Book Review: A Summit in Shadow by Sarah E. Burr (Court of Mystery #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters in a solid mystery

Cons: The book takes a bit longer to get to the mystery than I liked

The Bottom Line:

Summit of leaders

Murder interrupts the talks

Series transitions

Duchess Jacqueline Graduates to Full Novel Length

The first three stories in the Court of Mysteries series are all novellas.  I was anxious to get to A Summit in Shadow, the fourth story, since it was the first novel in the series and the first novel that author Sarah E. Burr had written.  While the transition had a couple of bumps, overall, I enjoyed this book.

If you haven’t checked out this series yet, it has a different setting for a mystery series.  The stories take place in the Realm of Virtues, a land of kingdoms with a Medieval feel.  It’s not quite fantasy, but there are references to unicorns again here.  The focus is still on the mystery, so fans of that genre will feel right at home.

And if you haven’t read the series don’t start here.  There are major spoilers for the earlier stories.  Given what happens, there isn’t any way around it.  But with as fun as this series is, you’ll want to read them all anyway.

Our main character is Duchess Jacqueline, who has taken over the kingdom of Saphire after her parents’ death.  This story finds her and her closest friends and advisors traveling to the kingdom of Lysandeir.  A summit of other rulers is meeting to decide the fate of a region that has been lawless for as long as anyone can remember.  Jacqueline is hoping to lead the others to reach a decision that will most benefit her kingdom.  But when a young woman dies before the talks even get started, everything is thrown into chaos.  Are the rest of the attendees in danger?  Can Jacqueline figure out what is going on?

My biggest question going into this book would be how the pacing went as the stories transitioned from novella to novel.  Sadly, the book took a bit of time getting into the story.  I get that the book was setting up some political intrigue, but I still felt like the set up took a little too long.  Yes, everything that was set up did have a payoff before the story was over, so I’m not quite sure how to make it better in this case.

Not that I’m exactly complaining.  I love the characters, so I was excited to reach the novels since it meant spending even more time with them.  As expected, the growth all of them got was great, with some surprises along the way.  The new characters were strong by the time the book was over, and I’m expecting we’ll see some of them again, which I’m looking forward to.

I do want to be clear, there is a strong mystery here.  It took a bit of time to get to the heart of it, but once we were there, I was impressed with the clues that Jacqueline followed to solve things.  There were some nice red herrings as well.

Once again, I listened to the audio.  I’ll admit that narrator Melissa Green did start to bother me a couple of times as she got overly involved in the story.  But most of the time, she did a good job of bringing it to life.

Given I’ve loved some of the author’s novels written after this book, I’m sure the pacing will even out soon.  If you are looking for a mystery series with a creative setting, check this series out.  You’ll be enjoying A Summit in Shadow before you know it.

Do check out the rest of the Court of Mystery series.

Book Review: Flower Power Trip by James J. Cudney (Braxton Campus Mysteries #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Kellan solves another good mystery

Cons: A bit too much conflict with the series regulars

The Bottom Line:

Fundraiser murder

Kellan works to unravel

Next compelling case

Murder at the Masquerade Ball

The problem with having multiple series you are behind on is that it becomes impossible to balance catching up.  I truly had intended to get back to the Braxton Campus Mysteries from James J. Cudney sooner, but I’m glad I finally had a chance to pick up Flower Power Trip, the third in the series.

This series features Kellan Ayrwick, who has recently returned to his hometown in Pennsylvania with his daughter.  He’s reconnecting with relatives and working as a professor at the college in town, at least temporarily, as he tries to figure out what to do with his life.  And how to deal with the murders that seem to keep popping up and the other dangers in town.

When this book opens, it’s been a few weeks since we last checked in with Kellan.  It’s the beginning of summer, and Kellan is teaching a class.  Meanwhile, the Mendel Flower Show has decided to use the campus for this summer’s exhibit, which has brought added conflict to campus.

