Book Review: Birth of the Black Orchids by M. R. Dimond (Black Orchid Enterprises #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters I already love

Cons: The mysteries are after thoughts

The Bottom Line:

Meet trio of friends

Enjoyable to visit

But plots are not strong

Two Cozy Stories Introduce Us to a Fun New Trio

Every so often, it’s fun to dig around and see just what you might uncover from your to be read pile. That’s how I picked Birth of the Black Orchids. While this wasn’t what I was hoping for, I can see how others would enjoy it. 

This book is really two separate longish short stories that introduce us to JD Thomas and his friends Dianne Cortez and Johnny Ly. They have moved into a mansion in the town of Beauchamp, Texas. They have separate rooms upstairs and are opening businesses downstairs, lawyer, accountant, and vet. Days before Christmas, they hold an open house to show off the renovations and promote their businesses. Might something go wrong? Then, a couple of weeks later, a neighbor they are supposed to be helping vanishes. Where might she have gone?

Let me be perfectly clear. I really like this trio. They are fun, and their dynamic is great. While we don’t get the full background on them, you can feel the bonds between them. I enjoyed spending time with them. 

However, neither story had much going on in it. This is especially true of the first story, but even the second was uneven. Yes, there is a crime that the trio is able to solve both times, but it felt more like an after through than a main focus. 

But again, if you are looking for cozy vibes, you’ll find this book perfectly draws you in. And the Christmas setting of the first story helps add to the charm. 

So, if you are looking for a book light on the mystery but strong on the cozy, you’ll be glad you picked up Birth of the Black Orchids. 

Book Review: Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien (Noodle Shop Mysteries #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Lana and the rest of the regulars

Cons: Pacing could be better

The Bottom Line:

Deadly cooking class

Lana is in the hot seat

Slow start but still fun

Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Murder

I’m getting back to many series I have in progress this year, but I suspect soon the bright and shiny new releases will start distracting me. Before that happens, I managed to get another book from mount to be read in. This time, it was Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien. 

This is book seven in a series set in Cleveland. Lana Lee, our main character, has taken over managerial duties for her family’s Chinese restaurant. But much to everyone’s dismay, she can’t actually cook any Chinese food. She decides to do something about it by signing up for a class at a local continuing education school. 

Lana is hoping to keep her class a secret, but that becomes much harder when she returns after class to find the instructor stabbed in the back. With the detective assigned to the case certain that Lana is responsible, she must figure out what happened. But with the victim a stranger, can Lana learn anything about her?

Honestly, that was the biggest issue I had with the book. Yes, I bought that Lana would investigate to clear herself. But it took us far too long to really start to learn anything about the victim or begin to get any suspects. Lana was frustrated as well, so at least I was in good company. As we headed into the final third, the story gained some traction, and we reach a logical conclusion. 

Fortunately, the series regulars are enough to keep us entertained. Lana has quite a fun group of family and friends, and I enjoyed checking in with the core cast again here. We don’t spend as much time in the shopping center in this book, so we don’t see some of those supporting players. And, once we started to gather suspects, they proved interesting. 

As always, this is one of the few culinary series without recipes. So you’ll have to have your favorite Chinese restaurant on speed dial to satisfy your cravings. 

While the pacing could be stronger, fans will still enjoy getting to check in with Lana in Fatal Fried Rice. 

Check out the rest of the Noodle Shop Mysteries. 

Movie Review: All Manners of Murder - Nelly Knows Mysteries

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Solid mystery with fun lead characters

Cons: Nothing major

The Bottom Line:

A lavish dinner

Murder uninvited guest

Fun second movie

“I’ll Be Good Cop.  You Seem Like You’ve Already Chosen Bad Cop.”

I was surprised when I saw that we were getting a second Nelly Knows Mysteries from Hallmark.  It’s been a year and a half since we were first introduced to these characters, and I thought they were going to be yet another one and done mystery movie.  But I’m glad we got to see more of Nelly since I enjoyed All Manners of Murder.

In case you’ve forgotten, Nelly (Pascale Hutton) is an advice columnist in a small town.  Her latest column includes a letter from someone looking to reconnect with family to deliver bad news.  Somehow, that means Nelly is roped in when the letter writer hosts a lavish dinner party to reconnect with her estranged family and then deliver the bad news.  Suspecting trouble, Nelly invites Detective Mike Hogan (Kavan Smith) along.  That turns out to be wise since someone winds up murdered before dessert can be served.  Can Nelly and Mike team up again to solve the murder.

