A Grave Matter

Author:  Anna Lee Huber
Genre:  Mystery/Suspense

Three Stars

Scotland, 1830.  Following the death of her dear friend, Lady Kiera Darby is in need of a safe haven. Returning to her childhood home, Kiera hopes her beloved brother Trevor and the merriment of the Hogmanay Ball will distract her. But when a caretaker is murdered and a grave is disturbed at nearby Dryburgh Abbey, Kiera is once more thrust into the cold grasp of death.

While Kiera knows that aiding in another inquiry will only further tarnish her reputation, her knowledge of anatomy could make the difference in solving the case. But agreeing to investigate means Kiera must deal with the complicated emotions aroused in her by inquiry agent Sebastian Gage.

When Gage arrives, he reveals that the incident at the Abbey was not the first—some fiend is digging up old bones and holding them for ransom. Now Kiera and Gage must catch the grave robber and put the case to rest…before another victim winds up six feet under.

********

Lady Kiera Darby is celebrating the New Year with her family when she learns that Dodd, a caretaker at Dryburgh House, has been shot.  He apparently interrupted graverobbers and was murdered because of it. 

Lady Darby, who was ostracized from society because of her late husband forcing her to draw the anatomical parts of the dead (due to his work), has been asked once again (this is the third book in the series) to use her knowledge of human anatomy and find the people responsible for being body snatchers.  And again, Sebastian Gage is called in to help.  Although Sebastian and Keira did not part happily (I gather) in the last book, they are given the time to repair that breach between them.

I didn't really enjoy reading this book, perhaps because the language used is not that which would have been in 1830.  It appears to be more modernized:  In an early scene, her brother mentions that she had vomited on him once; he does so in a public place, at a ball.  While someone may have mentioned that in this day and age, I can hardly believe that in that time he would not be a little more discreet, so as not to embarrass her.

I also found it a little hard to believe that she requested her father to arrange her marriage.  After all, the person you married you would be expected to spend a lifetime with; so naturally you would want to be able to live with them - have things in common, enjoy each other's company, etc.  You would be - to put it bluntly - sleeping with this person and have children with them, so wouldn't you want to not only tolerate them, but like them?  Admittedly, it did not always happen this way, and there were many arranged marriages; but if one had a choice (and I'm assuming she did, since she asked her father to intervene for her), then why would you go willingly into a marriage without taking the time to choose your own mate?  Her art consumed her, so she had not the time.  Really?  She couldn't take a few weeks of her time to find someone she liked?  So, now she is told by her brother that she won't look at her father's grave because she is angry at him for choosing Sir Anthony (the late husband).  What?  Did I miss something?  In a previous paragraph, she says she asked her father to arrange her marriage, and now she's angry at him for doing so?  Really?  And then later on she states that her father didn't force her to marry Sir Anthony, but she did anyway.  So she's transferring her own stupidity to her father?  Issues, issues...I won't give more examples of why I didn't care for the book, but you get my drift.

At any rate, the book could not hold my interest, and I really love mysteries of any kind.  Suspense, thriller, etc.  I'm not saying it was a bad book; it had parts I thought were decent.  It was just not for me.  For someone else, who enjoys historical mysteries, and has read the first two in the series, might find it to their liking. 

http://www.amazon.com/Grave-Matter-Lady-Darby-Mystery/dp/0425253694/

Too Hot Four Hula

Author:  Jill Marie Landis
Genre:  Mystery

Five Stars

A marauding monkey, a mysterious murder, middle-aged hula maidens, and mugs full of Mai Tai's. Just another day in Tiki Goddess Paradise . . .

Crime-solving sleuth Em Johnson and her Uncle Louie, owner of the famous Tiki Goddess Bar on Kauai, head for the Cocktail Shake Off Competition in Honolulu. What is supposed to be a fun trip to a mixology contest turns weird when Louie's legendary "Booze Bible" is stolen, and Em's ex-husband winds up dead-with Em the number-one suspect. Sexy Kauai detective and part-time fire dancer Roland Sharpe rushes to Em's side along with the unpredictable Hula Maidens, whose detective skills are even more haphazard than their dance routine at the island tiki bars. Toss in an escaped monkey and a killer who wants to make this the last call for someone's honky-tonk, tiki-tossing night out, and it's going to be another wild escapade for Em and her Hula Maidens.

********

Em Johnson and her Uncle Louie are headed to Honolulu for the Annual Cocktail Shake Off Competition, Western Division.  The night before they leave, they are informed by Kiki and the rest of the "Hula Maidens" that they will be joining them.  Although Em isn't too happy about it, both her and her Uncle Louie are resigned to the fact that these catastrophe-finding women are going to join them.

