Happy May! I'm kicking off the month with my April reading summary. I didn't get
the index updated this month, unfortunately. Too much else going on this last weekend.
The links will take you to my full reviews. All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).
Whale Done by Stuart Gibbs (FunJungle #8) – 3
Teddy Fitzroy is on vacation again, this time in Malibu with
his girlfriend, Summer McCracken, and Summer’s mother. They are visiting a friend of Mrs. McCracken
who lives right on the beach in Southern California. Unfortunately, the beach stinks right now
since a whale has beached itself and died.
The head veterinarian from FunJungle is there as well, as he is planning
to assist his friend who works for NOAA on the autopsy to find out exactly what
happened to the whale, but before they can do that, the whale explodes. Obviously, someone is trying to hide
something. Can Teddy figure out what is
really happening?
Since the last book was also set away from FunJungle, I was
disappointed we didn’t get to spend much time at the park again here. I did enjoy the LA setting since I live here,
but it didn’t completely make up for missing the park and regular
characters. The plot spends time
speculating on why the whale died and why someone who want to hide their
involvement, which turns into several lectures on how humans are destroying
oceans. Yes, this is an important topic,
but it took over and slowed down the story at times. On the other hand, Teddy once again makes
some logical connections with great clues that figure things out in the
end. The characters we meet along the
way are fun, and I liked the development we got for Teddy and Summer. If you are new to the series, I suggest you
start with an earlier book. Fans will
still enjoy this one.
Digging Up Daisy by Sherry Lynn (Mainely
Murder Mysteries #1) – 3
Kinsley Clark is hard at work with her landscaping company,
SeaScapes, trying to get ready for the upcoming Walk Inns event at several bed
and breakfasts in the area, including the one her aunt owns. As she’s digging in the dirt outside her
aunt’s inn, she discovers a shoe buried in the dirt. She immediately recognizes the shoe as the
one on the local news connected to the murder that took place the day
before. How did it come to be in her
aunt’s garden?
I really did like the premise of this mystery, so I went in
hoping to enjoy the book. I did struggle
through the first chapter, which gave us lots of backstory for Kinsley. Fortunately, it ended with the discovery of the
shoe, and things picked up with several interesting suspects, clues, and red
herrings. Unfortunately, when we reached
the ending, not all the clues were accounted for. I think I can make some of them make sense,
but I’m not sure they do. It’s a shame
the plot turned out to be weak since I did like the characters and the setting. In the way of extras, we get some gardening
tips and a couple of recipes. The
characters and the setting are definitely a draw. If only the plot were better.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry (By the Book
Mysteries #2) – 5
Tess Harrow has decided to turn her grandfather’s old
hardware store into a bookstore, which requires quite a bit of work. Unfortunately, that work uncovers two sets of
bones – both from women who had disappeared from town without a trace years ago
and years apart from each other. Worried
that her late grandfather will become convicted in public opinion if not by the
law, she starts looking into the case.
But can Tess figure out what really happened?
Honestly, my teaser just scratches the surface of what is
going on in this twisty book. There were
some creative surprises, yet everything came together for a logical
climax. There was one plot point that
felt a little out there to me, but it was minor. And that’s saying something, too, since this
is a wacky book with plenty of laughs along the way. I do appreciate the subtle change in tone as
we get closer to reaching the climax.
The characters, while a bit wacky as well, are still grounded enough to
make us care about the outcome. If you are
looking for something twisty and fun, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
The Truth We Hide by Liz Milliron (Homefront
Mysteries #4) – 5
It’s May 1943, and
Betty Ahern has quit her job at Bell Aircraft to pursue her dream of becoming a
private investigator.
She’s still
studying for her license, but she’s been hired by Edward Kettle to find out who
got him fired from his job at American Shipbuilding.
Supposedly, he leaked secrets to a reporter,
but he claims he is innocent.
Then, the
next morning, Betty learns that Edward was murdered during the night.
It’s only then that Betty learns Edward was a
homosexual.
Was that the motive for his
murder?
Or was it something else?
The series has taken a step away from the initial premise,
but it is a natural step thanks to the growth we’ve been seeing in Betty. And I also appreciate how it allows Betty to
focus on the case, which keeps the pacing strong. There are plenty of suspects who could have
done it. I figured it out, but only a
few pages before Betty made the same deduction I did. I did miss the supporting characters, who
take a back seat here, but Betty is still a great main character, and the
suspects are good. I was worried that
this book was going to turn into a lecture, but I didn’t find any anachronistic
attitudes when it comes to Edward. We do
see plenty of negative attitudes, but they are treated as they should be
without feeling out of character for our heroes or the time. There are a couple of interesting threads
introduced here, and I can’t wait to see if they are continued in future
books. As always, the period came fully
to life as I read. If you are looking
for a strong historical series, be sure to pick this one up. If you are new to the series, you are in for
a treat.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks (Quilting
Mysteries #7) – 4
Martha Rose’s efforts on her first granddaughter’s quilt is
interrupted by her neighbor Sonia’s new foster daughter, Poppy. Poppy thinks something is wrong with Sonia,
and Martha quickly confirms it. While
Sonia recovers in the hospital, Martha gets to know Poppy better, and learns
that Poppy’s parents were both killed a few months ago and the killer hasn’t
been caught. Martha tries to get someone
from Poppy’s family to give her a permanent home, but she also begins to wonder
if Poppy knows more about her parents’ death than she realizes. Might she be in danger?
