And yes, I finally got the Index updated! I even added a couple of new categories, one of which is seven months overdue.
Meanwhile, here's what I read this month.
All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).
Script for Scandal by Renee Patrick (Lillian
Frost and Edith Head #3) – 5
In 1936, a bank robbery took place in Los Angeles. While the robbers were killed, the money was
never found, and rumors have circulated that there was someone else
involved. Most suspect that the someone
else was LAPD Detective Gene Morrow, the boyfriend of Lillian Frost. While the rumors have mostly died down, they
are about to come out again in 1939 thanks to a new movie being filmed at
Paramount. Costume designer Edith Head
has seen the script, and she gets a copy to her friend Lillian so she and Gene
can be prepared. Lillian is more concerned
than Gene and actively tries to find out who the writer is claiming is his source
for this movie. She hasn’t been looking
for too long before someone turns up dead.
Can Lillian and Edith figure out what happened back then and how it is
impacting what is happening today?
I was so happy when this series found a new home because I
enjoyed the first two books so much.
This book is just as strong. The
authors mix real people with the fictional characters so expertly I am sure I
missed some of the cameos. Yet everyone
comes across as real. I did think the
plot was wandering a bit early on, but everything became an important part of
the story before it was over. Not that I
was complaining since I was hooked for most of the book and couldn’t wait to
see how it would all turn out. Both
Edith and Lillian are instrumental to solving the crime in the end. Meanwhile, there is a delightful subplot
involving Lillian’s boss preparing for a job as an extra that leads to a
hilarious scene. This book brings old Hollywood
to life in every detail, and I enjoyed every minute spent in that world. This book will delight Edith and Lillian’s
fans and win them new ones.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson
(Gaslight Mysteries #10) – 5
In the spring of 1897, New York City Detective Sergeant
Frank Malloy has been given permission by NYPD Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt
to focus solely on solving Dr. Tom Brandt’s murder. However, since people are expecting Teddy
Roosevelt to be called to Washington to serve in the new administration at any
moment, Malloy knows he must act quickly to solve the case. He has three good suspects and a description
of the murder weapon, but he is facing the fact that Tom died over four years
ago. He can’t establish alibis, and the
killer might have gotten rid of the weapon over the years. He’ll only have one shot at confronting the
suspects as well since his best weapon is the element of surprise. Can he gather enough evidence to get the
killer to confess? Will Sarah Brandt,
Tom’s widow and Frank’s friend, be happy with what Frank learns along the way?
Dr. Brandt’s murder has been an ongoing storyline since the
first book, so I was happy to finally see it solved. Ironically, Sarah doesn’t play an active part
in solving it, but she is still an active part of the book as she reacts to
what Frank is learning and her scenes are just as compelling. We get to see a different side of several
characters, including Frank’s new sleuthing partner, but Sarah gets the most
development, which only makes sense. We
have three viewpoint characters over the course of the book, but the changes
are always easy to follow. The plot is
strong and kept me confused until we reached the satisfying ending. It did seem a bit repetitive early on, but
that was a minor issue overall. If you
are new to the series, you could jump in here without missing too much since
everything you need to know is explained.
As always, I felt like I was in 1897 with the little details and
character’s attitudes acting like a time machine. I’m curious to see how the series will
progress without this storyline an active part of things, but I am satisfied
with how this storyline was wrapped up.
Buyer, Beware by Diane Vallere (Samantha Kidd
#2) – 5
Samantha Kidd is excited about another fashion store opening
up in her hometown of Ribbon, Pennsylvania.
She and some friends attend the opening night party, but the party ends
abruptly when Samantha stumbles on the body of a dead woman in the handbag
department. The woman was the store’s
handbag buyer, and the police quickly rule it a murder. Then Samantha gets another shock – the
store’s owner asks Samantha to take over the dead woman’s job and use her
position to help figure out what happened.
But is Samantha putting herself in danger by taking a dead woman’s job?
I might not normally have picked up this book because of the
fashion theme, but I already knew that author Diane Vallere can craft a great
cozy mystery. Yes, fashion is certainly
an aspect of the book, and even plays into the plot, but it never overwhelmed
the story or bored me since the book never loses sight of the fact that it is a
mystery first and foremost. And what a
mystery! The suspects are all
outstanding and do a great job of misleading us. Samantha has to deal with twists and red
herrings galore until she finally figures things out. I did feel a few of the details could have
been smoothed into the story better, but that’s a minor complaint overall. I enjoyed this book and need to make time to
visit with Samantha again soon.
