Book Review: May Day by Jess Lourey (Mira James #1)

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Decent mystery

Cons: Weak characters, humor doesn’t work

The Bottom Line:

Dead boyfriend’s body

Lying in the library

Wanted to like it

Wasn’t What I Was Expecting

I’ve heard about Jess Lourey’s Mira James Mysteries for years.  And they’ve been on my radar as something I thought I’d enjoy just as long.  I don’t even know how long ago I bought May Day, and I have several other entries in the series in ebook.  So, it was with anticipation that I sat down to read this book.  You can understand why I am disappointed I didn’t enjoy it more.

Mira’s life in Minneapolis is falling apart, so when a chance comes up to be an assistant librarian and part time reporter in the small town of Battle Lake, Minnesota, she jumps at the chance.  She’s not expecting her love life to be super active there, but then she meets Jeff, and it is love at first sight.  At least it is for a week until she finds his dead body in the middle of the library one morning when she goes to open it.  Worried that she is a jinx, Mira decides to figure out what happened.  The fact that she can turn it into an article for the paper is an added bonus.  Will she figure out what happened?

The book starts right out with Mira finding Jeff’s body.  So far, so good, right?  The problem is, I felt a little off balance since I really didn’t have much context to who anyone was.  The book then does one of my least favorite things – going back in time to give us the background we need to understand what has already happened.  That made me struggle with the first quarter of the book until we got back to the action.  Yes, we needed some of that background to understand what happened, but it could have been given to us better.

Once we really got into the mystery, it was interesting.  I was confused by who might have done it until Mira figured it out, and there were enough twists to keep me entertained.

The characters were more types than true characters.  There are hints to some depth, but they feel like they are there more to be humorous instead of be true characters.

And I think that was part of my problem with the novel.  Instead of being funny, I felt like it was trying hard to be funny.  And when something is saying “Look at me, I’m funny,” I often don’t find it that funny.

Furthermore, some of the humor was supposed to come from some sexual situations that Mira found herself in and her thoughts about her love life.  This is most definitely not a cozy, but I wasn’t expecting that content in the book.  Those scenes felt forced, unfunny, and very jarring to me.  Instead of being funny, they were raunchy, and I didn’t appreciate them.

The book originally came out in 2006, so some of the technology is dated.  Keep that in mind if you pick up the book, and you’ll be fine.

I wish I had liked May Day more.  I’d be more tempted to give the series a second shot if I had the second book already, but since the books I have are later in the series, I may just move on.

TV Show Review: Murder, She Wrote - Season 5

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: More fun mysteries with Jessica

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

New sheriff in town

Jessica still solving crimes

Abroad and at home

“I've Been Here One Year, This Is My Fifth Murder! What Is This, the Murder Capital of Maine?  Now Perfect Strangers are Coming to Cabot Cove to Die."

Murder, She Wrote is a perfect example of the way TV shows used to be.  Each week, we’d spend time with a character or characters we love, and each week was a new adventure.  But very little changed for the characters from one week to the next.  I can only think of two times that Jessica’s world changed over the course of the twelves seasons the show ran, and season 5 was one of them.

If you are new to the show, it features bestselling mystery author Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury).  Everywhere she goes, she seems to stumble into a murder mystery.  She travels quite a bit either researching or promoting her books or visiting family and friends, and those trips give her ample opportunity to encounter murders.  She can’t even get away from it in Cabot Cove, her hometown in Maine, which isn’t as idyllic as it might seem.

The change I mentioned?  This is the first season that Ron Masak recurs as Mort Metzger, the new sheriff in Cabot Cove.  He is very resistant to Jessica’s help in the murders that occur in town this season before becoming more open to her help in later seasons.  I always appreciated Mort more as a sheriff because he was competent unlike Amos Tupper, who was obviously supposed to just be comic relief.

