The Matchmaker Murders – Season One by Catherine Gibson

August 23, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

My friends at Mystery Royalty Press sent me this title to review and it is an enjoyable, fun read!

Here’s the scoop:

THE MATCHMAKER MURDERS (SEASON ONE)
What would you do if every match you made ended in murder? Meet your new favorite sleuth investigator, Penny! Middle-aged, married, and quite the matchmaker, Penny has called the cozy town of Walnut Mountain “home” her entire life. But this quiet, Christian corner of Vermont soon gets turned upside down when one of Penny’s latest love matches ends in murder!
The Matchmaker Murders, Season One, includes three wonderfully witty cozy mysteries you won’t want to put down:
Death at the Double Date
Murder at the Movies
Poisoned at the Picnic
If you enjoy light-hearted cozy mysteries with lovable characters, surprising killers, and clean language, then Catherine Gibson’s addictive new series will keep you turning the pages to find out whodunit!

Me again!

I would classify this read as “Christian cozy” and I would call it “clean”. I can only hope that there is a season two! I do enjoy reading short stories/novellas as you can finish them so quickly.

Here’s a bit on the author (I read this and thought “I want to be your friend, Catherine!”)

About the Author

I write fun, witty, cozy mysteries, because that’s what I love to read! My stories feature lovable Christian sleuths, quaint storybook towns, and murder motives you won’t find anywhere else! In my spare time, I attend ballet classes, whip up fragrant batches of homemade soap, hang out on the beach, and spend time with my twin sister after church. Catherine Gibson is the pen name of author, Mira Gibson. Visit http://www.MysteryRoyalty.com to learn more.

Spring Girls by Karen Katchur

April 11, 2020April 10, 2020 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

Description

She’s the only one who survived…and the only one who can help find the killer.

Another spring, another dead girl pulled from a lake in the Appalachian foothills: the latest victim in a series of murders with few leads. But Detective Geena Brassard and her partner, Parker Reed, finally land a break when they receive a tip about a previously unknown survivor of the so-called Spring Strangler.

The survivor’s reluctant to help with the case for reasons that aren’t all clear. Even so, Geena uncovers a connective thread between the victims, and recently discovered DNA brings her closer to the killer’s identity. But Geena knows the survivor has the most to offer the investigation—if also the most to lose.

Geena is torn between securing the surviving victim’s help and protecting her from further danger. One thing is certain: Geena and Parker must find answers before the killer claims another life—or returns to finish off the one who got away.

Another mystery! I’ve been reading a lot of mysteries during this time of confinement. This was a suspenseful one, as they tried to find the killer before the killer came back for the girl who got away (and who was trying to just keep a low profile and live her life). I find that Thomas & Mercer publishes a lot of these fast thrillers that aren’t too gruesome or violent, so I often pick one of them to read. Thank you for my ARC!

THE VANISHING SEASON by Joanna Schaffhausen

February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

This was a fast read – a great find on Net Galley. I love these suspenseful books, especially in the middle of winter.

Here’s the overview:

Description

Winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition, Joanna Schaffhausen’s accomplished debut The Vanishing Season will grip readers from the opening page to the stunning conclusion.

Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She’s an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only one who lived.

When three people disappear from her town in three years—all around her birthday—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer all those years ago.

Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he’s washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them…with a killer who can’t let go.

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So – this one is a bit disturbing and at times gruesome, but the writing is not overly graphic. To be honest, I am just realizing that this is her debut novel – wow! I hope that there is another story with the same characters in it, because I really liked gritty Ellery.

The mystery was well-plotted and paced. Thank you for my review e-Copy!