Time again for a reading summary since we've reached the end of September 2026. Had more firsts in new series than I've had in quite a while this month. And some old favorite series as well.
I've updated the index.
All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).
Murders in the Marquee by Dana Mentink (Murder
Most Fowl Mysteries #1) – 5
It’s 1905, and Saul has just landed a new job at the Grand
Mallard Marquee. But, on his first day,
he thinks he sees someone fall from an upper floor. When his new friends, Kitty and Henry,
convince him to investigate, they are left with more questions. There’s also the question of what happened to
the man that Saul replaced. Can the trio
figure out what is going on?
I’ll admit, this book took a couple of chapters for me to
full get into, but once I did, I loved it.
The main characters came to life, and I loved them and their growing
friendship. The rest of the cast is
strong as well. The mystery had quite a
few different things going on. I figured
a thing or two out early, but there were plenty of things I didn’t. Yet it all made sense at the end. I also enjoyed the time and place, and I’m
already curious to see how a certain famous event that takes place the next
year will be handled. This is a great
debut, and I’ve already booked my room for a return visit.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Probable Caws by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow
#39) – 4
When Meg gets a phone call from her dad, she learns that a
horse rescue organization in a neighboring county has to move their horses, and
Meg’s neighbor and friend Ragnar has agreed to take the horses in. But they need people to help settle the
horses, so she goes over to help. As the
day progresses, Meg begins to learn about the fight between the owner of the
farm the horses came from and his brother, who has just inherited half of the
farm. That night, Meg finds a dead body
in one of the barns. Can she figure out
who the killer is?
Series like this walk a fine line between giving us
information on the hook of the series, in this case animals, and focusing on
the mystery. This one errs on the side
of animal talk, which did slow things down.
Don’t get me wrong, there was a good mystery here, with some twists I
enjoyed and a logical climax, but it could have been stronger. The suspects are interesting. We don’t have the full cast of regulars in
town, but those who are in town are their usual charming selves. The humor didn’t seem as strong either, but
there were some laughs and grins. While
not the strongest in the series, it will entertain Meg’s many fans.
The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (Bosch #23
and Ballard #4) – 4
As 2020 wraps up, Renee Ballard is hoping to get a lead on
the two men who are attacking women in their homes. But then she catches a murder case. Someone died of a gunshot just minutes after
midnight, but it doesn’t look like it was a random gunshot. In fact, the bullet matches a cold case that
Harry Bosch worked on but never solved.
Can the two team up to figure out what happened?
Given the setting of this book, the pandemic is still in the
background, and other events from that time period are mentioned but not dwelt
upon.
While Bosch plays a part, Ballard
is the only character we follow here.
While I do like both of them, I do wish they would accept the
consequences of their actions when they don’t follow the rules.
Instead, they come across as arrogant, which
happens here.
Both cases kept me
hooked.
I thought I had one figured out
early on, but it turned out I was wrong, and the solutions were logical.
As always, I’m looking forward to seeing what
happens to the characters next.
Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
by Heather Day Gilbert (Exotic Pet-Sitter Mysteries #2) – 3
Belinda’s a little leery when the owner of a wolf preserve
just outside of town contacts her looking for someone to help with chores for
10 days. But Belinda needs the money, so
she agrees. Her orientation goes fine,
but on her first official day, she finds the body of a tour guide inside one of
the enclosures. Did the pack attack the
victim? Or is there a more sinister
motive?
After starting this three-book series earlier this year, I
decided to try to read the other two books before the end of the year. Sadly, this one wasn’t as good as I had
hoped. It took the characters quite a
while to learn what we knew early on – that they are dealing with a
murderer. We do get a couple of
enjoyable twists and a logical climax. I
enjoyed spending more time with Belinda and the other returning characters, but
the suspects could have been better developed.
I’m hoping book three will prove to be stronger than this book was.
The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J. D.
Brinkworth (Pie & Mash Detective Agency #1) – 3
Jane Pye and Simon Mash are taking an introduction to
private investigation class. Simon might
not be taking it seriously, but Jane is determined to solve the practice case
their instructor gives them. It involves
a woman named Nellie Thorne who has recently vanished from an area in
England. Over the last few decades,
several women with that name have all disappeared without a trace. Can Jane and Simon solve this urban legend?
The premise sounded fun, so I decided to give it a try. Overall, I did like Jane and Simon, although
they can be a bit immature at times.
Fortunately, they did grow over the course of the book. Likewise, we met some interesting characters
along the way. But the mystery has too
many fits and starts, and I got frustrated.