So, just what kind of cases does Jessica solve this season?  She finds herself in jail in San Francisco after running into her friend Michael Hagarty at the airport.  When she is snowed in at a ski lodge with the US skiing team, she has to figure out who is trying to kill them.  Jessica tries to figure out what happened years ago when her late husband Frank is accused of a murder that happened back when he was in the air force.  We get the first appearance of Keith Michell as Dennis Stanton, here a gentleman thief who will become an insurance investigator in later seasons.  Jessica’ nephew Grady gets married, but first Jessica has to figure out why his in-law’s housekeeper was killed.  A trip to Montana to help with the final book by a famous author ends in murder.

And what about Cabot Cove?  We get five mysteries set there this season.  The first, with some major Arsenic and Old Lace vibes, involves strangers coming to town asking about a man who just moved there a year ago.  Scandal seems to be the theme of three of the episodes as a divorcing and philandering husband is killed, a 300 year-old-witch returns to town, and a book filled with gossip about the members of the town leads to murder.  Finally, in the two-hour season finale, a rival mystery writer comes to town and tries to steal Jessica’s thunder in solving a murder.

As I’m rewatching the show, I’m keeping track of the episodes set in Cabot Cove, trying to prove it isn’t quite as deadly as everyone makes it out to be.  Jessica still travels so much of the time.  Of the 21 murders Jessica solved this season, 5 took place in Cabot Cove, so just under a quarter.  Of those, two involves people from outside of town and three involved residents of the community.  Our totals after five seasons are 107 murders solved, twenty and a half having taken place in Cabot Cove.  Of those, twelve have involved residents and eight and a half have involved people from out of town.  Okay, so Cabot Cove is deadly, but there is plenty of murder taking place outside of town, too.

And yes, even though I still maintain that Cabot Cove isn't as deadly as it's reputation, I do love the quote from Mort I used as the title.  Always gets a laugh from me.

I was surprised that I didn’t really remember many episodes from this season.  Well, there were episodes where I’d remember the set up, but I couldn’t remember who done it.  And yes, I still get fooled quite a bit.  Jessica is just too observant, and I often miss the clue or what it means.  But that’s the fun of the show.

As always, Angela Lansbury shines.  She is kind, tough, and charming – somethings all in the same scene.  The show was popular because we love her and want to spend time with her.  I’d say we want to be friends with her, but considering how many of her friends have murder impact their lives, I’m not sure I’d really want to be friends with her in real life.

We can see that the show is trying to change up the formula to give Angela Lansbury a less demanding schedule.  There are more scenes without Jessica in them, especially early in the episodes.  Don’t worry, she is still in every episode this season, and she is still heavily involved in each episode.

Being a mystery show with the main character on the road, we have very little in the way of other characters.  That means we have an impressive roster of guest stars each episode.  I’ll admit, I don’t always know who they are since my knowledge of old Hollywood is limited, but I always have fun looking for stars I recognize.  This season, we get appearances from John Rhys-Davies, Barbara Bain, Megan Mullally, Jared Rushton, Betsy Palmer, Stanley Kamel, Brad Dourif, Bill Maher, Dinah Shore, Mike Connors, and Jean Simmons along with many others I didn’t recognize.

Murder, She Wrote is still going strong in season 5.  If you are a fan of the show, it’s always great to revisit.  If you enjoy fun, light mysteries and haven’t watched this show yet, you need to fix that right away.

Book Review: Framed and Frosted by Kim Davis (Cupcake Catering Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters, mystery, fun setting

Cons: Climax a bit abrupt

The Bottom Line:

Party on the 4th

Ends in another murder

A great third entry

Murder Causes Fireworks

After reading the first two books in Kim Davis’s Cupcake Catering’s Mysteries, I was very anxious to find out what would happen next to the characters, so I was thrilled when I found out that Framed and Frosted was about to come out.  Fans of the series will be as thrilled as I was with it.

Emory Martinez is once again working with her sister, Carrie, helping to cater an elaborate Blanc themed Fourth of July diner party.  However, it isn’t going well, especially by demanding Orange County client standards.  Most of the problems are coming from the host, Mr. Jorgensen, who is being a racist, sexist jerk at every turn.  If Carrie didn’t need this job to try to revive her business, Emory would have quit, and Carrie would have backed her up.

