Augusta Hawke is the first title in what will most likely become a series written by G. M. Malliet. Augusta is a widow living on the outskirts of WashAugusta Hawke is the first title in what will most likely become a series written by G. M. Malliet. Augusta is a widow living on the outskirts of Washington, D. C., the author of a well-established series of mystery novels set in Italy and financially independent due to the success of her writing. Augusta notices things. She certainly isn't a "village busybody" but she does pay attention to the neighbors living close around her, just doing so from afar. The beginning of this story gave me a decided "Rear Window" vibe, but the story soon takes off in a direction of its own. This novel is presented as a first-person narrative which requires a steady handed author to keep it from dissolving into a messy muddle. Having the location of Augusta's fiction novels set in Italy helped keep the information regarding fiction and real crimes firmly separated.
For me a first novel in a series or even a standalone book requires that I hand over control of my tendency to be critical until I've given the author a chance to sink or swim. So far I like the Augusta Hawke character even though I did get to the point of wishing she wasn't quite so chipper all the time. Maybe dial that back just a tad and I wouldn't cringe so often. The mystery is very well constructed, and I was genuinely surprised when the culprit was revealed. I'm looking forward to another Augusta Hawke, maybe next year.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-galley of this novel....more
I don't remember how this book came to my attention, but I am very glad I made time to read it. This was a fun read with lots of laugh-out-loud momentI don't remember how this book came to my attention, but I am very glad I made time to read it. This was a fun read with lots of laugh-out-loud moments while still presenting a mystery puzzle worth kicking my brain in gear for. It takes place in 1920 in a stately English manor house where the snow has isolated everyone from those coming in from the outside. Not actually many characters to pin the murders on and yet I still managed to get it wrong! Drat! That was a lovely red herring that I lapped up and swallowed whole.
This book feels like a project the author had fun with and it is a good way to relax after reading something more intense. I love reading mysteries, but the genre can begin to get me down if I can't find a light read which is also enjoyable. I see there are eight stories in this series so I will be filling my Kindle to overflowing with change of pace style for those times I want something to read in the form of a reader friendly murder mystery. ...more
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an e-galley of this novel.
I knew pretty early on in my reading of this novel that it was not going to be aThank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an e-galley of this novel.
I knew pretty early on in my reading of this novel that it was not going to be a favorite for me, but I wanted to give the author every opportunity to change my opinion. I will not be continuing with any more books in the series. Mainly it is because I never made any kind of connection at all with Margaret Murray, the main character in this story. Ms Murray was an actual lecturer at University College London in 1900 and this series seems as if it will be highlighting her specialty in archaeology, this story centers around findings from a non-professional dig. There is a large group of characters to keep track of with my favorite being the police constable on his rounds in the neighborhood when the first body was found. Maybe you will be more impressed with the stuffed owl than I was; the inclusion can always be put down to whimsy. Most of all I don't think the action Margaret took at the end of the story was at all in keeping with the personality that had been built up for her over the rest of the story. It was a disappointment. Any novel that requires that I urge myself to keep reading is not headed in the right direction....more
I am enjoying this series more and more with each book I read. I think I have slowly accepted the alterations to the classic personalities of SherlockI am enjoying this series more and more with each book I read. I think I have slowly accepted the alterations to the classic personalities of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson that allow them to be so much more personable and accommodating for Mrs. Hudson and Flotsam to deal with. This specific story has Flotsam taking a much larger part of the active investigation and it is written in such a way that I believed her capable of the things she tried to do. Mrs. Hudson has bits and pieces she is involved in looking into but the majority of the clues are left to Flotsam. If you like to read mysteries, but don't want to suffer through details and descriptions of murders, you will be glad to know that this is definitely a reader friendly series.
In case this is your first time reading a book from this series you need to know that Mrs. Hudson is the housekeeper for Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson. Flotsam is (now) a seventeen year old girl who was rescued from the London streets when she was quite young and eventually landed in Baker Street as the kitchen maid learning her job from Mrs. Hudson. At this point in the lives of these characters Holmes is working on solving several cases at once, Mr. George Dashing has returned to England and immediately begins to stir the pot of controversy and a new detective begins to show on the horizon with the possibility of taking away cases from Holmes. It's a beautiful beginning of fall in London and there are exciting and dangerous things swirling above and below the surface of that great city.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for an e-galley of this novel.
