Motion for Murder by Kelly Rey

by Carol2 Comments
Motion for Murder is a cute, light mystery. Jamie has a lousy job, but gets even worse when one of the partners in the law firm she works at is killed. One of her co-workers is probably the killer, the question is who? I like Jamie. She's funny, but she lets people take advantage of her. The reason for her investigating is a bit weak, though. Hilary, the widow, who she doesn't like, has insisted that she look into one of her co-workers and her natural curiosity and/or worry that she might be next, keeps her digging around. I will say the killer's identity caught me totally off-guard. It made sense, just wasn't someone who was on my radar at all. The secondary characters are a mixed bag. I like Curtis, Jamie's landlord and love interest. He's a good guy, but he rides the line between trying to keep Jamie safe and semi-encouraging her to investigate, which is a little odd. Her...
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The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M. H. Boroson

by Carol3 Comments
The Girl with Ghost Eyes is an enjoyable read, but I felt like it was straddling the line between YA and adult historical fantasy, which threw me off a little. I can't put my finger on why it felt like that. Li-lin is not a teenager, she's in her early 20s, I think, and a widow. So, it's not her age. There isn't a love triangle. I listened to the audio, and maybe the writing sounded a bit simple at times and there were definitely repetitive sections. I don't know. Am I the only one who got that feeling? I listened to the audio and was glad that I did. Zeller brings Li-lin to life, but I also like to hear the Chinese words and phrases, not try to struggle with reading them. Li-lin is a good character. She is tough and strong and a talented martial artist. She's also a Daoist exorcist who has ghost eyes, meaning she can see all the spirits, ghosts...
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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

by Carol3 Comments
How can I really write any comments about Pride and Prejudice that haven't already been written? This is probably my third time reading it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The dialogue, and the story relies on its dialogue, is sparkling and fun. Elizabeth and Darcy are a wonderful couple and complement each other well. This time around I actually chose to read it because my daughter is reading it for her English class and it's nice to be able to discuss the books she's reading at dinner or on car rides. I didn't read A Tale of Two Cities with her, and I only partly remembered Dracula, but I'm glad I joined her in this one. Amber and I have talked about the story some. It's interesting, since she's looking at it from a different perspective. She's 17 and it's the first time she's read it. Neither of those things can be said of me. I think the thing that struck me...
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Cozy Christmas Shorts from Gemma Halliday Publishing

by Carol3 Comments
This was my last Christmas read for the season. Like most anthologies, it has its ups and downs. Each of these short stories fits into a series, but the only series I had read before is the Southern Pasta Shop mysteries. I will say that each story gave a good feeling for the main character and style of mystery and I'd like to read more of a few of them. Most of the mysteries were cute and fun, but I did have a few favorites. I didn't really hate any of them, but there were a couple that I wasn't fond of. Favorites: "Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas" by Leslie Langtry - The Bombay family may be assassins, but they are funny, pragmatic, inventive and really care about each other. And I loved the spin they took with And Then There Were None. "A (Gingerbread) Diorama of Death" by Gin Jones - Helen, the main character, seems like an interesting lady, even though...
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Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod

by Carol1 Comment
I had never read anything by Charlotte MacLeod until I read her story in Mistletoe Mysteries a couple of weeks ago. When I was looking for a Christmas mystery that I hadn't read yet, I ran across Rest You Merry. Since her story in the collection had been fine, not one of my favorites but not one I disliked, and this is the first in a series, I decided to give it a listen. I'm glad I did. Peter Shandy is a great character and the way the holiday tied into the mystery was well-done. I don't want to spoil anything but the way the murder was covered up was very Christmassy. I loved the beginning. After being begged for years to decorate his house for the annual celebration/fundraiser, Peter finally does, and goes purposely way overboard and tacky -  and then leaves town. Perfect. Of course, he has to come back and face the (too loud) music earlier than he...
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The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay

by Carol4 Comments
The Santa Klaus Murder is a vintage mystery, set in a country home where the family, and a couple of others, are together to celebrate Christmas. Add in a murder and it should be a perfect read for me. Unfortunately, I found it rather lackluster. It starts off slow, with members of the household telling their version of the events leading up to the murder. Sir Osmond was not a nice father, overbearing and holding the children's inheritance over their heads so that they would marry someone he deemed appropriate. Everyone had their own reasons for not liking the man. I was listening to the audio version and it got a little confusing as to who was who. It definitely picked up once Colonel Halstock takes charge of the investigation, but it's still has a few too many problems for me to really recommend it. - Just too many characters. Maybe it was because I was listening to the audio, but between the family,...
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