tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-370096872024-02-02T04:12:39.330-06:00I Read MysteriesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-12389092223954931002008-11-23T21:04:00.001-06:002008-11-23T21:06:40.329-06:00Ice Water Mansions by Doug AllynMichelle “Mitch” Mitchell has returned home to Huron Harbor, Michigan to deal with her late father’s estate. Never mind that she has been gone for years, leaving as a pregnant teenager, and that he was a drunk when he wrecked his truck and wandered off into the woods to die from exposure. Still, she can’t quite believe the story and begins to suspect he may have been murdered. As she begins remodeling her dad’s dive shop/bar called The Nest, she soon discovers that her father had plenty of secrets – like that he was coming into a major amount of money, was running away to Baja with a local married real estate agent and had made some kind of shady deal with her son’s father’s family. <br /><br />This is a great story with plenty of red herrings to keep it interesting. More than that, the story revolves around Mitch’s skills as a deepwater diver. One scene really gives the reader a taste of what diving deep is, especially when there is a sunken vessel involved. If you want to get a taste of the deep without getting wet, this is a great book. And for more adventures in deepwater diving, try Robert Kurson’s <em>Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II</em>.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803484075651375442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-19244328706583728962008-08-20T09:03:00.001-05:002008-08-20T09:05:04.837-05:00Last Breath by Mariah StewartReview by Marilyn Woods:<br /><br />A renowned archaeologist Dr, Daria McGowan is preparing to plan and implement an exhibit featuring artifacts discovered a century before by her grandfather on an archeological dig. During her inventory, she finds some pieces are missing. Daria and a recent acquaintance, FBI Agent Connor Shields, search for the missing artifacts. During their search they encounter mysterious characters, ritual murders based on the rituals of the ancient civilization, and romance.<br /><br />I liked this book because the main characters were likeable, believable and I could emphasize with them. “Last Breath” was both a good romance and mystery-one I couldn’t solve until the end. This book is part of a series but can stand alone, and can be recommended to anyone who likes romantic suspense novels.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803484075651375442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-78151921689280136192008-07-24T15:14:00.003-05:002008-07-24T15:26:26.259-05:00Winter Study, by Nevada BarrNational Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is back in Michigan's Isle Royale National Park, as part of a team studying wolves and moose (but especially wolves). The team consists of scientists from around the country as well as a thoroughly unlikeable Homeland Security Agent. Wolves, especially, appear to be acting strangely, and old legends about mythical creatures nudge into Anna's consciousness as she desperately seeks the answers to grisly deaths while facing death herself.<br /><br />The wildlife and nature's beauty are characters in the mystery. And creation of complex, deep characters is one of Barr's talents. The plot is smart and complex enough to be interesting but not so much so that it completely takes over the setting and characters, and their integral part in the events and outcome. A few of the graphic descriptions are not for the faint of heart but there are not a great number of them.<br /><br />If you like nature, or delving into the motivations of human beings and the intricacies of human nature, you'll like all the Anna Pigeon mysteries.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-28774004980974800102008-07-24T14:40:00.002-05:002008-07-24T14:44:55.750-05:00Zapped, by Carol HIggins ClarkIf you're looking for a light, quick, easy read in a cozy mystery, give this one a try. Regan and Jack Reilly are caught up in murder and mayhem again. The scene is New York--in a blackout. The newlywed couple has purchased the loft apartment next to theirs and are combining the two into one. Burglary of the new loft, a madwoman who picks up blond young men only to give them knockout drops and brand "I am a snake" onto their arms is loose in the city, ...well, you get the idea. Clark's usual cast of wacky characters and impossible coincidences can be found in this book. If you can just let go of the improbabilities and have fun with it this is a quick, fun way to spend a few hours.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-59838344257692982222008-07-24T14:26:00.002-05:002008-07-24T14:32:03.194-05:00Book of Old Houses, by Sarah GravesThis latest in the "Home Repair is Homicide" series finds Jacobia wrapped up in mystery and murder surrounding an old book that "washes" out in her cellar. It isn't just an old book, it's a book with names of the owners of the house--and it includes her name! (And did I mention that the names appear to be written in blood?)