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The following two reviews are by our newest reviewer Todd Drucker:
Dope A skilled writer can create an effective amateur sleuth out of the most unlikely of characters – even a junkie. Sara Gran does just this in ‘Dope,' a deftly crafted noir mystery set in the drug dens, strip clubs and dilapidated apartment houses of 1950's New York City. The set-up is a good one. A well-to-do couple is desperately searching for their strung-out daughter. The police have been no help. A hired private detective even less. As a last ditch effort, they hire Josephine Flannigan, a recently recovering heroin addict – who better to find a junkie than another junkie? Josephine jumps at the cash and pushes hard in the search. She maxes out all of her connections - con artists, pickpockets, hookers, strippers and dope users. Old favors are cashed in and new ones are made. Key supporting characters, including Josephine's ex-husband and younger sister, are well drawn but remain morally ambiguous, thus adding to an already tense situation. Josephine doesn't know whom to trust. The police only add to her troubles. A fierce cop named Skinner, who knows Josephine from her addict-ridden days, is close on her trail throughout. Josephine is a believable – and palatable - gumshoe despite her checkered past. She takes responsibility for her life. Josephine also understands the power of addiction to heroin. “For that little piece of time you had everything you needed, everything you had ever wanted.” As the plot unfolds, and she revisits the scenes of her own downward spiral, money becomes a secondary motivator in her search for the girl. Josephine needs to cure her own demons. She must save the girl's life, or die trying. Hammett and Chandler would be proud. The red herrings are difficult to identify. There's deceit, surprise, unexpected murder and the ending is a stunner. Perhaps Josephine herself puts it best, “Sometimes, if you've been unlucky enough to find out the truth, you're better off forgetting it.”
The Ethical Assassin David Liss knows historical fiction. His debut, the Edgar Award winning ‘A Conspiracy of Paper' and its sequel ‘A Spectacle of Corruption,' convincingly evoke the back alley pubs, corrupt politicians and deceptive stock traders of 18 th century London. ‘The Coffee Trader,' set in 17 th century Amsterdam, is filled with ruthless businessmen and deceitful merchants determined to corner the emerging European coffee market. Liss is on comfortable ground in these works - before becoming a full-time writer, he worked on a doctoral dissertation on 18 th century British literature and culture. In Liss' new novel, ‘The Ethical Assassin,' he tries something markedly new – a contemporary mystery set in 1985 rural Florida. Instead of black waistcoats, powdered wigs and three-cornered hats the reader is treated to Miami Vice suits, turquoise t-shirts and tragic mullets. The results are mixed, at best. In ‘Assassin' our protagonist is Lem Atlick, a recent high-school graduate with an acceptance to Columbia University in New York. Lem is a likable kid, but he hates all things Florida. The problem is money - $30,000 in tuition to be specific. He manages to get a deferment and then sets off on a mission to earn the cash. Lem chooses a strange but potentially lucrative profession – door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. The good news is that Lem is a born salesman. The bad news is that the business is run by a sketchy, hard drinking former Vegas enforcer named “The Gambler” (his real name is Kenny Rogers). Two of Lem's co-workers, Ronny Neil and Scott, are similarly untrustworthy and occasionally vicious. Still, Lem is earning cash. He can smell the streets of New York. Enter Melford the assassin, a motivated killer with a passion for vegan cuisine, animal rights and Marxist political philosophy. Not your typical gun for hire. Melford and Lem meet up accidentally. The assassin is doing his “ethical work” and Lem is an unfortunate witness. Bodies start to pile up, and not just because of Melford. A sadistic, crooked local sheriff appears be involved. The Gambler's encyclopedia business is not what it seems. Lem and Melford need to rely on each other to sort out the puzzle. ‘Assassin' is a fine mystery. The problem is Melford's lengthy preaching on the ethical high road of a vegan diet. He rants far too much on the horror of factory farms and animal testing. It takes you out of the story. After finishing ‘Assassin,' I did a quick check on Liss' personal web site and found what I suspected. In a FAQ, Liss reveals that he's a vegan with a passion similar to Melford. The obvious bears stating here - Liss is using Melford as a vessel to preach his own intense views on diet and animal treatment. Liss has the right to do this of course. The problem is that the vegan medicine is too strong. After finishing ‘Assassin,' I longed for warm English ale and a grizzly roast beef. Perhaps Liss will serve this up next time around.
