Killer Research

Title: Killer Research
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Published: November 2nd 2021 by Berkley Books
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Library Lover's Mystery #12)

First Sentence: Lindsey Norris pushed a cart full of food toward the back room of the Brian Creek Public Library. It was her turn to provide the eats for the library’s weekly crafternoon meeting.

Synopsis: Spring is livening up Briar Creek after a long, cold winter, and newlyweds Lindsey and Sully could not be happier. Even though the upcoming mayoral election is getting heated, everything else in town is coming up daffodils...until a body is found. Ms. Cole, a librarian and current candidate for town mayor, is shocked when she opens her trunk to discover a murder victim who just so happens to be a guy she dated forty years ago and the founder of the baking empire Nana's Cookies. As the town gossip mill turns, a batch of rumors begins to circulate about Ms. Cole's rebellious youth, which--along with being a murder suspect--threatens to ruin her life and her budding political career. But Ms. Cole is one tough cookie who will not go down without a fight.

Has the campaign for mayor turned deadly? It is up to Lindsey, Sully, and the rest of the crafternoon pals to see how the cookie crumbles and figure out who is trying to frame Ms. Cole for murder and why. (Goodreads)

My Opinion: I would say that this is one of the better books in the series, and I loved the fact Jenn McKinlay centered it around Ms. Cole, affectionally known as the lemon. A permeant fixture within the Library Lover’s series, but one the reader didn’t know too much about. It turns out that there is warmth in those unyielding veins, and when she is accused of murder and is also running for mayor of Briar Creek, shenanigans are bound to take center stage. And when it comes to whom was responsible for the murder, I didn’t see that one coming. There might have been clues along the way, but I missed them, which in my opinion, always makes a book more enjoyable.

Down the Hatch

Title: Down the Hatch
Author: M.C. Beaton, R.W. Green
Published: October 26th 2021 by Minotaur Books
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 240 pages
Genre: Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Agatha Raisin #32

First Sentence: The scream stopped her in her tracks. It was sharp, shrill and chilling --- quite the most horrendous noise that Agatha Raisin had heard since she had left her office for her lunchtime power walk.

Synopsis: Private detective Agatha Raisin, having recently taken up power-walking, is striding along a path in Mircester Park during her lunch break when she hears a cry for help. Rushing over, she finds an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Swinburn, in the middle of the green--with the body of an old man lying at their feet.

The man, who the coroner determines died by poisoning, was known as the Admiral, a gardener notorious for his heavy drinking, and Chief Inspector Wilkes writes the death off as an accident caused by the consumption of weedkiller stored in a rum bottle. Agatha is not convinced that anyone would mistake weedkiller for rum but carries on with her work at Raisin Investigations, until she receives an anonymous tip that the Admiral's death was no accident.

Local gossip points to the Swinburns themselves as the killers, spurred by a feud at the club where they, as well as the Admiral, were members. Distraught at this accusation, they turn to Agatha to clear their name, and she takes the case--despite the warnings of Chief Inspector Wilkes.

Agatha encounters one suspicious character after another, becoming further enmeshed in the Admiral's own dark and shady past. And when she's run off the road, narrowly escaping with her life, and then another attack occurs, it becomes clear that someone doesn't want the case closed--and will stop at nothing to prevent Agatha from solving it. (Goodreads)

My Opinion: There were tempo issues and many non-Agatha moments, which made this a challenging read for me. Many believe that R. W. Green is not the correct author to be taking up the mantle for MC Beaton, and after this book, I might be part of that group.

Some elements could have been handled with better structure editing, or maybe a critique reading group, or even someone who knows how a woman, Agatha specifically, would have handled situations without losing flow with choppy disjointed sentences.

I am missing the old Agatha. The feisty and vulnerable Agatha, not the current version of a woman with no depth or snarky retorts.

The Last Puzzle

Title: The Last Puzzle
Author: Matthew Costello, Neil Richards
Published: June 1st 2015 by Bastei Entertainment
Format: Kindle Edition, 114 pages
Genre: Mystery
Series: Cherringham #16

First Sentence: Brrr … thought Michael Edwards as he stepped out of his BMW estate and started up the steps to his good friend Quentin Andrews’ elegant townhouse --- one of five that made up Cherringham Crescent.

Synopsis: When amiable old village eccentric Quentin Andrews dies, the good folk of Cherringham are astonished at the crowd that turns up to his funeral. But even more astonished are the beneficiaries of his will: Quentin has left a veritable fortune to whomever is the first to solve an intricate 'Cherringham crossword.' That puzzle is only the first of many that Jack and Sarah will uncover as they follow the treasure hunt for clues and learn the truth about who Quentin Andrews really was. And the biggest mystery of them all ... was he - in fact - murdered? (Goodreads)

My Opinion: Everyone loves a good puzzle, that is until it’s tied to an inheritance, and people will do just about anything to come out on top. This is where Jack and Sarah come in. They must monitor the participants, and when no one is sure who can be trusted and who may have already swayed the results, they must find a way to even the odds and guarantee a fair outcome. But this being Cherringham means the ending is not what was expected and maybe the most innocent looking is the most devious of them all.

