Pinned 4 Murder (A Sophie Kimball Mystery #13)

Author:    J.C. Eaton

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781960511775

Beyond the Page Publishing

212 Pages

$15.99; $5.99 Amazon

July 15, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When a dead body shows up in the pin return at Sun City West's bowling alley, it's only the beginning of a tumultuous league season for this retirement community...

With a killer in their midst and a high-tech developer threatening to overhaul their beloved bowling alley, the seniors of Sun City West turn to amateur sleuth Sophie "Phee" Kimball to strike back at both culprits.  She's been recruited by her mother's friends before, but this time Phee finds herself pulled in two directions when one of the book club ladies gets tangled in the clutches of a dangerous cyber-scammer who pretends to be the love of her life.

Phee's investigation grows even more complicated when the bowling alley is sabotaged and a flimflammer is found dead in the nearby bushes.  With the league tournament in limbo and one of the seniors pegged as the likely murder suspect, Phee will have to cut the cord on the cyber-criminal and pin the killer...before they can strike again...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sophie "Phee" Kimball-Gregory works for an Arizona PI firm.  She's not an investigator (although her mother Harriet thinks she is), but their bookkeeper, and is happy to be so.  Until another murder occurs.  And Harriet thinks there's a serial killer on the loose.  Which is often.  Too often...

A body is discovered in the bushes in Sun City West, where Harriet lives, and it turns out to be a flimflammer, who made money by scamming seniors by getting them to give up their homes and move into a 'retirement home' where they will have it easy for the rest of their lives.  But they didn't.  And now someone killed him.  Was it one of the seniors?  Or someone else who hated this man?

But there's more trouble brewing -- Phee is asked by a friend to look into her mother Gloria's activities online, because she thinks her mother is being catfished by someone.  So Phee does what she can, even enlisting Rollo, their trusted hacker who loves digging on the dark web.  Even if it costs the firm another expensive appliance for Rollo's latest diet.  

This is important because the seniors' bowling league has Gloria, and she's a really good bowler, and they want her thinking about bowling, not some guy who's trying to get money out of her (even though he hasn't asked her yet).  Is this the end of it?  Not by a long shot.  A developer wants to "update" the bowling alley to appeal to a younger crowd.  In Sun City?  Filled with seniors?  Yes.  But they want to fight back, any way they can.  Unfortunately, there's another murder -- hence Harriet thinking a serial killer is after them all.  (Here we go again!)  

So now Phee and the detectives, who are on the case thanks to the local police hiring them for help, are in the middle of two murders, a catfisher, and the usual antics of Harriet's dog Streetman (A Chiweenie who has no morals and no training), and you have a mystery that keeps you on your toes...

This is the thirteenth book in the series and I have loved them all.  Phee is more patient than I would be having to deal with the Sun City seniors, not to mention Nate and her husband Marshall teasing her about it.  But we all know eventually all three will be involved before the end of the book.  As will Streetman, who creates havoc just by being loose...and this time is no different, with an extremely humorous scene toward the end.

I don't want to say any more about the book as to give anything away that isn't hinted at in the blurb.  All I can say is read the book.  It's a great mystery, along with plenty of action and, of course, the antics of the seniors throughout.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that other readers do also.  I look forward to the next in the series as well.  Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Pinned-Murder-J-C-Eaton-ebook/dp/B0D7J31QC2/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6628851557

More on J.C. Eaton's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/j-c-eaton/

Olive You to Death (A Tourist Trap Mystery Book 16)

Author:    Lynn Cahoon

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781516111732

Lyrical Press

250 Pages

$18.95; $9.99 Amazon

June 4, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the coastal town of South Cove, June is tourist season -- and wedding season.  Unfortunately, Jill Gardner's own wedding has been delayed.  but that just gives her more time to search for a missing bride -- and a killer...