I seem to be reading lots of 'tween books lately - this one is rated by me as between 3.5 and 4 stars with the arrow landing on the 4 because I think I seem to be reading lots of 'tween books lately - this one is rated by me as between 3.5 and 4 stars with the arrow landing on the 4 because I think I would be willing to read the second book in the series when it is published.
Mrs. Phyllida Bright is the housekeeper at Mallowan Hall, the country residence of Max and Agatha Mallowan (yep, Agatha Christie herself). Phyllida and Agatha have some history which is hinted at but not revealed in this book because it will obviously form the basis of another book in the series. Let's just say that Agatha takes a decided back seat in this mystery solving so if you had hoped to find that line taken in this series you are sure to be disappointed. Phyllida does give Agatha a great plot line for a book she should write based on what happens here: a body is found dead in the library. The murder weapon is so absurd that I still find myself trying to figure out how the murderer accomplished such a perfect.....strike? Even if this novel wasn't written with a tongue-in-cheek meaning, I definitely had to read it with a tongue-in-cheek supposition.
There is a very large cast of characters in this book with plenty of them above stairs, loads of them below stairs and even some living outside the house. A lot to keep track of. There is also a red herring that must have been almost pulverized by the time the book was over from being dragged through the pages. Phyllida is allowed to resort to some pretty silly actions when she begins investigating this murder and her attitude almost of competition for who can solve it first made it hard for me to take the book seriously at times. I'm really hoping some changes in the personality of this sublimely accomplished housekeeper will be toned town somewhat for future books; she didn't exactly give me warm, fuzzy feelings. She also needs to lose her personal comparisons with Poirot and his solving skills. She's got a long, long way to go before she gets to that level.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-galley of this novel....more
This is book four in the Christine de Pizan series by Tania Bayard and the first book I've read in this series. I am a fan of historical mysteries andThis is book four in the Christine de Pizan series by Tania Bayard and the first book I've read in this series. I am a fan of historical mysteries and was interested in reading this story set in France in 1399 which features a true historical person in a fictionalized mystery. The world of the cloister can represent so much atmospheric drama that novels set within these types of communities usually work well with murder and other crimes wending their way through dark corridors and misty gardens. This story lives up to that type of setting.
Christine de Pizan has connections to the court through her father and husband who were both in service to their king and each died during their service. King Charles VI and Queen Isabeau have had a letter from the Prioress at the Royal Priory of Saint-Louis at Poissy asking for Christine to come to the Priory and copy a manuscript. Since there are many scribes at the Priory Christine knows something more is going to be asked of her.
The life of the nuns within the priory is well depicted and the crimes which had been committed were interesting to try to solve along with Christine and the others helping her. The story did move slowly which became somewhat of a problem when it came to me continuing on with reading. I finished this story but don't expect to be continuing on with this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books Severn House Publishing for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the e-galley of this novel.
There is a special place in my heart for dogs who are traThank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the e-galley of this novel.
There is a special place in my heart for dogs who are trained to help humans with a wide variety of tasks. This story concerns a female golden retriever puppy, just over nine weeks old when she is rescued, and the adventures she had when she was adopted and trained as a cadaver dog. Mace Reid gives his dogs names which are also song titles so this puppy is given the name Elvira. Unfortunately for me the author chose to shorten that name to Vira which my brain saw as Vera and I had to do the whole Statler Brothers Elvira memory switch throughout the whole book. Sigh. Mace, of course, works with many police agencies in the suburbs of Chicago so there isn't a shortage of cases for dog and handler to hone their skills on. It soon becomes obvious there is a serial killer in the area but nothing is completely straight forward in this investigation.
