Tag: mystery

REVIEW: Hot Pursuit by Rebecca Freeborn

REVIEW: Hot Pursuit by Rebecca Freeborn

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Pantera Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sarah Burrowes is a former beautician with a degree in journalism looking for her big break. She has a column with a gossip magazine in Melbourne, but she can’t get her boss to give her a real story. If her career woes weren’t bad enough, her boyfriend left her with no explanation and a mortgage she can’t cover alone.

While at a club with friends, Sarah meets a musician who seems as down on his luck as she is. She heads to his hotel with him, but thoughts of her ex get in the way of her one night stand. Then the musician, Chris, gets a phone call that sends him fleeing from the hotel.

“Chris” is actually Chris Ford, the front man for The Fords. And the police think he may have killed the band’s bass player. Sarah manipulates her way into the story of her fledgling career. Soon she is off to Europe with an agency photographer – who’s also her ex’s best friend and a former one night stand. But Nick can be as nasty to her as he wants as long as she gets this story!

Review

This was a wild ride! I enjoyed the story but it got a little slow in the middle. The will-they-or-won’t-they with Nick the photographer was tiring at times. He was hot and cold with Sarah – volatile and cutting one moment and almost tender in another. Maybe if this was told from both perspectives, it would have softened his character into someone more appealing or sympathetic. Instead he was grating.

I enjoyed the mystery and adventure as well as Sarah’s determination to get this story no matter what. Overall this was fine, and I might read another book about Sarah in the future. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Christmas Remedy: An Amish Christmas Romance by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall

REVIEW: The Christmas Remedy: An Amish Christmas Romance by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and WaterBrook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lyle Greene’s pharmacy serves Raysburg and the Amish community in their region. It’s not a typical community when it comes to medical care. But Lyle knows and understands the Amish and works hard to help them.

When Holly’s dad passed away when she was a teen, it might have been prevented if her father – and the Amish community –  had a better understanding of medical care. That prompted Holly’s passion to educate her people and encourage them to show the same care to themselves that they do to their livestock. She gets permission from her bishop to go to school so she can work at the pharmacy. Sadly, her passion for her calling means she can’t ever marry an Amish man. She would have to give up her work and focus on a home and family instead. And she feels too strongly that God has given her this work to do to give it up.

Brandon Greene couldn’t wait to leave Raysburg as a young man. His relationship with his dad has been strained since his mom died, if not before.  And while Brandon’s road to becoming a pharmacist has hit some detours and roadblocks, he knows when he’s licensed, he’ll have his own store and run it the way his father has always discounted.

When Lyle has a health emergency, the future of Greene’s Pharmacy is in jeopardy. And Holly and Brandon may not be able to save it.

Review

This was a great book! The story takes place from October to Christmas, so it’s not quite the Christmas story I was expecting from the cover and the title. But there are some nice Christmas-related moments, and that is when everything finally comes together. If you are looking for a Christmas story to read as the season approaches, now is a perfect time to start this one because this is the time of year when the story kicks off. But really, you could read this at any time of year.

Lyle, Holly, Brandon, and Joshua (Holly’s potential love interest in the book) are delightful! I enjoyed watching Lyle and Holly together in almost a father-daughter relationship – and then watching Brandon’s reaction to that in light of his strained relationship with Lyle. Holly’s passion for her calling was inspiring. And she is willing to give up a lot personally to fill this role for her community. Joshua is a good sport, really hearing and understanding Holly even if it means he can’t pursue the relationship with her he wants.

This is a little bit mystery, and a little bit romance with a lot of solid Amish fiction at the center. And it’s terrific. I don’t usually read a lot of Amish fiction, but there have been some great books released this year in the genre. I highly recommend all of the ones I’ve reviewed this year, including this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Ra the Mighty, Cat Detective by Amy Butler Greenfield

REVIEW: Ra the Mighty, Cat Detective by Amy Butler Greenfield

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Ra is the Pharaoh’s Cat. He lives a pampered life poolside with all the snacks he could want. Cats are revered in Egyptian culture. So Ra is living the good life!

When a stray kitchen cat named Miu asks Ra to help her prove a young servant didn’t steal a priceless amulet, Ra is not interested. He has the pool and snacks! Why would he want to do anything  but nap? Ra’s companion, Khepri the scarab (dung beetle) and Miu convince Ra to help them find the girl who is in hiding in the palace. When they find Tedimut, the servant girl pours her heart out to Miu about what happened (cats are great listeners), and Ra decides, after hearing her story, to help.