When Em arrives, she tells Louie that her ex-husband Phillip called and wants to see her.  When their marriage ended badly (due to Phillip's over-spending and con artist ways), Em agrees, thinking that at least she will be able to gain closure.  However, when she meets Phillip, he isn't alone.  He has brought along his plastic Barbie doll girlfriend, Felicity Duncan, who is younger and obviously high-maintenance.  After an uncomfortable lunch, she tells Phillip goodbye and heads back to her hotel, realizing that the past is past and he is never going to change.

Shortly thereafter, Em and Louie discover his famous "Booze Bible" is missing, and purportedly stolen.  Em is sure the thief is someone attending the convention, and decides to 'go undercover' at the costume party to see if she can find the guilty party.  After she is nearly arrested for burglary (it's a long story), Roland, her almost-boyfriend-police-detective from Kauai appears on the scene and agrees to keep an eye on her in return for her being released on her own recognizance.  It turns out that Nat, another friend and neighbor on Kauai, had to leave for Los Angeles but called Roland realizing that Em needed help.  So when Phillip is discovered dead the next morning, Em is on the suspect short list.  So there are two mysteries to solve and the Hula Maidens are on it - without telling anyone, naturally.

I don't want to say more than that, because I would be giving too much away.  This book was truly hilarious.  You have the "Hula Maidens," six hula-dancing (or what they think passes for it) elderly ladies dancing whenever they hear Hawaiian music (including on the plane), and trying to avoid being arrested for the same; Little Estelle, the ninety-year-old mother of one of the women trying her best to 'get it on' with any available good-looking man and disappears for hours at a time; and a cocktail-taste-testing capuchin monkey that hates women and loves alcohol (this is really funny and has a significant part in the book).

At any rate, this is the fourth book in the series and a must-read even if you haven't read the first three.  That shouldn't stop you because it can be read as a stand-alone as need be; but I would recommend going back to read the others.  Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Hula-Jill-Marie-Landis/dp/1611944600/

Ill-Gotten Panes

Author:  Jennifer McAndrews
Genre:  Mystery

Five Stars

After a banking scandal loses Georgia her job and fiancé, she decides that a change of scenery will help piece her life back together.  But escaping to her grandfather's house in the old-fashioned, brick-making Hudson River hamlet of Wenwood, New York, turns out to be less relaxing than she expects.  Not only is the close-knit community on edge about their beloved brickworks being turned into a marina to draw in tourists, one of those most opposed to the project winds up dead-cracked over the head with a famous Wenwood brick.

Georgia wouldn't be broken up over the news except for the fact that the main suspect is the deceased's biggest adversary-her grandfather.  Now, to remove the stain from her grandy's record, Georgia will have to figure out who in town was willing to kill to keep the renovation project alive, before someone else is permanently cut out of the picture...

********

Georgia Kelly has recently moved to Wenwood, New York to put her life back together.  After being involved in a banking scandal (and no, she didn't do anything wrong), her fiance couldn't handle it and asked her to move out; so she decided to move back to her grandfather's house and lick her wounds.

While trying to keep a low profile and just take care of her grandfather (who really doesn't need it), she is approached by a woman who owns an antiques shop and has heard about her skills in stained glass.  Carrie, the owner, asks her to repair a lamp for her, and becomes a fast friend.  Her grandfather, Pete, owns a movie theater and restaurant, and even at eighty is still going strong.

While deciding to shop for a caulking gun to repair her grandfather's bathtub, she makes the mistake of going to the local hardware store for supplies, and overhears a heated conversation between the owner and another man.  When the owner, Andy Edgers, sees her and knows who she is, he practically orders her to leave the store immediately.  Stunned, she returns home and tells her grandfather about it, who is incensed and confronts Andy.

Later, when Andy is killed, her grandfather becomes the prime suspect.  And even though no one believes it, the police insist they have evidence, which only makes Georgia more determined than ever to find the real killer and get her grandfather off the hook.
I really enjoyed this book.  I liked the fact that for one, it wasn't the tale of someone's grandmother in trouble -  very rarely will you find that it is the grandfather, and an active one, at that - and I can tell you that it pleased me no end.  It let me know first off that this was not going to be your run of the mill mystery.

Georgia is out of her element in this small town, and is finding her way around.  She's not making a lot of friends, but she's not making enemies, either.  There are enough elements thrown in that you can imagine her spending summers with her grandfather here, but there are hints (which will probably be revealed later down the road) that all those summers weren't happy ones, for whatever reason.

