A Side of Murder

Title: A Side of Murder
Author: Amy Pershing
Published: February 23rd 2021 by Berkley Books
Format: Kindle, Paperback, 320 pagess
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Cape Cod Foodie Mystery #1

After the first chapter, I knew that I should have put this book down, but against my better judgment, I continued. From restaurant guide, to a dead body, to a travelogue of the Cape, back to the dead body, to unrequited love, maybe touching on the body again, to a sailing lesson, to a restaurant critique, maybe the body again, then a hodge-podge of who the killer might be, to possibly other killers, to crushing on the Harbormaster, then finally tying up to the book but realizing that there was more to tell, which wasn’t as focused as it might have been because the last 20% may well have ended at any time, yet continued on and on with proverbial rabbits being pulled out of the hat.

This first in a series book could have been further fine-tuned without so many tangents and unnecessary fluff. If you are going to tell a mystery, tell a mystery. If you are going to write about travel, with restaurant reviews and the sailing tips, write that book, but meshing the two genres together, at the depth they were, didn’t work for me.

A Stranger in Town

Title: A Stranger in Town
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Published: February 9th 2021 by Minotaur Books
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 368 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Casey Duncan / Rockton #6

I love this series but almost gave up on this book. A slow monotonous start that did not pick-up speed until the last third, and then I couldn’t get to the end fast enough.

Things are changing in Rockton, subtle changes, but Det. Casey Duncan and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, will figure it out - they always do. But first, they must deal with a hiker that has stumbled out of the forest with an infected wound, possible head injury, bare feet, and incoherent babbling in an unfamiliar language. Coincidentally, a Nordic studies professor has just moved to Rockton and begins to translate a farfetched story of a wild man and that her three companions are missing.

Sounding like a description of the local hostiles, Casey and Eric set out to find what has riled up the locals only to discover that the backstory of Rockton goes deeper than they thought. Once the narrative gets going, Kelley Armstrong weaves a deep tail of duplicity, experimentation, and the possible downfall of the sanctuary they call home.

To understand the interaction of all the characters, this is a series best started from the beginning. There is odd humor, and each book has you liking some more than others. I do have to admit, April and Sebastian are turning into the most fascinating facets of Rockton, with Mathias finishing out the group. As I said, a slog of a start, but stick with it -- the ending leaves you with more questions and a profound wonder of where they will go next.

Long Island Iced Tina

Title: Long Island Iced Tina
Author: Maria DiRico
Published: February 23rd 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Format: Kindle, Paperback, 288 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Catering Hall Mystery #2

With Mafia family ties, the Carina’s are determined to keep Belle View Banquet Manor in Queens legit, afloat, and out of the headlines. But that is hard when the body of Mia Carina’s best friend’s step-mother, Tina, is found floating just off their back deck in Flushing Bay.

Nicole’s mother and grandmother were looking to host a tasteful baby shower. But when step-mother Tina shows up, arguments break out, a mysterious gift appears, and Mia determined to save her business, is off to the proverbial races to solve this murder before her family name hits the papers. Add in a competing venue that may be hiding something, Nicole’s father accused of murder, secrets revealed, an art heist, shoes needing to find their owner, and a long-simmering flirtation finally squashed.

Usually, cozy mysteries are a slow monotonous single note from start to finish, but not so with the Catering Hall Mysteries from Maria DiRico. There are multiple plots, entertaining interactions (yes, Nonna I am talking to you), neighbors, friends, family (some with the capital F), food, and co-workers, turning this into a fun series that I hope will continue for years to come.

Every Waking Hour

Title: Every Waking Hour
Author: Joanna Schaffhausen
Published: January 26th 2021 by Minotaur Books
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 336 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Ellery Hathaway #4

Ellery Hathaway is never going to feel comfortable in her skin. With her past and an uncertain future, all that comes crashing together when 12-year-old Chloe Lockhart goes missing. Both Ellery, a police detective, and Reed, an FBI Special Agent, are in Boston Common when the child disappears. Ellery takes point, but overprotective Reed is there to guide the investigation. Or is it to manage Ellery since he thinks she will be his constant responsible as he was the one to have found her, as a child, when an abductor kidnapped and then concealed Ellery in a closet cage. Here is where reading the previous three books will come in handy.

