I picked up The Mistletoe Murder Club, knowing it's the fourth book in the series and I haven't read any of the others. I am a sucker for a Christmas mystery and this one looked fun. The author did a good job of giving enough background without over explaining. Clio, Amber, and Jeanie are a fun team, but maybe rely more on luck and guesses than actual investigating.
Clio is in a Christmas pantomime directed by the famous actress, Beatrice Butler. Unfortunately, there is tension among the cast members and Beatrice is not a nice person. When she ends up dead it's not surprising, the question is which one of them was angry enough to kill her. Detective Marco Santini is leading the investigation, but of course the women are determined to solve it. We have plenty of suspects and clues and the twist was decent.
I'm not sure I'll bother going back and reading others in the series, but this...
Emily is back in town, and of course back to solving murders. She's been gone a year and some things have changed - Sam has a new girlfriend, Violet is at college, and some things haven't- like the diner's black coffee. Each audiobook has three separate novellas and each one is fun and has a bit of suspense. The mysteries are (mostly)self-contained but there is an over-arching storyline that deals with Emily's past. We of course end on a cliff-hanger, which I do find annoying. I will listen to the next one - I don't need a cliff-hanger to guarantee it. Actually, by the time next December rolls around, I'll probably need reminded what was going on anyway....
The King's Ransom is fun in an over-the-top way. Gabriella Rose is adept at finding things, usually for insurance companies or private individuals who are paying her. This time around her ex-husband, Rafer, and his charming but slightly dumb cousin Harley need her help. Harley was acting as a bank president and part of his job involved insuring priceless artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone and a golden Egyptian coffin, at his Board's suggestion. But when the artifacts are stolen, and it looks like Harvey may take the fall for the thefts, Rafer convinces Gabriella that it's up them to find the artifacts and save Harvey's life.
The adventure takes us from New York City to London to Cairo to Florida to Italy. We've got plenty of action, murder, corruption, threats, kidnapping, and a fun conspiracy. We got some sparks between Rafer and Gabriella but they both realize they're better off not married. We also meet a handsome, enigmatic Egyptian man...
I thoroughly enjoyed The Storm. The main story follows Geneva Corliss, owner of the falling down Rosalie Inn in St. Medard's Bay, Alabama. Writer, August Fletcher, books a room at the inn for several weeks while he writes the story of Lo Bailey. Lo was 19 when she was accused of murdering her lover, up and coming politician, Landon Fitzroy, but was found innocent at the trial, with the death blames on a hurricane. Geneva is happy with the income the stay will provide and the possible publicity the book might give the Rosalie. Turns out Lo comes with August - another room rental - and Geneva finds herself wondering if Lo did kill Landon, and what connection Lo has to the inn and to Geneva's family.
The story alternates between the present and the past, slowly revealing the connections between Geneva’s mother, Ellen, and her two friends, Lo and Frieda and the murder forty years ago. Now there's another...
Poor Bella. Her fiancé was recently killed and now her Aunt Adele is dead under mysterious circumstances. Marius Quin, our mystery novelist/ amateur detective, and Bella head to Holly Village, where Adele lived, to figure out what happened. The folks are an interesting lot, mostly older aristocrats, but it's hard for Marius and Bella to imagine any of them as the killer.
Marius and Bella make a good team, although I'm a little tired of Marius' "I love her but can't tell her" bit. The banter between the two is fun and their strengths play off each other well.
The mystery takes place over about two days. We get plenty of clues and the whodunnit might be a little obvious, but there are plenty of Christmas touches that make this a nice read for the season. It's well-researched and lets you feel immersed in the late 1920s in London. It's the 6th in the series but was written to be...
Midge McGowan has just retired from the police form. She was a detective, but has spent most of her career stuck in the property room. As a going away gift the force gives her a weekend trip for one to a haunted mansion on the weekend before Christmas. Midge doesn't want to go for several reasons, but her wife insists. It works as the setup for the mystery and a reason was given, but what a terrible gift. So, off Midge goes on the bus with the other guests, the driver, and the tour host - a rather odd mix of people. Of course, it's not long until someone is killed and the house is cut off from the outside by the snow and an active firing field. I think this might be the first I've read where the house was cut off from help by a firing range.
Midge is a good lead. She's smart, observant, and often overlooked. I...