I am only halfway through this series, but I know that I am going to miss them when they are gone. There is something quaint and twisted when it comes to the people of Cherringham.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder

Title: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder
Author: Maria DiRico
Published: October 26th 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Format: Kindle, Paperback, 304 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 #3

First Sentence: “How can you type with those nails?” Mia wondered. The nails in question belonged to her Belle View Banquet Manor coworker, Cammie Dianopolis.

Synopsis: Mia's busy with a full schedule of events at the family business--among them an over-the-top Nativity-themed first birthday party and a Sweet Sixteen for a teen drama queen. But her personal life is even more challenging. Her estranged mother has returned--and her lifelong friend Jamie has discovered a shocking secret about his past. He's so angry that he starts hanging out with Lorenzo, who claims to be his long-lost brother--even after it becomes clear that Lorenzo's story is as fake as a plastic Christmas tree.

Then a body turns up among the elves in a Santa's-workshop lawn display, and amateur sleuth Mia has a buffet of suspects to choose from. Amid the holiday celebrations, she intends to find out who's the guilty party. (Goodreads)

My Opinion: Between the family’s interactions and grandma’s slightly unfiltered mouth, the translation feature on my Kindle had a good workout. It wasn’t always essential since all grandmothers tend to give universal responses when people irritate them -- yet it was good to have for those interactions that could have gone either way.

I enjoyed all the characters the author brought to the table, which isn’t something you would expect when dealing with mafia families from Astoria, Queens. Granted, we shouldn’t judge, and most are good people just looking out for their businesses and the people they care for. Just an odd thing to think when laughing along with the antics of the Carina clan.

Do be prepared with the practice of bringing food, cookies, or pastries everywhere they go. This book will make you hungry. Not just a little hungry, I am talking google searching where you can pick up a cookie tray from an Italian Bakery, kind of hungry.

Femlandia

Title: Femlandia
Author: Christina Dalcher
Published: October 19th 2021 by Berkley Books
Format: Kindle, Hardover 336 Pages
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

First Sentence: Two men and a truck are all it takes to finish us. The last of our furniture disappears out the front door and into the dark cavern of the bailiff's trailer. It's my bed, the one I shared with Nick for almost twenty years, a queen-sized mattress now in the hands of two burly men with tattoos and ponytails.

Synopsis: A chilling look into an alternate near future where a woman and her daughter seek refuge in a women-only colony, only to find that the safe haven they were hoping for is the most dangerous place they could be.

Miranda Reynolds always thought she would rather die than live in Femlandia. But that was before the country sank into total economic collapse and her husband walked out in the harshest, most permanent way, leaving her and her sixteen-year-old daughter with nothing. The streets are full of looting, robbing, and killing, and Miranda and Emma no longer have much choice—either starve and risk getting murdered, or find safety. And so they set off to Femlandia, the women-only colony Miranda's mother, Win Somers, established decades ago.

Although Win is no longer in the spotlight, her protégé Jen Jones has taken Femlandia to new heights: The off-grid colonies are secluded, self-sufficient, and thriving—and Emma is instantly enchanted by this idea of a safe haven. But something is not right. There are no men allowed in the colony, but babies are being born—and they're all girls. Miranda discovers just how the all-women community is capable of enduring, and it leads her to question how far her mother went to create this perfect, thriving, horrifying society. (Goodreads)

My Opinion: An intense novel, boarding too closely to reality. Dystopic novels use the ten percent rule. Give a person only ten percent reality, and then you can twist the remaining 90% any way you wish. That is what Christina Dalcher has done. She shows us a ten percent window of what is going on now -- food shelves emptying, financial decline, social media under government control, community chaos, jobs taken from one and given to another, and boom, the line is baited. Enter a charismatic leader flaunting a misandrist utopia where those who need a new path will quickly jump aboard. But with all utopia’s, there is a darker side; this is where the author shines.

I’ve enjoyed her previous books, Vox and Masterclass, and I knew I was in for a wild ride; I was not disappointed. Like her previous novels, this will stay with me for a while. The ten percent rule opens the door just wide enough to imagine the all too real possibilities.

A Fatal Fall

Title: A Fatal Fall
Author: Matthew Costello, Neil Richards
Published: May 4th 2015 by Bastei Entertainment
Format: Kindle, 114 pages
Genre: Mystery
Series: Cherringham #15

First Sentence: Dylan McCabe spun the wheel of the mini-dumper truck and reversed out of the frozen mud onto the gravel track.

Synopsis: Dylan McCabe - a livewire Irish labourer on a rushed Cherringham building project - has been making noises about the site's lack of safety. When he's discovered dead after a fall, it seems that Dylan's own warnings were all too true. That is- until Jack and Sarah get involved, and suddenly what looks like an accident becomes a case of cold-blooded murder. With a festive Cherringham Christmas just days away, Jack and Sarah set out to find the culprit. But soon they find their own lives being threatened too. (Goodreads)

My Opinion: Another quick outing with Jack and Sarah. This time, the reader knows there is no such thing as a simple construction site accident when this investigating duo is called in. With a couple twists and turns, and a few deceptions, the reader is quickly back in the mix and all too soon realizes feigned concern is nothing more than a ruse.