It’s been so long since I watched the first one, I mainly only remembered that it wasn’t my favorite.  Looking back at my review, I saw that one of my issues was Nelly’s official involvement in that case.  It happens again, although, somehow, it didn’t bother me as much this time.  I’m happy to say that my other complaint, the forced humor, wasn’t an issue here.  Overall, the characters seemed calmed down and more grounded, which I appreciated.

The mystery here was good.  One aspect was obvious to me early on, but the characters caught up with me not too much further into the film, and I didn’t figure out where things were going until Nelly and Mike did.  Along the way, the suspects kept me engaged.

If you are familiar with Hallmark movies, you know what to expect acting wise.  It was a little stronger than it can often be, which is always nice.

A new character was introduced that I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of as the series goes along, but I was a little confused as to why that happened in this movie since he had such a small part.  I’m assuming they are planning for future installments, but still.

On the other hand, we learned more about Mike, which I liked.  I really do like the chemistry between Mike and Nelly and hope we get to see their relationship develop further.

Yes, I’m definitely hoping for a third movie in this franchise, although nothing appears to be on the horizon yet.  If you are a Hallmark mystery movie fan, you’ll be glad you watched All Manners of Murder.

Book Review: Death at Tidal Creek by Caleb Wygal (Myrtle Beach Mysteries #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Clark, and a fun setting

Cons: A couple niggles with the plot, which is good overall

The Bottom Line:

Brewery murder

Clark gets pulled into the case

Relaxing beach vibes

Murder is Garbage

Certain books call out based on the setting. I was craving some beach time recently, so I picked up Death at Tidal Creek, the fifth Myrtle Beach Mystery from Caleb Wygal. It was the next best thing to heading to the beach. 

The main character here is widower Clark Thomas, the owner of a bookstore on the beach in the South Carolina resort community. Over the course of the series, he’s slowly pieced together clues that his wife’s death a few years before might have been murder. But the focus here again is on the latest murder in the area. 

Clark is slowing building a relationship with Andrea, who has just opened a business next door to his bookstore. So when two people are found dead near the garbage bins at Tidal Creek Brewery, near where Andrea lives, Clark takes note, especially when one of the is the president of Andrea’s HOA. But it’s only when Andrea finds herself involved in the HOA that Clark fully gets involved. It turns out the late president was up to some shady business. Is that why he was killed? 

If you are ready for summer, this book has the perfect vibes for you. While we don’t spend a lot of time at the beach, there are still scenes that make me look forward to relaxing days with warm weather. It’s getting closer. 

Clark’s life has gotten complicated recently with the introduction of a new love interested. We are dealing with a bit of a love triangle here, and I’m curious how that is going to play out. I suspect I know, but I’ll have to keep reading to see if I’m right. 

The book doesn’t feature a ton of recurring characters, and anything you need to know is included here. We get some growth in Clark, which is nice to see. And the new characters are interesting. Also, keep your eyes opened for what I’m sure is a cameo from the author. 

The mystery itself is good. I did have a big twist figured out early, but I didn’t have all the pieces until we got to the end. The climax is a bit exposition heavy as always, but my questions were all answered. 

Once again, we were left with a new clue to the murder of Clark’s wife. I’m curious to see where that will lead. In the meantime, Death at Tidal Creek was a welcome mystery in a resort town. 

Relax with more of the Myrtle Beach Mysteries.

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.

Movie Review: Sugar and Vice - A Hannah Swensen Mystery

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Entertaining mystery

Cons: Usual dose of Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Party in a storm

Of course there’s a dead body

Entertaining film

“Never Been Here for This Part Before.”  “What Part?”  “The Part Where You Find the Dead Body.”

Hallmark has gotten a late start with new mystery movies in 2026.  But we finally got a new one, and it’s a new entry in their long running Hannah Swensen Mysteries.  Since I’ve been a fan of the books since the first and the movies turned me on to Hallmark’s mystery movies, I’m always anxious to watch the new one.  Sugar and Vice was entertaining as always.

At this point, the movies are pretty much their own thing.  We aren’t even trying to follow the books anymore.  This is true with the characters as well as the plots.  For example, this one claims to be based on Sugar Cookie Murder, but the victim is different.  And the people running the Lake Eden Inn and Spa aren’t the characters from the series.

