Review of The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes (1981) (Richard Jury Series)
Bottom line: A pleasant and intriguing read with a few murders thrown in for good measure. Rating: Recommended Blurb: At the Man with a Load of Mischief, they found the dead body stuck in a keg of beer. At the Jack and Hammer, another body was stuck out on the beam of the pub’s sign, […]
Why is it so hard to write a good cozy mystery?
Why is it so hard to write a good cozy mystery? I asked this first out of frustration – it seems that every new series I try is just not that good – and then out of genuine curiosity. Cozies are one of my favorite genres, and I feel like I’m running out of new […]
Review of Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert (1992) (China Bayles Series)
Bottom line: Okay Rating: Recommended if: you’re looking for a light mystery, or have a connection to the Texas Hill Country Blurb: China Bayles has it all – a prestigious Houston law practice, money, power – but it’s not enough. She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s confident, and she knows she wants something more out of […]
Review of Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (1975) (Amelia Peabody #1)
Bottom line: A fun Victorian cozy set on the banks of the Nile Rating: Recommended Blurb: Set in 1884, this is the first installment in what has become a beloved bestselling series. At thirty-two, strong-willed Amelia Peabody, a self-proclaimed spinster, decides to use her ample inheritance to indulge her passion, Egyptology. On her way to […]
Review of A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer (2009) (Rumpole series)
Bottom line: A fun holiday read with a little murder, theft and blackmail thrown in here and there. Rating: Recommended Blurb: Of the late Sir John Mortimer’s many beloved characters, it is widely agreed that Horace Rumpole was his greatest fictional creation. Here, collected in book form for the first time, are five delightful tales […]
Summer Reading List – Golden Age Mysteries
I’m going to be posting some summer reading lists throughout the, well, summer. These won’t be in-depth reviews, just a list of “hey, these are great and you should drop everything and read them now!” books. I’m going to be doing it by genre, and for my first genre I’m picked Golden Age Mysteries. These […]
Review of Maui Widow Waltz by JoAnn Bassett (2011) (Islands of Aloha Series)
Bottom line: Meh. Rating: Recommended if Blurb: Even “death do us part” couldn’t spoil her wedding day plans… Wedding planner Pali Moon is thrilled when a would-be bride shows up at “Let’s Get Maui’d” inquiring about a lavish beach wedding. That is, until she learns it must be on Valentine’s Day–just nine days away. Oh […]
Review of Rigged for Murder by Jenifer LeClair (2011) (Windjammer Mysteries)
Bottom line: An enjoyable book, as much for the ambience as the mystery itself. Rating: Recommended Blurb: High seas adventure turns to high stakes sleuthing when a beautiful but troubled homicide detective and a New England sea captain join forces in this award-winning mystery set on the coast of Maine. On leave from the Minneapolis […]