November 2023's Reading Summary

Time to wrap up another month.  Between Thanksgiving and fiscal year end at work, I didn't get to update the index.

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

 

Tulle Death Do Us Part by Diane Vallere (Material Witness Mysteries #4) – 5

Poly Monroe has been asked to close her fabric shop, Material Girl, for a private customer.  It makes sense when she realizes that the customer is Beatriz Rosen, a famous ballerina trying to hide from the paparazzi, and she is looking for material for her wedding dress.  Even with all the secrecy, a man shows up and picks a fight with Beatriz.  That evening, Poly witnesses the two of them fighting on the street.  A little while later, Poly finds the man dead.  It’s only then she learns her connection to the wedding.  Suddenly, Poly wants to figure out what is going on.  Can she do it?

It's been seven years since we last visited these characters, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed them until I was reading this book.  Yes, there is plenty of context given so if you are new to the series or haven’t read them recently, you’ll be in Poly’s world in no time.  While I was happy to see the characters again, I really appreciated the growth that came out of the story.  The mystery unfolds a little differently than a typical cozy, but that’s not a complaint since I was hooked the entire way through.  There were a couple of small timeline issues, although they were minor overall.  The worst made me chuckle.  There’s a fun shout out to one of the author’s other series in the pages.  Old fans will be happy to be back in Poly’s world, and new fans will be quickly hooked.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Calico by Lee Goldberg – 3

After a scandal forces her from the LAPD, Beth McDade lands a job as a detective in Barstow, California.  Nothing much happens in this middle of nowhere location until one night when a motorhome hits a vagrant.  It appears to be a tragic accident, only no one knows who the vagrant is.  And the autopsy turns up some surprising things.  Can Beth figure out what is going on?

Since I normally enjoy Lee Goldberg’s books, I picked this one up without paying much attention to anything about it.  As a result, I wasn’t aware it was a blend of Police Procedural, Science Fiction, and Western.  It was initially shocking when I realized where the book was going, but then I got caught up in the story, which unfolds in the present and the past.  It helped that I grew to enjoy the characters, although the raw nature of the first chapter made it a little hard for me.  This book definitely has more content than the cozies I typically read.  However, the book tried to do too much.  There’s a subplot that really doesn’t go anywhere, and some of the story set in the past gets summarized for us.  Meanwhile, the last couple of chapters have a bit too much exposition for me.  I appreciate the attempt to do something different, but the execution could have been better.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

The Proof of the Pudding by Rhys Bowen (Royal Spyness Mysteries #17) – 4

Lady Georgie has hired a new chef from France, and he is a hit in the community.  In fact, Georgie’s neighbor, Sir Mortimer Mordred, has hired him to provide the dinner at the end of the open house he is hosting to show off his poison garden.  The next morning, a few of the guests are sick, and one dies.  Could Georgie’s chef be a poisoner?

As is usual for this series, the book takes a while to set the story in motion, but once it does, I was hooked.  Georgie gets a fun new sleuthing partner that I loved.  The climax, while a little unconventional, works well for this book and answers all of our questions.  It was great to see the series regulars again and see them continue to grow.  Meanwhile, the new characters are great.  We get some funny scenes and reminders of what was going on in Europe in the 1930’s.  While the two are very different in tone, they are balanced perfect.  I enjoyed this latest entry in the series, and fans will as well.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Final Cut by Marjorie McCown (Hollywood Mysteries #1) – 3

Costumer Joey Jessop is happy to be working on the latest big budget superhero movie.  However, the first day gets off to a rocky start with the director showing how horrible he can be, an electrical accident, and then a murder.  Joey is the person to find the victim, the second assistant director, who just happens to be dating Joey’s ex.  With Joey a person of interest, can she figure out what really happened?