The evening is supposed to end with some of Emory’s cupcakes and champaign during the fireworks, but instead it ends with Mr. Jorgensen dropping dead after taking a cupcake from the tray that Sal, Carrie’s new server, is holding.  Sal has been the brunt of Mr. Jorgensen’s behavior several times over the course of the evening, and all the guests are ready to believe that Sal killed the host.  But Emory doesn’t buy it, and she begins her own investigation into what happened.  Can she clear Sal?

Before we go any further, I want to issue one of my spoiler warnings.  No, I’m not about to spoil what happens in this book, but this book spoils events from the first two books in the series, particularly book two.  If you are a fan of the series, you get why.  There are some interesting things going on in Emory’s life, and if this book didn’t give us the next development there, we’d be disappointed.  Know that going into the book, and you’ll be fine.

There are actually several interesting developments in Emory’s life overall in this book.  I called one of the revelations early, but I enjoyed watching the rest of them play out.  They gave us a chance to get to know Emory better and several other characters grew as a result.  Speaking of development, I am really enjoying Emory’s relationship with her mother these days.

And the mystery itself?  It is solid.  It unfolds in some unusual ways, and it kept me engaged the entire time.  The climax was a bit abrupt, but it worked and all my questions were answered.

One thing I love about this series is that it is set in Orange County, California.  It’s not the typical small-town setting of books I read, and I enjoy dreaming about living Emory’s life among the rich.  Well, she can have the murders.

Of course, there are recipes at the end of this book.  By my count, we get ten recipes, and only three of them are cupcakes.  The rest are inspired by the fateful dinner that starts the book.

If you’ve enjoyed the first two books in this series, you’ll be happy with Framed and Frosted.  And if you’ve missed these books so far, you’re in for a delicious treat.

Enjoy the rest of the Cupcake Catering Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

I’m reviewing this book as part of a Great Escapes Book Tour.  I hope you’ll stop by here to find the rest of the stops.

Disney Pin Review: Stitch Crashes The Little Mermaid - Stitch Crashes Disney #4 - 2021 Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Stitch plays Ariel well

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

An alien swims

As Stitch becomes Ariel

Good transformation

From Space to Under the Sea

I had hoped that Disney had things figured out for the distribution of their Stitch Crashes Disney series.  While it hasn’t proved to be as popular as last year’s Minnie Mouse series was, it has had a very erratic release schedule, just like that series did last year.  So I might be skipping around as I review these pins.  For example, I’m reviewing the fourth one out of order.  That means, it is time to go under the sea as Stitch takes on Ariel.

Stitch is definitely in the ocean for this pin.  He’s blue, pretty close to his original color.  Part of him is a light blue, and part has a pattern of stars and shapes on him.  He’s just a star flower in his hair like Ariel does at one point, although it is backwards from where Ariel wears it in the movie.  That’s because of how Stitch is seated and looking out at us.  If the flower were where it should be, it would cover his eye.

Once again, the card the pin comes on helps set the scene.  We can see some of the rocks that Ariel sat on at one point in the movie.  Even though you’d recognize Stitch without it, the background really does help complete the picture.

I definitely like this pin better than the Lady and the Tramp pin, the last one I reviewed.  It helps that Stitch looks a bit more like himself color wise, and the pattern isn’t overwhelming.

As a reminder, these are large pins, which helps explain the $24.95 original selling price.  I like them for the creativity they are showing, but they aren’t quite as popular as Disney expected them to be.

But I’m glad I’ve added Stitch as The Little Mermaid to my collection.  This is a cool pin to enjoy on dry land.

June 26th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Legends of Tomorrow – Sara’s back!  I’m so thankful that the planet storyline is over.  Yes, I know we are still hunting aliens, but I’m glad that part is behind us.  I meant to go back and double check what happened to the alien woman character.  I’m guessing they left her behind?  If so, that stinks since she came back for everyone.  I’m assuming she died saving them from the aliens.  (Yes, I was watching while doing other stuff, which is my default.)