Jeffrey Burton came close to losing me as a reader because I feared he was going to try to give Vira some supernatural power. It came close, almost too close. I enjoyed the book overall and would read a second book in the series. I do hope that one will not include the point of view of the criminal because that person in this story was seriously creepy....more
Goodness me! This novel fairly drips with suspense and tension. Part of that comes about because the author used a plotting element I usually don't liGoodness me! This novel fairly drips with suspense and tension. Part of that comes about because the author used a plotting element I usually don't like at all - we know who committed the crimes almost from the start of the story. In this case there is a depth of character building that made me accept that person and learn who they are and care in spite of myself.
A website is devoted to helping match up missing people with the remains of unidentified bodies. This is not an official website, but one that has had some small success with solving old missing person cases. The story is told through texts, webcam conversations and emails as well as standard narrative to keep the story from bogging down. Those short conversations help convey what the members of the online group are doing and shows what progress, or lack of progress, they have made without having to go into so much detail that it would slow the story down too much. A man in Ireland is using the internet to search for information about his brother, very much against the wishes of his family members. A member of this web search group sees his request for information on a different site and the decision is made to try to help Shaun find out what has happened to Teddy. What follows is a compelling story that emphasizes how easy it is to lose perspective concerning who you are really talking to on the internet.
Missing Person is a strong psychological thriller that allowed me to connect with the characters and even made the killer multi-dimensional. The ending was a little too pat for me, but otherwise I enjoyed this one quite a lot and simply barreled through it. I'm definitely going to have to check out other books by Sarah Lotz.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-galley of this novel.
Although this is the third book in the Wrexford and Sloane series it is the Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-galley of this novel.
Although this is the third book in the Wrexford and Sloane series it is the first one I've read and I had no problems slotting all the background information into place to feel right up to the mark with the characters. A thumbs up to the author for accomplishing that feat seamlessly. The lesser characters in this series are really quite endearing and I enjoyed getting to know the Weasels, Raven and Hawk the wards of Charlotte Sloane, and McClellan who has so many jobs it's hard to keep track of them all, but who doesn't seem to have a first name. Wrexford and Charlotte have a go-slow romantic situation which is interesting but is kept to a minimum level so readers who don't want a romance/mystery novel can feel fine reading this series. I would be one of those who doesn't particularly like for romance to intrude overmuch into the mysteries I read but this was kept to an acceptable level.
The mystery this story revolves around is the death of Cedric, Lord Chittenden and the arrest of his twin brother for the crime. The murder was bad enough but then the killer mutilated the body. Did this crime indicate the Bloody Butcher was at work? Before the crime was solved Charlotte and her team had to use all their strategies, skills and disguises to beat an appointment with the hangman....more
I read the first book in this series, Little Comfort, and really liked Hester Thursby, the main character. That book ended with Hester recovering fromI read the first book in this series, Little Comfort, and really liked Hester Thursby, the main character. That book ended with Hester recovering from some pretty awful things she suffered through so I was interested in finding out where the author would take Hester in her next case. He took her in a direction I don't like and it colored my entire thought process regarding this book. I don't like to read stories where adults put children in jeopardy or step away from their responsibility to their child and that's exactly what three women in this book did.
Hester's best friend Daphne simply walked out of the house one night and left her daughter Kate behind. It's been a year without communication from Daphne so when Hester gets an SOS text message she bundles up four year old Kate and takes off - without telling anyone where she is going and not answering any messages or phone calls. On purpose; it's not like she lost her phone or anything. Once Hester and Kate get to Finisterre Island, Maine, she becomes involved in murder, kidnapping, illegal drugs, arson; pretty much you name it and little girl Kate gets exposed to it. There is also the drug addict woman who has her four year old son with her in a drug house while she uses and sells drugs. There is another under five boy who is kidnapped but found, and later in the story his mother simply asks a stranger (Hester) to take care of him and disappears for an entire night.