As each layer of the Lockhart drama takes centerstage, Hathaway and Markham realize that there is more to the story as each player takes the spotlight. The reader ping pongs between the narratives and circumstances to come up with their profile and suspects. Yet, how it all pans out is somewhat of a surprise.

I’m not sure where Joanna Schaffhausen will go from here. May parts of the ongoing backstory are tied-up with this book. Is there a future with Ellery and Reed? Will Ellery once again need to call on her FBI contact to help with yet another case, or to warm her bed, or will, with the help of Dorie, her mentor, be able to finally stand on her own without Reed’s security net to catch her.

Firestorm

Title: Firestorm
Author: Nevada Barr
Published: March 19th 1996 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Format: Hardcover, 307 pages
Genre: Fiction
Series: Anna Pigeon #4

This is a closed room mystery, that is if the closed room is a mountain that is currently on fire and the people you are with include a killer.

National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is pulling double duty as a medic and security for a fire currently engulfing California’s Lassen Volcanic Park. As a snowstorm front approaches, that is supposed to help put out the flames, suddenly turn into a firestorm overwhelming the group leaving two dead. But it wasn’t the fire that killed them both. That is unless the fire also stabbed a man in the back. Now on their own, with no backup or immediate rescue, Anna, with limited radio help from FBI Agent Fredrick Stanton, must figure out the who’s and what’s before she is the next victim or the blizzard kills them all.

Once you keep all the characters straight, the plot moves quickly since Anna seems to be the only one keeping her head about her. Part medic, part detective, part friend, part wonder woman, it appears that there is nothing that Anna can’t achieve.

Death Bee Comes Her

Title: Death Bee Comes Her
Author: Nancy Coco
Published: December 31st 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corp.
Format: Kindle, Paperback, 320 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery #1

Plot holes abound in this book to the point that even the author can’t account for them and responds with a generic -- I don’t know, it was just there, comment from her character. I can’t say that I am sold on this new series by Nancy Coco, but I will give the next book, A Matter of Hive or Death, a try. That is if the author tightens up the flow. Death Bee Comes Her, at times, reads like bullet points, and then the flow smooths out only to go back to a staccato sentence format.

Wren Johnson, the owner of Let It Bee on the Oregon coast, is preparing for the local Halloweentown festival. Her honey-based balms, lotions, and candles are ready, and business is looking up. That is until she and her Havana Brown cat Everett stumble upon the body of Agnes Snow -- a woman that goes toe-to-toe with Wren’s aunt at every craft show in the area. Along with the body is a label from one of Wren’s lip balms, making the local authorities think that Wren was responsible for the poisoning. To save her reputation and business, Wren and Everett jump straight in to investigate. What neither was expecting were the lengths that the killer would go to protect themselves.

Of course, a cozy mystery would not be complete without love interests and Nancy Coco goes out of her way to throw in a couple so the reader is playing a constant ping pong game while trying to fill in missing parts of the story and to wonder, along with everyone else, who and why Agnes was murdered and why Wren was framed.

With a bit of cleaning up, this could have been an interesting story. Hopefully, the next book will take its time and fill in holes so the reader doesn’t stumble trying to do it on their own.

An Old Betrayal

Title: An Old Betrayal
Author: Charles Finch
Published: November 12th 2013 by Minotaur Books
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: Charles Lenox Mysteries #7

I tend to get lost in the middle of Lennox books. The author moves the story ahead at a snail’s pace by overly describing rooms, people, places, and the general tenor of the time. If I had my way, there would be less atmosphere and more mystery.

Charles Lenox, now a Member of Parliament, has retired from his detective business, but he hasn’t completely given up on helping friends. When John Dallington requests his help with an anonymous client, Lenox is all for it, but unfortunately, he jumped to a conclusion and missed his first opportunity. This is where the web tangles a bit with the appearance of Archie Godwin and Grace Ammon, a social secretary for Queen Victoria. Conspiracy theories, blackmail, burglary, a stolen identity, murder, and a grudge all make their appearance and muddles up the plot.

The saving grace for this book is the occasional humor. Not as prevalent as it should be, but the reader will find it sprinkled about sparingly. You will find the old dependable names that a regular series depends on and an occasional name which you aren’t sure if you should remember or not. In general, the book isn’t terrible; I wish it was pared down a bit and not filled with so much fluff.