August 2025's Reading Summary

I'm a little earlier than normal, but with the holiday weekend coming up, I thought now would be a good time to post my reading summary for the month.  Besides, I'm not posting any new reviews before September.

The index has been updated, and the links will take you to my full reviews.

All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly (Grilled Cheese Mysteries #6) – 3

As this book opens, it’s just over a month until Carly’s wedding to Ari. But today, she’s focused on the 50’s diner themed fundraiser for the local high school’s gym. While she’s selling simple grilled cheese (of course), some of the other vendors are offering various other offerings. But the man selling sodas clearly doesn’t want to be there, and his rude behavior leads to a confrontation with Carly’s mom. When the man is found dead later with the scarf that her mom was wearing around his neck, Carly jumps in to figure out what really happened. 

When I heard about this book, I quickly added it to my reading plans since I’ve enjoyed the earlier books in the series. Sadly, this one was disappointing. There are two dualing storylines, but they both losing steam in the second half. The mystery plot felt a bit familiar, although I didn’t have the killer pegged. Fortunately, the characters are still charming, and I enjoyed spending time with them. We get two cheese themed recipes at the end. This is one that fans will want to read to the end. But if you are new to the series, start with an earlier book. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly (Bosch #21 and Ballard #2) – 4

It all starts one night when Ballard catches Bosch breaking into the file cabinets in the Hollywood police station. While he claims he is feeling nostalgic for his old case files, she doesn’t believe him. Some investigating on her own leads Ballard to the conclusion that Bosch is working on a case involving a teen who was murdered and left in an alley dumpster over 10 years before and she gets herself involved in the case. Will the two of them solve this cold case together?

I knew this team up was coming, and I enjoyed it now that I finally got here. The main case was set up in the previous Bosch novel, and I enjoyed seeing the follow through. It kept me entertained, although I did feel like Ballard was a little stupid at the end. The book splits time between both characters, so we get to see what is going on in both of their individual lives. We also get some individual cases the two are solving, although again, Ballard’s seem to get a little short shifted. Still, I enjoyed this first team up and am looking forward to more. 

 

The Cardinal’s Curse by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin (Turner and Mosley Files #2) – 3

Avery and Carter are approached about going to Antarctica to join an expedition already in progress. While the group is officially working on a way to rebuild the ice shelves to combat global warming, they are hoping to find a treasure that was rumored to be on board a ship that sank in the waters a century ago. Not only is the ship in freezing waters, but it’s likely deeper than either have dove before. Will they find the ship and recover the treasure?

I was hoping now that the main characters had formed a partnership, we would get a better paced second book. Sadly, things still took a bit too long to get going, leading to a rushed and stuffed second half. The characters are a bit flat with the focus being on the action. On the other hand, some of the action scenes are paging turning intense, and the Antarctica setting comes alive. I haven’t written off the series yet, but I hope the next is stronger. 

 

A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge (Phyllida Bright #2) – 4

The local mystery writers are hosting a Murder Fete to raise funds for the local orphanage, and they have convinced Agatha Christie to invite some of her famous friends.  The weekend will include talks about the craft of mystery writing, author signings, and a short story contest where the winner gets a publishing contract on both sides of the Atlantic.  However, the opening night’s cocktail reception ends with a murder.  Since Phyllida is helping make sure the event is a success, she’s on hand.  Can she solve a second real life murder?

Those who fell in love with the main characters in the first book in the series will be glad to be spending more time with them and seeing how their relationships develop.  The supporting players and suspects could have been stronger.  That means, the mystery could have been stronger as well, although there were some twists that kept me entertained.  And things made sense once Phyllida had solved things.  While the mystery could be stronger, this is still an entertaining book that will please mystery fans, especially fans of Agatha Christie.

 

The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #5) – 5

Navajo police detective Jim Chee has recently transferred to a new area in the reservation, and his unfamiliarity with the area and people is making it hard to investigate cases. For example, there’s the John Doe body he can’t even identify. And he has no leads on the case of the windmill that is being sabotaged. While out staking it out overnight, Chee witnesses a plane crash. A plane that was flying low without lights. Chee figures those flying the plane were up to no good, and he is ordered to stay away from the Federal investigation. But it’s kind of hard when the Feds think he knows more about the crash. Can he figure out what happened without framing himself more?

