September's 2024 Reading Summary

 Time to wrap up September.  And, as always, I'm doing that with a summary of everything I reviewed in the month.

Yes, the index is updated.

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

 

A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair (Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries #2) – 4

Someone has sent Princess Elizabeth a letter hinting at a scandal in the past of Prince Philip.  The letter was intercepted, and Iris Sparks and Gwen Baingridge have been approached to find out if there is any truth to the scandal or not.  Since it is believed that the two royals are heading for an engagement by the end of the summer, time is of the essence.  When Iris and Gwen begin digging in to see if there is truth behind the insinuation, they hit dead ends and uncertain connections.  Can they find out if someone is about to out a royal scandal?

I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get back to this series.  This was a fun second visit.  The characters are sharp, and I love how Iris and Gwen complement each other so well.  The mystery was good, although it was a little overly convoluted at the end.  It all made sense, however.  The real world fits well into this historical mystery, and, even though I knew how history actually played out, I was hooked.  I’d forgotten just how much humor there was, especially the banter between the leads.  Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I am able to visit them again.

 

A Scape Goat for Murder by Jacqueline Vick (Frankie Chandler Pet Psychic Mysteries #6) – 3

Frankie Chandler’s wedding to Detective Martin Bowers is just weeks again when he is involved in an accident.  His colleagues won’t tell Frankie anything about what happened, and the doctor is being vague about his condition.  So, Frankie sets out to figure things out on her own.  When she finds the accident site, she determines that there was a witness – a goat.  Can she make sense of the visions she is getting from the goat to solve the case?

Quite obviously, there is a lot of fun to be had here, and I laughed many times as I was reading.  Some of that came from Martin’s two sisters who show up in Frankie’s life.  However, I found that this subplot didn’t quite develop in a satisfactory way.  The mystery started out strongly and kept me engaged, but the ending was so rushed that some whys for a major part of the plot got overlooked.  I did enjoy spending time with Frankie again and watching her growth.  Fans of the series will enjoy this one, but it is a weaker entry in the series.

 

The Late Show by Michael Connelly (Renee Ballard #1) – 4

LAPD officer Renee Ballard has been demoted to working the overnight shift in the Hollywood division.  She’s frustrated that she never gets to work a case to resolution in her current role.  Until one night when a series of cases land in her lap.  A woman reports a stolen wallet.  A transgender individual is left for dead.  A shooting incident happens at a bar.  As Ballard gets involved in all these cases, can she solve them?

I remember when this book came out how far behind I was on the author’s books and thinking I’d never get to it.  And yet here I am.  I found that Ballard shared quite a bit with the author’s Harry Bosch character.  I’m not saying I didn’t like her, but I felt like she was a bit too familiar.  Maybe that will change when I see them together.  And again, I did like getting to meet her here and am looking forward to seeing what else happens to her.  The mystery was very compelling.  I saw a few things coming early, but there were some great twists that took me by surprise as well.  I also enjoyed the nod to the Bosch TV show, which I guess means it is time for me to start watching it.  Do keep in mind this is a police procedural, so the content is stronger than in the cozies I often read.  If you haven’t met Ballard yet, you’ll be happy you picked up this book.

 

Until Depths Do Us Part by K.B. Jackson (Cruising Sisters Mysteries #1) – 5

When her nephew needs a last-minute location for his Thanksgiving wedding, Charlotte reluctantly offers the private residence ship she’s just learned her late husband bought a cabin on.  Charlotte and her sister, Jane, aren’t sure about this wedding, but they are trying to be supportive for their nephew.  However, their first night at sea, someone kills the bride, and their nephew becomes the obvious suspect.  Can the sisters figure out what really happened?

I’d been wanting to try this author’s books for a while, and I’m glad I did.  This book handled the tricky job of backstory and mystery set up well, and I was pulled into the story from the beginning.  I did feel the interactions with one character got repetitive, but overall, the plot kept me engaged as Charlotte kept finding out more things that might have played into the murder.  The solution was perfectly logical when we got there.  We met the majority of characters at once, so I had a harder time keeping them all straight, but I did by the end.  That doesn’t apply to Charlotte and Jane, who are great main characters.  I enjoyed the fantasy of cruising, yet the murder is played seriously.  I’m looking forward to booking another cruise with this series soon.

 

26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse (Alaskan Cyber Hunters #1) – 3

Darcie Phillips is thrilled to be leading the new Emergency Operations Center in Fairbanks, Alaska.  On the team is Jason Myers, a cybersecurity expert.  But they’ve just barely begun their jobs when a strange woman appears in town warning about something happening when the temperature drops to 26 below.  Since winter is coming, that will be soon.  Can Darcie and Jason figure out a way to deal with this crisis?

I was intrigued by this premise, so I decided to give this book a try.  Unfortunately, I found this book uneven.  There is more buildup than pay off, and some of that buildup gets swept under the rug.  I did like Darci and Jason and find them compelling characters, although the rest of the team are fairly one note.  This is a Christian novel, and I found that aspect refreshing and emotionally touching in ways I wasn’t expecting.  I think this is more of a character study than a thriller, and I wasn’t expecting that.  There are a couple of small timeline issues, made more obvious by the way each scene is headlined with date and time.  But I had to laugh at how much of a cold weather wimp I am while reading how these characters felt about the weather in Alaska.  I am still considering picking up the next book since I am intrigued by the threads left opened here.  If you are looking for strong characters in a light thriller, you should consider picking this book up.