But the summer is kicking off with a masquerade ball to raise funds for the library renovations.  Kellan’s friend Maggie oversees the library, so Kellan is going to support her.  However, the night ends with one of the guests dead in a part of the library that is off limits to the public.  With the police looking at Maggie’s sister, Kellan once again finds himself trying to figure out what is going on.  Can he do it?

If you’ve been reading this series, you know there are some strong storylines that continue from one book to the next.  Those storylines do border a bit on the soap opera, I’ll confess.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not invested.  And yes, we do get updates on them, including the cliffhanger from the end of the last book.  But I’ll let you read them yourself to see what is going on.

The mystery here is pretty strong, with plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep us engaged as we read.  Yes, this does have a tinge of the soap opera about it, too, but honestly, lots of classic mysteries do as well, when you stop and really think about them.  It didn’t dampen my enjoyment that much since I was wondering exactly who was the killer.  And yes, things do make sense when we reach the ending.

I like Kellan, so it is easy to root for him to figure out what is going on and hope he can figure out the larger things that are going on in his life.  But that does bring up my biggest issue with this book.  It seems like there are multiple people who want to pick on him, and even his own family has lots of drama in it.  Some of the stuff is rather mean spirited, too.  Maybe if I’d read these books closer together, I’d be more forgiving or remember the reasons why better.  As it is, we aren’t given enough context to remember why the characters interact this way, and it grated.  I felt like it went beyond the need to create conflict, too.  Since one of the main things I love about cozy books are groups of characters that I want to see interacting, maybe that’s one reason why this bothered me so much.

Obviously, this does mean I found the characters real.  I just wish they were a little nicer to each other.  Hopefully, that will come as relationships continue to grow.

And let me be clear, I did enjoy the book overall.  I’m glad I have the next several books already since I do want to finish the series.

And those on-going stories?  You guessed it, we get another cliffhanger.  Must find time to read the next book soon.

This is a series I definitely recommend you read in order because of the ongoing storylines.  There will definitely be spoilers in them if you don’t.

For those who have been reading these books, they’ll find Flower Power Trip a compelling next chapter in the series.

Here are the rest of the Braxton Campus Mysteries in order.

November 2024's Reading Summary

 Time to kick off another month with a reading summary!  Since I posted a book review yesterday, I'm going to go ahead and include it at the end of this list.  I mean, I did read it in November, which is how it got reviewed on the 1st of December.

With Thanksgiving this last weekend, I didn't have time to update the index.  We'll see if I can get it to for December (but I wouldn't hold my breath).

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

 

Murder at Marble House by Alyssa Maxwell (Gilded Newport Mysteries #2) – 4

We are once again in August 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island. Emma Cross, society reporter for the local paper, has her morning interrupted when her distance cousin, Consuelo Vanderbilt calls begging for Emma to come over to Marble House. While Emma finds herself caught up in some family drama, the last thing she expects is that her visit will end in murder. But that’s just what happens when the fortune teller that Alva Vanderbilt has hired is found dead behind the estate. When a family member vanishes, Emma starts to investigate. Can she find out what happened?

This book picks up right after the last one ends. While it doesn’t spoil the murder itself, it does give away some ongoing storylines. The story presents an interesting mystery, but the pacing does get off at times. We get some developments in Emma’s personal life, and I’m not sure I’m on her side as much after some of what happened here. If I’m this opinionated, clearly, I’m finding the characters real, and that includes real people and fictional characters. Speaking of which, the author includes a bit about what is true and what she twisted to make her plot work, which I always appreciate. I read this book right after getting to visit Newport, which made it easier to picture some of the locations. I’m already wishing I’d had time to really explore the locations more when I was there. Overall, this is a good second entry, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series. 

 

Sheer Window by Diane Vallere (Material Witness Mysteries #4.5) – 5

This Thanksgiving, Poly Monroe is hosting a few friends for the day in the apartment over her fabric store. When she learns that someone has moved into the apartment over the bar across the street, she decides to invite them to join the festivities. However, not only does she not get a response when she goes over there, but she manages to twist her ankle. Now injured in her apartment, she finds herself watching what is happening across the street. She thinks something strange is going on. Is she right? Can she get anyone to believe her?

