December 2022's Reading Summary

Another month and another year is coming to an end.  Hard to believe, isn't it?  But that means it is time for my final reading summary for 2022 with the books I read in December.

With Christmas, I didn't get the index updated this month.

The links take you to my full review.  All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

 

Knits, Knots, and Knives by Emmie Caldwell (Craft Fair Knitters Mysteries #3) – 4

Lia Geiger’s normal weekend craft fair is looking a bit different thanks to a Civil War reenactment taking place on the property.  She’s looking forward to it, although she quickly learns that there has been a recent power struggle in the group of reenactors.  When the smoke on the battle clears, the dead body of Arden Sprouse is discovered.  He was the one most responsible for the conflicts in the group.  Unfortunately, suspicion has fallen on Lia’s neighbor.  Can she figure out what really happened during the battle?

I’ve enjoyed this series because I really like Lia and her immediate family and friends.  She is a little older than a typical cozy sleuth, which I appreciate.  Her relationship with her daughter is a highlight as well.  While the suspects are all strong, I wish we’d had more of a reintroduction to the minor characters who populate Lia’s world.  The plot is good.  I do wish we had gotten shorter clue recaps, but there were several good twists along the way to the logical climax.  I also enjoyed some solid sub-plots.  The reenactment combined well with the crafting theme.  Those who have been enjoying this series will be pleased with the latest entry.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

“W” is for Wasted by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone #23) – 3

PI Kinsey Millhone is facing a stretch with no clients over the next couple of weeks, which she isn’t quite sure how she will fill.  That is, until she gets a phone call from the coroner’s office.  A homeless man has died, and the coroner has no idea who he is.  The only thing they have to go on is Kinsey’s name and office number.  Who might he be?  Why did he have Kinsey’s contact information in his pocket?

The premise of this book captured my attention from the start.  Unfortunately, the plot wandered, with a sub-plot taking over the middle of the book before Kinsey really even discovers there is a crime for her to solve.  We know that sooner thanks to some flashback chapters written in third person.  Both parts of the book are rushed in their resolution, leaving a couple of things dangling.  However, I still found myself engaged in the book thanks to the characters, who I still love.  It might have helped that I listened to the audio instead of reading it.  Judy Kaye, the narrator, does a great job once again here.  Fans of the series will want to see what happens here, but if you haven’t met Kinsey yet, I recommend you start earlier and work your way to this book.

 

City of Fortune by Victoria Thompson (Counterfeit Lady #6) – 4

Elizabeth Bates is accompanying her new husband, Gideon, to the race track.  One of his clients wants Elizabeth’s help in making his daughter, Irene Nolan, fit for society, which is funny since Elizabeth is still learning how to fit in herself.  The day of horse racing doesn’t go the way the Nolan’s had planned however, when neither of their horses do well.  But as Elizabeth gets to know Irene, Elizabeth realizes that Irene needs more help than fitting into society.  In fact, Elizabeth’s skills as a conwoman might prove to be extremely helpful.  Can she come up with a way to solve Irene’s real problems?

Obviously, this is more a caper than the typical mysteries I read, and I enjoyed the change of pace.  I did feel the plot could have used an additional twist or two and some personal stakes for Elizabeth to truly draw me in, but I still really enjoyed it.  And there are a couple of twists, one I didn’t see coming.  The characters are strong.  Elizabeth and Gideon are great lead characters, and we continue to get to know them well as we see the story unfold from both of their points of view.  There are some funny moments that come from the characters including one line that really made me laugh.  The 1919 setting is brought to life wonderfully as well.  This is a fun addition to a fun series.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

A Streetcar Named Murder by T. G. Herren (New Orleans Mysteries #1) – 2

Valerie Cooper is facing changes in her life.  A young widow, her twin sons are now off at college, and she struggling to fill her days.  An unexpected letter reveals she’s inherited the estate of one of her late husband’s great uncles, a man that Valerie didn’t know existed.  The inheritance includes an antique shop.  Meanwhile, Valerie attends a Halloween costume ball, but the night ends when she finds a woman she knows stabbed to death outside the dance.  What is going on?

I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy.  Sadly, it was very disappointing.  The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half.  It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle.  While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much.  Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing.  Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional.  I did like Valerie and her family and friends.  But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Christmas Past by Brian Earl – 4

Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Christmas the way we do?  If so, this book is for you.  It takes a look at four categories: food, entertainment, sights and sounds, and society.  Each category gets several chapters that focus on specific things like mince pies or candy canes, Rudolph, lights, and Christmas cards.  We get a look at the origins, the rise, and sometimes the fall, of these old traditions.

This book is purely looking at the secular, pop culture celebration of Christmas, although the religious aspect does pop up occasionally, most noticeably in the chapter on “Silent Night.”  A couple of chapters seem a bit vague, and the writing can be dry at times, but those are minor complaints.  On the whole, this was a fascinating look at where our traditions came from, both those we still use today and those that have faded over time.  I am not familiar with the author’s pod cast, but my understanding is much of this material first appeared there.  As a Christmas lover, I enjoyed learning more about the holiday.  If that’s you, you’ll enjoy this book as well.

 

Cozy Up to Christmas by Colin Conway (Cozy Up #5) – 3

Ed Belmont has landed a job as a mall Santa at a run-down mall in Pennsylvania.  He’s managed to hold on to the job for a month, and is looking at his final week on the job.  Unfortunately, dealing with kids, not Ed’s strong point, isn’t his biggest worry.  Someone has been robbing convenience stores dressed as Santa, and the police think Ed might be the culprit.  Then Santa robs the mall after hours.  Can Ed figure out who is really behind these thefts?