Ra and Khepri move about the palace, listening to the human occupants talk about the crime. But the animal occupants – Aar the leopard, Ini and Ibi the turtledoves, and Bebi the baboon – are helpful informants, too. But can a lazy, pampered cat and a dung beetle really  solve a mystery in the palace? And if they do, how will they get the humans to understand what really happened?

Review

I loved this book! It’s marketed to the early chapter book crowd, but I feel like it’s really more of a young middle grade book. I think this will work for any elementary school kiddo who can handle the length of the book. The mystery is solid. There are a few possible suspects, and Ra and Khepri are fun detectives. I love how they figured out the solution AND were able to clue the humans in.

There are some classic detective schemes used in this one, including the clueless “detective” and the clever “assistant” who really does a lot of the mystery solving. Ra and Khepri make a great team, though. Khepri is insightful, smart and observant even if he is obsessed with dung. Ra wants to live up to his title as Pharaoh’s Cat, and he uses his access to the palace and his position to get them into all the places they need to go to solve the case. Miu is devoted to Tedimut, and she’s committed to doing what she can to save her.  And she knows just how to work Ra to help make that happen.

I loved this! I hope there are many more to come. The Egyptian history pieces, including an author’s note, give this great story an added layer of awesome. Highly recommend.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

REVIEW: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Monica knew it was probably a bad idea to hook up with a guy so much older than her. It didn’t take long to get pregnant. And even less time to end the pregnancy. And that’s what started it all. One time rifling through her step-father’s desk, looking for painkillers for the cramping. That’s when she found the letters. One for each year after her sister’s death. “It wasn’t him. Connect the dots.”

Five years ago, five cheerleaders died within weeks of each other. Two in a horrendous car accident. Two were murdered. And one committed suicide. Monica’s sister, Jen.

But the letters in her step-father’s desk call all of Monica’s assumptions into question. And finding Jen’s old cell phone stashed in the desk, too, raises new questions. Why would her step-father keep the old phone? Are there secrets on it that explain what might have caused five girls from the same squad to die so suddenly? Monica is determined to keep digging, no matter what, until she finds the truth.

Review

Wow! This was stunning. A start-to-finish read in the spirit of We Were Liars or One of Us Is Lying. Tightly plotted and suspenseful with fascinating characters. This is the sort of book that will hang with me, every time I see that cover.

My heart broke for Monica. She and her family are still grieving the loss of her sister – after the losses of four of her friends in tragic circumstances. Monica seems to be going through the motions of her life to the point of sleeping with this adult as maybe a way to shake things up. But her investigation takes over in a similar way, changing her behavior and her relationship with everyone around her. She’s desperate for answers, for the truth, and it’s compelling.

When all the pieces of the story were finally laid out in front of me, I was pleasantly stunned. I put pieces of it together, but the full picture was a satisfying surprise. This is an author I would read again.

(Lots of mature content in this one – suicide, statutory rape, abortion, etc., and some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay

REVIEW: Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It starts out like any other Crafternoon. Beth, the children’s librarian is dressed as the Pigeon. The book club has gathered to make a craft, eat great food, and talk about their book,  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. And they’re passing around Mary’s new baby. Well, Lindsey wasn’t holding the baby. She’s not a big baby person. She focuses on the scene outside the library so no one tries to hand little Josie to her. That’s why Lindsey sees the car speeding down Main Street and notices Theresa Huston start to step off the curb. Lindsey hears the car speed up and watches helplessly as it slams into Theresa and drives away.

It quickly becomes apparent that Theresa, who survives the accident with a badly broken leg, is in someone’s cross-hairs. Lindsey absolutely should NOT look into things on her own. She’s had too many close calls in the past. But when you watch the attack happen right in front of you, it’s hard to ignore the memory of the accident.

Review

Another great mystery from Jenn McKinlay! Lindsey and her boyfriend Sully are caught up in all the action as are police chief, Emma Plewicki and her boyfriend, Robby Vine. The rest of the series regulars play a background role in most of the story. It was nice to spend time with the familiar characters, but the emphasis of the story is really on the mystery, which is terrific.

I love that the emphasis this time was on preventing a murder rather than an increasing body count. I think it’s great when series authors change up the formula. The mystery was delightfully twisty! There was a balance of action and suspense and a reasonable amount of librarian-level detective work from Lindsey. It all comes together in a satisfying story from one of my favorite series.

