Book Review: City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson (Counterfeit Lady #8)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters in a fun crossover

Cons: The plot needs a little more

The Bottom Line:

Characters meet up

Crossover fans will enjoy

Con still needs more stakes

This Crossover Delivers

When Victoria Thompson passed a couple of years ago, I was sad because I really enjoyed her books.  And I knew she was working on a story that would bring the characters from her two mystery series together for the first time.  So, when I found out her daughter, Ellen Thompson, was going to continue the series and was starting with the crossover book, you can bet I was preordering City of Promises as quickly as I could.

This is officially book eight in the Counterfeit Lady series.  For this book, it is 1920, and reformed conwoman Elizabeth Bates is expecting her first child.  Naturally, she and her husband, lawyer Gideon, are excited.  While Elizabeth hasn’t officially run a con since she and Gideon fell in love, she has still used her skills to help others.  And it’s about to happen again.

You see, these characters are about to meet the characters from the Gaslight Mysteries, which star Frank and Sarah Malloy.  That series started out in the 1890’s, but the last book ended in September 1901.  Which means, yes, they are twenty years older than the last time we saw them.  And, it means there are some series spoilers as Elizabeth and Gideon get to know these characters.  Of course, these are for books that have been out for a decade or more at this point, so is it really a spoiler?  We don’t get lots of details, so you can still enjoy this series even if you aren’t up to date.

Frank and Sarah approach Gideon since he is 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, 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?

Let’s get my complaint about the book out of the way, shall we?  It’s actually been my complaint for most of the books in this series.  The stories in this series aren’t interesting or complex enough to sustain the page counts.  I need more cat and mouse.  More chances to wonder if Elizabeth will pull things off.  Don’t get me wrong, this is a perfectly servable caper plot.  But another complication or two would make them more compelling.  Again, this has been a common complaint for the entire Counterfeit Lady series.  And it’s not a complaint I have about the Gaslight Mysteries.

Having said that, I did enjoy the story here.  I wanted to see exactly how things would play out, and I found a couple of the detours interesting.

But what I loved most about this book was seeing the characters from both series getting to interact.  No, we don’t see everyone from the Gaslight Mysteries, but we see enough of them to make it feel like a true crossover.  Every time someone new popped up and we got an update on how they are doing now, I was smiling.  This fan couldn’t get enough of the updates.  And I couldn’t get enough of the interactions between the characters, either.  I laughed several times at how everyone was getting along.  And yes, every character who appeared was involved; they weren’t just cameos.

All this is done without sacrificing the characters from this series.  Yes, we probably would have seen more of some of the supporting players in a regular novel in the series, but I never felt like they were being sidelined.  Most importantly, all of the characters from both series felt like themselves.

This isn’t supposed to be just a one off to wrap things up.  Ellen is planning to continue both of her mother’s series.  Based on this, I’d say we are in very good hands.

If you were a fan of Victoria Thompson’s books, don’t hesitate to pick up City of Promises.  If you haven’t read her yet, you have a lot of catching up to do.  But I promise, it will be worth it.

Check out the rest of the Counterfeit Lady Mysteries.  Or travel even further back in time with the Gaslight Mysteries.

Book Review: Two Truths and a Murder by Colleen Cambridge (Phyllida Bright Mysteries #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Solid characters and a compelling mystery…

Cons: …That takes a little bit to pull the reader in

The Bottom Line:

Witness to murder

But wrong sister is silenced

Hooked before the end

Truth: This is Another Good Mystery

I’ve set a rather heavy schedule of catching up on certain series earlier this year.  One of those was Colleen Cambridge’s Phyllida Bright series.  Now that I’ve read Two Truths and a Murder, I’m happy to say that I am up to date on the series…until the next book comes out in two months.

For those who haven’t discovered the series yet, Phyllida Bright is the housekeeper to Agatha Christie.  While the series is set in the undefined between the war period, Agatha is happily married to her second husband, and, based on the book she is writing, I’d say it’s the early part of the 1930’s.  Not that the exact year matters.

While the last book was set in London, Phyllida is back in the village of Listleigh, and happy to be home.  She is surprised when one of their neighbors comes to see her, insisting that Phyllida join a dinner party she is throwing as a guest.  She is hoping that Phyllida can help her solve a little mystery.

But this good dead finds Phyllida involved in a much larger mystery.  After dinner, Genevra, one of the other guests, insists the group plays the parlor game two truths and a lie.  And Genevra says that her “I’ve witnessed a murder” is true.  But it’s Genevra’s sister, Ethel, who doesn’t make it home from the party.  Was she the intended victim?  Or is Genevra is danger since the killer got the wrong sister?

The books in this series borrow set ups from Agatha’s books, and I was excited when I realized that this one was one of the few of her books I’ve read.  Of course, anyone familiar with Hallowe’en Party will spot differences in the set up and recognize that the plot goes off in a completely different direction pretty quickly.

I will say that I felt the book started out a little slowly.  But I did get hooked and was completely pulled into the story the further I got into the book.  We had some nice twists along the way, and the ending was completely logical when I got there.

The last book included a surprise in Phyllida’s life, and this book builds on what happened there well.  I’m liking where this series is taking Phyllida.  It’s not a major part of the book, but it is still nice to see things moving forward.  Of course, not everything has moved forward.  There’s one storyline I hope we see the end of next book.

But back to this story.  It’s filled with good characters, both returning and suspects.  They did a great job of keeping me guessing, and I enjoyed seeing all the returning characters again.  I really enjoy spending time with this group of characters.

As I hinted at earlier, those looking for a historical mystery with touches of real history in them will be disappointed.  But the details of the time period come to life for me, and I enjoyed my trip back almost 100 years.

Fans of Agatha Christie will especially enjoy this series.  But any fan of good mysteries will be glad they picked up Two Truths and a Murder.  And that’s no lie.

Enjoy the rest of the Phyllida Bright Mysteries.