Since I love the entertainment industry, this book immediately caught my attention.  We get behind the scenes information, sometimes a bit too much, but I did love the Southern California and entertainment settings overall.  The plot needed more focus, with the story being driven more by events than Joey’s investigation, which lead us to a climax that was weak on one hand and suspenseful on the other.  Several aspects of the plot don’t really get resolved.  There is a strong Me Too storyline, and I appreciated that it focused on Joey and her response to it all.  Joey and several of main characters came to life for me, and I did like spending time with them.  In the end, this one was a mixed bag for me.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

 

Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss (Cheese Shop Mysteries #4) – 5

The Northwest Cheese Invitational has come to Yarrow Glen, and with it, some of Willa Bauer’s coworkers from her previous job.  She’s thrilled to show off her new cheese shop to them, but they are focused on the upcoming reading of the will of their boss, Max.  Max not only ran a cheese shop in Oregon, but he had developed an award-winning blue cheese.  When one of Willa’s former co-workers is killed, Willa wonders if the secret of the blue cheese was the motive.  Can she solve the murder and figure out where the cheese is?

Obviously, there is a lot going on here, and the two storylines weave around each other wonderfully.  I kept turning pages as quickly as I could to find out what was going to happen next.  The climax could have been a little stronger, but my questions were all answered.  It was wonderful to see the characters again.  I love the community that is building around Willa.  We get some updates in ongoing storylines, but if you jumped in here, you wouldn’t be confused.  And you’ll be happy to satisfy your cheese cravings with the three recipes at the end of the book.  The only reason I’m blue is that I have to wait for the next book in the series now.

 

The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #1) – 4

Anthropology professor Bergen McKee is going to spend the summer on the Navajo Reservation working on his book on witches in the Navajo culture.  That means reconnecting with his college friend Joe Leaphorn, who is a Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant.  Leaphorn is trying to track down a young man who is hiding on the reservation, and he uses taking McKee around to try to learn the man’s location.  Then the young man turns up dead miles from here Leaphorn thought he was.  Meanwhile, McKee finds danger he never imagined while conducting his research.  Is everything connected?

I’d been interested in starting this series for a while, and I’m glad I finally did.  It took a bit to get fully immersed in the book, especially since it didn’t unfold like I thought it would.  McKee is more of the main character and the better developed of the two, although I did like Leaphorn and want to learn more about him.  The plot also seemed a little disjointed at first, although it came into focus before too much time had passed.  Once I did get invested, I was truly hooked with plenty of suspense to keep me interested.  I enjoyed learning a bit more about Navajo culture.  While definitely a cross between a police procedural and a thriller, it still doesn’t have much of the content I would associate with the genres.  The book came out in 1970, so keep that in mind when you go to start it.  I’m glad I finally started the series, and I’m looking forward to getting to know Leaphorn better as the series goes along.

 

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (An American in Paris Mystery #1) – 4

Tabitha Knight has decided to live with her grandfather in 1949 Paris as she tries to decide what to do with her life after the end of the war.  One of her new neighbors is Julia Child, and the two quickly become friends.  After a party at Julia’s apartment one night, one of the guests is killed with Julia’s chef’s knife.  Naturally, the police think she did it, but Tabitha knows it had to be someone else at the party.  Can she prove it?

While I know little about Julia Child, I did feel what we saw here rang true to her personality.  But she is just one of many enchanting characters we meet here, and I can’t wait to see them again.  The suspects were strong, and the mystery kept me guessing.  I thought I’d picked up on a clue early on, but it turned out to be a red herring that got me.  I did feel one aspect of the plot was left up in the air, but the rest was explained to my satisfaction.  While there are no recipes in this book, there is tons of talk about food.  You’ll definitely be hungry when you read.  I’m glad I finally read a book by this author, and I’ll be looking for more.