This is book 9 in the Library Lover’s Mystery series. I’ve enjoyed all the books so far. The author has two other mystery series as well as a set of romances that I loved. You can read some of my reviews at the link above. Jenn McKinlay is one of the authors I buy automatically – and for good reason. She always delivers!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Copycat by Hannah Jayne

REVIEW: Copycat by Hannah Jayne

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Addison is one of the world’s biggest Gap Lake fans. The book series by R. J. Rosen completely captivated her from the first book. Addison’s blog, which started as a place to share her thoughts and theories as she read through the books, has become one of the larger fan sites for the series. Addi even writes her own fanfic on the site.

In advance of the next book’s release, Addi receives an email from the mysterious R. J. Rosen himself! He loves her site, and he wants her to be part of the pre-release marketing events for the book. He even sends her excerpts of the book to post on her blog.

When Addi and her best friend Maya stumble across a dead classmate at school, it’s obviously disturbing. But it’s even more troubling because of the parallels with the book excerpt Rosen sent Addi. His messages to Addi make her uncomfortable. Is her favorite author connected to this death? Or is there something even creepier going on?

Review

I recently read another book about a popular author and an “art imitates life” sort of connection to her readers, and it didn’t click for me. I was really disappointed. THIS is the sort of story I was expecting – the suspense, the twists, the mystery! This was far more satisfying.

There’s a lot of action and suspense in this. It builds slowly through the whole book. There are some nice twists and surprises. I could not figure out what was going on or what might happen next. I had to just enjoy the ride. The author/book tie-in was a great hook.

This wasn’t a strong character-driven story for me. The characters were fine but there weren’t any I loved and really clicked with. This was an action-driven story instead. Who had something to lose or gain? What could happen next to ramp up the danger? This was a great suspenseful story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Trinity Episcopal Church is an important part of the Caerphilly community and an important place for Meg Langslow and her family. So when their priest goes on maternity leave, Meg of course jumps in to help. Armed with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe, Meg is ready to corral obstinate vestry members, supervise a parishioner’s toucan, and keep the church and grounds locked and secured.

Despite the best efforts of Meg and her team, however, someone breaks into the crypt (columbarium), removes some of the cremains from their niches, and bashes one of the more tiresome vestry members on the head.

It seems as though the niches that were disturbed had some connection to an unsolved jewelry heist. Mrs. Beatrice van der Lynden reportedly staged a heist with her son for the insurance money. But the college guys they planned to use ran into some real criminals trying to get in on the job. In the end, two men were dead and the jewels disappeared. Meg can’t see how the dead vestry member ties into the jewelry case, but her specialty is asking questions. She might be surprised by what she uncovers this time.

Review

This is the 23rd book in the delightful Meg Langslow mystery series. Meg is one of my favorite book characters, and she doesn’t disappoint this time.

I love this series for its quirky and eccentric characters. This book introduces some new ones who were a lot of fun. Donna Andrews does an amazing job of building a community I love while not sacrificing the core mystery in each book.

The mystery in this one is good. The contemporary crime ties into a cold case which opens up some interesting investigation options.

I loved the church setting for a lot of the book. There’s no preaching or moralizing that might put off a non-religious reader. But the characters connected to the church – Robyn the priest, Dr. Womble, and the rest – were fun. My favorite part of the whole book was the wrap up piece at the church at the end. There is even a moment there that brought tears to my eyes. It’s a lovely scene in a fantastic story in a series I love.

If you haven’t read any of the Meg Langslow books before, start with the first few (Murder with Peacocks, then Murder with Puffins and then Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos) to get the characters in mind. After that the order probably doesn’t matter. Book 24, Lark! The Herald Angels Sing releases in October, 2018.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Quid Pro Quo by Vicki Grant

REVIEW: Quid Pro Quo by Vicki Grant

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Orca Book Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Cyril MacIntyre likes to say he started law school when he was ten years old.  That was how old he was when his mom started night school, and she couldn’t afford to get a sitter. So he quizzed her for her tests and ran to get her materials from the library. When she finally graduated, he was almost as proud of her as she was of herself.

But Andy MacIntyre is brusque and abrasive and loud. She had a hard time finding a job. Eventually she became an “articling student” for a local lawyer who was always trying to help the underdogs. It’s a perfect place for Andy. She and Cyril are finally pulling things together for a more positive life.

Then Byron shows up. He pushes Andy’s buttons worse than anyone Cyril has ever met. And he holds something over Andy’s head because she let him move into Cyril’s room but she never wanted Cyril to talk to him. Just when Cyril starts doing some investigating into Byron and his history with Andy, they both disappear. Cyril is alone. He knows if he calls the police he’ll end up in foster care, so he’ll just have to solve the mystery on his own.