Short Story Review: “Robber Crabs” by Joan Druett (A Wiki Coffin Short Story)

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: A few interesting tidbits about sailing

Cons: No real story

The Bottom Line:

A quick short story

But very little happens

Easy to skip this

Missing a Mystery.  And a Story

I stumbled on the Wiki Coffin Mysteries years ago in my local library and enjoyed them.  I discovered a few years back that the author had released a short story, “Robber Crabs” with the character, so I thought I’d give it a try.  It wasn’t worth my time.

The story (and I use that term loosely) takes place before the series and finds Wiki in the South Pacific of the 1830’s looking to make his way to America.  As a 19-year-old, he’s now at the bottom of the pyramid on his new ship, something that makes him willing to jump ship after a stop at Christmas Island.  What might happen before he does?

You’ll notice a problem with my teaser – where’s the story?  Yes, a couple of things do happen, but they happen and are resolved without pages.  We spend more time talking about what the giant robber crabs do and the story behind the Mutiny on the Bounty than anything else.  I figured out what Wiki did early on, but there are still some questions that remain.

And there really isn’t time in this story for us to get to know any of the characters either.

This story makes up half of the length of the digital book.  The other half is an extended preview for the fifth book in the series.

Those who enjoy sailing history might be glad they picked this up.  I enjoyed those aspects of the story.

But, honestly, most people can just skip this.  “Robber Crabs” is a fast read, but it’s not a good feel for the series and won’t entertain anyone looking for a mystery.

Do consider the books in the Wiki Coffin series.

Book Review: Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith (Holmes on the Range #8)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery, the leads, and the humor

Cons: None – you’ll want to take this Medicine

The Bottom Line:

Blackmail and murder

Brothers continue to shine

Brimming with laughter

Time For Your Dose of Fun Medicine

It’s always a treat when Steve Hockensmith has a new Holmes on the Range book.  So, when I was offered an ARC of book eight in the series, I jumped at it.  I’m happy to say I took my dose of Strong Medicine and every page was a delight.

If you aren’t familiar with this series, you are truly missing out.  The series focuses on Gustav “Old Red” and Otto “Big Red” Amlingmeyer.  They are brothers who were making their living as cowboys when we first met them.  But thanks to the stories of the famed Sherlock Holmes, Old Red has started using Sherlock’s methods to solve cases the brothers have found themselves part of.  At this point, they have helped start the A.A. Western Detective Agency.

This book finds them in Galveston, Texas, in 1894.  They aren’t on an official case, but they have gone down to help their friend Olivia Pertwee.  Her family has suffered from a blackmailer, but their business partner just died in a fire in his warehouse.  Is someone out to destroy the family’s business?

I must admit, I didn’t remember Olivia, who we met in the previous book in the series, but that didn’t matter.  I really liked getting to know her as the book went along.  The book is filled with suspects, and they are a colorful lot, and that made it easy to keep them straight.

Old Red and Big Red are the only returning characters we see here.  I really liked the development they both got.  Old Red’s arc was a bit of a surprise, but I’m not complaining.  And Big Red, while the narrator of the stories (in a Dr. Watson role), is beginning to gain some skills of his own, which I loved to see.

And the mystery itself?  I called one part early on, but the rest kept me guessing until the end.  Yet, when Old Red explained things, it all made perfect sense.  Yes, I do find the use of a prologue set during the action of the book frustrating as I do with many authors, but at least we don’t have to wait too long to get back to that scene.

I’m sure it’s no surprise that this isn’t a cozy series.  It’s mostly language that would keep it from that category, so as long as you are expecting that when you pick it up, you’ll be fine.

What I’d forgotten about with the series is just how funny it can be.  The main characters are brothers, after all, and they act like brothers do.  But there are some funny interactions with the suspects, and Big Red infuses his first-person narration with humor.

Strong Medicine is another strong mystery from Steve Hockensmith.  As always, I’m anxious to find out where his imagination and pen will take us next.

Roam with the rest of the Holmes on the Range series.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Review: Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell (Gilded Newport Mysteries #6)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and a solid mystery in a historical setting

Cons: Ending a bit rushed (as usual)

The Bottom Line:

Murder ends party

There are plenty of motives

Historic setting

Coming-Out is Murder

While I have prioritized other series this year, I am still trying to work in as many of the Gilded Newport Mysteries from Alyssa Maxwell as I can.  So I was happy to get to Murder at Ochre Court, the sixth entry.

This book picks up in July of 1898, a year after the events of book five.  Emma Cross, our main character, has spent the previous year in New York City working for the New York Herald.  She had hoped to spend the year working on real news stories, but instead she found herself once again covering society events.  She’s returned to her native Newport, Rhode Island, to cover the coming-out ball of Cleo Cooper-Smith.  But she also has another news story she is secretly hoping to work on.  And she is considering returning to Newport full time, although she’s not sure how she’d bring in income if she did that.

All that takes a back burner after the coming-out ball, which was being held at Ochre Court.  The house is one of the few getting in on the new technology of electricity.  But the highlight of the evening is ruined when someone is electrocuted.  Emma is friends with the electrician who was working on the cottage, and she feels compelled to clear his name of any wrong doing.  The more Emma investigates, the more potential motives she finds.  Can she figure out the truth?

The emergence of electricity as a new power source is not something I had really thought about.  I just take it for granted.  I appreciated how it played a part in this story.  It amazed me how it parallels some of what we are seeing in our society with new technologies now.  While those technologies might change, there truly is nothing new under the sun, is there?

But that was only one of the potential motives.  There are plenty of others, and they kept me guessing until the end.  While everything did make sense at the end, I felt like the plot was maybe a bit too complex, since there was a rush to explain things and a little more exposition than I felt we needed.  But that is often the case with the series, so I was expecting it when I picked up this book.

We’ve had a love triangle up until this point.  I was getting a bit frustrated with it in this book.  Normally, I am patient since it is often less time for the characters than it is for us since books are often set months apart even if they are released years apart.  In this case, it has been several years for the characters, and I am ready for Emma to have made her choice.  Fortunately, I believe she has.  We still have a bit more that needs to play out before it is all settled, but I can see the end of that coming.

