The Rabbit Factory by Marshall Karp
This novel reminded me of an early Elvis Cole mystery. Great plot, great characters and lots of humor mixed with harsh reality. I loved it!
The story focuses on FamilyLand which is basically a fictional Disney Land with cartoon characters and theme park. In the opening chapter, the main FamilyLand character, Rambuctious Rabbit, is killed on a cigarrette break. In enters the LAPD and Mike Lomax. A dectective who's personal life is a bit of a mess. He just lost his wife to cancer, his younger brother has a hit out against him for a gambling debt, and his father keeps trying to set him up on blind dates. Things get worse when the killing continues and it appears the target is FamilyLand itself.
What I enjoyed the most in this novel was the banter and cop humor. It really lightened up an otherwise dark mystery novel. This is one I'd recommend for sure!
Blindsided by Karin Slaughter
This novel introduces the character Sara Linton, coroner, and her ex-husband Jeffrey Tolliver, police chief, of a small Georgia town. A serial murderer is on the loose and it is up to Sara to piece together the clues and stop him. I liked some parts of this novel. Good characters, nice chemistry, great mystery. But it was too gory for me. Way too gory. The murders were gruesome rapes that were explained in great detail that just went too far for me. Also, it suffered from the Star Trek ensign disease. An away party beams down with Capt Kirk, Spock, Bones, and a nameless yellow shirt. Guess who's going to die? Yup. In this book there is this one random character who gets way too much face time for his role. Unless, of course, he's the killer. So about 1/3 of the way through, it became pretty obvious who dunnit. That I can forgive. The gore, well, no. But if you like a nice graphic violent series, this one may be for you.
Persuader - A Jack Reacher Novel - by Lee Child
This was a staff recommendation that I picked up on a lark. It features Jack Reacher, a former military MP who is now an independent agent. There are about a dozen books in this series and this is one of the later ones. Jack is recruited by a group of federal agents trying to break open a suspected drug ring and rescue one of their own who went in undercover and never resurfaced.
This book is all action. Lots of car chases, explosions, hand to hand combat and discussion about various types of guns, ammuntion and bullet holes. The body count is high and the plot very simple. There are bad guys. There are good guys. They kill eachother. The end. I suppose as a shoot 'em up thriller it was good. For me, the characters were too 1 dimentional. Everyone had tightly controlled emotions. Everyone was very professional and deadly. After a while, it gets a bit old. I think I'm been spoiled by by Elvis Cole's series. I need a little humor and human fraility in my heros so Jack Reacher wasn't my cup of tea.
Pardonable Lies- The Third Maise Dobbs Mystery - Jacqueline Winspear
I couldn't wait till this one came out in paperback so I borrowed it from the library. I adored the first two in this series but this was possible my favorite of the three. Maise Dobbs and her assistant Billy are contacted by a man looking to prove that his only son died in WWI. His wife insisted her son was still alive and contacted various mediums and seers trying to prove he was not dead. On her death bad, she begs her husband to continue the search. Bowing to her dying wishes, he hires Maise to prove his child's demise even though no remains where found. At the same time, Maise is approached by her best friend from college who, coincidently, requests the exact same thing. Namely, that Maise discover what happened to her brother who disappeared while serving during WWI. Maise hesitates to return to Paris and re-live her own horrible war memories but she decides to take on the tasks.
The mystery was a page turner and the theme throughout the book was, under what circumstance is it better to lie than tell the truth? Is there such a thing as a pardonable lie? Maise is faced with this puzzle in both her personal and professional life and grapples with the answer of if the truth is always the best recourse. Once again, Maise is painted as someone who has carefully walled herself off from everyone else. She is smart and successful but oh so very alone. I keep waiting for Winspear to break through Maise's walls but so far there are only signs of cracks.
This is a wonderful series and has been nominated/won almost every mystery writing award out there. I can't wait for the next...
Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin by Nancy Atherton
Another old time favorite of mine. I haven't been quite as charmed by the last few in this series but this one was one of the best. Lori Sheppard volunteers in a hospital where she meets a terminally ill woman whom she befriends. Upon her new friend's death, Lori is charged with finding her missing brother and discovering the many secrets of her friend's life. Lori quickly learns that her friend went out of her way to get to know the people around her. She talked to shop keepers and supported local resturants. She listened and lent a hand where ever possible. In this crazy world, it's so easy to breeze past people without every acknowledging they are people. Do you know they name of the cashier at your grocery story? The owner at your favorite resturant? It's a lesson I know I needed to learn. Of course, Lori unravels the mystery, unites two young lovers, and tells all to her beloved Aunt Dimity.
