February 2025's Reading Summary

Short month, so that must mean it is already time for another reading summary.  Here's what I read in February.  And yes, I got the index updated for the second month in a row.

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

 

Framed for Murder by Marla A. White (Pine Cove Mysteries #1) – 3

Former police officer Mel O’Rourke is trying to settle into her new life running a B & B in the mountain town of Pine Cove. But then her past walks in. Poppy Phillips is a thief that Mel spent time trying to arrest when she was an officer. Poppy is looking for help since she stumbled over a body, and she is afraid the police will think she did it. The fact that Poppy was there committing a burglary does complicate things. Can Mel clear her? Does she want to?

I picked up this book thinking it was the first in a series. There is a novella that introduces some of the characters, and this book has major spoilers for that story. I also found the language in this book to be much worse than I wanted to read. The mystery was good, although I found some things bumped me, like police jurisdiction. It just didn’t seem logical, although maybe there is something I was missing. On the other hand, I really did like the characters and the relationships they were forming. Overall, this was a mixed bag for me. 

 

Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell (Gilded Newport Mysteries #3) – 5

In late June 1896, Emma Cross is surprised to find a newborn baby boy left on her doorstep. Her efforts to figure out where he came from lead her to Beechwood and the guests that Mrs. Astor is entertaining. But when a lawn party ends in tragedy, Emma quickly realizes that murder was involved. Does it relate to the baby? Or is another motive involved?

I’ve quickly become addicted to these historical mysteries. One reason is the expert way that real and fictional characters interact seamlessly on the page. All of them are well drawn, and I’ve gotten caught up in their ongoing stories. The plot of this one was good with several ingenious elements. The ending was a bit rushed, but it worked for me. Despite the summer vacation vibes, this book does get serious, but it is worth it. I’m hoping I can book the next in the series soon. 

 

The Lies We Live by Liz Milliron (Homefront Mysteries #6) – 5

Business is booming for PI Betty Ahern, and September 1943 finds her opening her own office.  She’s also taken on a new case.  Her client is worried that her younger brother, a teenager, is up to something shady if not illegal.  And when a dead body turns up, Betty realizes the stakes have been raised.  Meanwhile, the stakes are also raised in her personal life when her fiancé, Tom, returns from the front in Africa.  He’s been injured, and his return to civilian life is anything but easy.  Can Betty solve the case and figure out how to navigate Tom being back?

As a fan of the series, I’ve been waiting to meet Tom, and I was happy to see that happen here.  His return really forced Betty to mature, and I enjoyed seeing that character growth.  Meanwhile, the mystery was also compelling.  Between the two, I was engrossed in the book.  The story does touch on race relations of the era, but without taking over the book.  I also enjoyed that aspect of things.  As usual, Betty narrates with some slang from the time, but I enjoyed it.  There’s a smattering of foul language, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine.  To best appreciate this book, you’ll want to back up to the start of the series.  Fans will be very satisfied with what we get here.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

April Fool Dead by Carolyn Hart (Death on Demand #13) – 5

Annie Darling is looking forward to hosting a book signing for the island’s resident mystery writer, Emma Clyde, on April first.  She’s even come up with the perfect promotion for it, leaving fliers all over the island with the clues to identify famous mystery books for a prize at the signing.  However, someone has mimicked her fliers, but instead of talking about fictional murder these new fliers are accusing residents of the island of real crimes.  Just as Annie thinks her job restoring her name is over, someone dies.  Is this murder connected to the fliers?

I love it when authors get creative with their plots, and we’ve got a winner here.  I especially appreciated how everything came together.  The characters remain a little thin, but they are strong enough to pull us into the story.  There are a couple who show up from the previous book, so be aware of minor spoilers.  The laughs are plentiful again, especially thanks to Annie’s mother-in-law.  Do keep in mind that this book was originally released in 2002 as a couple of elements are dated, but nothing major.  Overall, you’d be a fool to pass on this book.

 

Chocolate Can Be Deadly by Kim Davis (Cupcake Catering Mysteries #7) – 4

Emory has reluctantly agreed to cater a post Valentine’s Day bash. The hostess is horrible to Emory since she has a long-standing feud with Emory’s friend Tillie. The theme also puts her off since Dying for Chocolate hits a little too close to home given all the murders Emory has found herself involved in. Just as she is thinking that she might pull off the event, the hostesses new finance is found dead clutching one of Emory’s cupcakes. With the rumors of poison in a cupcake destroying her business, not to mention a cop that wants to arrest her, Emory has to find the killer. Can she do it?

I was so happy to be revisiting these characters. We don’t see much of a couple of the regulars, but the updates with the ones we did get to see were lots of fun. The mystery was engrossing, including good suspects and a climax I couldn’t put down. I did figure out one aspect early, but I didn’t have it all figured out. I enjoy the slightly different setting of Orange County since I’m in Southern California myself, but everything else still feels like a cozy. The book includes ten delicious sounding chocolate themed recipes, many of them gluten free. This book will find you turning pages and craving chocolate. If you want a good culinary cozy series, I highly recommend it. 

