January 13th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

It's Friday, and today is going to be a long one at work.  So let's relax with Book Beginnings and Friday 56.

This week, I'm featuring a fun book, Murder with a Twist by Tracy Kiely.

                                                       


This is a great mystery with the added bonus of being an homage to The Thin Man.  Not that you need to have seen that movie or read the book to appreciate this one.  But I'll save that for the review on Monday.
In the mean time, here's how the book opens:

I was leaning against the bar in a hotel on 57th Street, waiting for Nigel to finish his Christmas shopping, when a woman got up from a table and came over.  She was blonde and slim, and whether you looked at her face or at her body clad in a silky blue dress, the result was a credit to money and good genes.

Now I'm going to cheat a little this week and use a quote from page 54.  That's because page 56 only has two lines on it.  And I love this exchange.  It captures the banter of the book and appeals to my sense of humor.

"How was he shot?" I asked.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess, 'with a gun,'" Nigel said.  Turning to me, he smirked.  "See?  I should totally be an equal partner in this.  I'm a natural."
"Yes, dear.  Very impressive.  However, what I meant was, did it seem like an execution or the result of a fight?"

To find out the answer to that question, you'll have to read the book.  As I mentioned earlier, my review will be up on Monday, and I hope you'll come back to see why I loved this book so much.

Have a great weekend!

Pop Goes the Murder Winner

I've just pulled the second winner of the week.  A copy of Pop Goes the Murder will soon be heading to...

...Cheryl!

I just sent you an e-mail, so please watch for it and get back to me so I can connect you with your prize.

Book Review: Nun Too Soon by Alice Loweecey (Giulia Falcone-Driscoll #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and mystery wrapped up in fun

Cons: Nun worth dwelling on

The Bottom Line:

Two weeks to solve case

Introduces me to a

Wonderful series

I Will Return to These Characters Soon

Every time I go to a mystery convention, there are the books I plan to buy there and then there are the books I wind up buying after meeting the author.  One of those from last year’s Malice Domestic was Nun Too Soon by Alice Loweecey.  The adventures of a former nun turned PI hadn’t necessarily appealed to me, but after meeting the author I knew I had to give it a try.  I’m so glad I had that change of heart because this book is wonderful.

Giulia Falcone-Driscoll already has a full plate at Driscoll Investigations when she is offered a case she can’t refuse.  It’s two weeks before the Silk Tie Killer goes on trial, and Roger Fitch, the accused, wants Giulia to find the real killer.  While the police have a good case against Roger for killing his girlfriend, it is circumstantial, and he claims he was passed out drunk when it happened.

Unable to resist an underdog, Giulia begins working on the case.  Immediately, she finds others with motive for the killing.  But Roger continues to rub her the wrong way, and the local media has already convicted him.  Is Roger just a creep?  Or is he really the killer?

First, a word about the series.  Giulia’s first three adventures were published by Midnight Ink, but this is the first one published by Henery Press.  When they took over the series, they redubbed it slightly and called this book one.  For those (like me usually) who insist on reading a series in order, it is probably worth going back to the real first of Giulia’s adventures.  There is backstory that is mentioned but never fully explained and a few relationships that obviously have some backstory as well.  However, this is a very minor issue, and it is all on me.

Because I fell hard for Giulia and the other series regulars.  I love her relationship with her husband, Frank.  Then there are her two employees, Zane and Sidney.  The relationships these characters have is just so much fun to read about, and their teasing adds a nice layer to this book.  Yes, I laughed quite a bit as I was reading along.

Of course, the book takes the mystery completely seriously.  The plot introduced enough suspects and motives that I was kept off guard until things started to come together at the end.  Giulia and I were on the same track as things came to the climax, which was exciting and completely logical.

The suspects in this book are definitely shady, and they color this book toward the soft boiled side of things away from the pure cozy of most of the books I read.  This includes the nature of the crime and bits of foul language thrown in by Roger especially.  They fit the book well and never feel gratuitous, so I am noting them only in passing.

As I mentioned, there are a number of suspects, and they are all very sharply drawn.  Some have only one scene, yet I had no trouble remembering who they were when Giulia brought them up again later.

I had such fun reading Nun Too Soon, and I can’t wait to revisit the characters.  Whether you jump in here or backtrack to the first book about Giulia, I highly recommend you meet her.

And here's how to read the Giulia Falcone-Driscoll Mysteries in order.

Movie Review: Garage Sale Mystery - The Art of Murder

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Fun, especially the sub-plots

Cons: Mystery too obvious; usual Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Body in attic

Mystery is too simple

Movie is still fun

“I’m a Police Detective and I Don’t Stumble Over as Many Dead Bodies as You.”