The following reviews are by one of our veteran reviewers, Dawn Dowdle. A Hoe Lot Of Trouble Nina Quinn has a landscaping firm called Taken By Surprise. They specialize in surprise garden makeovers. She thought she had the perfect life until she found lipstick on her husband's boxers. Kevin is a police detective. He admitted he is cheating on her. She has kicked him out, but her teenaged stepson Riley has remained. He's making life difficult for her. Plus gardening tools are ending up missing every day. Who is stealing them and why? Could it be on e of the excons she employs? To top it off her gardening mentor is found murdered. What has happened to her quiet idyllic life? Can Nina get to the bottom of everything while still dealing with Riley and Kevin? And can she find the murderer and the thief without putting herself in danger? I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read more of Nina's adventures. This book is a quick, easy cozy to read. The story is paced well and keeps you wanting to turn the page and find out what happened. A Shot To Die For Ellie Foreman is a documentary filmmaker. She stops at a rest stop on her way home from scouting shoot locations. She overhears a distressing phone call and engages in conversation with the woman. Before Ellie realizes it, the woman, Daria, is shot in a drive-by sniper shooting. Since Ellie was the last person to speak to her, the police talk to her at length. Then Daria's mother and sister visit asking Ellie for any information she has as to why Daria was shot. They ask her assistance in finding out more. When Ellie does a little digging, she finds a murder from thirty years ago and wonders what the connection might be. She also meets Luke Sutton. Ellie finds herself attracted to him, but she is concerned because he seems to be very involved in these murders. She works harder to uncover the truth, hoping to clear Luke in the process. I had never read any books in this series. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading others. Ellie is a very likeable character. The setting is well written and inviting. I found this to be a book you kept wanting to read to find out who did it and why. Another Murder In The Inn Sandy Evans runs a bed and breakfast inn in Washington , DC . She thought a fitness getaway week would be fun. She didn't plan on murder! There are many suspects including the cheerful exercise teacher and her jealous husband. Then there's a matchmaker, bride, mystery writer and belly dancer, just to name a few. As if Sandy isn't busy enough, her twin sister Allison arrives and wants to shoot a scene at the inn. She is a casting director for a Florida movie studio. Plus there appears to be romance in the air for Allison. Can Sandy keep the inn going, her sister out of trouble, and find a killer? All without putting herself in danger! I had never read anything by this author before. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by her! Sandy is such a fun character. I especially liked the setting as I live in a Virginia suburb of DC and new many of the places that were mentioned.
Blessed Is The Busybody Aggie Sloan-Wilcox and her family had recently relocated to Emerald Springs , OH . Her husband, Ed, is the pastor of Consolidated Community Church . When a naked body is discovered on their front porch, outspoken Gelsey Falowell works even harder to turn everyone against Ed and have him and his family removed. At first no one knows who the dead woman is. It is soon discovered that Jennifer, the murdered woman, had come to Ed for counseling recently. The worst part is that Ed refuses to disclose to anyone, including the police, what she needed counseling for. This makes him a suspect in her death. Aggie and her best friend Lucy begin to look into Jennifer's life. Detective Kirkor Roussos doesn't look to kindly on their meddling. Neither does Ed or the church congregation. And most importantly, neither does Gelsey. Can Aggie discover the truth and find the real killer before Ed is fired and without putting herself in danger? This is the first in this delightful series. I can't wait to read more. Aggie is such an enjoyable character. Even their daughters Teddy and Deena are believable characters. The location is a great small town in America . The church and community really add to the story.