This is a fun novella to get us in the Thanksgiving mood.  Obviously, it is a loving homage to Rear Window, and the story really leans into that with several references and nods to the film.  The story is strong and pulled me in.  It’s also the perfect length for this novella.  We still get to see quite a few of the series regulars, which I enjoyed as well.  Since it’s a novella, it will be easier to slip this into a busy holiday season.  And when you pick it up, you’ll find it is sheer delight.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

A Matter of Life and Depths by K.B. Jackson (Cruising Sisters Mysteries #2) – 5

Charlotte and her sister, Jane, have settled into their new life as permanent residents on the luxury cruise ship. But as the ship heads to Japan, Charlotte is less than happy to discover that her late husband’s mistress, Kyrie Dawn, and her toddler son have joined the staff with Kyrie Dawn being the new yoga instructor. Charlotte hasn’t even wrapped her head around that when a murder happens. Charlotte finds herself investigating for the last reason she would have expected. Can she figure out what happened?

I’ve read books with similar initial setups before, and I appreciate that this book didn’t go for the predictable victim. It allowed for some great character growth in Charlotte and some of the other characters. It may not all be realistic, but I did like it overall. Like the first book, we met the suspects all at once, so it took me a while to get them all straight. The mystery was strong, with some good surprises and a couple red herrings on the way to a logical climax. A minor subplot involving a diary that Charlotte was reading from her great-grandmother seemed a bit confusing to me, although I do understand why it was there thematically. On the other hand, there were some delightfully funny moments, and the setting was great. Overall, I enjoyed this murderous cruise very much. 

NOTE: I received a copy of this book. 

 

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (Maggie Walker #1) – 3

Maggie Walker has inherited her grandmother’s house in a small town in the Berkshires. She’s long been a gardener, so when she is asked to help Violet with the new community garden, Maggie jumps in with both feet. But the morning of the grand opening, Violet is nowhere to be found. Then, a member of the community finds a boot in his plot in the community garden. A boot attached to a dead body. With the police thinking Violet might have something to do with it, Maggie’s set out to find her friend and prove she is innocent. But can she do it?

Since this book won a contest to be published, it caught my attention. Sadly, I don’t think it was quite ready for publication. The writing seemed a little vague at times, filling in details later, after we’d already made our impressions of things. The plot bogged down in the middle as Maggie spun her wheels before leading us to a good climax. The main characters were great, but the suspects were a little flat. The setting was charming, and even this non- gardener loved hearing about the plants. I wish I had liked this book better, but I probably won’t be moving on with the series. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan – 3

Megs’s younger brother George has a heart defect that keeps him in bed reading. It’s 1950, and he’s just discovered The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and he wants to know where Narnia came from. Since Megs is at Oxford, she goes to ask the author himself. But will C.S. Lewis’s answer help Megs and George?

I’ve been a Narnia fan since I first read the books in 3rd grade, so the premise of this book intrigued. However, it didn’t work for me. It felt too scattered, with too many storylines. It’s part biography of C.S. Lewis with vignettes about his life. It’s part coming of age story for Megs. I see where the author was trying to combine them thematically, but it didn’t quite work for me. I needed a bit more focus on something. Plus, some events in the story really strained what I could believe. But I did enjoy the characters, and I found myself tearing up a time or two. If the premise really intrigues you, check it out. Otherwise, give this one a pass. 

 

You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly (Grilled Cheese Mysteries #5) – 5

Carly is happy to be attending a dress rehearsal of the production of A Christmas Carol that has come to town. However, Preston Lennon, the actor playing Jacob Marley, causes such a disruption they have to take an unscheduled intermission. Then Carly’s friend, Gina, finds Preston’s body in his dressing room. Can Carly clear her friend?

