Tag: mystery

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

REVIEW: Falling for You by Becky Wade

REVIEW: Falling for You by Becky Wade

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Willow is a world renown super model on sabbatical, working at her family’s inn. It’s a temporary gig while a new manager makes the transition into the job, but it’s perfectly timed. Willow is feeling burned out from her fast paced life. She’s looking forward to quiet time with her sisters and time out of the spotlight.

Corbin was a stud on the football field – before his injury. But his career is over, so he’s going to kick off his retirement with a lot of physical therapy and some remodeling therapy by fixing up an old house with his dad. Corbin needs a project to occupy his time, and it will help him keep an eye on his dad who has cancer.

Four years ago, a series of choices led Willow and Corbin to break up. Willow is still heart broken when she thinks of the choices she made, and angry when she thinks of the choices Corbin made. She’d prefer to never see Corbin again. But Corbin’s niece, Charlotte, is a huge fan. And she is convinced that Willow is the person who can help her solve a 40-year-old family mystery. So when Charlotte asks Willow to help her, Willow can’t help but say yes. She has no idea, though, that Charlotte has made Corbin part of the team as well. This means Willow is now stuck in regular contact with the man who broke her heart.

Review

I struggled to figure out if this story wanted to be a romance or a mystery. While I think it was stronger on the romance side, I feel like the story suffered from a minor identity crisis. It tried to be both at once, and it wasn’t all I hoped for on either side.  The mystery was interesting. I love cold case stories. It was odd to have a football player and a model trying to dig into it, though. The characters acknowledged that oddity, which helped. But they uncovered a lot of big things pretty easily. As a seasoned mystery reader, it felt all too simple. And the mystery pieces at times got in the way of the flow of the romance, interfering with my enjoyment of the story just on that level.

The sign of a great Christian fiction book for me is that reading it becomes a spiritual experience. If it connects me to God or it prompts me to examine my own spiritual life, I feel like the story works from a faith perspective. This book just did not click for me on that spiritual level. The spiritual pieces were okay – I just didn’t feel like the integration was as smooth as I have found in some other stories. This aspect of the story wasn’t “bad,” but wasn’t all it could have been for me as a reader.

I liked the characters. This is a second book in a series about Willow and her sisters. I haven’t read book one, but that didn’t impact my understanding of this story. I am intrigued by the story line for book one and might consider giving it a try. The chemistry between Willow and Corbin, and the situation with Corbin’s dad saved the story for me and kept me engaged to the end. I cared about how they were going to deal with their history, and I found the ending satisfying.

Thanks to the folks at Netgalley and Bethany House for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Andy Carpenter is a defense lawyer retrying an old case at the urging of his father. Some issues have come to light that get the original trial thrown out.

What’s odd is that Andy’s dad was the District Attorney who prosecuted the original case. Andy’s not sure why his dad wanted him to re-try it. And now that his dad has died, he’s not available to ask.

Adding to the “odd” factor is a photo of four young men that Andy finds hidden at his father’s house. Andy recognizes his father and one other man in the photo – a man connected to his retrial.

Why did Andy’s father hide this innocuous-looking picture?  Does it have anything to do with the unexpected millions Andy inherited?  Is it a coincidence that one of the men in the photo is part of Andy’s case?

Whatever’s going on, Andy and his team will have to work fast to figure it out. Someone wants Andy to back off – either from the case or with his questions about the photo – and their threats start escalating.

Review

After reading five books from the end of this series, I decided to start at the beginning with book one and see how everything started.

Since this is the start of the series, the ensemble I love from the latter books isn’t in place yet. This changed the tone of the book for me. While there’s still a lot of great dry humor, the fun interplay between characters wasn’t quite there in this book.

The mystery is great. The evidence against Andy’s client is tremendous. There’s a reason he was found guilty the first time. Andy himself spends a lot of the story feeling like he might not pull this off. The pieces twist together to a satisfying conclusion.

My rating for this is lower than what I have given to the others in this series. And that’s entirely due to the comparison to Rosenfelt’s later work. Without the full ensemble, I just didn’t enjoy this one as much as I have the rest of the series. The books just get better and better!

I’m glad I went back to book one to see how it all began. By now, I have worked through the entire series to see how the team comes together to become the ensemble I love. Every book in this series is a terrific, intricate mystery.  New books in this series are must reads for me! I highly recommend this entire series.

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Charlie and Frog by Karen Kane

REVIEW: Charlie and Frog by Karen Kane

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Charlie Tickler wishes his parents were a little more “normal.” They often leave him with a nanny so they can go to far flung places to help exotic animals. This time, they’re off to help the Giant Golden Moles in South Africa. And they’ve left Charlie with his grandparents.

Charlie’s grandparents may stay at home most of the time – generally watching TV all day – but they aren’t a lot better than Charlie’s folks. They tend to forget about him. They are resistant to anything that would take them away from the TV programs, like playing with Charlie or taking him somewhere. Thanks to the four most important people in Charlie’s life, he feels pretty unwanted.

