|
|
Post by DT on Jan 23, 2014 20:32:08 GMT -6
Here is my dad's review of Murder, She Barked by Krista Davis.
1884761
Fred Yoder's review
Dec 02, 13 · edit
4 of 5 stars
Read from November 01 to 03, 2013
Murder, She Barked is the first in the A Paws and Claws Mystery series.
For us pet lovers, hopefully, we will see some of the changes that the fictional town of Wagtail made regarding where one is able to take their pets.
Holly Miller has to leave dinner with her boyfriend and his boss and head to Wagtail as their is an emergency with her grandmother, Oma. On her way she finds a terrier stranded in the pouring down rain and rescues him. As they near Sugar Maple Inn, Holly narrowly misses a man standing in the middle of for shrouded road, then hears a couple explosions and sees a fire begin in the ravine below. Upon arriving at the inn she finds that Oma appears well, except for a sprained ankle. Holly soon finds that the inn and the entire town is a pet friendly one. But she also finds out that Sven, an employee of the inn has been killed in a hit and run accident and very possibly Oma may have been the intended victim. When the mayor is killed in his home, it is time to really time looking for the killer and if the two maybe related. The culprit needs to be found before the reputation of Wagtail is also killed.
This book has a wonderful cast of characters that I hope will be back. Oma loves her granddaughter, but still, I think, she is keeping some things to herself and with her best friend Rose, will probably want to play matchmaker. The readers will enjoy most of the shop keepers, some have a have "an axe to grind" with Oma and Holly, but all the the same they are interesting and their reasons are explained. Besides they can't be all bad if they allow pets in their shops.
Looking forward to book #2 in this delightful series. |
|
|
|
Post by Finley on Jan 24, 2014 22:41:40 GMT -6
:DSounds like a good series, DT! When Whit was in Boston, a number of the shops told us pups to come on in!
|
|
|
|
Post by DT on Feb 12, 2014 21:01:44 GMT -6
Here's dad's review of A Tough Nut To Kill by Elizabeth Lee.
A Tough Nut To Kill is the first book in the A Nut House Mystery series. I think this will be a fun new series.
Lindy Blanchard has earned her degrees as a plant biologist and a bioengineer and has returned to Riverville, TX, in the heart of Pecan country, to help her Grandmother, Miss Amelia, manage the Nut House. At the Nut House you can get just about anything imaginable Pecan. Lindy, using her education is also trying to develop drought resistant Pecan trees.
One beautiful morning, Lindy heads out to her greenhouse to check on her trees. She soon discovers a fire in her office, which has been ransacked, and enters the greenhouse only to find most of her seedlings have been destroyed and then trips over her dead Uncle Amos, who has one of her plant stakes in his chest. There was bad blood between the Blanchard family and Uncle Amos, and soon Lindy's brother, Justin, is charged with his murder.
The sheriff seems to feel that this case has been solved. But Lindy knows that Amos had other people that are not sorry that he is gone. So it is up to Lindy and Miss Amelia to set the sheriff straight and get Justin released. Helping Lindy is Deputy Hunter Austen, a childhood friend.
This book has a wonderful cast of characters. Lindy is really into developing a drought resistant tree to not only help her family, but to help all the ranchers in the area. Miss Amelia is a 70 something firecracker. She loves to bake her "secret" Pecan Pies and doesn't take any guff from anyone. My favorite were the Chauncey twins. They are 8o some years old, ride there horses while a .22 rifle and are crack shots with it, too. Their bickering with each other will have you chuckling. And of course Hunter Austen, who straddles the fence between law enforcement and his friendship with Lindy.
Definitely looking forward to the next book. |
|
|
|
Post by DT on Feb 22, 2014 20:13:15 GMT -6
Here's OUR review of Iced To Death by Peg Cochran and Reg. Okay, okay, he didn't co-write the book but he is on the cover.
Iced to Death is the third book in the A Gourmet De-Lite Mystery series.