The Cemetery Yew This wonderful book is set on Martha's Vineyard . Victoria Trumbull is a 92-year-old police deputy. The police chief is new to the island and knows that Victoria knows everyone and can be invaluable in an investigation. When a casket isn't where it's supposed to be in the cemetery, Victoria is the one to notice something wrong to help them locate it. Her friend Howland's cousin Dahlia is coming to the island. She has cancer and will be getting treatments at the local hospital. Victoria agrees to let Dahlia and her bird Bacchus rent a room until Howland can get his home presentable for Dahlia. Soon the hearse driver disappears, there is a string of suspicious deaths, as well as the coffin goes missing after it's dug up. Victoria begins to put the pieces together, but can she do so before the rest of the players are dead? I really enjoyed this book. Victoria is such a wonderful character. She may be old, but her mind is very sound. I like that this book was told from her persepective. Martha's Vineyard is a favorite setting of mine. I always feel like I'm on vacation when I read a book set there. Cherry Cheesecake Murder Lake Eden is the location for a new film. Having Hollywood take over the town causes many problems. Dean Lawrence, the director, hires Hannah, owner of the Cookie Jar Bakery, to deliver cheesecake to him twice a day. He is very demanding, both on the set and off. Plus Hannah has two marriage proposals to consider. And everyone in town thinks they know who she should pick. Dean demonstrates a suicide scene in front of the cast using the unloaded prop gun and falls down dead. Who switched the gun and how? Hannah and her sisters end up investigating the crew. There is a long list of suspects. She has to her investigating without letting on that's what she's doing because she told Mike she wouldn't investigate. Can she discover the identity of the killer without putting herself or others in harm's way? I love the characters and setting of this book. The talk of cookies, etc. being made always makes me hungry! I've never tried any of the recipes, but I'd like to some day. I often find myself laughing out loud when reading books in this series. They're delicious. Dead Days Of Summer Max Darling starts a new case helping a young woman look for her brother. But when he doesn't come home, his wife Annie starts searching for him. In her search, she encounters someone in his office in the dark. Annie is certain something has gone wrong. Max just doesn't disappear like that. When a young woman is found murdered in a cabin, Max becomes the number one suspect. But he's still missing. Annie and her friends step up the search. Finally he is found walking along a road and taken to the police station for questioning. Max doesn't remember much. What he does remember isn't helpful. He is arrested. Annie decides she has to do something to help free Max. There is too much circumstantial evidence against him. But, can she get the information in time without putting herself in danger? I really enjoy this series. I like series set in the south, and Broward's Rock, SC, is a great island setting. It has been a while since I had gotten to read one of these. I think that's part of the reason I had a little trouble getting into the beginning of the story. Once it got going, I fully enjoyed it. I liked the way Annie went undercover to help find the truth to free Max. Having the help of all her friends really made the difference. Annie is such a likeable character. I think the fact that she owns a mystery bookstore helps me like her a lot, too. Max is a fun character. The way he and Annie interact is wonderful. This book really let us see the strength of all their friends and that was great. Dead Giveaway Abby Rose is a PI specializing in adoption. She's also a Texas heiress. Will Knight hires her to find his birth family. He's now a superstar college athlete, but once he was a baby abandoned on a doorstep. There aren't many clues to his background, just an expensive baby blanket and Verna Mae, the woman who found him. Abby meets with Verna Mae. She feels she knows more than she is telling. But before they can meet again, Verna Mae is murdered. Abby is determined to find the truth. She follows the clues from the Huntsville state prison to the richest parts of Houston . Someone feels she's asking too many questions. Can she discover the truth without being silenced? I really like Abby Rose. She is such a fun and likeable character. She is well written. This is a quick and enjoyable cozy to read! The Texas setting really lends itself to the story, and I highly recommend this book.
Death For Dessert May List leaves her doctor husband after 35 years of marriage due to his philandering. She moves into a senior citizen complex miles away. She and her neighbor, Mrs. Berkowitz have some run ins. Soon May realizes Mrs. Berkowitz knows things May's past that no one could possibly know. How? When May buys a computer, Mrs. Berkowitz offers to help teach her how to use. After the first lesson, May realizes she took a disk by accident. She finds information about others on it. She talks to some of her new friends in the complex and determines that Mrs. Berkowitz is blackmailing people with the information on the disk. When May tries to confront Mrs. Berkowitz about it, she finds her dead. May and her friends decide to take matters into their own hands before calling the authorities. Can they right the wrongs and find the killer? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very funny and I found it hard to put down. I had to keep reading to find out who did and why. May and her group of geriatric friends are a hoot, some more than others! The characters are well written and so is the plot. I can't wait for more in this series.
