An American in Scotland

I selected this book for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge. It fits the publication month category as it was published on April 4, 2023.  An American in Scotland is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Lucy Connelly and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

The publisher's summary:

Sea Isle was supposed to be the fresh start Dr. Emilia McRoy dreamed of. Far from the busy emergency room across the Atlantic in Seattle, she hoped to settle down and begin this new chapter as a small-town doctor to the quirky residents who immediately welcomed her. When she stumbles across a dead body, she starts to think that she may not be as Scot free of the drama and intrigue as she initially thought.

Emilia soon learns she has bigger issues at hand. It starts with realizing she'll work closely with the less than helpful local constable, Laird Ewan Campbell. Her luck continues when she discovers that part of her new responsibilities includes being the coroner for the very body she found. Finally, when the body goes missing before she can even begin the autopsy, Emilia must convince the townspeople that a crime did, in fact, occur. The deeper she digs into the picturesque town, the more suspicious she becomes. And then there are her sleep issues. It may be due to the ever-growing list of suspects, a number of threatening letters, or the surprise visitor who breaks into her house at night. But she’s never backed down before, and she doesn’t intend to start now.

Someone doesn’t want this doctor to treat the ailments of Sea Isle, but Emilia McRoy is determined to find the murderer before they kilt again.

 

I loved this novel. It takes place in a lovely small village in Scotland and I enjoyed reading about the weather challenges that the characters had to deal with. With mail and package delivery severely affected in the winter months, the characters came up with ways to handle it such as ordering everything and anything they could possibly want in huge quantities. Emilia's office has been outfitted with every type of diagnostic machine, a surgical suite and plenty of medications for every type of illness and injury. It was amusing to read about Emilia's attempts to walk around the village without the proper footwear. She fell alot. Bothies are interspersed throughout the village in case someone gets stuck outdoors when a storm comes rumbling through the area. I had never heard of a bothy before and am glad that it had to be explained to Emilia.

Emilia's home and office are inside a defunct church and has a gorgeous view of the sea. It comes with a gardener and maid/office assistant. These two helpers, Abigail and her brother Tommy, seem to be in her home all the time. Abigail has a key, as does the constable, which is rather eerie. They show up at all hours of the day and night which scares Emilia almost every single day. However, all three get along well. 

The characters are quirky but lovable. Mara, who works in her grandparents pub, The Pig and Whistle, becomes a fast friend as does Angie who works in her family's fabric store. Angie is engaged to a duke. Abigail is devoted to her disabled brother Tommy and has given up on living her own life in order to take of him. Constable and Laird Ewan is full of surprises and is hard to figure out. He basically owns the town and has his own mansion and a castle. He is the richest man in Britain according to UK newspapers. For some reason he prefers to live in this tiny village. With other interesting shop owners as characters, there are plenty of scenarios for future stories.

The mystery to be solved is who killed an old man named Smithy.  Nobody liked him. He had an ugly personality and did not get along with anyone in the village, including Emilia. He was rude to her on the day she moved in and she later found out that he did not like the McRoy family, her family. Since part of Emilia's job was to act as a coroner, she took it upon herself to investigate the murder. Being new in town she fell afoul of several residents who did not like having an American doctor around. With her new friends help, Emilia slowly learns how to adjust to life in Scotland.

The story was an enjoyable and relaxing read. The author has done a great job of setting up the series for future installments. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Murder in the Tea Leaves

Laura Childs newest book was published earlier this month and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Murder in the Tea Leaves is the 27th installment of her Indigo Teashop Mystery Series and I have been anxiously awaiting its publication. I have read every book in the series and most were fantastic.

In this particular story, main character Theodosia Browning is reading tea leaves on the set of the movie, Dark Fortunes, which is being filmed in her native city of Charleston. Her teashop, the Indigo Teashop, provided the snacks on the set. The next thing she knows the film director has been electrocuted while sitting on a chair that was rigged with electronics. One of the suspects is Theo's friend Delaine Dish who was dating the director but had a noisy break-up of their relationship in a ritzy restaurant the previous night. As usual, Theodosia begins her own investigation of the murder despite being told by Detective Tidwell to stay out of it. Between hosting a Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea, and a Poetry Tea, Theodosia tries to find clues that will identify the killer. In this novel she did not do the usual interviews of her suspects but she does explore the haunted Brittlebank Manor where the murder took place. Her tea sommelier Drayton Connelly talks Theo through her many theories to help her come to some conclusions about the murder. Soon thereafter, a member of the Charleston Film Board is also murdered.

When I first began reading I had a sense of deja vu. The story sounded familiar and I remember a comment that Theo made in an earlier novel "I was reading a book by Susan Witting Albert." The statement returned! Eventually, I discovered that another one of my favorite cozy mystery series, the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle, had a murder take place on a film set also. Yet another similarity with this series is that the main characters of both series are dating police officers. Coyle had these aspects of her series in place many books ago.  

