Amateurs Sleuths Archives – Page 9 of 9

Beignets and Broomsticks by J. R. Ripley [Book Review]

Posted on March 11, 2018January 14, 2024 by Darinda

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BOOK INFO

Title: Beignets and Broomsticks

Author: J. R. Ripley

Publisher: Severn House Publishers

Publish Date: March 1, 2018

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Maggie Miller Mysteries #3

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

During the traditional Halloween festivities, one of Maggie Miller’s customers comes to a sticky end in this entertaining cozy mystery.

It’s Halloween, and café owner Maggie Miller’s special pumpkin spice beignet promotion is proving popular. But the evening ends in disaster when Maggie discovers the body of one of her regular customers, strangled to death with an expensive cashmere scarf.

The late Nancy Alverson had tended to keep herself to herself – but what secrets was she hiding? And why had she been studying books on witchcraft?

Of one thing Maggie is certain, it was no witch who killed Nancy. But has someone taken advantage of the spookiest night of the year to commit a brutal murder…?

MY REVIEW

Maggie runs a beignet shop in a small town in Arizona. The local business owners open their doors on Halloween to give treats to the kids, and Maggie has one of those businesses. After closing up, she has some extra beignets, so she drops by a regular customers place to give them the treat. Unfortunately, Maggie stumbles across a murder scene. Her regular customer had been killed, and Maggie wants to know who did it and why.

The 3rd book in the Maggie Miller mystery series. This is the first book in the series that I have read. A quick and fun cozy mystery with small town atmosphere, quirky locals, and witchcraft.

The story is told from Maggie’s point of view. She is mostly likable, and there are plenty of small town antics involved in her story. She has a few friends and family in the story, but she also has a few people that aren’t exactly friendly. Since I haven’t read the others in the series, I’m not sure about Maggie’s background. It seems she is restarting after a divorce, and her beignet business is part of her new life.

Good for fans of cozy mysteries. I’m originally from Louisiana, so I was immediately drawn to beignets being in the title. To be honest, I was a little disappointed the story took place in Arizona, rather than Louisiana.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Maggie Miller Mysteries Series:

Buried in Beignets
Beignets, Brides and Bodies
Beignets and Broomsticks

Yesterday’s News by R. G. Belsky [Book Review]

Posted on March 10, 2018June 23, 2024 by Darinda

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BOOK INFO

Title: Yesterday’s News

Author: R.G. Belsky

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Publish Date: May 1, 2018

Genre: Amateur Investigator

Series: Clare Carlson #1

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

A classic cold case reopened—along with Pandora’s box

When eleven-year-old Lucy Devlin disappeared on her way to school more than a decade ago, it became one of the most famous missing child cases in history. The story turned reporter Clare Carlson into a media superstar overnight. Clare broke exclusive after exclusive. She had unprecedented access to the Devlin family as she wrote about the heartbreaking search for their young daughter. She later won a Pulitzer Prize for her extraordinary coverage of the case.

Now Clare once again plunges back into this sensational story. With new evidence, new victims, and new suspects—too many suspects. Everyone from members of a motorcycle gang to a prominent politician running for a US Senate seat seem to have secrets they’re hiding about what really might have happened to Lucy Devlin. But Clare has her own secrets. And, in order to untangle the truth about Lucy Devlin, she must finally confront her own torturous past.

MY REVIEW

Clare is a journalist who made her career with a missing child story. She had incredible access to the family, and had exclusive after exclusive, and even won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of the story. It has been 15 years since the child went missing, and the young girl was never found. Clare is now a news director for a TV station, and the girl’s mother has never stopped looking for her child. When the mother contacts Clare, saying she has new evidence in the case, she also says she will only talk to Clare. Clare jumps back into investigative journalism and searches for the truth behind the girl’s disappearance. During her search, she deals with a motorcycle gang, a popular politician, other cases of missing children, and many dark secrets.

The story is told from Clare’s point of view. The characters were all well developed, and the story was intriguing enough to make this a fast read.

Good for fans of crime fiction and plot twists. A complex mystery with plenty of twists and turns. I love twists in a story, but this book had too much going on for me. On the plus side, some twists were completely unexpected and I didn’t see them coming at all.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Clare Carlson series:

Yesterday’s News
Below the Fold
The Last Scoop
Beyond the Headlines
It’s News to Me
Broadcast Blues

The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty [Book Review]

Posted on March 4, 2018January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Echo Killing

Author: Christi Daugherty

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publish Date: March 13, 2018

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Harper McClain #1

My Rating: 5/5

BOOK BLURB

When a murder echoing a fifteen-year-old cold case rocks the Southern town of Savannah, crime reporter Harper McClain risks everything to find the identity of this calculated killer in Christi Daugherty’s new novel The Echo Killing.

