Tag: mystery

REVIEW: One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Andy Carpenter is a defense attorney with no clients. Thanks to a large inheritance, Andy only has to work when he wants to – which is hardly ever. Something big has to draw him in.

Noah Galloway has been waiting for six years to be arrested. While he doesn’t remember setting the fire that killed 26 people, he thinks he might have done it during a drug-induced black out. He’s planning to plead guilty and serve his time.

Andy and Noah are connected. Noah once gave up his beloved dog. He knew he was barely taking care of himself; she deserved better.  So he gave her to a shelter and watched to see who picked her up. That person was Andy.

Tara is the best dog Andy’s ever known. And Noah is part of the reason Andy has her. So he starts to look into Noah’s situation. And soon he’s convinced that Noah is innocent.

Review

This is the second Andy Carpenter book I have read. I read The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, the 15th book in the series last year and I thought it was fantastic! This is book nine. I love that I can drop into this series anywhere without feeling lost!

Andy is a great character with a dry sense of humor. The team around him is quirky but competent. The quirky parts add to the fun and humor of the book.

This particular story has a lot of secondary characters. It can be hard to keep them all straight early on as the story is setting up. The mystery is fascinating. The reader knows the plotting and scheming going on but doesn’t know WHY everything is happening.

This is more of a traditional adult mystery than my usual cozy reads. There’s a little more violence or description of the violence. And there’s some language.

I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series including book 16, Collared,  which will release later this summer.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Double Down by Gwenda Bond

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Double Down by Gwenda Bond

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lois Lane and the other teens at the Daily Planet’s “Scoop” are back. Maddy’s twin sister is having weird out-of-body kinds of feelings. They seem to be related to a scientific study she participated in  two years ago for some extra money. The scientist there had told her to let him know if she had any issues. But the lab where she did the experiment has disappeared.

At the same time, James’ dad is home from prison. He’s supposed to be monitored at his home, but he was seen at City Hall during an incident. How could he be in two places at once? Lois’ nose for news tells her there’s more going on with the ex-mayor than anyone realizes.

As if that wasn’t enough, Strange Skies, the online “strange occurrences” message board where Lois met SmallvilleGuy has been infiltrated. Someone says they can guarantee sightings of the flying man who once saved Lois and her dad.

Lois, SmallvilleGuy and the rest of the teens will have to figure out who they can trust if there’s any chance of saving Maddy’s sister, James’ dad and Strange Skies!

 

Review

GREAT mystery/adventure story! Just as good as Fall Out. Lois is such a smart, tough and brave character. I loved seeing her new friendships grow in this book. Devin had a smaller role in this story, but I’m hoping to see more of him in book three. The SmallvilleGuy piece is a fun thread throughout the series, but he’s still a somewhat mysterious factor in Lois’ life.

There are three main mysteries/plots in play during the book and each one is strong. They differ in scale and level of danger, but each one fits perfectly into the larger whole. There are references to the mystery in the first book in the series, but I think a reader could start with this book and still be able to piece together what’s going on. Some of the interpersonal issues might be confusing at the beginning, though.

The author does a great job of keeping the reader aware that these are teenagers. Lois has an interesting relationship with her school principal. She tries to maintain a positive relationship with her little sister. She works to walk the line between pursing her stories and staying on the right side of her parents and her curfew. Her editor treats her with respect, but also as a teen, still learning and still responsible to her parents.

Book three is out now, Triple Threat. It is definitely on my TBR list!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Alien Education by Gini Koch

REVIEW: Alien Education by Gini Koch

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Kitty Katt-Martini has defeated alien monsters, foiled evil genius plots, and taken out the Mastermind, the man behind years of take-over-the-world schemes. She’s been head diplomat for the A-Cs, an alien race living on Earth for decades. She’s the First Lady of the United States and Queen Regent of Earth for the Annocusal Royal Family. She has tremendous skills.

You’d think dealing with the PTA president at her kids’ new school would be easy after all that!

With the Mastermind gone, Kitty gets to do some normal mom stuff, like get involved in her kids’ new school. And she does FLOTUS stuff like celebrate the opening of the Intergalactic School. Sadly, though, the Mastermind wasn’t the only enemy Kitty had. There’s still plenty of bad press to spin as well as robot and android plots, not to mention murder attempts and terrorist attacks, to thwart. And don’t even mention the PTA bake sale! But Kitty is just the woman to handle it all! She’ll just do what she always does – go with “the crazy.”

Review

This was a whirlwind read! I completely blew off sleep to plow through this as fast as possible. I know I will read it again very soon in order to go more slowly and catch all the details. For my first read, though, I just want to know what happens as soon as possible.

Once again, Kitty has a secret nemesis. I love trying to work through the hints and clues in an effort to catch who it might be (no clue after my first read). I was close on my Mastermind guess several years ago. I had it narrowed down to two people, and one was right. I’m excited about puzzling out this new secret.

Lots of new players introduced in this book. I’m not sure yet who will end up being a big player and what side everyone will end up on. But that’s part of the fun of this series. My favorite new characters are the kids who either are new or who get expanded roles in this story! Can’t wait to read more about them.