 

Dead Man's Hand by Penny Warner (Connor Westphal #7) – 4

The cold, snowy weather that Flat Skunk, California is having this January doesn’t hide a dead body, especially since the body is found hanging in front of one of the stores in town. While it would be easy to rule it an obvious suicide, the sheriff finds evidence that leads him to believe it is murder. Naturally, Connor Westphal sees the chance to get a big news story for her paper, but she can’t get a handle on the story. What is the meaning of the chip from the nearby Indian casino found in the victim’s hand? Or does the victim’s drug dealing have anything to do with his death?

This book didn't have quite the feel of the other books in the series, and some of the regulars were absent or weren't around much.  Having said that, I did still enjoy seeing Connor one last time.  She makes an interesting and strong main character.  I also enjoyed getting to see more of her service dog.  The plot was strong and I didn't see the ending coming at all.  I enjoyed seeing how things had changed for deaf people even in the short time between when the series started and this book, which came out in 2007.  There is much more foul language than is typical for a cozy.  This is the final book in the series, and I really liked where Connor wound up.  I'm sure that other fans of the series will be happy as well.

 

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! by Mo Willems – 4

Santa needs to go wrap a few presents, but he leaves us with one request.  You guessed it, don’t let the Pigeon drive the sleigh.  And as soon as Santa leaves, Pigeon shows up trying to wheedle his way into driving the sleigh.  Will he get his wish?  Or will reality be different than his dreams?

Those familiar with Pigeon will love this Christmas entry in the series.  It felt a little too familiar at times, but it was still fun overall.  If you aren’t familiar with these books, the dialogue to us and stylized pictures will take a bit to get used to, but once you do, you’ll find the fun.  I once again love that Pigeon sees his wish isn’t all he thought it might be, but this lesson is filled with humor.  I can see this becoming a Christmas hit that is possibly requested year-round.

 

Over My Dead Blog by Sarah E. Burr (Book Blogger Mysteries #1) – 5

Winnie Lark has moved to the other side of the country from her family and found a new life she loves in Copper Bay, Massachusetts, while she runs a hugely successful book blog.  When her twin brother, famous actor Strider Lark, comes for a visit, Winnie is nervous since their relationship has been strained in the last few years.  But she doesn’t expect him to be suspected of murder after just one night in town.  A local reporter has been killed, and Strider was the last one to see her alive.  Can Winnie clear him of the crime?

As a book blogger, the hook for this cozy series immediately caught my attention.  I’m glad it did since I enjoyed the book.  Winnie and Strider’s relationship is a strong element to the book, and I appreciated that the author made it complex.  Winnie takes a little while to get a line on what is happening with the murder (she is an amateur, after all), but once she does, she then worries about proving her case, a nice change from many cozies.  I loved the characters we met, especially Winnie’s relationship with her two best friends.  I can’t wait to spend more time with all of the characters.  I also smiled at Winnie’s cute, cozy swears.  There’s a fall vibe to the October set story.  This book blogger can’t help but recommend this fun debut.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

 

The Body in the Cornfield by Catherine Dilts (Rose Creek Mysteries #2) – 4

Drew Brauner has taken a part time job working for the historic Rose Creek outdoor amphitheater helping with their upcoming live streamed production of Oklahoma!  However, the lead actor is causing problems, not the least of which is the fact that he always shows up for rehearsals drunk.  However, when Drew’s friend Makenzie Selkirk goes to learn more about a windmill being set up on a nearby farm, she finds the body of the actor in the cornfield.  Soon, the other members of their new book club are drawn into the case.  Will they figure out what happened?

I loved the first book in the series and couldn’t wait to dive into this one.  I missed the group scenes and the scenes building the friendships between the four leads.  However, I did love spending time with all of them again and watching the characters grow.  Each of them contributes something to the case, and I appreciate how the author balances the four lead characters.  That also includes giving them various motives to investigate the case.  We have plenty of suspects but not very many clues, yet the story never drags.  I did find the climax a little weak, but it did answer all our questions.  Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with the characters.  If you are looking for a series with a strong group of main characters, this is one to check out.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.