One thing I love about this series is how the real-life people of the era rub elbows with the fictional characters so seamlessly.  That is true again here.  A large part of how successful this is is how real all the characters feel.  And we got some updates on both the real people and the series characters who populate the books.

Murder at Ochre Court is another great entry in this historical mystery series.  I’m not sure when I will get to revisit Gilded Newport, but I am definitely looking forward to a return visit.

Enjoy the rest of the Gilded Newport Mysteries.

Book Review: Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge (Phyllida Bright Mysteries #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Growth for Phyllida, entertaining mystery

Cons: Lots of events disguise little investigative progress

The Bottom Line:

A death on the stage

And look at Phyllida’s past

Book that entertains

A Brutal Crime

Colleen Cambridge’s Phyllida Bright Mysteries are another series I’m trying to catch up on this year.  As a result, I sat down with Murder Takes the Stage, the fourth in the series.  It was a lot of fun.

This book finds us in a new setting as Phyllida, housekeeper for famed mystery author Agatha Christie, is in London.  Agatha along with her second husband, Max, is there to oversee a potential adaptation of one of her Poirot stories for the stage.  Phyllida is less than enthused about being back in London.  She’s hoping to stay in the house that the couple has rented and oversee the household that has come along to avoid any potential unpleasantness.

But fate has other ideas.  The potential producers for Agatha’s play are hit with a death on one of their current productions when Archibald Allston is found dead in an armchair the week before the play is supposed to open.  Phyllida doesn’t see any signs of foul play, but she begins to second guess her observations when the man playing Benvolio in a production of Romeo and Juliette is bludgeoned to death on the balcony of a different theater the next day.  Can Phyllida discover what is happening before another death occurs?

This is the part of the review that I once again confess my lack of knowledge about Agatha Christie books.  I know, I know.  I really need to fix that.  Each book in the series takes some cues from a famous Agatha Christie novel.  Obviously, I can’t tell how similar the two books are, but I did want to acknowledge the comparison.

In earlier books, we’ve gotten hints about Phyllida’s backstory, but nothing remotely concrete.  I was happy to see we finally got some answers here.  While there might be more, I’m happy with what we got, at least for now.  And I’m curious if Phyllida’s friendship with Agatha (that lead to her working for the author) might play into something from Agatha’s past.  I guess I’ll have to keep reading to find out.

Even though we were in London, enough of the familiar staff came along that it still felt like an entry in the series.  I enjoyed how some of those relationships grew here, and I’m very curious to see where things go soon.

As to the mystery itself, I felt like it substituted events for actual deduction at times, meaning the story wasn’t really moving forward even thought there were events that had me entertained.  It’s a fine line, and I may be the only one who cares about it.  But overall, I thought the story was solid with a good slew of new characters to keep us entertained.  And the ending, while a bit overly dramatic, fit in with the series and answered our questions.

I’m glad I have the next book in the series already since I do want to see where the characters go from here.  Fans will get caught up in Murder Takes the Stage.

Here are the rest of the Phyllida Bright Mysteries.

Book Review: Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Fun word play and premise

Cons: One less main character would have helped

The Bottom Line:

A school for murder

There is fun to be had here

Needed more focus

Planning the Perfect…Deletion

I think I first heard about Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide when it first came out.  And, I heard such great things about the audio version I put it on my list to get from the library…and forgot about it when it came time to get new audiobooks.  I was locked into my typical rotation.  But I finally checked it out.  While I enjoyed parts of it, it needed some work.

If you’ve never heard of McMasters, there’s a reason for that.  It’s a prestigious and completely unknown place of higher learning.  But, unlike most campuses, it has only one subject matter – murder.  The students come from all over the world to the campus, wherever it might be, to learn how to get away with the perfect crime.  But students are given a rigorous admissions process beforehand to make sure they are going to kill someone who actually deserves it.  We have to be ethical about it, after all.  Once the student graduates, they must complete their thesis (that perfect murder) or face consequences from McMasters.

The book takes us back to the 1950’s and tells us the story of three students who were at McMasters at the same time.  Cliff Iverson wants to get rid of his former boss in order to make sure potentially lethal changes aren’t made to an airplane design.  Gemma Lindley is a hospital administration who is being blackmailed by her boss.  And Dulcie Mown is an actress who is being held to her contract by a studio boss who is interested in only one thing.  I’m sure you can guess what it is.  Will these three learn enough to complete their graduate thesis successfully?

When I first started this book, I thought I was in for a fun ride.  It’s told a bit differently.  It is presented as a handbook for those of us who can’t attend the school as written by an administrator.  Parts of it are taken from Cliff’s journal that he is keeping so his mysterious benefactor can learn how things are going.

And we get some fun word play, like deletion instead of murder or the graduate thesis I’ve already talked about.  Lover of puns and word play that I am, I was eating this up.  And I found the discussions of ethics ironically fun as well.

However, as the book went along, I found it less fun.  The word play became routine with nothing really new to make it stand out.

The biggest flaw, in my mind, was the three stories.  While the characters interacted while on campus, we had to return to the real world as some point, right?  And, for this portion, we try to follow all three of them.  It was hard to really do that since we were jumping into each of the lead’s lives and I had a hard time keeping all of their supporting players straight.  I think if we’d just focused on two characters it would have helped.

For the audio version, Neal Patrick Harris narrated Cliff’s journals, with the rest being narrated by Simon Vance.  Both were great at bringing the story to life.

Yes, I had fun with Murder Your Employer, but it tried to do a bit too much to be a truly satisfying read.

Book Review: The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair (Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries #5)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Moves an ongoing storyline forward; some twists in second half

Cons: Very slow at the beginning

The Bottom Line:

Different client

Focus on Gwen’s storyline

Makes book uneven

Needed a Bit More Focus to Work Well for Me

When it comes to the Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries, you have to be willing to accept that the mystery is going to come with a high dose of soap opera as we follow what is going on in the lives of our two lead characters.  Usually, I’m on board for that, but in the case of The Lady of Burma, it didn’t quite work for me.