Of all Hallmark’s current mystery movie franchises, the Garage Sale Mysteries seem to be the most uneven.  Of course, even when a movie is only average, it is still fun to watch, which was the case with The Art of Murder, the latest in the series.

Jennifer Shannon’s (Lori Loughlin) daughter Hannah (Eva Bourne) gets her involved in the mystery this time.  Hannah and her sorority sisters from the local college are planning a garage sale as a community service project to raise money for the local animal shelter.  Even though these young women are college age, their mothers are quick to get involved and Hannah asks Jennifer to chair the mothers since she knows what she is doing.

At the first meeting of the moms, Jennifer meets Sydney, the step-mother of one of the other college women.  Sydney is nice and very enthusiastic, even going through her mother’s attic to find things that could be donated for the sale.  However, not too long into the planning, Sydney goes missing.  Jennifer is the one to find her – dead in her mother’s attic.  It looks like Sydney simply tripped and hit her head on an exposed pipe.  Yet Jennifer isn’t buying the obvious solution, and the more she learns the more certain she is that someone is getting away with murder.  Can she prove it?

Some of the movies is this series suffer from the lack of enough suspects.  I had this one nailed down as to killer and motive very early on.  Since we were supposed to be wondering who done it until the killer was revealed at the end, that’s a definite weakness.  However, I still had fun watching Jennifer track down leads and figure out exactly what was happening.

Part of that fun came from the sub-plots as well.  Jennifer’s husband Jason (Steve Bacic) is about to celebrate a milestone birthday, and he’s having a bit of a mid-life crisis as a result.  It doesn’t tie into the main mystery at all, but it is a lot of fun.  Meanwhile, Jennifer’s best friend and business partner Dani (Sarah Strange) is taking a cooking class at the local college.  It’s unique to say the least.  I never quite understood her motive for taking this class, but the sub-plot was very fun.

Of course, this comes with my usual Hallmark cheese warning.  It’s there, but it doesn’t make the movie unwatchable.  In fact, I’m getting to the point where I hardly notice it.  The regular cast members were all great, and among the new cast members, I enjoyed seeing Keegan Connor Tracy since she pops up regularly as the Blue Fairy on Once Upon a Time.

Hallmark has announced that we will get four new movies in the Garage Sale Mystery franchise in August.  I will be tuning in then for the fun, although I do hope the mysteries are strong than the one was in The Art of Murder.

This movie is part of the Garage Sale Mysteries Collection Two DVD set.

Third Time's a Crime Winner

I just drew the first winner for the month.  A copy of Third Time's a Crime will be heading to...

...Peggy!

That's right, lucky number 1 is the winner of this book.

Please do keep your eyes out for the e-mail I just sent you.

Book Review: Assault and Beret by Jenn McKinlay (Hat Shop Mysteries #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Excellent mystery filled with delightful characters

Cons: One aspect of the plot not explained

The Bottom Line:

Cousins in Paris

Tracking a missing husband

Characters delight

Hold on to Your Hat for Another Fantastic Book

After spending most of 2014 and 2015 catching up on two of Jenn McKinley’s series, I hadn’t read any of her books since April of last year.  I hadn’t realized just how much I missed her writing until I picked up Assault and Beret, the fifth Hat Shop Mystery.  I was quickly whisked right back to her delightful mix of strong characters and fun stories.

If you are just now meeting Vivian Tremont and Scarlett Parker, I don’t recommend you pop in here.  In fact, just talking about this book will spoil a few things in the on-going storylines for the characters.  But fans of the series will be thrilled with how cliffhangers from the previous two books are resolved here.

You see, cousins Vivian and Scarlett are in Paris for this book.  Vivian, a master hat maker, is there to teach a class.  Scarlett’s along for moral support, but she has another agenda.  She is there to track down Will, Vivian’s husband.  The two eloped a couple years ago, and then Vivian left him just after their honeymoon.  Now, she wants to find him to get an annulment.

Scarlett finds Will, and he is delighted at the prospect of reuniting with Vivian.  Even Vivian’s resolve to get an annulment seems to waiver when she goes to see him.  But a night out together, with Scarlett as the chaperone, ends in horror when the cousins watch Will being forced into a waiting car.  Now Scarlett has to track down Will to figure out what happened to her cousin-in-law.  Can she do it?

I seem to be running across a number of books in a row that break from the traditional cozy plot, and I absolutely love that.  The book starts out with the search for Will, and while we know that is just setting up the main plot, it is still engaging.  Once Will is kidnapped, things really picked up and we are off on another delightful romp.  Kidnapping might not be the normal crime in a cozy, but I loved that break with tradition.  Of course, as Scarlett investigates, things get more complicated and confusing.  One aspect of the plot is never explained, although it is easy to come up with a plausible explanation for everything based on what happens in the page turning climax.