While this is the fifth book in the series, and the second to feature Jim Chee, it reads like a standalone, with little from the previous book being brought up here. That isn’t to say that the characters are bad, it’s just a difference in storytelling from what we get today. I found the characters pulled me in. The mystery was strong with plenty to keep me guessing and a red herring that distracted me. Yet the ending was logical. As always, the landscape and culture came to life. I’m looking forward to more. 

 

The Last Line by Scott Lyerly (Ellie Marlowe #1) – 4

The latest production at the theater Ellie Marlow owns is Murder in a Teacup. Unfortunately, the lead is Reginald Thornton IV, who seems to be going out of his way to alienate everyone. His character is supposed to die as part of the play, but opening night, he really dies. While the state detectives are quick to judge it natural, something doesn’t sit right with Ellie. Can she figure out what happened?

I picked this book up expecting a cozy, but it quickly became evident this is a bit more of a traditional than a lighter cozy. As long as you know this going in, you should be fine. The mystery is good, and I was fooled until the end. Ellie has Tourette’s, something that overwhelms at times and proves to be a distraction. On the whole, I did love her character and the co-lead as well, as well as how their marriages were shown. The story is told from several points of view, but at times, we have some head hopping. This feels like a standalone instead of a series opener, but if we get a sequel, I’d be interested in revisiting the characters. 

 

Fatal Sign-Off by Sarah E. Burr (Book Blogger Mysteries #3) – 5

It’s been a mostly quiet few months for Winnie Lark in the small town of Copper Bay. The drama in town involves Milton Mulligan who has started a podcast that trashes local businesses. So, when he is poisoned, the question is who didn’t have a motive. With some of Winnie’s family and friends on the suspect list, she can’t help but investigate Milton’s death. Will she uncover the culprit?

I fell in love with these characters in the earlier books of the series, so I was anxious to revisit them again. It was like meeting up with old friends, and I enjoyed the growth we saw in many of their relationships. The mystery is well paced with plenty of red herrings and twists. But the climax left me impressed with how things had been planned out. I did have to roll my eyes at how some political issues were put into the book in a way that felt unnecessary and forced to me. On the other hand, I loved the references to other books, especially cozy mysteries. If you love cozy mysteries, you need to pick up this series. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Halloween Night Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland – 4

Kensington has another Halloween novella collection.  In the first story, Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone gets involved when a teen is killed in a hit and run near her home.  Will she figure out what happened while helping her new neighbors?  The second story finds Lee Hollis’s Hayley Powell returning from a concert with her two best friends.  But when an accident strands them in the woods, it appears the only place they can find help is a creepy cabin.  There’s nothing to fear about this set up, right?  Finally, we travel to the North Pole as Liz Ireland’s April Claus tries to prove an elf who has just returned to town didn’t freeze a snowman.  He's also innocent of murder, right?

I usually struggle with Leslie’s contributions to these collections, and that was true here again.  But I enjoyed the other two.  Lee’s novella has just a touch of horror tropes while still being a cozy and being absolutely page turning.  And I find Liz’s Mrs. Claus series completely charming.  This story was no exception.  With each story being roughly 100 pages, you get a novel length book and a chance to catch up with old friends between books or try new series without committing to a full novel.  Whether you read this book now or save it for Halloween night, you’ll find something to enjoy here.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

 

For Duck’s Sake by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #37) – 3

Meg is over at her brother’s new house watching the worker getting ready to build a new duck pond. But he quickly stops when he finds a decades old skeleton. Who is it? And who killed him? Meanwhile, Meg’s house is the staging area for hundreds of dogs who will participate in a parade to hopefully get them adopted. Will that go off without a hitch or is someone trying to crash the party?

Normally, I love this series, but this book didn’t work as well for me. The plots were given equal weight, which threw the pacing off. The story with the dogs came to an abrupt ending. I’d figured out what was going on with the skeleton, but even that wrapped up a little too quickly. The saving grace is the characters. I loved spending time with them as always, and I was smiling if not laughing while I read. Fans will still be glad they read this one, but if you are new to the series, I suggest you start with a different entry. 

 

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Don Bruns (Stuff Series #4) – 3

Best friends James Lessor and Skip Moore are spending the weekend at a traveling carnival so that James can get a feel for it in his new job as their marketing director. Then the owner asks them to put their new PI license to use finding out who is sabotaging the rides. There have been injuries and one death due to these accidents. Will the two get the help from the carnies they need to solve things?