It is unusual for Theo not to go out of her way to interview suspects. In fact, it has never before happened in the series. She also did not drive around town inspecting several buildings that might provide her with some clues. Toward the end of the story Theo and Drayton broke into Brittlebank Manor to find evidence concerning the how and why of the murders.

The novel had a slow pace, presumably because there wasn't much action. Detective Tidwell did not play a prominent role and I missed his gruffy personality.  Theo's personality meshed well with Tidwell which always added excitement. Hopefully, he will return in the next installment of the series.

3 out of 5 stars.

Public Anchovy #1

Public Anchovy #1 is the third book in the Deep Dish Mystery Series by Mindy Quigley. The series is set in a pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin owned by Delilah O’Leary. Her best friend Sonya Dokter is her sous chef and bartender Daniel, hostess Melody and dishwasher Rabbit round out the staff. Delilah’s elderly Aunt Biz, police detective Calvin Capone and her cat Butterball complete the regular characters in the series.

In this installment of the series Delilah is catering a Prohibition-themed fundraiser for the local library. She is hopeful that she will get some new catering gigs from the wealthy residents in attendance that will help her struggling restaurant get through the winter slow season. Pam Phillips, the hostess of the fundraiser, makes a last minute request for a new “free-form” pizza recipe for a last minute guest with many food allergies. Of course, it wouldn't be a cozy mystery unless one of the guests gets murdered during the bash. An elderly guest, Edgar Clemmons, falls down the stairs and dies. Did he trip or did someone help him fall? With a winter storm in full force all of the roads are blocked and Delilah, her staff, Capone and several guests are trapped in the Phillips mansion. They all must spend the night together until the roads are cleared the next day. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I am not sure what the reason was for giving the book its title. No anchovies were on the pizzas and I do not believe the deceased was public enemy number 1. He had several people who opposed him on the library board. He also uncovered a scam over forged rare books. Yes, forged books. It's a thing. I googled "forged books" and found several articles concerning this topic. In one CNBC news story art forgery expert Curtis Dowling stated that rare books are especially valuable collectors' items. They are also among the most frequently faked, and hardest to detect.

"Fakers ply their trade by replicating the same sensations that anyone would perceive when walking into a used bookstore. It's one thing to make a book simply look old and weathered, a feat that can be accomplished with a little paint and an inscription dated back a century and a half. But it's necessary to fool all of the senses, especially touch and smell, to make the experienced collector accept a faked book as the genuine article."

I had never heard of this scam before. While I was reading, I was not sure whether it was plausible. My internet search was performed after I finished reading the book. Now I am wondering whether I missed clues in the storyline. 

The next book in the series, Sleep in Heavenly Pizza, will be published in October 2024. I cannot wait to read it as every book in this series has been fantastic.

5 out of 5 stars.

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bakeoff

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off is my final selection for the Calendar of Crime Challenge. It is a lovely cozy mystery with recipes in the back of the book.  It the 2nd of 5 books in the author's Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series.

The publisher's summary:  

Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewellis ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe. 

With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition . . .

 

Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie!

 

Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.

I loved this story. It has everything you want in a Christmas cozy mystery. There are engaging characters, a wintery but cozy setting,  and the smell of freshly baked pastries on every page. When. Lindsay rose at 3:00 a.m. each morning to begin mixing her doughs, I felt like I was there with her.  As a baker myself, I could easily see in my mind her sweet roll dough recipe as well as her cinnamon rolls and caramel pecan rolls.  She baked and fried the doughs before making a variety of danish pastries all hours before her bakery opened for the day.  

The characters were believable. Of course, Lindsay is a great character but the villain seemed all too real to me also.  Felicity, owner of a year-round Christmas shop, is the epitome of every jealous woman I have had to "compete" against when bringing treats to work.  She will sabotage the efforts of other bakers in order to always be first at everything.  A few years ago a co-worker threw my cookies in the garbage because no one was eating hers so I definitely feel Lindsay's pain.  The celebrity judge, Chef Chevy Chambers, is another villain in the story.   His character provides many of the twists and turns because he not only is having an affair with several contestants but he also put a few of them out of business with his scathing newspaper reviews of their restaurants.  When he ends up murdered, there are several possible whodunnits. The howdunnit should be obvious.  It's a rolling pin.

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off is simply the best Christmas cozy that I have ever read.  Check it out.  5 out of 5 stars.

Thanksgiving Treachery

Tonya Kappes' Thanksgiving Treachery is her 7th holiday cozy mystery. It was published earlier this month on November 2, 2023.  The story takes place in the quaint town of Holiday Junction, where traditions run deep and festivities are the heart of the community.  When the prominent Harden family is struck by tragedy, everyone becomes a suspect. It’s up to journalist, Violet Rhinehammer of the Junction Journal, to unearth the truths buried beneath layers of deception and old grudges.  As Violet delves deeper, she discovers secrets that entwine the art district with the village in ways she never imagined.  As Holiday Junction gears up for its Friendsgiving festivities, one question lingers—can the town’s cherished unity withstand the weight of treachery?