Digging Up Otis May List is fabulous! I love this series. She and her geriatric friends are at it again. May and her husband Ted had settled back into a comfortable life together when May gets a phone call from her friends at Waning Years Estate. There's been another murder. That gets May's juices going. Ted encourages her to fly down to help them out. He even agrees to join her as soon as he can get things settled in his doctor practice. May enjoys seeing all her old friends again. She soon finds out Otis Cunningham is missing and presumed dead. The gang shows her all the improvements made to Waning Years Estate since she left. She is pleasantly surprised. While relaxing in the lounge, they discover Otis floating in the pool at the center. The police call it an accident. The gang knows it was murder. But how do they prove it? They split up to check out some various leads. They begin to have even more suspicions about this murder. Once Ted arrives, he joins in on the hilarious antics of this group. I laughed out loud many times. So many that my husband asked me what was so funny more than once! I highly recommend this book and series. It is a fun read that you won't want to put down until May and her friends have solved the murder. Be prepared to laugh out loud and to keep reading until you finish! You won't get much else done while reading it!
Edge of Evil Alison Reynolds is fired after her late night newscast. She doesn't even get to tell her viewers good-bye. Frustrated with the executives wanting a “younger face,” she decides to sue. Her husband, one of the executives, tells her that would not be a good move. Once she finds out he has been cheating on her, she doesn't listen to his advice. Matter of fact, she starts divorce proceedings as well. When she is called back home to Sedona , AZ , due to the death of her childhood friend, she doesn't believe that her friend committed suicide. She begins to talk to people and look into what her friend had been going through before her death. Ali's son talks her into starting an online blog to be able to say good-bye to her viewers and it soon turns into therapy for others like her. Ali also helps out her parents who run the Sugarloaf Café when her father is injured and can't work. She soon begins getting threatening posts. Too late she realizes she has given a lot of personal information over the web. Can she uncover the truth about her friend's death and stay safe from the person threatening her? I hope this book becomes a new series for author J. A. Jance. I really like Ali and would love to read about her again and again. Ali is a well-written character. The settings really lend themselves to this story. The plot is wonderfully constructed. I devoured this book in two days because I just couldn't put it down.
Hostile Makeover Lacey Smithsonian is interviewing Amanda Manville, reality TV makeover success story turned model. Apparently all the makeover surgeries turned her sweet personality into that of a diva gone bad. All Amanda wants to talk about is the death threats she's received. She requests Lacey's help in stopping the stalker. Lacy doesn't take much stock in the existence of a stalker. That is until Amanda is killed. She and her boyfriend Vic Donovan are planning a getaway weekend until Lacey's mother and sister descend upon her. How can she investigate Amanda's murder, survive her relative's visit, and keep Vic from meeting then? With Amanda's unpopular personality, the list of suspects is quite long. How can Lacey weed out the real killer without putting herself in danger or her family since they keep tagging along? I really like Lacey. She's so down to earth and fun. I like her vintage clothing, too. Her quirky family and relationship with Vic spice things up as well. I live not far from DC, and Ms. Byerrum has the fashion tone of Washington down to a T. The tidbits always add to the story. Lacey's friends and co-workers are great additions to the story as well.
Hot Grudge Sunday Inspector Paco and Molly set off on a luxury bus tour for out West their honeymoon. Every day there is an accident. But are they really accidents? Ray Symington, the target of the “accidents” asks Paco and Molly for protection. Paco refuses to protect him but they do begin to do some investigating. Especially after they and others begin to become victims. What they find is a lot of animosity towards Ray from his salesmen and their wives who are also on the tour. Add in some bank robbers and you have the wild west for sure! I had not read any of Paco and Molly's adventures before. That will be changing. I really enjoyed them and their adventurous spirit. I can't wait to read more!
“Million Dollar Baby” By Julie Obermiller We meet Marjorie MacClelland in a bookstore in Ridgebury Connecticut in 1935. Subtle changes in dress, language and personal interaction take us to a kinder, gentler era where murder is a blot in civilized society. It is quite a pleasant journey for cozy fans, an easy read with colorful characters, not the least of whom is mystery writer Marjorie. Into Marjorie's life steps Englishman Creighton Richard Ashcroft III in his 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom II continental, and the stage is set for a mutual attraction vehemently denied by both and the source of many humorous, if not amorous, adventures. Ashcroft is buying a twenty-seven-room mansion in town, vacant since a horrible suicide by the owner and Marjorie directs him to temporary housing at Mrs. Patterson's. The two form an alliance as Marjorie looks for someone to critique her writing. During a tour of Kensington House, Marjorie and Creighton leave the empty mansion to stroll through the grounds and nearby woods. Innocently picking a nosegay of early crocus, our heroine discovers a rock that looks like a human skull. Apparently, it belonged to the rest of a long buried body. Marjorie is on the scent after regaining her composure and so is Detective Robert Jameson. Jameson's entrance unwittingly sets up a love triangle as a backdrop to the mystery of the skull and ensuing adventures. “Million Dollar Baby” is reminiscent of the old black and white movies we love so well; of a quiet glamour and regal elegance even after the ravages of the Great Depression. The author has deftly painted enough scenery to transport us to another time very convincingly, without too much added stage setting. The story flows as smoothly as a Fred and Ginger waltz and delivers as many twists and turns. The characters are delightful and comfortable and the reader will be left wanting to read the further adventures of Marjorie and friends. Although there is a romantic undercurrent, don't expect this to be a boy-meets-girl-and-they-live-happily-ever-after story. Marjorie may be brilliant at solving mysteries, but can be endearingly obtuse when it comes to affairs of the heart. The overall effect is intriguing and light-hearted but the mystery is compelling and well delivered. Meade is one of the new authors from Midnight Ink and her thirties mysteries promise to be a wonderful jewel in their crown. Look for an interview with the author in this issue of Mysterical-E.
