Some Capsule Reviews

Reviews by Dawn Dowdle

GILDED Death by Anne-Marie Sutton

I really like this series set in Newport . In this second book, amateur sleuth Caroline Kent and Newport Police Detective Hank Nightengale are no longer dating but are thrown back together in the investigation. At the engagement part of Imogen Revell, her fiancé, Hugh, dies after drinking a poisoned glass of burgundy. But who was the intended victim? The glass was Imogen's. The setting is fabulous in this series. Newport is a place I'd like to explore. Since I haven't been able to, I enjoy exploring it through these books. The mystery is well plotted with great characters

Goodbye Dolly by Deb Baker

Gretchen attends her first auction while her mother is on her big book tour. She wins the bid on a box of Ginny dolls but packages are somehow mixed up and she leaves with a box of Kewpie dolls. Reporter Ronnie Bean is discovered dead with one of Gretchen's tools with her ex-boyfriend Steve's fingerprints on it. Even though Steve is a rat, she doesn't believe he is a killer. She sets off to uncover the real killer. I love this series with its quirky characters and doll collecting theme. I always get a chuckle out of it and highly recommend it!

Murder, She Wrote Margaritas & Murder

Jessica Fletcher is off to Mexico to visit her publisher, Vaughn, and his wife, Olga, in their new vacation home in Mexico . Her arrival is fraught with problems. Then Vaughn is kidnapped while on the mail run with a friend. Jessica has to get to know more of the Americans living there to try to figure out who has kidnapped Vaughn and why. I love this series. Since I've never been to Mexico , I really enjoyed the setting in this book. It was interesting seeing it through the eyes of Americans who had moved there due to the cheaper cost of living. Can't wait to read more in this series. I can always see Jessica in my mind while reading. And when books are set in Cabot Cove, I can see it as I read about it.

Trial By Fire by J. A. Jance

This is the latest in her Ali Reynolds series. This series is quickly becoming my favorite. Ali is a strong character and her investigating skills are used more now. I really liked that. The author did a fabulous job of letting the reader feel how the burned woman felt throughout the story. True to form, this story moved along quickly and the plot was well crafted. I found it hard to put the book down and go to sleep. I just wanted to keep reading! I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

Aye Do or Die by Candy Calvert

This is the 2 nd in the series, but the first I'd read. I really enjoyed nurse Darcy Cavanaugh. She was on a cruise with the wedding party of a friend. Many things happen to plague the upcoming wedding. Some are jokes played by the wedding party but others are more serious. I found this to be a quick read, but it kept me wanting to know more. I can't wait to read more of the series! Darcy was a fun character. She has a level head but finds herself in some sticky situations. I highly recommend this book!

Sleeping With Anemone by Kate Collins

I love Abby Knight. She's such a fun character. Her boyfriend, Marco, is a hunk! In this latest installment, Abby has to have protection. Marco, of course, takes the job. But can togetherness be too much sometimes? I fly through the books in this series. They are just such fun reads. Well crafted plots and fun characters and stories make for a great cozy mystery series. The bad thing is I finish them so quick. Have to wait another year for the next book! I highly recommend the book and series.

Reviews by Vero Caravetta

Stuff to Spy For by Don Bruns

Skip Moore and James Lessor pursue a new career as spies in Bruns's third novel featuring the South Florida sleuths. When Sarah Crumbly, an old high school friend, approaches Skip about updating the security for Synco Systems, a software company that designs protection systems for computer networks, Skip accepts (of course, he's also been promised a bonus if he pretends to be Sarah's boyfriend until the installation is complete). Sarah, a high-rent call girl, is the mistress of Synco's married CEO, Sandy Conroy, with whom she has plans to leave the country. Complications pile up when Synco's VP, Ralph Walter, turns up dead in his office, an apparent suicide. Skip, James, and Skip's girlfriend, Emily, plunge into the world of espionage and spy gear as they acquire an assortment of spy tech for their investigation. The more they investigate, the schemes turn dangerous. Will Skip and James be able to penetrate the intrigue going within Synco or have they left too many loose ends which will trip them up?