It took me a few pages to become interested in the story.  After two murders had taken place I was excited about the prospect of a serial killer being on the loose.  However, I was disappointed with the investigation of the murders.  The police did not do any investigation at all.  It was 100% investigated by Violet under her responsibilities as a journalist.  Her interviews with the many characters in the story was the investigation. Violet advised the police when she made discoveries but in the end, there was no arrest.  The reveal of the whodunnit in the last chapter was satisfying but did not make up for the problems of having too many characters to keep track of and corny place names and character names that I found annoying.

1 out of 5 stars.

Terror in Topaz

Terror in Topaz is the 4th and final installment of Alison Stuart's Harriet Gordon Mystery Series. It is set in 1920s Singapore and features amateur sleuth Harriet Gordon. Harriet volunteers her time at brother Julian's school for boys but after her suffragette past became known, she was fired.

The publisher's summary:  

Singapore 1910: Harriet Gordon has been dismissed from the job she loved and finds herself cast adrift. When her brother receives an invitation to visit a prestigious school in Kuala Lumpur, she and Julian decide to leave Singapore behind for a few days, but their pleasant visit takes a dark turn when a visitor to the school is shot dead on the front steps of the headmaster’s bungalow.

After being suspended from the Straits Settlements Police, Inspector Robert Curran has disappeared on a personal quest to find a missing girl, but his suspension is not all it appears and he receives secretive orders to investigate the mysterious Topaz Club, which seems to be at the center of high-level corruption within the colonial government of Malaya.

The uninvestigated death of a woman with links to the Topaz Club brings Harriet and Curran together in a determination to shut down the notorious establishment for good.

But a devious criminal stands in the way and it is going to take Harriet and Curran all their resources to bring justice for the victims of the Topaz Club and in doing so, find what it is they have been looking for in each other.

I loved this series and am sad it has ended. A prequel to Singapore Sapphire was published in August 2023. Umbrella tells the story of Harriet's earlier life. It is just over 50 pages in length. 

The setting for Terror in Topaz moves from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Many times when a series author changes the setting, the story suffers. This did not happen here. The plot and writing are superb. It was everything I expected and more. The relationship between Harriet and Inspector Curran grew to be a romantic one. Brother Julian's felt his career was in flux and we see him pondering his options. His usual straightlaced demeanor changes to a softer one. With all of this character growth it is difficult to accept that there is nowhere for the series to continue.

The Kuala Lumpur setting did not seem much different than Singapore. It had the usual clubs and mansions where the British sat for tea on their verandas. Both places share a climate with oppressive heat and the author has shared photographs of both of them on her Pinterest page. If you want to learn more about these novels I recommend checking out the Pinterest page. 

Terror in Topaz is a relaxing read. Historical mystery fans will enjoy it. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Party on Laurel Street

I discovered author Ruth Heald last year and love her fast paced psychological thrillers. The Party on Laurel Street was published in June 2023 and I had to get a copy as soon as I heard about it. It did not disappoint. It is an unputdownable thriller with a shocking ending.

The publisher's summary:  

The party on Laurel Street was meant to be a celebration, of neighbours coming together as friends. But as I look at the shocked faces around me and the wine glass smashed on the floor, I know that our perfect community will never be the same.

I can’t stop thinking about the look on Gabbie’s face when she discovered what her husband had done. Her perfect life, shattered in an instant. She ran from the party as fast as she could but not before locking eyes with my own husband, Luke.

I try to think nothing of it. Gabbie’s probably just had enough, and Luke was being kind and concerned. She’ll be back soon…

But days later, my mind is racing. Gabbie is officially missing. And Luke was the last person to see her alive.

I try to help with the search, but deep down, I am terrified. Though not because of my husband… But because this isn’t the first time someone close to me has gone missing. Gabbie knows what happened all those years ago. And I know that if she isn’t found soon, then my secret is no longer safe.

So as I think back on all the faces at our perfect party on Laurel Street, I have to ask, is someone making me pay for what happened all those years ago? Will I be next to disappear? Or can I find Gabbie before it’s too late?

This story is one wild ride. I was hooked from the first page all the way through the end. Heald's books are always extremely fast paced and Party is no different. In fact, I would say that her stories are the fastest paced among all current authors. The possible whodunnits that I was looking at throughout the story were all wrong. The reveal of the killer was a total surprise and made for a satisfying ending. 