Things are looking up for the owner of Coffee, Books, and More -- Jill's finally getting her MBA, and though her wedding to police detective Greg is postponed a few months, she still has plenty to celebrate.  A girls' weekend in Santa Barbara is just the ticket.  But back in South Cove, someone else's big day has become a big problem.  Antiques dealer Josh Thomas and Mandy Jensen were planning a small private ceremony under an olive tree on the historic Jensen farm -- until Mandy went missing....

Is this a case of a runaway bride -- or a guilty groom?  Greg zeroes in on Josh but finds him so annoying that he quietly asks Jill's help in keeping his number-one suspect distracted.  She knows that Josh is searching for something else besides his fiancée -- a bank robber's buried gold bullion.  And when the professor he'd been discussing it with turns up dead, she can't help wondering if what looked like cold feet was actually cold-blooded murder...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

South Cove is having their business-to-business meeting at Jill Gardner's Coffee, Books, and More; everything seems fine until Josh Thomas, the local antiques dealer and problem child, stands up to make an announcement.  Most think he just has another problem, but this announcement is different -- he and his fiancée, Mandy Jensen, are getting married in a month and he wants to invite everyone to the reception.  Congratulations all around, and life seems to go back to normal.

That is, until Mandy disappears.  Completely.  But Jill's friends and her own fiancé, Police Chief Greg King, wants her to go on her girlfriends' weekend getaway and not worry about it.  But things have already gotten sticky -- she finds out Josh has a journal of an old bank robber who settled in South Cove, and it might be the real deal.  So real, Jill's former professor is interested in pursuing it.  While she tries to enjoy herself, things keep popping up that just don't seem like Mandy; a missed wedding dress appointment, for starters.

Jill returns home and finds that Mandy is still missing, and Josh is going crazy; so much so that Greg asks her to keep him company so he can get work done.  But Josh drags Jill into his hunt for the bank robber's hidden treasure, and there are other circumstances that make her wonder if Mandy's disappearance isn't connected to it somehow.

Now Jill has to worry about her own wedding plans as well as figure out where Mandy is.  Greg, meanwhile, is involved in a murder case -- one that might connect the dots.  Will Jill be able to get her wedding on track?  And will they figure out what happened to Mandy and who killed the dead man?

This is the sixteenth book in the series and I have read them all.  I love the characters of South Cove, they are realistic and  believable.  You are drawn into the story from the beginning, and kept there throughout the mystery.  It is written well, and Ms. Cahoon has a talent for words and descriptions of what we are reading (and imagining).  

Everything is twisted together loosely, and it is up to the reader to pull the threads together to find the answers before Jill (as we know that she will!).  I will say that I was surprised at who the murderer was; it was totally unexpected, which is a very good thing.  The disappearance of Mandy was also handled well, and it gave us a great story.

The ending comes together beautifully, with everything just as it should be; there are new beginnings and goodbyes (sort of); and it makes us want to read the next in the series immediately.  Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Olive-Death-Tourist-Trap-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CJ69FXQF/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6610355300

More on Lynn Cahoon's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lynn-cahoon/

Pumpkin Spice Puppy (A Melanie Travis Mystery Book 30)

Author:    Laurien Berenson

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496750624

Kensington Cozies

192 Pages

$22.95; $9.99 Amazon

August 20, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's autumn in Connecticut and there's a chill in the air, the fall leaves are a riot of color, and pumpkin spice is the flavor of the season.  Melanie Travis is perennially busy, of course -- but when the owner of a local pet supply shop is found murdered. sleuthing tops her To Do list...

Between taking care of her family and assorted Standard Poodles, Melanie is also working as a special needs tutor for Howard Academy, a private school in Greenwich, where her younger son attends kindergarten.  This year, the headmaster has come up with an idea for a school fundraiser.  all students will participate in a town-wide treasure hunt, with grades competing against each other..

Tokens shaped like pumpkin spice muffins have been hidden in downtown stores.  Students will scramble to collect as many as they can in exchange for prizes.  At first all goes smoothly, and the uptick in foot traffic to the stores is a win-win...Until the pet shop supply owner lodges a complaint.  When Melanie stops by to smooth things over, she instead finds the man dead, a knife in his back, and his loyal, ever-vigilant Chow Chow locked in the storeroom.