<br /><br />While dealing with a housekeeper who is upset over Jake's father proposing to her, a son who is just back from alcohol rehab, and an old Maine house that constantly needs repairs, Jake and her best friend Ellie search for answers.<br /><br />Graves' mysteries are a comfortable mix of "cozy" charm, home repair hints, and suspense. They aren't too gruesome, but don't make light of murder and danger. The characters are likeable and it's easy to feel a kinship to them. You need not read the series in order, but you'll feel a little more "at home" with the background of previous books in the series.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-31783959467168865592008-04-07T16:03:00.002-05:002008-04-07T16:14:50.001-05:00Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye; by Vitorial LaurieI went in search of a cozy mystery or series that featured a psychic and found the "Psychic Eye" series, and this is the first in the series. It's in the cozy style, with an amateur detective--in this case, a PI (Professional Intuitive). Abby is liikeable and believable. Having read books with psychic characters (they're of uneven quality, at best) I was pleasantly surprised by the author's handling and description of Abby's psychic abilities. Too often authors these days will write a book with psychic characters but apparently have not done any research or even talked at length with any psychics, and just throw in something pshych-ish periodically, as if following a formula for how often it needs to be introduced. Laurie is a psychic herself, so the descriptions are real and believable, and a part of who Abby is.<br /><br />Others in the cast of characters are good foils for Abby: a gorgeous policeman, a handyman, and a sister who is a character--in many senses of the word--in and of herself.<br /><br />Though a murder mystery the book is in the cozy style, and has a light touch--a bit of humor, very little in the way of blood and gore. If you like Joanne Fluke's or Carolyn G. Hart's "Death on Demand" series give this one a try.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-75508193976191179982008-02-19T16:25:00.008-06:002008-02-19T16:38:24.735-06:00Hard Row, by Margaret MaronMargaret Maron's Judge Knott series is like a homecoming--even though I'm a Midwest girl, born and raised, not a Southerner. Maron has a way of weaving family, folklore and Carolina mores and manners into her mysteries to create an intriguing--and somehow warm--blend of mystery and charm.<br /><br />In this book Judge Deborah Knott and her new husband, Deputy Dwight Bryant, are involved in a ghastly murder of a local businessman. The characters that Deborah meets from her bench and Dwight from his patrol vehicle intersect and play off one another. Maron is adept at unwinding the clues bit by bit, revealing enough with each bit to keep you interested but not so much that you know the murderer long before the tale is told.<br /><br />Family is important in these mysteries. Deborah is one of many children (the irony of a former bootlegger's daughter becoming a judge is not lost on Deborah or anyone else in Collaton County) and the lives of her many brothers and their families is woven through the stories. Dwight's son, Cal, is now living with them, following the death of his mother (see "Winter's Child," 2006) and he adds a new dimension to the family and to Deborah's relationship with Dwight and her own brothers.<br /><br />Though the method of murder in this is pretty ghastly it isn't described in horrible, gruesome detail. The blood and guts isn't the focus of the story, rather the people involved and the circumstances of their lives within the context of the modern South drive the tenor of the tale. If you like an intelligent mystery, with character and family and setting as important components, you'll like Hard Row, and all of Maron's books.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-49057754727455703932008-02-05T16:32:00.000-06:002008-02-05T16:47:23.464-06:00Candy Cane Murder, by Joanne FlukeIt doesn't have to be holiday time for you to enjoy a light foray into holiday murder--or murders, in this case. Fluke's short mystery is one of three in this anthology volume; the others are "The Dangers of Candy Canes" by Laura Levine, and "Candy Canes of Christmas Past."<br /><br />Fluke's contribution is her usual mix of fun characters, Minnesota winter and holiday, and plot twists with multiple suspects. A trail of candy canes on a cold winter's night lead to a body, and cookie maven Hannah Swensen is off and sleuthing again. <br /><br />Laura Levine's short mystery is more on the madcap side, not quite slapstick, but trying for it. There are lots of suspects here, too--including the victim's rival in the Christmas decoration contest of the neighborhood.