Upon coming home from delivering her customers meals, she finds Ralph's Pizza delivery truck parked in her drive. Much to her surprise her sister, Pia, is paying an unexpected visit. Soon Pia tells Gigi that she has found the man of her dreams, Declan McQuaid. Declan is short handed at his bar and asks for Gigi's help in preparing the food for a private engagement party. Gigi wants to say no, knowing that her sister will think she is trying to win Declan's heart. Plus, Detective Bill Mertz will get jealous. But, she goes ahead and agrees to help Declan out. Bradley Simpson is toasting the happy couple and ends up berating his son, Hunter, for not following a family tradition of pursuing a law career. Hunter then storms out of the bar, leaving his fiancee behind. As Gigi is getting ready to leave, after her Declan have kitchen back in order, she finds the dead body of Bradley.
One of Gigi's customers, Madeline, is the fiancée and Gigi wants to do a little of her own sleuthing, just to make sure that Madeline isn't involved. She soon finds that it's not going to be an open and shut case. It seems the Bradley's wife left early and has no alibi. Tiffany Morse, a lawyer at Bradley's firm and want to be made partner. She has just found out that she didn't make it. Was she upset enough to do Bradley in? And of course Hunter, who was upset with his father's toast. In addition, he has designed some medical equipment that he needs money for, to market it.
Gigi has a full plate, what with the murder she is also concerned what her evasive sister is really up to and keeping her friendship with Mertz on an even keel. Pia is a great addition to this de-liteful service and am looking forward to learning more about her. And of course Reg, what an adorable character he his.
Really looking forward to the next book and see how the romance is going for Gigi. |
|
|
|
Post by DT on Feb 22, 2014 20:17:32 GMT -6
Oops Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by DT on Apr 11, 2014 20:18:39 GMT -6
No Westies in this one, but dad really did enjoy the story.
The Pickled Piper by Mary Ellen Hughes
The Pickled Piper is the first book in the A Pickled & Preserved Mystery series.
After breaking up with her boyfriend Scott, Piper Lamb moves to Cloverdale, NY to be near her Aunt Judy and Uncle Frank. She has opened a shop, Piper's Pickling, catering to pickling and canning people. As Piper and her part-time employee, Amy are getting the P & P booth set for the opening of The Cloverdale Fair, they witness a heated argument between Alan Rosemont and Nate Purdy, that almost comes to blows. The next morning, Ben an auxiliary cop, and Piper find the body of Rosemont in Piper's pickle barrel at her booth. Based on the confrontation the night before, Nate becomes the prime suspect, but, Amy, who has been dating Nate, is sure of innocence. Piper and some of her friends begin their own investigation, Ben has the sheriff ear and appears that the police are looking at any one else.
It is soon learned that between his abrasive personality and his bagpipe playing the are quite a few suspects that the police should be looking into. The local librarian, Lyella Pfiefle and her overprotective husband. Rosemont had the library repainted a bright pink, which Lyella was quite upset about. Rosemont didn't have the best of business ethics and cheated Dorothy Taylor out of some items that she had in her attic. Her son Robby was in town the evening that Rosemont was killed. And the plumber, Ralph Farber, who lived next door to Rosemont and had to endure Rosemont's bagpipe playing all the time. And there is also Charlotte Horsch, who owns Charlotte's Chocolate and Confections, who goes out of her way to drop hints that Nate is the killer, maybe she is covering her tracks.
Piper has the front of her shop defaced with white paint, the air let out of her car's tires and somebody has started a fire at the back of her store, so she needs to get busy and find the murderer before she is the next victim.
I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series. The book has a wonderful cast of characters, who one would love to have as their friends. And for those who love to have a character to hate, there is of course Charlotte. Plus there is Will Burchett, the attractive owner of a Christmas Tree farm, who might be able to bring Piper out of her doldrums from her last relationship. |
|
|
|
Post by DT on Jul 14, 2014 19:59:29 GMT -6
Here's dad's review for Ellery Adams new series, set in Virginia:
Murder In The Mystery Suite is the first book in the Book Retreat Mystery series.
Ellery Adams has come up with another engaging and fun series with a cast interesting characters. This series takes place at the venerable Storyton Hall in western Virginia.