The setting is one street:  Laurel Street. The reader learns that it is not what it appears to be. On its face, Laurel Street is inhabited by wealthy people living in exquisite mansions. However, there is a darkness obscuring the facade. The reader feels it from the start of the story. While there is a scary wooded area surrounding the street, the houses also seem to be covered with gloom. The characters living here all have pasts that they want to hide from each other, furthering the mystery of the novel.

The Party on Laurel Street is fantastic. Mystery and thriller lovers will definitely want to read it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Key Lime Pie Murder

August 1 is National Homemade Pie Day. It occurs every year. Since I am too lazy to bake, I have substituted reading the Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke. It counts as a selection for the Calendar of Crime Challenge as an August holiday.

The publisher's summary:  

It promises to be a busy week for Hannah Swensen. Not only is she whipping up treats for the chamber of commerce booth at the Tri-County fair, she's also judging the baking contest; acting as a magician's assistant for her business partner's husband; trying to coax Moishe, her previously rapacious feline, to end his hunger strike, and performing her own private carnival act by juggling the demands of her mother and sisters.

With so much on her plate, it's no wonder Hannah finds herself on the midway only moments before the fair closes for the night. After hearing a suspicious thump, she goes snooping–only to discover Willa Sunquist, a student teacher and fellow bake contest judge, dead alongside an upended key lime pie. But who would want to kill Willa and why? 
 
Now Hannah needs to crank up the heat, hoping that Willa’s killer will get rattled and make a mistake. If that happens she intends to be there, even if it means getting on a carnival ride that could very well be her last…

The book is one of the older books in the series. Hannah isn't even married yet but thinks that the man she eventually marries is interested in her.  Key Lime Pie Murder did not seem to be a cozy mystery but rather just a cozy.  There was not much of a mystery here to be solved. No twists, no turns, no nothing. What the reader gets is the social life of the main character Hannah Swenson. I have a few of the later novels in the series and the plots were pretty thin also. I am sure there is a demographic for this type of a story. It just isn't me.

No rating.

Honey Drop Dead

Honey Drop Dead was published earlier this week on August 8, 2023. I had pre-ordered an ebook from my local library and read the book as soon as it hit my screen. In this 26th installment of the Indigo Teashop Series our heroine Theodosia Browning is catering a specialty tea for Charleston’s Imago Gallery at Petigru Park. The park has plenty of native grasses and a community beekeeping project. During the event, a fully suited up beekeeper showed up and sprayed toxic smoke at all of the guests. Then a gunshot was heard and Osgood Claxton III, a candidate for the state legislature, fell to the ground dead. Theodosia saw the beekeeper run away from the scene and ran after him. She couldn't catch him though. The next day Holly Burns, the owner of Imago Gallery, asks Theodosia to investigate the matter. Not only did someone get killed but several paintings were destroyed by the fumes that were sprayed and artists were cancelling their contracts with the gallery. As is usual with the series, almost everyone in Charleston disliked the deceased and leaving Theodosia with a long list of suspects to look into.

The story started out with a bang, pun intended. The murder happened early in the first chapter and wasn't solved until the final chapter, leaving alot of pages for plot twists. The deceased was a politician who everyone hated, including his wife. This gave Theo many more than the usual number of suspects to investigate and, as a result, more plot twists for the reader to enjoy. The pace was much faster than other books in the series. Was that due to the complex plot or the absence of secondary character involvement? I am not sure. I am glad, though, that I did not have to hear about Delaine Dish. She is an obnoxious character that I cannot stand. Even baker Haley had only a short mention albeit one which landed her under arrest. Theo, tea sommelier Drayton, and Riley, Theodosia's new policeman boyfriend, were the only main characters returning in Honey Drop Dead. All of the others were new to the series which I think is a plus. When a series is as long as this one, it is nice to upset the applecart every now and then.

5 out of 5 stars.

Six Sweets Under

Six Sweets Under is the first book in Sarah Fox's True Confections Mystery Series. There are only two books in the series to date but I am expecting this to be a long series. The genre is culinary cozy mystery and the heroine is a chocolatier. 

The publisher's summary: 

Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, known as the Venice of North America. The Vermont town has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming cottages plucked from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.

 

While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception. Local curmudgeon Archie Smith wants nothing more than to keep tourists away from Larch Haven. He’s determined to derail this year’s event and does his best to stir up trouble for the organizers, including Becca’s grandfather.

Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.

I have never been so glad to see a victim killed before Archie Smith was murdered in this book. He died in chapter 2 but was so unpleasant already that when a dead body was found, I hoped it was his. It was. Archie was what I would call a raging senior. He hated everybody and everyone hated him because he opposed every official decision made in his hometown of Larch Haven. 