Over the headmaster's objections, Melanie is once again drawn into an investigation.  It doesn't take her long to gather a list of suspects, from neighbors balking about the number of rescue Chows the man was fostering in his home, to the landlord who'd filed an eviction notice against him, to the bitter ex-wife who is happy he's gone.  With the fundraiser soon drawing to a close and celebrations imminent, Melanie will have to follow every clue -- before the biggest prize is staying alive...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Melanie Travis is a mother, a teacher, and loves dogs -- especially her beloved Standard poodles, which she has 'shown' in the past and encourages her son David to continue.  But in her role as teacher at prestigious Howard Academy, she plans to begin her day as a special needs tutor when she is stopped by the headmaster's secretary, Harriet.  There's a fundraiser for the academy that local businesses are helping with, and one of the shop's owners has a problem.  Mr. Willet, the owner of a local pet supply business, has lodged a complaint, and Harriet has asked Melanie to look into it.  Of course, Melanie acquiesces.

When she arrives at the shop, the door is open but no one is around.  She sees the office door open ajar and soon wishes she didn't.  Mr. Willet has been stabbed in the back.  His beloved Chow, Cider, is penned in another room and trying to escape.  All Melanie can do is call the police.  She thinks that's the end of it.  But when Harriet asks her to investigate on the down-low, she can't refuse.  The academy's reputation is at stake.  So Melanie puts on her sleuthing cap again and hopes for the best...

In this latest installment of the series, it's autumn in Connecticut and the leaves have changed, but not the fact that there's another murder.  Melanie trusts her instincts once more to get her the information she needs.  But is everyone telling the truth?  And if not, who is the person with the best motive to want Mr. Willet dead?  And, of course, what about Cider?  We all know Melanie is going to be worried for his dog.  Not to mention, the dog might be the only person who can identify the killer.  Too bad he can't talk.

When Melanie starts asking questions she finds that Willet wasn't endeared by neither his personal nor business neighbors.  Certainly not by his philanthropic ex-wife.  The only one who seemed to like him was his daughter.  But even she could have had a motive.  So who did the deed?  Sifting through the clues, Melanie feels she's up against a wall of lies and secrets.  But someone killed him.  She just needs to figure out who.

I will say that I pretty much knew who the murderer was when they entered the book.  But only because I tend to read tons of mysteries, so I usually don't have a problem figuring it out.  But still, I love to know the motive, and that's never given until toward the end of the book.  There's never a limit on what crazy people will do to achieve their ends...if they ever do.  

The mystery is another well-written one by Ms. Berenson, and a worthy addition to the series.  It made me want to sit with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee (too soon!) and think about cooler days (where I live, there aren't a whole lot of them).  You're drawn into the mystery and Melanie's busy life and end up wondering how she does it.  Two kids, a job, dogs, an overbearing aunt (that she loves), and sleuthing for a living.  Whew!

The clues are there, but you need to look for them.  I was so caught up in the tale that I almost missed the final one.  But was I supposed to?  Hmmm...In the end, it all came together nicely and everything worked out (as it should).  I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Melanie-Travis-Canine-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CNYK2J68/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6605274977

More on Laurien Berenson's Books:     https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/laurien-berenson/

The Happy Housekeeper's Guide to Arson (A Barbara Hollis Murder Mystery #2)

Author:    Blythe Baker

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798875742859

Independently Published

242 Pages

$12.99 Amazon

January 15, 2024

⭐⭐⭐

Suspicion.  Lies.  Murder.  Barbara Hollis didn't expect to encounter any of these in small town life.  With a murky past to hide from, moving to quiet little Cobbsville was supposed to be a perfect escape.  But a neighbor who has her own dangerous secret to conceal soon becomes as big a threat as the crazed lunatic who is setting fire to houses around town...