If you are new to the series, it is set in London in 1946, and the lead characters are Iris Sparks, who spent the war in British Intelligence doing things she is legally obligated to not talk about, and Gwen Bainbridge, who lost her husband during the war.  Together, the two have opened The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, a matchmaking service.  Now, you won’t think this would lead to all kinds of murder and mayhem, but that’s exactly what happens.

Along the way, we’ve gotten to know what else is going on in Iris and Gwen’s complicated lives.  For this book, the most important thing you need to know is that Gwen’s efforts to lose her status as a ward of the state after collapsing when she found out she lost her husband are coming to a head.  Her hearing to be declared sane is just days away as the book opens.

And the Lady of the title?  I’m so glad you asked.  She’s a client who wants Iris and Gwen to find a wife for her husband.  Yes, you read that right.  You see, she is dying of cancer, and she doesn’t want her husband to stay single all his life.  However, when she turns up dead, Iris can’t help but wonder exactly what happened to her.

I spent the early part of the book wanting the story to get somewhere.  Yes, we were watching Gwen get ready for her hearing, but it wasn’t really going anywhere.  Heck, I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever met the Lady of the title.  While the ending does resolve the storylines, it felt very rushed to me.  I feel like better pacing would have helped with this.

Usually, we have some storylines for both of the leads.  In this case, Iris’s story was very light.  She was mainly working on the murder while Gwen was dealing with her personal life.  That’s not to say that the two friends don’t have scenes together, but I felt like they were much less connected than normal.

As the book went along, I definitely got hooked.  There were some twists in the second half that made it hard to put the book down.  It’s why I am saying that the pacing needed to be tweaked overall.

And those following since the beginning will definitely be glad they read this one since Gwen’s struggle to regain control of her life has been an ongoing story in the series.

I know the series has many devoted fans.  I certainly do enjoy the books.  But The Lady from Burma wasn’t the strongest entry in the series.

Do check out the rest of the Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries.

Book Review: One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver (Electra McDonnell #5)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Mission is good (when we focus on it), series ends satisfactorily

Cons: The romance really bugs me (still)

The Bottom Line:

Personal mission

As series comes to a close

Romance is still bad

I Expected This Ending.  But That Doesn’t Mean I Liked It

I was anxious to pick up One Final Turn.  As the title suggested, this is the final book in the Electra McDonnell series from Ashley Weaver.  Because of the various cliffhangers we got at the end of book four, I needed to know how things were going to work out.  Sadly, they ended about where I thought they would.

If you’ve missed this series, this isn’t the best place to start.  After all, it is wrapping up storylines we’ve been following since book one.  But a brief introduction: Electra “Ellie” McDonnell is a safe cracker and lock pick in World War II London.  She’s been recruited to work in the war efforts under Major Ramsey, who is in British intelligence.  While she can’t stand the man, she’s also fallen in love with him.  Over the course of the series, Ellie’s also worked on a personal project – figuring out what happened to her father during the first world war.  He was murdered and her mother accused of the crime, but Ellie doesn’t believe it.  Meanwhile, her cousin has been taken captive by the Germans.

And this book opens as Ellie is getting ready to head to Portugal.  The country is neutral, and it is where people are expecting her cousin to head now that he’s rumored to have escaped.  The hope is that they can rescue these escapees and gain information on the route they took to escape, keeping it open for others.  While Major Ramsey is also on the mission, he isn’t in charge, which is a good thing since he has recently fired Ellie.  But once they’ve arrived, will they be able to get beyond the tension between them to complete their mission?

As far as the mission went, I was frustrated by the first half.  I felt like the same thing was happening repeatedly.  We weren’t really getting anywhere until the second half of the book.

Instead, the story was truly focused on Ellie and Ramsey’s relationship.  If you’ve been reading my reviews, you know that is my least favorite aspect of the series.  It is just bad.  Their relationship up to this point has been a good working relationship but a toxic romance.  Nothing in this book changed my mind in the slightest, unfortunately.  In some ways, it was worse.

Fortunately, when we got into the second half of the book, the mission really picked up.  I was fully on board with the twists and surprises we got along the way.

And I do think fans who have followed the series so far will be satisfied with the ending we get here.  That includes the resolution to the story about Ellie’s parents.

While the romance may have irritated me, there was still enough that I enjoyed here that I’m not sorry I picked up One Final Turn.  Those who have been reading the series will be glad they stuck with it.

Here are the rest of the Electra McDonnell Novels.

Book Review: Reckoning at the Riviera Royale by P.J. Fitzsimmons (Anty Boisjoly Mysteries #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Anty, laughs, and a puzzling mystery

Cons: Sometimes the humor could be toned down a little

The Bottom Line:

Clearing big suspect

Circus of alternatives

Laughs and clues combine

The Elephant in the Case

I juggle various series and sometimes that means I don’t get back to series as quickly as I’d like to. But when I sat down to read Reckoning at the Riviera Royale, I was already smiling. This being the fifth Anty Boisjoly Mystery from P.J. Fitzsimmons, it was exactly the fun locked room case I was expecting. 

Anty is a man in the upper classes in British society in 1929. He’s recently found himself getting involved in some rather impossible crimes and finding his way to the solution. All of that is served with a heavy dose of dry wit since these books are accurately described as a cross between P.G. Wodehouse and Dorothy L. Sayer. 

This book finds Anty off to the French Riviera at the invitation of his mother. They have a strained relationship, but Anty goes because he thinks this will be a good chance to confront his mother over a nagging question about his father’s death.

But when he arrives, he discovers there’s been a more recent death. There’s a floating circus on the island where Anty is, but the headliner has been killed, trampled to death by his elephant. The animal is set to be executed for this crime, but Anty isn’t buying it. Can he find the real culprit in time to spare the beast?

While this is the wildest case Anty has tackled yet (pun always intended), it feels perfectly at home in the series.  And, yes, the story takes the mystery completely seriously.  Anty is working to solve a real crime with real motives, no matter how outlandish the main suspect might seem.  The solution fits perfectly with this series, and I found it satisfying.