A city of antebellum architecture, picturesque parks, and cobblestone streets, Savannah moves at a graceful pace. But for Harper McClain, the timeless beauty and culture that distinguishes her home’s Southern heritage vanishes during the dark and dangerous nights. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Not even finding her mother brutally murdered in their home when she was twelve has made her love Savannah any less.

Her mother’s killer was never found, and that unsolved murder left Harper with an obsession that drove her to become one of the best crime reporters in the state of Georgia. She spends her nights with the police, searching for criminals. Her latest investigation takes her to the scene of a homicide where the details are hauntingly familiar: a young girl being led from the scene by a detective, a female victim naked and stabbed multiple times in the kitchen, and no traces of any evidence pointing towards a suspect.

Harper has seen all of this before in her own life. The similarities between the murder of Marie Whitney and her own mother’s death lead her to believe they’re both victims of the same killer. At last, she has the chance to find the murderer who’s eluded justice for fifteen years and make sure another little girl isn’t forever haunted by a senseless act of violence—even if it puts Harper in the killer’s cross-hairs…

MY REVIEW

Harper is a news reporter in Savannah, where she works nights following crime activity across the city to catch her next story. After responding to a call to a murder scene, Harper is on a story that is eerily similar to another murder that happened 15 years earlier… the murder of Harper’s mother, which was never solved. Harper sees the connection between the cases, but the police don’t want to hear about it. Investigating this current story brings back memories for Harper, many of which she has tried not to think about for years. As Harper works to uncover the truth behind these crimes, she jeopardizes current relationships in her personal and professional lives.

Dark story. Great characters. Picturesque setting. The mystery was complex and twisty, but not hard to figure out. The characters were well-developed, and I especially liked Harper. She was strong, smart, and a real go-getter. I love mysteries that take place in cities like Savannah, with such a rich history, the setting adds to the story.

A fast-paced crime mystery. The Echo Killing is the first book in the Harper McClain series. I’ll be keeping a look out for the next book in this new series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Harper McClain series:

The Echo Killing
A Beautiful Corpse
Revolver Road

Murder on the Rocks by Shawn Reilly Simmons [Book Review]

Posted on February 6, 2018January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Murder on the Rocks

Author: Shawn Reilly Simmons

Publisher: Henery Press

Publish Date: February 6, 2018

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Red Carpet Catering Mysteries #5

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Shawn Reilly Simmons has cooked up something rocky this time, and it’s going to be a delicious read.

After surviving a brazen attack at one of her favorite local cafes, Penelope Sutherland is ready to escape the big city and head to her next film set. She and her Red Carpet Catering crew set up their kitchen on location in the tranquil mountains of Vermont.

MY REVIEW

Penelope and her friends are enjoying a nice brunch at a local cafe, when the restaurant is robbed. The women are okay physically, but very shaken after the attack. A series of events follows, and it seems someone is targeting Penelope’s friend Nadia, a tennis pro serving as consultant on the film Penelope is catering. With several strange events occurring, Penelope seeks to learn which events are connected and who is behind them.

Murder on the Rocks is the fifth book in the A Red Carpet Catering Mystery series, but the first one I have read. I enjoy cozy mysteries, and found this to be an entertaining, light read.

This book packed a lot of mystery. There were two main mysteries, who attacked the cafe and who was after Nadia. Plus, there were a couple of smaller mysteries, theft in the local police department and the filmmaker’s family feud. I thought it was a bit much, and could have done with a little less mystery.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Red Carpet Catering Mysteries Series:

Murder on the Red Carpet
Murder on Location
Murder on a Designer Diet
Murder is the Main Course
Murder on the Rocks
Murder With All The Trimmings
Murder On The Chopping Block

Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler [Book Review]

Posted on January 27, 2018January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Better Dead

Author: Pamela Kopfler

Publisher: Kensington

Publish Date: December 26, 2017

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A B&B Spirits Mystery #1

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

As the owner of a charming Louisiana bed and breakfast, Holly Davis believes in Southern hospitality—but she draws the line at welcoming the ghost of her cheating husband…

Burl Davis checked out of this life a little earlier than expected—before Holly could serve him with divorce papers over his extramarital flings. Unfortunately, it was not before he nearly bankrupted her beloved B&B, Holly Grove, a converted plantation that has been in her family for generations. Holly would never wish anyone dead, but three months later she’s feeling a lot more relief than grief.

Until Burl’s ghost appears as an unwelcome guest. Before his spirit can move on, her not-so-dearly departed needs Holly’s human help to bust up the drug smuggling ring he was involved with. She has reservations, to say the least, but agrees to assist him if he’ll make a show of haunting the B&B to draw in visitors. But when Holly’s former love, Jack McCann, mysteriously resurfaces in town and checks in, she has to wonder if her B&B is big enough for the ghost of her husband and the very real physical presence of her old flame . . .