Even as a terrible new doubt surfaces against her brother, Barbara is intrigued by an attractive new acquaintance who happens to be the local mayor.  But will one more distraction prove welcome...or deadly?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Barbara Hollis left the big city to move back home and live with her widowed brother, taking care of his twelve-year-old twins and keep house.  Her past is behind her, and she's looking forward to a new future.  Unfortunately, she's already been involved in one murder, and wants to forget it.  But when she is running errands one day she comes upon a burning house, and with the owner being taken to the hospital, her inquisitive nature wonders if it's not arson.  While the fire department deems it an accident, she's not so sure...

She also meets the handsome mayor, who seems to take a liking to her, and asks her out.  But there are problems with their date, and she's not sure about the man, even though her brother, the police chief, warns her away.  She's an adult, right?  Also, what was her neighbor doing in the middle of the night?  Barbara finds it suspicious, but doesn't know how to ask her without seeming to be prying (which she would be).

Who knew there would be so many questions in a sleepy town like Cobbsville?  Not Barbara...

This is the second book in the series, and I really enjoyed the first one.  This one, not so much.  There were too many unanswered questions, and I also would really like to know why she left Liberty City.  There's not even a hint of why anywhere in these first two books.

Saying that, I found that the issues with her neighbor added nothing to the story except to fill pages.  They had nothing to do with the murder, so why was it in there?  Same as with her dating.  Because of this, we were given less to think about with the arson, and the ending seemed like it was thrown in to finish the story.

Still, I will read the next in the series to see if any of this goes anywhere -- and if we learn anything about why she moved back home.

https://www.amazon.com/Housekeepers-Barbara-Hollis-Murder-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CQZCZG75/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6576962341

More on Blythe Baker's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/blythe-baker/

Death at an Irish Wedding (An Irish Castle Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Ellie Brannigan

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639109210

Crooked Lane Books

288 Pages

$29.99; $17.99 Amazon

December 10, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rayne McGrath's efforts to save the rundown family castle she inherited were an epic failure after she accidentally set fire to the tower and tanked the budget.  Is the castle haunted, or is she just unlucky?  Meanwhile, her cousin, Ciara Smith, is anxiously booking their joint calendar with special events in the hopes of brining the property around before they lose everything.

When a bridalwear client from LA asks Rayne for help as her guest list spirals out of control, Rayne nabs the answer to her prayers.  McGrath Castle is the perfect destination for the exclusive and intimate wedding party of heiress Tori Montgomery and her fiancé, heartthrob actor Jake Anderson.  But this white veil occasion turns into a nightmare when Tori's best friend's assistant, Tiffany Quick, is found dead.

It's feared Tiffany jumped from the tower, but that theory is quickly put in doubt as secrets within the wedding part come to light.  And as the villagers protest this new wedding venue venture, Rayne begins to wonder if she will succeed in her endeavor or lose it all. 

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Rayne McGrath moved to Ireland from LA after her a) boyfriend Landon stole all her money and gowns from her Rodeo Drive wedding gown business; and b) her Uncle Nevin passed and left her his estate -- including a run-down castle that she has a year to make into a profitable endeavor or lose everything and be swallowed up by a neighboring shire.  With the help of her cousin Ciara, she's working on doing so, hoping that the wedding scheduled with heiress Tori Montgomery and actor Jake Anderson will bring in the needed funds to get them through for awhile.

But almost immediately things begin to go wrong, and when Tori's friend Amy's assistant Tiffany is found dead on the castle grounds, she wonders if maybe the stars are against her.  At first everyone thinks Tiffany jumped due to unsettling news, but Rayne and Ciara soon find out from the garda that it's murder.  Not being able to tell anyone, they try and continue with the wedding plans, get past the glitches, and hope for the best.  But the issues don't stop.  Even with the accidents unfolding, Tori wants her wedding to go forward, and all Rayne can do is try and make it happen.  Even if it kills her...