Since this book is set in Paris instead of the normal London, I wasn’t sure how much of the regular cast of characters we’d see.  I’m delighted to say that they manage to find their way over to help as the case progresses.  I truly love them, and they are as entertaining as ever here.  We meet some charming new characters as well.

The romances in this series have been quite interesting, and if you’ve been reading the series, you’ll know what I mean.  Things progress nicely on that front as well, enhancing the characters without slowing down the book.

Fans of the series will be delighted with Assault and Beret.  And if you’ve missed this delightful series, pick it up today.  These characters will charm you as you enjoy the excellent mystery.

Here are the rest of the Hat Shop Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Tuesday, January 17th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 1/17.  You will have until midnight on 1/22 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 1/23.

Ornament Review: The Electric Mayhem Bus - 2016 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Fun idea and sound clip

Cons: Just a bus without the usual characters limits nostalgia value

The Bottom Line:

Electric Mayhem

Celebrated with their bus

Lesser Muppet piece

Groovy Idea but Poor Execution

As a relative newcomer to the Muppets, I have missed quite a bit of their stuff, including the initial round of Muppet movies.  I have a feeling that came into play with 2016’s Hallmark offering in their unofficial Muppet ornament series, The Electric Mayhem Bus.  I can see what they were trying to do, but it just doesn’t work.

The ornament is just what it sounds like – the bus of the band from the Muppet Show.  The bus is a deep red with lots of stuff painted all over it.  In the windows, we can see various members of the Muppets including band members Dr. Teeth, Janice, and Animal as well as Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie.

I’m not a car person, so I have very few vehicles for my tree.  Having never seen this bus before, I don’t have a connection to it like I would some other vehicles.  My guess is this bus pops up in one of the early movies.  Certainly not in any of the episodes or movies I have seen.  Without that nostalgia connection, I wasn’t grabbed by it right away.

Unfortunately, the characters in the window don’t help.  The windows are actually so small it’s hard to see them.  Furthermore, they are so dark that it doesn’t help at all.  You have to hold it and really look.

The one thing that ornament does have going for it is the sound.  Like the others in this unofficial series, we have a clip.  This one features the band playing part of “Can You Picture That?”  It’s a groovy 70’s number that is fun.  I don’t recognize it, which also leads me to believe it’s not from something I have seen.  Yet.  At some point I still intend to fill in the gaps in my Muppet viewing.  Anyway, the clip lasts about 30 seconds, and you do need two button batteries for this to work.

The wheels on this bus don’t go round and round.  Because of how they are painted, it would be fun if they did.  But the stationary wheels do provide a nice base if you want to leave this ornament out to display year round.  There is a loop for hanging the ornament on the top of the bus next to the button that starts the sound clip.  Slip a hook through it, and you’ll find that it tips slightly forward and to one side.  It’s noticeable, but not so bad that you can’t easily disguise it with tree branches.

With most of the nostalgia ornaments, you either get it or you don’t.  While I can appreciate the idea behind this one, I don’t find it as good as the other Muppet ornaments, which are helped by loving the characters even if you don’t know the exact scene they are recreating.  The others also have detail since they are sculpts of a character.  This one is just the bus.  Maybe it’d feel better if the characters weren’t so obviously a decal in the windows, but that just seems cheap to me.  It certainly isn’t as good as the others.

So if you are a diehard Muppets fan, you might appreciate The Electric Mayhem Bus.  Most of us can just pass this ornament up and hope we go back to a fun character next year.

Original Price: $19.95

Favorite Reads of 2016

It is tradition as one year ends and another begins for lists of favorites to be everywhere.  And I'm going to bow to convention here today and list my favorite reads of 2016.  Probably about the only conventional thing I do around here, right?  Of course, I will break with tradition and not list my top 10.  I can't cut things down like that.  Instead, I will list my favorites, which include 16 novels for adults and 4 for kids.  These are not ranked but in the order I read them during the year.  Links will take you to my full review.

I would also like to point out that not all of these books were published in 2016.  Most of them were, but two of them were not, and I have marked them below.  I read them for the first time in 2016, so they are showing up here.

A Disguise to Die For by Diane Vallere
I was in love with the idea for this series before I read the book.  A cozy mystery series set in a costume shop?  Sign me up!  And I wasn't at all disappointed when I actually got to read this debut.  The plot was fun, but what really got me were the characters.  They came alive in a way that is rare for a first book in a series.