<br /><br />Leslie Meier's recollection of her heroine's (Lucy Stone's) first Christmas in their new home in Maine, young child, old house, not a lot of money. When she meets Miss Tilly, the town librarian, she ends up solving an old mystery about the death of Miss Tilly's mother, who fell down the stairs. The only clue? A smashed glass candy cane. This is a charming, heartwarming holiday mystery--no new murders, just a likeable sleuth finding her way in a new home.<br /><br />If you want easy, light reads with a holiday theme (even if it isn't the holiday season!) then start here. If you haven't read any mysteries by these authors, here's your chance to 'try them out" and see which suit you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-34882316269798263722007-12-05T08:05:00.000-06:002007-12-05T08:21:35.686-06:00Sweet Revenge, by Diane Mott DavidsonGoldy Bear Schulz is up to her ears in catering jobs before Christmas--that's the good news. The bad news is that she, once again, stumbles on a body while she is setting up for a holiday breakfast for the staff of the library. The deceased is a map collector and Goldy, er, I mean the Furman County Sheriff's Department--specifically, Goldy's husband--are not short of suspects. An ex-wife, a fiancee, rival map collectors, parents of a couple teenage girls....well, it all adds to the holiday chaos. If that wasn't enough, Goldy has seen a ghost from her past--or has she?<div><br /></div><div>The latest in the Goldy series delivers a good cozy mystery once again, complete with catering crises, dozens of clues, red herrings, and a cast of characters that continues to raise readers' eyebrows or warm their hearts. Libraries and librarians figure into the mix/mess and that's fun for librarians. (I especially like Goldy's statement that she has learned not to argue with librarians, you just won't win. I think that's a compliment....)</div><div><br /></div><div>If you like mysteries on the cozy side, but not silly, give this series a try. They're intelligent without being overly complex, and the characters and relationships add warmth to the story of the puzzle and solution. They have heart. (And some good recipes!)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-88402726303040812182007-11-21T16:25:00.001-06:002007-11-21T16:36:40.323-06:00Bones to Ashes, by Kathy ReichsCold cases, current cases, forensics and anthropology, history, characters...this one has it all. Temperance Brennan is a forensic pathologist in Quebec and, called on to solve the really tough cases. In <span style="font-style: italic;">Bones and Ashes</span>, the latest of the series, though, a current case connects with a cold case that connects with Tempe's past. The discovery of a young girl's skeleton in Acadia leads her to shocking truths, and drives an obsessive need to solve they mystery of her childhood best friend's disappearance more than 30 years ago. Through the twists and turns that Tempe and her colleagues take as they piece the clues and ties together, author Reichs keeps you turning pages--reading just one more chapter...no, no, have to read one more.... If you enjoy Patricia Cornwell you'll like this series. And fans of the TV series 'Bones' take note! The series is based on the Temperance Brennan mysteries by Kathy Reichs; Bones to Ashes is the most recent addition to the series.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-52871846448010327072007-09-12T08:19:00.000-05:002007-09-12T09:52:55.811-05:00Decaffeinated Corpse, by Cleo CoyleTrouble is brewing again for coffeehouse owner Clare Cosi. An old friend of Clare and her ex-husband (who is co-owner of the Village Blend) has developed a botanically decaffeinated strain of coffee. And the Village Blend has an exclusive on the introduction of the beans and coffee, a real coup. But the friend is mugged behind the coffeehouse and though they try to pass it off as nothing, Clare knows better. And when a body turns up, she's off and running again. With an ex-husband, a detective (and wannabe boyfriend), mother-in-law, old friends, and assorted barristas thrown into the brew, Clare has her hands full. <br /><br />The Coffeehouse Mysteries always conain coffee lore and recipes, so if you're a coffee lover these are definitely the mysteries for you! Even if you're not (alas, I gave up coffee ten years ago) they're still fun, with engaging characters.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-87155350956895911452007-08-14T11:48:00.000-05:002007-08-14T12:10:06.505-05:00Death on the Lizard, by Robin PaigeThe newest (and last) addition to the Victorian Mysteries by Robin Paige (husband and wife team of Susan Witting Albert and Bill Albert) find our heroine Kate and her husband involved with the politics and competition in the new world of wireless communication, particularly with Marconi and his wireless company's competitors. Accidental deaths among wireless operators and maintenance men turn out to not be accidental, after all.