This is the second in the series, and I was just as enchanted as I was with the first.  Rayne is settling in her new life as lady of the manor (although she won't use the name); hoping that her cousin will see eye-to-eye with her on improving things.  Unfortunately, when the celebrity wedding was scheduled, Rayne didn't think it would be such a nightmare.  Really a nightmare.  A diva bride (and maid of honor), surly assistants, a constantly drunken member of the entourage, and, at least, the wealthy and decent parents of the bride -- who will do anything for their daughter's happiness. 

When the murder occurs, Rayne needs to keep it under her hat, which isn't easy, since one of the guests is a killer.  Or is it one of her new hires on the farm?  All Rayne knows is that a murderer is in their midst, and needs to be found before the weekend is up and the guests leave.  Things begin to go even more awry when there are several 'accidents' and suddenly Garda Dominic needs Rayne's help in finding out who's at fault.  

When the ending comes and everything fits together, we see that the clues were there: I had a bit of a hunch toward the beginning, glad I was right, and even more, glad I read this book.  The reason for murder is very sad indeed, and no excusing the crime.  But the book gives you clues throughout, a few red herrings, a misdirection, and a wonderful ending.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Irish-Wedding-Castle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CW1CSS1W/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6575760940

More on Ellie Brannigan's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ellie-brannigan/

Trouble Is Brewing (Tea by the Sea Mysteries #5)

Author:   Vicki Delany

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496747273

Kensington Cozies

288 Pages

$27.00; $12.99 Amazon

July 23, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lily Roberts's Cape Cod tearoom is hosting a bridal shower -- until a gruesome gift sends the guest of honor running in fear...

Members of the Reynolds and Hill families are staying at Lily's grandmother's bed and breakfast, and now they've gathered at Tea by the Sea to sip some delicious blends while they shower bride-to-be Hannah Hill with presents.  But the last package Hannah unwraps contains a beheaded Raggedy Ann doll and triggers a bloodcurdling scream.  A doll like this was the last gift from her father before he died long ago, and she's chilled to the bone.

Lily senses that the shocking anonymous gift just might be related to other tensions she's picking up on.  The mothers-in-law have been sniping at each other -- and then Lily, out walking her dog, overhears the groom's father, Ralph, offering his son a very sizable bribe to call off the wedding.  She's relieved when Greg angrily turns him down, but with so many people steamed at each other, can this event possibly go smoothly?

The answer is no.  It suddenly has to be postponed -- when Ralph is found dead in his bed, a bottle of whiskey beside him.  When tests indicate the booze was infused with a lethal substance, it becomes a murder case, and of course, accusations are flying wildly with the guests all too willing to believe the worst about each other.  Now, to find out whether all this family drama led to a fatality, Lily will have to turn up the heat...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lily Roberts owns Tea by the Sea, a teahouse in Cape Cod, which stands at the front of her grandmother's Victorian B&B, the best in their town of North Augusta.  The B&B is full up of guests, most of them belonging to the Reynolds family who are there to celebrate their son Greg's marriage to Hannah Hill.  Perhaps celebrate isn't the right word...

When the bridal shower is held at the tearoom, everything seems to be going splendidly until Hannah opens her last gift, which is a beheaded Raggedy Ann doll, which causes her to let out a scream.  Prank or warning?  At any rate, the shower is ruined, and Greg and Hannah retreat to the B&B so she can collect herself.  But does that stop accusations from flowing?  Not at all.  It's well known that the Reynolds family does not like the Hills -- Hannah and her mother, Jenny -- but why?  Finding out the reason isn't any of Lily's concern.  Not until patriarch Ralph is murdered, and his mother and widow are accusing each other, and Jenny, of the crime.  Not until her beloved tearoom and the B&B might get a negative reputation.  Then Lily, her best friend Bernie, and grandmother Rose go into action.  Hopefully, their investigation won't get any of them killed...

This is the fifth in the series and I have read them all.  I also have loved them all.  The idea of a teahouse near Cape Cod sounds delightful.  The food and tea sounds delicious.  I love that the author can pull us into the story and make us want to visit.  It's a talent, to be sure.  We also have the lovely descriptions of the gardens, the B&B, and, of course, the tearoom, which are pleasant to read about.

