I read the first Gethsemane Brown mystery back in 2016 when it came out, but never got back to the series. Last year I watched the show on Hallmark mysteries, which was fun. Killing in C Sharp has been sitting on my to-read list for probably years now, but the audio was available from the library and I was in the mood for something light. (I'm always in the mood for something light.)
There is a lot going on in this one. Ghost hunters have come to Gethsemane's cottage to prove her friend and resident ghost, Eamon, exists. A true crime writer is in town working on an updated version of the book she wrote on Eamon and his wife. Aed, a once-famous composer, is premiering his new opera at the opera house and giving a couple guest lectures at the school. He is followed by the reviewer who nearly killed his career with a bad review. And the opera manages...
Bea, Perry and their families are taking a much needed holiday on the beach in Portugal. There are three villas in the complex and the security is good, but the neighbors are famous Hollywood people, which is a little concerning. Bea certainly doesn't want the press showing up. But then the director ends up dead in the pool at a party Perry and Simon are attending and the press becomes the least of Bea's worries.
The man was not universally liked, but the police are focusing on the maid who Bea and her team are sure is innocent. To prove she's innocent, Bea, Perry, Rich, and Simon need to figure out who the real killer is. They definitely have their work cut out for them - turns out almost everyone is lying though and the clues point in different directions.
The characters are fun and I love how well our main group get along and work together. Even the kids...
I've read a couple of the Rivers of London books, which gave me enough background to enjoy The Masquerades of Spring, but since it's a novella that falls outside of the regular series, I also didn't feel like I was missing anything plot- or relationship-wise.
We are in the 1920s in Harlem. Augustus Berrycloth-Young is a very British wizard, who has taken refuge in America. His life is pretty decent - he spends his time listening to jazz, enjoying the city, and being in love with his boyfriend, Lucien. It can be difficult, gay men are hassled by the cops and Lucy, being black, is not allowed into some of the nicest restaurants, even in Gussie's company. And then Thomas Nightingale arrives asking for Gussie's help in finding the original owner of a cursed saxophone. What follows is a decent little mystery, with plenty of action and magic.
I loved the characters in this one. Nightingale is his usual self, if...
I enjoyed this one and I think Amber would have loved it when she was little. We follow the lives of a new litter of wolf pups for a lunar month. Between the full moons, we learn all about how the pups grow and how the wolf pack takes care of the. The illustrations are lovely and the wolf pups are adorable. We also learn about the phases of the moon and there was a bit in the back talking about the Yellowstone Wolf Project and offering other sources for more information on wolves....
I wasn't a fan of The Treasure Hunters Club, but the twist was surprising - even if it was more annoying than clever.
I listened to the audiobook and while the narrator was competent, I may have been a little spoiled by some of the fabulous readers I listened to lately. Or maybe it's tough to do three main characters make them all convincing. We forty year old Peter who is new to town, hoping to make a connection with the grandmother he never knew. Cass is house sitting and trying to write a new book. And finally, there's self-proclaimed teenage detective Dandy, who is grieving after the death of her grandfather. We got a couple murder, a lost treasure, and families keeping secrets.
The concept is great, but the story itself fell flat for me. Each of the characters, and half the town, had good backstories, but weren't fully developed as characters. I didn't really care about them. And the...
This Book Will Bury Me is told from Jane Sharpe's point of view. She's 24, has recently lost her father by way of a heart attack, and has become obsessed with true crime, or maybe more accurate, with a true crime online forum where amateur sleuths discuss clues and theories about the murders in the headlines. I listened to the audio and the narrator does a fabulous job. Her tone and pace match the story well. Each character has a distinctive voice, and she brings out Jane's emotions well.
Take the time to read the author note on this one. She was inspired by several real life murder cases, including the killings in Idaho in 2022, and the loss of her own father. How you feel about that may influence whether you want to pick this one up or not.
The plot is engrossing. Jane has found acceptance and support in her online community, even a bit of fame. Then...