This wasn't the right kind of mystery novel for me and there wasn't much chance I would enjoy it. I think Hester and I have parted ways for good.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-Galley of this novel. ...more
It is really hard to chose my favorite Nero Wolfe story because every one of them has something that makes me glad I read it. This one, though, has soIt is really hard to chose my favorite Nero Wolfe story because every one of them has something that makes me glad I read it. This one, though, has some of my favorite things: Wolfe leaving the old brownstone, Wolfe playing "chicken" with one of his oldest acquaintances; women on the premises - office, kitchen, dining room, bedroom. Holy Cow, how did Wolfe survive?
It began with Archie appreciating the view of a woman's very fine legs. First published in 1942, this story has Wolfe sending Archie to a flower show to look at some black orchids on display - naturally, according to Wolfe, they couldn't possibly really be black. While he's there Archie is only one of many people who stop by a display from a nursery which features a sunny glade with a man and woman enjoying the plants and the water feature. At a specific time each day the crowd builds as the woman removes her shoes and dips her toes into the bubbling stream while the man naps in the background. Archie is smitten and declares he will marry the fair damsel. As the story unfolds Wolfe finds a way to solve a case and reap his idea of the perfect reward.
This whole series is highly recommended. Start anywhere you like because Rex Stout wrote the books so there is no chronological order. This one is rather sweet with the exposure of naked toes being swirled in the water enough to cause a stir....more
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for an e-Galley of this novel.
Mike Ripley continues to bring back the atmosphere surrounding AlbertThank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for an e-Galley of this novel.
Mike Ripley continues to bring back the atmosphere surrounding Albert Campion first penned by Margery Allingham. In this story Mr. Campion's visit is to the University of Suffolk Costal where he is feeling his way into taking the position of Visitor. Largely ceremonial, as Campion has been told multiple times, he would still like to know exactly what he's gotten himself in for. This university was the brainchild of the Bishop of St. Edmondsbury ten years ago. Since the university has been up and running the bishop is finding he has more and more trouble controlling what goes on there. Enter Albert Campion as his eyes and ears when the latest term starts up. What follows closely behind is murder.
The old manor house of Black Dudley has been repaired and remodeled to serve as offices and the residence of the vice chancellor. It has been forty years since Campion was involved in the mysterious happenings of that grim, dark house but it still looks the same from the outside. I think it was an interesting idea to have Campion go back to the location of the original beginning of the Allingham series, but the house itself doesn't figure much into the modern mystery. The atmosphere was created but the house mostly interacts with the story from a distance. Campion spends a lot of time realizing that he's now 70 years old throughout this book. When Lugg appears he seems quite a bit younger in attitude than Albert even if not physically. Because so much attention was paid to Albert's age I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about it too. Can he carry on much longer? Not that age would keep him from solving problems, but it would probably begin to cut down on his galivanting all over the countryside to do so. This was a pleasure to read (when I wasn't thinking about Albert's age) and the mystery is a pretty good one. Technology is captured by the room sized computer mainframe and the scholars having to share computer time. ...more
I enjoy reading the novels in Cora Harrison's Burren series so much I was eager to try the first book in this new series set in the Victorian era. ThiI enjoy reading the novels in Cora Harrison's Burren series so much I was eager to try the first book in this new series set in the Victorian era. This book was just okay for me, certainly different from the pleasure I get from reading about a female judge dispensing Irish justice in the sixteenth century. Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins take on the Holmes/Watson type characters as they investigate the murder of a housemaid in a boarding house. These two authors deserve to be treated as intellectual equals and that becomes a handicap for me as Dickens is given the leading role in the investigation partnership. I tried very hard to give these two major characters a fair chance to hook me into their story, but neither became a favorite for me. It seems as if the housemaid might become a staple character in any other stories that appear and that's another problem for me since I didn't particularly like her as a character either. I'm sorry to say I found myself often wondering when this novel would end, so not a good sign there. It didn't help either that I began to be suspicious of who the villain probably was early on and it turned out I was correct.
If you are interested in the writing of Dickens or Collins, would enjoy imagining what they might be like to deal with in person and you like historical mysteries set in England during Victorian time, this new series might be a good fit for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-Galley of this novel. ...more
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for an eGalley of this book.
Jasmine Ramsey is a member of the local Search and Rescue tThank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for an eGalley of this book.