But in his new temporary home of Castle-on-the-Hudson, Charlie finds a purpose. He meets an elderly Deaf woman, Aggie, at the library, and she seems to be worried about something. Before Charlie can figure out what’s wrong, Aggie has disappeared, and some strangers show up looking for her.

The librarian suggests Charlie find “Frog” at the Flying Hands Cafe to help him figure out the sign language Aggie had used before she disappeared. Soon, Charlie, who is hearing, and Frog, who is Deaf, are working together to solve the mystery

Review

This was delightful! There are three main layers to this story. First is the mystery. For me, this was the weakest part of the story. The mystery is pretty simple and is only solved when the kids finally get all the information they need from the adults at the end. It’s not something the reader can really puzzle out on his/her own.

The second layer is the Deaf/hearing/sign language piece. This was really cool. The author did a fantastic job conveying the conversations between characters without getting bogged down in sign descriptions every time. The descriptions were there often enough to inform the reader without negatively impacting the flow of the story. As a kid, I would have adored a book like this! I always wanted to learn sign and took some classes. This book would have been a perfect fit for me.

The third layer is Charlie, who longs to be noticed and wanted and valued by the people who should love him most. There are some lovely, powerful moments in the book that address this layer. I would have liked more. I think what’s there is appropriate for the larger story and the audience, but for Charlie’s sake I wanted more. Hopefully this piece will get more development in future books.

I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this are my own.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye

REVIEW: Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Ozzy was seven, his parents left New York and moved to a remote cabin in Oregon. Both of Ozzy’s parents were brilliant scientists – one in neuroscience and the other in psychology. Everything that remained of their lives out east was stacked in boxes in the small cabin.

One day when Ozzy was off playing by a stream, some men came to the cabin and took his parents. Ozzy came running when he heard his mother scream. But when he hid from the men, they left in him there. Alone in the woods.

For seven years Ozzy lived alone in the cabin with only a mechanical bird, Clark (one of his dad’s inventions), for company. He survived on the canned and dried food stockpiled in the basement. He entertained himself with all of the books and papers in the house. Thankfully his mother taught him to read at an early age. The academic papers were offset by fantasy novels like Harry Potter. And Ozzy had cassettes of his father’s work so he could hear his dad’s voice and remember when he had parents and felt safe and loved.

When Ozzy tries going to school in order to meet other people and access a computer to try and get information on his missing parents, it draws unwanted attention to his situation. Then a magazine ad gives him a great idea. He’ll hire a wizard to help him find his missing parents. Labyrinth – “Rin” – the wizard isn’t quite what Ozzy expected from Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, but if Rin can help him, that is all that matters.

Review

I can’t remember the last time I read such a spectacularly bizarre book. I loved every page! Ozzy’s story is fascinating. I was engrossed from the beginning. I had to know what would happen to this boy,  abandoned in the woods.

When  Clark the bird is discovered, Ozzy’s world widens quite a bit. They explore their surroundings, and Ozzy experiences school. I loved this part. He has a great reaction to this unfamiliar system, and he’s bright enough to pull it off for awhile.

Adding Rin to the story, though, kicks this into a whole other place. He says he’s a wizard, but Ozzy sees no evidence. Yet he is trusting and wants to believe Rin can help. And while Rin is quirky to the nth degree, he is honestly invested in helping Ozzy. And the people Rin pulls into Ozzy’s orbit are terrific parts of the story.

If the awesome and quirky characters aren’t enough, there’s the adventure of keeping Ozzy off the radar of the powers that be that will take him from his home “for his own good.” And on top of that is the mystery of what happened to Ozzy’s parents and what he might discover if he finds them.

All the pieces come together into a reading experience unlike anything I have had before. And I enjoyed every bit of it. This is a smart, funny, and engaging story. I highly recommend this for upper elementary and middle school readers, but I think this also would work for older teen readers who enjoy quirky and unusual characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Gone Gull by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Gone Gull by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Meg Langslow is teaching a blacksmithing class at her grandmother’s new Craft Center on Biscuit Mountain. Unfortunately the Center’s teachers and guests have been harassed by a vandal. Class studios and student work have been destroyed. Of course, Meg is called upon to ferret out the culprit.

Before she gets very far in her investigation, Meg stumbles across a dead body. Things aren’t looking good for Biscuit Mountain Craft Center.

Meg and her family aren’t going to let Cordelia’s dream die like this, though. They call in reinforcements – almost the entire extended family – to help. And the Langslow family is a force to be reckoned with!

Review

This is one of my favorite cozy series. I’m thrilled at how solid the stories are, even on the 21st book in the series.

Meg, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe, is a woman after my own heart. She’s smart. She has a crazy, humongous family, and she’s learned to leverage the personalities and strengths to her advantage.

The mysteries in this one were great. Both the vandalism situation and the murders were wrapped up with satisfying conclusions. The gull situation that spanned the whole book had a nice wrap up as well.

This was completely enjoyable from start to finish! Once readers are familiar with the various people in the series, I think these books can be read in any order. I would definitely start with book one, though – Murder with Peacocks – and read the first few in order so you can get to know the family and townspeople before you dive into the rest of the series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