And that’s about all the thought I give it.  I’ve accepted that, and I sit down to watch and enjoy this version of the characters I know and love.

As this movie opens, the Lake Eden Inn and Spa is about to have their grand reopening.  While all the work isn’t done, enough is that they can show off their remodeling.  They are planning a costume contest with cookies provided by Hannah (Allison Sweeney).  While she will be working, she will also be a guest, enjoying the evening with her new boyfriend, Chad (Victor Webster).  Naturally, her mother, Delores (Barbara Niven), will be there, too.

But, part way through the event, Hannah finds another dead body – this time a member of the staff.  With a storm brewing outside, the guests are trapped.  Can Hannah figure out what happened before the killer strikes again or the roads are cleared from the storm?

While we just know about the storm from characters talking about it, it does allow the movie a good opportunity to cut out some of the supporting characters without being too obvious.  Yes, we get some scenes that aren’t at the party, which made me happy.  But we can focus on the suspects and the mystery unfolding.

I’ve got to admit; I thought I had things figured out fairly early on.  I was right about part of it and wrong about part of it.  I was impressed with how the mystery unfolded.  And the climax was great.

As is often the case with these movies, we definitely have a low budget cheese factor.  It wasn’t as much the sets in this case, but in some of the performances.  Allison Sweeney not only starred but also wrote this movie, which is one reason why most of the dialogue seems to work.  Anyway, if you’ve been watching these movies, or Hallmark movies in general, you pretty much know what to expect when you sit down to watch this movie, and that’s what you get.

I’m happy to see that another Hannah Swensen movie is in the works.  I’ll be back to see what she bakes up next.  But, in the meantime, fans will delight in Sugar and Vice.

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.

Novella Review: Pompeii, Paccheri, and Panic by Traci Andrighetti (Pasta and Piazza Mysteries #0.5)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good mystery and main characters with book laughs

Cons: Language/accent concerns and some of the humor, both could be me issues

The Bottom Line:

Italy research

Murder, mayhem, novella

Not quite what I hoped

Not Quite the Intro I Hoped For

Author Traci Andrighetti has long been on my radar.  In fact, I’ve had the first in her Franki Amato series for a few years now.  When I saw she was introducing a spin off series and she was offering an introductory novella for free to her newsletter subscribers, I jumped on it.  After all, it was a good chance to meet these characters and hopefully jump on in at the beginning of a new series.  However, Pompeii, Paccheri, and Panic wasn’t quite as enjoyable as I hoped it would be.

This story introduced me to Giada Adair, who is going through a painful divorce and has taken a job as a tour guide in Italy in an attempt to rebuild her life.  She and her best friend have headed over before her first official tour to do a little research in Pompeii.  But her trip takes an unexpected turn when an ancient lamp just unearth from Pompeii disappears and Giada finds herself implicated.  Worse yet, a young woman dies in front of Giada, and she becomes a suspect.  That is, unless she was the intended victim.  Giada is going to have to channel her cousin Franki if she wants to get out of this alive.

While yes, this novella is the first book to star Giada, she and her friend Moira have apparently appeared in at least one of the books about Franki.  And Franki did have a cameo here as well.  However, that wasn’t an issue for me.  We were given enough background to follow these two characters and everyone else was new.  And I did like our leads and felt the supporting characters were sufficiently mysterious.

And my issues with the story have nothing to do with the plot.  For a 100-page novella, the story was quite good.  We got a couple of fun twists before reaching a logical conclusion and a page turning climax.

One of my issues was with the language.  No, I’m not talking about four letter words.  I’m talking about the fact that the book takes place in Italy.  Yes, there is a glossary in the back, but I’m lazy.  I don’t want to keep flipping back to understand what I just read.  This is a me issue, but it was something in the back of my mind, especially since it ruined another series I tried to read set in Italy for me.  Additionally, one of the characters spoke in an accent that was just annoying.

The other issue I had was the humor.  A lot of it was coming from potty humor, quite literally.  (Okay, ancient potty humor, but still.)  At times I was cringing.  Others, I was laughing.  And they would often happen just a line or two apart, so clearly, again, this is more of a me thing than anything else. 

This is designed to be a culinary and travel themed cozy series, and it got off to a great start there.  My mouth watered at some of what they ate, and we get a delicious sounding recipe at the end.

I don’t want to dismiss Traci Andrighetti after one novella.  But I’m not quite as anxious to start this series.  I think I’ll try the first book in her other series I already have before I decide if I want to continue with her books or not.

