mystery

Getting Cozy! Two Reviews: “Hiss and Hers” (Agatha Raisin) by MC Beaton and “The Twelve Clues of Christmas” (Royal Spyness) by Rhys Bowen

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As you all know, I love my cozy mysteries! I recently read two new ones: one which I got at my library and one which I received from my husband for Christmas.

“Hiss and Hers” is the latest Agatha Raisin mystery. I just love cranky yet vulnerable Agatha! In this installment, Agatha, along with half the village, has a mad crush on the local gardener. Sadly he turns up murdered. Agatha is determined to figure out who killed him, but as she investigates she learns that just about every but her had been sleeping with the victim. There is no shortage of suspects, along with a couple of subplots as well. While I do love these Agatha mysteries, this one had me a bit befuddled in its quick wrap up and in the number of people I was trying to keep track of, though I had guessed the murderer early on. The “hiss” refers to the murder “weapon” – poisonous snakes.

For Christmas I received “The Twelve Clues of Christmas”- the latest Royal Spyness mystery. I do so love reading historical cozy mysteries (this one is in the early 1930’s in England). Georgie Rannoch, our heroine, has just the right amount of spunk, intelligence, and awkwardness to make her likable. For this story, Georgie is staying at a manor house and serving as a hostess during their “Aunthentic English Christmas” event. Unfortunately, locals start turning up dead on a regular basis. Georgie joins forces with the dashing Darcy to uncover just what is happening in this sleepy little town. One thing I loved about this book is that Georgie and Darcy’s relationship is finally progressing – yeah! I thought this novel was cleverly plotted – though perhaps a bit far-fetched. It was an enjoyable read. And can I just say how much I love the character of her maid, Queenie?

2012 is not over yet! Review of “The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton

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Several weeks ago I was ordering everyone books from Amazon for Christmas and I saw this title under recommendations. It looked so intriguing that I bought it for myself for Christmas! “The Secret Keeper” starts with British teenager Laurel hiding from her younger sisters in her treehouse, when a stranger comes to their home and she witnesses her mother stab the man to death. The police rule that the homicide was self-defense, and the man is thought to be a local criminal, and so Laurel moves on and seems to forget that day.

Fifty years later, Laurel’s mother, Dorothy, is turning eighty, and close to death. She begins to tell Laurel that she has some regrets and that all is not as it seems. However, Dorothy is losing her faculties as well, and Laurel can’t get the whole story from her, so she seeks to solve the mystery herself. Just who was the man her mother killed that day, and why did he seem to know her mother? Added to these questions are some items Laurel finds hidden away: a book with an inscription, a thank you note, a picture of her mother and her friend Vivien, a small doll and an old fur coat. Will she figure out the past before Dorothy passes on?

This story is told in various voices: Laurel as a teen, Laurel in the present, Dorothy as a young girl, Dorothy as a young adult, Vivien as a child, Vivien as a young adult, etc. We move from the present to the fifties in England, to London during the Blitz, to Australia pre-WWII. I loved this style and the way the story unfolded slowly and step by step. I did not guess the ending, but once it was revealed I saw that all the clues were right before me the whole time. I really enjoyed Morton’s writing style and will look for other books by her.

Recommended for those lovers of historical fiction – WWII era – with a dash of mystery and romance thrown in. Definitely one of my fave reads of the year!

Quick Review: “Masked Ball at Broxley Manor” by Rhys Bowen

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Lady Georgiana is at it again, in this prequel to one of my favorite historical cozy mystery series! Georgie is invited to a masked Halloween ball at a posh manor house and discovers it is planned for her to meet an intended suitor that her family has selected. Instead she meets the elusive and charming Darcy O’Mara, Georgie’s love interest in future books, and gets involved in adventure.

This book – more of a novella – is short — about 50 pages! It reads quickly and will give you an idea if you want to read more of the series. If you are like me and have read the series, it provides more back story and character development.
I got mine via kindle for $2.99.

