August 2026's Reading Summary

Another month is in the books, so it's time again for another reading summary.  Here's what I read and reviewed in August.

And I was able to get the index updated this month.

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

 

Talking God by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #9) – 3

Joe Leaphorn has been asked to help with a dead body that was found near the train tracks just outside the Navajo reservation.  While he is only asked to help find any evidence around the body, he can’t help but work more on the case when no one can come up with the identity of the victim.  Meanwhile, Jim Chee is asked to arrest Henry Highhawk for desecration of a grave and then fleeing across state lines.  It should have been as simple as arresting Henry at the ceremony where he shows up.  But Chee feels something else is going on.  Is he right?

This book didn’t completely work for me.  Leaphorn and Chee spent too long on parallel paths when we knew their stories were going to intersect.  Additionally, the action moves from the Navajo reservation to Washington DC, but the reservation location is a big factor in what works well for these stories.  Finally, I’m really hoping we’ve put this particular part of Chee’s romantic life to bed once and for all.  Don’t get me wrong, I do still like Leaphorn and Chee here, and when the stories combine, we get a great climax.  But this is a book strictly for fans of the series.

 

A Taste for Murder by Matt Baker – 3

DCI Joe Mottram is spending the summer in Capri with his teenage daughter, Angelica, visiting his in-laws in hopes to deal with his grief over losing his wife.  But he gets pulled into a case when an English businesswoman falls to her death on one of the cliffs.  Is it murder?

I wasn’t sure from the title, but this is a police procedural, not a cozy.  Having said that, there is plenty of talk about food.  The mystery itself is strong, with some good twists.  It also falls into some cliches, so I saw some things coming early.  The issue was that the book really wasn’t very focused.  Dealing with grief was as big a storyline as the mystery, although the grief storyline got a weak climax.  There are three viewpoint characters, which was at least one too many.  The characters are mostly good, but one has a twist part way through that really doesn’t feel supported by the rest of the book.  While the main mystery is wrapped up, a subplot leads to a cliffhanger that isn’t enough to get me to come back.  We also had conversations partially summarized, which was very weird as I was reading.  Others seem to enjoy this book, but it wasn’t for me.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Hell Hath No Fury by Annette Dashofy (Detective Honeywell Mysteries #5) – 4

Both Emma and Matthias are on leave from their jobs to recover from their injuries, so when Emma’s best friend, Eric, calls saying that Emma’s drug addict sister, Nell, has come home, Emma and Matthias take off to help.  But it isn’t long before Emma’s sister gives them the slip again, and the developer who is trying to get his hands on Emma’s family property turns up murdered.  With Eric the prime suspect and Matthias well outside his jurisdiction, can he help?  Or will his efforts make things worse for everyone?

Since this book picks up right after the previous book, there are references to the events of that book but no blatant spoilers.  Emma may be a bit more in the spotlight here, but Matthias still gets a chance to shine as well.  I also enjoyed getting to know Eric and Nell better as well as meet some great new characters.  I did find one of the subplots a bit weak.  But the main mystery was great and kept me guessing until we reached the suspenseful climax.  As always, this is a police procedural, so adjust your expectations when you pick it up.  Annette Dashofy continues to write great books.  If you aren’t reading her, you are missing out.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron (Vintage Cookbook Mysteries #5) – 4

Mardi Gras season has hit the city.  It’s the first since Ricki moved, and she’s gotten caught up in the fever.  It helps that her boyfriend, celebrated chef Virgil Morel, is being named the king of the Krewe of Chew, so many of their friends from Bon Vee are joining them.  However, the captain of the krewe is an egotistical bully.  And those are his good qualities.  After leaving one of the events, Ricki and Virgil stumble upon his dead body.  The victim’s wife is the police’s prime suspect, but Ricki has become friends with the woman, and she doesn’t believe it.  The problem is, the number of suspects in the krewe are numerous.  Can Ricki figure out what really happened?

While a lot happens here, I didn’t feel the pacing of the mystery was a strong as it could be.  But this is a fun mystery, and I loved the climax when I got there.  I knew very little about Mardi Gras, but that’s fine since Ricki was learning right along with me.  I enjoyed meeting the new characters and got a kick out of some of the antics of the regulars.  Developments in the ongoing storyline helped me really get to know some of the regulars better.  This is another entertaining cozy from Ellen Byron that will entertain you whether you already love Mardi Gras or are new to the season.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Serving Up the Truth by Debra Klein (Amanda Knightly Mysteries #1) – 4

Amanda is known in her town for her smiles behind the deli counter of the local market.  But even her patience is tried one day by a rude customer who ultimately buys nothing.  But that night, the customer is killed and a family friend is arrested for the crime.  Can Amanda figure out what really happened?

