A pleasant read. Victorian-era mystery. Inspector Witherspoon has no idea he's only solving crimes because of his housekeeper, staff, friends, and conA pleasant read. Victorian-era mystery. Inspector Witherspoon has no idea he's only solving crimes because of his housekeeper, staff, friends, and constable's help. ...more
A pleasant mystery set in Scotland. I liked the characters, and the premise of these four women taking ownership of a bookstore with soon-to-come tearA pleasant mystery set in Scotland. I liked the characters, and the premise of these four women taking ownership of a bookstore with soon-to-come tearoom and bed and breakfast sounds like the beginning of a good series. I'll look for book 2. ...more
This is one wild ride, and at times I felt like the nonstop action was over the top. It's a good story though, romantic suspense partly set in beautifThis is one wild ride, and at times I felt like the nonstop action was over the top. It's a good story though, romantic suspense partly set in beautiful St. Lucia and partly in beautiful Florida.
I liked the characters. They're authentic. What I most appreciated was the faith element, specifically in relation to 1) identity: what it means to be a child of the King, and 2) grief: being honest with God about our pain, disappointment, anger, etc. Both of these emerge organically from the characters' experiences.
My copy was free via the author's website (through Book Funnel). I don't know if it's the same as the one available through Amazon--maybe it wasn't updated. There are a lot of copyediting issues. But it's a feel-good (and tense!) story that's worth a read for the characters and what they learn about themselves and about God....more
June inspires readers to root for her as she stands up to expectations (a widow needs a new man to take care of her) and to the accepted racism of 191June inspires readers to root for her as she stands up to expectations (a widow needs a new man to take care of her) and to the accepted racism of 1919. There were some things I wasn't sure about, historically: occasional words in dialogue and her inability to light a wood stove for cooking (she had to grow up with some kind of woodstove in the family home, surely?). Aside from that, the mystery was engaging and I found myself enjoying how the author gave a realistic-feeling look at how the Black characters and the character with disabilities experienced their world. This came out in part through the subplot of June's founding of a troop of Girl Scouts....more
If you like British-based police procedurals, unconventional detectives, down-to-earth characters, and plenty of bird sightings, the Birder Murder MysIf you like British-based police procedurals, unconventional detectives, down-to-earth characters, and plenty of bird sightings, the Birder Murder Mystery series is for you. This particular mystery will take you to rural England and to Antarctica.
In England: A disciplinary suspension bars DCI Dominic Jejeune from involvement in any active cases. Not that there’s much going on except someone setting a few fires. Well, until they find a body.
In Antarctica: A research scientist is murdered.
Dominic gains access to the local research centre connected with the dead scientist. From the reports and sporadic contact with the expedition’s leader, he begins to trace the clues.
But when his findings become linked with arson at the local research centre, he’s skirting dangerously close to breaking the terms of his suspension.
This is book 7 in the Birder Murder Mystery series. Each novel’s mystery is complete. A reader new to the series starting here would be able to follow the plot but would miss the nuances that have built over time between the characters. It’s a series worth reading from the beginning, so I suggest you start with A Siege of Bitterns.
I love the loyalty that’s grown among these characters, and the descriptions of the natural settings. Like this one:
It had rained earlier that morning, a fine mist so gentle it had settled on the stalks of the grasses without bowing them. (p. 202, Chapter 29)
I also appreciate the way each book touches on details of environmental issues (in an organic way, never feeling like an agenda or a lesson).
Award-winning author Steve Burrows is a UK-born, Canadian-based writer with a long history of experience in the birding world. For more about the author and his work, visit steveburrows.org.
She left high-pressure city life behind and is now part-owner of a maple syrup farm in Michigan and a partner in a small-town law firm. She’s also a wShe left high-pressure city life behind and is now part-owner of a maple syrup farm in Michigan and a partner in a small-town law firm. She’s also a wife and expectant mother—and an amateur sleuth with a knack for digging out the truth.
There weren’t supposed to be any new cases for Nicole Fitzhenry-Dawes-Cavanagh to tackle before her baby’s birth. But when a man shows up at her office covered in blood, with no idea what happened, she knows he’s going to need a defense attorney.
Nicole only represents innocent clients. How can she be sure he’s telling the truth?
And how did we get to 13 books in the Maple Syrup Mysteries series? I’ve enjoyed them all.
This series is written for a mainstream audience. As such, although Nicole and her husband are Christians there’s not an overt faith thread. In this novel, I appreciated watching her wrestle with one of the murder suspects being a priest.
She can’t dismiss the possibility of his guilt, but she doesn’t want to be one of those people who look at church scandals and automatically assume the worst. Because of her faith—and her experience with believers who sometimes do wrong but who often are simply misunderstood—she’s glad to be the one pursuing this investigation because she can approach it with more sensitivity.
Stumped is a strong ending to an engaging series. The Maple Syrup Mysteries are cleverly plotted, the characters have depth, and there’s enough quirky humour to make me smile.
I’d encourage anyone new to the series to start at the beginning and follow the characters and their relationships. You can get a free ebook copy of the prequel, Sapped, at the author’s website by signing up for her newsletter. Here’s the link: .