Book Review: Europa by James Ponti (City Spies #7)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters, action, and humor well mixed 

Cons: Pacing a time or two, but never for long

The Bottom Line:

Second crack of code

Sends team racing to Paris

Another fun book

Race to Find the Target

If book six had been the end of City Spies, I would have been disappointed because I love the series, but I would have felt like the characters got a satisfying send off. Fortunately for all of us, author James Ponti wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the characters either, so everyone is back in Europa. 

If you are new to this middle grade series, it features the most secret, and the most unusual, of MI-6’s agents. It’s a team of teens. But they have been trained as spies and have proved over and over again that they are very good at their missions, going places where adults might be suspect. 

I was a little surprised when I realized this book didn’t give us any background on the characters. We got some backstory that related to the plot and some spoilers for the last book, which wrapped up a major storyline for the series to date. So if you started here, you might be a little lost. But as a fan since book one, I easily slipped back into this world, even with some changes the team has recently undergone. 

You see, the team has had to relocated from Scotland to London thanks to the events of the previous book. But that means they can get some special training from those higher up in MI-6. The first such session involves looking at a coded message the agency has recently gotten. The City Spies quickly realize that the agents who had looked for it missed one thing - the targets are in Paris. But which of the potential targets is the real one? Can the team figure it out in time?

You’ll notice that I didn’t focus on any specific character. That’s because, more so than in earlier books, this is about the team. That’s always been the case to a certain extent, but often it felt like there was one that was a little more front and center. I didn’t feel that way this time. 

Now, this isn’t to say that the characters don’t get their chances to shine. I feel like all the kids had moments to stand out and grow. That isn’t as true for the adults, but they are still good characters themselves. 

And the plot itself was good. I did feel like we got a bit too much info in data dump fashion early on, but it wasn’t long before we were back in the action. There are some fun twists and good action scenes along the way. And the ending? I really want to see what it means going forward. 

And there’s the humor, too. Yes, we are facing life and death stakes, but the characters still joke and tease each other. I smiled and laughed plenty when I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. This balance just makes me love the book even more. 

I also appreciated that the code was using Shakespeare and Renaissance painters. Most of the time, we were given some info about these things in an entertaining way. It was a nice way to introduce those subjects to kids without making them feel dry. 

I might be well beyond the target audience, but Europa entertained me from start to finish. Kids will love this book, as will anyone who wants an entertaining story. 

Check out the rest of the City Spies adventures. 

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: Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews (Irish Bed and Breakfast Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters and setting, good mystery

Cons: Uneven pacing; a couple of the subplots

The Bottom Line:

Murder on fair grounds

Summer gets murderous start

Nice return visit

Can Kate Make Her Ex an Ex-Suspect?

It’s been about a year and a half since we got the first book in Lisa Q. Matthews’s Irish Bed and Breakfast series.  I was glad we got to revisit the characters in Buried in Shamrocks.  And it’s out just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!

The first book introduced us to Kate Buckley, a single mother with two daughters.  She grew up in (and her family is still in) Shamrock, Massachusetts, which has leaned into its name and has become a town that celebrates all things Irish year round.

Summer is just starting, and Kate and her girls are returning to Shamrock for the summer.  They are going to help run the family bed and breakfast, fix it up a little, and make a decision about moving back permanently.  But they arrived just in time for the Great Shamrock Fair, which always takes place in late June.

But Kate gets a surprise this year when her ex-husband’s band shows up to play music for the festival.  Yes, Ian is with them.  And he brings along a new fiancée, Fallon.  As unsettling as that is for Kate, she is trying to make the best of it for her daughters.  But then Kate finds Fallon dead on the festival grounds.  The pressure is on to find the killer before it ruins the festival, but Kate is worried that Ian will get arrested for the crime.  Can Kate find the real killer?

The town and characters are charming.  Yes, I’d forgotten a bit of the characters and their relationships since the first book, but it wasn’t long before I felt fully back up to speed and ready to tackle this new case.

And the mystery started out well.  However, I felt that it was a bit uneven as the book went along.  Still, we had some good red herrings along the way to the logical climax.  I really enjoyed how the climax played out as well.

I also felt that a few of the subplots didn’t get the advancement I was expecting.  Yes, I get that they are series long storylines, but I still felt they were missing a little something.