Rebecca (Becca) Ransom is the amateur sleuth. She is an actress who recently left Hollywood to return to her hometown and take over her family's candy shop. She was present on the town's  canal when Archie's body was found. When her grandfather became a suspect Becca was unable to convince him to hire an attorney. Fearing for his life, Becca decides that she must determine the identity of the killer. From this point Becca becomes an amateur sleuth. Her BFF, Dizzy, plays a prominent role as Becca’s friend but does not participate in the investigation. Becca’s brother Gareth owns a restaurant in town and is married to Blake. Officer Sawyer is a possible love interest for Becca.  He did not participate in the investigation either other than telling her to stop interviewing suspects who could be dangerous. 

The name of the town providing the setting is Larch Haven. It's an unusual name. I wondered what larch meant and whether it would give details on the type of stories to follow in the series. What is a larch? It's a coniferous tree with bunches of green needles. These trees are found in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. Like perhaps Vermont where the story takes place. They symbolize maternal love because they commonly offer shelter to squirrels and birds. I guess the name itself has no bearing on the series. 

The investigation of the murder was slow. Most of the story was about Becca’s family and friend relationships. I am assuming that the author was setting up the foundation for this new world she has created in Larch Haven. Still, the reveal of the murderer was surprising. I just wish there were more twists in the story.

4 out of 5 stars.

Fourth of July Forgery

Fourth of July Forgery is the 6th Holiday Cozy Mystery from Tonya Kappes. It was published on June 29, 2023. The 7th book in the series will be published just one year from now on June 20, 2024. The Santa Claus Surprise will be the Christmas themed book in the series.

The publisher's summary:

Fireworks aren't the only things causing sparks this Fourth of July in Holiday Junction! The much-awaited sixth book in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series, Fourth of July Forgery, immerses readers in a mystery that's more intricate than a firework's design.

When the festive atmosphere is dampened by the grim discovery of a body on the shore, it's up to our firecracker reporter, Violet Rhinehammer, to fizzle out the truth. Delving into the shadowy world of art dealing and potential forgeries, Violet must crack this case faster than a skyrocket, all while trying to keep her relationships and reputation from going up in smoke.

As she navigates the labyrinth of deception and accusation, Violet realizes that even in Holiday Junction, secrets can still explode like a M80. Can she solve the puzzle before the last sparkler has fizzled out, or will the fuse on this mystery burn too quickly for her to handle?

This is a charming story that moved fast. Violet is a news reporter for the Junction Journal and the amateur sleuth for the story. She uses her job as a journalist to investigate the murder of art dealer Graham Winston, whose body was found during the annual fireworks display. The police have no involvement in searching for the perpetrator, which is a little odd. The only time the police chief is mentioned is when he drives a car in the town’s Fourth of July parade and when he arrests the perp. However, this suspension of belief did not bother me much because Violet's mind worked fast. As a result there was a new twist on just about every other page. The  reveal of the whodunnit was satisfying.

All of the characters were memorable. From Violet to her southern mother Millie Kaye, town gossip Goldie and the paper's newest journalist Radley.  Violet is a return character from a prior cozy series by the author. She is the main character in each installment of this Holiday Cozy Mystery series so I already know I am going to be reading all of them.

4 out of 5 stars.

Poison

Poison is the first book in The Cambridge Murder Mysteries series by Charlot King. As the series title suggests, these mysteries take place in Cambridge, England. The series features an amateur sleuth by the name of Professor Elizabeth Green. Other regular characters include her sidekicks Inspector Abley and grandson, Godric.

The publisher's summary:  

When junior lecturer Edward Wiley dies a horrifically painful death and police pathology cannot establish the cause of death, amateur sleuth Professor Elizabeth Green is desperate to help, especially with the crime scene being her own back garden by the river. A professor of poisons, Professor Green is determined to find the murderer before there is more death on the cobbles of Cambridge.

When the Dean of Bene’t’s College seems to be involved, when other Fellows keep tight-lipped, and even Inspector Abley is spending too much time on the golf course instead of investigating, it feels like the killer will strike again.

Following another grisly murder, a tense Inspector Abley realises he can't solve this crime without Elizabeth. With people dropping like flies and dead bodies increasing in number, Elizabeth's unbridled curiosity embroil this meddling sleuth right in the heart of this mysterious thriller of a case in this historic city.

And what of Professor Elizabeth Green? In her fifties, this female protagonist is quintessentially English. An eccentric professor in her ivory tower, she maintains a sharp wit, yet is flawed by her inability to connect well with people, instead giving off a cold, opinionated and sometimes acerbic air. Though very kind to all animals (dogs, cats and the rest!) - a vegan - and a great gardener, in truth she keeps her friends close, and only lets a few dear people into her world.

The Cambridge setting is what I loved most about this novel. Reading about my favorite places in Cambridge, such as Jesus Green, the architectural bridges, St. Mary's Church, and the River Cam, transported me back to a city I once visited. Cambridge is a photographer's paradise and as each area was mentioned in the story, I remembered the photos that I took there.