Dead Air by Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid

When radio host and co-ed, Sammy Greene, takes action, she may pay the ultimate price for her work. A typically brash, native New Yorker, she isn't afraid to cause an uproar at Ellsford University , an ultraconservative New England college. Host of "The Hot Line", a talk-radio show on campus station WELL, Sammy tackles the most controversial issues facing Ellsford's community. When Sammy discovers the body of Dr. Burton Conrad, one of Ellsford's most esteemed professors, her goes into journalist mode and decides to uncover who killed the beloved professor after the police conclude he committed suicide. Then several Ellsford students mysteriously disappear and Sammy realizes she's uncovered the terrifying underbelly of this corner of higher education. With the entire campus in peril, and issues from her past close behind, Sammy must race to find answers.

Wyatt's Revenge: A Matt Royal Mystery by H. Terrell Griffin

Matt Royal, retired trial lawyer and Vietnam vet, displays a gift for understatement in Griffin 's fourth mystery. After his car has been firebombed and, in another incident, he's been shot at, Royal fully understands that someone is trying to stop him from pursuing the hit man who killed Royal's close friend, history professor Laurence Wyatt. Wyatt and a fellow Florida academic, gunned down on the same day, had been researching the Nazis and Vichy France. When they are killed, Matt trades in his easygoing ways for a bitter quest for revenge. For Matt, finding Wyatt's killer isn't a job; it's personal. Determined to do whatever it takes to solve Wyatt's murder, he takes matters into his own hands and starts a clandestine investigation. In hot pursuit of a cadre of hardened criminals and trained killers, the tables get turned and Matt becomes the pursued. Matt calls for backup from buddies Jock Algren and Logan Hamilton. Readers are in for quite a ride and should the unexpected.

Aaron's Wait by Dorien Grey

This is the second of the Elliott Smith Mysteries. It would be good to read His Name is John first because it will give you some great background on characters and situations not to mention that it's a great read in itself. Elliott Smith has an otherworldly connection which has become part of his life. Reading the first in the series will help you understand this concept. There are a number of paranormal mystery series and the Elliott Smith series takes its place in the ranks. Smith, independently wealthy, likes preserving what's left of Chicago 's smaller architectural history. He purchases distinctive flat buildings and renovates them for resale. In doing so, he finds himself in situations which are sometimes mysterious and dangerous. And sometimes even sexy. Smith is a well rounded character and readers will relate to his day to day problems, as well as those he encounters because of the ghost who accompanies him. Aaron's Wait has an intricate plot with lots of clues for readers to follow as well as a few false leads. The characters are well drawn and make this a very nicely done mystery that readers will enjoy. There's a lot to savor in this book. Grey is a master at what he does and makes this story come alive for readers.

Whispers by Chester Aaron

A series of brutal assaults strikes a tiny Jesuit-run college, and college journalist Eve Gallagher discovers the administration is determined to cover up the matter. She fights to bring the crimes into the open but must also solve another riddle buried in silence years before which involves the truth about her sweet, disabled sister Tessa, a secret that has haunted her for most of her life. There are two stories in this novel, both powerful and disturbing. The author uses present tense which this reviewer finds distracting.

Murder by Metaphor Chester Aaron

Professor Forest Butler is shocked to learn Farleigh O'Brien is dead. O'Brien, an award-winning, nationally renowned poet, was the star of the English Department at St. Catherine's University and seemed the last person to kill himself. But he was murdered. Forest decides his late colleague's case is the perfect basis for a mystery novel and doesn't understand some things glaringly all aroud. When he learns a former student is the homicide detective in charge of the case, he's convinced he's on track to write a best-seller.

The Prosecution Rests edited byLinda Fairstein and sponsireed by the Mystery Writers of America

Bestseller Fairstein ( Killer Heat ) has put together a stellar anthology, presented by the Mystery Writers of America, that should appeal to contemporary noir fans. Courtroom drama has been a staple in the American diet of crime fiction since before Perry Mason did his thing and this collection is a welcome addition to the table. Some of today's top legal-thriller writers present a taste of what makes the courtroom setting appealing. The late Edward Hoch starts things off nicely with The Secret Session, a concise whodunit centering on judicial corruption at the appellate level. Joel Goldman highlights the ethical challenges of criminal defense work in Knife Fight, as does Eileen Dunbaugh in The Letter. While the courtroom is most definitely the star, many of the stories feature action outside those walls and involve other players such as in Barbara Parker's “A Clerk's Life” and in Diana Hansen-Young's “The Flashlight Game.” In others the drama is more about the characters than the crime, as in Paul Levine's “Mom Is My Co-Counsel.” The stories, most by masters of their art, are well written, subtly developed, and quite enjoyable.

