December 2023's Reading Summary

That time of the month again.  Okay, so I might normally be squeezing in one more book, but with the Christmas this week and other stuff I'll be posting the rest of the year (assuming I get it all done), I decided today was the best day for a reading summary.

Unfortunately, for the second month in a row, I didn't get the index updated.  Got to make sure I do that next month.

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

 

“Y” is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone #25) – 3

It is September of 1989, and PI Kinsey Millhone is hired by a family in a difficult situation. 10 years ago, their son made an explicit tape. He’s just been released from prison, and now the tape has resurfaced. Someone is threatening to give the tape to the authorities if the family doesn’t pay up, and they want Kinsey to find out who it is. Meanwhile, Kinsey is dealing with the aftermath of the attack she recently suffered. Things only heat up when she suspects her attacker might be back in the area. 

There is plenty happening here with four different storylines weaving in and out of each other. Still, I did feel the flashbacks for the main mystery slowed things down. The rest of the stories feature continuing stories and characters from earlier books in the series, and I especially liked seeing one of them come back since it gave much needed closure to the previous book in the series. As always, I liked seeing Kinsey again, and we see plenty of regulars. This is the final book in the series, and part of me is sad because I’d love to know how the author would have ended things. On the other hand, this book ends without any major cliffhangers and allows us to imagine Kinsey’s life moving forward as we want it to. I wish we could have gotten a feel for what was on the tape without going into all the detail we got, especially the second time around.  There’s a dose of foul language as well  I definitely recommend this for series fans even if it isn’t one of the stronger books in the series. 

 

City of Betrayal by Victoria Thompson (Counterfeit Lady Mysteries #7) – 2

It's August of 1920, and the fight to ratify the nineteenth amendment giving women the right to vote has come down to Tennessee.  Everyone thinks that, among the states that haven’t voted on it yet, the best chance to pass it will be here.  Elizabeth Bates and her mother-in-law have been asked to go to Tennessee and help with the lobbying of state representatives to get it passed.  Gideon joins them as well.  When the three arrive, they quickly see the see of various color roses, those for and against ratification.  But can they do anything to make a difference in the vote?

Normally, I love this author’s books, so I picked this book up without paying too much attention to what it was about.  However, this one didn’t live up to her usual standards.  I have a feeling she was so fascinated by the real life stuff she uncovered while doing research she tried to fit it all into a novel.  The problem is the result reads more like a history book than a novel, and Elizabeth and the others get involved in mini episodes without having an overall plot to drive us other than will the amendment get passed or not.  Several supporting characters show up for cameos, and even the three main characters feel flat.  If you are a fan of the author, know what to expect going in.  If you are new to her, don’t judge her by this book, but pick up some of her other books and you’ll get caught up in them.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Keep Your Family Close by Annette Dashofy (Detective Honeywell Mysteries #2) – 4

Detective Matthias Honeywell is called to the scene of a man shot in an alley near a bar.  Sounds like a mugging on the surface, especially since his wallet is missing.  Is it that simple?  Or is there more to it than that?  If it is a mugging, will they ever figure out who did it?  Meanwhile, he’s also working on the case of a waitress who vanished while walking home from work one night.  Will he get a break in that case?

Plus, Honeywell’s friend, Emma Anderson, gets a new lead on where her missing sister might be.  The lead is a week old; will it lead Emma to her sister?

With so many storylines, it isn’t a surprise that I found this book to be a page turning.  There was always something happening to keep me engaged.  The characters were strong, and that drew me in as well.  There was one part of the solution that bothered me, but all my questions were answered.  Meanwhile, those who enjoyed the first book will be happy to hear the sparks between Honeywell and Emma are as strong as ever.  Plus, we get to see some interesting growth in them and meet some great new characters.  Since this is a police procedural, it’s a little darker than my typical cozy, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine.  This is a great second book in a series that will keep you turning pages.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley (Deep Dish Mysteries #1) – 5

Delilah O’Leary is delighted to be opening her new deep dish pizza restaurant in the resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin.  However, the day of her soft opening/grand opening party doesn’t go well.  First, she gets into a fight with her fiancé, who is financing everything, and he storms out.  Then, in the middle of the party, she sees her aunt standing over a dead body holding the murder weapon; a weapon she admits is hers.  With the official opening on hold, can Delilah figure out what is really going on?

I’ll admit the first chapter had me a bit worried, giving us lots of background on the characters.  But the data dumps didn’t last for long, and we soon had a great mystery on our hands.  The plot had plenty of twists and didn’t fall into a familiar plot pattern, something the author pulled off well.  The climax answered all my questions.  Delilah might have been an annoying character in less capable hands, but I really liked her right off, and that only grew as I got further into the book.  The rest of the regulars are great, and I already love the community that Delilah is building.  The setting is charming, and I wish I could visit in person.  All the talk about pizza made me crave it.  If that’s you, too, you’ll be happy with the recipes at the end.  This debut left me hungry for the next course.

 

Murder Under the Mistletoe by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Jane Wunderly #4.5) – 5

It’s December of 1926, and Jane Wunderly is accompanying her fiancé, Redvers, to his home in a small English village to meet his father.  The two men have grown apart, so it is news to Redvers that his father is also engaged and planning to wed on Christmas morning.  However, this bride-to-be is twice widowed and rumor has it that her previous husbands didn’t die of natural causes.  Then an attack is followed up by a suspicious death at a Christmas party.  Can Jane and Redvers figure out what is happening?

When I learned that we were getting a between the books novella this Christmas, I had to read it.  And I enjoyed it.  We see a couple supporting characters in addition to Jane and Redvers.  Plus, the new characters are great.  The plot kept me guessing, even when I thought I had a handle on what was going on.  While not all the Christmas traditions are the same, it still felt familiar enough that I enjoyed the dose of Christmas spirit in December.  Whether you already like this series or are looking for a quick Christmas read, you’ll be glad you picked up this ebook only novella.

 

Spoon to be Dead by Dana Mentink (Shake Shop Mysteries #3) – 5

As winter sets in, Trinidad Jones is concentrating on figuring out how to keep her shake shop going through the cold months.  But that takes a back seat when her ex-husband walks through the door of her shop one morning.  No one had informed her that Gabe had been let out of prison.  Even more surprising, he announces that he thinks he just killed someone before collapsing on the floor.  What could be going on?

The book starts that quickly, and I got caught up in the action.  The pacing was a little uneven in the middle, but things pick up for a fantastic climax.  Since this is (sadly) the final book in the series, we get a wrap up for the characters.  Some of that was a little abrupt, but overall, I liked it.  Gabe being in town provided a great way to see different sides of several of the characters and watch their relationships grow.  Considering how much I love the characters, that was nice.  The Christmas setting didn’t really kick in until the second half of the book, but it was strong then.  We also get some festive recipes to enjoy later.  Fans of the series will be satisfied with this book, and if you haven’t started this series yet, you’ll want to do so today.

 

Murder on Mistletoe Lane by Clara McKenna (Stella and Lyndy Mysteries #5) – 5

It’s late December 1905, and Stella and Lyndy are excited to spend their first Christmas together.  Stella is a little confused by the house guests her in-laws have invited and the tension just below the surface their presence creates.  But when a servant is killed, run down on the side of the road, she can’t help but investigate.  Can she figure out what happened?

This is another strong entry in the series.  I was glad that Stella and Lyndy were home since it meant that the supporting characters were back.  I loved watching those relationships and characters grow more complex yet again here.  There is a lot happening in this book, and the plots weave in and out of each other before reaching the logical climax.  I did have a niggle with the climax, but it was a small one.  The tone is a little somber, but it is in keeping with the rest of the series.  On the other hand, all the scenes involving Christmas put me in the Christmas spirit, even if not everything was familiar.  As always, the multiple view points of the narration were put to fantastic use.  Those who enjoy historical mysteries will be glad they picked this one up.

 

Dearly Deleted by Sarah E. Burr (Book Blogger Mysteries #2) – 5

Winnie Lark is staying in Copper Bay for Christmas, in fact, she’s playing host to her family.  She’s nervous about her strained relationship with her parents and all of them fitting in her cottage.  But before they even arrive, another murder happens in town.  Her friend Owen is hosting a bestselling mystery author at his bookstore, but after the signing, Owen finds a dead body behind his store.  Can Winnie save his reputation?

This book doesn’t waste any time before jumping into the mystery, and it kept me guessing until we reached the end, which took me by surprise.  I fell in love with the characters in the first book, and that continued here.  I also liked seeing how naturally Winnie’s relationship with her brother has developed.  I did feel one sub-plot got a little short changed, but I did like how it was resolved.  The Christmas setting is fun, and there are some great scenes in the second half of the book.  If you can work this book in before Christmas, you’ll be rewarded.  But no matter what time of the year you read it, you’ll be glad you did.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #34) – 4

It’s the week before Christmas, but Meg has gotten roped into the reality show Blades of Glory! that is being filmed in the area.  She just wanted to be working behind the scenes, but when someone attacks her mentor, who was supposed to be a competitor, she has to step in at the last minute as a contestant even though bladesmithing isn’t her specialty.  But when another contestant is murdered, Meg begins to wonder if she is safe or if someone is out to do away with all their competition.

Yes, this is a Christmas entry in the series.  While it may not quite seem like it from the teaser, we still get plenty of Christmas spirit on these pages, and I enjoyed some of the twists the set up brought us.  It helps that we see many of the regular characters, and they are charming as always.  I did find one of the other contestants to be very one dimensional.  I get we weren’t supposed to like the guy, but did he have to be that much of a cliché?  There is plenty going on to keep us reading, including set up, before the body drops, and I was never bored.  However, the climax was weaker than it could have been, even though all our questions are answered.  No matter when you read this entry, you’ll enjoy another Christmas with Meg.

 

Irish Milkshake Murder by Carlene O’Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland – 5

Get ready for murder and mayhem around St. Patrick’s Day with these three fun novellas.  Up first, we get “Irish Milkshake Murder” from Carlene O’Connor, which finds Tara Meehan and Danny O’Donnell’s pre-wedding party running into a storm that traps them on an island with a killer.  Next up, Peggy Ehrhart takes us to New Jersey in “Murder Most Irish.”  Her series characters Pamela Paterson and Bettina Fraser are on hand when a man collapses in his lunch at a local diner.  But was it murder?  Finally, we travel to the north pole with Liz Ireland’s “Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun.”  Spring is iceball season at the North Pole, but late after a game one night, the injured star of the local team is attacked.  Can Mrs. Claus figure out who did it and why?

Since this is a novella collection, all three of these stories are fast reads.  But the authors still pack in plenty of twists.  They also do a good job of introducing their characters and the worlds they inhabit, so it is easy to jump in if you aren’t familiar with them.  The St. Patrick’s Day theme is strong in each story as well.  This is a book you’ll be happy to pull out in March and enjoy with your favorite minty milkshake.  Who knows, you might even find a new series to read.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this anthology.