This series has very few returning characters.  In addition to Anty, there’s his valet, Vickers, who is a character all by himself.  Since this book is set in France, we don’t see the inspector that Anty has dealt with in the past, making it just these two.  The series isn’t strong on story arcs, meaning you can read the books in any order.  I pick up this series because I enjoy Anty’s antics and the way he pulls out solutions to impossible crimes.

Now, this isn’t the say the characters are bad.  They are created for their comedic abilities, but they still feel real for this universe.  And they make me care about the outcome while keeping me confused as to who might have done it.

Have you gotten the feeling that the comedy is front and center with this series?  Because it most definitely is.  At times, I do feel like it is a little too clever for its own good, but most of the time, I’m laughing at the wit and word play.

If you are looking for something that is equal parts locked room mystery and comedy, you need to give this series a try.  Reckoning at the Riviera Royale is a circus in the best way possible.

Laugh and puzzle over the rest of the Anty Boisjoly Mysteries.

Book Review: In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (An American in Paris Mystery #4)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Tabitha and the rest of the cast

Cons: Supernatural element slows down the start

The Bottom Line:

Supernatural

In historical series

Not my favorite

Nine Bluets Gathered for Dinner

While I will read many different cozy themes, I tend to avoid the paranormal books. Unfortunately, they sometimes sneak into series I normally enjoy. That’s the case with In the Spirit of French Murder, the fourth An American in Paris Mystery. 

The series is set in 1950, and it centers around Tabitha Knight, an American who has moved to Paris to live with her Grand-pere and his friend, two men that Tabithas has come to think of as her “messieurs.” Across the street just happens to be Julia Child, and the two women have become fast friends. Unfortunately, Tabitha has developed a reputation for finding dead bodies, but this latest case is going to hit very close to home. 

One March afternoon, Tabitha is returning home from Julia’s when she sees a strange woman leaving the house where Tabitha lives. It turns out that she is a medium, and her warning to Grand-pere has left him shaken. But the next night, when Tabitha’s messieurs are hosting a dinner for the seven other members of their old resistance network, the evening ends with a murder. Should Tabitha be taking the warning seriously?

Yes, this woman is a real medium. And if I weren’t already invested in the series, I probably would have set the book down when I realized that. But since I wanted to know what happens next to the characters, I kept reading. Since this is the first time the series has brought in that element, it felt out of character to me. 

Sadly, setting up the part of the story with the medium meant the main plot really got a slow start. While it did lead to a logical climax with some good twists along the way, I still felt the pacing was uneven. 

And I do have to comment on the timeline. Yep, it needed a polish. To be fair, I was reading an ARC, but there were references to the story taking place in early March, late March, and almost March. In that order. 

One thing I have liked about this series is the depiction of life during and just after World War II. Paris is a city still recovering, and I like being reminded that just because victory had been declared, there was still aftermath to deal with. Likewise, we see more about what it meant to live in Paris during the war. I found that history lesson fascinating. 

And, as I said, I needed to know what is going on with the characters. Fans will enjoy seeing just what happens next.  Do keep in mind that, while this is book four, and they’ve released over the course of four years, it’s only been four months for the characters. 

Fans will be happy to spend more time with Tabitha and the rest. But I hope that we move away from the supernatural element introduced in In the Spirit of French Murder. 

Here are the rest of the An American in Paris Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Review: Blues in the Dark by J.R. Sanders (Nate Ross #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Nate solving another fun case in 1930’s Los Angeles

Cons: All cons left in the dark

The Bottom Line:

Kidnapped young woman

Nate in race to rescue her

Series always fun

Trying to Find a Kidnap Victim

I’ve really come to enjoy the Nate Ross series from J.R. Sanders, so a new book is always a reason to celebrate.  While it’s been out for a couple of months, I read Blues in the Dark as soon as I got my hands on a copy.

Nate is a private investigator in 1930’s Los Angeles.  While movies are the big business, he has no use for it and tries to avoid them at all costs.  This particular book is set in 1939, and Nate finds himself once again drawn into the world of Hollywood.

You see, Nate’s client is Audrey Chase, one of the biggest movie stars.  Her sister has been kidnapped, and the ransom demand is small.  Audrey paid it, but her sister wasn’t returned as promised, and now she wants Nate to find her sister and return her safely.  Given that this is Hollywood, Nate is wondering if this is more of a publicity stunt than a real crime, but the pay is good, so he takes the case.  He quickly finds that, if he gets it wrong, this case will have deadly consequences.  Can he figure out what is really going on?

While I haven’t read a ton of the PI novels of the late 1930’s, this feels like it would fit into that tradition quite nicely.  No, this isn’t a cozy, but it keeps things fairly clean, which I appreciate.

While the book doesn’t have a ton of supporting characters, we have a few recurring ones.  I enjoyed seeing them again.  And, of course, Nate is a fun character to follow around as always.  We get some interesting new characters that kept me engaged as the story unfolded.

And the mystery itself?  It’s strong.  It’s the main focus of the book, and it has more than enough action to keep us engaged the entire way through.  I couldn’t wait to see exactly what was going on and how Nate was going to figure things out.  Yet, when we reached the end, everything made sense.

Other books in the series have delved a bit more into the world of the Hollywood studios of the era than this one did even with a movie star client.  I did feel like I was transported to the Los Angeles of the 1930’s, which I always find fun when I pick up one of these books.

Blues in the Dark is another fast, fun read with a great historical backdrop.  Now comes to wait for Nate’s next case.

Here are the rest of the Nate Ross Novels.

Book Review: Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Jane Wunderly Mysteries #7)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Jane, Redvers, and a great mystery in a fun setting

Cons: Nothing major

The Bottom Line:

Honeymoon; murder

Tracking killer in Venice

A fun mystery

Honeymoon with Canals…and Murder

In addition to being a trip back in time, the Jane Wunderly Mysteries are also a travelogue of sorts.  Each book in the series has taken place in a new part of the world.  For book seven, we are settling into Venice for what turns out to be an eventful honeymoon in Vengeance in Venice.

If you haven’t been following this series, when we first met Jane, it was 1926, and the war widow had traveled to Egypt with her aunt.  But that trip turned out to be life changing for both of the women.  Along with solving a mystery, Jane met Redvers, a man with a mysterious job who has now become Jane’s husband.