YA review: “Celtic Run” by Sean Vogel

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I received “Celtic Run” as a Net Galley digital download. This YA book (geared towards grades 5-8 I would say) tells the story of Jake McGreevy, a teen on a school trip to Ireland. Along with him on his adventures are Julie (the friend he has a crush on), Zach (class bully and Julie’s boyfriend), and new Irish friend Maggie. Jake is a gadget expert and enjoys tinkering with things, which comes in handy throughout the novel. Early on in the story, Jake finds what turns out to be a clue in a treasure hunt. Enter the “bad guys”, and Jake and his friends need to work together to outwit the bad guys and find the treasure (which would not only be noble, but could come in handy to both Jake – whose father was recently severely injured – and Maggie – whose father has lost his job). There is one adventure after another with non-stop action and character development as Jake and hsi friend seek to solve the mysteries and find the treasure first!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I read a lot of YA and children’s and found it refreshing to deal with a story where the kids were typical but the problems were not overly disturbing and intense. In my opinion not too many people are writing books like this these days: contemporary kids whose problems are surmountable. I will be recommending this one for my children’s elementary school library! I could see this as a fun movie for kids – a bit like “Goonies” or the old “Apple Dumpling Gang”. Some of the action was a bit fantastic and the crooks were very “crookish” if you know what I mean, but I like it. It reads as if it may be the start of a series. Just a note – this author’s bio was one of the most interesting I’ve come across!

Thanks, MB Publishing and Net Galley, for my copy!

Review: “A Thin, Dark Line” by Emma Elliot

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Received from Net Galley, “A Thin, Dark Line” is a romantic suspense story (I don’t read too many of those!).

Eloise Carmichael is a small town librarian. She hires Cormac O’Malley as her handyman, however, there is one big hitch: Cormac is the town’s “bad guy”, having just returned from jail and serving time for murder. Eloise, however, knew Cormac as a child, and believes he is honestly good (though he is quite up front that he really did commit the murder).There is a lot of small town history/back story regarding Cormac’s mother and the town politicians. When Eloise starts to dig into the past, one of her former co-workers is found murdered at the library. The bodies begin to stack up, and fingers start to point at Cormac. Will Eloise’s faith in him be supported? Or will she be the next victim?

I enjoyed reading this novel, which I got as an ARC from Net Galley. I loved the character of Eloise and the relationship she had as a single woman with her best friend and her best friend’s children. Eloise and Cormac’s relationship built slowly and I appreciated that there weren’t glowing, romantic descriptions of them looking perfect. They weren’t perfect and they both knew it, and that made them all the more likable.

If you like romantic mysteries, then you will probably like “A Thin, Dark Line”. Thank you, Net Galley and The Writer’s Coffee Shop, for my copy!

Review: “Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch” by Nancy Atherton

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Unbeknownst to me when I chose it from Net Galley, this book is the seventeenth in a series featuring “Aunt Dimity”, a ghost detective in the Cotswolds of England. Lori Shepherd is a young mother of twins who lives with her husband in England. Her beloved “aunt”, Dimity, has passed away but still communicates with Lori through a notebook (mysterious writing appears from Dimity). Together they solve (cozy) mysteries.

In this installment, which I believe can be read out of line in the series (since I did it!), a new neighbor, Mrs. Amelia Thistle, has arrived in the small village of Finch. Lori realizes that Mrs. Thistle is really a famous artist (who has a rather crazed group of fans chasing her). Amelia has come to Finch to solve a mystery related to her ancestors, and Lori and a small group of entrusted friends join forces with her to solve the mystery of “Mistress Meg”.

This was a satisfying read and a fun cozy to figure out. It reminded me a bit of Agatha Raisin (probably the Cotswolds). I did wonder whether Aunt Dimity was actually necessary to the story as Lori seemed just capable of being an amateur detective on her own; however, given this is the seventeenth in a series, she apparently is integral to its success!