The Silent Second by Adam Walker Phillips
(Chuck Restic #1) – 4
Chuck Restic has spent twenty years in HR, and he’s good at
his job – making sure employees get along so they don’t sue each other or, more
importantly, the company. That’s how he
first meets Ed, who has had a complaint filed against him. Ed seems like a nice guy, and their meeting
goes well, but then Ed disappears a couple of days later. A plea from Ed’s family to figure out what
happened to him intrigues Chuck. He’s
recently separated from his wife, and he wants to do something to fill his time
away from work, so he uses his boredom as an excuse to start poking around. The trail quickly leads to real estate around
Los Angeles, but how could that have led to Ed’s disappearance?
I’d seen the author speak at a library event a while ago,
and I thought this book sounded like fun.
While I certainly enjoyed it, I found the book to be darker in tone than
I was expecting. There were a few laughs
when Chuck was in HR mode, but for the most part, this felt more like a hard-boiled
book. But that’s my only complaint with
the book. I really did like Chuck – in
fact, I could identify with him a bit too much.
(Maybe that was part of my problem.)
The rest of the cast are just as strong and become well-rounded people
as we learn most about them. The plot
was great with plenty of twists and an ending I didn’t see coming. The book was light on foul language and
didn’t get too graphic with the violence or sex, which I most definitely
appreciated. This is a solid debut, but
pick it up when you are in the mood for something on the darker side.
“P” is for Peril by Sue Grafton (Kinsey
Millhone #16) – 3
Nine weeks ago, Dr. Dowan Purcell vanished without a
trace. Now, his ex-wife, Fiona, has
hired PI Kinsey Millhone to figure out what happened to him. Kinsey isn’t sure she can cover any ground
that the police haven’t already covered because they have been as thorough as
they can be, but she gamely agrees anyway.
Soon, she is caught in a web of speculation. It seems everyone has a theory, from Fiona to
Dr. Purcell’s current wife, Crystal, to family and friends. But can Kinsey find any clue to figure out
what actually happened to him?
The mystery starts well as always, and I was soon caught up
in the case. There is a very strong
sub-plot that helped draw me further into the story. I love Kinsey and the other regulars, so it
is always fun to spend time with them, and the new characters are just as
strong. Even the weather, a cold
November rain, helped add the right atmosphere to the book. Then I got to the ending. The book just stops. It’s very abrupt. While I have a theory on what happened and
why, it would have been nice to have it confirmed, especially since I can come
up with another equally as compelling theory on what happened and why. These kinds of endings work for literary
novels, but are frustrating for mystery readers. Fans of the series will still be glad they
read this entry, but new readers definitely shouldn’t jump in here since there
are stronger books in the series.
The Downtown Desperadoes by Sigmund Brouwer
(Accidental Detectives #13) – 5
It all starts with a phone call. Ricky Kidd is confused by the strange
message, and he is certain it is a prank, expect for the fact that the voice
sounds familiar. It’s a couple of hours
later when he recognizes it as Brother Phillip, the man who had helped him
track down his younger brother when Joel was kidnapped during the class trip to
New York City back in the spring. When
his father tries to find out what is happening with Brother Phillip, he
discovers the mission the man run has burned down, and the police believe that
Brother Phillip died in the fire. The
only problem is, the fire took place before the phone call. Ricky is able to convince his family and
friends, Ralphy and Mike, to change their Thanksgiving plans and go to the
city, but when they arrive, things only get weirder. Did they really know Brother Phillip? Is he in danger? Or is he a criminal?
Unlike many middle grade mysteries, this one is a direct
sequel to an earlier book. To completely
understand the events that happen here, it is best to have already read LOST
BENEATH MANHATTAN. But if you haven’t
read that one yet, there is enough context here to follow the events as they
unfold. And what a plot! While I remembered a few key things, like the
climax, I was still caught up in the twists and turns. This book is a master class is dropping clues
into a story, and I still marvel at how Mr. Brouwer does it. The characters are developed enough to make
us care, but they are a bit on the thin side.
The adult in me notices that, but as I’m reading I don’t care. The book was originally written for the
Christian market, but the Christian elements aren’t overwhelming here. These stories were originally released in the
1990’s, so a few references are dated, but it isn’t enough to ruin the story in
the slightest. This book is still as
strong now as when I first read it.
Readers of all ages will be thrilled they picked it up.
Careless Whiskers by Miranda James (Cat in the
Stacks Mysteries #12) – 5
This spring, Athena College’s theater department is debuting
a new play from a local playwright.
Charlie Harris is looking forward to it since his daughter, Laura, is
going to star in it, and her husband, Frank, is the director. While most of the cast and crew are college
students, the college is bringing in a big name for Laura’s co-lead – Luke
Lombardi. Unfortunately, he is arrogant,
rude, and demanding. And those are his
good qualities. Soon he is irritating
many people in town. He is also the
victim of some pranks, but when things turn deadly, Laura finds herself in the
spotlight as a suspect. Charlie has
sworn off sleuthing after a recent close call, but with Laura’s reputation and
freedom on the line, he and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, begin searching for the
real killer. Will they be able to clear
Laura?
