Invitation to Murder by Tim Myers (writing as Elizabeth Bright) review

I enjoyed this book.  It was a nice cozy, featuring a card making shop and its owner, Jennifer Shane.  She is assisted by her Aunt Lillian, who is a little eccentric, and adds some charm to the story. 

I also enjoy the interaction between Jennifer and her brother, Bradford and her sister, Sarah Lynn.  The relationship between Jennifer's brother and their aunt is interesting, also.

Looking forward to the next in the series.

This is part of my 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies.

High Midnight by Stuart Kaminsky review

This is the sixth in the Toby Peters mystery series, published in 1981.  I've read several of the others and enjoyed them, and while I also enjoyed this one, I found it to be a little less enjoyable than many of the others.  It seemed to move a little slower, and there were characters that didn't seem to really belong in the story.

This one featured Gary Cooper, and had appearances by Babe Ruth and Ernest Hemingway to add to the story.  Added to the celebrity characters were several gangsters to make Toby's life a little more interesting.

The plot was interesting, and I find that the various bits of 1940s trivia adds to the feel of the story.  I also like Kaminsky's portrayal of both Gary Cooper and Babe Ruth.  I'm not sure about Ernest Hemingway's portrayal, it seems a little bit less real somehow.

This counts towards my Mt. TBR Reading Challenge.
Also counts for the 2014 Vintage BINGO challenge Silver--E--Book with time in title
And for the 2014 Color Coded Challenge Shades of Blue

Never Cross A Vampire by Stuart Kaminsky review

The fifth in the Toby Peters series features Bela Lugosi.  This is my favorite so far in the series, with Toby trying to work on two different cases, one concerning threats to Bela Lugosi and involving vampires, and the other concerning writer William Faulkner, who is being accused of murder.

I particularly enjoyed the beginning of the story, when Toby joins Lugosi in the basement of an old movie house filled with coffins and several wanna-be vampires.  The vampire-types all seem to be off a little, especially the one with the plastic fangs that make it difficult for him to talk.

How Toby manages to follow both cases, and finds a thread that links the two cases together is interesting, and the book was fun to read.

This is part of my 2014 Vintage BINGO Challenge  Silver-S--Entertainment World
It also counts in the 2014 Mt. TBR Reading Challenge.

Missing in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon review

This is part of the Ghost-in-law series that takes place in Mudbug, Louisiana.  One of the main, and yet oddest, characters is the late Helena, who had been murdered previously.  Only a few select people can see her, among them her former daughter-in-law, Maryse.  In life, Helena had been hard to get along with; in death, she is definitely one of the odder characters in this story.

I've enjoyed reading all of the Ghost-in-law books, and this is no exception.  Raissa, FBI agent and friend to Maryse, is kidnapped, and her husband, Luke is found by the side of the road seriously injured and unable to tell them what happened. The FBI agents brought in to solve the crime do not want to get the local Sheriff involved, but are unable to make any headway on the crime on their own.  So the local Sheriff and the local game warder team up with assistance from Maryse and Helena to help find Raissa.

The story is a little off-beat, a light read, but very enjoyable.  I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

This is part of my 2014 Mount TBR reading challenge, and the 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies challenge.

The Yellow Room by Mary Roberts Rinehart review

This is the first mystery I've read by Mary Roberts Rinehart, but I will be looking for more.  This was published in 1945, and takes place during WWII.  The main character, Carol Spencer, is asked by her mother to open their summer house in Maine, when her maid discovers the charred remains of a woman in the upstairs linen closet.  A former federal agent, Greg, is staying nearby while recuperating from injuries suffered in the war, and involves himself in solving the crime, with a lot of help from Carol.

I liked that Carol is bright, and not afraid to show her intelligence during the investigation.  I also enjoyed the mystery itself, which is intermingled with the romance developing between Greg and Carol.

I will be reading more my Mary Roberts Rinehart.  I hope they are all as enjoyable as this was.



This book qualifies for a couple of challenges. 
The 2014 Mount TBR Challenge, the 2014 Cruisin'  Thru the Cozies Challenge & the 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Gold--G  Book with a color in the title.  Also the 2014 Color Coded Challenge--#3. A Book with Yellow in the title.

The Wrong Rite by Alisa Craig (Charlotte MacLeod) review

This is the last in the Madoc Rhys series of mysteries.  Madoc and Janet travel to Wales for Madoc's great uncle's 90th birthday celebration, bringing their baby daughter with them.  They get to visit with Madoc's extended family, including a few he isn't all that happy to include.

While there, Madoc discovers an old family retainer has been attacked on the morning of the huge celebration.  He and his uncle take care of the old man, but decide not to say anything to spoil the party.
However, during the party there is a terrible accident, and a distant cousin dies.After investigation, it is concluded that the death was not an accident.