Those familiar with the series will immediately recognize that Ed is the latest identity of our protagonist, who is in witness protection.  I knew seeing him playing Santa would be fun, and I was right.  Unfortunately, a sub-plot intended to also be funny made me more uncomfortable.  I do like Ed and enjoy watching him deal with his newest struggles.  The rest of the characters are a bit thin.  The plot does wander a bit at times, but it comes together for an interesting climax.  I do enjoy watching Ed solve things.  And this is a fast read.  Fans will enjoy seeing what Ed gets up to in this holiday entry in the series.

 

“The Christmas Caper” by Gigi Pandian (Secret Staircase Mysteries #1.5) – 5

Tempest Raj and her family are reviving a Christmas tradition this year – Christmas in Scotland.  Her grandparents have even booked a flat with a stunning view of Edinburgh Castle.  However, a reunion with a family friend present Tempest with a puzzle to solve.  The local museum was robbed recently, and no one can figure out how the thieves pulled it off.  The friend has a connection to the museum and asks Tempest to see if she can figure out how the thieves pulled it off.  Will Tempest’s background as a magician help solve the puzzle?

When I learned about this story, I immediate snagged it to read during December.  It was exactly what I expected, a fun, short read.  I finished it in under an hour.  As a result, the story is a bit straight forward, but that’s not really a complaint.  More an observation.  While we don’t see all the characters we met in the first book, it was fun catching up with some of them again.  The new characters work for the story here.  While this does fit between the first and second novels in the series, you don’t have to have read them to enjoy this book.  Speaking of enjoying, there are two recipes at the end that sound delicious.  If you are looking for a short story to read in December, you’ll be glad you snagged this one.

 

Stellarlune by Shannon Messenger (Keeper of the Lost Cities #9) – 5

Sophie Foster has just learned that her friend Keefe has run away to the Forbidden Cities in order to hide from the changes that are being forced on him.  As much as Sophie wants to try to find him, she decides that her best course of action might be to find a way to stop the next step in the plans for Keefe.  Meanwhile, her friends have a less than positive reaction to the action she just took against their enemy, the Neverseen.  Will this drive a wedge in her circle of friends?

If that teaser doesn’t make sense to you, then this book isn’t for you – yet.  You really need to read these books in order.  Heck, I wish I’d had time to reread the last one before I dove into this one.  Fans will be thrilled with what we get, however.  I only felt the pacing slowed down a couple of times, which is saying something for a 700 page book.  We definitely got some advancement on the overall story as well.  Meanwhile, the characters continue to mature, and I loved how that lead to some natural progressions in relationships.  Sophie’s world continues to be fun as well.  Naturally, there’s a cliffhanger, which means I’m already anxious for the next book.

 

Slay Ride by Diane Vallere (Samantha Kidd #10) – 5

In the couple of weeks before Christmas, Samantha Kidd has taken a temporary job as a social media influencer.  Her friend Kyle Trent helped her get the job and is acting as her mentor.  But when he misses a planned morning photo shoot, Samantha begins to worry.  As she starts to get contradictory information about her friend, she knows something is wrong.  Can she figure out what really happened?

This holiday entry, billed as a novella, is shorter than a typical novel in the series, but fans will hardly notice.  There are still plenty of twists and turns that lead Samantha and us to the logical climax.  Okay, so it was a bit rushed, but everything is explained.  The characters, new and returning, are great, and we see more growth in Samantha.  Along with that, we get some shenanigans from Samantha and plenty of humor.  If you haven’t found this light, fun series yet, you’ll definitely enjoy it.  And if you are a fan who hasn’t read this entry yet, you are in for a treat.

 

Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #32) – 5

It’s a few days before Christmas, but Meg’s house isn’t full of visiting relatives like normal.  Instead, it’s full of Canadians who are there trying to finish up a rush project.  They are working with Mutant Wizards, Meg’s brother’s computer company.  Their CEO, however, is less than ethical.  Just as Meg starts to learn some of the things he’s been doing recently, he is killed out in her yard.  Is she harboring a killer in her house?

It had a very busy couple of weeks, and I hadn’t realized just how stressful until I sat down with this book and began to truly relax while visiting Meg’s world again.  As with the other Christmas entries in the series, the Christmas spirit comes through on every page.  But it never forgets it is a murder mystery.  The climax could have been a little stronger, but I’m being nitpicky there.  I absolutely love this cast of characters, and I delighted in spending more time with them.  They had me smiling and laughing as I read.  If you need a dose of Christmas spirit, this book will definitely give it to you.

 

Rum and Choke by Sherry Harris (Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mysteries #4) – 5

Chloe Jackson has been drafted to represent the Sea Glass Saloon in the Barback Games.  This annual tradition, a multi stage competition that includes physical and bar related contests, sounds fun until she meets some of her competition – ringers brought in to represent other bars.  Meanwhile, her friend Ann asks Chloe to go with her as Ann tries to find a pirate ship sunk long ago.  The first morning out ends abruptly when Ann finds a dead body – one of the Barback Games ringers.  What is going on?

Sherry Harris is one of my favorite mystery writers, and this book is a perfect example why.  With all of the storylines, this book has more than enough to keep us engaged.  Yet, it doesn’t unfold in a traditional cozy way, which is a wonderful thing.  Chloe pieces everything together for a great climax.  It was nice getting to know Ann better, and Chloe is continuing to grow as well.  The rest of the returning characters are charming, and the new characters fit in perfectly.  I’m not a drinker, so I might have passed up this series if anyone else were writing it.  But I’m so glad I started reading it.  Whether this is your first visit with Chloe or you already love her, you’ll enjoy this book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.