Thanks, Net Galley and Viking Adult Publishers, for my copy.

Quick Audiobook Review: “World without End” by Ken Follett

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I loved the book and miniseries “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett, so I was thrilled to find the audiobook for its sequel, “World without End”, at the library (read by John Lee).

While this story takes place in Kingsbridge, the town that is the setting for “Pillars of the Earth”, it stands alone as a novel, being set 200 years later and with new characters (though references are sometimes made to the previous characters).

The story starts with four children, playing in the woods. They witness a murder and a secret, and this event sets the stage for the events of their lives, which are chronicled. Follett draws us a picture of Medieval England that is vivid and accurate. His characters are unique and the main characters are all quite different. I listened to this story in the car while driving and still could easily follow the plot (which was definitely not for the kids at times!). John Lee’s narration was a great touch to the story; he excels at providing unique character voices.

All in all, a great story!

 

Review of the latest ‘Her Royal Spyness’ Cozy: “Naughty in Nice” by Rhys Bowen

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Last month while at the library I noticed a new release of the latest Royal Spyness mystery: Naughty in Nice. If you read me, you know I love this cozy series, centering on the likable but less-than-perfect Georgie (related to royalty) in 1930’s England. This time around, the Queen herself has sent Georgie on a mission to retrieve a “borrowed” snuff-box, and Georgie is sent to Nice, France – winter playground of the wealthy. Before Georgie can get the box back, her neighbor is murdered; and after floundering her way through a fashion show of Coco Chanel’s line, the priceless necklace Georgie is wearing is stolen. Now she must find two items and solve a murder!

Love this series!

Quick Review: The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

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I received the new No. 1 Ladies book for Mothers’ Day (and I’m seriously delinquent in posting about it!). This thirteenth addition to the series is just as enjoyable as its predecessors. This time Fanwell, the apprentice, is in trouble and Precious is determined to help him;  Grace and Phuti are building a house, which has issues of its own; and Mma Potokwane has been mysteriously dismissed from her position at the orphanage. In addition, the very illustrious Clovis Andersen shows up and helps Precious and Grace with their work.

I enjoyed this novel from start to finish!

Quick Review: The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark

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On a recent trip to Target, I noticed that Mary Higgins Clark had a new book out that had escaped my attention. It wasn’t very lengthy, so I grabbed it on sale.

“The Lost Years” deals with an ancient letter, supposedly written by Jesus Christ to Joseph of Arimathea, that was hidden away centuries ago by a monk and surfaces in the possession of a professor who then promptly gets murdered. His wife, who has Alzheimer’s, is a witness to the crime. His daughter Mariah – who has been a bit estranged from him since he has openly been having an affair with a colleague – is determined to figure out where the parchment is and who the murderer is. There is no paucity of suspects: her father’s four closest friends and colleagues, along with his mistress, are the prime ones. Additionally there is a thief who, while robbing the house next door, conveniently gets a good look at someone running from the house the night of the murder. There’s also a family friend who is a priest. And good old Alvirah and Willy are there to help solve the mystery.

Bottom line: it’s a quick beach read and fun and easy. Is it “classic MHC”? I’d say no. I miss the thrilling novels of the past – the ones that kept me up at night reading. In fact, MHC’s first novel “Where Are the Children?” might just be her best, in my opinion. I’ve been a bit disappointed in Mary’s work as of late. However, considering she has written over 30 books, I’ll cut her some slack. 🙂 Also – just me – as a Catholic, the whole “his wife has Alzheimer’s so he’s having an affair and as soon as she’s in a nursing home he’ll divorce her and marry that younger gal” plotline bothered me. Mary’s characters, more often than not, are Catholic. And this family actively attends church in the book and has a parish priest as a friend. It just seemed kind of unsettling that this guy brought his paramour home for dinners at his house with his wife and friends. But anyways…

If you’ve read this book, let me know what you think. And if you’ve read all of MHC’s books, like I have, tell me if you think it’s up to her old standards.