The other parts of the fun of this series for me are the humor and the action – and this book has both in spades. There’s very little down time in the story and many things are introduced but not resolved, pushing the reader forward to the next book in the series, Aliens Abroad, releasing in December 2017. I already have mine pre-ordered!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Fall Out by Gwenda Bond

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Fall Out by Gwenda Bond

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lois Lane and her family have moved to Metropolis. Her dad hopes a more permanent post might give Lois some stability. And it is Lois’ intention to stay out of trouble at her new school. For once.

But that commitment to keep her head down and do what her dad expects goes right out the window when Lois sees a student being bullied. The principal ignores it. Actually says bullying helps toughen kids up and makes them prepared for the real world.

So Lois uses her job as a student reporter for the Daily Planet’s teen online newspaper to report what she’s seeing and hearing. Before long, everything blows up in her face – she’s grounded and threatened with military school, her friend has been sucked in by the bullies, and another friend is in danger.

If the powers that be think a little turmoil is going to get Lois Lane to back down, they really don’t understand her at all!

Review

Such a FUN take on the Lois Lane/Superman story! In this case, they are teens and only know each other online. Lois has no idea who SmallvilleGuy really is but the reader gets to enjoy little nods to the Clark Kent/Superman character.

Lois is fantastic. She’s like some of my favorite teen characters – Tess from The Fixer or Lizzie from Gini Koch’s Alien series. She has no tolerance for bullies or injustice. She’s willing to deal with the personal consequences of doing the right thing. The cast around her is great. I can’t wait to read book 2 and get to know them better.

The mystery is good. It’s bullying on the surface but much more underneath. There’s a supernatural/X-files-ish tone to it that was interesting and unexpected. The ending is satisfying but several loose ends remain which may come into play in future stories.

Great mystery. Smart, strong characters. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series. Book 2 is Double Down. Book 3 is Triple Threat.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell

REVIEW: Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Olivia Greyson owns The Gingerbread House, a store that specializes in cookies and cookie cutters. When her mentor, Clarisse, dies, Livie doesn’t think it was an accident.

Fortunately, a few things start happening that clue the police into the possibility that Clarisse was murdered. Unfortunately, those things also make Livie look like the culprit. Can antique cookie cutters, internet research, and some family and friends help Livie catch a killer?

Review

This is the first book in this series that is now 6 books long. The main characters – Livie and Maddie – are fun. They balance each other out in their business, but work well together in investigating.

I enjoyed the mystery. The first part of the book focused on determining if the death was an accident or not. When murder seemed likely, the focus shifted to alibis and motives. I did not figure out the killer before it was revealed; I focused on one of the other suspects instead so the end was a nice surprise.

The theme – cookies and cookie cutters – was unusual. There are no recipes in this book. I think there are plenty of culinary mysteries with recipes. This one doesn’t NEED them, but I think they would have tied in well. Cookie cutters, though, were the real emphasis. Maybe some history notes or details about antique cutters or something might have made a  fun addition to support the theme.

I’m looking forward to trying another book from this series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: We Wish You a Murderous Christmas by Vicki Delany

REVIEW: We Wish You a Murderous Christmas by Vicki Delany

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Rudolph, New York is Christmas Town. And in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the holiday spirit is growing. But a rude business man, called in to help in a family emergency, is ruining the Christmas Spirit as he talks of selling out to a big box store or a chain hotel, destroying the Christmas theme the town has worked so hard to develop.

So there is no shortage of possible culprits when the man is found dead. It could be his wife who was eager to throw around blame on others but didn’t shed a tear at the loss. It could be the chef he threatened to fire or the baker he cut out of a large contract. But the police department’s favorite suspect is the town’s Santa Clause – Merry’s dad. There’s no way Merry is going to let her dad’s reputation – and her town’s future – be smeared by this murder! If the police won’t find the real killer, maybe Merry will.

 

Review

This is the second book in the Year Round Christmas mystery series starring Merry Wilkinson. As this particular story happens at Christmas time, there’s extra Christmas fun to enjoy. Rudolph sounds like a delightful town. If it were real, I would totally want to visit!

The mystery was a puzzle all the way to the end. It was obvious to me that most of the suspects weren’t strong candidates. One possibility was eliminated by Merry in the story, so I had only one guess left. But then new information surfaced near the end of the story to wrap things up.

There were a couple moments when the writing stopped the flow of the reading for me. Some words that seemed out of place. They may have only been regional word choices that were jarring for me, but not for readers from other locales. And there were a couple spots where things were restated that had been covered earlier in the story. I mention these things because they momentarily stalled the flow of the story for me, but I was able to get right back in and enjoy the rest of the tale.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal

REVIEW: Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Maggie Hope is a bright mathematician, living in London in 1940. World War II has begun, and the British are resignedly waiting for Hitler to focus his attack on them as his troops march across Europe.

While Maggie is more than qualified to be one of the Prime Minister’s personal staff, as a woman, she doesn’t even get a chance to try. She settles for a typist’s job for Mr. Churchill.

But so much more is going on around Maggie! A dead typist, IRA bombings, spies, coded messages and secret plots. Will Maggie’s smarts and her determination be enough to save the day?

