Spooky how it's time for another reading summary, isn't it? Yeah, I had to go there. But it is the end of October, so here's what I read. A bit more uneven than most months, but I did end with some good books. And November is shaping up to be enjoyable as well.
I've updated the index.
The links will take you to my full reviews. All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).
Murder Comes Home by Rosalie Spielman
(Hometown Mysteries #3) – 5
Tessa Treslow and her aunt have agreed to be featured on the
TV show Picks with Ricks, hoping that the hosts will find some treasure
in the old garage they need to clear out.
But one of the hosts has his eye on the car that Tessa has almost
finished restoring. That is until the
car becomes a crime scene with the dead body of the show’s camera man
inside. Who killed him? And why was the car involved?
While a TV crew being the subject of a murder isn’t new, the
set up for this one still caught my attention.
The more I read, the more I got hooked, with a mystery from the past
also drawing me in. Everything made
sense by the time we hit the climax.
Meanwhile, the characters get better with each book. I’m loving the series regulars, and the
suspects kept me guessing. I’m finding
each book in the series gets stronger, and I’m looking forward to reading the
next soon.
Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (Shady Hollow #1)
– 3
Welcome to the village of Shady Hollow, a place where
woodland creatures live in peace and harmony. That is, until someone kills Otto,
a toad. Vera Vixen, a fox and reporter for the local paper, is on the case. But
can she figure out who committed the crime?
When I heard about this series, I had to give the book a
chance since it sounded creative and fun. The book’s omniscient narration took
a little for me to adjust to, but once I did, it worked okay. It did give the
book a slower start than I would have liked, but the mystery was decent once it
got going. And I liked the characters. While I found the idea of these
characters living side by side and interacting fun, it does take some buying
into this world, something I was ready to do. I did feel the authors could have
done a more creative job of creating their world, or at least that’s what I was
expecting. My biggest hang up was the idea of interspecies romance. I realize
that’s a me thing, but it is enough that I won’t be returning to the
series. Others love it, so if this intrigues you, by all means, give the
series a chance.
O, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany (Year-Round
Christmas Mysteries #8) – 3
It may be busy season, aka December, but Merry’s landlord at
home is distracted by the new neighbors who have moved in. Mrs. D’Angelo hasn’t
been able to meet them, and as the center of the town’s gossip mill, that
doesn’t sit right. And, she keeps noticing weird things going on at the house.
Merry’s too busy to give it too much attention. That is, until Mrs. D’Angelo
disappears. Was she right about something strange going on across the street?
Being the Christmas lover I am, I’ve generally enjoy this
series. And, once again, I did find the setting charming and the characters fun
to spend time with. However, there were repetitive passages that should have
been edited out or condensed. The pacing was off in general, not helped by
Merry’s passive attitude toward the mystery, and Merry was pretty stupid at the
end, even though she did figure things out. If the descriptions of food make
your mouth water, you’ll be happy to find there are a couple of recipes at the
end. Sadly, for me, this was a mixed bag.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer by
Colleen Gleason (Lady Darling Mysteries #1) – 3
While Lady Darling, a rich widow of a certain age, enjoys
her life in the country, she agrees to spend the season in London to be
chaperone for a friend’s daughter. But when their host turns up dead at the
first dinner party they attend, Lady Darling decides to investigate. Can she
find the killer?
Having enjoyed some other books this author has written, I
was looking forward to this one. I felt the book was over written, which is
often the case with the author, but it was a bit more than some of her others.
The story took a little time to get going, but once it did, I enjoyed it and
was along until we reached the logical end, although it did feel like there was
a leap or two. Lady Darling is lots of fun and I did enjoy getting to know the
rest of the cast. My biggest issue was something in Lady Darling’s backstory. I
can understand the justification for it, but it still didn’t sit right with me.
Plenty of people are enjoying this book, so if the time and place appeal, give
it a chance and see what you think for yourself.
Murder Walks the Plank by Carolyn Hart (Death
on Demand #15) – 4
Annie Darling has been plotting a harbor cruise to raise
funds for a local charity. But the mystery themed event turns real life mystery
when someone falls overboard. While everyone thinks it was an accident, Annie
is sure it was murder. But can she figure out what happened before another
tragedy strikes?
I’ve been looking forward to this book since the title is so
fun. I’m glad to say it lived up to my expectations. Yes, I’m tired of law
enforcement not taking Annie seriously, but on the whole, I enjoyed seeing the
characters again. The mystery is very well done with plenty of good suspects,
twists, and red herrings. Yet things made sense at the end. Since we are now in
the era when I was reading mysteries, I enjoy seeing some of those books pop up
in the references to real mysteries this series is famous for. If you are a fan
of this series, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
Murder in the Graveyard by Various Authors
(Destination Murders Short Story Collection #5) – 5
Just in time for Halloween, we get this fun collection of
murders set in and around graveyards. In
addition to the unexpected dead body or two, we also get involved in revenge,
teenage parties, amnesia, family feuds, and an escaped convict. Many of these stories are set around
Halloween, although a few take place at other times of the year. And yes, a couple lean into the spooky, but
it always fits the story, so I didn’t mind.
Many of these authors featured their series stars. I’ve read many of those novels, so it was fun
to spend time with them. For those who I
haven’t met outside of these short story collections, I didn’t feel like I was
missing anything with the stories we got here.
Each story was fun, taking me about half an hour to read. With nine stories, we get plenty of
content. I was smiling through most of
them, even laughing some. And the
stories kept me engaged from start to finish.