Batwoman – So much I liked about the episode.  The parole officer seeing the truth in what Ryan was saying (granted, it took men trying to kill her, but still, I’ve seen shows where they still wouldn’t get it).  The others apologizing to Ryan and her accepting it quickly.  And they trying to tell Ryan that she has made Batwoman her own.  Yes, I actually enjoyed scenes that didn’t involve Alice for a change.

American Ninja Warrior – Well, I’m bummed.  I love Grant and Nick, and I’m sorry to see them both leave so early.  I’m still so impressed with the teens who are on the show this season.  They are so emotional, too.  They are happy to be there; they want it.  They’ve worked for it for years, and it shows.  I think it’s the years of training that really are helping them and making them go further than I was initially expecting.  They’ve been taking this seriously, and it is paying off.  I mean, a sixteen-year-old topping the mega wall?  Very impressive!

Lego Masters – And that’s why I’m not on the show.  Not only could I not build something out of Legos like that, but designing a hat?  My hat is off to them (pun always intended) for what they were able to build.  Yes, even the teams who were in the bottom two.  I wasn’t attached to the team that was eliminated, but they did seem nice.  Honestly, I’m still rooting for all the teams, which I like.  It’s nice to have a competition show where you want every team to win.

The Flash – I always wonder when Barry isn’t in an episode why that is.  There’s no crossover to prepare for, so that can’t be it.  Iris wasn’t in it at all, but it seems like everyone is taking some episodes off this season.  Maybe that’s all this was.  But I’m not complaining since it allowed the newer characters to shine.  Obviously, there is some history there I would recognize if I went back and rewatched the earlier seasons.  I wish I remember them better.  Still, it was a good episode with some interesting development in both stories.

Superman and Lois – They are leaving us THERE?  For THREE WEEKS?  I believe that is the definition of cruel and unusual punishment.  This episode cemented for me what I have been feeling all along – these relationships are wonderful!  Lois and Clark.  Even Kyle and Lois this week.  And, of course, Lois and Lana.  They are making these characters and their relationships so strong.  I hope that continues.  And yes, I did like the look back at their version of the more familiar Superman and Lois story.  Nicely done to get the flashbacks like that.

Loki – Again, I’m just not connecting with this series.  It feels long and drawn out.  Like, what was the point of this episode.  Since I clearly enjoy other episodic stories and shows, why are these Marvel shows such a struggle for me.  I feel like this week was pointless.  Yes, I am curious how they are going to get out of that cliffhanger, but we all know they will, so what was the point of the episode?

Press Your Luck – What a difference from last week.  Lots of Whammies still, but lots of money and prizes given away.

Card Sharks – It’s really back!  I was disappointed when it got bumped last week.  That first round was crazy.  It was over as soon as it started.  The second round was a blowout as well, but at least there were a few rounds before they had a winner.

United States of Al – I think part of the reason I don’t find the show super funny is that they tackle some serious subjects.  Okay, so the “jokes” are mostly expected.  I hope they can up the comedy factor in season 2, but I’m willing to stick with it because I’ve really grown to like the characters, something I didn’t think I’d say in the first few episodes when I almost gave up.

Holey Moley – That winner was fierce!  She was the first to get past the corn and the joust.  Okay, so we aren’t that far into the season, but I was still very impressed.  Heck, she almost got past the fish, too.  But did you see the breath coming out at one point.  They fill this during the winter, and it is way too cold to be that wet.  No thanks.

Movie Review: Luca

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters, plots, animation, pretty much everything

Cons: “Silenzio Bruno!”

The Bottom Line:

Curious Luca

A creative adventure

Sure to entertain

Touching Story of Unlikely Friendships

I’ve got to admit, I wasn’t that intrigued by the original artwork we were seeing for Luca.  But, since it was a Pixar movie, I knew I’d see it at some point.  Then came the first trailer, and I was hooked.  It looked like it could be another classic Pixar movie, so I couldn’t wait to watch it.