The 38 Million Dollar Smile by Richard Stevenson

Gary Griswold, scion of Albany old money, goes missing and his ex-wife wants to know what's happened to him. And don't forget his thirty-eight million dollars in cash. As it happens, Gary is flirting with religion so he and his money have disappeared into Thailand , where corruption is in the air. Albany 's only gay PI, Don Strachey, is tracking Gary and is quickly out of his element. His lover, Timmy, is out of his comfort zone as they comb the Land of Smiles for a man with an unerring weakness for poor choices and a nutty plan to buy thirty-eight million dollars worth of good karma. This is book 10 in the award-winning Donald Strachey Mystery Series and it's a good read. If you haven't read any of the earlier volumes, you can still jump into this one, But it's lots better getting to know the characters and their friends by reading the earlier work.

Inland Empire by James Buchannan

Agent Nick O'Malley and Det. Brandon Carr are back for another sexy romp. Nick sets out for Riverside , California , center of the Inland Empire and Brandon 's home turf. But Nick's presence in Riverside threatens Brandon 's closeted bliss. Then events pull Nick into one of Brandon 's investigations involving gang hits, prostitution, illegal gambling and human trafficking. And they must figure out how to survive. Inland Empire is the sequel of Cheating Chance(reviewed in an earlier issue of Mysterical-E). Nick and Brandon are a study in contrasts and watching them interact in these novels is interesting.

Personal Demons by James Buchannan

Hunting a notorious hit man, FBI Agent Chase Nozick and LAPD Det. Enrique Rios Ocha delve into unknown territory. A missing informant, her murdered brother, and a ghost from Chase's past send them on a peculiar journey to find their witness before it's too late. In addition, Chase must conquer his own demons to bring the killer of his partner to justice and find the strength to take a chance on Enrique.

Deadly Wrong by Victor Banis

Victor J. Banis' novel Deadly Wrong is the second novel in his Deadly Mystery series. (Deadly Nightshade was reviewed in an earlier Mysterical-E). This novel can stand-alone but readers wanting to understand the relationship between Tom and Stanley should read Deadly Nightshade first. In this book, the story centers around Stanley Korski relegating Tom Danzel to a secondary role. Stanley is a fun character and it's worth watching him more in control of things. Though he never allowed Tom to take things over completely in Nightshade. Stanley takes advantage of his commander's offer to take some time off, and he answers the call of a former high school friend, Libby, to visit her in the Bear Mountain area of Southern California . Libby wants Stanley 's unofficial help in investigating a case in which her younger brother, Carl, has been charged with manslaughter, in the death of an openly gay young man with whom he'd had sex. The small town police are far from welcoming. Stanley walks into the situation without considering the risks, but that's precisely when Tom arrives. He looks after Stanley and might want to revisit their feelings for each other. The characters, as usual, are well rounded and the story is nicely developed. It's a series that bears watching and certainly reading.

Deadly Dreams by Victor Banis

"Deadly Dreams" the third novel in Banis's Deadly series. Unlike the previous installments, this novel is thriller. There is no doubt who the villain is or what his intentions are. Instead, the question is how he will deal with Stanley and Tom, now a team of private investigators. Banis keeps the characters fresh and interesting. They are multidimensional and continue to be well developed. Stanley is more introspective and Tom is more a man of action. In this third volume, a death in Stanley 's family leads to the discovery of an older brother Stanley never knew mcu about, though he knew about him. As information about Andrew grows, bits and pieces fall into place, including the fact that the man is a killer being hunted by Homeland Security, and may be stalking his younger brother. Tom believes he may have spotted him, which adds Tom to Andrew's list of possible witnesses to be eliminated.

Deadly Slumber by Victor Banis

This is Banis's fourth novel in his Deadly Mystery series. It combines the ongoing tale of Tom Danzel and Stanley Korski and a relationship which is not easy to define. There's also an intriguing and unique mystery that will keep readers involved and entertained and in suspense. Stanley is a likeable romantic who also has an independent streak which often places him in harms way. Tom is a macho guy with a lot of issues, at least that's the way Stanley sees it and readers might agree. Both characters evolve over the life of the series and continue to keep readers entertained and interested. There's a lot to recommend this novel and the series as a whole. Begin with the first and enjoy your way through to this latest installment.