Fogged Inn by Barbara Ross
I actually debated about this book for a while.  That's because I read two books in the Maine Clambake series this year, and both were excellent.  This is truly one of my favorite series.  I settle on this one because the premise was just so great - a dead body in the walk in freezer of Julia's restaurant.  But you truly can't go wrong with any book in this outstanding series.

Ripe for Murder by Carlene O'Neil
This book is actually set near where I grew up, so seeing familiar location names added to the fun.  However, the delightful characters and great mystery were what I really enjoyed.  This book features a fun twist on the locked room with a dead body and the chief suspect in the same railroad car.

Macdeath by Cindy Brown (Originally published 2015)
So I was a little behind on getting to this delightful series.  We are treated to backstage antics thanks to Ivy Meadow as she joins the cast of the Scottish play with a circus twist.  And if you think that's as strange as things are going to get, you are in for a wild ride.  Fun, quirky characters and great twists made this a fun book.

All Murders Final! by Sherry Harris
I'm not much of a garage sale guy, but I have become hooked on this series with a garage sale theme.  It helps that Sarah Winston is such a great main character, and I enjoy the rest of the cast just as much.  The plot here involves a virtual garage sale site and a virtual stalker.

Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz
And now for something completely different....  This is the only non-cozy on my list.  I've actually been reading Gregg's books for years, and I really enjoy him when I'm looking for a thriller.  This is the start of a new series.  The character is a bit on the superhuman side, but that's part of the fun.  A delight from start to finish.

A Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson
This book combines a great mystery with secrets in the main character's past.  Yet it combines the two seamlessly into a book that has added depth to it as a result.  And all this from the first in a new series.  I was sorry to see this one end.

Grilled for Murder by Maddie Day
This is the second book in the series, and it was just as charming as the first.  I love the setting, a country restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch and sells kitchen gadgets as well.  The small Indiana town is nice, and the characters are delightful.  Oh yeah, and the mystery is strong as well.

Terror in Taffeta by Marla Cooper
I knew this book was something special by the time I'd finished the first chapter, and the rest of the book didn't disappoint me at all.  This book has a fantastic setting, destination wedding in Mexico, strong characters, and a twisty mystery.  Throw in a healthy dose of comedy, and you have a good where the pages fly by.

Murder Has Nine Lives by Laura Levine
This series has been a favorite since I first discovered it with the very first book.  Jaine and her cat Prozac are as delightful as always here in a plot that involves Prozac becoming a TV star (maybe) and murder of a human by poisoned cat food.  Along the way we get lots of laughs as always.

Artifact by Gigi Pandian (Originally published 2013)
I love it when cozy mysteries manage to add something extra to the series, and this book adds in the fun of treasure hunts along with the mystery.  The plot takes us from San Francisco to Scotland in a ride you won't want to put down.  I've got three more books in the series I haven't read yet, and I need to fix that soon.

Death of a Toy Soldier by Barbara Early
This is another book that I was excited about as soon as I heard the hook - vintage toy shop.  I mean, seriously, how does that not bring a smile to your face?  That smile stayed in place for the entire book as we met this delightful cast of characters and went on a mystery filled with twists.  This is a debut with lots of promise for a long running favorite series.

Permanent Sunset by C. Michele Dorsey
I actually read both books in this series this year, and I loved them both.  They are a bit more on the series side, but the characters are strong, the plots are engaging, and the US Virgin Islands setting is wonderful.  Everything comes together in a rich tapestry that I love.

Get Me to the Grave on Time by D. E. Ireland
The premise of this series is absolutely wonderful with Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins as our sleuths.  This book finds someone going after the grooms at the four weddings that the duo are invited to over four weeks.  The characters, those we already know and those we meet here, are fantastic.  The plot twists and turns.  And we get a liberal dose of humor along the way.

Rhythm and Clues by Sue Ann Jaffarian
This is another long running series that has been a favorite for years, and it never fails to entertain.  This book finds Odelia trying to find an aging rock star who happens to be her mother's neighbor.  It isn't long before there's a dead body, and we are off on another wild, delightful ride.  The characters are strong, and there are plenty of laughs along the way.

No Cats Allowed by Miranda James
I read all the books in this series but the first one this year, and I could have listed any of them here.  I picked this one because it has a great plot that leads to a place I never expected.  The characters are as sharp as always, and Diesel, the main character's cat, is a delight.  If you haven't started this series, plan plenty of time to get caught up because you will be hooked.

And now, for the books for kids I enjoyed most this year.