Jane Steward, a widow and mother of precocious twin boys, is the manager at Storyton Hall, having taken over from her great-aunt Octavia and great-uncle Aloysius. Storyton Hall houses several extensive libraries and Jane has come up with a plan to host a Murder and Mayhem Week. She is planning on having a fancy dress ball where the guests will dress as their favorite mystery character and a scavenger hunt.
Just before the guests begin to arrive, Jane and her boys, Fitzgerald(Fitz) and Hemingway(Hem)bicycle to the nearby village and while there Jane witnesses a lady fall from her runaway horse and is soon declared dead.
As the guests begin to arrive, chauffeured in by Mr. Sterling in a vintage Rolls Royce, Jane is amazed that some are arriving already dressed as their favorite character. The first nights scheduled event is a scavenger hunt. Each guest will be given a clue that pertains to their character and the first person to complete the hunt will receive the prize of a copy of Lost Letters by Alice Hart. The hunt is won by Felix Hampden who bears an uncanny likeness to his character, Umberto Ferrari, the detective that Adela Dundee. The prize, Lost Letters, is a book that is written about lost letters from Dundee that have reportedly been found. Shortly after the prize has been awarded, Fitz and Hem run to their mother saying that Aunt Octavia is sick. Octavia asks Mrs. Hubbard the Hall's chef to tell Jane to get the book back, that the wrong one had been given as the prize. The next day Jane goes to Hampden's room to get the book back, only to find him dead. What with Hampden's death, the police have also learned that the lady who died after falling from the horse, is in fact the editor of Lost Letters. Jane's first thought is whether these deaths are related. In addition, Hampstead had tipped Fitz and Hem to help him with the clues and also the fact that two people immediately after the prize was presented attempted to buy the book from Hampstead. Jane, with the help from the members of her book club, The Cover Girls, set off to find who would want the book bad enough to kill for it. And of course to find the killer before any of the guests learn of the death and start canceling there reservations.
This is another well plotted and told story from Ms. Adams. I particularly liked the setting of the book and would love to sit back in one of the winged back chairs in just about any of the libraries Storyton Hall has to offer. I would also like to visit with the very helpful staff. Particularly Jane and Head Librarian Mr. Sinclair and enjoy the wonderful meals that Mrs. Hubbard prepares. And Fitz and Hem are bound to provide lots of entertainment with their antics. As the saying goes: boys will be boys. Another thing that caused me to chuckle are the names of some of the village shops, The Pickled Pig Market and Tresses Hair Salon, just to name two.
Also, the reader will learn of the mystery of the Steward family and Storyton Hall.
So looking forward to spend time at Valentines Day at The Storyton Hall. |
|
|
|
Post by DT on Aug 11, 2014 18:47:10 GMT -6
Here's dad's review of Mary Kennedy's new book: Nightmares Can Be Murder.
Nightmares Can Be Murder is the first book in the A Dream Club Mystery series.
I love this new series by Mary Kennedy. For me it was a wonderful trip down memory lane for this reader.
Tracy Blake puts her career as a business consultant on hold and heads to Savannah to help her younger sister, Ali, get her new business up and running successfully. Ali's business, Oldies But Goodies, is a vintage candy store that is gaining some popularity. Ali also hosts a Dream Club, after hours. They meet once a week and interpret the dreams they have had the previous week. There are about nine members and their demeanor and personalities are quite diverse. The characters go from the, somewhat quiet, Harper sisters, the friendly Gina, the mousy ex-head mistress at a private school, Persia and the often outspoken Dorien and Sybil and to round out the club, Samantha(Sam) A Savannah police detective.
Then one evening Gina comes over to borrow the key to the dance studio where she works. She doesn't understand why the owner, Chico, isn't there as the students will be arriving soon. When she returns to the studio she finds Chico laying on the floor, dead. An autopsy show that Chico had been poisoned.
With the murder happening so close to their business, Taylor and Dream Club start to do a little investigation of their own. It's soon learned that Chico has had some business dealing with some shady characters and was known to be a bit of a playboy. As members of Dream Club begin to share their dreams after Chico's death, it begins to look as if his death might be related to a business deal gone bad or an irate husband or a scorned girlfriend.