As I said before, I really do like the characters.  We got some nice development to them in this book, and I liked how those relationships advanced.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, now’s the time to pick up this book.  You’ll enjoy spending more time with Kate and the rest of the characters as you get Buried in Shamrocks.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Review: The Big Boat to Bye-Bye by Ellis Weiner (Pete Ingalls, PI #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Pete and an intriguing mystery

Cons: Some humor doesn’t work; a bit too much philosophizing 

The Bottom Line:

Blackmailing puppets

Pete is searching for villains

Different but it works

Blackmail and Murder in the World of Puppets

I have some books that have been in my condo for a long time unread. In the case of The Big Boat to Bye-Bye, it’s been decades. I got the book autographed when it came out in 2005, and I never quite got around to reading it. But I decided now was the time to fix that. 

This book is a little different. And it has none of the set up in it you’d need to fully appreciate the character. It’s the second book featuring Pete Ingalls, a PI of sorts. In reality, he’s a man who had an obsession with classic noir movies. After getting hit on the head, he wakes up as Pete, certain he’s a PI. He even dresses in period costumes and uses the slang. He’s got an office in New York City, and his secretary is an actress wannabe. At this point, I don’t remember how the setup was handled in the first book (Drop Dead, My Lovely) since the story is narrated from Pete’s first-person point of view. Heck, I might even have some details wrong. 

This second mystery finds Pete getting hired by the producers of a children’s TV show. The show uses puppets, and each season they have an outtake real they show during the wrap party of the puppeteers goofing off between takes. Some of the material is very raunchy, in a way that would get the show canceled if the reel got out. And that’s exactly what might happen. Someone is blackmailing the studio, and they want Pete to find out who. But when Pete’s investigation leads him to a dead body, can he find the killer?

Quite obviously, this isn’t one of my cozies. Yes, we get more details on what I mentioned in the teaser. And there’s language as well, although it doesn’t come from Pete, who is often telling people to watch their language. So keep that in mind before picking up the book. 

There’s also the theme, which finds Pete philosophizing on multiple personalities. Sort of. It’s hard to explain. I get it in the context of the set up for the series. But it could have been tone down, especially since it often slowed down the plot. 

But when the plot was front and center, it was good. We had quite a few twists, and I was intrigued, wondering where things would wind up. The ending, when we reached it, made sense, although it was a little convoluted. 

Pete, as you might have guessed, isn’t as bright as he thinks he is. And this is the basis of much of the humor in the book. That along with people’s reactions to Pete. At times the humor worked for me. Others, it didn’t. I think it would have worked better if this had been used sparingly. 

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I’m glad I finally plucked it from my overflowing too be read mountain range. You’ll have to work to find a copy of The Big Boat to Bye-Bye today, but if the premise intrigues you, you’ll want to give both a shot. 

Book Review: The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood (Marlow Murder Club #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters in a strong puzzle with plenty of laughs

Cons: Ending is a little over the top

The Bottom Line:

Well-loved mayor dies

Who would want to poison him

Fun along the way

Who Poisoned the Mayor?

I’ve been starting the year reading books in series I’m trying to catch up on. The latest of these is The Queen of Poisons, the third Marlow Murder Club book from Robert Thorogood. As with the first two, I found it delightful. 

I’m sure it is no surprise when I say the series takes place on Marlow, England. It features three unlikely friends who have taken it upon themselves to solve the local murders. They get quite a bit of leeway from the local police in the form of recently promoted Tanika Malik. Even then, they tend to insert themselves much more than Tanika wants. 

This new case starts when Suzie Harris goes to a planning meeting. She just wants to get the lay of the land since she has a new side hustle she is going to need the board’s approval for before she can start. But, to everyone’s horror, the mayor keels over dead just as the meeting is starting. Suzie quickly calls her friends Judith Potts and Becks Starling. With Tanika’s grudging approval, the trio start trying to figure out just how the killer managed to poison the mayor. But everyone they talk to say he was a great guy. Who would want him dead?

I had to laugh at some of the inaccuracies in this book. Not only about Tanika pulling in our characters but how quickly they get forensic results. Even TV shows aren’t as fast as these results are. 

But most of what I was laughing at were the characters. I love our trio and how they interact with each other and the suspects. They truly are delightful. They each had a subplot of their own to give them some chances to shine and grow. 

The plot was very well constructed with strong suspects. I thought I had things figured out a time or two, but the ultimate solution made perfect sense. I do feel like the climax was a bit overly theatrical and a bit overly monologuing. But it did wrap up most of the questions we’d had over the course of the book. 

