An Eye for an Eye by Caroline Fardig

Ellie Matthews #2

4.5 stars
R- 2? yeah.... don't remember again, sorry.
probably language

Still not lovin' Ellie.  She's kind of an idiot.

But the story.

So. Good.

Seriously.

And the ending?  Did NOT see that coming.

So.... yeah.

When will book 3 be out?

Bitter Past by Caroline Fardig

Ellie Matthews #1

3.5 stars
R- I honestly don't remember.... 1-2 I think
Language

Let me start by saying that this is NOT a cozy.

This is a dark compelling procedural.

Emphasis on dark, but also emphasis on compelling.

Funny story-- I was offered a review copy of the sequel.  I hate reading sequels without reading the first book, but it looked really good.  So I went looking and hey, the first book was free on Kindle Unlimited.

Not my preference, but it would be a way to read the book so why not?

Read it in a day.  An afternoon, really.

Told them to go ahead and send me a digital copy of the second one.  (Again, not my preference, but I was on a roll and the first one was good.)

Read that all in one go too. (Review to come)

And..... then realized I have a paperback review copy of the first one, lol.

That's how out-of-control my house is, folks.

Anyway.

Overall, I don't love Ellie, and her self-medication at the end seemed like a bit much, and you all know language isn't my preference, but dang it's a good mystery.

Farmers' Market Mysteries by Paige Shelton

Farm Fresh Murder
Fruit of All Evil
Crops and Robbers
Red Hot Deadly Peppers (novella)
A Killer Maize
Merry Market Murder
Bushel Full of Murder

4 stars each
(except Crops and Robbers which I apparently gave 5 stars)
R- 1-2

It's possible that I've reviewed one or two of these in the past.  I discovered them a while ago... I think the first was a Reader's Choice book.

But I had gotten behind, so at the beginning of the year I decided to re-read/read them all.

Let me tell you, when you decide to read 4 different series by the same author at about the same time... you have to pay attention to which series you're in at any given time.

Anyway.

These are fun cozies.  There is a love triangle (gag) but it's not too bad and thankfully gets resolved neatly enough. (Though there is a cliffhanger aspect there.)

But the triangle doesn't start right away and gets taken care of in book 4, so yay.

My main complaint is that you can't introduce a character in a mid-series novella and have him clearly state that he's NOT law enforcement and then bring him back in a novel later as a cop.  You gotta explain it or something.

I'm nitpicky that way.

To Helvetica and Back by Paige Shelton

 (A Dangerous Type Mystery #1)
somewhere in the 3.5-4 star range
R- 1 (maybe)

So....

Let's take a moment to admire that title, can we?

Because it's kind of beautiful.

Anyway-- Paige Shelton.  An author of cozy mysteries that I have very much enjoyed in the past.

And hey, a new series featuring books/fonts/typewriters.....

What's not to love??

Okay, so the writing wasn't the most amazing thing... it felt a little repetitive and clunky in places.

But overall the characters were entertaining.

And it was a fun story.

So I'll definitely be looking for more Dangerous Type mysteries.

Thursday Morning Breakfast (and Murder) Club by Liz Stauffer

3 stars.... maybe 2.5
R- 1?
received for review (older than 1 child)

I love cozy mysteries.....

But for some reason I didn't love this one.

The characters didn't quite work for me.  Decisions they made didn't quite jive, you know?

Honestly I think I could have forgiven more if it had been an episode of a TV show....

It was a lot like Murder She Wrote.

And I love Murder She Wrote.

But part of why Murder She Wrote works is that, at most, I only have to suspend disbelief for 90 ish minutes.

This book took longer.

Overall, this was kind of a "meh" for me.

The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan

1.5 stars
R- 1?
reader's choice

Yikes.

I should have loved this.  I mean, really.

I fully expected to come away from this with a new must-follow series.

But no. Just no.

The plot didn't work for me.  The characters didn't work for me.

Really just none of it worked for me.

I can't actually quite put my finger on why.  It just didn't work.

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss

4 stars
R- 1
Reader's Choice

A fun cozy mystery.  And you know how I love cozy mysteries. :)

The tone felt... off somehow in places, and Maddie was sometimes annoying, but the story was entertaining enough of overlook most of that.

Overall, I found it enjoyable and will read the next one.  From there we'll see if the fun still carries them.

Framed! by James Ponti

A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery

5 stars
JF/YF

Boo LOVED this one.

And really, so did I.