The writing took a couple of chapters to smooth out, but I get it, all the character introductions can be hard.  Once we got into the mystery, it got much better.  The mystery was solid, although I did figure a couple of things out early on the way to the logical climax.  Amanda is a different series lead since she is happily married with two young adult children.  I loved that difference and what it brought to the story.  I’m glad I picked this book up and hope we get to visit Amanda again.

 

Two Truths and a Murder by Colleen Cambridge (Phyllida Bright Mysteries #5) – 4

Phyllida is back in Listleigh and surprised when she is invited to a dinner party a neighbor is throwing.  But the favor she is asked gets forgotten when another guest announces she’s witnessed a murder.  The next morning, her sister is found run over by a car.  Did the killer get the wrong sister?

I got excited when I realized this book was riffing on one of the few Agatha Christie novels I’ve actually read.  Of course, it takes the premise and goes off in some other directions.  It took me a little while to get into the story, but I did get hooked before we reached the logical climax.  This book builds on some developments from the previous one, which I liked.  And I enjoyed getting to know the new characters and spending time with the returning ones.  The historic details are fun as well.  While Agatha Christie fans will especially enjoy this series, anyone who loves a good mystery will be glad they picked it up.  And that’s no lie.

 

City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson (Counterfeit Lady #8) – 4

Frank and Sarah Malloy approach Gideon Bates in his job as an estate attorney.  Their daughter, Catherine, has recently gotten engaged, and they fear her fiancé is just out to swindle her out of her trust fund, which she has recently gotten access to.  While there is nothing that Gideon can do legally to help protect the young woman, his wife, reformed conwoman Elizabeth, is quite willing to see what she can do.  Is Catherine under the sway of a conman?  Will the combined cast of characters be able to protect her?

Anyone familiar with the late Victoria Thompson’s mysteries will recognize this as a crossover between her two series.  And they will love every page.  The Gaslight characters don’t just have cameos but play a major part in the story.  Most importantly, everyone feels like themselves, and I loved seeing where those characters are in twenty years.  I also enjoy seeing the Counterfeit Lady characters again.  I do wish the plot were a little better, but that’s been an overall complaint with this series.  I need more cat and mouse.  But I did still find the story fun.  If you are a fan of Victoria’s books, you’ll be as happy as I am that her daughter has picked up the mantel.

 

Harrowed Heir by Sarah E. Burr (Court of Mystery #10) – 4

As this book opens, Jax is barely healed from the wounds she received in the previous book, but she is setting out to the Dutchy of Hestes to claim the vacant throne.  When she arrives, Jax learns that the nearby Academy has just unearth a centuries old document that indicates that Hestes’s throne might belong to another.  Naturally, she goes to investigate, but things get complicated quickly when she arrives.  Who is behind the chaos?  What does the document mean?

Once again, this book is best read in order since the series is more of a saga instead of individual mysteries at this point.  The politics helped keep us entertained while Jax travels to the location for this new mystery, and comes into play once the mystery really kicks off.  I was hooked on my way to the climax.  We don’t see all the series regulars, but I can understand why.  There just isn’t space for all of them.  The suspects could have been a little stronger, but I had them straight by the end.  One of the annoying storylines I thought was over in the previous book isn’t yet, which really disappoints me.  I hope the other annoying storyline is building to something, but only time will tell.  Those who are up to date on Jax’s journey will enjoy this next entry.

 

Legally Blind Luck by James J. Cudney (Braxton Campus Mysteries #7) – 3

Summer is just starting, and in the break before Kellan starts to teach a summer course, he is helping with an exhibit of African artifacts that is setting up on campus temporarily.  However, moments before the official opening, Kellan stumbles on another dead body.  He’s also hearing about a talisman that might be cursed.  Is it on campus?  What does its legend have to do with the current murder?

Yes, this book does address the cliffhanger from the previous book, and it ties into the plot of this one.  The entire thing was a bit of a stretch, but it mostly worked for me.  The soap opera feel of the series is still intact here, for better or worse.  The characters sniping at each other was cut down, which I appreciated, but the cast is still very large.  The summarization of dialogue continues to annoy me.  And either I missed a couple of things or the attention to detail was lacking.  Still, fans of the series will be happy they picked up this book.