The clues leading to the actual killer (since we know it couldn't possibly be Pete) are there, but you have to look for them.  It's not an easy road to travel, but a fun one just the same.  I think Ms. McAndrews has the beginning of a great series here, and I fully intend to read them as they are issued.  Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Ill-Gotten-Stained-Glass-Mystery-Jennifer-McAndrews/dp/0425267954/

Silence of the Lamb's Wool

Author:  Betty Hechtman
Genre:  Mystery

Five Stars

Dessert chef Casey Feldstein has learned one end of a knitting needele from the other after inheriting her aunt's yarn retreat business, but a murder threatens to unravel her latest event...

Casey's running a new retreat called "Sheep to Shawl" at a resort on the atmospheric Monterey Penninsula.  Participants will learn about sheepshearing, fixing up the fleece, and spinning, and will eventually knit a lovely shawl.

Nicole Welton has been hired to teach the fleece-to-fiber portion of the retreat.  She's an expert spinner, and her small shop in Cadbury by the Sea houses a beautiful assortment of spinning wheels and drop spindles.  But when the new teacher fails to show up for class and is found lying dead on the boardwalk, it leaves everyone's nerves frayed.

Now Casey has to knit together clues faster than she can count stitiches, before someone else at the retreat gets dropped...

********

Casey Feldstein lives in Cadbury by the Sea, having moved there after a failed run of semi-careers.  While her mother wants her to go to culinary school, because she knows Casey loves to bake, Casey has other ideas.  She has inherited her aunt's business of running knitting retreats, and wants to keep doing it.  So, in her latest retreat, her hiree, Nicole Welton, is found dead the first morning, of what is an apparent suicide.  But Casey thinks things don't add up, and although she can't convince Lieutenant Borgnine that Nicole was murdered, she herself is convinced and won't give up trying to find a killer.

But this may not be as easy to do as she thinks.  Given free reign of Nicole's workshop by Nicole's grieving widower, Will, she finds bits and pieces of what might point to blackmail.  When she starts thinking back of things she's seen, and begins to see things around her differently, she starts to piece together the whole picture.

To make matters more complicated, her crush on Dane, her policeman neighbor, is halted temporarily when she finds out there's a woman staying with him; a replacement knitting instructor has appeared out of nowhere; Cora Delacorte has become engaged to a smarmy man; and there has been another attempted murder - which only convinces Casey she was right all along.

This book was engaging indeed, and quite difficult to put down, so I just kept on reading until I finished.  Casey is intelligent, and thinks things through, which I like; but no one really seems to want to take her seriously except her friend Lucinda, whom she bakes for.  She is different in that she doesn't just rush off on tangents putting herself in danger, and I really like that a lot.  It's nice when you find a main character who actually has the foresight to think of a way out of a situation before she puts herself in a situation.  An excellent read and highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Silence-Lambs-Wool-Retreat-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00HDMMF56/

Muffin But Murder

Author:  Victoria Hamilton
Genre:  Mystery

Three Stars

Muffin maker Merry Wynter hopes to find a buyer for the castle she's recently inherited.  But when she throws a party to draw interest, she finds someone who's bought the farm instead...

Merry's career as a New York City stylist has crumbled, but her passion for muffins has helped her rise upstate in Autumn Vale.  Everyone in town loves the tasty treats.  Still, she would like to return to her glamorous life.  Besides, the upkeep of Wynter Castle is expensive, and Merry's cup isn't exactly overflowing.

So in order to bring some prospective buyers into the mix, Merry whisks together a spooky soireee and decorates the castle with dashes of fabric and a sprinkling of spider webs.  Friends new and old are invited, and everyone has a blast.  But as the revelers empty out, Merry notices one partygoer who isn't leaving - or breathing.  Now Merry must hurry to unmask a killer before her perfect plans turn into a recipe for disaster.

********

Merry inherited the castle from her uncle, as his only living heir.  Unless you count Cranston Higgins, who showed up claiming to be Uncle Melvyn's long-lost grandson.  Which Merry isn't too sure about, and wants to consider the matter further - and do some DNA testing to make sure.  She lives there with her friends Shilo and Pish, and is renovating (slowly) the castle so that she can sell it.  In the meantime, she bakes muffins to take to the local bakery (!) and the retirement home, and a couple of other places.