Fans are in for another great ride with this book. As if often the case, the murder takes place
later in the book, but the time it put to good use introducing us to suspects,
motives, and red herrings. I was never
bored, and kept turning pages until Charlie figured everything out. All the characters we love are here, both two
legged and four legged, and they are a delight as usual. The suspects are strong as well. I continue to enjoy watching how the police
are portrayed in this series as smart and competent. This book will please Charlie and Diesel’s
many fans and even earn them new ones.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Statue of Limitations by Kate Collins (Goddess
of Green St. #1) – 4
Athena Spencer has had to move back to live with her family
in Michigan after her divorce. That
means dealing with her large, crazy Greek family on a daily basis since she and
her young son are living with them and she is working at the family’s garden
center. It also means she is on hand
when her grandparent’s Greek restaurant is threatened by the powerful Talbot
family. They intend to raze an entire
block of shops to put in condos. The
fact that a murder takes place in their home, two weeks after another
suspicious death, doesn’t seem to be slowing their plans down at all. The police are focusing their attention on a
stranger in town, but Athena thinks they have the wrong suspect. Can she solve the murder and save her
grandparent’s restaurant?
As I was starting this book, I was thinking I was going to
have problems with it. Athena’s family
likes to spend their time meddling in her life, something that I find
annoying. Honestly, the family needs
more development quickly because I still found them annoying at the end. I also questioned just why Athena was going
to such extremes to help a stranger. But
I kept reading, and as I kept reading, I got more and more hooked on the
story. Yes, there is a lot here, and in
lesser hands, it might have gone very wrong.
Here, it worked. There was always
something going on to keep me engaged.
The ending was a bit abrupt, but it did wrap everything up nicely. This is a light book, but if that is what you
are looking for, you’ll be delighted.
Kate Collins’s many fans will be very happy.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Buried to the Brim by Jenn McKinlay (Hat Shop
Mysteries #6) – 5
Cousins Scarlett and Viv have an unusual new client for
their hat shop. Betty Wentworth,
Scarlett’s fiancé Harrison’s aunt, is about to enter a dog show with her dog,
Freddy, and she is hoping that a top hat will launch him from second place to
first place this year. At first Viv, who
designs the hats, is reluctant, but soon she is on board, and everyone is
delighted with the results. However, the
contest weekend gets off to a rocky start during the cocktail party that kicks
things off when Betty gets into an argument with Gerry Swendson, the owner of
the dog food company that sponsors the show.
The next morning, Freddy is the one to find Gerry’s very dead body. With the police looking at Betty, Scarlett
begins digging in, trying to figure out who else had motive. It quickly becomes apparent that this dog
show is far from cute. But who committed
murder?
It’s been a couple of years since the last book in this
series came out, and it was wonderful to catch up with these old friends. Some time has passed for them as well, but
the relationships were as great as ever.
We saw plenty of the supporting characters and I loved every minute of
it. The mystery was just as strong, with
plenty of suspects and a fantastic ending.
I did find one thing near the climax pushed me out of the book and I
didn’t remember a few instances of very mild swearing in earlier books, but
both are worth noting only in passing.
The running gags involving puns were always one of my favorite things in
the series, and it is as delightful as ever here. And the dogs!
There are some very cute moments with the dogs here. Fans of the series will be delighted to get
to revisit these characters.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Murder on the Half Shell by Shawn Reilly
Simmons (Red Carpet Catering Mysteries #2) – 4
Penelope Sutherland and her catering crew are working on a
period mystery filming on an island in Florida.
Penelope has hired a few locals to help out, including two teen girls
who work part time as servers. After a
party one Friday night, the teens disappear.
Suspicion falls on Emilio, one of the chefs that Penelope studied under
at culinary school. Penelope doesn’t
want to believe her old teacher is guilty, but there is something in his past
that makes Penelope doubt her judgement.
Where are the girls? Who is
responsible for what is going on?
It’s been a few years since I read the first in this series,
and I didn’t remember who everyone was.
Sadly, this book assumes you remember the relationships, and it took me
longer than it should have to figure out those connections. The characters are good, but they don’t feel
fully developed to me. I was pulled into
the plot, however, with the missing teens making it easy to care about the
outcome. There are plenty of twists and
turns, and the climax was satisfying.
Being able to visit a beach location during the winter was a great
treat, and I found the balance of the mystery with the slower life of the island
was well done. This is a quick read, and
I enjoyed it.
All decent reads it seems, and a great start to the year! Happy February!
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