While the pair got married several months ago, they are now taking the time for a proper honeymoon in September of 1927.  They are looking forward to relaxing days exploring the city and eating the delicious cuisine.  Which is when Aunt Millie and her new husband crash the trip.  Millie has gotten the two couples an invitation to a party hosted by her friend Clara Morton, who turns out to be quite the eccentric.  Jane and Redvers are hoping to slip away early, but their plans are scrapped when a dead body is found in the garden.  When a friend that Jane has just reunited with becomes the prime suspect, honeymoon plans get put on hold to solve this latest murder.  Can Jane free her friend?

I would love to visit Venice, so the setting grabbed me right away.  I loved that aspect of this book, feeling like I was right there with Jane as she traveled all over the city questioning her suspects and tracking down pieces of the puzzle.

And what a fun puzzle it was.  The suspects were quite a bunch, and I they kept me quite entertained when they were on the page.  They might have been slightly over the top, but they worked for this book.  There were lots of secrets, which made for a few surprises on the way to the logical solution.  I felt like a couple of things weren’t wrapped up quite as neatly as I would have liked, but that was a minor point for me.

Because Jane and Redvers are traveling so much, there are very few other recurring characters.  Aunt Millie and her husband, Lord Hughes, are in this book.  Millie is fun in small doses, and that’s what we get here.  Lord Hughes has a couple of minutes to shine.  And yes, we do see a couple of characters from the first book again, although it had been so long I must confess I had forgotten most of what we learned about them early on.

But the lack of recurring characters just gives Jane and Redvers that much more time to shine.  They make a great team, and I loved watching them in action.  It’s fantastic to see them so happy together.  And yes, I had to laugh at some of their reactions and lines over the course of the story.

Vengeance in Venice left me with a smile on my face.  Anyone looking for a light historical mystery will be glad they picked this one up.

Enjoy the rest of the Jane Wunderly Mysteries.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Book Review: Vanished in the Crowd by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles (Molly Murphy #22)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Molly and the rest of the regulars, historical setting

Cons: Theme becomes lecture, uneven plot

The Bottom Line:

Tons of tourists

But can Molly find just one?

Uneven entry

The Theme Never Vanished - And That’s a Problem

I’ve been a fan of the Molly Murphy series since the beginning. But the recent entries have been a bit uneven. Sadly, Vanished in the Crowd is one of the weaker ones. 

When we first met Molly, she was an immigrant on the run coming through Ellis Island in 1901. Over the previous 21 books, we’ve watched her make her own living as a detective and fall in love with Daniel Sullivan. The two are now married, raising their own two children and a young teen they’ve adopted along the way. While Molly officially gave up being a detective when she married, that hasn’t stopped her from getting involved in some rather mysterious situations in the years since. 

In this book, we join Molly in September of 1909. New York City is bursting at the seams as an estimated two million visitors are in town for a celebration or the three hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River. Some of those visitors are staying with Molly’s dear neighbors Sid and Gus. However, one of those women never arrives. No one seems to know where she is; even her husband doesn’t know. So Molly agreed to try to find her. But in a large city overflowing with people, where can she even start?

There was a good mystery here. Well, a potentially good mystery, anyway. I was caught up in the events early on and was interested in seeing how Molly would succeed and what she’d uncover along the way. But, the end was a bit weaker than I hoped since I figured out things before Molly did. 

Then there’s my usual complaint about Molly’s husband. Each book, he seems to make progress toward accepting how good a detective she is. Then we regress back to his old attitude for the start of the next book. I get it – his attitude is realistic for the time. But I am so tired of seeing this “character development” happen over and over again. It’s time to move on to something else. 

Which brings us to the theme. We are talking about women’s rights in general and the right to vote in particular. Now, hear me carefully. The status women had in society in 1909 was bad. We needed the changes we’ve had in society since then. And, as part of a mystery, I don’t mind that. But we got more than that here. We had characters talking about how it wasn’t right followed by Molly thinking about it in the first-person narration. Then we’d have another scene talking about it. It felt like much more of a lecture than part of a mystery. 

Which is a shame because I still find the characters charming. Yes, even Daniel can be charming. I want to enjoy my time with them. 

And I always enjoy the bits of history we get in these books. 

Having said all of this, I will definitely be picking up the next in the series as soon as possible. And other fans will be joining me. 

I do enjoy my time with Molly even if the stories could be stronger. Long time fans will feel the same when they set down Vanished in the Crowd. 

Enjoy more of Molly’s NYC with the rest of the Molly Murphy Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Review: Murder at Chateau sur Mer by Alyssa Maxwell (Gilded Newport Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Emma and the cast in an entertaining mystery

Cons: A couple of things rushed in the wrap up

The Bottom Line:

Murder cause scandal

Can Emma find out the truth?

Characters still shine

Was This Murder Political?

I’ve been spending lots of reading time so far this year with series I’ve started but need to catch up on. The most recent of those is the Gilded Newport Mysteries. I happily went back in time with Murder at Chateau sur Mer, the fifth in the series. 

This series features Emma Cross, a poor relation of the Vanderbilts. She’s also a full-time resident of Newport in the last nineteenth century. She works as a fashion columnist for one of the local papers but can’t help but get involved when she stumbles upon murder. 

This book opens in July of 1897. Emma is covering a polo match when she witnesses a strange scene – a young woman with a less than stellar reputation is insisting that she must talk to Senator Wetmore’s wife. The next morning, Emma is summoned to the Wetmore’s residence - Chateau sur Mer. The young woman from the day before is lying dead in their entry way. Emma has developed a reputation based on her past exploits, and Mrs. Wetmore wants Emma to investigate so that the whiff of scandal won’t haunt her family forever. But what is the victim’s connection to the wealthy family?

The book does a great job of reintroducing us to Emma and her world while setting the plot in motion. And it didn’t slow down from there, with plenty of suspects and twists to keep us guessing. The ending did wrap things up successfully, but a couple of elements felt rushed to me. 