My love/hate relationship with this series continues. I do like the characters and want to see them succeed. But I also wish they were a little smarter and that Skip would stand up for himself. The mystery was good, but the ending could have been stronger. The suspects were interesting. Do keep in mind that these books aren’t cozies and are just old enough for the technology to be dated. I’m hoping some growth we saw here carries over to further books, but I’ll find out when I get to the next book. 

Book Review: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Don Bruns (Stuff Series #4)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good mystery with interesting characters

Cons: James and Skip’s relationship, weak climax

The Bottom Line:

Working carnival

What is causing accidents?

Book still average

Finding Danger at a Pop Up Carnival

I’ll admit, I sometimes wonder why I am reading Don Bruns’ Stuff Series. It’s not that it is bad, but I do find the character annoying. But I have had it on my radar for over a decade, and I’m curious to see how the characters’ lives turn out. So I picked up Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, the fourth in the series. 

The series revolves around Skip Moore and James Lessor, two twenty something friends in Miami. They are extremely poor, but James always has a scheme that will help them get rich, and Skip goes along for the ride against his better judgement. 

James has just landed a job as the marketing director for a weekend traveling carnival. You know the type that sets up in a field or large parking lot with some games and food vendors and then moves to the next location. James is supposed to be spending the weekend getting to know the carnival so he can start working his magic in the weeks and months ahead. Meanwhile, Skip is just reluctantly along for the weekend. 

Then the owner pulls them into a meeting. He knows the two just got their PI license, and he wants to hire them to find out who is sabotaging the rides. They’ve had some accidents that have led to injuries and even one death. Will they be able to figure out what is going on? Will they get any help from the carnies?

These books are about 15 years old, and that does pop up in the technology at times. As long as you keep that in mind, you’ll be fine. 

I’ve got to admit, at this point in the series, I’m beginning to wonder about the friendship between Skip and James. Skip is the narrator, and he keeps telling us that James is his best friend. It seems to me that James takes advantage of him, and I’m more than ready to see Skip stand up for himself. Some of the events in this book might lead to a change in their relationship, but I’m probably being too optimistic. We will see. 

The rest of the cast were interesting and did their job well to move the story forward. 

There’s lots happening here, and I appreciated how the mystery moved forward. While the ending made sense, I would have liked it to be a little stronger. 

I have to give a special shout out to one scene that made my heart race as I was reading. It might have stretched credibility, but many action scenes do. I just went along with it and enjoyed it overall. 

Do keep in mind that these books aren’t cozies. If that is what you are looking for, you’ll want to pass right on by. 

I’ve passed the half way point in the series, and I really do want to see where James and Skip wind up. It’s not a bad series, so my investment in the characters will keep me moving forward. Still, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff doesn’t really change my feelings about the series.

Check out the rest of the Stuff Series. 

Book Review: For Duck’s Sake by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #37)

Stars: 3 out of 5 

Pros: Characters are fun and charming

Cons: The plot needed a little more focus

The Bottom Line:

Digging up some bones

While preparing for parade

Needed more focus

Meg Is a Little Unfocused in Her Latest Case

If a series goes on long enough, eventually it puts out a book or two that isn’t up to its usual standards. For me, For Duck’s Sake, the 37th in Donna Andrews’s Meg Langslow series, is one of those. It’s not a bad book, but I was expecting better. 

For those who have missed this series, Meg often gets roped into helping with large projects put on by friends or her extended family, and she often finds herself involved in a murder along the way. Over the course of the series, we’ve met quite an assortment of characters who pop in and out of the series as needed. While the character’s lives have changed, you really can pop into this series just about anywhere and follow along, and the characters do live in a world all their own where time is irrelevant and age is flexible. Realistic? No. But for this series, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s light, and reality would take me out of the world that Donna has created and I love to visit. 

This book finds Meg and company in the beginning of June. Her sister-in-law is putting in a duck pond at the house she and Meg’s brother have just bought down the road from Meg. However, the digging has hardly started when the backhoe uncovers a skeleton. It’s quickly obvious that the remains belong to someone who was murdered. Who was he and how did he come to be buried there?

Meanwhile, Meg’s house has become the staging area for the first annual Mutt March, the brainchild of the town’s vet. It’s designed to show off dogs available for adoption from multiple shelters. Will the parade go off without a hitch? Or will someone try to sabotage it?