Collision of Evil by John J. LeBeau

After someone kills American backpacker Charles Hirter while Hirter is hiking in the Upper Bavarian Alps, his CIA operative brother, Robert, travels to Bavaria to claim his body and find the truth behind his death. Kommissar Franz Waldbaer, the German detective in charge of the case, faces an investigation that yields neither clues nor suspects nor motives. A gruff, go-it alone detective, Waldbaer is dismayed by the arrival of Robert Hirter, the victim's brother, who insists on joining the investigation. But there is more to Robert than meets the eye. As Robert and the Kommissar uncover a nefarious nexus of evil past and evil present, they find themselves probing dark, long-forgotten episodes from the Third Reich in order to identify the present threat. An elderly Nazi tips Robert off to a possible motive for the killing—during WWII something secret was concealed in a cave near where his brother's body was found. That something secret proves to be a weapon of mass destruction, which has been found by Islamic terrorists who plan to use it for an attack in Germany . Thrust into a violent world of fanatic passions and malevolent intentions, Hirter and Waldbaer race against the clock to stop a sophisticated and deadly plot.

A Scandal in Belgravia by Robert Bernard

Barnard's 24th mystery (after A City of Strangers ) finds him at his waspish best. Targets include the House of Lords, political memoirs, and Mrs. Thatcher. The amiable narrator is statesman/industrialist Peter Proctor, sacked by Thatcher and fretting about his memoirs, especially the mystery surrounding the long-ago murder of Timothy Wycliffe, his friend on the bottom rung in the Foreign Office in the '50s. Timothy was battered to death in his flat in Belgravia near Buckingham Palace in 1956. The chief suspect, Andrew Forbes, a workingman believed to have been one of Timothy's many male lovers, skipped the country. What otherwise would have been a scandal was smothered by the Suez crisis. Peter now determines to investigate after having failed to be affected earlier. Interviews take him to the U.S. and Forbes, who persuades him of his innocence. Back in England a confrontation with a truly evil monster reveals why Timothy had to die. Barnard depicts a seedy, struggling London in the '50s, the Suez fiasco as a symbol of the death of empire, and Timothy's murder as a symbol of a wholly different social climate. An excellent read., is the marvelous writing accompanied by a very shart wit. The wit usually presents itself in different ways, depending on the plot and the characters, of course, but it is still ever-present. Hardly surprising, then, that he's won so many awards. They're all well-deserved.

Both Sides Now by Connie Corcoran Wilson

Both Sides Now is a compilation of short essays, advice on life, poems, memoirs and more from a junior high teacher and a writer of forty-seven years. The slice-of-life vignettes resonate with empathy for the everyday trials, as well as individual empathy and worry for the larger events that shape the flow of things all around us. A smattering of black-and-white photographs illustrate this compilation of thoughts about daring to get one's ears pierced (long after becoming a mother to teenagers), the dilemma of which to choose, paper or plastic, to true tales of child-raising and more compile the bits and pieces of prose. The poetry encompasses a timeless quality that offers the chance to clear one's mind and contemplate in between the passages of insights.

No Mercy by John Gilstrap

Bestseller Gilstrap ( Nathan's Run ) launches a thriller series following PI Jonathan Grave. Much like Bruce Wayne, Grave is single and rich, uses expensive gadgets and has a vigilante alter ego. Grave investigates the disappearance of investigative reporter Tibor Rothman, husband of Grave's ex-wife, Ellen. Sheriff Gail Bonneville of Samson , IN , is chasing Grave in turn, since a hostage rescue mission he fronted turned into a shootout.
The gadgetry is glitzy, and Grave's hideaway is reminiscent of Wayne Manor. But it's all good especially if you want a great read.

High Crimes on the Magical Plane by Kris Neri

If you like paranormal mystery, you're in for a treat. Sam and Annabelle are an odd couple. Sam wants to be what Annabelle is and Annabelle wants to be what Sam is. Annabelle just wants to be an FBI agent as her goddess duties at times are overwhelming, while Sam the ponders what she could get away with if she had goddess powers. This pairing makes a wonderful combination of a lighthearted and spellbinding urban fantasy mystery. It's a lighthearted story of what happens when a fake psychic meets a genuine goddess. That goddess is, moreover, an FBI agent. They're united in the attempt to locate actress Molly Claire, who's apparently been abducted by clowns. Yet Annabelle's magical powers might not be enough and if Annabelle and her family of deities are no match for the Demon of Darkness, what chance does a fake like Samantha have? Funny and appealing.

