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...
I have to admit that the reason I read these books is Grove Gardner's narration. He is just perfect for Andy Carpenter's sarcasm and self-deprecating humor. This time around the dog-lover accused of murder is Jeff Wheeler. Two years ago, Jeff's girlfriend was killed when her office building exploded. Jeff has never made it a secret that he blamed her boss, Stanley Franklin, but now that Franklin is dead, murdered in his own home, Jeff is the main suspect. The reader of course knows Jeff is innocent, but Andy and his team need to convince the jury. The best way is to figure out who did do it, but as always that's easier said than done.
The plot is put together well with a couple of nice twists. The courtroom scenes move at a good pace, but the dialogue in this series is always the highpoint. It's funny and sharp. And of course, we have adorable dogs.
While the cover is adorable...
It's Christmas time, which in Mistletoe, Maine, means another murder. This time around, the dead woman is in town with a antiques show, and was caught earlier on the evening she died trying to steal an antique decoration from a bakery. When the bakery owner, Alice, comes under suspicion, Holly want to help. Holly's husband, Sherriff Evan Gray, wants her to leave the mystery to him, especially since she's pregnant.
It annoyed me how everyone treated Holly with kid gloves. Yes, she needed to pay attention to her blood pressure, but that's for her and her doctor to worry about - and maybe Evan, but definitely not everyone in town. She's an adult woman with five solved murders to her credit. She doesn't need baby sitters and constant reminders to watch what she eats. I'll grant you, it frustrated her too, and she did tell her friends and family to back off, but so much of the story was wasted on...
I had high hopes for A Matter of Pedigree. I like starting a series at the beginning and Carole and Frank Capobianco sounded like a good couple to base a series around. Turned out I was not a fan.
Carole and Frank are newly wealthy, thanks to a toilet Frank invented. They make a too high offer on a fancy apartment, but are rejected as "not the right people." When the property owner is found dead, Frank becomes a suspect and Carole takes it upon herself to prove his innocence.
While I loved Frank's parents and the delicious Italian foods they cook, Carole and Frank themselves were annoying. I think Carole's supposed to be funny and quirky, but she's mostly just self-centered and I got tired of hearing about all of the luxury brand items she wore/used. I could have liked her dog, Poopsie, but she was not a great dog owner. She basically drugged the poor puppy so it would stop barking. I understand reactive...
I love pizza, but I will admit that my favorite is Ohio Valley-style, which is about as far from Delilah's gourmet deep-dish pies as you can get. My favorite pizzeria, does not take Valentine's Day reservations, mostly because it doesn't have tables, just a bench for you to sit on while you're waiting for your box.
It's the slow season in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin and about all Delilah has on her plans is trying to drum up business for Valentine's Day so she can continue to make payroll and ice fishing with her great aunt. Then, she and Aunt Biz find a body in the ice. Delilah's boyfriends, Detective Calvin Capone (yes, he’s related to the mobster) is ordered to stay away from the case, so of course Delilah has to do the investigating.
The murder mystery delves into past history and present events. Geneva Bay's history holds mob connections that the town is trying to use to promote tourism, but now...
I read the first in this series starring reporter Jolene Garcia, but this one definitely works as a stand alone. Jolene is looking for the next big story, since the murder she solved in book 1 hasn't really seemed to give her career much of a bounce. However, her bosses have her running all over town to cover cupcakes and stuck elevators, so when a small business owner with ties to the city council is killed, Jolene feels like she's the only one who wants to investigate.
Jolene is an interesting character. She's caring, smart, and tenacious. She's also a bit of a bulldozer and is not above hurting her friends' feelings or pawning assignments off on the intern in order to do what she thinks she needs to. She's ambitious, but maybe not entirely likeable. I liked the peek into a news station and Jolene was a competent investigator.
The mystery itself was well done. It moved along at a...
