August 2025's Reading Summary

I'm a little earlier than normal, but with the holiday weekend coming up, I thought now would be a good time to post my reading summary for the month.  Besides, I'm not posting any new reviews before September.

The index has been updated, and the links will take you to my full reviews.

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

Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly (Grilled Cheese Mysteries #6) – 3

As this book opens, it’s just over a month until Carly’s wedding to Ari. But today, she’s focused on the 50’s diner themed fundraiser for the local high school’s gym. While she’s selling simple grilled cheese (of course), some of the other vendors are offering various other offerings. But the man selling sodas clearly doesn’t want to be there, and his rude behavior leads to a confrontation with Carly’s mom. When the man is found dead later with the scarf that her mom was wearing around his neck, Carly jumps in to figure out what really happened. 

When I heard about this book, I quickly added it to my reading plans since I’ve enjoyed the earlier books in the series. Sadly, this one was disappointing. There are two dualing storylines, but they both losing steam in the second half. The mystery plot felt a bit familiar, although I didn’t have the killer pegged. Fortunately, the characters are still charming, and I enjoyed spending time with them. We get two cheese themed recipes at the end. This is one that fans will want to read to the end. But if you are new to the series, start with an earlier book. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly (Bosch #21 and Ballard #2) – 4

It all starts one night when Ballard catches Bosch breaking into the file cabinets in the Hollywood police station. While he claims he is feeling nostalgic for his old case files, she doesn’t believe him. Some investigating on her own leads Ballard to the conclusion that Bosch is working on a case involving a teen who was murdered and left in an alley dumpster over 10 years before and she gets herself involved in the case. Will the two of them solve this cold case together?

I knew this team up was coming, and I enjoyed it now that I finally got here. The main case was set up in the previous Bosch novel, and I enjoyed seeing the follow through. It kept me entertained, although I did feel like Ballard was a little stupid at the end. The book splits time between both characters, so we get to see what is going on in both of their individual lives. We also get some individual cases the two are solving, although again, Ballard’s seem to get a little short shifted. Still, I enjoyed this first team up and am looking forward to more. 

 

The Cardinal’s Curse by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin (Turner and Mosley Files #2) – 3

Avery and Carter are approached about going to Antarctica to join an expedition already in progress. While the group is officially working on a way to rebuild the ice shelves to combat global warming, they are hoping to find a treasure that was rumored to be on board a ship that sank in the waters a century ago. Not only is the ship in freezing waters, but it’s likely deeper than either have dove before. Will they find the ship and recover the treasure?

I was hoping now that the main characters had formed a partnership, we would get a better paced second book. Sadly, things still took a bit too long to get going, leading to a rushed and stuffed second half. The characters are a bit flat with the focus being on the action. On the other hand, some of the action scenes are paging turning intense, and the Antarctica setting comes alive. I haven’t written off the series yet, but I hope the next is stronger. 

 

A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge (Phyllida Bright #2) – 4

The local mystery writers are hosting a Murder Fete to raise funds for the local orphanage, and they have convinced Agatha Christie to invite some of her famous friends.  The weekend will include talks about the craft of mystery writing, author signings, and a short story contest where the winner gets a publishing contract on both sides of the Atlantic.  However, the opening night’s cocktail reception ends with a murder.  Since Phyllida is helping make sure the event is a success, she’s on hand.  Can she solve a second real life murder?

Those who fell in love with the main characters in the first book in the series will be glad to be spending more time with them and seeing how their relationships develop.  The supporting players and suspects could have been stronger.  That means, the mystery could have been stronger as well, although there were some twists that kept me entertained.  And things made sense once Phyllida had solved things.  While the mystery could be stronger, this is still an entertaining book that will please mystery fans, especially fans of Agatha Christie.

 

The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #5) – 5

Navajo police detective Jim Chee has recently transferred to a new area in the reservation, and his unfamiliarity with the area and people is making it hard to investigate cases. For example, there’s the John Doe body he can’t even identify. And he has no leads on the case of the windmill that is being sabotaged. While out staking it out overnight, Chee witnesses a plane crash. A plane that was flying low without lights. Chee figures those flying the plane were up to no good, and he is ordered to stay away from the Federal investigation. But it’s kind of hard when the Feds think he knows more about the crash. Can he figure out what happened without framing himself more?

While this is the fifth book in the series, and the second to feature Jim Chee, it reads like a standalone, with little from the previous book being brought up here. That isn’t to say that the characters are bad, it’s just a difference in storytelling from what we get today. I found the characters pulled me in. The mystery was strong with plenty to keep me guessing and a red herring that distracted me. Yet the ending was logical. As always, the landscape and culture came to life. I’m looking forward to more. 