As you can see, we got dueling storylines. And, honestly, that’s one of the issues. The Mutt March could have been a fun B storyline, but it took too much time for that. The attempts to bring some plot to the proceedings were underdeveloped. 

We quickly determine that the skeleton is most likely decades old, so Meg spends some time investigating just who it might be. This brings up some storylines from earlier in the series I haven’t thought about for years, and I enjoyed that trip back to earlier times. Even so, the pacing as a little off here, mainly thanks to the time spent on the Mutt March. I’d guessed what was going on a little early, but I still found the ending a little abrupt. 

The saving grace here are the characters. They are charming as always, and I love getting to spend some time with them. As I said earlier, there are so many of them that we only get to spend a little time with some of them, but I still enjoy it. And we meet some interesting new characters, too. 

Meg narrates the story in a breezy manner that helps pull me in. I love the humor we get from her observations as well as the characters’ antics. It might not be as funny as some of the earlier books, but I’m still smiling the entire time I’m reading, and there are some good laughs. 

I’m looking forward to this year’s Christmas novel. For Duck’s Sake isn’t the best book for those new to the series to jump in with, but fans will still be glad they picked it up. 

Enjoy more of the Meg Langslow series. 

Movie Review: Mystery Island - Play for Keeps

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Nice to see full fictional mystery

Cons: Rushed ending, moments of cheese

The Bottom Line:

Ex comes to island

As new mystery unfolds

With a talky end

“I Think You Play to Win.”  “Always Have.”

Hallmark seems to have gone all in on their Mystery Island franchise.  Which is funny since it seems to me like a franchise with much more limited storylines than some of their others.  But we just got Play for Keeps, the third movie, with a fourth coming in September.

If you’ve missed these movies, they are set at an island that plays host to weekend murder mysteries.  Fictional murder mysteries, that is.  Emilia (Elizabeth Henstridge) and Jason (Charlie Weber) plot out the mysteries, while Jane (Kezia Burrows) actually owns the company that runs the island.

This particular weekend, Emilia’s ex-fiancé, Franklin (Kris Mochrie) is a guest along with his new wife, Ainsley (Emily Eaton-Plowright).  Emilia would love to be far away from the island, but one of the conditions of them coming was that Emilia play host.

The first day things are a little awkward, but the big surprise is Ainsley solves the mystery in record time.  A story that should have taken a full weekend is finished in just a couple of hours.  Emilia is certain she cheated somehow.  But before Emilia can figure out how, Ainsley is murdered, and Emilia herself comes a suspect.  Can the trio figure out what is really going on?

This movie is the first time we actually got to see one of their fictional mystery games from start to finish.  While it did keep the murder from happening sooner in the movie, I didn’t mind since it was showing us character and setting up the suspects.  And, it really didn’t take any longer than it needed to.  Yes, you could argue that it shorted the climax, leaving us with an overly talky explanation of what had been going on.  But I feel like we’ve gotten that in previous movies in the franchise anyway.

Overall, the real mystery our characters have to solve is just okay.  The suspects were good, but the plotting could have been better.  I feel like they were trying to cram too much into the movie.  Surely, there was some other way they could have introduced some of what was going on before the climax.

While I do like the main trio, they are the only characters who are back in any meaningful way.  Their relationships are fun.  The rest of the cast get a few moments that allow us to get to know them, but they aren’t the strongest characters.

Unfortunately, this franchise seems to come with a larger than normal dose of low budget cheese in both the writing and the acting.  A few times, I did cringe.  Most of it worked for me, however.

I’ll be interested to see just how long Hallmark milks this franchise.  For those looking for a mildly entertaining mystery movie, Mystery Island – Play for Keeps will keep you engaged.  But it isn’t one of Hallmark’s better mystery movies.

August 24th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Another mostly quiet week around here.  The calm before the storm since next week starts quarter end close at work (slightly off fiscal year for this accountant), and we've had some extra craziness.  But that's next week's problem.

As predicted, the temps went up again, and I'm quite happy about it.  I celebrated by hitting Six Flags Hurricane Harbor on Saturday for a few hours.  It's included in my pass, and I hadn't been yet this year.  It was fun and a great way to stay cool.  Didn't stay too long, thought, since I didn't want to stand around in long lines by myself.  Hopefully, I didn't get too sun burned (yes, I put on sun screen, but that doesn't mean anything, I always miss something), but we'll see.

Joke of the Week:

What do you call a bear with no ear?

