat-out fun, quick read. Crazy characters, an evil corporation, mythical monsters. I will say you have to just relax and go with it. When you have a private investigator who dresses like Elvis and has a little person named Goliath as a side-kick, you know this is not your standard detective novel. It's silly, but enjoyable with several laugh-out-loud moments. It is a mystery though, and in the midst of the nutty characters and general wackiness of the town, Floyd has to follow the clues and keep from getting bit. Sanchez plays fair with the mystery...
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Elvis Sightings by Ricardo Sanchez

by Carol1 Comment
Sometimes I forget how fun books can be. If you read the blurb above, you know this mystery's definitely quirky and pushing believability. But I loved it, pure and simple. The mystery itself is pretty good. The author plays fair enough with clues and motives. It's the characters that are outrageous and the situations they find themselves in. It's not a book for everyone. It's silly in some spots and laugh-out-loud funny in others. You have to be able to just relax and go with the ride. I don't want to tell too much and spoil the fun. It's like a ride at an amusement park that you just can't stop smiling during. Elvis Sightings is in no way serious, just really light, enjoyable summer read. It's one of my faves so far this year.  ...
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Day Shift by Charlaine Harris

by Carol5 Comments
I want to live in Midnight. It's a really, really small town full of really, really odd people, but they are all so friendly toward each other and protective of each other. I'd love to visit Fiji's shop or have dinner with them all at the (only) local restaurant. I guess this is a mystery - who killed Manfred's client, but there is a lot going on in the background. The new hotel in town is questionable. And the new kid in town could be more dangerous than they suspect. As far as the mystery goes though, I was surprised by the whodunit and equally by the "justice" they received. We learn a lot about the characters and who/what they are in this one, it's more about them than the actual plot in some ways. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job. She gives everyone their own personalities, even the visitors to town. The...
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Killer Dolphin by Ngaio Marsh

by Carol1 Comment
Ngaio Marsh's Inspector Alleyn books are comfort reads for me. When I'm tired or grouchy or don't know what I feel like reading, I pick one up. Whenever I see one at a used bookstore I pick it up, but I'm thrilled that they've published a bunch for the Kindle. This one opens with an odd set of circumstances that ends with Peregrine Jay restoring the Dolphin Theater and the opening production is his original play, The Glove, with the Shakespearean glove itself on display. The first half of the book lets us peak backstage. We meet the various actors, witness their petty feuds and jealousies. I enjoy this part of Marsh's books in general, the characters are always fun, sometimes stereotypical, but she always pulls together great casts. And of course, you're wondering who's going to die, because someone is. The second half of the book deals with Alleyn's investigation, which consists of lots of interviews and some clue-searching. I really...
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