I’d bought the first book before we got the TV series here in the states, but I watched that first season first. As a result, I can’t help but picture how the actors portray our leads as I’m reading. It’s not normally my preference when reading, but the actresses have brought them to life so well on screen it does help the characters leap off the page as I read. 

I’ve got a couple more books to go to be up to date on the series. We will see if I can catch up this year or not. Either way, as The Queen of Poisons proves, I’m sure I’ll have fun trying. 

Enjoy the rest of the Marlow Murder Club Mysteries. 

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: Burdened Bloodline by Sarah E. Burr (Court of Mystery #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Jax and the rest of the cast lead us through another intriguing book

Cons: A bit slow to start

The Bottom Line:

Trying to go home

Caught in intrigued along way

Fans will devour book

Seeking Shelter but Finding Murder

I’ve always enjoyed mysteries, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy other genres. I just haven’t looked beyond mysteries much. So when I find a hybrid series like Sarah E. Burr’s Court of Mystery, I always enjoy getting a bit of other genres mixed in. Burdened Bloodlines, the seventh in the series, was no exception. 

These books are set in the Realm of Virtues, which is a continent made up of various duchies. Think medieval Europe or Renascence Faire type of setting. The main character is Jacqueline, Jax to her friends, the Duchess of the most powerful region of the realm. She has found herself involved in various murders as she tries to take on her new leadership role. And the books have increased in their political intrigue as the series has gone on. 

Which brings me to my next point. Do not start the series here. I cannot emphasize this point enough. With where our characters start, this book can’t help but spoil the last. Plus, that last book really kicked off a storyline I think will be important through the rest of the series. Finally, to really care about the going ons here, you need to know and love the characters already. 

Not to mention, the beginning of this book pretty much spoils the ending of the previous one since it plays into the ongoing storyline here.

But if you are up to date in this series? You’ll enjoy this one. 

As I said, this book picks up where the previous one ended. Jax, her husband Perry, and their closest friends are looking for a way to get home safely before the fallout from the last book really hits. Their best option is to go to Perry’s home duchy, where his father is the duke. But their arrival finds them feeling less than settled. Perry’s father is behaving strangely. And Perry’s oldest brother, the next in line, is less than welcoming to the reforms that Jax wants to institute across the realm. The party can’t help but wonder if they are truly safe. And that’s before they find themselves embroiled in yet another shocking murder. 

In addition to spoiling the previous book, part of the early book was wrapping up storylines for supporting players and storylines introduced there.  Honestly, I felt like that belonged in the previous book.  Couple that with the updating and rehashing of the current state of politics in the realm and the book does start a little slower than I wished. 

But once it gets going? Hold on! Yes, I saw a couple of things coming early on, but I was taken completely by surprise by several others. And I was gripped through so much of the book. There is a murder and it happens late. But I was caught up in the politics moving forward in this book, so I didn’t care it came late. 

And that comes because I love the characters so much. Jax is a strong leader, and I’m on board with her reforms. The core supporting characters are just as well drawn. We are meeting several members of Perry’s family for the first time here, and I enjoyed them and what that showed us about Perry. 

The political intrigue is strong in this series. Given the fictional universe, it feels different from our own world, so it is still an escape. There is a bit of a soap opera element slipping into the storyline as well. Do I care? I’m already trying to figure when I can read the next in the series, so obviously not. 

If the unique setting and storyline appeal to you, I highly recommend you start this series from the beginning. You’ll be hooked and devouring Burdened Bloodline before you know it. 

Check out the rest of the Court of Mystery series. 

Book Review: Something Whiskered by Miranda James (Cat is the Stacks Mysteries #17)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good (mostly new) characters

Cons: Dark premise, anti-climactic ending

The Bottom Line:

Trip to Ireland

Celebration becomes dark

Average again

Meeting the New In-Laws is Murder

I’ve struggled a bit with the last couple Cat in the Stacks Mysteries. They are just missing some of the charm from the earlier entries. Couple that with a change of location I knew was coming in this one, and I decided to wait and get Something Whiskered, the newest, from the library.

If you are new to the series, it’s a rare cozy with a male protagonist (and male author using Miranda James as a pen name). Charlie Harris is a widower living in a college town where he works part time in the library archives. He also has his family in town. Those following the series know that Charlie has recently remarried, and this book finds him and his new wife, along with Diesel, Charlie’s Maine Coon cat, taking a belated honeymoon to Ireland to spend time with some of his new relatives. 

