Review: Good as Dead

Good as Dead by Susan Walter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A deadly hit and run. A payoff. And secrets at every turn. Welcome to Good as Dead.

We get several switching perspectives: Holly, who is involved in a hit and run where she loses her husband. Savannah, their teenaged daughter. Evan, the fixer. Jack, Evan's boss. Libby, the nosy neighbor with her own issues. And Andy, the nosy neighbor's wife. Quickly shifting POV and short chapters kept everything moving along, and this read like a movie in the way it played out.

I suspected the ending way early, but I still found it entertaining. 3 solid stars - recommend if you enjoy thrillers.

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Review: The Hidden Staircase

The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nancy sticks her nose in everyone's business and saves the day, round 2. Once again, she's with her friend Helen Corning, with no sign of George and Bess. Helen is a good friend, and up for most anything, but really is there to serve as a plot device to showcase Nancy how brave and clever Nancy is at every turn.

Helen's great grandmother's old mansion is haunted, naturally, as all good old mansions are. Nancy and Helen go to stay with her and Helen's mother, catch the ghost, and solve the mystery. But wait, Nancy's amazing father, Carson Drew, is wrapped up in a land dispute and is in grave danger. You better believe both cases are connected, friends. Of course they are, and Nancy is there to solve them both, find the hidden staircase, and save the day (and her father). Nancy stays clever, kind, and beautiful as always, and we are on to book 3. Three crime-solving stars.



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Review: Elephants Can Remember

Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's always a treat when I discover a Christie novel I haven't read before. Especially one with Poirot, since he's my favorite. Not sure how I missed this one.

We have a twisted case brought to us from Ariadne Oliver. She has a curious inquiry regarding a long-past case dropped in her lap by a pushy woman, and she can't stop thinking about it so she calls up her old friend Hercule Poirot. Hey, if I was friends with him I would do the same thing. Let him employ those little gray cells and help me sort it all out. And naturally, that is what happens. What else would you expect from Dame Agatha?

Red herrings abound, and I totally thought I had the case cracked 58% in but alas, Agatha fooled me again. You saucy minx, you really are the greatest mystery writer of all time. Subtracting a half star because no actual elephants are featured in the book. (Just kidding, Agatha, you earned all three enjoyable stars).

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Review: Death at La Fenice

Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ah, Venice. City of canals. City of murder. But Commissario Brunetti will get his man in the end.

I like stand-up, moral guys who do the right thing, and Brunetti is the Italian version of my favorite lawman, Walt Longmire. Lawful good is my jam, folks. He solves the crime despite his superiors, red herrings, and roadblocks. I was way off on my assumptions, and I liked the resolution. Well plotted and I enjoyed the details.

New series for me. I like Commissario Brunetti and will definitely continue solving crimes with him.

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Review: A Purple Place for Dying

A Purple Place for Dying by John D. MacDonald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hop in your time machines, kids, because we are going back to the swinging sixties. Take a ride with my good friend and salvage consultant, Travis McGee. Private Eye and a real cool cat. The ladies absolutely love him.

This is the third book in the series, and while it's fun to go back in time and see what life was like before the technology age, you have to take yourself out the mystery at times. No, he doesn't have a cell phone. No, he doesn't have the internet. No, he doesn't know how to solve crimes with anything but his brains and his brawn.

This time the T-man is in Arizona, not in Florida, and he's deciding if he will help the fair maiden Mona leave her husband, when, blammo! Sniper. Not to worry, folks. Travis is on the case.

Chalk the blatant sexism to the era and just enjoy the ride. Like most of them, 3 stars.

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Review: Reflex

Reflex by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another winner by Dick Francis. This time Philip, our everyman hero, is an amateur jockey and amateur photographer. I'm giving the edge to his photography, because hey, you can't be a jockey forever. That job has a shelf life.

We've got revenge, blackmail, murder, romance, and horses, all things you expect from Francis. But he also wrote family complexities very well. This one has the added drama of a drug-addled mother who abandoned Philip and flitted from place to place. He's estranged from his grandmother and I found this side plot as interesting as the main one.

You can't go wrong with Dick Francis. 3 solid stars.

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Review: The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare

The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare by Lilian Jackson Braun
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More Qwill and the kitties solving crimes in the sleepy village of Pickax, where there must be a murder every week. Qwill needs to hook up with Jessica Fletcher because they both are murder magnets. Moose County's a rough place to live, people.