While a play of A Christmas Carol might be familiar in a Christmas cozy, I enjoyed the twist on who the victim was. It led to a strong mystery with plenty to suspects and a logical climax I didn’t see coming. The characters are all fun to be around. I especially enjoyed spending time with the series regulars again, and I appreciated that the warnings to Carly to be careful were toned down in this book. The Christmas spirit is strong; it made me wish I were reading it in December with my decorations already up. There are two recipes at the end, including a Christmas grilled cheese. Grill up a sandwich and enjoy this fun Christmas mystery. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen (Royal Spyness Mysteries #18) – 3

Lady Georgiana is enjoying her new life as a mother, but she is about to be besieged by guests. First comes Wallis Simpson at the request of King Edward while he tries to figure out how he can marry her. Then comes Georgie’s brother and sister-in-law as they look for a school for their son. Finally, Sir Hubert returns home with a film crew in tow. They want to feature the estate in a film about Henry the VIII. Unfortunately, not long after the film crew arrives someone vanishes. Can Georgie figure out what is happening?

Over the course of this series (hard to believe we are on book 18), I’ve enjoyed watching real history unfold, and I liked that again here. Unfortunately, the story started slowly and was uneven. Still, the ending did tie things up logically. Fortunately, the regular characters are their normal charming shelves, and the new characters fit into Georgie’s world. Fans will enjoy catching up with Georgie and the gang. If that’s not you, head back to the beginning to get to know the characters before you pick up this book. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.  

 

Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna (Stella and Lyndy Mysteries #6) - 4

It’s been six months since Stella and Lyndy have found a dead body, and they have enjoyed the break. But that is about to change when they travel to Scotland. The trip has two purposes – Stella gets to meet some distant cousins, and Ludy’s soon to be brother-in-law is playing in the nearby Open Championship. However, when they arrive, they find a weird tension they can’t figure out. Then, there’s an accusation from a maid. Finally, Stella finds a dead body, and Lyndy finds himself the prime suspect. Can they figure out what is happening?

It was great to be back with these characters once again. I really have come to love the regulars, so I missed those who weren’t here. But we saw more growth in those who did come along for the trip. The new characters were great as well. The mystery slowed down a time or two, but never for long, and the final third really grabbed me as I headed toward the logical climax. As always, the time period came to life. Those looking for a series with character they will love need to pick up these books. Those who are already fans will enjoy this entry. 

NOTE: I received and ARC of this book. 

 

Wedding Bride and Doom by Mary Karnes (Wedding Planner Mysteries #1) – 3

When Kate Ludlow's marriage ended, she packed up her teenage daughter and moved from Southern California back to her hometown in Connecticut.  She also went about turning her part time gig as a wedding planner into a full business, hustling to prove herself to her new customer base.  The florist she works with the most is Lori-Sue, which can be awkward since the two have a history dating back to high school.  So when Kate finds Lori-Sue's body one day, she also finds herself the prime suspect.  Naturally nosey, Kate gets involved.  Can she clear her name?

This debut sounded fun, so I was looking forward to it.  It starts out well, with Kate finding the body quickly.  However, the further I went into the book, the more I struggled with it.  The plot seemed disjointed at times, but connections are made at the end.  Meanwhile, we learn things late in the book about Kate that would have been nice to learn earlier.  Finally, the climax only works because Kate is stupid.  On the other hand, I really did like the characters, and the cliffhanger is intriguing.  Still, I think I will probably pass on the sequel, unfortunately.

 

Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg (Sharpe and Walker #2) – 4

When a new house burns down before the new owners can move in, the fire department is ready to chalk it up to faulty wiring.  But arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker think something else is going on.  Before they can fully investigate that case, they are pulled to another arson, but the evidence just points to a bigger mystery.  Teaming up with homicide detective Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone, can the four figure out either case?