MY REVIEW

Holly’s husband, Burl, has up and died. Holly is not exactly sad to see Burl go, after all, he was cheating on her and nearly bankrupted her B&B business. Just when she’s ready to move on and get her life back together, Burl shows up. Now he is a ghost, and needs Holly’s help so his spirit can move on. Turns out, Burl was involved in a drug smuggling ring, and he wants Holly’s help to break it up. To complicate matters, Holly’s old high school flame is back in town, and staying at her B&B.

A paranormal cozy mystery. Better Dead is the first in the B&B Spirits Mystery series. A fun and entertaining read. The characters were well-developed, with Holly being smart, determined, sarcastic, and likable. I’m originally from Louisiana, and a fan of cozy mysteries, so this was right up my alley. Looking forward to more of this series.

Mystery. ✓
Romance. ✓
Humor. ✓
Ghosts. ✓
Small town charm. ✓
Dog named Rhett. ✓
Mint julep recipe. ✓

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the B&B Spirits Mystery Series:

Better Dead
Downright Dead
Hog Wild Dead

The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett [Book Review]

Posted on December 16, 2017January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Liar in the Library

Author: Simon Brett

Publisher: Crème de la Crime

Publish Date: January 1, 2018

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Fethering Mystery #18

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Fethering has everything a sleepy coastal town should: snug English pubs, cosy cottages, a little local library – and the occasional murder . . .

Bestselling author Burton St Clair, complete with soaring ego and wandering hands, has come to town to give a talk. But after his corpse is found slumped in his car, he won’t be leaving. Jude is the prime suspect; she was, after all, the last person to see Burton St Clair alive. If she is to prove her innocence, she will have to dust off her detective skills and recruit her prim and proper neighbour (and partner-in-sleuthing) Carole to find the real culprit.

MY REVIEW

A suspicious death occurs after an author talk at the local library. Jude becomes a prime suspect, and must solve the case to clear her name.

The Liar in the Library was a bit of a tribute to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. The classic whodunit solved by amateur sleuths. Lots of references to the formula of a classic detective story.

Jude and her neighbor, Carole, are amateur sleuths in the small, fictional English village of Fethering. The Liar in the Library is the 18th book in the series, but the first one I have read. It was okay as a standalone read, but I think I may have understood the recurring characters more if I had read some of the previous books.

I enjoyed the mystery part of the story, but it was light on character development. I wasn’t a fan of the main characters, and didn’t see any chemistry to keep me reading the series.

A light read. Good for fans of cozy mysteries, especially those set in England and/or with middle-aged protagonists.

Books in the Fethering Mystery Series:

The Body on the Beach
Death on the Downs
The Torso in the Town
Murder in the Museum
The Hanging in the Hotel
The Witness at the Wedding
The Stabbing in the Stables
Death Under the Dryer
Blood at the Bookies
The Poisoning in the Pub
The Shooting in the Shop
Bones Under the Beach Hut
Guns in the Gallery
The Corpse on the Court
The Strangling on the Stage
The Tomb in Turkey
The Killing in the Cafe
The Liar in the Library
The Killer in the Choir
Guilt at the Garage
Death and the Decorator

Full Bodied Murder by Christine E. Blum [Book Review]

Posted on October 29, 2017January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Full Bodied Murder

Author: Christine E. Blum

Publisher: Kensington

Publish Date: November 28, 2018

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery #1

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

As the newest member of the Rose Avenue Wine Club, Halsey wants to expand her palate—not solve murders. But when a neighbor is found dead, it’s up to her to pair the culprit with a deadly crime…

Leaving behind a failed marriage, New Yorker Annie “Halsey” Hall is ready to begin the next phase of her life in coastal Southern California. From the moment she arrives at her new digs on cozy Rose Avenue, she looks forward to joining the neighborhood ladies for their weekly Wine Club gathering. With only a rambunctious yellow lab puppy to keep her company, Halsey could really use a confidant—and a glass or two of her favorite white wine . . .

Unfortunately, she finds nothing but red at the Wine Club meeting—and judging by the dead woman lying face down in the backyard, it’s not spilled merlot. Halsey accidentally stumbled into the wrong address at the wrong time, and with suspicions about her past on the rise, she must prove that she isn’t a killer. Enlisting the eclectic talents of the Wine Club ladies, Halsey searches for the true criminal at large. But separating friends from foes isn’t easy on Rose Avenue, and as she racks up a suspect list, Halsey can’t shake the feeling that someone in her inner circle has a taste for murder . . .

MY REVIEW

Halsey moves to Southern California from New York City. Her new neighborhood takes some getting used to, but some friendly neighbors invite her to join their Rose Avenue Wine Club. Halsey enjoys wine and wants to meet her new neighbors, so she happily accepts the invitation. Unfortunately, Halsey goes to the wrong house for her first wine club meeting… and stumbles upon a dead body. The police see Halsey as a suspect, so she and the other wine club members take on a little sleuthing to prove her innocence. It turns out, there are quite a few suspects on Rose Avenue.