When she decides to throw a not-so-Halloween party (not scary, just a little decorating), she invites some of her wealthier friends, hoping that one of them - or someone they know - will be interested in purchasing the castle from her, and she can go back to her life.  What she doesn't admit, though, is that she likes the new life she has and wants to stay.  She just can't afford to do so.  So, after cleaning up the night of the party, she comes across a dead body, her life suddenly becomes complicated.

Okay, here's the thing:  I really wanted to like this book.  A lot.  But it took over 90 pages before we got to the murder (and isn't that why you read a murder mystery?  To get to the murder and solving it?)  In my mind, that's like watching a murder mystery movie and the 'deed' doesn't occur until an hour in.  By that time, would you still be interested in the movie?  The first 90+ pages were basically revisiting people and getting background, which is fine, but it dragged on and on...

One thing I really didn't get is the fact that Binnie, the bakery owner, bakes things like ciabiatta and such, but refuses to bake mundane things like muffins!  Really?  In a small town?  A bakery owner?  Who does she think is residing there?  I'm not saying that there isn't a desire for things like that in small towns; not at all.  What I'm saying is the fact that if that's all you sell, you might as well put the 'for sale' sign up now.  I live in the big city, and if our bakeries didn't sell muffins and cookies, they wouldn't be in business.  People eat what they're used to, but no one (I hope) makes a diet of ciabiatta and foccacia bread. 

Okay, rant over.  That being said, there isn't a whole lot of time spent on her muffin-baking.  That's because she finds out one of her friends is sort-of-a-suspect, so she figures she has to find out who the real killer is, even after she's told to leave it alone by the hunky deputy, Virgil.  But she doesn't want to get involved with Virgil, because for some strange reason, she's still being loyal to her dead husband, who passed away eight years ago.  I get the fact that she loved him; but they were married only two years, and after eight years without him, a little of that memory might fade; and even if it didn't, she either needs to move on with her life or go into permanent mourning.

Now that I've said what's wrong with the book, let me tell you what's right:  The mystery itself is tight, and when all the information comes out, it makes sense.  It ties in with the first book of this series, Bran New Death, so it's recommended that you read that one first.  But if you haven't, you can always go back and read it to get the full picture.  I'm hoping the series improves as it moves along; and like a firm rule I have, I always read at least three books before I decide to either go or stay with it.  Recommended for mystery lovers; but be aware that the first part of the book drags a little.  As a bonus, there a few recipes in the back of the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Muffin-But-Murder-Merry-Mystery/dp/042525884X/

The House on Mermaid Point

Author:  Wendy Wax

Genre:  Fiction

Two Stars

Maddie, Avery and Nikki first got to know one another-perhaps too well-while desperately restoring a beach-front mansion to its former grandeur.  Now they're putting that experience to professional use.  But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn't have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies-although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie's wildest fantasy once...

Rock-and-roll legend "Willliam the Wild" Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he's still worshipped by fans-which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys.  He's not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece of paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show...though he is intrigued by Maddie.  Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool.

But whether it's an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together.  The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom...

********

Maddie, Nicole and Avery became friends after losing everything they had to a ponzi scheme.  In order to build their finances up again, they decide to accept the offer of renewing old homes into something modern.  Their latest assignment is in the Florida Keys; the home of William Hightower, a former rocker known as "William the Wild."  They're there to turn his house into a bed-and-breakfast.  He's not happy about the idea; in fact, he wants them gone.  But having blown all his money and just getting out of rehab, he doesn't have a choice.  What he doesn't count on, though, is that Maddie's being there just might help him stay on the straight and narrow, and find himself again.

Now the bad:  The book sounded interesting from the blurb; but there are times when it can be misleading.  This was one of them.  Some things I just didn't understand:  Avery is an architect, but she actually wears a toolbelt and hard hat and does the work herself.  I have a friend who's an architect, and years ago I worked for one.  They don't do the work themselves.  They design the building.  (Here's an article describing what architects actually do:  http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/what-does-an-architect-do/).  Nowhere in the article does it read that they do the work themselves.  So, if Avery is doing the construction part, I would really have liked to know her background.  We know that her father owned a construction company, but it doesn't make her a contractor.