Mulled to Death

Title: Mulled to Death
Author: Kate Lansing
Published: October 5th 2021 by Berkley Books
Format: Kindle, Paperback, 304 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Colorado Wine Mystery #3

First Sentence: Snowflakes settle on the mirror outside my passenger side window.

From the Publisher: When Parker Valentine decides to take a weekend getaway with her boyfriend Reid, a ski trip seems like the perfect choice. Between hitting the slopes and persuading the resort’s wine director to sell her mulled wine, Parker is eager to mix business with pleasure. But her plans are muddled when she finds the resort owner’s body on a treacherous portion of ski trail near the resort.

As a result, not only is Parker’s romantic weekend thrown into chaos, but now that the owner has died, her business deal is due for a frosty reception, and her life might be in danger as well. After a series of unfortunate mishaps befall Parker, she realizes that whoever killed the resort owner might want to tie up loose ends. Parker’s going to need all of the investigative skills at her disposal to catch a killer before they put her on ice. (Penguin)

My Opinion: I am still not sold on this series. For me, there is too much atmosphere description which is not necessary since the reader can fill it in for themselves. The plotting is slow, and Parker Valentine, the owner of a wine label and tasting room in Boulder, Colorado, is way too obsessed with her boyfriend and comes across like a teenager instead of the adult she is supposed to be. Unfortunately, I find her friend Sage more interesting than her.

Kate Lansing needs to bring more dimension to Parker, tone down the crushing on the boyfriend, and maybe spend less time describing the room and more time creating suspense.

A Body at the Alter

Title: A Body at the Alter
Author: Dee MacDonald
Published: October 18th 2021 by Bookouture
Format: Kindle, 272 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Kate Palmer Novel #4

First Sentence: If you were going to get married in a quaint old Cornish church, on a glorious autumn day, you couldn’t do better than this, Kate Palmer reckoned, looking around the interior of St Piran’s.

From the Publisher: Jilted grooms, sudden deaths, broken hearts and threatening letters. All in a day’s work for super sleuth Kate Palmer!

Nurse Kate Palmer thought the pretty Cornish village of Tinworthy would be the perfect place for a peaceful retirement. She couldn’t have been more wrong! But even she is shocked when she attends a beautiful wedding at St. Pirin’s Church and the handsome groom drops dead in front of her very eyes.

While the rest of the wedding party panics, Kate notices the strange behaviour of the not-so-blushing bride and the posh mother-in-law – and vows to find out the truth behind the poor young man’s sudden demise. Especially when the new detective Charlotte Martin makes it known that she doesn’t want Kate involved – and also shows an interest in Woody Forrest, Kate’s partner in crime-solving.

Undeterred, Kate discovers this isn’t the only wedding to have been sabotaged. A series of peculiar letters contain the clues Kate needs to get to the heart of the matter. But is the mystery letter writer behind the unusual deaths? Or is more than one person responsible for the strange goings on in the seaside village…

As Kate digs deeper, she adds more suspects to her growing list: the world-weary vicar, the unlucky-in-love cleaner and the bride’s former flame. But, as a pair of boots bring Kate closer to the killer, it becomes clear their investigation has placed Woody in danger.

Can Kate solve the murder and save the man she loves at the same time? (Goodreads)

My Opinion: I adore Kate Palmer, a middle-aged local nurse in the Cornish village of Tinworthy, not obsessed with bouncing curls and the usual dramas all too familiar with the typical 20-something woman found in a predictable cozy mystery. Then again, I’m not even sure this would be considered a cozy. Sure, there is a dog and a retired, but working, detective boyfriend. There is a small town and a small business; ok, it falls within the general cozy category, but in a way, it is different.

The reader will see in the widowed and deliberately single Kate a delightful but not unexpected surprise. When there is a jolt in a relationship, it can shift the picture, and Kate has had an upset that has put everything into a new perspective.

The Secret of Combe Castle

Title: The Secret of Combe Castle
Author: Matthew Costello, Neil Richards
Published: April 6th 2015 by Bastei Entertainment
Format: Kindle, 109 pages
Genre: Short Story / Mystery
Series: Cherringham #14

First Sentence: Oswald FitzHenry was about to pull off his wellies, still slimy wet.

From the Publisher: When the penniless FitzHenrys, proprietors of the rundown Combe Castle Heritage Site, find themselves victims of a threatening campaign to oust them from their ancestral home, Jack and Sarah are called in to track down the culprit. But nothing is what it seems at this castle - from the curious and unnerving waxwork displays of the 'Odditorium' to the in-laws and neighbors who can't wait to see the last of aristocratic couple. Soon Jack and Sarah discover that truth is often stranger than fiction, and in Combe Castle things do indeed go bump in the night. (Goodreads)

My Opinion: A quick trip back to Cherringham to check in with Jack and Sarah always seems to hit the spot. The 100+ page short stories are just enough for a quiet evening, weekend, or in between other books.

As I continue to say, there should be more of a following for this series. New readers should start at the beginning since the writing team occasionally references a previous investigation that may be unfamiliar and would be confusing as to what is going on if they hadn’t.