In addition to Dream Club, Taylor has help from her former boyfriend, Noah, who is a PI and Sara, an investigative reporter, that she knew when she was in Atlanta. Just maybe, Taylor and Noah can put their past differences behind them and rekindle romance.
Kennedy tells a great story and intersperses a lot of the candies from the 50's and 60's to create a mouth watering tale.
Definitely will be watching for the next book in this flavorful series.
|
|
|
|
Post by DT on Oct 19, 2014 19:02:30 GMT -6
Great new series by Kate Carlisle.
A High-End Finish
A High-End Finish is the first book in the A Fixer-Upper Mystery series and a wonderful new series, too.
Shannon Hammer has taken over her families restoration/renovation construction business in Lighthouse Cove, a small community near San Francisco where everybody knows each other. One of her close friends, Lizzie, fixes Shannon up with a blind date with Jerry Saxton. A good time was had until they went for a walk along the beach, near a pier. Jerry made some unwanted advances on her and she ended up kicking him and threatening to kill him if he tried it again. Unfortunately it was to a cheering crowd on the pier above. Then when Shannon goes to a house they are renovating, she finds the body of Jerry in the basement dead. He has been killed with one of wrenches. Once the handsome and single police chief, Eric Jensen, begins "grilling" her, she knows that needs to, with the help of her friends, begin to look for clues as to who the killer is. As she begins to look into Jerry's past she soon learns that he is abusive and has affair with many of the women in Lighthouse Cove, so it will be a long list of suspects for her to go through.
This series has a wonderful cast of characters in addition to the feisty Shannon. Jane and Lizzie are two of her closest friends and are very protective and supportive of Shannon. When Shannon is returning from checking out the house at Lighthouse Cove's lighthouse she is rescued by the handsome Mac Sullivan, a crime novelist. Mac was able to get confirmation that the brake cable on her bike had been cut and was actually an attempt to stop her investigation.
In the dating department, which will make Lizzie and Jane very happy, it looks like Shannon will have the handsome crime writer and the equally handsome police chief knocking on her door.
My Westie thinks the Robbie needs to have a larger role in future books.
Definitely looking forward to the next book in this series. It's a wonderful addition to her Bibliophile Mysteries series.
|
|
|
|
Post by DT on Oct 28, 2014 19:01:36 GMT -6
Lethal Letters is the latest book in the Books By the Bay series, which yours truly and dad have parts in. Availabel 11/4/14.
Lethal Letters is the sixth book in the A Books By The Bay Mystery series.
Another wonderful book form Ellery Adams.
For those just learning of this series, I heartedly suggest that you begin with book 1, A Killer Plot, and read the series in order to get the full story on Olivia Limoges. Adams has done a wonderful job of bringing a somewhat aloof woman to a loving and caring woman she is in this book. With each book you learn more of her past and see her open up.
It's a busy time at Olivia's restaurant, as everyone is busy getting ready for Michel, her chef. wedding. Next up is a trip to the church to see Pastor Jeffries to make sure that all is ready there, too. When they arrive, they hear the sounds of jackhammers. As they are talking with the pastor, workmen bring in a box that turns out to be a time capsule. When it is opened, Pastor Jeffries gets a shocked look, packs everything back up and calls the head of the historical society, Bellamy Drummond. A day or two later while Olivia is helping Bellamy get the time capsules unveiling at The Secret Garden Party, a fundraiser for the historical society, she notices that item is suspiciously missing from the time capsule. Soon, while walking Haviland along the beach with her niece, she discovers the lifeless body of Ruthie Holcomb. Once Olivia learns of Ruthie's unfortunate past, she wants even more to find out what happened to this young lady.
It is now time for Olivia to assemble the book group and get started looking into just what was missing from the time capsule and why and if it had anything to due with the death of Ruthie.
Most all the regular characters are back once again. Plus Harris has also returned to Oyster Bay.
If you like weddings, then this book is right up you aisle, as you get two wedding.
Definitely looking forward to the next book in this excellent series |
|