Murder with all the Trimmings Elaine Viets

The author of the Dead-End Job Mystery Series, gives us the latest entry in her Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series. The usual charming characters from this series are present, including Josie's neighbor, Stan-the-Man; Mrs. Mueller, the neighborhood gossip; her mother, Jane, who lives in the upper floor of their house, without whose help Josie probably wouldn't survive. When Josie and Mike, are suspected in two murders, their relationship suffers. Figuring that if she finds the killer, things will get better between them, Josie sets out to do just that. Josie doesn't always make the best decisions, but she's resourceful. Viets creates real suspense with this story, A good read on a cold night.

Dead On Robert Walker

At the start of this thriller, the first in a new series from Walker ( PSI: Blue ), Marcus Rydell, a disgraced ex-cop and failed PI is on the verge of suicide. Kat Holley, an attractive doctor bent on revenge, joins forces with Rydell to catch a psychopathic killer. Iden Cantu, who four years earlier killed six people in Atlanta, including Rydell's then police partner and Holley's cop husband. Cantu, who's been stalking and killing the surviving relatives from the bloodbath, is never more than an unseen menace until late in the story. Kat and Marcus know he is coming for them and the family members of his partner. When Rydell, Holley and another at-risk family seek refuge in a remote cabin in Georgia 's Blue Ridge Lake area things begin to pop. This is an exhilarating first rate thriller. Kat and Marcus are fascinating. Neither has moved passed the massacre and both want Iden dead. A thrilling ride.

Rushing the row by Felix Cruz

Philip wants to take his dying wife on a world cruise, Andrew wants to relive the carefree life he once had over twenty years ago, and "Black" Bart needs to pay back a dangerous man. There's only one thing stopping the old friends from achieving their goals, money. An offer to head to Jewelers' Row and steal a rare Aztec Jewel in exchange for a million dollars has Philip calling on his two former associates to lend a hand. The plans are made, the date is set. Things should be easy, but trying to dodge a drug lord's right hand man, a moronic former friend, a young wannabe thug, a greedy store owner with a toothache, and finding out that you planned the robbery on the same day as a championship parade in Philadelphia can shake things up. These guys will be the first to tell you, it's not easy rushing the Row. Felix Cruz is a talented writer with the ability to keep the reader wanting more.

Pelican Point by Douglas Quinn

Life is good for Webb Sawyer. Until he gets hit over the head in the Nags Head Pier parking lot and a mercenary from Columbia, with three of the Columbian's friends try to kill him and burn down his house at Blue Heron Marsh and Sawyer's son goes missing while trying to track down the killer of a university professor, a murder for which his son Preston is under suspicion. Webb and Preston's girlfriend, Sunshine, work together to discover what happened to Preston , what they discover goes far beyond the professor's murder. Quinn crafts well developed characters, an entertaining storyline, and lots of fun. This is not a gory mystery but one that grabs the reader in other ways.

Mahu Vice by Neil Plakcy

Kimo Kanapa'aka finds himself working with Mike Riccardi again (after having ended their six-month relationship). This time, they're investigating a case of arson. Their break-up came after Mike cheated on Kimo while attending an out of town conference. Mike came back, not with lipstick on his collar but with a case of the clap. Naturaly Kimo was furious and figured he had no alternative but to dump the hunk. After kicking Mike to the curb, Kimo struggled with his own continued battle for balance in his life. Part of that search for equilibrium included rough sex with hot men Kimo met on the Internet. (This comes back to haunt him in the form of pictures he had no idea were being taken.) This foray into the world of online sex came with its own problems and Kimo found himself in need of help. His brothers and a friend eventually intervene and help Kimo regain self respect and something of the person he'd been before Mike. When the arson cases hit, Kimo gets the case but so does Mike. Finding himself sharing the workload with Mike, throws all thoughts of balance from his life and Kimo feels as if he's starting fresh in finding his way. It doesn't help that Kimo's family is involved in the arson cases. Once again Plakcy gives us some insight into Kimo and his struggle to become who he wants to be. Readers may want to read the earlier books in the series but this one easily stands alone. A tropical delight not to be missed.