The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham

 

 

By: Merryn Allingham

Narrated by: Charlie Norfolk

(A Flora Steele Mystery, Book 1)

In the quiet little town of Abbymead you will find a bookshop, the “All’s Well”.  The proprietor Flora Steel has inherited the place from her beloved late Aunt Violet.  While Flora does her best to keep the shop running, a dead body found between the stacks has dire effects on business, as well as, of course, the poor young chap lying there dead. Flora senses something is not right with the sudden death and enlists the help of the village recluse and crime author Jack Carrington to delve deeper into the mystery in the hopes of getting business back on track.

The story moves along at a decent pace and keeps you interested.  You get a good look at the determination of Flora and for those that like a bit of romance mixed into the mystery there is that as well.  There are a few avenues for suspects and motives so the reader has a few theories they can follow.  The book does have a nice English cozy feel.

The narrator does a nice job overall.  The character voices can be distinguished but not greatly so.  The articulation and speed are on point.

I would give this book four stars as I would recommend it to others looking for a nice cozy read that sets the stage for the series.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Busy Bodies: Claire Molly Mystery

By Joan Hess


Published By: Minotaur Books

Mortified, outraged and shocked are words that could easily describe Zeno Gorgias’ neighbors. Of course, he brought it on himself with his front lawn display of what he calls “interactive environmental art.” His latest work involves a barely clad woman strolling in his makeshift cemetery beside the centerpiece, a coffin. This cemetery is by no means a peaceful one. Loudspeakers boom sexually explicit sounds to the ever-gathering crowd.

Claire Malloy is having a cup of tea at the home of Miss Parchester, one such neighbor of the boisterous artist. The unconventional Miss Parchester feels Zeno is just exercising his right of expression, but Claire finds it hard to believe that the man in her life, Lieutenant Peter Rosen, can do nothing to shut down the three-ring circus that is creating such high emotion among the Willow Street residents.

Just when the situation seems at its pinnacle, a dead body is found in the notorious coffin-and this time it is not part of the artistic experience. Claire must find out just exactly who among the long list of angry suspects committed the crime while still keeping her sanity and her man.

I found the characters in this book quirky and outlandish, making it a very interesting read. One such character, Claire’s wisecracking daughter, adds substantial stress to the situation as only a teenager can do. It made me want to pour a glass of wine for Ms. Malloy and toast to her motherly resilience.

Busy Bodies is the tenth Claire Molly Mystery by Joan Hess, and it is a comical jaunt down the whodunit trail.

To further whet your appetite, included in the book is a first chapter sneak peak to number eleven in the series, Akin to Murder.

Originally reviewed for Armchair Interviews

In a Gilded Cage: Molly Murphy series

By: Rhys Bowen

Author Website

Published By: Minotaur Books

Determined, spirited and tenacious are just a few of the qualities that describe Miss Molly Murphy. After all, it is not just any young woman that can support the women’s suffrage movement, run a detective agency–and keep the attentions of her dashing, attractive, police captain beau all while just recovering from a nasty bout of influenza that has been sweeping its deathly hand across New York City.

At the encouragement of her neighbors, Molly marches headstrong in the Easter parade in a show of protest that women do not have the right to vote. There, she makes the acquaintance of Emily Boswell. Miss Boswell, although a Vassar alumni, has the unfortunate background of being orphaned and was raised by her aunt and uncle. She hires Molly to discover more about her parents and their regrettable end.

Molly takes the case and during her investigation meets another of Emily’s Vassar friends, Fanny. Fanny is wealthy, beautiful and spoiled. She also believes she has an adulterous husband. Fanny enlists Molly to solidify her suspicions, but as soon as Molly has a few findings to report, Fanny is stricken with illness and quickly dies.

Fanny is just the first death of several that are blamed on the ghastly epidemic but Molly isn’t totally convinced and she is determined to find out the truth and bring justice to her clients.

In a Gilded Cage is the eighth in the Molly Murphy series, by Rhys Bowen but it was the first I have read. I found that as I turned the pages I was able to step back in time right alongside Molly and share with her the discomfiture and prejudices of the time. Her inquisitive mind and gutsy determination makes her a character that you can’t help but admire.

I will look for the next in the series with much anticipation.

This review was originally posted on Armchair Interviews

Embarking on Murder: Beanie and Cruiser series

By Sue Owens Wright 

Author Website

Celebrating her big 5-0 is bad enough for Elsie “Beanie” MacBean, but toss in getting tangled up in a murder investigation and nearly becoming another victim to the body layer of the frigid waters of Lake Tahoe (the “body layer” is the layer of bodies that never seem to be found–where the bodies get hung up under the water)–and it really takes the proverbial birthday cake!

To make matters worse, among the passengers of this Fourth of July dinner cruise is the wealthy, demanding and very irritating Ivy Diggs. Ivy and her much older husband are aboard for their anniversary, and by the loud voices emanating from their table, it becomes obvious that it is a not-so-happy occasion. Ivy treats her pampered pooch better than her newlywed husband and soon finds herself swimming with the fishes.

Everyone is quite content to accept the event as an accidental drowning. Everyone that is, except Beanie. Beanie has doubts and sets her sails to discover what really happened. She and her beloved slobbery basset hound, Cruiser, track the case with a bit of help from her devoted and somewhat overprotective friend, Sheriff Cassidy.

Things really heat up and get downright distracting for Beanie when she meets the strikingly attractive blue-eyed Professor Crispin who is studying some mysterious lake events of his own.

Together, Beanie and Cruiser find that there is more than one mystery lurking below the deep and dangerous waters of Lake Tahoe in this puzzling adventure.

Dog lovers will find Cruiser and his other canine cohorts a delight to read about. Beanie is a woman surpassing mid-life and is very comfortable with her four-legged companion and with herself, well, maybe not quite. Both characters are very likable and easy to relate to.

Don’t let the author’s smooth writing style and her ability to lull you with the imagery of the lapping lake waters fool you. She provides a twist or two in this cozy quest that will keep you guessing!

Kudos to Sue Owens Wright on this second book in the Beanie and Cruiser series, Embarking on Murder. I shall certainly be on the lookout for the next in this enchanting series.

Original review posted on Armchair Interviews

Dare to Die

Carolyn Hart
Published By: William Morrow



“She came in the rain. Alone. On a bicycle.” These are the words that start a chain reaction of diabolic events on the quaint little seaside island, Broward’s Rock, where Max and Annie Darling reside in their much-loved Franklin house.

Because of worrisome repair work to their home, Max and Annie have had to take up temporary residence in a modern cabin and move their long-planned picnic party to the harbor pavilion. Not being natives to the island, they are unaware of the troublesome and upsetting past that the pavilion holds for so many of the island’s residents.

The usually blissful inhabitants of Broward’s Rock are feeling the strain of this new arrival, the tragic party setting and all that it could mean, especially for the murderer hiding among them.

One by one, disturbing events begin to take place making things cloudier rather than clearer for Annie. Her instincts beckon for answers and she gives forth great effort to let the authorities do the investigating, but when she and Max are nearly killed in a horrific fire that was definitely no accident, things get too personal for that. Will she discover the truth to both the past and the present before it’s too late?

I found the complicated web of suspects and unpredictable characters that litter this Death on Demand series mystery by Carolyn Hart most enjoyable. I particularly took pleasure in those characters that brought a bit of levity to the mix. Peppered throughout Dare to Die are the names of other authors along with the titles of their books.

What a delightful tribute Carolyn Hart has given them. To me, this speaks volumes to the caliber of author that she is.

Original review done through Armchair Interviews

Author’s Web site: http://www.CarolynHart.com