B

This Last Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Ornament Review: Scrumptious S'mores

Tuesday - Book Review: Fatal Sign-Off by Sarah E. Burr

Wednesday - TV Show Review: Shifting Gears - Season 1

Thursday - Book Review: Halloween Night Murder by Various Authors

Friday - Friday Post featuring For Duck's Sake

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Mystery Island - Play for Keeps

Tuesday - Book Review: For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews

Wednesday - Book Review: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Don Bruns

Thursday - August Reading Summary

Friday - Friday Post featuring Whiskey Business

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got two ARCs to tell you about this week.

The first is a physical ARC from Kensington, Murder at Cottonwood Creek by Clara McKenna.  This is book seven in her Stella and Lyndy series.  I'm a bit worried since it is taking the characters from England to Montana.  I struggled a bit with the last book set in Scotland.  Hopefully, I will enjoy this one even though the characters aren't at home.  This one comes out at the end of November.

I snag the other ARC from Netgalley.  It's The Devil Comes Calling by Annette Dashofy.  It's book three in her Detective Honeywell series, and I'm looking forward to revisiting the characters again.  This one comes out the beginning of November.  

I've got some good reading coming up in November.

What I'm Currently Reading:

Can you believe I'm already working on books I'll review in September?  It feels early to me, although when you look at it, September starts on a Monday, so these reviews will be posted on the 2nd and the 4th.  That's coming up very quickly.  Anyway, both of these are ARCs for debuts that come out on the 9th of the month.

I just finished Whiskey Business by by Adrian Andover.  This was a delightful mystery, and I am already looking forward to the second.  I still need to write the review, but I've got a little time.

That means this weekend I'm working on A Murder Most Fowl by Carmela Dutra.  It's fun so far, although I'm not that far into it yet.  Hopefully, it will keep me entertained.

That's it for me.  Hope you have a great week!

August 23rd's Weekly TV Thoughts

American Ninja Warrior – Two Ninjas I root for out in the first two round of 32 races.  And you wonder why I hate racing so much?  At least it was easier to follow since they did one side completely before starting on the other.

Lego Masters Jr. – I’m impressed with those first builds.  Yes, the critiques were accurate (as always), but it was hard to pick who was going to win and who was going to lose.  Glad no one went home on week one.  Give them a second chance to figure out how to do this.  And it feels pretty good even with only one of the regulars from the regular show being here.  By next week, I bet I’ll be used to it completely.

The Quiz with Balls – Talk about an imbalance.  The one team was perfect until the bonus round at the very end.  I was rooting for him, but I was having more trouble with the action movie questions, too.  Still, a very good performance.

The Challenge – I am sorry to see Bananas go, but I will like seeing everyone stop focusing on him so much.  It is satisfying that he was in the pit not because he got voted in but because he didn’t do well in the challenge.  It was his fault he went home.  Well, that and the guy who really out gunned him in the final challenge.

Match Game – Somehow, I knew Joel would put “ego” down as the one where he was part of the prompt.  Both rounds were very close this week, which seems rare.

August 22nd's Friday Post

Welcome to Friday, and this week's Friday Post.  I'll be linking  up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

For the first three, I'll be pulling quotes from For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews.

This is book 37 in the Meg Langslow series.  Yep, a long running series and one I've been reading almost from the start.

Speaking of starting, here's how this book begins:

"This is the life," Iris Rafferty exclaimed, taking a long pull on her glass.

Nice relaxing beginning to a mystery, right?  As you can see, we are into the plot by page 56:

"Things didn't get bad until the day after the game. They tried to frame Billy."
"Frame him how?"

My review will be up on Tuesday, so I hope you'll come back to see what I thought.

Let's close things off with a look at this week's Book Blogger Hop.  The question is:

 Have you ever read a book with a character with the same name as you? 

As a matter of fact, I have.  The first time it happened, it was an accident, which can happen when you have a fairly common name.  But there have been several times authors have put me in a book.  I always enjoy seeing my fictional alter ego pop up.

That's it for me.  Have a great weekend.

Book Review: Halloween Night Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Two fun novellas of Halloween mystery

Cons: The first story is weak

The Bottom Line:

Halloween hijinks

In three cozy novellas

Perfect for season

This Halloween, the Tricks are Murder, Which is a Treat for Us

Kensington is back with another novella collection.  They’re returning to Halloween for Halloween Night Murder, which features stories by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland.  All three stories will put you in the Halloween mood.