Emily James is also the author of the Cupcake Truck Mysteries and the Cat and Mouse Whodunits. There’s at least one other author with the same name, so to see more about this Emily James and her work, it’s best to visit her website at authoremilyjames.com....more
A very satisfying police procedural. This one's more thriller and high-stakes puzzle than mystery. Who can be trusted? Who can't? The danger may come A very satisfying police procedural. This one's more thriller and high-stakes puzzle than mystery. Who can be trusted? Who can't? The danger may come from the very top. Essentially, Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste are on their own.
I'm very fond of the series characters, and it was good to be back with them and back in Three Pines although much of the action happens elsewhere. I'm grateful this story didn't hinge on dark and sordid personal backstories but instead on plots and machinations. That didn't make it an easy read--there are plots to unravel, questionable motives, and the premise and political climate are disturbingly plausible.
Give yourself time to read the last quarter of the book in one sitting. And as always with this series: language warning. ...more
A fun Christmas mystery, set in New England. I hadn't read the previous books, but this worked fine as a stand-alone. Interesting characters, and I liA fun Christmas mystery, set in New England. I hadn't read the previous books, but this worked fine as a stand-alone. Interesting characters, and I liked the cat cafe although not much story time was spent there. Definitely lots of cats, though, which was a good thing. The focus on helping a feral cat community (unwanted by many of the wealthy homeowners) was enlightening....more
A clever book with a funny tone. I liked how the narrator talked to the reader, and as a writer I liked all the writerly talk about plotting etc. GreaA clever book with a funny tone. I liked how the narrator talked to the reader, and as a writer I liked all the writerly talk about plotting etc. Great to read a book set in Australia, a place I've always wanted to visit. The language only had a few cringe-worthy utterances, and despite the murders it wasn't really graphic. Personally, I found some of the backstories a bit dark even though nothing was explicit. And some of these characters had known one another long enough that the interpersonal bitterness had grown strong. Because it was so well (yet subtly) portrayed, I finished with an unsettled feeling that spoiled the pleasure of most of the narrative. Most people would enjoy it without any issue....more
With the subtitle, “A Lady Hardcastle Mystery,� we know the quiet life won’t materialize as intended. Emily and Flo quickly find a body and insert theWith the subtitle, “A Lady Hardcastle Mystery,� we know the quiet life won’t materialize as intended. Emily and Flo quickly find a body and insert themselves into the investigation.
They’re a fun pair of protagonists (the narration is from Flo’s point of view) with some definitely atypical behaviours and conventions. Although they try to maintain proper employer-employee conventions in public, in private they eat together and banter like the good, long-term friends they are. And this may have been intended as retirement, but we learn near the end of the book that Lady H is only around 40. Flo is likely a little younger.
This is a gently-paced, light-hearted look at historical British country life of the period, with the refreshing take that these two characters bring it.
It’s always a treat to discover a new series to follow, and I expect to read one of the Lady Hardcastle mysteries every so often until I catch up. I think they’re on book 11 now (plus there’s a bonus book 3.5).
T. E. Kinsey is the British author of two series of historical mysteries, the Lady Hardcastle Mysteries (1908) and the Dizzy Heights Mysteries (1925). For more about him and his work, visit tekinsey.uk. And if you visit the "about" page on his site, you’ll find brief bios not only of the author himself but of Lady Hardcastle and Flo. Well worth the read—then go pick up book 1 in the series ...more
Satisfying conclusion to an enjoyable series. This one's a good mystery in its own right, and it wraps up the ongoing series threads. I've enjoyed theSatisfying conclusion to an enjoyable series. This one's a good mystery in its own right, and it wraps up the ongoing series threads. I've enjoyed these characters. Because of the ongoing threads, although a reader could start with this book, it would be better to start at the beginning and watch it all play out.
Merged review:
Satisfying conclusion to an enjoyable series. This one's a good mystery in its own right, and it wraps up the ongoing series threads. I've enjoyed these characters. Because of the ongoing threads, although a reader could start with this book, it would be better to start at the beginning and watch it all play out....more
I’ve been enjoying this clean cozy mystery series. Something I specifically liked about this book is the way Nicole, in trying to read people, occasioI’ve been enjoying this clean cozy mystery series. Something I specifically liked about this book is the way Nicole, in trying to read people, occasionally could relate an aspect of her own experience to theirs. Despite her initial assumptions, she discovered their situations and reactions were far different than her own. I thought it was a good life insight not to jump to conclusions.
Because it's book 11 in the series, a reader starting here won't know some of the names or backstories. That much recapping would bog down the story....more
Plots and twists, action, mystery, danger, and gorgeous scenery. Oh, and birds. This one has DCI Domenic Jejeune in Canada searching for his brother, Plots and twists, action, mystery, danger, and gorgeous scenery. Oh, and birds. This one has DCI Domenic Jejeune in Canada searching for his brother, their friend Traz on a road trip through the US, and the UK constabulary handling a murder case without Jejeune while Sergeant Danny Maik keeps a lookout for the ex-con who had a grudge against Jejeune.
This book has too many well-crafted lines to quote here, but I appreciated them all. There were aspects of the ending, and of its delivery, that annoyed me, but overall this is still a solid 5-star....more
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