<br /><br />I found this an interesting and entertaining glimpse into the competitive world of early telegraphy. In fact, one of the reasons I have enjoyed the 12 books in this series is their look at historical events and people. Though fiction, they do portray the times (and the tenor of the times) in an informative but entertaining way. Kate and her husband are likeable characters, and their "brushes" with historical figures, such as the Prince of Wales, Marconi and other people famous in Victorican times, lend an air of authenticity to the tales. (The authors do seem to do their research on the times and personalities.)<br /><br />This is the last book in the series--or, as Susan Wittig Albert phrases it in <a href="http://susanalbert.typepad.com/lifescapes/2007/02/robin_paige_ser.html">her blog post about it</a>, the series is being discontinued. However, if you like this series you can also read her series with Beatrix Potter as the sleuth (ss charming as you might think a Beatrix Potter mystery should be!) and her mystery series featuring China Bayles, a current-day Texas herb shop owner (and former criminal attorney). I'm sorry to see this series discontinued, but happy that I'll be able to continue reading the authors' other series.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-23478213430529386002007-06-19T16:10:00.001-05:002007-06-19T16:16:06.861-05:00How to Murder a Millionaire, by Nancy MartinNora Blackbird and her two sisters have tumbled down the social ladder a rung or two--their parents, heavily in debt, have retreated to a tropical isle, leaving their three sisters with assets that aren't, well, without encumbrances. Nora, who has the house with a 2 million dollar tax bill, is forced to take a job, writing a society column for a Philadelphia newspaper. Her socialite upbringing puts her in perfect position to move around the social scene, among old friends and acquaintances--even if she does have to wear gowns that were fashionable quite some time ago. When an old friend who owned the paper is murdered during a party she is covering Nora is thrown into the fray, trying to ferret out the murderer, and uncovering secrets about her friends and family in the process. Oh, and did I mention the mob-connected boyfriend? (Who is quite charming, actually)<br /><br />Nora is a sympathetic heroine--gutsy, but with some vulnerabilities, a woman thrown into a maelstrom and making the best of it. Her sisters are quirky, at best, and their escapades make for an enjoyable foray into the socialite world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-11282618997047084342007-06-19T15:59:00.000-05:002007-06-19T16:08:03.794-05:00Deadly Appraisal, by Jane K. ClelandJosie Prescott moved to New Hampshire, escaping a price-fixing scandal at the auction house where she worked in New York, and set up her own antiques appraisal business. She hasn't quite settled in but is building her business and putting down roots. Her business is a sponsor for the Portsmouth Women's Guild fundraiser, an antiques auction. Maisy, a guild member, winds up dead and police Detective Rowcliff isn't so sure that Maisy that was the intended victim. The poison might have been meant for Josie. Who would want Maisy dead? But then, who would want Josie dead?<br /><br />Josie is a likeable character, multi-dimensional and interesting. Relationships with the other characters are an important part of the story--her working relationship with her employees, the professional--but trusted--relationship with her attorney, and her newly found friendship with her neighbor are woven into the mystery, along with details about antiques and the appraisal business. A good read.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-88700579684295106912007-05-31T14:22:00.000-05:002007-05-31T14:45:11.621-05:00Dead Days of Summer, by Carolyn G. HartIt doesn't look good for Max Darling. In this latest in the "Death on Demand" series, mystery bookstore owner Annies Laurence Darling's husband is the prime--only, really--suspect in the murder of a woman with whom it seems he must have been involved. But Max doesn't remember anything: not leaving the seedy bar with her, not getting blood all over his clothing, not abandoning his car. Annie and her friends, fierecely defending his innocence even as evidence against him mounts, set out to prove his innocence by finding the real killer. Was it the husband of the woman's employer? Or the fiance of her employer's daughter? Or the employer's neighbor? The brutality of the murder with a tire iron surely points to a man. Hart does a fine job of illustrating the loyalty of this tightly-bonded group of friends. The mood is a little more desperate than some of the series but still full of Hart.