 

Review

Wow, I liked this book! I have had the first few books in this series in my TBR pile for years. The covers are gorgeous, and I can’t resist them. But I just wasn’t getting around to reading them! I don’t generally read historical fiction, and I think I was a little afraid the story wouldn’t live up to my expectations from the covers.

I shouldn’t have worried. While I don’t know a ton about World War II from a British perspective, I followed the story without any difficulty. I loved Maggie and her friends. The descriptions of her work were great fun to read. The mystery was top notch. This isn’t the usual “Who killed him?” sort of mystery. The reader sees the plots as they start forming. But there are good twists and lots of “will they make it?” suspense.

I am looking forward to reading more from this series! Book 2 is Princess Elizabeth’s Spy.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Fudge and Jury by Ellie Alexander

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Jules and the gang at Torte are showcase vendors for the Chocolate Festival. And while they are preparing for the event, they are also renovating Torte, installing a new inventory/payment system, and considering an expansion into the property below their store. It’s a LOT for Jules to juggle! But when a fellow festival vendor has an allergic reaction and dies at her booth, Jules will make time to find a killer!

Review

The Bakeshop Mystery series is one of my favorite cozy series right now! I love the relationships with the Torte family. The setting is interesting – and their offerings sound delicious! I never need time to warm up to the story or the characters in these books. It comes immediately and naturally.

The mystery in this one was great. The chocolate festival was a fantastic setting, allowing new players to be introduced – and adding lots of yummy food discussions. I felt a little unsettled at the end of the mystery (this is the reason I didn’t give this a 5 star review) – I kept waiting for a new layer to the solution, but it never came. A couple of the other possible culprits still seemed sketchy to me at the end so I wasn’t 100% on board with the solution. I wanted a bigger, more detailed confession, maybe, but the author went a different way. Maybe it will come back in a future book.

One of the things I love with this series is how the author includes ongoing things with the characters and the business. She does an excellent job of keeping those pieces balanced with the larger story of the mystery for each book. I am already looking forward to book 6, A Crime of Passion Fruit (releasing this summer )

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Zero Day by David Baldacci

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

John Puller is Army CID – Criminal Investigative Division (Like NCIS, except with the Army). He’s sent to West Virginia to work with local law enforcement on the murder of an army colonel. Sure, it’s weird that he’s going in without a team. And sure, it’s weird that he’s the investigator going when there are other units closer in jurisdiction. But Puller is an exceptional soldier. He follows orders.

But it’s not just the colonel dead. It’s his whole family. And the crime scene is kind of… off. Then more bodies start dropping. Puller just can’t get a handle on what’s really going on in this town and with this case. And as he keeps digging, he becomes a target.

Review

This is not my usual cozy mystery! I don’t generally read thrillers, but my husband was reading book three in the series, The Escape, and enjoying it immensely, so I decided to give book one a try.

While this is not my usual style, I really enjoyed it. The characters were fantastic. I love Puller’s subtle sense of humor and sarcasm. His partner on this case is a great, nuanced character. I really liked the glimpses into her personal life and family which enhanced the story rather than distracting from it. Puller’s family is intriguing. I’m looking forward to reading more of this series and seeing more of this family dynamic.

The mystery was outstanding. Four hundred-plus pages in, and I had no idea what was going on. But I was frantically flipping pages trying to piece it together. Terrific wrap up! The technical pieces were over my head but didn’t keep me from thoroughly enjoying the story. (Some language)

Rating:♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Princess Juniper of the Hourglass by Ammi-Joan Paquette

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Princess Juniper of Torr makes a small request for her 13th birthday – a kingdom of her own. She longs for a place where she can be with kids her own age without having to follow the endless rules of her Comportment Master. A place where she can put all of her lessons into practice. Surprisingly, her father says yes.

Soon, Juniper and her “country men and women” are loaded up and ready to head to their new kingdom. Two things keep this from feeling as awesome as it should. One is Cyril, Juniper’s arrogant older cousin  who is sent along with two of his friends; they  have no intention of following Juniper as queen. The other is the “minor skirmish” Torr seems to be having with a neighboring kingdom. Juniper worries about her father, the king, and her people, but she sticks with the plan and heads to the Hourglass Mountains. Little does she know what awaits them in her new kingdom.

Review

This was fantastic! I loved Juniper right from the start. The kids who go with her to the Basin are an interesting mix. The kids are supposed to be 13 or younger, except for Cyril’s crew, which is a little bit of a stretch to me because in some ways they act older, but I chose not to focus on it. I enjoyed the story completely when I put that aside.

Juniper is a great leader, but she is only 13. She has a lot to learn about dealing with difficult subjects, balancing work and play for her people, and deciding what to share and what to keep to herself. Parts of this reminded me of the book The False Prince – the kingdoms, the swordplay and the treachery. It also reminded me of books like The Maze Runner in that it had kids making up their own society (although this is more light-hearted than The Maze Runner).

This book sets up the rest of the series nicely. There’s closure for many of the plot points in this story, but a larger conflict looms that Juniper and her friends will need to deal with. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½