The murder, which occurs near the front of the book (gratefully) gives us plenty of time to search for suspects and rule out those who had no reason to want him dead.  Those people are few and far between.  It turns out that Ralph not only had skeletons in his closet, some of them were walking around causing trouble to everyone.  But that doesn't make someone a killer, does it?  

There are plenty of twists and turns in this mystery, and a few red herrings along the way to keep things interesting.  We follow along with Lily and Rose to try and put things together, and it's a fun way to spend an afternoon.  I discovered the murderer right around the same time as Lily, but I still needed the motive -- which was given admirably -- to complete the tale.  This is a wonderful cozy to read, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  I am looking forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Brewing-Tea-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B0CLZ117DP/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6565530392

More on Vicki Delany's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/vicki-delany/

 

Paws, Claws, and Curses (A Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Deanna Drake

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal/Fantasy

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781964418339

Tule Publishing

204 Pages

$11.99; $4.99 Amazon

June 5, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

What are cursed artifacts, a talking cat, and a dead body doing in the sweet little town of Citrus Grove?  That's what spirited shopkeeper Rebecca Cuthbert wants to find out and she had better do it ast because she's the prime suspect in the murder of the town's shadiest antiquities dealer.

It's a troubling start to her reunion with her long-lost grandfather and a far cry from the Southern California vacation she was expecting.  So far, nothing in Citrus Grove is quite what it seems.  Not her grandfather, who suspiciously disappears at the strangest times, not his curious antique shop, which has more secrets than customers, and certainly not the oddball neighbors, with their hidden motives and questionable connections.

As Rebecca races against time with her new feline friend to uncover the truth behind a mysterious murder, she finds herself tangled in a web of danger and deceit as captivating as Queen Cleopatra herself.  With help from unexpected allies and an often-exasperating, yet undeniably handsome detective, Rebecca must outwit the cunning killer before she becomes the next victim.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Rebecca Cuthbert has just discovered she has grandfather.  Unfortunately, it was because of sad circumstances she's recently experienced that allowed her to do so.  She packed up her life from Montana to California for a visit, but since she's arrived, strange things have happened.

Her grandfather's manager stole from him, and one of the artifacts has turned up at a shady dealer's home.  He's offered to give it to her, but when she arrives the man is dead.  The police think she killed him.  She also has a surprise in the form of a tiny, ragged kitten that needs her help...about that kitten...is it her help, or will the kitten help her?  Anyway -- she has to find out who the killer is to save herself from a permanent vacation in jail...

This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed it very much.  Which is saying a lot, since I normally don't read fantasy.  Guess I'm just too rooted in reality.  Oh, well...but I loved it.  I loved all the characters, especially the fact there's no 'evil nemesis' (a real bane for me).  The characters are well-drawn and most of them have depth, but when the book centers on a main character, it takes time to flesh everyone out.

The mystery was done wonderfully, with enough questions that deserved -- and found -- answers throughout the book.  And I loved, just loved, little Aneksi and her arrogance.  Being a lover and owner of cats, I know what arrogance they can, and do, have.  Discovering more about her throughout the book was indeed fun.

When the murderer was revealed, I discovered it right around the same time as Rebecca, which is very good, since I usually guess the killers early on in the book.  The ending came together nicely, and gave us a hint of what to expect in the next book.  Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the author and BookSprout but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Claws-Curses-Purr-fect-Relic-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0D2M32C3G/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6562866077

 More on Deanna Drake's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/DeAnna-Drake/author/B0CJ9X4KSC?ref

Robert Preston: Forever The Music Man

Author:    Debra Warren

Genre:     Biography/Entertainment

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9798986311029; 9798986311005

Independently Published

542 Pages

$28.00; $21.99; $19.99 ($1.99)

August 6, 2022

⭐⭐⭐

Born Robert Preston Meservey in the suburbs of Boston in 1918, Preston moved with his family to Los Angeles as a toddler.  He caught the acting bug in high school and continued as an actor with a Shakespearean acting troupe and at the Pasadena Playhouse before being discovered by Paramount Studios in 1938 at the age of nineteen.  After languishing in B-movies for over a decade, he made the decision to seek success on the Broadway stage.