Up first is the title story, featuring Leslie’s Lucy Stone.  Since Lucy and her husband, Bill, live outside their small village of Tinker’s Cove, Maine, they don’t get a lot of Trick or Treaters.  So Lucy is a bit surprised when they get a teen out by himself at the end of the evening.  She doesn’t think much more of it until she learns the teen was killed by a hit and run driver after leaving her front door.  When the police find the victim’s family, Lucy learns they are staying in the abandoned farm house across the street.  Will Lucy find a way to help them?  And who committed the hit and run?

As usual with the novellas I read featuring Lucy, I found it lacking.  It was trying to include too much in a novella length story.  We focus more on the victim’s family than we do on the mystery, which is under developed as a result.  We also get a few scenes just there to include the author’s politics.  I do like Lucy and Bill, and I appreciated that some of the family drama I’ve read about in past novellas was absent here.  I think I’d like some of the other regulars in the series if they had more than a cameo.  And there was a pretty bad timeline issue as well.  What we were left with wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t all that good either.

The middle story is “Death of a Halloween Night Stalker,” which features characters from Lee Hollis’s Hayley Powell series.  Hayley and her best friends, Liddy and Mona, are on the road home from a concert in Boston.  However, an accident has closed the main highway home, and the weather is so bad, they wind up in an accident themselves off the side road they have taken.  The only place they can find to get help is a cabin in the woods.  It looks creepy, but what other choice do they have?  Besides, the things you see in a horror movie are fiction, right?  Right?

Yes, this novella does incorporate some of the tropes of a horror story.  But don’t let that concern you, this story never goes too far.  Other than a few mild four-letter words, this is still very much a cozy, just with more of a suspense edge to it.  And I loved it.  Yes, it took me a few pages to see where the story was actually going, but once I did, I was hooked, and I had to see how things would end.  Outside of Hayley’s columns (we get three of them with recipes), we don’t get to see much of the other characters in the series, but that also works well for this story.  Plan some time when you start this one because you won’t want to put it down.

Rounding out the collection is the reason I picked it up – “Mrs. Claus and the Wily Witch” by Liz Ireland.  Yes, our main character is the current Mrs. Claus, and we are heading to the North Pole.  With Halloween just a few days away, April Claus was expecting to be helping prepare Castle Kringle for its stop in the Sugarplum Spooky Sleigh Ride.  Instead, she gets involved when an elf who has just returned from exile, Flake, is accused of doing…something…to a snowman.  When another elf dies, things look even worse for Flake.  Can April clear his name?

It’s no secret to anyone who follows my reviews that I love this series.  This novella was a great quick visit with these characters.  Even with this short page count, we got to see all the regulars and get some set up for the next novel in the series.  All the charm and cozy is present as well.  The mystery is strong and kept me guessing until the end, which, as always, turns into a delightful action scene.  These stories are not to be missed.

Each story is roughly 100 pages, so combined, you get a full-length book.  But it’s a fun way to either sample a new series or visit old friends.

The book’s coming out this month, so you can get ready for October.  Whether you read it now or save it for Halloween night, you’ll enjoy these bite sized Halloween Night Murder.

Do check out the rest of the Mrs. Claus Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

TV Show Review: Shifting Gears - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs, especially from the two leads

Cons: Some work still needed to reach the show’s full potential

The Bottom Line:

Daughter, kids move in

Setting up plenty of laughs

With some deeper themes

“Can We Have a Conversation Like Two Rational Adults?”  “Haven’t You Watched the News?  That’s Not a Thing Any More.”

My quest to find a good new sitcom was successful in the latest tv season with not one but two new shows I looked forward to watching each week. Both of them featured vets of classic sitcoms. While the first, Shifting Gears, still has some room to grow, season one has genuine laughs and promises more to come. 

The show features Tim Allen as Matt, a widower who owns a shop that restores classic cars. (Hey, it’s Tim Allen, what did you expect?) His world is turned upside down when his daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings), arrives unannounced with her two kids (Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis). She’s just left her husband, a musician Matt never liked, and needs a place to crash while she figures out how to get her life back on track. The catch? The two have hardly spoken since she moved out almost two decades ago. 

Rounding out the cast are two of the employees at Matt’s shop, Gabriel (Seann William Scott) and Stitch (Daryl Mitchell). That’s right, this show is a bit of a Galaxy Quest reunion, although so far, I haven’t caught any references to the show. 