Loved this book. So sweet. So kind. These books never take me long to read but they are a nice little mid-week pick me up.
The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters
I found the next in the series out in paperback already so I snatched it up. This book isn't a flash back but a continuation of the Emerson clan adventures. Poor Elizabeth Peters has a daunting task. Her cast of characters has grown to astronomical proportions. Of course, we have Amelia and her husband Emerson. Add their son, Ramses and his wife, Nefret, along with their twins. Then there is the best friend, David, and his family. Black sheep turned hero, Uncle Sethos, Cyrus and wife, their servants, workers, and of course, new characters to add to the plot line. It's amazing she can work in any new adventure. But, somehow, she manages to jump back and forth between view points and plots as each grouping head off in different adventures. The mystery surrounds a "cursed" artifact. The Emerson's discover where the artifact comes from and dispell the curse. This books is a big build up to the next in the series and merely whets the palate for the next big adventure. I don't know if I can wait! My only regret is that all these characters mean Amelia has to share the stage and she is by far my favorite. I need more! More!
Guardian on the Horizon by Ellizabeth Peters
This is the yet another in the Amelia Peabody series that I love. In this book, we jump back in time to watch the Emersons trek back to the oasis where they discovered Nefret as a child. I'm not sure what Elizabeth Peters decided to go back in the series. I adore any adventure featuring Ms. Amelia but there didn't seem to be much point to this book aside from an mystery adventure and I found myself puzzled as to why she felt it necessary to write this book. Sure, we learned a bit more about Nefret but it was a bit odd to be watching Ramses pine away from her when we all now that they eventually fall in love. So while it is a typical Emerson adventure, it wan't one of my favs.
Biggie and the Quincy Ghost - The Biggie Series - by Nancy Bell
I'm always on the look out for new fun mystery series and this one was recommended to me. Since I'm just trying it out, I grabbed it from the local library so it falls somewhere in the middle of the series. The hook to this mystery series is that it is told from the perspective of 13 year old J.R. who is living with his grandma Biggie and a colorful assortment of characters in east Texas. In this mystery, Biggie, et all head to the town of Quincy to learn about their historical society. Instead of history, they become embroilled in a murder that Biggie, with the help of JR, must solve.
I liked this series but I think I may have to go back a few novels. This was a nice, light read with funny characters and an Agatha Christie like ending of rounding up the suspects and confronting the killer. I liked having the book narrated by JR but every now and then I found myself wondering if a 13 year old really thought/acted that mature. When I head back to the library, I'll try another in this series just for the fun factor.
Birds of A Feather - A Maisie Dobbs Mystery - by Jacqueline Winspear
The second in the Maise Dobbs series proved just as delightful. A little more development of Maise and her co-horts along with a good mystery. I think I enjoy the way the story unfolds best. Maise is hired by a wealthy business man to find his daughter. She's run away from home again and he wants her found quickly and quietly. Within the first few chapters, Maise has a good idea of where she has gone but instead of locating her and bringing her home, Maise digs deeper and discovers some frightening facts. Three close friends of the daughter have been murdered in the same manner. Perhaps the woman's flight was not a rich girl's tantrum but a flight of fear for her own life. The clues lead Maise once again to dig into actions during WWI. Maise solves the mystery and learns something important about herself in the process. A great sequel to a great series. Can't wait for the next book to come out in paperback!
The Big Over Easy - Jack Spratt Investigates by Jasper Fforde
This is a new mystery series by Jasper Fforde who is also writing another line of great mysteries staring Thursday Next. This book, however, is a bit Terry Prachett meets Mother Goose.
It revolves around Jack Spratt. As in, Jack Spratt would eat no fat, his wife would eat no lean.... and Mary Mary from Mary Mary quite contary how does your garden grow.... They are both dectectives in the NCD or Nursery Crimes Division whose jurisdiction covers all crimes commited by or upon nursery rhyme characters. As a mom with a very comprehensive knowledge of Mother Goose, I found this book hysterical.
It opens with a despondent Jack. His prosecution of the three little pigs for willfull boiling of a wolf was dismissed and his career teeters on the brink of disaster. He's given a new partner, Mary Mary, and sent out to investigate the death of Humpty Dumpty who has fallen off a wall. At first glance, it appears a susicide but further investigation reveals foul play. And so Jack and Mary are off to try and apprehend the killer. There's a bean stalk, a mad scientist, aliens, and an arch rival thrown in for good measure. Basically, hilarious.
The next in the series is titled The Fourth Bear and I can't wait to get my hands on it!