Having said that, the book does lead to a logical, exciting, and
satisfying climax. While this wasn’t as
strong as I would have liked, I am glad I picked it up. Still, I probably won’t be back for the
sequel.
Home Sweet Homicide by Rosalie Spielman
(Hometown Mysteries #5) – 5
Tessa Treslow had agreed to be a bridesmaid in the wedding
of her first love, Joe Ericksson, and her former frenemy Jessie St. John. With two weeks to go, Tessa thinks things are
falling into place until a friend of Jessie’s arrives in town threatening to
undo all the planning they’ve done. But
that’s before the body of Jessie’s first ex-husband shows up. With Jessie and Joe logical suspects, can
Tessa figure out what is going on in time to save the wedding?
I didn’t intend to let so long go before returning to this
series. But I am glad I got to revisit
the characters since I enjoyed finding out what is going on in their
lives. They are a fun group. The suspects were strong, and the mystery
kept me guessing. There were some
subplots to help draw us further in to the story. Fans old and new will enjoy this entry in the
series.
Thicker Than Water by Liz Milliron (Laurel
Highlands Mystery #6) – 4
When a college student walks into Sally’s office asking for
protection from a man, Sally is willing to help. But the young woman doesn’t give many details
before she disappears. Two days later,
Jim is pulled into the hunt for a missing autistic young man. While the man is found, he is talking about a
“sleeping blue lady” he saw in a nearby shack.
Sure enough, there is a dead young woman there. And it’s the woman that came to Sally for
help. Sally just can’t let it go, so she
starts investigating on her own. Will
the two be able to figure out what happened to the victim?
The plot quickly pulled me in. I appreciated that, as always, we got just
the detail we needed on certain things to bring the story to life without going
too far. There were a good number of
twists, but the climax was a little messier than I would have liked. Still, it did tie everything up. I loved watching Sally and Jim take another
step forward in their relationship while learning from what has come
before. I’m as invested in their
relationship as the mysteries in each book.
As always, reading this book is time well spent.
Holmes Away from Home by Samantha Larsen
(Althea Adler Mysteries #1) – 5
Althea Adler has a complicated relationship with her mother,
Irene, but when she gets a postcard from Irene, she thinks it is asking her to
break into Sherlock Holmes’s safe. What
she finds there sends her on a quest that lands her at a weekend party in an
English estate. That first night, the
earl is murdered. With the help of
William, one of the other guests, can Althea figure out what happened?
This book sets up some storylines I’m sure we will follow
over the course of the series while focusing on the murdered earl. That story includes plenty of twists on the
way to the logical climax. Althea and
William share viewpoint character duties, and I really do love them both, even
if the chemistry between them was a bit much a couple of times. The suspects are also well drawn and really
kept me guessing as I read. I’m already
anxious to find out what happens to Althea and William next.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Old Habits Die Hard by Melissa Westemeier with
Mariana Damon (Nun the Wiser Mysteries #1) – 2
Sister Bernadette retired from teaching and her life as a
nun, but she’s found herself living in The Abbey: Senior Living, the sight of
the school where she taught for years now renovated into senior apartments. The
residents are becoming a close-knit community, which is why, when the body of
one of the residents is found, it upsets everyone. Especially since it doesn’t
appear to be the obvious natural causes. The detective assigned to the case is
AJ Lewis, one of Bernadette’s former students. Can the pair crack the case and
figure out what really happened?
This series sounded promising, and the book started well.
But then it stalled. The revelations and twists were few and far between. Part
of that is that Sister Bernadette, while a viewpoint character, doesn’t add
much to the story. Some, but not enough. Detective AJ is better at advancing
the story, but even then, it’s slow. Which is a shame because they were both
good characters. Also be away there is some foul language, something I wasn’t
expecting for a series featuring a retired nun. This debut just didn’t work for
me.
Mrs. Claus and the Fatal Figgy Pudding by Liz
Ireland (Mrs. Claus Mysteries #7) – 4
December is always busy for April Claus, wife of Santa. But this year, a baby elf is left at the
castle with a note asking April to take care of the baby. While she tries to track down the baby’s
family, she is also involved in the current stage production of A Christmas
Carol, and one of the actors is poisoned during a rehearsal. Can April solve both mysteries?
I am always thrilled when a new entry in this series finds
its way to me. The pacing was off in
this book, but both storylines did reach satisfying conclusions. The characters continue to charm, and I loved
catching up with them again. The new
cast are just as strong. And I couldn’t
help but laugh and smile as I read.
Whether new to the series or a fan from the beginning, you’ll be glad
you picked up this book.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
