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.