Sherlock meets.... White Collar..... meets..... the Disney channel?

lol

Florian is 12 when he helps solve a major art theft and becomes a consulting detective for the FBI.

What's not to love, right?

Seriously, this was so much fun.

Highly enjoyable; highly recommended.

A Question of Inheritance by Elizabeth Edmondson

5 stars
r- 1
sequel to A Man of Some Repute

GAH!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so once again a delightful mystery.  I love the feel and the setting and the characters.

You must must MUST read the first one first.... plus probably the novella, which is #1.5 (A Youthful Indiscretion) which apparently would have made the beginning of this one make more sense.

(I thought I'd just forgotten more than I thought I had of book 1, lol, but it appears that the novella clears things up.)

Unfortunately, reviews indicate that the novella is not quite as well written/edited as the novels, which is a shame.

The real reason for my outburst at the beginning of this post though is that the author died.

DIED.

Just over a year ago.

:(

According to her website, publishers have contracted with her son to complete the third book, but I'm still devastated.

We shall have to see what happens, I suppose.

Mom Zone Mysteries by Sara Rosett

Mimosas, Mischief, and Murder (#6)
Mistletoe, Merriment, and Murder (#7)
Milkshakes, Mermaids, and Murder (#8)
Marriage, Monsters-in-Law, and Murder (#9)

4 stars (each)
R- 1

I got very behind on this enjoyable cozy mystery series, but I've caught up.  (It helps that books take a year or so to be written and published but I can read them in a day or two.)

And just as was the case with the earlier Ellie Avery mysteries, these are fun fluffy stories.

Unfortunately I have AWFUL timing, reading the one about the grandfather's death less than a month after my own grandpa died.  That was rough.

(Isn't he adorable??  Sigh.  We miss you, Grandpa.)

Even though it was a rough read, though, it was still a really good story.

All in all, I'm still totally enjoying this series, and I'm all caught up until March.  My only drawbacks I'm seeing are the increasing number typos (which is unfortunately true for oh-so-many series) and the unfortunate trend in titles.  I liked the earlier titles better than the current onslaught of triple Ms.

Bottom line-- if you haven't tried these yet, you should.

Wilma Tenderfoot by Emma Kennedy

Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Frozen Hearts
Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Putrid Poison
Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Fatal Phantom
Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Rascal's Revenge

5 stars (each)
JF
mystery

Oh how we've been enjoying Wilma Tenderfoot!

This is a great middle-grade-ish (Wilma is 10, I'd say mid- to late elementary crowd mainly, though middle schoolers may also enjoy them) mystery series with a delightful narrative voice.

The characters are lovable (if sometimes bizarre), the setting is silly, the stories are sometimes zany.

Overall, it's all a bit wonky, but in the very best ways.

These are a MUST READ.  Boo loved them; I loved them.  (Mister doesn't read mysteries.  He's weird.)

You'll laugh, you'll cry.

Go get them.  Seriously.  Right now.

Still Night in L.A. by Aram Saroyan

3 stars
r- 2?
copy received for review

So the subtitle is "A Detective Novel" but really it's more of a novella.  Very quick read.

It was interesting, and I liked the concept of the the cell phone photos throughout, though I wished they had seemed like they had anything to do with what was going on.

Also, there was a lot of random stray threads.  Normally I would say this is a "first novel" poor editing kind of problem, but in this case they actually seemed intentional in a "poetic chaos" kind of a way.

(Yeah, I know, poetic chaos probably isn't a thing.  I made it up.  It was the best descriptor I could come up with.)

All in all, not a bad mystery but not quite my thing.

The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Scott Wilbanks

received for review
4.5 stars
R- 2 ish

The information that accompanied this book has this to say about it: "The physics-bending charm of The Time Traveler's Wife meets the curious mischief of The Eyre Affair in this unconventional and utterly enchanting debut novel..."

And it's a great description.

This book was fun.  The fantasy element was interesting, the mystery satisfying, and the characters!  Oh, the characters.  A goofy cast of misfits that somehow cobble themselves into a family.

If nothing else, read it for the characters.

There were a few passages that seemed to be missing crucial details.... I'm hoping that either that's because I was reading an uncorrected ARC or I was more tired than I thought when reading.  Could also be a hint of "first novel" trouble, but overall this didn't read like a first novel.  (That's a compliment, I promise.)

There is (itty-bitty spoiler ahead, though really with how early I caught it, it can't be THAT much of a spoiler...) a somewhat subtle gay rights message, but it's not a hit-you-over-the-head-propaganda type and honestly even if you disagree with the choices of a gay lifestyle, I don't see how you would have anything but compassion for the character's implied backstory.  What a terrible burden to bear-- I say that largely because to that character it clearly was.