I always enjoy a cozy mystery, and I like to read with while enjoying a glass of wine, so this book seemed right up my alley. This was a solid mystery, though there did seem to be a lot of other things going on with the neighbors. Mostly likable characters, but not enough character development to truly care about anyone. The dog, Bardot, was pretty great though. I saw that this is set to be a series, and it was a good introduction to the characters.

I thought the list of wines in the back of the book was a nice touch. Also, the glossary for wine-related lingo could be helpful for non-wine drinkers.

Full Bodied Murder was a light read and good for fans of cozy mysteries.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery Series:

Full Bodied Murder
Murder Most Fermented
The Name of the Rosé
Clarets of Fire

For Better or Worse by Donna Huston Murray [Book Review]

Posted on October 22, 2017January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: For Better or Worse

Author: Donna Huston Murray

Publisher: Donna Huston Murray

Publish Date: January 10, 2018

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A Ginger Barnes Mystery #8

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

FINALLY back to her spunky self after the loss of her husband, men have once again become an issue for amateur sleuth Ginger Barnes–men who mistreat their wives, men suspected of murder, and men who ask her out.
WHILE WORKING on a DIY project at her newlywed daughter’s house, a bag of bricks is thrown from the neighbor’s third-story window. Next, pops that sound like muffled gunshots have Gin racing for her phone. Eric, who lives in the house with his grandmother, claims she’s obsessed with mystery novels. Yet after the septuagenarian falls down a flight of stairs, she’s so frantic to keep Eric away that Gin must intervene. Was the fall actually attempted murder?
IN HER HUSBAND’S eyes, Cissie Voight can’t do anything right. Gin occasionally helps the frazzled young mother, and when she needs a dresser carried upstairs, Gin brings Eric along. Bad move! The electricity between the two new acquaintances sparks a chilling premonition. This time Gin’s good intentions will produce grave consequences–for everyone involved.

MY REVIEW

For Better or Worse is the latest book in the Ginger Barnes Mystery series. Ginger is working on a DIY project at her daughter’s house when she gets involved with some of the neighbors. One is a frazzled young mother with a controlling husband. The other is a young man who is helping to care for his grandmother, who ends up in the hospital after a fall down some stairs. Meanwhile, after Ginger’s best friend tries to set her up with a new fella, Ginger finds herself working as a babysitter for the man’s grandson… though Ginger suspects something is off with the parents. With all these new people in her life, Ginger tows the line between being nosy and keeping her mouth shut versus stepping in when something is really going on.

Ginger is a widow with a recently married daughter and a son in college. She enjoys walking her dog and working on DIY projects… and occasional sleuthing. Ginger seems to question most everyone and everything she encounters. This was a well-written character that seemed real, with real life worries and concerns.

This was a quick, lighthearted book. Great for fans of cozy mysteries. Though the story is written in an easy reading and lighthearted way, some difficult topics are discussed, namely domestic abuse.

For Better or Worse was the first book I’ve read in this series. It was a good read, and I look forward to reading more about Ginger Barnes and her amateur sleuthing.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Ginger Barnes Mystery series:

The Main Line is Murder
Final Arrangements
School of Hard Knocks
No Bones About It
A Score to Settle
Farewell Performance
Lie Like a Rug
For Better or Worse

The Child by Fiona Barton [Book Review]

Posted on September 6, 2017January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Child

Author: Fiona Barton

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: June 27, 2017

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Kate Waters #2

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers human remains, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who has been found at the building site?

As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A child was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss.

But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn—house by house—into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women—and torn between what she can and cannot tell…

MY REVIEW

The remains of a child are found during the demolition of an old house. As a journalist reports on the story, she discovers connections to a crime that happened decades earlier.

The Child is told from several parallel points of view. The journalist, Kate, plays a major role, but she is the one trying to piece the mystery together. Three women, Emma, Jude, and Angela, are the other main characters. As Kate slowly connects the pieces together, she encounters the other’s secrets from their pasts. She is left to deal with what to share and what to keep secret. I enjoyed the parallel storyline and was curious as to how Kate would handle new information as it developed.

The Widow by Fiona Barton has the same journalist and detective as The Child, but they are both standalone novels. I enjoyed The Widow, so I was looking forward to reading the The Child. This was also an enjoyable read, but I figured out the mystery really early in the book. The plot has lots of twists and turns, so I’m not sure why I felt the ending was so obvious. That said, it’s a very well-written novel, and I definitely recommend it to fans of thrillers.

Books in the Kate Waters series:

The Widow
The Child
The Suspect