Tag: secret agents

REVIEW: Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert

REVIEW: Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert

Posted on by Jaymie

[There’s no YA review today – the book I had scheduled just wasn’t a great fit for me. Instead, enjoy this review of a new adult cozy mystery. I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Chapters Bed and Breakfast is playing host to Amanda Nobel, an author of romantic fantasy books, as well as a few of her fans. Amanda is looking for a respite from her hectic book tour, so her stay at Chapters is a secret. But she did agree to one signing event in town, a cooperative venture between Chapters and the local indy bookstore, Bookwaves.

Charlotte, the owner of Chapters, is doing all she can to make the author’s visit restful and relaxing, including staying on her guard for any sort of trouble. A year ago there was a murder, and Charlotte wants no part of that sort of excitement ever again!

But Charlotte isn’t going to get her wish. When the president of an Amanda Nobel fan group is murdered, Charlotte and her neighbor, Ellen, start asking questions and looking for clues to the killer. The woman’s troublesome ex-husband seems the most likely candidate, but he’s certainly not the only one who had it out for the woman.

Review

While I am a huge fan of Victoria Gilbert and her Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, I somehow missed reading the first book in this Booklover’s B&B Mystery series, Booked for Death (I have it on my e-reader.). But now I know I need to get back to it soon. The mystery here is solid, but there’s an intriguing side story about Charlotte’s neighbor that I wasn’t expecting. It really grabbed my attention. It gave the mystery a fresh spin from the usual formula.

I liked the series set up – the B&B, the writing/reading/publishing pieces, the perfectly sized cast. The mystery was well done with lots of questions. The pacing of the reveals was nice. I’m looking forward to picking up book 1 as well as watching for what might happen for these characters in the future. Don’t miss either of the author’s mystery series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

 

REVIEW: The Mouse Watch by J. J. Gilbert

REVIEW: The Mouse Watch by J. J. Gilbert

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Bernie lives in the secret mouse village of Thousand Acres with her family. It’s her dream to work with Gadget Hackwrench and the Mouse Watch to defend the mouse world AND the human world from evil. Evil, like Dr. Thornpaw. Bernie has seen first hand what that rat can do.

When Bernie gets her chance to join Mouse Watch, she’s not just looking for a way to help others and to fight evil. She wants a place to belong. And maybe some mice who really get her.

Bernie’s first obstacle at Mouse Watch is the partner she’s assigned. The second is the attack on New York that is launched right in the middle of her first training exercise. While all the agents go to investigate, Bernie and her partner are left behind. Without training, they have to figure things out as they go. But Bernie is not about to sit on the sidelines when the world is in danger!

Review

This was delightful! The world building is extensive and shows excellent attention to detail. I feel like this would be a fun book to read aloud thanks to those details and the action. And I was tickled to find that this is a spin off from the Rescue Rangers TV show with Chip and Dale. We watched that when my son was young, and I enjoyed the small connections to this story.

Bernie’s dilemmas were pretty typical – her conflict with the villain, her mistrust of her partner. The author does a great job of balancing Bernie’s internal processing of these issues with the action of the story. I never felt like the story dragged from too much introspection, yet Bernie’s thought process was thoroughly covered. There were times, though, where the details of the mouse world or Mouse Watch headquarters cut into the momentum of the story. But the details were so clever, I wasn’t too bothered by it.

This feels a bit like The Mouse and the Motorcycle and a bit like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, which were additional selling points for me. I think kids are going to adore this book. The sequel, Mouse Watch Underwater, is currently scheduled for Spring 2021, and I will definitely be checking it out! Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥=Great! Might re-read.