Anyway, I very much enjoyed this one and recommend it.  :)

Clammed Up by Barbara Ross

3 stars
R- 1?
Maine Clambake Mystery #1
Reader's Choice (Feb-May 2015)

Meh.

I don't know if I'm getting jaded or what, but it seems like there have been a lot of cozy mysteries lately that I SHOULD love.... but don't.

This one was fine.  It wasn't terrible... it wasn't amazing.  I might read more.... I might not.

Glowing review, I know.  Maybe it's just me... maybe I just wasn't in the mood.

Maybe I'd better try the 2nd book just to make sure. ;)

Blood, Ash, & Bone by Tina Whittle

5 stars
R- 2?
Tai Randolph book 3

This series is definitely becoming a favorite for me.

I actually enjoyed this one even more than the first two.  I love the relationship between Tai and Trey and the history/mystery/family craziness in this one was great.

Definitely read the first two first-- as much as each mystery basically stands alone, you really need to follow the development of the characters from book to book.

Darker Than Any Shadow by Tina Whittle

4 stars
R- 2?
Tai Randolph book 2

A satisfying mystery with a romance that is by turns maddening and terribly sweet.

Wow, that sounded... I don't know... cheesy?

True, nonetheless.

I enjoyed this sequel and feel like the series is off to a great start.

The poetry slam aspects are fun and set up an interesting mystery.

All in all, highly recommended but I really do recommend you read the first one first.

Montana by Gwen Florio

3 stars
r- 2? (can't remember)
Reader's Choice (Feb-May 2015)

Meh.

This mystery just didn't work for me.  I found the main character off-putting and I just kind of couldn't care.

Has some definite "first novel" issues too.

Overall.... yeah, I probably don't care enough to read the next one.

Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab

A mystery with electromagnets, burglar alarms, and other gadgets you can build yourself.

by "Science Bob" Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

4 stars from me
5 stars from Boo
Copy received for review

Hilarious.

This book was delightful.  It did feel like things happened fairly quickly, especially the resolution, but given the target age and length of the book that seems pretty normal.

There are also instructions throughout so that you can make your own version of the crazy gadgets Nick and Tesla come up with!  What's not to love?

Boo is a HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of this series.  It combines two of her favorite things: science and mysteries.  I asked her if she had anything to add to a review and she said "Awesome, awesome, and AWESOME!"

We've been getting them for review as they come out and they disappear as soon as they arrive... I don't see it again until she's done.  Though, really, that's usually later the same day because she just devours them.

Equal appeal for a boy or girl here-- it's a great brother/sister duo.

Definitely recommended.

The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman

3.5 stars
R-2?
Tess Monaghan #11
novella
Copy received for review

This was my first Tess Monaghan, which was kind of problematic, since it's #11.

I liked the mystery, but struggled with the characters, their relationships, and most of all with Tess' feelings about pregnancy.  Pregnancy is no walk in the park, I know.  I kind of hate being pregnant overall, but I always want the baby.  It's always intentional.  So I couldn't relate to the really negative feelings there.

If I "knew" the characters I'm pretty sure I'd have liked it more.

Overall, the mystery was good, but the ins and outs of the relationships eluded me.

Unspeakable and Unstoppable (novella) by Laura Griffin

4 stars each
R- 2-3 ish
Tracers books 2 and 2.5

Unspeakable is not a typical sequel, but rather the type that takes a somewhat more minor character from book 1 and makes them the focus.  Alex makes only a brief appearance-- this is all about Troy.

In my review of the first book, I talked about how entertaining Troy was.  I can't for the life of me remember why.  He was more serious in this one.  Maybe because he was the focus?

Overall, good mystery, some romance, some fun characters and some annoying ones.

Unstoppable is a novella which, like the rest of the series seems to, takes a minor character and makes her the focus.

Kelsey Quinn is a forensic anthropologist (think Bones) on a dig near the Mexican border who suddenly finds more trouble than she ever wanted.

This one feels a lot more like a romance to me, as the mystery is resolved kind of quickly and doesn't have a ton of development overall.  I still enjoyed it though.


For the Tracers series overall, each book seems to go in a slightly different direction, dealing with a different member of the group.

I have a hard time with those kind of series often because I would rather follow the characters I know.  Book 2 does set up book 3 nicely, though, in terms of introducing the characters that will feature.  I just don't know that I personally am invested enough to keep reading.