We still get plenty of time to find out what is going on with the regulars, both real and fictional. Emma gets some interesting developments in her personal life. I do know that the romantic triangle is resolved down the line, so I am willing to stay patient with it here. Although I know which way I’d be leaning if I weren’t spoiled. 

One thing I appreciate about this series is how real people and fictional rub elbows so seamlessly. I was surprised to find a couple I thought were invented were real when I reached the author’s notes at the end. And, while we might know that the real people couldn’t really be suspects, there are still plenty to keep us entertained as we read. And everyone comes across as fully developed on these pages. 

I felt like I was back in time as I was reading. While Emma and many of the characters here aren’t as rich as the millionaires who have their summer homes there, I still get that relaxed summer vibe as I read, which I always enjoy. 

And do check out the author’s notes at the end to learn a bit more about the real history she used to craft this story. 

The book leaves us up in the air for a couple of things in Emma’s life, and you can bet I’ll be making time to visit again soon to find out what happens next. 

If you are looking for a fun historical mystery, be sure to check out this series. Murder at Chateau sur Mer is another entertaining trip back in time. 

Check out the rest of the Gilded Newport Mysteries.

Book Review: The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair (Sparks & Bainbridge #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Page turning mystery

Cons: A bit of a slow start due to the ongoing soap opera

The Bottom Line:

Iris must face past

Murder always complicates

Completely hooked me

The Body in Sparks’s Apartment

I have so many different series going, it is impossible to properly juggle them all, especially when there are several books in a series before I even start it.  (And yes, this is a fantastic problem to have.)  As a result, I’d forgotten just how much I love the ladies of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau until I picked up The Unkept Woman, the fourth book in Allison Montclair’s Sparks and Bainbridge series.

The series features two women in 1946 London.  Despite the fact that they are from very different backgrounds, they have gone into business together as a matchmaking service.  One is Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a window of the recent world war.  She is living with her in-laws as she works to regain control over her life once again.  The other is Iris Sparks, a single woman who spent the war in an intelligence service and is trying to deal with life as a civilian again, especially since her past doesn’t want to stay away.

This being book four in the series, we already know quite a bit about the women and their ongoing storylines.  In fact, you could almost call these ongoing storylines a soap opera.  There are certainly some complications that feel that way.  Not that I’m complaining because I am hooked and need to find out what happens next.  I only bring that up because this book starts focusing on those ongoing stories before the new case really heats up.  While I was quickly hooked, if you aren’t already familiar with the characters, they might not pull you in as quickly as they did me.  So yes, I will recommend reading the series in order.

When Iris returns to her apartment one night after work, she is shocked to find an unexpected visitor.  It’s someone she is less than happy to see, especially since she thought the person was out of her life for good.  After quickly going to the Bainbridge’s for the night, she thinks things are behind her again – until a body is discovered in her living room.  Who was the victim?  And who committed the murder?

Yes, I’m being vague with my teaser, and part of that is because the book opens with a prologue that is meant to startle us before we flashback two days.  Yeah, it’s my least favorite literary technique, but in this case, it felt even less relevant since we know what must be really happening.  I wish the book had just jumped into the story with chapter one.  There was more than enough to hold the interest of the fans as the set up happens.

And once we get to that part of the book?  Hold on!  The pace really increases, and we get plenty of twists and surprises.  I did pick up on a couple of things early, but the majority still surprised me in a good way.  Everything made sense when we reached the climax.

I know my teaser is focused on Iris, and she really is the main focus of the plot.  But that isn’t to say that Gwen doesn’t get her share of the book.  They each have their own ongoing storylines, which get advancement.  And Gwen contributes to the solution of the mystery as well.  In fact, that’s one thing I loved about the book – we really couldn’t have reached the solution without both of them.

The fact that the main characters are so strong is what makes this book so compelling.  We really do care about them and want to see them both happy.  While their stories did get some advancement here, they are far from wrapped up.  Which means I can’t wait to get back to them later this year.

The story also brings the post-World War II years to life.  The people who survived had quite a bit they needed to deal with as they tried to rebuild their lives.  While Iris and Gwen might have a bit more than most (which makes for more drama), we get a good picture of what life was truly like in the city then.

Yes, I will be trying to get back to this series again sooner rather than later.  I need to find out what happens to these ladies next.  Anyone else who needs to catch up will find themselves caught up in The Unkept Woman.

Here are the rest of the Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries.

Book Review: Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver (Electra McDonnell #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good new case for Ellie

Cons: The romance continues to frustrate

The Bottom Line:

Some weird robberies

Move Ellie’s story forward

Leaves ready for last

You’ll be Locked into These Pages

While the final novel in the Electra McDonnell series is already out, I’ve been getting them in paperback, and the fifth and final paperback edition comes out this spring.  When I realized that, I decided I should bump up Locked in Pursuit, the fourth book, so I’d be ready for it.  I’m glad I did.

Electra, Ellie to her friends, is a thief and safecracker living in London in World War II.  In the first book, she was recruited to work for British intelligence in the war efforts.  (Recruited might be too nice a word for it.)  In the intervening months, she’s not only starting to fall for her handler, Major Ramsey, but she’s realized how much she enjoys living on the right side of the law.

But as this book opens, it’s been three months since her last mission with the major, a mission that turned dark.  It’s now January of 1941, and Ellie sees an article in the paper about a robbery that feels wrong to her.  Something is off, especially when none of her contacts have heard anything about it.  Ramsey takes her concern seriously enough to uncover two other odd robberies.  The connection?  The victims were on a recent flight from Lisbon.  What or who was on that plane?  Can Ellie and Ramsey get the prize first?

Before we go further, I should issue my standard “read the series in order” disclaimer.  In addition to a love triangle, there is an ongoing story related to Ellie’s parents, and you’ll best follow what is going on if you are up to the date on the series.

And, honestly, you probably won’t care about the early part of the book without that background as well.  We spend time in the early part of the book working on what to do about those ongoing storylines before the plot of this book really kicks into gear.  This section was a little too contemplative for my tastes, but it wasn’t too bad.