They’ve timed their arrival at the castle Helen Louise’s family own to coincide with her uncle’s 100th birthday. However, as they arrive, her uncle, a baron, plunges to his death. Naturally, the family is devastated. There are also questions, like what was the baron doing up there since he hated heights. When the family asks Charlie to do a little poking around, he reluctantly agrees. But his investigation leads to secrets that could hurt the family. Will Charlie find out what lead to the baron’s death?

Honestly, this was a time when a cozy didn’t work outside its normal setting. I missed the rest of the regulars too much. I get it, we need new locations every so often. But so much of the charm in this series is the supporting cast. I really missed seeing them and getting updates even if it only has been two months book time since we last saw them. 

Now, this isn’t a slight on the new characters. There were quite a few I really enjoyed. Since many of them also served as suspects, I felt they did a good job of keeping me engaged and guessing in the mystery. And Charlie, Diesel, and Helen Louise were all charming. 

I have to say, the opening of this one was a bit dark. Not because of any violence, but because of how it impacted the characters. But I was able to get caught up in the plot and enjoy the twists and turns. However, the climax in this one felt a little anti-climactic. And that’s saying something for a cozy series where Charlie often tells the cops his suspicion and then later finds out what happened when they arrest the killer. (And yes, I usually love that ending for these books.) Plus, there was a major plot point that isn’t resolved from what we get here. 

I’ve developed a new pet peeve in recently months of summarized conversations. That happens here, although most of the time, these summarized worked because they were about mundane things. Heck, I felt they could have been summarized more. But we did have a couple of times things were summarized that should have been more of a scene. 

It’s a shame that this once great series seems to be dropping off. But I’ll keep hoping for a return to form. Sadly, we didn’t get it with Something Whiskered.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries. 

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo by Carrie Doyle (Trouble in Paradise! #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Plum and the characters; interesting mystery

Cons: Uneven pacing

The Bottom Line:

Murder in yacht crew

Plum goes onboard to solve it

Good series wrap up

Plum Yacht to Catch Another Killer

Three years ago, I started Carrie Doyle’s Trouble in Paradise! series. While I struggled with that first book, I decided to give it another try, and I found myself enjoying the second one more. So I dove into The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo, the third book in the series. 

The series features New York City transplant Plum Lockhart. When her magazine career folded, she wound up moving to the tropical island of Paraiso, where she is starting a vacation rental business and solving the occasional murder. This is a mystery series, after all. 

This book finds her reuniting with a friend she hasn’t seen in years. The friend is traveling with a group on an expensive yacht, and Plum finds herself on board one night catching up. But a couple of days later, one of the servants from the yacht is dead and the police are making an unusual request. Will Plum use her new connections to go on the yacht and investigate the death? Plum agrees just as the yacht takes off for their next destination. But with everyone seeming to have a motive, can she find the killer?

Yes, I know the premise would only happen in a cozy mystery. Although, if you’ve read the two earlier books, you’d know it makes a bit of sense that the police would admit they need help. Anyway, it’s a cozy mystery, so I just go along with it. 

My issue with the first book was Plum herself, who wasn’t exactly likeable. Fortunately, she’s mellowed out, and I really enjoyed my time with her. The new characters are strong, and I didn’t have any issues keeping them all straight. And we do see enough of the other regulars to get some updates on them. 

However, that caused some pacing issues near the beginning as we had to have all those scenes before Plum got on the yacht. Yes, we were getting some scenes setting up potential motives, but it still felt a little slow. Once we got on board, things really picked up, and I was hooked. There were plenty of motives to keep us guessing. The ending was a bit less than it could have been, but it did answer all my questions. 

This book came out three years ago, and it appears to be the end of the series. Sadly. I enjoyed the characters and setting, so I would have gladly gone back. But fans will be satisfied with where the characters end up.

If you need a tropical get away, give this series a chance. You’ll find The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo a nice wrap up to the three-book series. 

Book Review: Too Much Stuff by Don Bruns (Stuff Series #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun story and more mature characters

Cons: Some plot elements not quite developed well

The Bottom Line:

Lost gold in the Keys

A stronger series entry

This one’s lots of fun

Will Skip and James Find the Key to Gold?