The mystery to be solved was entertaining but the progress of the investigation was slowed by all of the setting descriptions. For me this was not a negative but for someone unfamiliar with Cambridge this might be a negative. Also note that the author is British and, as such, there are plenty of British slang words used by her. Some I had never heard of but they added charm to the story. 

I loved all of the characters as they were the typical quirky and eccentric British characters we have come to expect from British literature. Elizabeth Green is a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences but loves being an amateur sleuth. She annoys police detective Ably because she interferes in his investigations. Her grandson Godric brings us more up to date slang terms and adds his take on what happened to the deceased. The local M.P. Jonathan Smythe is also involved. Because I love everything British, I even love the politicians.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Way of the Wicked

The Way of the Wicked is the second book in the Hope Street Church Mysteries by Ellery Adams. I loved the first book The Path of the Crooked. The amateur sleuth in the series is Cooper Lee who has an interesting job. She repairs copy machines. I love that the sleuth is a woman doing what is typically a man's job.

The publisher's summary:

Cooper Lee and her friends in the Hope Street Bible study group have just volunteered for a local charity, delivering much-needed food and cheer to shut-ins in their community. It seems like the perfect way for the group to do good, and to Cooper it offers the welcome opportunity to get out of the house and spend more time with her new boyfriend, Nathan. But when one of the charity’s recipients is murdered, the police have no choice but to single out the church group and their fellow volunteers as the prime suspects.

Determined to make sure no evil deed goes unpunished, Cooper and her friends decide to discreetly interrogate each volunteer in their search for the killer, even if it means putting themselves at risk in the process. And as serving the needy becomes more treacherous than any of them could have imagined, they just might discover that the road to murder is paved with good intentions.

The beginning of the book was slow because it took a long time for the murder to occur. The reader was introduced to several new characters and the Bible study group members became involved in delivering food to the elderly. The first fourth of the story was basically dialogue among them and not much happened. The action picked up and by the midpoint in the story the pace became fast.

The romance between Cooper and fellow Bible study group member Nathan heated up in this installment of the series. They are not yet a couple but both realize that they have feelings for each other. Also, there was religious material in the book as the study group met several times to study the life of the Biblical Joseph from Genesis. They saw a connection between the way Joseph's brothers treated him to the way the seniors were treated by volunteers of the charity that delivered meals on wheels. By the end of the story three seniors died in similar circumstances.

This was a charming story and I enjoyed it. I would have liked to see the murders occur in the first or second chapter so that the rest of the story could be about solving the crime. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

This book is a re-read for me. Several decades ago I read every one of these Mrs. Pollifax cozy mysteries. There were fantastic. As I was looking for a book for the Calendar of Crime Challenge, I realized that author Dorothy Gilman was born in June. Books whose authors were born in June are eligible for the challenge. A match!

The publisher's summary:

Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown, married children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. So, naturally, she became a CIA agent.

She takes on a “job” in Mexico City. The assignment doesn’t sound dangerous at first, but then, as often happens, something goes wrong. Now our dear Mrs. Pollifax finds herself embroiled in quite a hot Cold War—and her country’s enemies find themselves entangled with one unbelievably feisty lady.

Although the book was written in 1966, the writing is still current with today's language. While the premise for the stories may seem far-fetched, nothing about the plot is unusual. It unfolds just like any other spy novel. The knowledge that Mrs. Pollifax gained throughout her years as a wife and mother helped her to see situations clearer than professional spies. She is simply adorable.

The first three chapters reminded me how Mrs. Pollifax got into the spy business to begin with. While discussing with her doctor that she was bored with her life as a volunteer, she remembered that when she was young she wanted to be a spy. Feeling encouraged by him, Mrs. Pollifax traveled to Washington DC and applied for a job with the CIA. She did not know that you need to be asked to join but was hired for a courier job in Mexico City after being mistaken for another lady. Her age, including her white hair, would make her unexpected by the CIA's moles. From this auspicious beginning, readers were lucky to have 13 subsequent novels to enjoy.

5 out of 5 stars.

Ashes to Ashes Crust to Crust

Ashes to Ashes Crust to Crust is the second Deep Dish Mystery by Mindy Quigley. In this installment of the series pizzeria owner Delilah O’Leary is trying to keep her restaurant afloat in the picturesque resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. To boost her bottom line, she sets her sights on winning the $10,000 prize in the town’s annual “Taste of Wisconsin” culinary contest. In her corner, she has her strong-willed, “big-boned” cat Butterball, her wisecracking BFF Sonya, her cantankerous great-aunt Biz, and a new recipe that she calls her Pretzel Crust Deep-Dish Bratwurst Pizza. While Delilah and her team have been focused on pumping out perfect pizza pies, her ex-fiancé has cozied up to a new squeeze, juice bar owner Jordan Watts, Delilah’s contest rival. When one of Jordan’s juice bar customers is poisoned by a tainted smoothie, Delilah becomes a suspect. She must act fast to determine who put the poison in the smoothie.