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-85826741959542414532007-05-29T20:32:00.001-05:002007-05-29T20:44:12.125-05:00Laced, by Carol HIggins ClarkJack and Regan Reilly's jobs as NY policeman and PI won't leave them alone, even on their honeymoon in Ireland. John and Jane Doe have followed them, clearly to taunt them because this time they haven't stolen jewels at a charity event, but an antique lace tablecloth --from the very castle at which the Reillys thought they would be spending days of ease in wedded bliss. The usual roundup of madcap characters and unlikely events, combined with a ghost, a painting treasure hunt, original Claddagh rings, temporary tooth caps (with red smiley faces in them, no less!)....well, you get the idea. It all makes for great fun and an easy read--perfect for a rainy summer's day, or a sunny day on the beach, at the lake, or on the deck at home.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-65480626648214091042007-05-22T12:46:00.000-05:002007-05-22T12:54:05.857-05:00Witch Way to Murder by Shirley DamsgaardLooking for an unusual, well-written mystery set in Iowa? Look no further than Witch Way to Murder by Iowa author, Shirley Damsgaard. Ophelia Jensen is a small town librarian with some special talents, and I don’t mean finding odd facts on the Internet. Ophelia has psychic abilities she wishes she didn’t have.<br /><br />Ophelia’s Grandmother, Abby, encourages her stubborn granddaughter to face her past and reach out to people and her own talents, but this is tough for a woman who’s best friend was murdered four years ago. It doesn’t get any easier when a handsome stranger comes to town filled with questions, and the two of them trip over a dead body. That’s one too many for Ophelia, and she’s determined to figure out what’s going on.<br /><br />This is a fast paced read with an engaging heroine who grabs you from page one. I enjoyed the humorous elements in the story and loved the way all the characters, even the secondary ones, were fully developed. I suspected who the villain was part way through the book, but the author kept me in suspense about whether I was right.<br /><br />It was a fun read, and I tore through Damsgaard’s second Ophelia and Abby mystery titled <em>Charmed to Death</em> in one sitting. Her third book in the series, <em>The Trouble with Witches</em> was released on August 29, 2006 and the fourth book in the series, <em>Witch Hunt</em> will be released on May 29, 2007.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-54227354093111198562007-05-21T16:45:00.000-05:002007-05-23T11:54:39.164-05:00Calamity Jayne by Kathleen Bacus<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQR20KayweVWE0NJgxVVj_MlzY1Dpmcf3hxrIg7syn8lOzCwXrIfY12eJO7IXz5T6UwSVjKfzpxhitscg2fGOJzUABipj7U258nSuxvscPurrpfBU2SpvjL5awFcipoQTpbE/s1600-h/calamityjayne.jpg"></a><br /><div>If you were hunting for a spare tire in your car trunk but discovered the dead body of a prominent local attorney instead, you’d run away screaming. Tressa Jayne Turner, known to family and friends as Calamity Jayne, has done just that, leaving behind an envelope full of cash. She reports the crime, but the only problem is that no one believes her story: not the police, not her family, and not her childhood nemesis “Ranger” Rick Townsend. Disaster has always followed Tressa Jayne the way cats follow catnip, so this seems like yet one more blonde moment in a life full of blonde jokes. The trouble is, she’s telling the truth. The murderer thinks she stole his money, and he demands she return it. Since the police won’t investigate the murder, Tressa Jayne does. In Calamity Jayne, Knoxville, Iowa resident, Kathleen Bacus delivers a hilarious mystery tale which is light, yet suspenseful. Readers will root for funny, sweet Tressa Jayne, hoping someone will finally take her seriously before it’s too late.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-74357082574919674162007-05-21T13:16:00.000-05:002007-05-21T13:34:44.531-05:00The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. KingMy best friend told me that I had to read <em>The Beekeeper's Apprentice</em>. No, really, I <strong>had</strong> to read it. My future happiness depended upon it! Well, okay. I always trust her judgement, especially on mysteries, so I picked it up. And couldn't put it down. A caveat: the premise could strike you as a bit hokey--14 year old Mary Russell encounters 50-something, now retired Sherlock Holmes on the downs of Sussex and begins a lifelong detecting partnership--until you see how Ms. King's expert handling has created a premiere 'literary mystery' series. <br /><br /><strong>Imagine Dorothy L. Sayers meets Conan Doyle</strong>. King's obvious love for Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey novels, as well as the mythical Holmes figure, is evident, but it doesn't keep her from writing an extraordinary, compelling, amusing and smart mystery all her own. Mary Russell's 'voice' is unique, strong, complex and amusing. Like Sayers' Harriet Vane, Russell is a whole person in her own right, matched with an equally complex and fascinating detecting partner, but King gives Russell more breadth and depth than Sayers ever gave Harriet. <br /><br />The series is now at eight (8) novels, and it's worth reading them in order, as the relationship of the main characters grows and evolves. The actual mysteries are quite good, though some are better than others, but every story is literate, witty, and evocative of the early 20th-century world. They encounter famous and literary characters, but not in a contrived fashion, and familiar Holmes' characters--Mrs. Hudson, Dr. Watson and Mycroft Holmes in particular--are fleshed out and given new, three-dimensional life. <br /><br />If you like your mysteries very smart, well-written, amusing and thought-provoking, you can't go wrong with Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series.Louise Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02477793273746049199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-86944762025255473292007-05-17T15:11:00.000-05:002007-05-17T15:21:48.775-05:00Key Lime Pie Murder, by Joanne FlukeIt's happening again in Eden Lake, Minnesota, home of Hannah Swensen's "Cookie Jar" cookie and coffee shop. This time Hannah is a judge at the Tri-County Fair, and when one of her fellow judges, the local home economics teacher, is murdered, Hannah is--as usual--on the case! The eighth in this easy-going, easy-reading series is cozy fun as the reader follows Hannah and her two boyfriends, her business partner, and her family.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-1168348699497090282007-01-09T06:31:00.000-06:002007-01-09T07:18:19.503-06:00Monkeewrench by P.J. TracyThere are currently 4 books in this series, <em>Monkeewrench, Live Bait, Dead Run, </em>and<em> Snow Blind. </em> They are mostly set in Minneapolis, alternating somewhat between the Monkeewrench crew, who are incredibly talented computer geeks who have their own software company, and Detectives Rolseth and Magozzi of the Minneapolis Police Department. In all the books, particularly the first one, it takes a little while to get everything set up, so the reader is jumping back and forth. Don't get confused and hang in there, because they are great! For example, the first book begins at a church in Wisconsin. I kept turning to the jacket cover and thinking, hm...I thought this series was in Minneapolis! Once we meet a character, like in real life, they may turn up again. <em>Dead Run,</em> the third book, also uses this Wisconsin sheriff's department quite a lot.<br /><br />One unique thing about this series to me, is that the books are all so different. <em>Monkeewrench</em> is about equally divided between the Monkeewrench crew, who have developed a game about catching a serial killer and have put the prototype on the Internet, Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth, who investigate when the first couple of murders are duplicated exactly, and the before-mentioned sheriff's department in Wisconsin. <em>Live Bait</em> is primarily set in the MPD, where the reader gets to be part of an investigation not only with Magozzi and Rolseth, but also other members of the department. Although, the Monkeewrench crew has developed some really cool new software to help in the police work! This software puts them on the road in <em>Dead Run</em>, when the female members of Monkeewrench, Grace and Annie are headed to Green Bay with Wisconsin deputy Sharon, and get lost, finding a deserted town where all is definitely not right, inspiring collaboration between the Minnesota and Wisconsin county sheriffs and the FBI, as well as Magozzi and Rolseth and the rest of Monkeewrench. <em>Snow Blind</em> begins with a snowman building contest, sponsored as a charity event by the MPD, which takes a sinister turn when the dead bodies of Minneapolis policemen turn up in a couple of snowmen. <br /><br />I guess I would characterize this series as primarily a police procedural, although the personal lives of some of the characters are pretty fully developed. The characters are great and grow with each book, and the plots are unique and unpredictable. This series is written by a mother and daughter team, and I hope they keep writing for a long time!Janet Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02329927338559954964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-1164205078393472592006-11-22T07:53:00.000-06:002006-11-22T08:17:58.750-06:00<strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Once a Thief by Suzann Ledbetter</span></em></strong><br /><br />This is a first installment(I hope!) in a new series by this author, whose work I have not read before. Ramey Burke has lost both of her parents and her husband in the last three years. But, she is getting her life back together. She has found a job she likes--she is a home-stager, finding homes that have been on the market for a while and coming in to do a quick fix-up to try to sell, sort of like HGTV's Curb Appeal. She is living in her mother's childhood home, built by her Grandfather Dillinger, who made most of his money running liquor during Prohibition. And she and her older sister, Portia, have an ongoing battle over the house. Portia, a real estate agent, wants to sell it and Ramey wants to live in it.