Madoc is convinced to help with the murder investigation, and discovers there is a lot more to investigate than just the death.  He finds it necessary to revisit a crime from the past that involves his family, and to investigate a possible burglary.

I enjoyed this book, and the whole series.  I am sorry there aren't more, I would have loved to see more interaction between Madoc, Janet, Dorothy and the rest of Madoc's family, especially his brother.

This is a book in my Read It Again Sam Challenge

Trouble in the Brasses by Alisa Craig (Charlotte MacLeod) review

This is another of the Madoc Rhys mysteries by Charlotte MacLeod writing as Alisa Craig.  Madoc father, a world famous conductor, is performing nearby and asks Madoc to join him.  When he arrives, Madoc's mother and father convince him that there is something going on in the orchestra, and he is needed to find out what is wrong, and then to fix it.

Madoc ends up joining his parents, and several members of the orchestra, on a private plane that is heading to their next performance venue.  Unfortunately, the plane has some mechanical problems and has to make a forced landing in the wilds of Canada.  Luckily, they land safely, and are near a tourist attraction that includes a hotel that is closed for the season.  They break in, and are relatively safe while waiting to be rescued, until they find out that one of the orchestra members who had gotten sick and died just before they left on the plane was, in fact, murdered.

Madoc is not only investigating his parent's problem, he is looking for the murderer, trying to keep the rest of the orchestra safe, and trying to keep the hopelessly incompetent members of the orchestra fed.

I really enjoyed this, especially the interactions between Madoc, his father, and his mother.

This is a book for my Read it Again, Sam challenge.

Green For Danger by Christianna Brand review

This is the first I've read by Christianna Brand, and is the second in the series featuring Inspector Cockrill.  It was published in 1944, and occurs during World War II in England while it suffers from the German Blitzkrieg.

The story takes place in a British hospital in the countryside.  One of the nurses is murdered after announcing that the death of a patient undergoing surgery was not an accident as everyone had believed, but deliberate, and that she had proof of it.  I found the story to be riveting, and enjoyed not only the mystery, but the way it drew me into the era when it took place.

I will be reading more by Christianna Brand. 

This book is part of my 2014 Mt. TBR Challenge.
It also is part of the  2014 Color Coded Challenge  #4--A book with Green in the Title.
It also fulfills a requirement in the Vintage Mystery BINGO  Gold--N--One Medical Mystery
This also fulfills a requirement for the  2014 Around the World Challenge  England (Europe) for the Casual Tourist Level (4 out of 6)

Granny Hooks A Crook by Julie Seedorf review

Granny Hooks a Crook is the first in the Fuchsia, Minnesota mystery series by Julie Seedorf.  I didn't really care much for this book, although I may read the second in the series to see if the writing has improved.  I didn't find it dreadful, just not as good as it could have been.

The story was based on a premise I found a little hard to believe (won't say what it is, don't want to give any thing away).  As I read it, I suspected it was written for children, or young adults, and if that were true, then the fact that a lot of the sentences are extremely brief and the low reading level would be more understandable--but I don't think it was.  I also found the main character to be a little extreme and weird.

I will admit that a lot of the recent books featuring "senior sleuths" have been disappointing to me. My problem is that I don't like reading about caricatures instead of characters.  This story doesn't measure up to some of my favorites--Agatha Christie's Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot, Heron Carvic's Miss Emily D. Seeton, and Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Emily Pollifax among others.  These are all believable characters who use their skills to solve the mysteries.

I hope that the next one in the series includes a slightly larger vocabulary, and less "senior weirdness".

This is part of my 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Challenge.

Ms. America and the Mayhem in Miami by Diana Dempsey review

This is part of the Beauty Queen series of mysteries.  I had previously read a couple of the earlier ones, and enjoyed them.  So when this came out I purchased it, but only got around to reading it now.

This series features Happy Pennington as the main sleuth.  She is helped out by her friends Trixie and Shannelle.  Happy is asked to step in as a last minute judge for the Teen Princess of the Everglades beauty pageant.  Soon after she gets there, one of the other judges is found strangled, so she and her friends begin their investigations.

The mystery is fairly light, and is a quick, humorous read.  My favorite part of the series is the relationship between Happy and her friends, and between Happy and her family.  There are some disagreements, but based on mutual respect and like, everything seems to eventually work out.



Bought 11/24/2013, finished 1/23/2014
This book qualifies for a couple of challenges. 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies.
And 2014 Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

A Dismal Thing to Do by Alisa Craig (Charlotte MacLeod) review

This is the third in the Madoc Rhys series by Charlotte MacLeod writing as Alisa Craig.  In this one, Madoc and Janet are married, and have a house that Janet is trying to furnish with antiques.