Review

This was a great mystery! Cyril is a smart, resourceful kid. He really has to work to get all of the pieces to come together. Some of the clues – like Andy’s notes – can be puzzled out by the reader. The legal terms at the start of every chapter are a great way to convey information and keep the theme of the story going.

Andy is a pretty rough-around-the-edges parent. She’s aggressive and foulmouthed (although all her swearing is bleeped out in the book), but underneath it all you know she loves Cyril and wants to do right by him.

I’d recommend this for older middle grade readers – middle school age – due to the bleeped out swearing, the older protagonist (Cyril is 13 or 14 – the ARC was inconsistent on his age), and some components of the mystery. This will be great for kids who love a first rate mystery and those who want to be a lawyer some day.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Rescued by David Rosenfeld

REVIEW: Rescued by David Rosenfeld

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When a body is found in a truck full of over 60 dogs, Andy Carpenter is called in. Andy’s foundation rescues dogs in danger of being euthanized and finds them forever homes. The Tara Foundation will take in the dogs, care for them, and get them adopted. The body in the truck is not Andy’s problem.

Except it is. The man who killed Kenny Zimmer is at Andy’s house. Dave Kramer is Andy’s wife, Laurie’s, ex. They’ve stayed in touch, and she says Andy is the best defense attorney. And Dave needs the best. He admits to killing Zimmer, but says it was self-defense. Zimmer tried to take him out with a knife so Kramer shot him.

Kramer and Zimmer have a history which doesn’t look good for Kramer. Even worse, there’s no sign of a knife on the truck. It’s hard to prove self-defense without a weapon.

Review

This is the 17th book in the awesome Andy Carpenter mystery series. I have finally worked through all of the books in this terrific series, so now I get to enjoy the new ones as they are released (Deck the Hounds will be out in October!). I’ve even gotten my inlaws sold on this series thanks to the tightly written mysteries and the dogs present in every book.

As always, Andy and his team are great. No huge developments with the team this time – they all play their usual parts. I love Andy’s sarcasm and self-awareness and his interplay with the other members of his team.

The mystery in this one is quite intricate. Andy has the barest hint of a clue, and he and his team are able to pick away at the lies and alibis until they can ferret out the truth. And I was just along for the ride; I couldn’t figure this one out on my own.

I highly recommend this whole series to mystery fans. This is a little darker than a “cozy” series – more swearing and sometimes more violence. It’s mostly a court room series – the investigation is done outside but justice is often sorted out in the trial or shortly thereafter. The twisty mysteries keep me guessing and the terrific characters keep me chuckling and coming back for more. This is a keeper series for me!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert

REVIEW: Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It’s time for the Taylorsford annual Heritage Festival,  and librarian Amy Webber is hoping the library can have a successful fundraiser during the event. They’ve made arrangements to have several pieces of art from a local artist, Rachel LeBlanc, for sale. Ms. LeBlanc’s international reputation could help boost sales for the library.

When Amy and her boyfriend, Richard, go out to the LeBlanc’s to get the paintings, they find Rachel dead. Who would want to kill an artist? When the police find a stash of paintings that may be forgeries, it looks like the obvious motive.

All of the art news leaves Amy’s aunt, Lydia, thinking a lot of her deceased husband, Andrew, who was a painter. His work never caught on like he – and Lydia – always hoped. But it’s good enough to interest several of the locals.

When an art expert is brought in to help the police with the murder case, he is the perfect person to appreciate Andrew’s work. But an odd painting from Andrew’s collection raises forgery questions once more, and this time about Aunt Lydia’s beloved husband. Amy and Richard are drawn once again into a murder investigation. And they might not like what they find.

Review

This is book two in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, and it’s an excellent sequel to book one which I reviewed last year – and loved! The characters in this series are terrific. Amy and Richard are a solid and endearing couple. No love triangle here! The dynamic in Aunt Lydia’s marriage which is explored in this book was really interesting. The mysterious Kurt Kendrick is back, and we get a few more insights into his character as well. The author does a great job of developing these characters and relationships while still keeping the mystery front and center in the book.

And the mystery is good. There are lots of twists and hints throughout. I had to just read to the end to get the whys and whatfors to go with all of my suspicions.

I really enjoy this mystery series. Be sure to read these in order because this book shares details about the mystery in book one. If you don’t want a spoiler, read A Murder for the Books first. Book three will be out in early 2019 – Past Due for Murder – and I already having it on my reading list. This is a “keeper” series for me. I look forward to seeing what happens for Amy and Richard next.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½