This movie tells the story of Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay).  He just happens to be a sea creature, who spends his days tending his family’s flock of fish.  Despite warnings from his family, he dreams of life above the surface and is fascinated by the human monsters.  (That’s us.)

His life changes when he meets Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer).  Alberto is another kid about his age, but he lives part of the time above land, where both of them are able to appear like the human monsters when they are dry.  Alberto lives on an island, and he and Luca quickly bond over dreams of getting a Vespa and traveling the world.  Their only hope of actually doing that, however, is venturing into the human village on the mainland.  That’s when they meet Giulia (Emma Berman) and learn about an Italian triathlon that might give them the prize money they need to buy a Vespa.  Will they be able to win?  Or will Luca’s parents find him first?

I will start by getting the one thing that bothered me out of the way.  Luca disobeys his parents and runs away from home and it is essentially what starts him on this adventure.  It’s nothing new in a kid’s film, and I get that there is a need to give the kids a chance to star in the story.  Additionally, Luca’s father seems pretty clueless much of the time.  I’m noting these things only in passing, however.

Because, on the whole, I loved this movie.  As you’ve probably noticed from my teaser, this has some bits that are classic Pixar.  You know what I mean, those things that you would never have thought of, but fit perfectly in the world they are creating, like the way Luca’s life under the sea works and mirrors our own.  It’s those little things that make a Pixar movie so special.

And the animation is beautiful.  Yes, the main characters are stylized, but the setting is richly detailed.  There are some shots that show off just what animation can do.  Not every shot is that way, but the ones we get are gorgeous.

Of course, a movie is really only as good as the story.  Here, again, the movie shines.  There are several conflicts that run through the movie, and that always keeps us engaged.  I loved how those conflicts came together for a spectacular ending.

But it is the friendships among the main characters that are the heart of the film.  They are what make the climax perfect.  It couldn’t have ended any other way and been as satisfying.  I might have teared up as I watched it.

Not that the film is all emotional.  There are plenty of laughs along the way as well.  We’ve got funny lines and sight gags, so the usual for a Pixar movie.

The voice cast is wonderful.  I’m not familiar with them, but that just allowed me to get fully engrossed in the story that much faster.

I already can’t wait to watch Luca again.  This is a movie destined to be another Pixar classic.  Don’t wait to enjoy it.

Book Review: S'more Murders by Maya Corrigan (Five-Ingredient Mysteries #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Val, twisty plot

Cons: Rushed feeling ending

The Bottom Line:

Recreated meal

Man overboard ends evening

Enjoyable book

Val is on a Collision Course with Murder

I’ve got to admit, I don’t quite understand the fascination with the Titanic.  It’s a tragedy, and thinking about it depresses me.  But I know there are people obsessed with it, and one of them helps create a great set up for S’more Murders.

Val Deniston has gotten another client for her fledgling catering business.  Otto Warbeck wants her to recreate the full ten course meal that the first-class guests were served the final night on the Titanic.  And he’s planning for this dinner party to be served on his yacht.  Val knows it will be lots of work, but when Otto keeps offering more money, she eventually agrees.

When the guests arrive the night of the event, Val realizes that not all is as it seems.  Several of the attendees seem to hardly know each other.  A fight breaks out before the first course is even served.  But disaster hits half way through the evening when Otto disappears off the yacht.  Was it a tragic accident?  Or was it murder?

Before we get any further, I do want to talk about the title.  Yes, the main dinner that Val is preparing is Titanic themed.  No, they didn’t serve S’mores on the Titanic.  Yes, the title does make sense once you’ve started the book.  That’s all I am going to say about it.  Well, I will also say that, being the punny guy that I am, I absolutely loved that title, especially for a fifth book in the series.

The mystery is good.  The book takes about the right amount of time for the set up – giving us initial impressions of the suspects and introducing possible motives – before Otto disappears.  There are some good twists along the way, as well.  I do feel like the ending was a little fast, but those final clues couldn’t have been planted earlier in the book since they are what lead to the logical climax.  Well, mostly logical.  When I was thinking about the book after I set it down, I did have one question about what happened, but it was minor and could be something I missed.