On the search for a washstand, following very poor directions from a neighbor, she gets lost.  While driving down an unknown road that has only one house for as far as she can see, she witnesses an accident.

While trying to help the accident victim, her car is stolen, and she is left in the middle of nowhere in the wintertime.  She makes her way to the only house in sight, and while relieving herself she hears men entering the house.  She overhears the men talking, discovers they are crooks, and hides until they leave.  Eventually, she is found and returns home, but her husband worries that the crooks will find her there and make trouble, so sends her to stay with her brother and family.

At the same time, Murdoc has been assigned to a very hush-hush investigation.  Somehow, these two crimes are intertwined, and Janet's hometown also figures into the investigation.

I really enjoyed this one, filled with unusual characters, and a lot of humor.  It was well written, and I enjoyed the mystery, too.

This is part of my 2014 Mt. TBR Reading Challenge, and the 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Challenge.

Bats and Bones by Karen Musser Nortman review

This is the first book by K.M. Nortman that I read.  It is the first of the Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries series. It takes place at a fictional Iowa State Park.

Frannie Shoemaker and her husband, Larry,  like to go camping.  This particular 4th of July weekend they visit a local State Campground and are joined by Larry's sister and brother-in-law, Jane Ann and Mickey, and family friends, Donna and Rob, all of whom have RVs.

While going for a morning hike, the group discover the body of one of the campground hosts.  She's been murdered, and her body left in a cave.  There are several suspects, as the victim had been particularly hard to get along with in the days leading up to her death.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery quite a bit.  The main characters, Frannie and Larry, are retired, and have been married for many years.  The interaction between the two of them, and between them and the other campers, seems very believable.  The mystery was fairly well done, and the editing was pretty good.  I will be reading additional books in the series.

This is a cozy that counts for the 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Challenge.
Finished 1/22/2014.

The Azalea Assault by Alyse Carlson review

This is the first in a new series, featuring Cam Harris.  She has been hired to do PR work for the Roanoke Garden Society.  While helping out with a photo shoot that would feature the Garden Society in a high prestige magazine, she becomes involved in a murder investigation.

I found this to be fairly well written for a first novel, and found it to be an enjoyable read.  Having said that, I felt there is room for improvement.  I felt that there were too many new characters added all at once and I also found the main character, Cam, to have a personality I found a little annoying.  I also didn't think that the drinking and driving was necessary to the story, and it happened more than once. 

I enjoyed this cozy, and I will probably read other books in the series, and hope that the few flaws are worked out in future books.



finished 1/19/2014
This counts towards my 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Challenge.
This also qualifies for the 2014 Color Coded Challenge--#8 A book with any other color in the title.

Murder Goes Mumming by Alisa Craig (Charlotte MacLeod) review

This is the second in the Madoc Rhys series of mysteries.  I've read several of them, and enjoyed them all.  Madoc is not the typical looking Mountie, but he gets his man every time.

In this story, Madoc's mother gets to meet Janet Wadman, who Madoc is dating.  Mrs Rhys is sure of herself, and is used to taking charge of her family, and the orchestra her husband conducts, and is a bit overwhelming.

She is impressed with Janet, and takes it upon herself to propose to Janet on Madoc's behalf, and takes a ring from her own finger to make the engagement official.  While out to dinner, she meets some of her many friends and Madoc and Janet are invited to a Christmas celebration after Mrs. Rhys announces that she has to catch a plane, and that Janet and Madoc have no other plans.

While at the mansion, they are snowed in with the extended family they are visiting, and an elderly woman dies.  When another is murdered, Madoc starts investigating.

I enjoy the humor in this series, and the way the relationships are portrayed. 

I've read this before, but wanted to read the entire series in order.

This is part of the 2014 Read It Again Challenge

Murder, She Barked by Krista Davis review

This is the first in a new series (Paws and Claws Mysteries) by Krista Davis.  It takes place in Wagtail, Virginia, a small town which has reinvented itself as a pet vacation hot spot.  The entire town has become pet friendly, and hosts several stores/businesses that cater to supplying the doting pet owners almost anything they can imagine for their pets, from collar and leashes to special grooming, food treats and clothes.

Holly Miller is summoned home because her grandmother has been injured in an accident.  This is when she discovers that over the last 5 years when she had been too busy to visit, the place had changed from the little backwater town she remembered, into the pet vacation hot spot.

She finds out that her grandmother's accident wasn't an accident, and that the person her grandmother was with had been killed in the accident.  When other things begin to happen, she starts investigating to protect her "Oma".

I enjoyed this story, and will be reading more by the author.

This qualifies for the 2014 Cruisin' Thru the Cozies
finished 1/13/2014.