<br /><br />Ramey's life changes when she opens the door one morning, expecting to find the UPS man, but instead is greeted by her two geriatric uncles and aunt-in-law, who had supposedly been incarcerated for life for a series of bank robberies during the 1930's. Uncle Ed and Uncle Archie and Aunt Melba Jane had been known as the "other Dillinger gang" and had been released early due to good behavior and prison overcrowding. Reluctantly, she takes them in, but when a dead body, with ties to the Dillingers' former career, shows up floating in her street one rainy morning, things start looking like her uncle is not only a thief but maybe a murderer. And Detective Mike Constantine makes it hard for Ramey to remember why she really doesn't want to date cops...<br /><br />I really enjoyed this cozy, and hope she writes more about these characters. She has told us more information in this one than we needed to know--the kind of stuff that frequently comes out in subsequent installments!Janet Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02329927338559954964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-1163721070582528662006-11-16T17:11:00.000-06:002006-11-16T17:51:10.590-06:00The Drowning Man by Margaret CoelThe twelfth title in the series finds the Wind River Reservation without another one of its sacred petroglyphs. The Red Cliff canyon has been home to these sacred petroglyphs, and their accompanying sacred spirits, for a few thousand years. Seven years ago, however, one was pried out of the canyon and stolen. Travis Birdsong sits in prison for killing his partner in the crime. Yet, he has always maintained his innocence in the death and has never been tried for stealing the petroglyph. Attorney Vicki Holden decides to take the case, much to the chagrin of her law partner and lover Adam Lone Eagle and the Wind River Reservation tribes.<br /><br />Vicki is convinced that Travis must be innocent because another petroglyph has been stolen out of the canyon. She is even more convinced after the thieves contact the mission priest, Father John O'Malley, in order to get the tribes to buy the artifact back. As Father John tries to get the petroglyph back and Vicki tries to prove Travis is innocent, the two situations collide.<br /><br />In a side story, Father John agrees to let an ailing priest stay in the guest house at the bequest of John's boss. Soon, however, he discovers that the Church is trying to hide the priest. I thought this storyline was a detraction from the main action and wondered why it was even part of the story, until the aged priest played a small but critical role in the culminating scene of the novel, which felt a little too pat.<br /><br />Overall, the book is a good addition to the series and certainly furthers the characters and relationships that have grown over the life of the series.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803484075651375442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-1163440227521366412006-11-13T11:36:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:50:27.550-06:00Deadly Yarn, by Maggie SeftonIn this most recent offering in this knitting mystery, Kelly Flynn's friend is going to be joining a New York designer's studio but she is discovered dead on the day of her move. The police have concluded it is suicide but Kelly and her fellow knitting friends know she must have been murdered. While struggling to figure out how to stay in Colorado instead of moving back east to resume her accounting career, Kelly takes to sleuthing to discover who killed her friend--her violent ex-boyfriend, a jealous fellow-designer, a former mentor....<br /><br />This is a light, easy and comfortable read--"cozy." Even if you aren't a knitter, you'll enjoy the references to yarns and colors and designs. Curl up with a cuppa, and enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37009687.post-1162568511097470002006-11-03T09:36:00.000-06:002006-11-03T09:41:51.103-06:00Amelia Peabody's Egpyt: a CompendiumI have been looking for an excuse to buy this book for some time, and when I was invited to do a "Lunch and Learn" on the Amelia mysteries for two of our libraries, I had it! This is a fascinating and delightful companion to the Amelia Peabody mysteries, which started with "Crocodile on the Sandbank." It is a mix of fiction and fact and I wish I had had the volume during my reading of the mysteries over the past 30 years. (They were perfectly delightful reading, anyway, however!) There are glossaries, excerpts from Emerson's journal (perfectly in keeping with Emerson), histories of the British in Egpyt, Victorian times, archaeology in Egypt, Egyptian history, biographical information about Egyptians of ancient and more modern times, archaeologists, the places of Egpyt....a helpful compantion to the Amelia mysteries.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0