In A Messy Murder, professional declutterer Ellen finds another dead body. Humph was a D List celebrity with a chat show cancelled long ago. A copy of an article published by him explaining why humans should stop taking up resources when they turn 80 years old is found near hisContinue Reading
I loved the 1938 Hitchcock film, The Lady Vanishes. Agatha Christie is my gold standard when it comes to classic mysteries. So by all accounts, I should love this golden age mystery on which the film is based. Unfortunately, I didn’t. The story is incredibly dated with a whole lotContinue Reading
Carmen Sanchez is a Department of Homeland Security investigator whose sister Selina is attacked. She takes leave from her job to investigate. She pulls in a college professor, Jake Heron who is an expert hacker, to help her find the attacker. Jake and Carmen have a history. Carmen and SalinaContinue Reading
In The House on Graveyard Lane, amateur detective Rachel Savernake is once again hunting a killer in 1930s London. However, this time her client, famous artist Damaris, kills herself in full public view. What drove Damaris to suicide? And why didn’t Damaris just expose the reason herself rather than usingContinue Reading
Meg is trying to a deal with a flock of feral turkeys set loose in a suburban neighborhood, a shady house renovation show, and complaining neighbors in Between a Flock and a Hard Place. This is the 35th book in this series and I’ve read them all. This book containsContinue Reading
Happy Chinese New Year! In Peking Duck and Cover, it’s that time of year again for Chinese restaurant manager, Lana Lee. She is coordinating an Asian Village, her restaurant’s outdoor mall, party complete with a dance troop and fireworks. Little does she suspect, though regular series readers will be anticipating,Continue Reading
Trouble Is Brewing is tea slinger Lily’s latest cozy mystery. Her cafe, Tea by the Sea, is closed for a bridal shower. Though the couple seem blissfully happy, their parents are less enchanted with each other. When the groom’s father is murdered, Lily must investigate to clear her tea houseContinue Reading
Shades of Mercy is perfect for fans of Longmire and Joe Pickett, while they wait for the next book to be released in those series. Sheriff Beck is investigating a hacked military drone in rural Nevada. His county has a whole lot of land and a dearth of people, includingContinue Reading
Dog Day Afternoon is another pleasant mystery with reluctant attorney Andy Carpenter and a myriad of supporting players. Marcus is Andy’s muscle, who keeps his personal life, well, personal. Until now. He brings a defendant, Nick, to Andy who seems to have the deck stacked against him. Most of Nick’sContinue Reading
Made for You is a twisty little tale told from the viewpoint of a “synth” (synthetic human or android) created to win the heart of the main character on a Batchelor type show. I love the concept of this book. It is nice to see AI portrayed in a goodContinue Reading
The Eyes Are the Best Part begins as a family memoir. Ji-won is devastated by her father leaving their family for his mistress. Ji-won’s mother is alternately despondent and hopeful of a reunion. One day, the mother makes fish and insists that Ji-won eat the fisheyes for luck. Ji-won thenContinue Reading
Mayor Geoffrey was beloved by everyone in the English small town of Marlow. Well, by everyone but his killer. It seems that The Queen of Poisons, aconite, had somehow made it into his coffee at a local town council planning committee meeting, of which he was a member. Luckily, Suzie,Continue Reading
The Noh Mask Murder has the best conclusion of a golden age locked room mystery that I’ve read since Agatha Christie died. It is brilliant. There are two things that annoy me in this book. First, it spoils the ending of a famous Christie book. Second, it would have beenContinue Reading
Ryan is on a lover’s lane date with his girlfriend, Ali, when he is ripped from the car. The assailant takes off with both Ali and the car. The only detail Ryan can remember about the man is he has both pinkies missing. The police suspect Ryan’s story but don’tContinue Reading
Lights, Camera, Bones is another great cozy mystery starring the Delaney Detective Agency. The Agency consists of organic farmer Sarah Booth Delaney and her best friend Southern belle Tinkie. They are asked to investigate some disappearances from a nearby movie set. The movie is about local Mississippi history. However, someContinue Reading
First off, I love all the author’s previous thrillers. I also love a good genre mashup. Behind a Closed Door is marketed as a romantic thriller. But is it really? I would say it’s closer to a male erotica thriller. It reminds me of the uncomfortable sexism of a MickeyContinue Reading