The newspaper's publisher has died. Accident, or murder? Well, since it's a cozy I'll let you figure it out. Qwill is on the case, and trying to be a mustachioed ladies man about town, but the cats continue to thwart him. Go, cats. Qwill is ridiculous. Polly is way too good for you. Still the same cast of characters you know and love, with Arch, and Mrs. Cobb, and a million Goodwinters.

A fun, easy series. Really enjoying reading through them all again. 3 stars.

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Review: Chihuahua Confidential

Chihuahua Confidential by Waverly Curtis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pepe and Geri are back on the case. This time they are in Hollywood performing on the new reality series pilot, "Dancing with Dogs" which sounds silly until you remind yourself you are reading a cozy series about a talking Chihuahua. Geri and Pepe stumble onto a mystery involving what might be Pepe's old owner, some murders, and some dogs in danger.

Not to be taken too seriously, this is a fun, light series. Book 2 is better than book 1, so I'll give the next one a shot. 3 stars.

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Review: Slay-Ride

Slay-Ride by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Classic Dick Francis. This time we travel to Norway. I'm cold just reading this book.

We get a great Francis "everyman" in David Cleveland. Jockey Club investigator and all-around smart, nice guy. He gets in danger (as you would expect), barely escapes with his life (naturally) and saves the day.

Plus, this book is as old as I am, and it is still a fun read. One of my favorite authors of all time.

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Review: Murder to Go (Food Truck Mysteries #1)

Murder to Go by Chloe Kendrick

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Not the worst book I've ever read, but dang, there were some dumb parts. The mystery actually doesn't make sense when all is said and done.

Maeve inherits a food truck from her zany aunt, who may or may not have had a girlfriend after her husband died. So what, you say? Yes, I agree. But apparently that was supposed to be important to the plot, except it so wasn't. Maeve's mom was pretty offensive about the fact that sexuality is a spectrum, not a 50/50 choice. The mystery would have stayed the same without adding this part, so it seemed shoe horned in to make a statement. Anyway. Someone is out to get Maeve, and people's heads are being cut off. CUT. OFF. Again, this part was never explained. Ever. Add in the "millennials are a lazy bunch vs. a victim of economic circumstances" theme and the unrealistic characterizations (see lesbian / not lesbian plotline, grouchy yet sexy male characters) and you might or might not be intrigued enough to read book 2. I am a masochist and will read it if it is free and it fits a challenge. Your mileage may vary.

P.S. Who has a death in the family and doesn't ask how they died? Especially if you are the main inheritor? Really? Selfish, selfish, selfish. And dumb.



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Review: Death of a Perfect Wife (Hamish Macbeth #4)

Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Ah, Hamish. You are such a simple man. Priscilla doesn't deserve you.

More murder and mayhem in Lochdubh. For such a small, quiet village lots of people get murdered. I grew up in a small town of 2700 people and we rarely had these shenanigans go on. The one cop on duty was resigned to setting up speed traps (in the same place!!) to get some action. We didn't even have any stoplights, so I feel like I'm a bit of an expert in small town life. Hamish would have fit in perfectly. Anyway, a busybody newcomer is killed, with a long list of suspects. She was pretty terrible, so anyone could have been the culprit. But Hamish solves the case like we would expect, with no resolution to his relationship with Priscilla. Looking forward to book 5.



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Review: Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was a lot like the movie, at least what I remember. It was a long time ago.

Con man stories are fun, and it is outrageous to me what he was able to get away with at such a young age. Airline pilot, doctor, lawyer. It's ridiculous. But a couple of things really struck me. First of all, there was an utter lack of remorse. He's smug and proud of what he accomplished. A complete sociopath. He said he felt bad in a few places, but I don't believe him. And the ending was abrupt. It just ended on one of his escapades. I would have rather heard about his punishment through his eyes. It was a strange choice to me.

Overall it was entertaining. Three stars.



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Color Me Crazy (Annie Addison Mystery #1)

Color Me Crazy by Molly Dox

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Man, this book was dumb from start to finish. Luckily it was a novella that I got for free. Annie is dense and annoying. Stop meddling or you deserve to be thrown in jail. I won't read more of the series.



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The Storyteller

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm a little bit wrecked right now. Excuse me while I gather my emotions to write this review...

Ahem. Yes, this book is wonderful. You bounce between the past and the present. We get to see the awful events of the Holocaust through two different sides, and we learn about them both with Sage as she struggles with acceptance and forgiveness. Forgiveness for herself, and for the past of others. And along the way is a beautiful fairy tale, an allegory of love and guilt, that ties the entire book up with a bow.