 

The Last Line by Scott Lyerly (Ellie Marlowe #1) – 4

The latest production at the theater Ellie Marlow owns is Murder in a Teacup. Unfortunately, the lead is Reginald Thornton IV, who seems to be going out of his way to alienate everyone. His character is supposed to die as part of the play, but opening night, he really dies. While the state detectives are quick to judge it natural, something doesn’t sit right with Ellie. Can she figure out what happened?

I picked this book up expecting a cozy, but it quickly became evident this is a bit more of a traditional than a lighter cozy. As long as you know this going in, you should be fine. The mystery is good, and I was fooled until the end. Ellie has Tourette’s, something that overwhelms at times and proves to be a distraction. On the whole, I did love her character and the co-lead as well, as well as how their marriages were shown. The story is told from several points of view, but at times, we have some head hopping. This feels like a standalone instead of a series opener, but if we get a sequel, I’d be interested in revisiting the characters. 

 

Fatal Sign-Off by Sarah E. Burr (Book Blogger Mysteries #3) – 5

It’s been a mostly quiet few months for Winnie Lark in the small town of Copper Bay. The drama in town involves Milton Mulligan who has started a podcast that trashes local businesses. So, when he is poisoned, the question is who didn’t have a motive. With some of Winnie’s family and friends on the suspect list, she can’t help but investigate Milton’s death. Will she uncover the culprit?

I fell in love with these characters in the earlier books of the series, so I was anxious to revisit them again. It was like meeting up with old friends, and I enjoyed the growth we saw in many of their relationships. The mystery is well paced with plenty of red herrings and twists. But the climax left me impressed with how things had been planned out. I did have to roll my eyes at how some political issues were put into the book in a way that felt unnecessary and forced to me. On the other hand, I loved the references to other books, especially cozy mysteries. If you love cozy mysteries, you need to pick up this series. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Halloween Night Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland – 4

Kensington has another Halloween novella collection.  In the first story, Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone gets involved when a teen is killed in a hit and run near her home.  Will she figure out what happened while helping her new neighbors?  The second story finds Lee Hollis’s Hayley Powell returning from a concert with her two best friends.  But when an accident strands them in the woods, it appears the only place they can find help is a creepy cabin.  There’s nothing to fear about this set up, right?  Finally, we travel to the North Pole as Liz Ireland’s April Claus tries to prove an elf who has just returned to town didn’t freeze a snowman.  He's also innocent of murder, right?

I usually struggle with Leslie’s contributions to these collections, and that was true here again.  But I enjoyed the other two.  Lee’s novella has just a touch of horror tropes while still being a cozy and being absolutely page turning.  And I find Liz’s Mrs. Claus series completely charming.  This story was no exception.  With each story being roughly 100 pages, you get a novel length book and a chance to catch up with old friends between books or try new series without committing to a full novel.  Whether you read this book now or save it for Halloween night, you’ll find something to enjoy here.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

 

For Duck’s Sake by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #37) – 3

Meg is over at her brother’s new house watching the worker getting ready to build a new duck pond. But he quickly stops when he finds a decades old skeleton. Who is it? And who killed him? Meanwhile, Meg’s house is the staging area for hundreds of dogs who will participate in a parade to hopefully get them adopted. Will that go off without a hitch or is someone trying to crash the party?

Normally, I love this series, but this book didn’t work as well for me. The plots were given equal weight, which threw the pacing off. The story with the dogs came to an abrupt ending. I’d figured out what was going on with the skeleton, but even that wrapped up a little too quickly. The saving grace is the characters. I loved spending time with them as always, and I was smiling if not laughing while I read. Fans will still be glad they read this one, but if you are new to the series, I suggest you start with a different entry. 

 

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Don Bruns (Stuff Series #4) – 3

Best friends James Lessor and Skip Moore are spending the weekend at a traveling carnival so that James can get a feel for it in his new job as their marketing director. Then the owner asks them to put their new PI license to use finding out who is sabotaging the rides. There have been injuries and one death due to these accidents. Will the two get the help from the carnies they need to solve things?

My love/hate relationship with this series continues. I do like the characters and want to see them succeed. But I also wish they were a little smarter and that Skip would stand up for himself. The mystery was good, but the ending could have been stronger. The suspects were interesting. Do keep in mind that these books aren’t cozies and are just old enough for the technology to be dated. I’m hoping some growth we saw here carries over to further books, but I’ll find out when I get to the next book.