 

A Slay Ride Together with You by Vicki Delany (Year-Round Christmas Mysteries #7) – 3

Spring in Rudolph, New York, American’s Christmas town, is usually a little show, which means it is the perfect time for Merry Wilkinson’s friends Vicki and Mark to plan their wedding.  They’ve even managed to buy the Cole House to move into, but only because it needs a lot of work.  However, things aren’t going well at the house since the couple are hearing strange noises in the night.  Then, when Merry is visiting, the trio find a dead body.  With Mark under suspicion, Merry starts gathering clues.  Can she figure out what happened?

Normally, I enjoy this series, but this entry didn’t work for me.  The story was too slow to get going.  While things did pick up once we found the body, including giving us some great suspects, it wasn’t satisfying.  Having said that, my questions were answered at the end.  Since this is set in spring, it didn’t have quite the usual Christmas cheer, but I think that’s on me more than anything.  The series regulars were still fantastic, and I did enjoy getting to see them again.  And we got three recipes that Vicki has been working on for her cookbook.  Fans of the series will be happy to check in on the characters, but everyone else can pass this one by.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before New Year’s by Liz Ireland (Mrs. Claus Mysteries #5) – 5

April Claus’s husband, Nick, has just taken off on his annual trip around the world delivering presents when three human strangers are brought into town.  They were found outside of Santaland injured from the cold.  That means they need help before they can be sent on their way, so April and the elves work hard on keeping Santaland a secret while treating the strangers.  But things take a turn when one of the strangers dies.  Can April figure out what happened?  Will Santaland keep its secret?

If you haven’t read this series yet, you are in for a treat.  Yes, it is a cozy as you are thinking it might be, and the author has done a great job of building that cozy world for us to escape into.  Yet the mystery is still well done, and April works hard to solve it.  In the end, the clues lead her to a logical conclusion.  The characters are as charming as ever, and the new ones fit perfectly into this world.  I had to laugh and grin at the antics the characters get up to as the story unfolds.  Fans of the series will delight in the latest entry.  If you haven’t picked up the series, change that soon.  After all, skipping it might just put you on the naughty list.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley (Flavia de Luce #11) – 3

Mrs. Mullet, the long time de Luce house keeper, is being questioned about a murder.  Turns out, she’d been making breakfast for a gentleman in the village, Major Greyleigh.  He’s been found dead on the floor of his cottage and the last thing he ate was the breakfast prepared by Mrs. Mullet.  Flavia knows that Mrs. Mullet wouldn’t hurt anyway.  She also knows that the mushrooms everyone thinks killed the man weren’t poisonous.  Can Flavia figure out what is really going on?

I had thought the series ended with the previous book five years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this up for preorder.  It was fun to revisit Bishop’s Lacey and catch up with Flavia.  However, I still find her cousin Undine extremely annoying and not as funny as she is supposed to be.  The pacing of the mystery was good, but there were parts of the plot I didn’t care for.  And I certainly could have done without all the talk about the crime scene.  I’ve often found this series uneven, and this entry fit that description for me.

 

The Glass Bottom Hoax by Diane Vallere (Madison Night #12) – 4

Madison Night is going undercover on a cruise ship.  She’s pretending to be a Doris Day impersonator, and her boyfriend, police captain Tex Allen, is going along as her manager.  In reality, the two are supposed to be looking into some recent burglaries on board the ship.  But they’ve hardly left on the trip before Madison finds a dead body.  Have the stakes just been raised?

It was fun to go on this cruise with Madison and Tex.  Naturally, we didn’t see as much of the regular characters, but the new characters did help fill in the gaps.  Plus, we got to see some growth in Madison and Tex and their relationship.  The plot starts strongly.  I felt like part of it was a bit of a stretch, but it still mostly worked for me.  Likewise, one of the Easter eggs for Doris Day fans was a stretch, but there are some other fun ones.  Really, fun is the overall word for this entry in the series.  If you are already a fan, you’ll want to book passage on this entry soon.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss – 4

In this book, we meet Marco, a young boy whose father is always encouraging him to observe the world around him to see what he can see.  However, his trip home from school on Mulberry Street is rather boring.  All he sees is a horse pulling a broken-down wagon.  But what if, instead, he said he saw a new cart…drawn by a zebra.  No, that’s not special enough.  Where will Marco’s wild story stop?

I didn’t read this book too much as a kid, but even as an adult, it is easy to fall into the classic Seuss rhythm and rhyme.  It does get a little repetitive since he repeats Mulberry Street so often, but that’s the only real complaint.  Marco’s imagination is so much fun, although I appreciated that he told the truth in the end.  The illustrations are classic Seuss as well, and the caricatures of everyone are so much fun.  Fans will also enjoy seeing that the elephant looks remarkably like Horton.  If you can track this book down, you and your kids will enjoy it.

 

Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien (Noodle Shop Mysteries #4) – 4

Lana Lee is excited for the night market this summer.  It should be fun and a good chance to draw more customers for her family’s restaurant.  However, the first night ends with the explosion of one of the food trucks in attendance.  There is one fatality – the owner of the truck.  His wife was a friend of Lana’s mother’s, although they have drifted apart.  When the police look at the wife as a suspect, Lana jumps in.  Can she clear the woman?

It’s been a while since I visited Lana, and it was nice to be back.  I like her and her family and friends.  I especially like how realistic the family dynamics feels.  A subplot involving the Lee family was also well handled.  The mystery started strongly, but the pacing did lag a bit in the middle.  Lana was a bit stupid at the climax, but I did still enjoy how it played out, and everything made sense at the end.  If you are as behind as I am, you’ll enjoy this book.