September 2023's Reading Summary

 I can't quite jump into October yet.  I still need to look back at September.  So here is my reading summary for last month.  Believe it or not, even with the computer issues I've been having, I did update the index this month.

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

 

Pink Lemonade Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen #29) – 2

Summer has come to Lake Eden, and Hannah is excited to be hosting the snack booth at the baseball tournament in Lake Eden, debuting her new pink lemonade themed desserts.  One of the celebrity participants is Bernie “No-No” Fulton, a local who pitch part of a season for the Twins.  But when Hannah’s mother finds No-No’s body under the bleachers, Hannah has a new mystery to solve.  After all, Delores had a reason to dislike the man, so Hannah’s mother is a suspect.  Can Hannah figure out who wanted him out permanently?

Once again, fans of the series will know what to expect.  The mystery is decent, but the story is padded with lots of talk about food, even for a culinary cozy.  And the sub-plot involving Mike slows down the beginning of the story.  I also had a hard time buying how the police deal with Hannah’s sleuthing in this book.  And yet, I still do like checking in on the characters, and the recipes sound delicious as always.  The cliffhanger makes it obvious we are back in the soap opera territory I had hoped we’d left behind.  If you are curious about the series, start with the early books to see why so many people read it.

 

Bring the Night by J. R. Sanders (Nate Ross #3) – 4

Los Angeles in 1939 was experiencing a rash of suicides, but in the middle of them, PI Nate Ross is hired to prove one was murder when a brother and sister walk into his office wanting him to find the truth about their father’s death.  The cops quickly ruled it another suicide, but they insist that it was murder.  It isn’t long before Nate is finding more questions than answers and receiving threats.  Can he figure out what is going on?

The suicide or murder question is a common trope of mysteries, and this book doesn’t spend long before Nate is certain it was murder.  I had a couple of the twists figured out, but I didn’t grasp the full picture until the end.  Even then, I had to think about the ending to make sure everything made sense; a little more exposition would have been nice.  Nate is fun to be around as always, and the rest of the cast is interesting as well.  As a PI novel, there’s a little more language and violence than in the typical novels I read, but it was still minimal.  The use of slang from the time is a bit over the top, but it does help bring the period to life.  Fans of the genre will be glad they picked up this book.

 

Fahrenheit 501 by Diane Vallere (Samantha Kidd #12) – 4

When Samantha Kidd is asked to join a secret fashion society, she is surprised to even hear about it.  Her initial interview is cut short when she finds the dead body of an older member buried under a pile of jeans.  While not officially a part of the society yet, Samantha still has the connections to ask around.  Can she piece together who the killer is?

I’ll admit, the society in this book seemed like a stretch to me, but then again, I have some odd hobbies, so who am I to say anything.  Besides, it sets up another fun mystery with plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged.  There was one aspect of the plot that was needlessly confusing early on, but it starts to be more consistent the further into the book we go.  And the plot came together for a logical climax.  In addition to the regulars, a couple of characters we haven’t seen in a while pop back up here, and I enjoyed seeing them again.  We also get the usual laughs, which are always a delight.  Fans will be pleased with this addition to the series.

 

Murder Off the Books by Tamara Berry (By the Book Mysteries #3) – 4

After months of work, Tess Harrow is ready to open her new bookstore and celebrate the launch of her latest bestselling thriller.  However, her plans are changed when her mother, Bee, shows up unexpected.  Trailing Bee is her latest boyfriend, Levi, who is a suspected serial killer preying on older women.  Naturally, Tess doesn’t react well to that, but the next morning, Levi has been murdered.  With as close to home as this hit, Tess can’t help but put her plans aside and start investigating.  Can she figure out what happened?

Those who have read the first two books in the series will know what to expect here.  We get a plot with some wackiness that fits this story and these characters perfectly.  I did find some of the humor fell flat for me (might just be me), but I still laughed plenty.  Yet the story comes together for a logical climax.  The characters are all strong and entertaining as well.  I did find a handful of political comments, which were superfluous to the story, threw me out of the story.  The author does a good job of skirting spoilers for the previous books, which fans will know is a pretty big task.  If you want a mystery filled with humor, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.

