Andorra Pett and her side-kick Cy have left behind their man-troubles on Earth and settled on a mining station off Saturn. They're going to make a go at running the little cafe, but there's just one problem - the body in the freezer. Apparently the old owner never actually left. And, since this is a cozy mystery, Andorra has to decide to investigate herself, instead of leaving it to the security force. Her reason is somewhat legit. The owner of the diner, the cafe's only competition, is a bit of a mob boss with ties to everything and everyone and he might be just as happy if she ended up being charged with the murder.
I like the whole set up, the station is full of interesting characters, some more quirky than others. Andorra gathers a group of fabulous friends to help her and Cy out at the cafe and show them the ropes of living on the station. She also...
First I have to mention that the Crown of the Andes is real. It's currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The rest of The Matter of the Crown is entirely fiction, but I really liked having the image of the Crown in my head as I read about it's fictional theft and about the murder, kidnapping, intrigues surrounding it. I tend to love books combining art and mysteries and this one full of twists and turns and interesting characters was as good as I was hoping. I also like the bits of religious history that were thrown in.
The book started out a little tough for me. There are several characters that are introduced and it's tough to see how it's all going to pull together. Eventually, though, once I got into, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Baldo, a retired Italian policeman who along with an American art lawyer, Claire determined to get to the bottom of the...
I love a sweet holiday romance and "Heart Note" fits the bill. Lily is adorable and Christos is sexy as all get out. Sparks start flying from the minute they meet, and I honestly liked them both. It was light-hearted and fun. Their romance is believable, and their are a couple of steamy-ish parts, but nothing to make you blush. They are just a good couple.
The other ladies who work at the perfume counter are enjoyable too. One's very Parisian and the other is a bit of a gossip, but I can see why they are all friends.
The mystery aspect of the plot was a bit lacking, but that's not really the focus anyway. The bad guy gets caught, Christos has to save Lily from a moderate amount of trouble, but it definitely doesn't overshadow the romance.
The story takes place at Christmas in Australia, which makes it a bit different for me. It's summer there this time of year, so...