I enjoyed this book. It's a good sequel to the first book in the series Six Feet Deep Dish. Delilah is becoming closer to police investigator Calvin Capone, the great-grandson of the mobster Al Capone. I am sure that they will become a couple soon and I would love to read more about their relationship. Right now, Calvin is irritated over Delilah's interference with his investigation. I wonder, though, how a police investigator and a amateur sleuth can be romantically together given their opposite roles in murder investigations. There is an attraction between them so I definitely see them growing into a couple.

There were a few new characters introduced in the series. Harold Heyer, president of the Geneva Bay Convention and Vistors Bureau. Molly McClintock, affectionately known as Mac, is Melody’s cousin. Jordan Watts, owner of Juice Revolution, and her employee Jarka, who was a doctor in Bulgaria but until her English improves and she can take the necessary tests she can only find work at a smoothie shop. Mac also works at the juice bar. All these characters had a role to play in the plot and they will be important in subsequent novels in the series because they provide for the possibility of more story ideas.

There are recipes in the back of the book for several gourmet doughs and a few pizza toppings. Personally I am not brave enough to make them but they are interesting to look at. 

4 out of 5 stars.

Clerical Errors

Dr. Diane M. Greenwood is the author of Clerical Errors. She describes herself as a low level ecclesiastical civil servant and is the retired diocesan director of education in Rochester. She wrote this series between 1991 and 1999. Her books span a time of turmoil in the Church of England when the issue of ordaining women as priests was debated. Clerical Errors was her first novel.

The story opens with Julia Smith sitting peacefully in the Medewich Cathedral after a job interview at the diocesan office when she hears a loud scream coming from the chapel. The housekeeper, Mrs. Sprigg, has found the severed head of a young vicar assigned to the cathedral in the baptismal font. Deaconess Theodora Braithwaite, the main character, and Julia look into the murder and other unusual incidents at the cathedral along with the help of Ian Caretaker who is, of course, the caretaker.

I found the book difficult to read. The writing seemed awkward as though it had been written in another era. However, the book was written in the 1990s. The plot was also difficult to follow. While Julia and another character named Dhani solved most of the mysteries, main character Theodora is the one who came up with the resolution of the murder toward the end of the story. Many of the clues that Theodora figured out were not mentioned in the story, which was odd. What I did enjoy was the Anglican Church setting. It was not enough, though, to carry the story.

The Path of the Crooked

The Path of the Crooked is a charming Christian cozy mystery. It is the first book in the Hope Street Church Mystery Series by Ellery Adams. It was originally published under the pen name Jennifer Stanley but the author revised the story and has published it under the pen name Ellery Adams. There were only three books in the original series and I am not sure whether she will continue to write novels for the series.

The main character is Cooper Lee. She is a copy machine repairman who has recently been dumped by her boyfriend of five years. While repairing a copier at a client's office Cooper meets Brooke Hughes, a member of the Hope Street Church. The two ladies have a short conversation wherein Brooke gives Cooper a church brochure and invites her to church. Cooper accepts the brochure and leaves.

Later that evening she considers whether to visit the church on the next Sunday. Her family sees the brochure and asks her if she will go. They also are devout Christians who hope Cooper will return to church after a several year absence. When she visits Hope Street Church a few weeks later Cooper meets the members of the Sunrise Bible Study group. During that initial meeting the news broke that Brooke Hughes had been murdered. Brooke's husband Wesley had been arrested for the murder and the group cannot believe that he killed his wife. They begin their own investigation hoping that they can free Wesley Hughes.

I absolutely loved this story. There were plenty of clues for the group to follow up on. I was surprised that the police did not play much into the investigation but perhaps they will in future installments of the series. The pace was perfect, not too fast and not too slow. The characters were memorable. Each Bible study member were quirky characters that made the sleuthing entertaining. Savannah is legally blind and is the leader of the group. Nathan is a love interest for Cooper. TV meteorologist Bryant, realtor Trish, Jake and Quinton complete the group. It was fascinating that the group did the sleuthing together. I have never read a book where there was more than one amateur sleuth. However, in this instance, it works. Cooper's family was also memorable. Her mother is constantly cooking and baking for people in need and reading about her foods made me hungry. There are recipes of hers at the back of the book. Cooper's sister Ashley is also quirky. Ashley is an overbearing lover of fashion, expensive restaurants and is a social climber. Cooper herself is interesting. She is a smoker who dresses in a masculine style and is fine to be by herself alot. All of these folks will contribute to fantastic storylines in the future.