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Oh how I loved this book! I thought this book was so wonderful that as soon as I finished it, I threw both girls in the car, drove to the mall, dragged them both to the bookstore and let them run/crawl rampant while I found the next in this mystery series. I can only hope it's as well written as this one.
So, what did I like? I loved the setting for this book, the characters and, of course, the mystery. The main character is Maisie Dobbs. A woman who has risen above her birth in England and survived the horror of WWI. She was a nurse during the war and has now set up her own office which is a bit detective agency and a bit counselling mixed together. It's hard to describe what Maisie does. She watches, listens, and thinks. I loved how she will often times mimic a persons stance to understand how they are feeling. She'll follow the bend of their sholders, how they hold themselves, what they are doing and get a glimpse into their psyche in the process. She practices a bit of yoga and good old fashioned deduction to solve her case.
It starts off innocently enough. A husband thinks his wife is cheating and wants Maisie to find out where she is going. Maisie discovers she is visiting a grave for a dead soldier and reports her findings. But the case doesn't end there. The mystery continued to unravel and Maisie finds herself reliving the horror of her days as a front line nurse.
She's a wonderful heroine. Smart, funny, caring and kind. She has a very mysterious mentor who I hope we learn more about. Best of all, the author gives you a real sense of what it must have been like after WWI in England. The social order was in upheaval. Women were entering the workforce and everything was turned upside down. I loved everything about this book. I can't wait for more.
The Forgotten Man : An Elvis Cole Novel by Robert Crais
Ah, another Elvis Cole novel. I love Elvis. You just can't go wrong with an Elvis Cole novel. Some are better than others but everyone is worth reading in my book. Lately though, the humor has been a bit light and the plot lines a bit dark. Our wise cracking hero has a broken heart and appears to be suffering from a mild depression. This is not good. The mystery and the action and the plot, however, suffer no such malaise. I read this book in one day which isn't easy to do since I was attempting to watch both kids at the same time. I just couldn't put it down. I'm hoping Elvis snaps out of his blues soon. He's getting a bit moopy for my taste. Also, I wanted more Pike action. But enough complaints. I devoured this book quickly and it was very tasty. I'd recommend you do the same. My only word of caution is that you should read the book before this one in the series to really understand what is going on. There's quite a bit of reference to Elvis' last adventure. Here's hoping the next is out in paperback soon.
Angel At Troublesome Creek by Mignon F. Ballard
I went back and picked up the first in the Augusta Goodnight mystery series and it was so sweet! What a fun and relaxing read. The mystery isn't too deep and the ending is happy but I just like the idea of having a guardian angel. This is angel Augusta's first assignment back on earth since WWII and her reactions to the modern world are quite sweet. She doesn't interceed directly. Instead, her actions are much more subtle. Her help comes in the form of a good meal, slowing down, thinking things through, and even summoning a little courage to do something different. This story involved a murdered Aunt and a missing bible. Of course, there was a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. Each book stood alone but reading them together was the way to go. I'm eager for the next in this series!
Hard Christmas - a Cat Marsala Mystery - by Barbara D'Amato
Having enjoyed my first Cat Marsala mystery, I thought I'd keep going in this series and I'm glad I did! I enjoyed this book as much, if not more, than the first.
Cat, freelance journalist, decides to write a piece about Christmas trees. Who grows them, how they are cut and where they finally end up. She's thinking of a feel good piece for Christmas time and heads out to a family farm in Michigan where a small family has been growing and selling Christmas trees since the 1900's. She arrives on Thursday of Thanksgiving weekend in time for the beginning of the harvest and leaves that Monday. In between, of course, there is a murder of one of the workers.
The characters where great, the mystery a true page turner. The farm remote and the only possible suspects are memebers of the family. I hated to put this book down because I couldn't figure out who did it. Even worse, I couldn't find any character that I wanted to be the murderer. There were all good characters. As the plot unfolded and the clues began to point to one person, I found myself reading faster and faster because I so didn't want to believe it. Unfortunately, no punches where pulled and I was slightly sad when the killer was revealed.
Definately going to have to find the rest of this series. Her characters are wonderful and her plots are great. Hope the library has more!
The Edge of Doom - A Kate Fansler Novel - by Amanda Cross
Since I enjoyed the first Amanda Cross novel, I thought I'd try another. This story focuses on the main heroine, Kate Fansler, as she discovers that her rigid and distant mother had a torid love affair and a child. Kate is dumbstruck when a man appears with DNA evidence that he is her biological father. Not only is he her father, but he has recently left the Witness Protection Service and is on the run from the man he testified against and sent to jail.