As a fan of Lee’s other books, I really enjoyed seeing Eve and Duncan pop up in this book.  If you haven’t met them before, no need to worry, you’ll easily follow their characters here.  Meanwhile, it was nice to get to know Sharpe and Walker more in their second case, this time told from Walker’s third person point of view.  Something about the set up didn’t quite work for me, but once the book got rolling, I was hooked all the way to the over the top but still fun climax.  We get a little bit of language and crude humor here, but it is kept to a minimum.  On the other hand, there are lots of jokes and teasing that I did enjoy.  Overall, this is another winner you’ll have a hard time putting down.

 

Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #7) – 4

It’s October, and things are been quiet for a few weeks now.  While Percy has enjoyed the down time, he is worried about needing to get two more recommendation letters to get into college.  So he has mixed emotions when he is contacted by Hecate.  She is planning to travel to enjoy all the Halloween festivities around the world and needs someone to pet sit.  Of course, when those pets are a polecat and a hellhound, both of whom used to be human, things aren’t as easy as they appear.  Especially when they escape.  Can Percy and his friends track them down before Hecate returns?  And what about repairing her mansion?

Like the first of these recent releases, I found the book a little low stakes and a little slow to start.  Not to say that Percy didn’t face death.  And once things got going, I was hooked on the story, wanting to know how Percy would prevail.  I love Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, so getting to spend time with them was great, and I liked the updates on the others we got.  I also appreciated how Percy left the new characters we met here.  As always, there are plenty of laughs, which I really enjoyed.  Fans will enjoy this book.  I’ll definitely be back for the next book.

Book Review: Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Percy and co, lots of laughs

Cons: A little low stakes and slow start

The Bottom Line:

Task two?  Pet sitting

Great characters and humor

But too much set up

Pet Sitting at Halloween

Percy Jackson is back to collect another college recommendation.  Of course, being a demigod, that means something much more difficult than it does for us mere mortals.   But we do get the fun of reading about it in Wrath of the Triple Goddess.

If you haven’t met Percy Jackson, you probably won’t want to jump in here since there are references to past adventures.  Of course, it’s been so long since I read those earlier books that I have forgotten much of the details, so maybe you’d be okay jumping in here after all.  What you need to know is that Percy is a demigod, the son of the Greek god Poseidon.  After several years spent saving the world, he’s now a senior in high school and hoping to get into New Rome University so he and his girlfriend can stay together.  But, since his grades are so poor, he needs to get three recommendations from gods.  And, in order to get those, he has to do favors for them.  And favors for gods are never easy.

This book opens in October, and things are been quiet for a few weeks now.  While Percy has enjoyed the down time, he is worried about needing to get two more recommendation letters to get into college.  So he has mixed emotions when he is contacted by Hecate.  She is planning to travel to enjoy all the Halloween festivities around the world and needs someone to pet sit.  Of course, when those pets are a polecat and a hellhound, both of whom used to be human, things aren’t as easy as they appear.  Especially when they escape.  Can Percy and his friends track them down before Hecate returns?  And what about repairing her mansion?

If you are looking for the world on the line stakes we had in the earlier books featuring Percy, you’ll be disappointed.  Don’t get me wrong, Percy faces death several times, but these are less dangerous books overall.  To be honest, I miss a bit of that life and death stakes.  I also found the set up took a bit longer than it truly needed to.

Now, this isn’t to say I didn’t find the book fun.  I honestly was wondering just how Percy was going to overcome the dangers he was facing here, and that kept me turning the pages.

I also really enjoy the characters.  Those familiar with the series will be happy to hear that the trio of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are once again the focus.  We also get some updates on a few other characters from the franchise.  But it is always great to spend time with these three.  I also really enjoyed learning about the new characters in this book.  I really appreciated where Percy left them.

But I can’t leave out the humor.  Whether it’s the situations that Percy finds himself in or his narration, there are plenty of laughs the entire way through the book.

Given the premise for the recent releases, I’m assuming we have at least one more book coming.  I’ll definitely be back for it.  Fans will be happy they picked up Wrath of the Triple Goddess.

Check out the rest of Percy Jackson’s adventures.