Note: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Kilned at the Ceramic Shop by Donna Clancy (Braddock Mysteries #1) – 2

Tammy Wright is taking time this summer to help her Aunt Clara run her ceramics shop. But she’s only been in town a few hours before she learns about a real estate agent who is pressuring Clara to sell. A murder and a disappearance only up the stakes. Can Tammy figure out what is going on?

Yes, the ceramics is what caught my eye here, although that’s not the official hook for the series. It reminded me of the few months I did some with my grandma and how much she enjoyed that hobby for decades. But that was where the good ended for me. The writing was poor throughout the book. The pacing was off with events substituting for investigation. And the characters were weak, although I did like them. There was definitely promise here, but the book needed a good edit. Others seemed to enjoy this book more than I did, but I won’t be moving forward with this series. 

 

London Calling by James Ponti (City Spies #6) – 5

This book starts with Annie in Istanbul. Thanks to things her mom has drilled into her, she realizes someone is following her and manages to give them the slip before she sends out a cry for help. A cry that the City Spies get and immediately jump into action. You see, Annie is the daughter of Mother, their leader. But the spies are already on assignment protecting the fiancée of one of the princes before their royal wedding. Can they find Annie and rescue her while keeping their current assignment on track?

If you haven’t yet started this fantastic series, don’t start here since it will spoil many of the twists of the previous books. But fans will be highly satisfied when they finish the book since it gives us many of the answers we’d been waiting for. A couple things were glossed over, but that’s minor. Along the way, we get all the twists and excitement that fans expect. We also get to spend time with characters we love. They are so great at working together, and it is a joy to watch. While this book does wrap up quite a bit, it leaves the door open for further adventures - ones I hope we get. If you are a fan, pick up this book today. 

 

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood (Marlow Murder Club #1) – 5

When Judith Potts is out for her evening swim, she hears a gun shot at her neighbor’s place.  The police don’t find anything, so Judith goes over the next morning and finds her neighbor shot to death.  Not trusting the police to solve the crime, she starts to investigate, along the way meeting Becks, the vicar’s wife, and Suzie, a local dog walker.  Can the three of them solve things when the police can’t?

I bought this book last year, and then found out a mini-series version was being made.  I watched and enjoyed that, but I gave it a little bit of time so the story wouldn’t be fresh in my mind.  While I did still remember many of the plot points, I really enjoyed reading this book.  It was delightful seeing how everything was planted remembering how it ended.  The characters are also delightful.  Becks could be a little annoying at times, but her character growth was great.  I loved watching the trio build their friendship.  And some of the situations they got into made me laugh.  I’m looking forward to spending more time with these ladies, hopefully soon.

 

Termination Dust by Sue Henry (Alaska Mysteries #2) – 4

Jim Hampton is enjoying an early autumn vacation, canoeing in the Yukon Territory. He’s even made an unexpected discovery - the diary of a prospector from the 1890’s gold rush. But things that a turn when someone he met along the way is murdered and someone is trying to frame him for it. Fortunately, Alaska trooper Alex Jensen is in the area, and he is suspicious of the evidence again Jim. But can Alex figure out what is really going on?

It had been a few years since I read the first book in this series, and I was glad to revisit the characters. While Jesse does have a small part in the story, it really gives Alex a chance to shine. The new characters were great as well. The diary that Jim discovers, while interesting glimpse into history, slows does the beginning. If you want to read the entire thing not the passages we get in the book, it is included at the end. The trade paperback version I read was riddled with enough typos and formatting issues to be annoying. On the other hand, the writing was wonderful and brought the story to life. This series has dropped off the radar a bit recently, but it is worth tracking down. 

 

Something’s Guava Give by Carrie Doyle (Trouble in Paradise! #2) – 4

New York transplant Plum Lockhart is beginning to get some traction for her new villa brokerage agency on the Caribbean Island of Paraiso. However, trouble comes knocking in the form of her former colleague Gerald who insists Plum go help out his boss’s daughter who is being held by the resort’s security. Plum regrets getting involved when Arielle is found murdered the next morning. Now Gerald is insisting that Plum help him solve the crime, and he’s shown up in person. Will Plum solve the case before her patience with Gerald runs out?

I struggled a bit with the first book in the series, but I’m glad I gave the series a second chance. Plum was a much better, more relatable character. Gerald still annoyed me, but the rest of the cast were fun and did a good job of keeping me guessing. The mystery was strong. A couple things seemed a little rushed, but overall it was good and reached a logical solution. Reading this book made me want to hop a plane for a tropical resort. I’ll definitely book time for the final entry in the series.