I know I’ve been lukewarm on the Stuff Series from Don Bruns, but it had been on my radar for so long that I was determined to finish it. So I picked up Too Much Stuff, the fifth in the series. Turns out I enjoyed this one. 

The series features Skip More and James Lessor, best friends and twenty-somethings just trying to survive in Miami. James is always trying to find a way to strike it rich and get them out of their dead-end jobs. Unfortunately, those schemes seem to find them involved in deadly dangerous situations. 

The duo have recently opened their own Private Investigator business, but they’ve only had one client so far. Skip’s girlfriend, Em, brings them another. The woman claims to be the great granddaughter of a man who was in possession of a shipment of gold in 1935 right before a hurricane slammed into the Florida Keys. In the resulting chaos, the gold was lost. Even if the client is telling the truth, can the duo find it? Oh, and there’s the small matter that the last PIs hired to find the gold vanished six months ago. 

Obviously, with the treasure hunt plot, this isn’t going to be exactly like a traditional mystery, although the book does have some of those elements as well. I’ll admit, the many storylines weren’t juggled as well as they could have been, leading to a few things being rushed. But I didn’t care too much since I was having fun. 

I get that part of the hook of the series is James and Skip’s immaturity. In other books, I’ve found that pushed too far. Here, I felt like the author got it right. They were quite as much caricatures as they’ve been in the past, which made it easier to root for them. 

It also helps that Skip, who is our first-person narrator, and James, to a lesser extent, make some good deductions and follow a logical trail as the book progresses. Yes, we still get a couple of leaps, but for the most part it worked for me. 

Skip’s girlfriend, Em, is the other main character in the series. I enjoyed seeing all of their relationships in a different light here. 

Also, there was a refreshing toning down of the foul language. There is still some there, but it’s not quite as gratuitous. 

These books were originally published in the early 2010’s which explains a couple of moments that are already dated. 

I’ve got two more books in the series to go, and this makes me look forward to read them. Too Much Stuff was one of the stronger entries in the series. 

Stuff your bookshelf with the rest of The Stuff Series.

Book Review: Michelangelo’s Ghost by Gigi Pandian (Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great story and interesting characters

Cons: My hunt for cons came up empty

The Bottom Line:

Renaissance artist

With India connection

Pages keep turning

Jaya’s on the Trail of an Obscure Italian Painter

Being one to be distracted by the next shiny thing, or in this case a new release, it’s been five years since I read book three in Gigi Pandian’s Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries. During that time, I was enjoying her newest series, the Secret Staircase Mysteries. But I decided it was time to catch up on Jaya’s adventures, so I picked up Michelangelo’s Ghost, the fourth in this earlier series. 

If you aren’t familiar with the series, (or, like me, it’s been a while) Jaya Jones is a history professor in San Francisco. Her research and interest in India have led her to make some incredible discoveries of previously unknown art and treasure. While there are some references to her previous adventures, this can be read as a standalone, which is a good thing since I’d forgotten much of the earlier books. 

As this book opens, Jaya’s gotten a tantalizing email from an old mentor. Dr. Lilith Vine has found an obscure Renaissance artist she thinks was not only a protege of Michelangelo, but someone who traveled to India, incorporating that culture into his work. His name and work have been lost to history, but Jaya can’t help but be intrigued at the possibility. After a death under suspicious – at least to Jaya – circumstances, she travels to Italy in hopes of finding the man’s long-lost work. But can she find a centuries old trail?

I quickly got caught up in this story. Obviously, this isn’t a traditional murder mystery, and if you pick it up looking for that, you’ll be disappointed. But if you start this book expecting a well plotted story, you’ll be well rewarded. I was pulled further into the book as I went along and was impressed about how important information was layered into the story when I reached the end. 

I enjoyed getting to know the characters again. Jaya is given some time to reflect, which I enjoyed. The rest of the supporting players weave in and out of the book. And I’m quite interested to see what come next for them. Yes, I’m planning to read more of this series this year so I can find out. 

Of interest to fans of the Secret Stairway series, Jaya’s best friend, Sanjay, is a supporting player in that newer series. There are a couple of references to characters I’m familiar with from those books as well. Considering this book came out in 2016, and that series started in 2020, I found that quite cool. 

I also found the note at the end fascinating as Gigi separates the fact from the fiction. 

I’m glad I returned to Jaya’s world. Those searching for a fun adventure-based mystery will also be glad they picked up Michelangelo’s Ghost. 

Hunt up the rest of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries.