A Nice Class of Corpse by Simon Brett review

Published in 1988, it seems a throwback to the British mysteries of the 1930s.  This is the first in the series, and I expect additional books to be a bit better, and the character more defined in future books.

I hadn't read any of the other Mrs. Pargeter mysteries previously, and while it seemed a little old fashioned, I did enjoy it. I found the mystery interesting, and the Mrs. Pargeter character intriguing. 

Mrs Melita Pargater is the very wealthy widow of a talented burglar.  She's a little low class, is aware of it, but doesn't care.  She decides to stay at a genteel residential hotel, with mostly permanent residents (which are the fairly usual characters in a British cozy--aging actress, impoverished aristocrat, ex-military man and his not-very-bright friend).  The owner of the hotel wants the hotel to cater to high class residents, and is not sure about Mrs. Pargater.  

Then the other guests start dying, and Mrs. Pargater starts to investigate.  She uses the contacts her husband had to help her out.

I liked reading this.  It's not a deep book, but fun and easy to read.  I enjoyed the character of Mrs. Pargater, and I'm looking forward to reading others in this series.

InnKeeping with Murder by Lynn Bohart review

This is the first of the Old Maids of Mercer Island Mystery series. It takes place on Mercer Island in the middle of Lake Washington, halfway between Seattle and Bellevue, where Julia Applegate runs the St. Claire Inn.

Julia is a member of a book club, where the members over the years have become family.  One of them unexpectedly commits suicide, which is traumatic to all of the other members.  They decide to live their lives to the fullest in her memory, and start the Old Maids of Mercer Island, with each member doing something she'd always wanted to, but had never gotten up the nerve to do, with the others joining her.

Several months later, another member of the book club is poisoned, and Julia becomes one of the suspects.  Julia tells the Old Maids of Mercer Island that she wants them to help her investigate, clear her name, and find answers to why their friend was murdered.  They agree to help her out, and Julia discovers unknown skills among her friends.

I enjoyed the book, even though it presented things not usually found in a cozy mystery.  I figured out "who-done-it" about halfway through the book, but didn't figure out the why until a little later.

Looking forward to reading more in this series.




Fulfills a requirement of Read Around the USA Challenge--Washington

Also is part of the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

Dead Men Don't Lye by Tim Myers review

The first in the Soap-making series by Tim Myers.  The main character, Benjamin Perkins, is the oldest in his family, with 6 brothers and sisters.  His family owns and runs a soap-making business, where he is more or less the trouble shooter, helping out wherever he can.

One morning he comes to work and discovers the body of a man at the back entrance.  The man had died by having lye thrown in his face.  Because his sister had been slightly involved with the man, Ben decides he had to help the police do a little investigating into the death, at the behest of his mother who wants to keep her daughter out of the investigation.

I enjoyed reading this light, easy mystery.  There are relationships explored, a little romance, and a little self-discovery.

I'll probably be reading more in the series.

Murder at Scottish Mensa by Clare O'Beara review

Murder at Scottish Mensa by Clare O'Beara is the second in the Mensa Mystery series.  Cara Cassidy is a member of Irish Mensa, an international high IQ society.  She and her boyfriend, Mike Fraser--also a Mensa member, attend a Mensa Weekend event in Scotland.  While there, Cara is accosted by Danny Dreffin, who is later found dead.

Mike had had a confrontation with Danny after hearing what had happened with Cara, and becomes the number one suspect in the murder.  Cara, Mike, and others in Mensa become involved in investigating the death to clear Mike's name.

I enjoyed this one as much as the first in the series, and look forward to reading more.

This is part of my 2014 Around the World Challenge.

2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Challenge Update--COMPLETED

Here is a list of the cozies I've read in 2014 for the Challenge.  Click on title for my review of the book.
Level 1--Read 6 Books.  DONE Moving up to...
Level 2--Read 7-12 Books DONE Moving up to...
Level 3--Read 13-20 Books DONE Moving up to...
Level 4--Read over 20 Books DONE


 1. Clammed Up by Barbara Ross.
 2. The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters
 3. Death Takes a Bow by Frances and Richard Lockridge.
 4. Murder, She Barked by Krista Davis
 5. The Azalea Assault by Alyse Carlson
 6. Bats and Bones by Karen Musser Nortman
 7. A Dismal Thing to Do by Alisa Craig
 8. Ms. America and the Mayhem in Miami by Diana Dempsey
 9. Granny Hooks a Crook by Julie Seedorf
10. The Yellow Room by Mary Roberts Rinehart
11. Missing in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon
12. Invitation to Murder by Tim Myers
13. Deadly Greetings by Tim Myers
14. Murder and Salutations by Tim Myers
15. All Fudged Up  by Nancy CoCo
16. Murder in C Major by Sara Hoskinson Frommer
17. Trouble in Tawas by JoAnna Carl
18. Innkeeping With Murder by Tim Myers
19. Murder At Irish Mensa by Clare O'Beara
20. The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters
21. Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests  by Sarah M. Barton
22. At Wick's End by Tim Myers

Fade to Black by Robert Goldsborough review

Published in 1990, based on Rex Stout's characters of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.   In this novel, when Archie is attending a SuperBowl party at Lily Rowan's home, a stunning commercial involving parachutists is shown, and one of the creators, Rod Mills, is also attending the party.  He approaches Archie and asks for help with a problem at his ad agency.