Whether you read this book now or open it in a different
season of the year, you’ll enjoy these stories.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Murder Most Scenic by Liz Milliron (Laurel
Highlands Mysteries #0.5) – 5
This volume collects the six short stories that Liz Milliron
wrote with her Laurel Highlands characters before the first novel came
out. This is where we first meet Trooper
Jim Duncan and assistant district Attorney Sally Castle. And this is where they first meet as well, so
we get to watch as their relationship slowly develops. Along the way, they find the killer of a
politician’s wife, figure out who killed a baseball player, and solve the case
of a brewery contestant murdered the day before the contest. There’s also one story that focuses on Deputy
Coroner Tom Bruns, a supporting player in the series.
I don’t read short stories often enough, so it was nice to
do so with this collection. A couple of
them were a little obvious, but several of them fooled me with the final twist
as well. I was glad to finally get the
backstory to Jim and Sally and watch the early stages of their
relationship. Do keep in mind these
aren’t the cozies I often read. Fans of
the novels who want to see how the characters first met will be glad they
picked up this book. And if you haven’t
met the characters yet, don’t wait. Now’s
the time to jump in.
Haunted House Ghost by James J. Cudney
(Braxton Campus Mysteries #5) – 2
It’s been a few months since we last checked in on Kellan
Ayrwick, single father and new professor at Braxton University, where his
family has been involved for decades. In that time, he’s been overseeing the
contractor working on his new house, and it’s almost ready for move in. That
is, until someone comes along and sabotages it, leaving behind a threatening
message. Who could be doing it? Does it have anything to do with the former
inhabitants? How does the old skeleton uncovered on campus tie in?
Knowing that the story driving so much of the first half of
this series was mostly completed, I was curious to see where things would go.
Sadly, this was disappointing. The book tried to take on too much. Even though
the pacing was good and the book is long for a cozy, we still got data dumps
and exposition with summarized dialogue in the final quarter. It also kept me
from really connecting with the characters. Given the October setting, the book
does have fun with the seasonal vibes. But I am going to need a break before I
move on to the next book, if I decide to.
Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere (Material
Witness Mysteries #6) – 5
Poly Monroe is surprised to find herself invited to the
reading of Reginald Villamere’s will. She only knew the name from the Villamere
Theater, the historic movie theater in town. It turns out her inheritance is
fabric - specifically the fabrics the theater had purchased for a renovation
decades ago. When Poly goes to look at her inheritance the next day, she finds
Villamere’s lawyer in the room, dead. Who wanted to kill this particular
lawyer?
This series was my introduction to Diane Vallere’s books, so
it’s always nice to revisit the characters. They are as sharp as always, and I
enjoyed seeing the next chapter in their lives. The mystery was great with
several surprises along the way. I had no clue where things were going, but
everything made perfect sense when it was all stitched together. There’s a
nice, humorous tone and fun Easter Eggs for fans of Diane’s Costume Shop
Mysteries. If you are looking for a strong mystery with entertaining characters
and a light tone, this is the book for you.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse by P.J.
Fitzsimmons (Anty Boisjoly Mysteries #4) – 4
When Anty’s favorite steward, Carnaby, doesn’t return to
London from his vacation, Anty sets out to find out what is happening. He is surprised to learn that Carnaby’s
family owns a castle. But it comes with
a curse that has just carried off the patriarch’s new wife. Or was it murder? Anty is determined to find out and clear
Carnaby of suspicion.
This book doesn’t play too much into spooky, but it does
have some elements that made it fun to read during October. The mystery is strong with several elements
that kept me guessing until the end. As
always, I appreciated how the mystery was laid out. The suspects could have been a little
stronger, but I did still care about the outcome. The writing took me a chapter to get used to,
but once I did, I was easily caught up in the story and laughing at the very
dry British humor. No matter what time of the year you read this book, you’ll
be glad you picked it up.
The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and
Chee #6) – 4
It all starts with a confrontation in the parking lot of a
laundromat. By the time it is over, one of the men is dead, and the other flees
further into the reservation injured. While Chee is tasked with helping find
the injured man, he isn’t the lead on the case. The FBI is handling it since
they say it ties into a case back in Los Angeles. But then a teenager goes
missing, and Chee follows a lead to L.A. hoping to find her. Can he figure out
what is happening?
This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of
things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying
climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot
that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s
amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a
missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too
bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory,
but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for
Jim Chee.
The Tightrope Walker by Dorothy Gilman – 5
The story revolves around Amelia Jones, a woman in her early
20’s just trying to launch herself into adulthood after a difficult childhood.
When she buys an antique shop, she is finding joy in all the things she finds
there including an old instrument. But when the instrument stops playing one
day, Amelia investigates to find a note inside. The letter was written by
someone named Hannah who says someone is about to kill her. Amelia begins her
quest to follow the trail of the instrument’s owners to see if she can figure
out what happened to Hannah. What will she find?
The title comes from a metaphor the book tries to make, and
it feels a bit of a stretch. But that’s a minor issue. The story is part murder
mystery and part coming of age story. I might have found the beginning slow in
other books, but that duality kept me engaged. The second half fixes any
potential pacing issues from the first half, and I was caught up in the story.
I was satisfied with the climax and loved seeing how Amelia grew of the course
of the book. If you’ve missed this stand alone, I recommend you fix that
today.