The Tiara on the Terrace by Kristen Kittscher
This book is set behind the scenes of a giant winter parade, and it is fun.  A dead body leads our detecting duo on a wild ride, but I also enjoyed how the characters really grew here.  It was a hard book to put down.

Let the Wind Rise by Shannon Messenger
This fantasy book is aimed at the young adult audience.  It's the third part in a trilogy, and I was so excited to finally learn the fate of the characters in the series.  It features an epic battle, character growth, twists, and more.

The Stolen Chapters by James Riley
I'm still jealous of the premise - three kids who can jump into books.  Of course, it leads to all kinds of complications for them.  Books we know usually only get mentions, but the world the author has created where the characters spend their time is so much fun.  This book becomes very meta by the end, but I enjoyed that aspect of things.

Spy Ski School by Start Gibbs
It's no secret that I love Stuart's books.  It doesn't matter which series, they always entertain.  This book features, skiing, spies, twists, turns, characters surprises, and plenty of laughs before we face the end of the world.  What's not to love?

Ornament Review: Winter Fun with Snoopy #9 - Ice Fishing - 2006 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute, fun, creative

Cons: Doesn’t work as well if you set it out

The Bottom Line:

Peppermint fishing

Might not catch that many fish

Sure is fun for us

How Many Fish Have a Sweet Tooth?

While I’ve been enjoying the Winter Fun with Snoopy series, the ninth entry is by far my hands down favorite.  It has that touch of fun that puts it over the top and takes ice fishing to a whole new level.

Yes, Snoopy and Woodstock are out fishing this winter.  Snoopy is sitting on the ice (clear plastic) and holding his fishing pole.  Woodstock is sitting on the end of the fishing pole.  Snoopy’s got a purple hat and scarf on, and he’s sitting next to the saw he used to cut a hole in the ice.  He’s waiting for a bite with his line and hook dangling through the hole.

And that hook?  Why, a candy cane of course.  And that right there is why I love this ornament so much.  Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the ornament looks great, and if it just had a regular hook dangling at the end of the line, I’d still like it.  But the idea that he is using a candy cane to try to catch fish is so much fun.  I smiled the first time I saw it, and I still smile at it.

This is an ornament that calls out to be hung.  You can certainly set it out.  After all, ice makes a nice flat base.  However, you’d have to pull in the line and hook from the hole, and the ornament loses something when you do that.  Fortunately, this ornament looks great hung since it hangs straight.

The series marker and copyright information are on the base, but they are hard to read.  That happens when you etch something in clear plastic.

I’ve really found the Winter Fun with Snoopy series to be cute, but this takes things to a completely new level of whimsy.  This may not really work for ice fishing, but it certainly hooked me on the ornament.

Looking for more miniature fun?  Here's the rest of the Winter Fun with Snoopy series.

Original Price: $6.50

January 7th's Weekly TV Thoughts

And we are slowly coming back from the holiday hiatus.  At least a few shows were back with original episodes this week, but I still had time for other things in the evenings, which is always nice.  Truly, I must find a way to cut back on TV.  (You can stop laughing now.)

The Librarians – I enjoyed that episode more than I thought I would based on the previews.  Pretty good comedy even if the “magical” property was fairly obvious.  I’m wondering how we will wind up defeating the big bad of the season, but it is fun getting there.

The Odd Couple – Another episode where the story for both episodes was very predictable.  I’m about ready for the show to be over, and I think we’ve only got about four more episodes.  Not officially canceled, but if it does get renewed, I won’t be back.  At least they’ve got Murph on again.  He’s the best character on the show.

Lethal Weapon – They seem to have toned down the comedy, which I really enjoyed.  But they are going for deeper characters, which I’m really enjoying.  Riggs at the end there at the silent rave was so bitter sweet.  Yet I love seeing him interacting with Roger and his wife.  That is such a sweet relationship.

The Big Bang Theory – Considering they were doing a Christmas episode in January, that opening bit with Sheldon freaking out about holidays after their bit was pretty funny.  My favorite of the stories was the Christmas tree one.  I could relate to that on too many levels.  Not that I have done anything that bad with a tree, but I could easily see myself doing that.

The Great Indoors – Again, a predictable episode but very funny.  I think this might be their best episode to date.  Some character growth for a few of the characters and lots and lots of laughs along the way.  I hope they continue in this direction.

Girl Meets World – I knew going into the hour long show it was be different, but I was expecting more tour of the sets and backstage and less interacting with a live audience.  I know I wasn’t the target audience.  It had some moments that were fun, and I really appreciated some of the clips reminding me of the good times.  However, most of it didn’t truly appeal to me.  But that’s the adult fan of a Disney Channel show talking.  Knowing the series has just been canceled certainly makes it bitter sweet.