This is a unique premise for a mystery, and I enjoyed seeing
how it unfolded. There was plenty going
on here, and it kept me engaged the entire way through. Unfortunately, there is a pretty big why that
is never explained, and another aspect of the ending felt a little needlessly
harsh to me. It was great to see all the
characters again and find out exactly what is going on with them, and the new
characters were interesting as well.
Fans new and old will be kept turning pages with delight until they
reach the end.
Cheddar Late Than Dead by Linda Reilly
(Grilled Cheese Mysteries #3) – 5
Carly Hale is surprised when Dawn and Klarissa walk into her
restaurant. While she knew them in
school, she hasn’t seen them since she’s been back in Balsam Dell,
Vermont. The chance encounter winds up
with Carly catering Klarissa’s wedding shower.
But the day of the shower is filled with more tension than Carly
expected. Things only get worse when the
groom crashes the party. A little while
later, Carly finds him at the bottom of the stairs, dead. Who would want to kill him?
This book starts off quickly, introducing us to suspects and
conflict before the murder happens, then gives us some great twists that kept
me reading. The climax logically
resolves things, although I did have a couple of small niggles with the ending. It was great to see the characters again, and
I like how their relationships are growing.
There are some great new characters, including strong suspects. Meanwhile, the book introduces us to grilled
cheese donuts, including a recipe in the back.
If you are hungry for a fun cozy, pick this one up.
Curds of Prey by Korina Moss (Cheese Shop
Mysteries #3) – 5
The wedding of Summer Harrington, daughter of the richest
family in Yarrow Glen, and Nelson Trumbull, the nephew of the town’s mayor, is
fast approaching. Willa Bauer is
thrilled that several local businesses are involved in the shower, including
Curds & Whey. Willa is busy setting
up the cheese bar she will be offering, but it gives her a front row seat to a
fight between the supposedly happy couple that leads Summer to call off the shower. However, things take a turn when Willa finds
Nelson stabbed to death in the stable a little while later. Unfortunately, Willa’s almost boyfriend,
Roman, looks to be the prime suspects.
Can Willa prove Roman is innocent?
It was wonderful to be visiting Willa and the rest of her
friends again. I like how a sub-plot
brought in events from the previous book, making it seems like these are real
people and not just characters. I’m
interested in seeing where some of the storylines go from here. The plot starts quickly, and Willa has some
interesting dynamics to deal with as she tries to get to the truth. The climax logically wrapped everything up
and kept me turning pages. If you are
left craving cheese, you’ll be interested in the three recipes at the end of
the book. This story left me hungry for
the next entry in the series.
“X” by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone #24) – 4
This book has three stories intertwined to keep PI Kinsey
Millhone busy. In the first, Kinsey and
her landlord, Henry, get a new neighbor, who seems adept at manipulating Henry
and, by extension, Kinsey. Meanwhile,
Kinsey makes an interesting discovery while digging through the papers of a
late PI for the man’s widow who is facing an IRS audit. Finally, Kinsey is asked to track down a
recent parolee by the man’s birth mother.
I’m glad I didn’t read the official plot description before
I read this book since it has major spoilers.
Instead, I let these stories unfold and interweave as they would, and I
got caught up in the book. I do think
the stakes were a little low, but I still enjoyed spending time with Kinsey and
the rest, including some appearances by recurring characters. One of the stories has a rushed ending, but
the other two stories reach satisfactory conclusions for me. Yes, this could have been a little stronger,
but I really enjoyed spending time with Kinsey in this book.
Murder in Midtown by Liz Freeland (Louise
Faulk Mysteries #2) – 5
Louise Faulk is following her desire to become a New York
City police officer by taking the entrance exam, something that is rare for
women in 1913. Taking it makes her late
for work, which is why she is the last to arrive and find the building
completely burned down. What’s more
shocking is when she learns that one of her bosses was inside. Guy rarely started before noon, if that
early, so what was he doing there already?
With time on her hands, Louise digs into what happened. Can she learn the truth?
I’m sad I waited so long to get to this book because it was
a delight. There is plenty here to keep
us guessing, with some great twists along the way. The suspects in this book were supporting
players in the first, so it was fun to see them more developed. The series regulars are all back and it was
great to spend more time with. In fact,
one of them brings a real person into the book, which I enjoyed. The world of 1913 came to life as I was
reading. I was kept guessing until I
reached the end. I need to move on to
book three sooner rather than later.
Arbor Day Can Be Deadly by Ryan Rivers (Bucket
List Mysteries #0.5) – 4
Sho is on indefinite leave from his job as a nurse. In an
effort to clear his head, he goes to visit his sister Jenny, who has just
opened a diner in Bluebonnet Hills, Texas. He’s arrived in time for the Arbor
Day festival, but he sees some strange things happening. And then he meets Levi
Blue, an actor in town trying to get an update on the construction of his fan
museum. When Levi drags Sho into the investigation, what will the two of them
uncover?
This is a prequel novella that introduces the characters and
sets up the premise of the series. Since I’ve read other stories with the
characters, I already knew part of what we learned here, but I still enjoyed
seeing everyone meet for the first time. The pacing is a little off because of
the set up, but there is plenty of story here. In fact, there’s almost too
much, but it does come to a logical climax. There’s plenty of humor and some
serious issues as well, and the two are balanced perfectly. If you are looking
for a fun, you’ll be glad you picked up this prequel.