As a "literary mystery", this novel also delves into the later works of Shakespear and the recurring theme of fathers redeeming themselves through their daughters. The parallels to the plot line where clear. Kate's true father hopes that coming clean to Kate about her origins will help to clear his conscience as to some crimes he committed later in life.
While this is very interesting, there just wasn't enought to this novel. I suppose if you had read all the others in this series, you might be more interested in learning about Kate's past. But a good half of the book is filled with musing and revelations by Kate as she tries to figure out who she is once she learns her father is not her father. The murder and mystery are negligable and rather boring and the resolution totally unsatisfying. I would barely even call this a mystery.
I'm hoping this novel isn't par for the course. I have a feeling it would be much more interesting if I had read all the previous Kate Fansler book so this new twist regarding her past would be more illuminating. As it was, I had a hard time getting excited over this book. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.
Coup de Grace by J.S. Borthwick
This was another random library pick and falls in the middle of an on-going series featuring amature detective Sarah Deane. Having just received her Ph.D. in literature, Sarah accepts a temp posiition teaching english lit at a all-girls boarding school. While there, she become involved in the murder off a fellow teacher and helps the police uncover the crime.
This is a good, solid mystery. A nice large cast of characters who all have something to hide. This leads to a host of suspects as everyone appears to have some sort of a motive for the crime. Sarah Deane isn't a true PI but rather happens to be at the wrong place at the right time. The killer is unmasked, all the loose ends tied, and all in all this was a very fun mystery. I'll have to check out more of the series but this one was a good solid read!
The Tale of Holly How - Book 2 in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert
This is the second book in this mystery series and it is just as sweet as the first. I have even come to enjoy all the talking animals! Amazing.
Ms Potter returns to her little farm and once again stumbles upon a murder in progress and a murder committed. Her sharp observations and compassionate heart lead her to unmask both the killers. The characters are wonderful and the dual mystery plot lines ensure this is another good page turner. There's even a hint that there might be a touch of romance in the next in this series!
This is a very sweet and refreshing book. I'd recommend it to anyone who would like to settle down with a cup of tea and a good read.
Hard Evidence - A Cat Marsala Mystery by Barbara D'Amato
From the cover, I thought this was a catering mystery. Turns to it's a series about a freelance journalist named Cat. She picks up dinner ingredients at her favorite independent market and whips together a lasagna for her boyfriend. Before that sit down to eat, she tosses her friend's dog a soup bone she picked up at the store's deli. Her boyfriend takes one look at the bone and calls the police. It isn't a beef bone. It's a human bone.
And so the mystery begins. Cat goes undercover as a catering assistant to help the store owners, and her friends, discover how human meat ended up in the deli counter. Of course, issuing a recall causes quite a stir when the public realized what, exactly, they have eaten! The mystery was good as were the characters and plot. This book is in the middle of the series and it's been added to my list of authors to explore. Cat is a strong, independent, funny, and realistic character and the book was a good page turning mystery. You can't ask for anything more!
Honest Doubt - A Kate Fansler Novel by Amanda Cross
I stumbled upon this book at the library. I had approximately .5 seconds before Leina managed topple a shelve while trying to scale to the top and Kulia was .5 seconds from ripping out a few pages from a nearby book and stuffing them in her drooly little mouth. I suppose I was also about 10 seconds from getting kicked out of the library so I just grabbed this book and ran. If I had time, I probably would never have chosen it. It was the 13th in the series and features a motorcycle rider on the front. But it was a mystery and desperate times call for desperate measures.
So imagine my surprise upon reading Honest Doubt and finding a very good new series. This mystery reminded me a bit of an old-school mystery novel a la Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie. There are no car races, gun battles or other craziness. Just good old fashion dectective work.
The main character is a former lawyer turned PI who is hired to investigate the murder of a crochety old english professor. She undertakes this task by speaking with the suspects, brainstorming with her allies, and eventually solving the crime. I found it very refreshing.
I gather that this series is known as a literary crime - each novel centers around a literay figure; in this case Tennyson. It appears that this is a spin off book so the main sleuth, Kate Fansler, only appears as a minor character. No worries, I have already requested more in this series and am quite pleased to have a back list of 12 books to catch me up to speed. If you are looking for a good old fashioned who dunnit, I can say this book is a good pick.
