Grave Sight

Grave Sight

Charlaine Harris

3 out of 5

Harper Connelly was struck by lightening as a child and has ever since been able to sense the dead. She can sense the final location and the final minutes of their life. So not having many other skills, she hires herself out to find missing persons, she see’s it as helping, others see it as a way to take advantage of people at their most vulnerable moments.

Harper travels from town to town with her step-brother Tolliver. They have a very strange relationship that left a funny feeling in me. He is supposed to be her bodyguard, but it plays off more incestuous then that. Harper is about 23, but is less than mature and quite incapable of taking care of herself while Tolliver appears to be the knight in shinning armour who saves her from the terrible fate of bad guys and lightening storms.

This story was a bit twisted with Harper traveling to Sarne, Ark, to find the body of a missing girl. Finding the body is no problem, but being able to get back out of town still alive is the real challenge here. Too much seemed to be thrown into this book with who was related to whom and who was dating who and who sleeping with whom. Harpers relationship with the local cop seemed unnecessary and rather unbelievable. The whole book just didn’t flow right.

This is the first in the Harper Connolly series, but it left me a bit cold and I don’t know if I will continue on.

Amazon Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2QPMWDC3NI0PB/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Steamed

Steamed

Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant

Mystery

4 out of 5

First in the Gourmet Girl Series by mother-daughter team Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant. Much in the venue of Cleo Coyle’s coffeehouse mysteries, but this time in the restaurant business. A young twenty-something Chloe Carter is angered when she finds her supposed boyfriend with another woman so what is a girl to do, well, she goes online and finds what she thinks is her dream man, another food aficionado. Unfortunately, he has a few secrets of his own and is murdered before dessert arrives. Well, what is plan B--that would be falling for the head chef who just happens to be suspect #1. Life isn’t easy, but it sure is delicious especially with all the food talk and recipes in the back of the book. Fun start to a new series.

Amazon Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R12P8K7WVNQ2V0/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

The Night She Died

The Night She Died

Dorothy Simpson

Mystery

4 out of 5

This is the first in the Inspector Thant Series originally published in 1981. Even though it is over 25 years old, it still holds up to today’s standards.

Inspector Like Thanet is called into investigate the brutal death of Julie a young housewife murdered in her own home. Though married, this beautiful woman had many men interested in her, yet she seemed to spurns them all. Digging further Thanet finds many similarities to a murder some twenty years before when a then three year old Julie witnesses a murder. Thanet must decide if her past caught up with her and whether a conniving murderer plotted their revenge.

This is a great series. Don’t think you need to read them in order since I haven’t and I don’t seem to have missed anything.

The books aren’t easy to find but well worth the hunt.

Amazon Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/RR49ERG2XU43G/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Charity Girl

Charity Girl
Michael Lowenthal
4 out of 5

Too heavy on "Girl finds herself in the cruel world" and not enough history. During WWI our government detained women who either had an STD or "who was the type that would". These women were rounded up and placed in detention centers to keep them away from soldiers. Many of the women were called "charity girls", young women that would hang out in dance halls. They weren't necessarily prostitutes, just girls looking for fun. Lowenthal tells the story through 17 year old Frieda Mintz, who worked in a department store as a wrapper. She meets an army private, who has his own family secrets, and after a brief encounter she discovers that she has been tainted. Of course this private gives her name to the "Committee on Prevention of Social Evils Surrounding Military Camps", which I'm not sure is a real name because it sounds so ridiculous, but Frieda is detained and subjected to humiliation which leads to the oh so redundant coming of age drama. To me this book would have been so much better if it delved deeper into the history of this detainment and less on "girl meets big bad world".

Close Her Eyes

Close Her Eyes

Dorothy Simpson

5 out of 5

British police procedural featuring Inspector Luke Thanet. This is the fourth book in the series, but it's not necessary to read them in order. 15 year old Charity Pritchard is found dead in an alley near her home. When Thanet and his less than confident assistant Sergeant Lineham begin to investigate they find quite an unusual cast of characters. Charity and her family belong to a very strict fundamentalist religious group who deny their members things such as jeans and make-up. Well, Charity being a bit rebellious decides to venture into this teen world. Thant sets out to find out of this form of extreme parental repressiveness is what lead to Charity's death. This book kept me drawn in until the end. Thanet's character thinks outloud so you are brought along through his thought process and not left with an unlikely surprise. Thought I had it figured out early, and then began to question myself. Good use of characters and quirky personalities. Very much in the Agatha Christie realm.

Murder Most Frothy

Murder Most Frothy

Cleo Coyle

4 out of 5

It's hard to turn down David Mintz, the extravagant millionaire, so when he offers Claire a position as a Coffee Steward in his new Hamptons restaurant how can she say no. It's just for the summer and both she and her daughter Joy could use some time away. Only the peace doesn't last for long when one of her employees is found murdered and it's only obvious who the intended victim was supposed to be, but the only problem is, he won't accept it. So it's up to Claire to save the day and the millionaire. Claire must deal with the on going stresses of Joy's bad choices and her mother in law, Madame, believing that Claire and Matteo will get back together, but all in all it's just another day in the life of Clair, plus the added bonus of a new love interest that actually sounds promising. I really enjoy this series I just wish I could get through one of these books without craving a pot of coffee.

Amazon Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R27ZYYWHDJT2YS/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

They Did It with Love

They Did It with Love

Kate Morgenroth

4 out of 5

Everyone seems to have a secret. When Sofie’s father dies and leave his seemingly aimless daughter a load of money, her husband thinks it sure seems like a good time to leave Manhattan and Sofie’s job as a clerk in a mystery bookshop - so off to Greenwich, Connecticut they go. Sofie is a bit lonely and depressed so why not join the hot neighborhood book club. That is until one member turns up dead and each members secrets start to surface. Since Sofie once worked in a mystery bookshop she feels that she is qualified to solve this apparent suicide, but things aren’t exactly as they seem culminating in a twisty surprising end.

Think Desperate Houswives, Valley of the Dolls and Stepfordwives and you pretty much have a feel for this group of ladies.

Amazon Review: http://tinyurl.com/5ftqtc