Killing the Story by Joan Livingston

Killing the Story by Joan Livingston

Isabel Long is a former journalist who now works as a private investigator. Both jobs play to her strengths; she's curious, tenacious, tough, and determined. This is the first of the series that I've read, but it worked fine as a stand alone. Isabel is hired to investigate the death of a local newspaper editor whose death was originally ruled an accident. I liked Isabel. She's older than most of the main characters in mysteries I read, especially the women. She's probably in her late 60s, has silver hair, but she's smart and funny and attractive. Her mom is her sidekick and the interactions between the two are well-done. They have a close relationship but they both realize the other is strong and smart and capable. Isabel doesn't have to hide anything from her. Isabel has a boyfriend who manages to worry about her without being over-protective. There are several reasons to believe that Estelle's death was not an accident...
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Who Killed Patrick? by Syl Waters

Who Killed Patrick? by Syl Waters

I will admit, I don't pay a lot of attention to authors' websites. I include links at the bottom of my posts, but really don't spend much time looking at them. I stopped by Syl Waters' as I was getting this post ready and her blog caught my attention. Who Killed Patrick? takes place on the island of Fuerteventura, a place I had never hear of but that Waters clearly loves. On her blog, she has several posts talking about the island, but she also has a funny one about a discussion she had with her mom. The sidekick in the book is a guinea pig, which her mom seemed to think made it a children's book until Waters told her about how many bones a guinea pig has. Apparently her mom decided that the guinea pig was not actually much smaller than a chihuahua, the critter companion in a mystery her mom had read recently so maybe it was...
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A Village Murder by Frances Evesham

A Village Murder by Frances Evesham

Amber asked me the other day why I read so many British books. I have a tendency to read bits of books that I find funny or interesting out loud and apparently a lot of them have had British slang/terms lately. I don't have an answer to that question, at least as far as current mystery writers go. I'm a huge fan of Golden Age mysteries, and most of those are British. I guess, I probably am drawn to books set in the present that have the same feeling, as A Village Murder certainly does. A local businessman and town councillor has died and following his funeral, his daughter, Imogene, discovers the corpse of her soon-to-be-ex-husband in the greenhouse. She, of course, is the main suspect. Happily, her new friend and neighbor, is a former detective and believes she's innocent. Between the two of them, they dig up some clues and talk to several other folks who might have had reason...
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A Thoughtful Woman by K.T. Findlay

A Thoughtful Woman by K.T. Findlay

Sally is angry. So is Emma Johnson. They are both widows, their husbands killed by drunk drivers who were not found guilty. Both men, father and son, had the help of the same lawyer and the same cop "misplaced" their blood tests. Those men, all of them, are the ones Sally focuses her rage on and, with Emma's help, she is going to take justice, or revenge, into her own hands. At the same time, two men from a shadowy agency are looking for another man who's been missing for three years, but was also connected with some of the men. This is a tension-filled thriller. Sally is determined and creative and smart. The question becomes are the men or the cops a match for her, especially when she has Emma to rely on? I don't really want to give away too much of the plot, but it's astounding what people are willing to do and how the line between good...
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Mailbox Monday – 3/23

Mailbox Monday – 3/23

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. Tell us about your new arrivals by adding your Mailbox Monday post to the linky at mailboxmonday.wordpress.com. I receive this for review and am looking forward to reading it. My post should be up April 19....
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Christmas at the Chateau by Lorraine Wilson (with giveaway)

Christmas at the Chateau by Lorraine Wilson (with giveaway)

I love Poppy. She's an artist who has followed her dream to France, has adorable puppies and is in love with the perfect man. Christmas at the Chateau is a sweet romance, perfect for holiday reading. It's short, but the characters are charming and kind. The treasure hunt was cute even if the treasure itself was a bit predictable. I do love a Christmas romance with a happy ending. Giveaway to Win a Signed paperback copy of ‘Poppy’s Place in the Sun’ (1st book in the ‘A French Escape‘ series), hand-embroidered makeup bag (made by the author) and some artisanal French chocolates (Open INT) a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative...
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