Jasmine Ramsey is a member of the local Search and Rescue team. The content of the story indicates that her trained cadaver dog has died but she is out training another dog for a friend. The empty building is scheduled for renovation but the owners allow the handlers to use the facility to train their dogs until work begins. This time when Jazz is putting a dog through it's paces the dog alerts in the vacant building. Jazz finds the dog was right and the body is that of someone she knows.
This was a pleasant read but not what I was looking for. I had hoped to find a book which gave a lot of focus to the training and use of dogs in search and rescue. What I found was a book with little focus on the work of the dog but much focus on the personal relationship between Jazz and her previous boyfriend. The boyfriend is a police detective so he has a perfect reason to be involved in the case, but Jazz has been given, by the author, absolutely no authorization of any kind for investigating a murder. The connection between Jazz and the victim is that Jazz works at the high school which the victim attended and graduated from two years previously. Mighty thin and tenuous reason for all the time Jazz spent investigating and asking questions - which, by the way nobody was obligated to answer at all, so why did they? It wasn't realistic.
As I said, for me this was an okay read but I will not be continuing with the series....more
Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for an eGalley of this novel.
Author Dolores Gordon-Smith has quickly become an author I enjoy reaMany thanks to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for an eGalley of this novel.
Author Dolores Gordon-Smith has quickly become an author I enjoy reading for her historical, British mysteries. This one takes place in 1926, with Major Jack Haldean and his bride Betty settling into their new home in London. Betty's friend, Jenny Langton, has been given the opportunity to go view a property handled by the real estate firm she works for. Jenny arrives in all innocence but what she discovers will require Jack Haldean's skill as an investigator to uncover the truth from twenty years in the past.
This was a fast moving story that kept giving me new information and surprises. The characters are well developed and the reality of what Jenny saw in the garden made perfect sense - once the author told me what it was. I didn't have a clue! Forgotten Murder is a well crafted story that unfolds easily across the pages without having to resort to a large body count or profanity. ...more
Originally published in 1996 as Malice Poetic, this reissue is now titled Murder in the Orchard. I have not read any other novels by Betty Rowlands soOriginally published in 1996 as Malice Poetic, this reissue is now titled Murder in the Orchard. I have not read any other novels by Betty Rowlands so this was my first time checking out what could become a new reliable series for me. The victim in this story was certainly written to be a prime candidate for murder and Melissa Craig is a character who picks up on atmosphere and clues quickly to guide the reader along the right path to solving the mystery. I enjoyed the story but it does suffer somewhat from the lack of technology - specifically cell phones - which has become so prominent now, but was not so evident in 1996. Even though this is the sixth book in the series I would imagine that readers would not have any problem picking any of the books to read regardless of publication order.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an eGalley of this novel. ...more
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for an eGalley of this novel.
I liked this book but didn't find it engrossing. I could Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for an eGalley of this novel.
I liked this book but didn't find it engrossing. I could put it down and go away without feeling that tug in my mind to hurry up and get back to reading it. This is the second book in a prequel trilogy so the author has used this time to show readers what Charles Lennox was up against in 1853 London when he was trying to establish himself as an investigator? or a detective? He can't quite make up his mind what to call himself. At this point Lennox is 26 years old and has been picking up cases in his new profession for three years. Lady Jane Grey lives in the house next door and has lots of free time to be part of the world Lennox is making for himself because her husband is away most of the time serving in the military. So there you have it on the day Lennox responds to a request from the Duke of Dorset for an interview and discovers a missing painting and a potential client who is very sure of his importance in the English nobility.