The characters are good.  Val, her grandfather, Bethany, and Gunner are the main recurring characters.  Other characters we’ve met before make cameos, but it was nice to get to spend more time with the core characters and the suspects.

As we’ve come to expect with this series, there are some five-ingredient recipes at the end of the book.  This time around, we get six of them inspired by the food talked about in the book.  And yes, that includes a classic S’more and a savory S’more that sounds intriguing.

S’more Murders is a fun addition to this series.  Fans will be happy to find out what Val and her family and friends are up to here.

Indulge in the rest of the Five-Ingredient Mysteries.

Movie Review: To Catch a Spy

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery and characters

Cons: Some threads introduced and went nowhere

The Bottom Line:

A trip to Malta

International myst’ry

Hope to revisit

“Remember When You Said ‘I Owed You One?’”  “Am I Going to Regret That?”

As soon as I started seeing previews for Hallmark’s new mystery movie, To Catch a Spy, I started to get excited.  It looked like something fun and different, and I was really hoping it would deliver.  I’m happy to say that it did.

Chloe Day (Nathalie Kelley) is a travel writer for Destination Traveler Magazine, and she and three of her co-workers have been offered a chance to cover the reopening of Hotel Optima in Malta.  Chloe’s friend Elias (Sean Buhagiar) has been renovating it for his family.  She’s looking forward to a few days learning about the hotel and other areas of interest for articles for the magazine.

Her first night there, Chloe is having a hard time sleeping, especially since she is hearing a fight in another room via the air duct.  Then, she sees someone falling past her hotel room window.  She immediately goes to get help, enlisting a fellow guest she met earlier.  That guest turns out to be FBI agent Aaron Maxwell (Colin Donnell).  When Chloe finally gets someone to let her into the area where the body fell, there’s no body.  With no one but Aaron taking her seriously, Chloe tries to figure out what is going on.  Can she solve the mystery?

This mystery was everything the ads I’d seen promised it would be.  It isn’t long before we figure out who the victim must be, but that only drives Chloe even harder to make sure justice is done.  With the FBI involved, this case takes on high stakes, which made it even more compelling.  And everything is wrapped up satisfactorily at the end as we get a suspenseful climax.

Since this is the first movie with any of these characters, it does need to set up everyone and their relationships.  I felt it did a good job of that without slowing things down.  I really liked Chloe, Aaron, and their co-workers, although the two of them were the main focus of the movie.

I was expecting a romance between our two leads, but it was hardly hinted at, even by Hallmark mystery movie standards.  If there are additional movies in the franchise, this will be a very slow burn romance.

I haven’t heard anything yet about this being a potential franchise, but I hope it is.  I could see problems getting Chloe and Aaron in the same locations regularly, but I think there is potential for some great stories with these characters.  There were some potential threads introduced in this movie that were just dropped, so I’m hoping those are things that will be explored in future movies as well.

This movie had a bit more of the Hallmark cheese than some of the new ones we’ve seen recently.  I’m sure the actors were still feeling out their characters, although some of the issues were from the writing as well.  It’s a minor issue for me or I wouldn’t keep watching Hallmark movies.

If you missed To Catch a Spy, be sure you catch it when it airs again.  Even if this doesn’t become a new franchise, it is a fun addition to Hallmark’s mystery movies.  But I really do hope we get to visit these characters again soon.

Book Review: A Distant Grave by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Maggie D'Arcy #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, compelling mystery, great writing

Cons: All cons buried in a distant grave

The Bottom Line:

Dual locations

Work in well plotted story

I couldn’t put down

Maggie Faces a Case that Crosses the Ocean

Last year, I was delighted to read a new book by Sarah Stewart Taylor.  The only question that book left me with was where she was going to go with her new heroine, Maggie D’arcy.  I got my answer in A Distant Grave, and it was another winner.

