February 2024's Reading Summary

Happy Leap Day!  It's always fun to celebrate the 29th of February, right?  This year, I'm doing it with a look back at what I read in February.

And I got the index updated as well.

All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

Murder at the Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell (Gilded Newport Mysteries #1) – 5

Emma Cross is attending the social event of the year at The Breakers.  While she is distantly related to the hosts, the Vanderbilts, she is also covering it as the society reporter.  The night ends in tragedy when a man falls to his death in front of Emma.  With all the evidence pointing to her brother, Brady, who was up to something that night, Emma starts investigating.  Can she find the truth?

This book does a great job balancing the beginning of the plot with the introduction of Emma and her world.  The plot was great, and I appreciated that Emma fell for some red herrings before she reached the logical conclusion.  The characters are also strong; it was hard to tell if some of them were going to be series regulars or were just suspects for this book.  This book is a tad gray and falls closer to traditional than cozy for me, but that’s a minor issue.  I also appreciated how the time and place came to life and were used by the author.  It’s easy to tell why this series is so popular.  I’m looking forward to reading more soon.

 

Spy School Goes North by Stuart Gibbs (Spy School #11) – 3

Ben and the rest of the gang are in Alaska, training in secret after the events of the previous book.  But they aren’t as secret as they thought they were when someone kidnaps Cyrus.  Naturally, they spring into action to save him, but even if they do, what plot might they uncover?

I’ve been a fan of the series since the beginning, but it is beginning to feel a little too familiar.  It would be nice if we could defeat some recurring characters and move on to some new stories.  Additionally, there are a couple of lectures that threw me out of the book, even when I agreed with the characters.  There’s also a relationship that bothered me on multiple levels.  From a story standpoint, this relationship felt completely forced and the plot relied on it too much.  It just wasn’t earned.  On the other hand, I did enjoy spending time with the characters as always, and the action and laughs kept me turning pages.  Here’s hoping that the next will take things in a fresh direction.

 

The Secrets We Keep by Liz Milliron (Homefront Mysteries #5) – 5

Betty Ahern has just gotten her PI license, and she has a new case, as well.  Private Christopher Lake was raised as an orphan, but he’s started to wonder what really happened to his parents.  With only a St. Christopher medal as a clue, Betty sets out to see what she can learn.  She’s just making progress when someone connected with the case dies.  Can she figure out what is happening before Christopher ships out again?

I’ve enjoyed this series set in Buffalo during World War II, and this was another great entry.  Even before the murder happened, I was hooked by what Betty was learning.  Things only got more interesting the further I got into the book, until I reached the great climax.  There are some timeline issues, but they are mostly annoying and don’t impact the story itself.  Betty is really growing as an investigator, and it was nice to watch her follow some small clues in this book.  The suspects are sharp, and I enjoyed seeing the returning characters again.  There is a sub-plot that flows from the previous book in the series, and a few references to past stories, but nothing that is truly a spoiler.  If you are interested in this time period, you’ll enjoy these books.  If you are already a fan, you’ll enjoy this latest entry.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

DM Me for Murder by Sarah E. Burr (Trending Topics Mysteries #3) – 5

Murder is the farthest thing from Coco Cline’s mind that Monday morning.  Instead, she is thrilled that mega-influencer LaTage wants to use Coco’s company, Center of Attention Consulting, to launch her rebranding.  Then Coco arrives at their meeting to find LaTage dead.  With the police asking Coco for help understanding the online world that LaTage inhabited, she can’t help but dig just a little deeper.  Will she be able to uncover a clue that will lead to the killer?

I was really looking forward to this book, and it didn’t disappoint.  Coco and her friends are in top form, and I loved watching their relationships develop.  The plot was fantastic with a couple of great twists and many suspects that Coco had to sort through to reach the logical solution.  If you’re looking for a warm beach getaway, the setting with definitely appeal to you as well.  I love seeing cozy mysteries expanding their themes.  However, if you aren’t super into social media, you’ll still understand everything that happens here, and there’s plenty of talking to suspects face to face.  Fans will be delighted with this book.  If you want a fun, modern cozy, you’ll be glad this series trended to the top of your to be read pile.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Fatal First Edition by Jenn McKinlay (Library Lover’s Mysteries #14) – 4

This book starts out in Chicago, where Lindsey Norris and her husband, Sully, are attending the annual archivist convention.  Lindsey is having a fantastic time, and that includes the train trip back home to Connecticut.  Quite a few of the attendees are also on the train.  However, when Lindsey wakes up the next morning, someone is dead in the compartment next to her and Sully.  Does it have anything to do with the valuable first edition that Lindsey stumbled upon during the keynote address?

One thing I love about cozy mysteries are the familiar locations and characters, so I was happy to see this book found an excuse to spend a lot of time at home while continuing the plot.  The series regulars gave us some great laughs.  Meanwhile, the plot zigs in a different direction part way through, and I was hooked as a result.  Unfortunately, it did make the climax a bit rushed, although it was still logical.  Fans will be pleased with this entry in the series.  If you haven’t started these books yet, you’ll be happy you changed that.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

A Scaly Tail of Murder by Jacqueline Vick (Frankie Chandler Pet Psychic Mysteries #5) – 4

Just as Frankie Chandler is trying to adjust to being engaged to Detective Martin Bowers, her ex, Jeff, comes to town.  Rather surprising since she hasn’t seen him since she moved to Arizona from Wisconsin.  He came to town following Charity, a woman he’s just met.  The problem?  Charity turns Jeff down, but she has his keys.  So Frankie agrees to go to the spa where Charity works to retrieve them.  When she arrives, she finds Charity dead with Charity’s pet iguana the only witness.  Can Frankie figure out what is going on?

Yes, this is one of the rare paranormal series I read since Frankie has discovered she really can communicate with animals.  Since the last couple of books have found Frankie out of town, I enjoyed seeing all the regular haunts this time around.  The characters are also fun, although I did have some issues with how Frankie treated Jeff in this book.  Likewise, a couple of times, Frankie seemed to know something we hadn’t seen her learn.  But both are minor overall.  The plot had plenty of viable suspects and some nice surprises before we reached the logical end.  Meanwhile, the characters provided plenty of smiles and laughs.  If you are looking for a light paranormal cozy, you’ll be glad you picked this book up.

 

Yankee Doodle Dead by Carolyn Hart (Death on Demand #10) – 4

Annie Darling is getting ready for the festival that Broward’s Rock is hosting for the fourth of July.  Not only is her bookstore selling at a booth, but she’s on the library board, which is putting everything on, and is the benefit of the proceeds.  Unfortunately, a newcomer to the island is also on the board, and making waves there and all over the island.  So when someone shoots him during the fireworks, the only real question is who didn’t have a motive.  Can Annie and her husband, Max, figure out what happened?

I struggled a bit with the first half of the book.  It was obvious early on who the victim would be.  While we were setting up suspects and motives, his antics were such an over the top cliché, it wasn’t always fun.  Fortunately, things get better once Annie and Max start investigating.  We get a somber yet logical climax, but we still have fun with all the series regulars along the way.  I hope the victims get a little less predictable in future books, but series fans will still enjoy this one.

 

Mission Manhattan by James Ponti (City Spies #5) – 5

As this book opens, the team is in Venice.  MI6 has intercepted a threat against a climate change rally that is featuring Beatriz Santos, a teen who has gained quite a following with her outspokenness on the topic.  Since she is from Brazil, Rio has been tasked with getting close to her.  It’s a good thing they are there, since things don’t go according to plan.

But Venice was just the beginning.  As the team looks into what happened there, they realize that the danger isn’t over yet.  Can they figure out what is happening in time to stop it?

I was anxious to dive into this book after the cliffhanger from the last book, and it did not disappoint.  It did take a while to get back to cliffhanger, and the answers only lead to more questions.  While I could have done without the climate change theme, I was happy to see those mini-lectures never lasted too long.  Instead, we get plenty of surprises and fun as the City Spies try to figure out exactly what is going on so they can stop it.  Meanwhile, I still love these characters and their relationship.  Fans of all ages will love their latest adventure and be left wanting to find out what happens next.

 

Once Upon a Murder by Samantha Larsen (Lady Librarian Mysteries #2) – 4

It’s 1784, and spinster Tiffany Woodall is hoping to put the chaos and intrigue of the last few months behind her.  However, when she finds a dead body on her way to work at the castle one morning, she knows that isn’t going to happen.  When the local bookseller, the man Tiffany loves, is accused of the crime, she can’t help but get involved.  Can she figure out what happened?

The first book in this series was one of my favorites of last year.  This book wasn’t as good, but it was still enjoyable.  As with the first book, the mystery takes a backseat at times.  However, here the other storylines weren’t as compelling.  This is especially true of the romance.  I was glad it wasn’t dragged out too much and I bought it in a way I wouldn’t in other series, but I wasn’t as invested in it.  When the murder really kicks in during the second half, I was more fully on board, and I love how that was resolved.  Likewise, I still loved all the characters and did enjoy seeing what happened to them.  Fans of the first will want to pick this up.  If you missed the first, you’ll definitely want to start there.

 NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley (Deep Dish Mysteries #2) – 3

Summer is winding down soon, which means that the crowds will be disappearing from Geneva Bay, Wisconsin.  Unfortunately for Delilah O’Leary, she hasn’t earned quite as much as she needs during her deep dish pizza restaurant’s first season opened to survive the coming winter season comfortably.  Which means she needs to win the upcoming “Taste of Wisconsin” contest held during the annual Labor Day festival.  She’s been trying to prefect her recipe for weeks.  However, she is less than thrilled when she learns who the judge is going to be.

All that takes a back seat when someone drops dead in the new juice bar in town.  Delilah happens to be on hand, and she can’t help but get involved in the investigation.  But can she figure out what happened?

I enjoyed the first book in the series, and was looking forward to returning to the great characters and setting.  Unfortunately, the plot tries to do too much.  Early on, I was enjoying trying to figure out what was part of the mystery and what was part of any subplots, but when we reached the climax, things were just too rushed because of everything else going on.  In fact, it felt like the mystery was undercooked overall, and I was left with a major question about why a character did what they did.  Which is a shame because the characters and setting were great once again.  I love Delilah and the rest of the crew, and I’d love to visit the town.  There are some fun laughs, including in the recipes.  Seriously, they are written by some of the characters, and they are great.  I already have book three, so hopefully, the plot is stronger in that one.

 

Murder Out of Character by Olivia Matthews (Peach Coast Library Mysteries #2) – 3

The summer fun raising campaign for the library is kicking off with a cocktail reception, and Marvey Harris is in the thick of things thanks to her job.  The event goes well, but as the staff is cleaning up, Marvey finds a list of names left behind by someone.  She’s intrigued since her good friend Spence is on it as is a man who has just died.

Two days later, another person on the list has died.  Marvey can’t help but think she’s found a list that someone is targeting, but she is having a hard time getting anyone to take her seriously.  Especially since no one seems to be able to figure out a solid connection between the four people on the list.  Can Marvey discover what is going on before a killer strikes again?

I’d intended to get back and finish this series, and I was happy to see the main characters again.  While the supporting players could have been a bit better developed, I love Marvey and her friends.  They are just wonderful.  I was intrigued by the plot, but it didn’t quite work for me.  The pacing was off, with some repetitive scenes.  While the killer and motive did make sense, there was still a major part of the plot that was never explained.  If you are a plot first person, I’d recommend you skip this book.  But if you enjoy reading about strong bonds between characters, you will want to check this one out.

 

Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts (Bee Keeping Mysteries #1) – 4

Bailey Biggs has returned to her small town in Colorado to help her grandmother, who has recently broken her foot.  But when she arrives, she finds Granny Bee yelling at the town’s founder.  The next morning, she finds the man dead from his honey allergy, a jar of Granny Bee’s signature Hot Spiced Honey on his table.  With the sheriff questioning Granny Bee, Bailey jumps in to figure out what really happened.  Can she find a sweet killer?

I’d heard lots of good things when this book came out, and I’m glad I finally got a chance to read it.  The book jumps right in, and we met a group of characters at once.  It took me a while to separate them all, but I was able to.  The main characters are strong, and the suspects are good.  The plot also started quickly, and it kept me buzzing from one suspect to the next until we reached the logical solution that wrapped everything well.  The book was funny, although I do feel it got a little too zany at times.  If this book finds you craving honey, you’ll be delighted in the six recipes at the end.  If you enjoy cozies on the comedic side, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.