When the three partners meet with Wolfe, it appears that the problem is industrial espionage--several of their ideas for Cherr-o-kee brand cherry soda have been used by their competition to promote AmeriCherry soda just before they can get their ideas produced.  They feel someone in their agency is selling out the info to their competition.

When Archie is investigating, he discovers the body of a principal in the other ad agency, the only one who knew the name of the spy.  Wolfe, as usual, determines who the murderer (and spy) really is.

I'm a huge fan of the Rex Stout Archie and Nero series of books, and was afraid I'd be disappointed in Goldborough's interpretation.  I was pleasantly surprised to find he generally did a good job of continuing the series.


Bought Dec 2, 2013.  Finished March 5, 2014.  Part of my Mt. TBR Reading Challenge.  It is also part of the Color Coded Challenge--A book with "Black" or any shade of Black.

Organized for Murder by Ritter Ames review

This is the first in the Organized Mysteries series, and features a professional organizer named Kate McKenzie. She is married to a former professional hockey player, Keith, and they've recently moved to Vermont, to his hometown, just a few miles from his parents home.   They have twin daughters who are in first grade, and as different in personalities as they are similar in looks.

Because the children are in school full-time, Kate decides to open her own business, as a professional organizer.  She gets her first job when Amelia Nethercutt hires Kate to organize her mansion filled with a multitude of items, collected by Amelia and her late husband, Daniel.  But before she can start the job, she gets a call from Amelia's stepdaugher, Sophia, telling Kate that her services are no longer needed, as Amelia is dead.

Kate is investigated by the police because her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon, and feels under suspicion by her neighbors. She decides to do some investigating herself, to clear her name.She is joined in her investigations by her best friend and neighbor, Meg Berman.

I enjoyed this book, and the tips on how to get organized that are scattered throughout the book.  Looking forward to reading the next in the series when I have time.

This fulfills one of the requirements for Read Around the USA Challenge--Vermont.

At Wick's End by Tim Myers review

The first in the Candle-making series of Mysteries. The author has written several mystery series with different crafts highlighted in the series.  This one, about candle-making, didn't pique my interest as much as  the other series, but it isn't bad for a light, easy read.

Harrison Black inherits his great-aunt's candle-making business, and the building it is housed in.  He is told by his aunt's attorney, Lucas Young, that he has to run the candle shop for 5 years or he loses his legacy, and everything goes to charity.  Since Harrison doesn't have a job he enjoys, he decides to follow through and take over the business, learning as he goes.  He is helped by his Aunt's assistant, Eve Pleasants, who had expected to take over the business, and is a little touchy.  He also gets to meet and learn a little about his Aunt's other tenants, who are all a little eccentric.

He finds out that his Aunt had died when she fell from a ladder, which he finds hard to believe as she didn't climb ladders anymore because of her age.  He gets involved in investigating her death, which the police believe to be an unfortunate accident. He then finds his life in danger when he manages to avoid an "accident" that had been arranged.

I mainly enjoyed this, and may read others in the series, although I probably won't go out of my way to find any. 

This fulfills a requirement for 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies

Cast, In Order of Disappearance by Simon Brett review

This is the first in the Charles Paris series of mysteries, and the first I've read.  It was first published in 1975, and takes place around the same time. 

Charles Paris is an amiable actor, who drinks a lot.  He is often out of work, and is a womanizer.  He manages to stay on good terms with his estranged wife, his married daughter, and his ex-lovers. In this story Paris is convinced by a young friend (and ex-lover) to approach her current love to return some photos, and ends up involved in a blackmail scheme and a death.

Paris is too easy-going for his own good, and because of this ends up in trouble of one sort or another. He is also fairly intelligent, but still does things against his better judgement because of his amiable nature. I rather like this about him. 

It was an interesting book, and I enjoyed it. I plan to read others in the series.  I am also going to read a book or two in other mystery series that Brett writes.

This fulfills part of the 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO  Silver--L--Book with Amateur Detective

The Case of the Glamorous Ghost by Erle Stanley Gardner review

This book was first published in 1955.  It is part of the Perry Mason series.  I've read others in this series, and usually enjoy them.  This was another that I enjoyed, even though I had a pretty good idea of who the murderers were about 2/3 of the way through the story.

Perry becomes involved in this case when a well-dressed woman, Olga, comes in and asks him to identify and protect her half sister, Eleanor, who seems to be suffering from amnesia.  Olga feels sure that the amnesia is fake, and that Eleanor is pretending to have lost her memory to cover up for some jam she's gotten herself into.

The story involves murder, smuggling, several beautiful women, and, of course, Della Street and the always feeling overworked Paul Drake.

This story was a well-written mystery that I enjoyed.

This fulfills 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO  Golden--L  Book with a "Spooky" Title.