Once the plot of this book kicks into gear, it takes over, and I was onboard.  This doesn’t evolve like a typical mystery would, but it does a great job of keeping us engaged the entire way through.  I was satisfied when we reached the climax, too.

I also like the characters.  There was a new one here I enjoyed getting to meet as well.  And the regulars were their normal charming selves with a bit of development.

I’ve never been a fan of the romantic subplot, and this book didn’t change my mind.  It will be interesting to see where it goes in book five, but I’m sure that will be a weakness for me.

Speaking of which, I am very curious how everything is going to be resolved.  This book ends on a cliffhanger or two (very glad I have the next preordered), and I just don’t see how we are going to resolve everything in one volume.  Something is going to get squeezed.

But that’s the next book’s review.  For now, I enjoyed Locked in Pursuit.  It made me very curious to see just how Ellie’s story is going to be wrapped up.

Unlock the rest of the Electra McDonnell Novels.

Book Review: Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge (Phyllida Bright Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters that pull us into a solid mystery

Cons: No cons invited

The Bottom Line:

A murder party

Victim goes from fake to real

Got hooked on this one

You Are Invited to a Very Real Murder

I’ve made it further into the year than I intended without reading a historical mystery. When I realized this oversight, I decided it was time to return to 1930’s England with Colleen Cambridge’s Murder by Invitation Only. I’m really glad I picked this book up. 

This is the third in her Phyllida Bright series. Phyllida is the housekeeper for Agatha Christie. The two women were friends before Phyllida came to work for her, so they have more than a servant/employer relationship. While Agatha isn’t ready to tackle any mysteries outside the pages of her novel, Phyllida rises to the challenge quite readily. 

As this book opens, Agatha and her husband, Max, are in London, not in their country home. So when a weird invitation to a murder arrives at Mallowan Hall, Phyllida goes in the place of her famous employer. As expected, it turns out the new neighbors have created a murder game they are using to get to know the locals. Their host is playing the victim. Phyllida isn’t that interested and is about to leave when another guest discovers that the victim is actually dead. Suddenly, Phyllida finds herself thrust into a real case, and she is more than ready to figure out what is going on. Can she identify the daring killer is?

Normally, I’m a diehard read in order person, and I recommend the same. However, you could easily pick this book up and read it as a standalone if you so desired. There are references to the first two cases, but they are vague. And there is little in the way of character relationships you need to know that isn’t included here. 

In fact, I was surprised at just how little of the supporting characters we saw. It helps that most of the action takes place away from Mallowan Hall. And the focus is on the main mystery with a subplot or two buried in the background. 

Now, this isn’t to say that we don’t get some great characters. Phyllida is a strong main character. We still don’t know much about her past, and there were minimal new hints here. The couple of supporting players we see are fun. And the suspects were strong enough to hook us into the story. 

And the plot itself? While the setup was obvious, we got as few pages as needed before the murder happened. From there, I was fully engaged. I was surprised by several of the revelations along the way, but the ultimate solution made sense and set up a page turning climax. 

Sometimes, this author can be a bit wordy, at least for my tastes. I didn’t find that to be the case here. Instead, I was finding myself constantly engrossed in the story. 

While the time the books are set is a little vague, I’m sure Christie fans will narrow it down a little more with the references to her books. Personally, I found the scenes involving the new-fangled device – the vacuum cleaner – to be quite fun. 

Whether you are a diehard Agatha Christie fan or not, you’ll find Murder by Invitation Only to be a fun page turner. 

Here are the rest of the Phyllida Bright Mysteries. 

Book Review: Murder in Manhattan by Julie Mulhern (Freddie Archer #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Decent mystery with a fun main characters

Cons: Slow start that I didn’t enjoy

The Bottom Line:

New series begins

With slow start to mystery

Enjoyed by the end

Freddie’s First Case Gets off to an Uneven Start

Julie Mulhern is an author I want to read more of, but I seem to keep falling further behind in her series. So, when she announced she was starting a new series, I figured this was a good opportunity to stay current in at least one of her series. Sadly, Murder in Manhattan wasn’t as good as I was expecting.

This series is set in New York City in 1925. The main character is Freddie Archer, the gossip and fashion columnist for Gotham Magazine. She comes from a well-off family, so she doesn’t need to work, but she finds the work fulfilling and it’s something she’s good at. Plus, it gives her a perfect excuse to be out in speakeasies all night every night.

However, reality enters her world when someone she mentioned in her column is murdered. The police ask for her help identifying a woman the victim was seen with - just observe and report back. But as the bodies keep piling up, Freddie can’t help but dig in more. Can she find the killer?

Since I’ve read several of the author’s other books, I knew what to expect when I picked up this book. Or at least I thought I did. Far too much time was spent on Freddie’s lifestyle early in the book, and far too little was spent on the mystery. Stuff was happening, but Freddie was just observing between nights spent drinking too much and name dropping all the famous people Freddie knew.

Things did improve around a third of the way into the book, as Freddie finally started to take the mystery seriously. At that point, I finally got pulled into the book. Even so, one thing either was dropped or I was expecting too much. Honestly, I’m not sure which. The ending was great, and things did wrap up satisfactory.

Freddie Archer was inspired by a real-life columnist of the time, Lois Long. I did enjoy getting to know the character as presented here. As I expected, there is a strong romance as well. I’ll be interested in seeing how things play out going forward. Freddie herself grew on me as the book went along, although her self-destructive behavior bugged me early on.

Again, once the mystery got going, I enjoyed all the name dropping we got. There are lots of famous people who are either supporting characters or have cameos. Early on, it felt forced, but when the focus was on the story, these made me smile.

Freddie is a radical for her time, and we run into macho men who think Freddie should behave more like a woman of her time. Yep, you guessed it, I didn’t care for how that was handled either. I expected it given the author’s other books that I’ve read, but a little less would have improved things.

There is a humorous tone for the entire book, which I did enjoy. The book gets serious when it needs to, but there are fun moments to make you smile or laugh along the way.

By the end, I was enjoying Murder in Manhattan, and I’d be willing to revisit Freddie. I hope future books in the series are better paced.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.