Maggie is a homicide detective on Long Island.  Her latest case involves a man on one of the beaches.  He’s been shot and robbed, making identifying him the first priority.  It is looking like a random homicide, which are always difficult to solve, when Maggie gets an ID.  The man is an Irish national.  Maggie begins to wonder why the victim was on Long Island in the middle of February.  With a trip to Ireland already planned to visit her boyfriend, Conor, Maggie decides to do a little digging.  Will she uncover a motive for murder across the Atlantic?

My biggest question when I picked up this book was how we were going to get a crime that allowed Maggie to be involved in solving it from home and in Ireland.  The set up was genius, and yes, there are important clues that Maggie has to uncover in both locations.

In fact, the way the book unfolded was wonderful from beginning to end.  The clues kept the story moving forward, sometimes leading us in the right direction and other times leading us, and Maggie, in the wrong direction.

Since I read the first book when it came out last year, I was fuzzy on some of the details how that ended.  This book did a good job of reminding us enough that we could reconnect with the characters.  But that also comes with a spoiler warning.  If you haven’t read the first book yet, this one will spoil some key events of that story.  It is best to read them in order.

The characters growth here is wonderful and builds on the previous book.  Maggie and her daughter, especially, are dealing directly with the changes in their lives, and I appreciated that.  It was fun to see some of the other characters back from the first book as well.  And the new characters were just as strong.  I will say that some of what is going on in Maggie’s life was fairly predictable, and yet it was still compelling.

Yes, as I have hinted at before, this book is darker than the cozies I would normally read.  It’s more of a traditional mystery with a tad more violence and language than you’d expect in a cozy as well as the darker tone.  But if this intrigues you, you’ll be glad you picked it up.  These elements are sprinkled in judiciously to realistically tell and story and never overbearing.

One thing that makes this book so great is the atmospheric writing.  It brings the world to life, fully immersing us in the story, without slowing it down.  The majority of the story is told from Maggie’s first-person present point of view with the occasional part told in third-person past tense.  But it is always easy to tell when we are switching.

Just how into this book did I get?  It’s longer than the books I typically read, and I tried to factor that in when I figured out how long it would take me to read it.  But I got so drawn in I finished it faster than I’d planned.  The closer we got to the climax, the harder it was to put down.

A Distant Grave is an excellent second mystery.  I suspect I know where the series is going from here, and I can’t wait to find out if I am right or not.

Enjoy the rest of the Maggie D'Arcy Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Disney Pin Review: National Selfie Day - Celebrate Today #6 - 2020 Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Cute pin with Mickey and Minnie

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Taking a picture

To celebrate a selfie

Mickey, Minnie, cute

Say Cheese!

I’m not sure how long we’ve had these different national celebrations for every day, but I’m sure some are older than others.  One I’d bet is a more recent invention is National Selfie Day.  After all, selfie’s haven’t been around that long.  It is also the day Disney chose to highlight for June’s entry in the Celebrate Today pin series.

National Selfie Day comes around every June 21^st, and it is celebrated by taking a selfie and posting it on social media.  Mickey and Minnie are showing us how it is done.  They are standing close together.  Minnie has her arms around Mickey, and Mickey has his arm out with his phone in it.  They are both smiling as they look at the camera.  Mickey’s camera has a black case with a Mickey head on it, naturally.  The pin itself is square with black in the corners like how an old-fashioned photo would be held in a picture album.  I know, we’re really talking old school here.  In the bottom right corner is the silver square with June 21 written on it.  National Selfie Day is written in red in the upper left corner.

I must admit, I’m not that big on selfies.  I’m okay when others take them, but I don’t do it much myself.  Maybe it’s because my arm doesn’t seem quite long enough to take them well.  Or maybe I’m just too critical of my own.

However, I get why Disney would choose to highlight this day.  How many people take tons of selfies at Disney parks?  This is another very natural fit.

And the pin itself is great.  Mickey and Minnie look so cute together.  I do find the references to older pictures funny, but it’s a charming addition to the pin.

If I hadn’t decided to collect this series, I don’t know that I would have bought it, but it is charming.  I’m glad I’ve added the National Selfie Day pin to my collection.