The song "Seventy-Six Trombones" from The Music Man would forever link Robert Preston to the Broadway musical and the iconic 1962 film that would establish him as a Hollywood and Broadway star.  His role as Harold Hill in The Music Man was a pivotal moment for the actor who appeared in dozens of films as well as theater and television productions.  Although Harold Hill was admittedly not Preston's favorite character, it was this singular, spectacular role that catapulted him to stage and screen stardom and ensured he would forever remain the Music Man.

In a film and stage career that spanned five decades, Robert Preston managed to survive the studio system and the fickleness of the film industry while maintaining his integrity and calling his own shots.  A master at shielding his private life, Robert Preston was a distinguished actor and gifted artist on the public stage, yet remained a reclusive, enigmatic man in his private life.  Extensive archival research, and interviews with Preston's family members and fellow actors including Rosemary Harris, Christopher Walken, Lesley Ann Warren, Loretta Swit, Bob Gunton, Neva Small, and others, has unveiled a richly detailed portrait of the gifted actor's personal life as well as an overview of the films and Broadway productions to which he lent his talent.

Despite some fits and starts in both is professional and private life, what emerges from the fabric of Preston's life is the undeniable truth of his versatility as a performer, one who possessed the innate ability to perform superbly in a variety of genres -- drama, comedy, westerns, or musicals.  As a testament to his skill as an actor, Preston continued to deliver remarkable performances on stage and screen and strived to reach new apogees, even when cast in flawed projects, up until his untimely death in 1987.

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Robert Preston has always been one of my favorite actors.  Since I watched him in How the West Was Won, one of his later projects, I instantly 'fell in love' and couldn't understand why Debbie Reynolds would choose Gregory Peck instead.  Oh, well...

I have seen (and own) almost all of his movies (except those I cannot find on disc), and his acting has always enthralled me.  The way he moves, the way he speaks -- it's like watching a restless panther ready to stalk its prey.  He was a consummate actor, tall, strong, well-built, yet easy-going, and willing to give the stage to someone else without over-acting.  He didn't need to.  He had a commanding presence, and one can't help but notice him instead of others.

Sadly, I wasn't old enough to see any of his Broadway performances, but I would have liked to do so.  From the statements of costars, he was someone who took over the stage without even trying.  He sold out performances many times.  Even in bad plays, his acting was stellar.  He loved to work, and he did almost until his death.

Robert Preston's wife, Catherine, was an actress in her own right but gave it up to care for her husband and his career.  She was the rock he needed, the comfort he wanted to come home to -- even when he had other plans, (which I won't go into here), Catherine was there, always.  

I really looked forward to reading this biography, as I have always hoped there would be a good one out there.  Unfortunately, this isn't it.  For one, there is a dearth of photographs, just a few pages (I do feel that there should have been more than just a few photos), but that is my own opinion.  Secondly, if you haven't seen all of his movies and wish to do so, you might want to skip much of this book.  I say that because it goes on ad nauseum of every single plot of every single play and film he was in; the costars and all their backgrounds (I still don't know who many of the stage actors are since I have never heard of them); and it drags the book down roads it doesn't need to go.

The beginning is excellent, with Robert's family background and how he came to be an actor, but then it drowns in the above-mentioned areas, which made the reading take longer than it did as it lost my attention somewhere past that.  The last hundred pages or so is a bibliography of information in the book (which we expect) and every performance he was in along with all his costars (wasn't that information already given?).

In the end, this could have been a much better book, but it will have to suffice until (or unless) another biography of this wonderful actor comes along.

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Preston-Forever-Music-Man-ebook/dp/B0BBLQX1G4/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6526875515

More on the author:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Debra-Warren/author/B0B8XQD8FF?ref