 

The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly (Mickey Haller #5) – 5

Mickey Haller’s latest murder case involves the death of a prostitute with her pimp as the prime suspect. Only Mickey knew Gloria when she was alive, working out what he thought was a deal to get her out of the life. Where has she been for the last eight years? And can Mickey get his client off when the odds keep piling up against him?

This was another gripping legal thriller that was almost impossible to stop reading. There were great twists and surprises along the way, yet there was still time for the characters to continue growing. I enjoyed it just as much the second time as I did the first.

 

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany (Year-Round Christmas Mysteries #6) – 4

Merry Wilkinson’s mother, opera singer Aline Steiner, has agreed to come out of retirement to be part of the musical version of A Christmas Carol that the local theater company is doing this December.  However, things aren’t going well at rehearsals, as Merry witnesses first hand.  Then someone associated with the play is killed in Merry’s shop, and Merry’s assistant is a suspect.  Can she figure out what is going on?

It's been three years since we last visited these characters, but I slipped back into their world again in no time.  It was fabulous to be back, and I remembered just how much I loved the setting of Rudolph, New York, and the characters.  I enjoyed getting to see them grow here, and the I’ll be interested to see how some relationships go forward.  The plot was a little uneven, but we still get plenty of suspects and some surprises along the way to a fantastic climax.  If you enjoy a Christmas cozy, you owe it to yourself to check out this series.  Fans will be thrilled with the latest book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys by Liz Ireland (Mrs. Claus Mysteries #4) – 5

Santaland is getting ready to celebrate their first Thanksgiving.  Castle Kringle has imported a live turkey for their holiday meal, but the weekend before the big day, he vanishes.  Then, one of Santa's cousins dies at a potluck to kick off Thanksgiving week.  Can April Claus figure out what is going on?

I love this series, and this latest entry didn't disappoint in the least.  It did take a bit for the entire book to get going since there are several storylines that need to be introduced.  But once it got going, it was like a turbo charged sleigh with so much going on you couldn't put the book down.  I did have a couple of pieces figured out early, but there was still plenty I didn't know about that surprised me at the end.  The characters are charming as always, and I'm curious where some of the growth will lead in future books.  The humor just adds to the charm.  This is a cozy mystery first and foremost with some light fantasy in it, and the mix works perfectly.  If you are looking for a holiday series, you'll be glad you gave this series a chance.  If you are already a fan, you'll be thankful for this latest book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair (Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries #1) – 4

Its 1946 London, and people are looking to get back to normal after the end of World War II.  Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge and formed an unlikely partnership in a marriage bureau, both of them looking for something new in their lives.  They’ve been opened a few months and are beginning to see some successes, but all that is threatened when one of their clients is murdered and the man they’d matched her with is arrested for the crime.  With their personal and professional reputations on the line, they set about trying to prove he is innocent.  Can they do it?

When I first heard about this series, I was drawn to the time in history and the premise.  I truly appreciated how that time in history is brought to life.  I did find the book hard to get into, but once I did, I was hooked.  The mystery is good, with some surprises along the way to the suspenseful climax.  The characters grow on you, and the sub-plots both of the leads get make them into fully developed characters.  What I wasn’t expecting was the humor, which had me laughing as I read.  This is more a traditional mystery due to some of the content, but it is still mild.  I will definitely be back to see what happens to these characters next.

 

Hanging by a Thread by Dorothy Howell (Sewing Studio Mysteries #2) – 2

Abbey is settling into her new life in Hideaway Grove, but it’s her aunt Sarah that is facing trouble.  Blaine Hutchinson is opening a rival bakery.  But before she can get it off the ground, she is murdered in her shop.  With Sarah as a suspect, can the Abbey figure out what really happened?

I was hoping to like the second book since I saw potential in the first.  Sadly, this book wasn’t that good.  The main mystery was strong enough for a novella, and it was fleshed out with lots of subplots.  I wanted to tell Abbey not to take on anything else at several points in the book.  Not to mention that there wasn’t the follow up on things there should be been.  We do have a good conclusion to the mystery at least.  And I do like Abbey and many of the other characters, although what Abbey pulls on the potential love interest at one point wasn’t handled well.  I support what she was going for, but this wasn’t how to do it.  Since Abbey’s sewing studio is located next to Sarah’s bakery, we get lots of talk about mouthwatering desserts.  Unfortunately, I think this will be my last visit with these characters.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.