The Path of the Crooked was an excellent read and I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Six Feet Deep Dish

Six Feet Deep Dish is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Mindy Quigley. The main character is Delilah O'Leary and and she has just opened up a new pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. Funded by her rich fiance Sam Van Meter, Delilah is realizing her lifetime dream of owning a restaurant. To help her out is sous chef Sonya Dokter, a sassy, plus size woman who likes rockabilly fashion. The police detective is Al Capone's great-grandson Calvin Capone. A few other characters who work at the pizzeria round out the characters. 

Just after the restaurant's soft opening, Delilah's fiance dumps her and leaves her with their plus size cat Butterball. Delilah and Sam are polar opposites with Delilah being a type A person and Sam being laid back. Her aunt Biz and her caretaker Jeremy join the crowd on opening night. However, early in the evening Jeremy wheels Aunt Biz outside for some fresh air. Soon Delilah and her diners hear a gunshot and run outside. There they find Jeremy's body and a gun in Aunt Biz's hand. Aunt Biz denies killing Jeremy but doesn't know what happened. Detective Capone opens an investigation and threatens to run the new restaurant to the ground while pursuing Aunt Biz. In order to save her aunt, Delilah has to find out the identity of the killer.

This is an excellent start to a new series. There are several quirky characters to base future stories on. Sonya is always going to be the comedian with sassy remarks. I am going to love her the most. Detective Capone is a little stiff but I am certain that he will mellow out and probably be a love interest for Delilah. Daniel the bartender is a kayaker and Melody is the sacharine sweet hostess. Rabbit has just been released from jail and begged for a job to support his family. He's the dishwasher. I can think of many scenarios for future stories from this gang.

I love the pizzeria, Geneva and Chicago settings. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is a well known weekend getaway for Chicagoans. The Chicago setting comes into play because Delilah decorated her restaurant with posters of Chicago mobsters. These settings alone will offer the author many plot premises.

The Six Feet story was well paced with plenty of twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Lemon Curd Killer

Lemon Curd Killer is the 25th installment of Laura Childs' Indigo Teashop cozy mystery series. As expected, it's a fantastic read. If you love afternoon tea, you will love this series. While the main character, Theodosia Browning, is an amateur sleuth, alot of the sleuthing takes place at her tea events. The reader gets to read about the foods offered at Theo's Indigo Tea Shop as well as the teas that her customers are drinking. It always makes me feel like I am there sipping and supping.

In Lemon Curd Killer, Theodosia has been tapped to host a fancy Limon Tea in a lemon orchard near Charleston, South Carolina. This event is the first event in Charleston's annual Fashion Week. However, when Theodosia retreats to the kitchen in order to get more lemon curd for the scones, she finds the body of one of the fashion designers with her head slumped over in to the lemon curd. The body belongs to Nadine, the sister of series character Delaine Dish. In the series tradition, a relative of the murdered woman asks Theodosia to investigate the death. Nadine's daughter Bettina has heard that Theodosia has solved several murders and asks her to look into her mother's death. With more tea events and fashion shows ongoing, Theo and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley begin observing and questioning Nadine's business partners.

I loved this story! I have always enjoyed the books in this seris and this one is one of my favorites. As usual, this book is a page turner. It is also a comfortable, easygoing read. I enjoyed visiting with the regular characters once more. They are always cheery and seem like old friends to me. 

Theodosia's investigation is spot on. She doesn't have much to go on other than gossip among the characters but Theo is able to think through the information that she is hearing and digest it properly. She is always asking herself if she is considering new information in the correct light. As another character is murdered, Theodosia is able to cut through all the unnecessary facts and figure out the identity of the killer.

One of the authors best!  5 out of 5 stars.

Death on the Danube

In Death on the Danube, recent divorcee Lana Hanson agrees to fill in as a tour guide for her friend Dotty Thompson's Wanderlust Tours business during a Christmas Eve conversation. Dotty wants Lana to travel to Budapest in order to lead a group after one of the guides was injured in a skiing accident. With no job and being 2 months behind in rent, Lana agrees to go. It's a perfect way for her to ring in the new year and also pay her rent. Upon arrival in Budapest, Hungary the tour quickly turns into a nightmare when Carl, Lana's fellow tour guide, is found floating in the Danube River. The question is whether he was murdered or died in an accident. With all of the tourists having had problems with Carl, Lana finds her self trapped with nine murder suspects. When another tour guest dies, Lana has to figure out who the killer is before she also ends up floating in the Danube River. Death on the Danube is the first book in the Travel Can Be Murder cozy mystery series by Jennifer Alderson.

I did not care for the book. The murder didn't happen until I was 60% in to the story. There was no investigation by Lana other than checking the internet to find out who her passengers were. She did not interview the passengers nor did she interface with Budapest law enforcement. She did nothing to solve the crime as I was promised by the publisher's summary of the book. The passenger's problems with Carl did not surface until after he was dead so there was no point to the novel. All I read about was the tour itinerary and how Lana felt as she was pampered by hotel staff.

This story was boring. No rating.