“Murder on the Rocks” Book a Date with Murder By Julie Obermiller
The first book in the Gray Whale Inn Mystery series promises a long standing love affair with innkeeper Natalie Barnes and the folks on Cranberry Island in Maine . Going north from her sultry Texas home, Natalie invests heart and soul into a bed and breakfast that allows her to pamper guests with culinary creations and a cozy getaway. Author Karen MacInerney has a surefire recipe for success with her foray into the cozy market. Colorful word paintings of the quaint and welcoming inn will have you smelling the crisp linens and salty air and snuggling in for a restful read. The 150 year old former sea captain's house on a small island can only be reached by boat; the rugged isolation a perfect palette for nature's artistry. When Nat's niece flunks out of UCLA, her mother sends her to work at the inn for the summer, giving Nat a break from bed and reservation making to promote her fledgling business off island. Add good looking neighbor and sculptor John Quinton and you'll feel right at home with the cast. That is, until developer Bernard Katz and his entourage come to stay. Katz has plans to build a premier resort and golf course on the island and it threatens to swallow up the peaceful and tranquil life at the Gray Whale Inn. Things get more complicated when the Save the Terns campaign by local conservationists tries to preserve the natural habitat of the island's birds. When rumors of wanton destruction of the habitat stirs Natalie's curiosity, she gets too close and a skittering rock sends her over a ledge to near doom. Her relief over a narrow escape is short lived as she peeks over another ledge to see a bald head that doesn't belong to an eagle. It belongs to a guest of the Gray Whale Inn! The resulting mainland press threatens to sink Nat's bed and breakfast even if the resort can be stopped. Without giving away too much of the mystery, be assured that the reader is in for a fun ride as novice sleuth Nat tries to find a killer and save her inn. True cozy lovers demand a fair mystery, with solid clues and the occasional red herring. It's easy to get caught up in the chase on Cranberry Island and MacInerney offers up a game whodunnit. The added elements of humor, frenzy, romance and comfortable kitsch combine to make it a delectable dessert for mystery fans. Thirty-something Natalie is no calm, self-assured Jessica Fletcher. Past visits to the beautiful shores of Maine helped Natalie heal a broken heart and now inn has become a serene balm for Nat's life. The irrepressible Natalie cooks her way through her troubles (be warned NOT to read this book on an empty stomach!) and draws the reader to her table and family. Fans might enjoy a visit to Karen MacInerney's website, where a recipe contest will tempt bed and breakfast owners and guests to share their delectable desserts for a future book. The sequel, “Dead and Berried” is due out in early 2007. It may be old fashioned to describe a book as charming, but MacInerney's writing is evocative of the most delightful, comfortable cozies of old, with just a soupcon of modern wit. “Murder on the Rocks” is a delightful escape for mystery fans and the perfect companion for a relaxing weekend away. Check in for a stay at the Gray Whale Inn and you'll want to return often. MacInerney, a former public relations writer and advertising executive, lives in Austin , Texas and fuels her imagination with frequent visits to the Maine shores with her family. Visit the author at http://www.karenmacinerney.com . Read an interview with the author in the spring issue of Mysterical-E Mystery Magazine, www.mystericale.com . Midnight Ink is a fresh, new voice in mystery fiction, offering selections from across the mystery genre. Visit their website at www.midnightinkbooks.com .
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