I didn't find this plot to be very interesting or the mystery difficult to solve. What was very interesting was the clear, concise explanation of the titles and ranks of the nobility. I've read many authors who have tried to simplify that but this is the best yet for me. I also enjoyed the information on how some common words came into being, one example being the word tips. I'll leave that for you to discover for yourself. I'm sure I will read the final prequel in this trilogy, but I am also sure I will be glad when Lennox and his friends and staff get themselves back to where I left them before all this prequel stuff began. ...more
Our little girl is growing up and, frankly, I'm glad to see it. Flavia is still only 12 years old but life hasn't been kind to her so this is the bookOur little girl is growing up and, frankly, I'm glad to see it. Flavia is still only 12 years old but life hasn't been kind to her so this is the book where she is allowed to grieve for all the heartaches in her young life. Add to that the marriage of her sister Ophelia and Flavia needed this investigation to get her through some tough times. Arthur W. Dogger & Associates, Discreet Investigations tells us all we need to know about where this book is headed. Dogger has always been one of my favorite characters in this series but he seemed too often to be held down by his wartime troubles to ever be of prime use as a major character. Luckily Alan Bradley rehabilitated Dogger just enough to make him the perfect partner in investigations with Flavia. Dogger helps to keep things on more of an adult footing but his intimate knowledge of Flavia's personality allows him to gently guide her along a reasonable path of searching for and interpreting the clues they find. They make a brilliant pair.
My reason for a four star rating instead of five stars is that I found myself slightly confused about some of the clues and information uncovered by Dogger and Flavia. I'm not 100% sure I quite "got" the solution and have a feeling I might need to read the book again. I did go back over several sections while I was reading but that didn't feel like it helped much. There seems to be information that this was always intended to be a ten book series and with this book being the tenth it will mark the end of our time with Flavia and the others. I have to say the ending did not give me the feeling at all that the series was wrapping up. Instead it feels as if Flavia and Dogger have now established their working - detecting - relationship and they are set to carry on for a good long while. I certainly would love to see that happen.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eGalley of this novel....more
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a digital galley of this novel.
This novel kept me guessing for quite a long time regarding which type Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a digital galley of this novel.
This novel kept me guessing for quite a long time regarding which type of thriller I was going to find. As the story began to unfold I was intrigued by what purpose some of the characters had in the plot and that information was given to me by the author in such a good way that I continued to want to read the story. I will usually chose not to read a book that features too much family and especially kid time because I don't like to read about families involved in murder cases. This story didn't do anything to change my feelings along those lines, but it is very well written and I liked watching the development of the critical situations Hester Thursby ultimately found herself in. One thing I really enjoyed was how the author made Hester such a believable person by making her childhood have some similarities to the criminals and yet her life went in such a different direction.
This is the first book in a new series and the author has gathered a group of characters who have enough personality to carry a series over multiple books. If you are searching for a new, fresh mystery series to begin reading, this might be just right for you....more
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lion Hudson Ltd. for a digital galley of this novel.
I have enjoyed the Mel Starr novels featuring Master Hugh de SingletoMany thanks to NetGalley and Lion Hudson Ltd. for a digital galley of this novel.
I have enjoyed the Mel Starr novels featuring Master Hugh de Singleton in the past and liked this one too. I like the personality Starr has given Master Hugh and all the interesting facts I learn when I read one of these mystery novels regarding medicine practiced in 1372, especially the difference between a physician and a surgeon. What bothered me a lot was the plot hole so big a horse and cart could have been driven through it. Naturally that plot hole cannot be spoken of because it would be an immense spoiler. There is a Glossary at the beginning of the story explaining the meaning of words from this period of history so you can easily enjoy this novel even if it is your first time experimenting with the time period. This is story number eleven in the Hugh de Singleton, surgeon, series and there is a pleasant surprise at the end which will be appreciated by fans who have followed the stories so far.
So - Edward of Woodstock, Duke of Cornwall and Prince of Wales, is suffering once again from the physical malady he had when he first met Hugh de Singleton at Limoges. Master Hugh was able to ease his suffering at that time so he wants Hugh to come to Kennington Palace London to take over his treatment again. It seems the Prince has lost confidence in his physician. On his first night at the Palace Hugh sees Sir Giles Cheyne, who accompanied Hugh from Bampton to London, fall over dead during the evening meal. Prince Edward felt a bond of friendship with Sir Giles and he gives Hugh a Royal Warrant to investigate the crime and bring the criminal to justice. In fact, you might say the Prince enjoyed himself more than most folk would have expected. ...more
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