This book was great. I'm a big Jodi Picoult fan, and this one did not disappoint. At all.



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A Biscuit, A Casket (Positively Organic Mysteries #2)

A Biscuit, A Casket by Liz Mugavero

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Stan is slightly less annoying in this book. But not by much. At least the ridiculous theme song nonsense from the first book went away, and she wasn't doing quite as much "ooh, look at what I'm wearing" during this one.

This series is ok, but not great. The story was fine--it's a cozy mystery, so how bad can it be? The small town setting is cute. I like Jake, I think, but we don't get a lot of insights into him. We spend more time with his cop sister who clearly is as annoyed with Stan as I am.

But again, I don't love this series, but I also don't hate it. 2 stars. Since I'm a glutton for punishment I will also read book three. Yeah, yeah, I know. But you know I will.



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Killer Cupcakes (A Lexy Baker Bakery Mystery #1)

Killer Cupcakes by Leighann Dobbs

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Sorry, Killer Cupcakes, but I much prefer to eat baked goods and not read about them.

Lexy owns a bakery and has made a name for herself by selling cupcake tops. Unfortunately someone poisoned a box of her cupcake tops and gave them to her ex. Now she turns amateur sleuth to solve the crime. With her best friend / employee and her grandma. Sounds ridiculous? It is. And that's about all the plot development that happens in this short read.

It hits all the wrong notes for me. Awkward dialogue. Purple, flowery descriptions of everything. Chill with the adjectives! An obsession with expensive shoes. Why do so many books insist on telling me what someone is wearing? I. Don't. Care. Just make with the mystery, lady! And insta-love. Now, I have been fortunate to be out of the dating game for nearly two decades, so maybe I can't relate. But the "romance" was cringe-worthy. So dumb. I'll stick with my beloved Agatha Christie--I'm more of a historical gal than contemporary anyway.

Buy a cupcake and skip this book. You will thank me later.



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Open Season (Joe Pickett #1)

Open Season by C.J. Box

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dear Sheriff Longmire, please don't be mad at me for cheating on you with another Wyoming lawman. He meant nothing to me, I swear!

I was set up on a blind date with Joe Pickett, Saddleback Game Warden and family man. We had a good time. I mean, Joe is lawful good, to an extreme. He's a good husband, father, and morally in the right. Plus Wyoming is always a good time for an outdoors-lovin' girl like me. The mystery was solid and I will continue the series, but I think Joe and I will remain "just friends". My heart belongs to the more impulsive, mature, and headstrong Walt Longmire. He's the Wyoming lawman for me.

I just didn't get into Joe like I do Walt. Joe is a bit of a sad sack. I need my book boyfriends to be strong and confident. If you have ever read the Hamish Macbeth series, Joe reminded my of him. Likable, but not someone to fall in love with. Anyway, I will continue hanging out with Joe when I have some downtime, because why not?



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O Jerusalem (Mary Russell #5)

O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


More adventures with Holmes and Russell, but in this installment we jump back in time to events in the second book that were not shared with us. We know they spent time in Jerusalem but we don't get to see what happens there. This book takes to the events they shared while they were hiding out.

It's a pretty good story. I like their companions, especially Mahmoud. Something was missing for me, however, and I just can't put my finger on it. I think it was because Holmes and Russell didn't really seem to be partners on this one. There was a distance between them and you just couldn't see that spark. But overall still an enjoyable read.



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The Grove

The Grove by John Rector

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I'm not 100% sure how to rate or review this book. You know how it is when you read something so outside of your norm that you are left scratching your head? That's me right now.

It's horror for one, and I rarely read horror. The main character is completely crazy. You spend half of your time doubting his narrative and the other half shaking your head because he. is. crazy. And I listened to it on audio, which changes the experience. So overall I'm landing on a two 1/2, because it was strange and I have a lot of mixed feelings about the book and the characters. So I guess the author did his job.



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Any Other Name (Walt Longmire #10)

Any Other Name by Craig Johnson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Walt, Walt, Walt. You almost get beaten up more than Harry Dresden, but not quite. Harry gets his ass kicked on the regular more than anyone.

This time Walt should be on his way to Philly to welcome his grandbaby into the world. What is he doing instead? Solving a case. With Lucian. And a little assist from Vic and Henry. My favorite everyman's hero does it again, Wyoming-style, and solves the case, which turns out to be two cases. Extra bonus for Henry being the best sidekick ever and I enjoyed the cop / investigator guy who helps them figure it out by the end.



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