This show also doesn’t shy away from a little politics. Matt’s a conservative and Riley is liberal. Just one of the many things the two clash over. To be honest, I worried a little about how this would be handled, but I quickly started laughing at those jokes. They pick on both sides, and they’ve had some great lines. And, this is a small part of the show. If it were larger, I might be more bothered by it. 

Tim and Kat play perfectly off each other. I think this is the first thing I’ve seen her in outside of the Marvel movies, and I’m really enjoying her performance. Any scene that features the two of them is guaranteed to feature some strong laughs. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast isn’t as well developed yet. Yes, they’ve given us some laughs, but they still feel a little generic. I hope this is something that gets fixed as the series goes forward. Part of that is how little screen time some of them have had. 

This includes Jenna Elfman, who plays the owner of the dance studio next door to Matt’s automotive shop. As a fan of the actress, I’m thrilled to see her again. They are obviously setting up her character to be important beyond the three episodes she’s been in so far. But she needs a little more to do. Given the right writing, I think she can be comedy gold with this cast. And yes, it is unfair to judge based on three episodes.

The other thing I appreciate about the show is that they are tackling some tough subjects like grief. No, they aren’t forgetting that they are a sitcom. But they are wading into these deeper topics and the results are strong. Yes, sometimes they hit some easy resolutions. Other times? They leave things a little open, which is realistic. 

Speaking of that, do look for Nancy Travis, Tim’s co-star on Last Man Standing, who guest stars in a great episode. 

Season one consisted of only ten episodes. And I fully recognize that is some of why the issues I’ve mentioned haven’t been worked out yet. Shows need a little time to grow as the writers and actors find the characters. Don’t misunderstand, I’m enjoying the show very much. But, it’s not where it can be yet. 

The good news is that ABC has renewed the series for a second season. I’m hoping it’s closer to a traditional full season order. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing more of the characters. 

Shifting Gears is giving me hope that the classic sitcom isn’t completely dead. If you’ve been missing this TV staple, you’ll be glad you checked out season 1. 

Book Review: Fatal Sign-Off by Sarah E. Burr (Book Blogger Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters and mystery combine for a fun story

Cons: Insertion of politics

The Bottom Line:

Winnie’s latest case

Local podcaster is killed

Characters, plot mix

Local Podcaster Signs Off for Good

A new book from Sarah E. Burr is always good news. But I was especially excited to see she was returning to her Book Blogger Mysteries with Fatal Sign-Off. I think this may be my favorite of her series, and no, not just because I’m a book blogger myself. It was no surprise to me that I enjoyed this book as well. 

Our main character is Winnie Lark, who runs a very popular and influential book blog. She lives in the small town of Copper Bay, Massachusetts. When this visit begins, it’s been about five months, and the town has been murder free. 

But not drama free. Milton Mulligan has started a podcast where he covers local businesses. And by covers, I mean trash them. When he collapses in a local restaurant, Winnie’s mom is quick to recognize the symptoms as poison. Since the entire town are potential suspect, Winnie has to jump in to make sure that her friends and family aren’t falsely convicted for the crime. But are there too many suspects to find the killer?

Those who have been following the series know there’s been a story arc regarding Winnie and her relationship with her family. While things aren’t perfect, the progress we’ve seen is very heartwarming. I’m loving watching those relationships develop. 

Speaking of relationships developing, I’ve got to mention Winnie’s friendship with the local detective. I know it isn’t realistic, but I still love it. 

Obviously, it is the characters that are a draw for me with this series. We have quite a few regulars, and they all get their moments to shine. The growth we see late in the book is heartwarming. 

None of this takes away from the mystery. It is well plotted with plenty of twists and red herrings along the way. The pace never lagged. And the solution left me in awe of how it had been set up. 

I did find that the author inserted some politics into the book that didn’t need to be there.  They didn’t pertain to the plot and just made me roll my eyes.  The book would have been stronger if they’d been left out.  But it was a minor issue for me overall.

Since Winnie is a book blogger, she is up on modern books. She drops quite a few references to other books, including quite a few cozy mysteries. I got quite a smile out of those references. Their aren’t enough to distract from the story, but there just might be some recommendations in there for series you’ve missed.

I was sad when I turned the last page of Fatal Sign-Off. It was a pleasure to visit these characters and watch them solve a well plotted mystery. If you love cozy mysteries, this is a series you’ll devour. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.