An Angel to Die For by Mignon F. Ballard
This is the second book in the Augusta Goodnight series that I stumbled upon. I think I may have to track down the first but the story stood on it's own. Reading the book out of order didn't pose any difficulty - thank goodness! It is a very light mystery which is solved with a little help from a guardian angel named Augusta Goodnight. I may have to read more in this series as I found this book quite charming. It was recommended to me by someone who liked the Aunt Dimity series and I have to agree that they are very similar. The angel doesn't take any direct action but rather lends sound council and a clear head when needed. There was enough of a mystery to keep you interested involving the death of an estranged sister and the baby boy she left behind unbeknownst to her mother or sister. A sweet little story well worth reading with a cup of hot tea and a cookie....or two!
The Tale of Hill Top Farm : The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert
I don't know what made me pick out this book. Just a lark really. But boy, did it pay off! This new series reminds me very much of my beloved Aunt Dimity line of books. It fictionalizes the life of Beatrix Potter as she buys a little farm in the English countryside. There is a murder, of course, and she helps to solve it. There are also talking animals. Now, I normally do not like books with talking animals. Don't know why but it just botheres me. So when the cats and dogs started to speak, I thought, "oh no, not one of THOSE mysteries." However, it wasn't so bad! I think because the author depicts Ms. Potter as such an animal lover, the fact that her animals converse somehow works. Anyway, this is a delightful and fun little mystery and I plan on adding it to my series to follow list. Highly Recommended as a light mystery read.
Deja Dead and Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs
This series was recommended to me as another mysteries series a la Patricia Cornwall. The main character is single woman who's a coroner for a large city. She cuts up bodies and solves crimes. The twist, which I liked, was that she is an anthropologist which means she specializes in bones. She's called on when someone digs up bones during construction or after a fire when there is no corpse. It's amazing what you can tell from a skeleton. The party line is...
In the year since Tempe left behind a shaky marriage in North Carolina, work has often preempted her weekend plans to explore Quebec. But when an unidentified female corpse is discovered meticulously dismembered and stashed in garbage bags, Tempe detects an alarming pattern within the grisly handiwork - and her professional detachment gives way to a harrowing search for a killer in the city's winding streets. With a little help from the police, Tempe calls on her expertise, honed in the isolated intensity of the autopsy suite, to investigate on her own. But her determined chase is about to place those closest to her - her best friend and her own daughter - in mortal danger...
The author borrows the same formula that made Patricia Cornwall so famous and does a pretty good job. The murders are rather grisly and graphic so it's not for the faint of heart. The heroine, Tempe, is constantly running around on her own, too impatient for back up which gets her into loads of trouble. After the upteenth time, I began to wonder how many close calls before she learned to just wait until help arrives. But, a clear headed heroine isn't much fun and so Tempe plunges head first into danger again and again.
I like this series. While not a polished as Cornwall's mysteries, these are good mysteries with all the right ingredients to keep you turning pages. And I'm a sucker for science so I'll probably keep reading!
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Katherine Hall Page
During the holiday season, I found myself at Powell's about once a week for a month. If you haven't been to Powell's, you'd think I'd be bored visiting the same store over and over. Those of you who have experienced this book store will know that you could return every day and still find something new. Sure enough, each time I was there, I found a couple of interesting books. This book was in the mystery section and was recommended so I thought I'd pick it up. It was a good mystery but not what I'd call great. The party line is.....
There was no question that the body in the church belfry was Cindy Shepherd and that she was very dead. The kitchen knife sticking out of her curvaceous young body left no doubt. Faith Sibley Fairchild, the minister's wife who found poor Cindy, quickly learned that there was no shortage of people who might have been tempted to do Cindy in: childhood enemies, jilted lovers, and angry victims of Cindy's vicious tongue. It seemed a shame to Faith to let the police pin the crime on Cindy's fiancé just because he lacked an alibi...or a better way to break the engagement. But ex-New Yorker Faith had a lot to learn about murder in Massachusetts. Digging up seedy little secrets in a quiet New England village can make the natives a bit nervous...and turn the lady from the big city in to just another small town statistic.
Something about the main character, Faith, really rubbed me wrong. She was this rich New York woman who had a successful business catering to the elite who marries a minister and moves to a quite New England town. She's talented, beautiful, rich, smart, blah blah blah. No flaws, nothing that gives her real character. Sure she has a 5 month old son but he's a perfect angel who spends his time either conveniently sleeping or laughing. I don't know why the author made her a minister's wife as she has almost nothing to do with the church. Maybe to solidify her "good" image? I found her ability to "whip" together gourmet meals, the "admiring" glances from men and her "charming" stubbornness to really annoy me after a while. The plot was nice and moved along but the characters, well, they were pretty shallow and not very interesting at all. This series has a real following so maybe it's just me but lets just say, I'm glad I bought this one used!