Here's the Big Thing:  In my opinion, the book was a little too focused on Dustin, the child of Kyra and married actor Dan Deranian.  I don't read tabloids, but I know enough that they're not covered in photos of children of celebrities.  I can't even imagine it being so huge the paparazzi would be taking hours upon hours of film of the child just to increase ratings.  Honestly, no one cares.  You might want to see a famous actor/actress, but their children?  According to this book, the show is basically there because of Dustin.  Really?  I found it just too hard to believe.  The way actors/actresses cheat on their spouses, it's not a big deal to see the resulting child.  And I've yet to see paparazzi chasing them down every minute of the day.  In fact, I would guess that photographers would stay away from this kind of thing.  Plus, what kind of a mother does it make Kyra that she would basically put her child on a television show as if he were some kind of exhibit?  The producers says to make sure 'they get lots of shots of Dustin.'  Who is this actor?  Some kind of god that his child is the Favored One?  I just didn't get that storyline at all.  Also the fact that he's a child who can't even enunciate his words and they have him on a jobsite.  Yeah, that works.  It's also like a daily reminder that Dan cheated on his wife.  That's going to help the marriage (and humiliate his wife constantly).  Somehow, I don't think the press wants to alienate movie stars.  Besides, in the real world, if Kyra was exploiting her son for money, Dan would probably file for custody saying she was an unfit mother - and win.

As if that weren't enough, supposedly when they renovated the house of a former vaudvillian, Max Golden, something happened.  The show is being run on network television, and they all sit down to watch.  Well, there's a scene where someone is shooting at Kyra and Dustin, and Max jumps in front of Dustin and he gets shot...and killed, and they show that and the body being taken away...and they show this on TV.  On network TV, no less.  I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure they don't show someone being murdered on television.  (We get the impression this is a 'filmed' show, so it's not live and they can edit out a murder.)  I'm pretty sure that episode never would have aired.  There are people across the country who wouldn't want to see that, you know.  (Can't you see the TV Guide:  Tonight on Do Over: Max Golden gets killed.  Tune in at 8).  How would you promo that one?  They might do a tribute, but...

The last thing is that this book is obviously part of a series.  You're given enough information to know that, but you really need to begin at the first one to get the whole picture, and the ending leaves you hanging, so that you have to read the next in the series (not that it doesn't resolve some things; it does, but there are new questions that aren't answered).

So, in my opinion, read this if you're already into the series.  If not, it's up to you if you want.  I just couldn't buy the whole Dustin-is-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened idea.  Or the fact that they show a death on television.  No offense to the author, but it just didn't make sense.

http://www.amazon.com/The-House-Mermaid-Point-Wendy/dp/0425263320/

 

The Red Bikini

Author:  Lauren Christopher
Genre:  Romance

Five Stars

For the last five years, Giselle McCabe's life has been about sippy cups and playdates. But when her husband suddenly leaves her, Giselle flees to her sister’s California beach house for a two-week getaway. Out of her element, she’s surprised to receive such a warm welcome—especially from gorgeous celebrity athlete Fin Hensen…

Fin is escaping his pro tour for a season, trying to lie low until all the hubbub over a huge mistake in his past blows over. And when he sets his sights on Giselle, he realizes that the beautiful good girl just might be the ticket to his success.
But Giselle never expected romance to enter the picture again—especially with a hot twentysomething from a completely different world. And even though it feels like Fin is everything she’s trying to run away from, she can't help coming back for more...

********

Giselle McCabe Underwood has just been divorced from her husband of eleven years, Roy.  He walked away without a backward glance for her or their five-year-old daughter, Coco; and now Giselle needs a break from her life in Indiana and decides to visit her sister Lia in California.  But Lia is in another city for business, and has offered the use of her beach house to Giselle and Coco.  Lia has also asked her next-door neighbor, Rabbit, to keep an eye out for them.

While visiting Rabbit and his friends, Giselle turns to the door and sees the most gorgeous man she has ever seen in her life standing there.  He's Fin Henson, a pro surfer, and there is an instant attraction that neither can shake.  After they see each other on the beach and get to know each other, he asks her for a favor: will she go to a business meeting with him so he can impress his boss; and she asks one in return:  will he go to her ex-father-in-law's funeral with her so she can let her ex-relatives know she's not pathetic.  Deal struck, the two tentatively enter into a fragile friendship that gradually turns into romance.

This book surprised me.  I finished it and thought 'wow.'  Really.  You have two damaged people: he, damaged by his parents and upbringing in the fact that he felt hungry in more ways than one; and her, damaged by a doctor husband who cheated on her throughout their marriage and made her feel like less than a woman.  In a sense, they are both impoverished, scared, and alone.  And they find each other.  But it is not an easy journey.  There are misunderstandings, because they are both afraid to share with another human being:  share love, share sorrow, share pain, share joy.  Their common bond of loneliness, and the fact that Fin obviously cares as much for Coco as Giselle does, goes a long way into bringing these two hurt souls together.  It is a final revelation - one that is a surprise to both Fin and Giselle - that finally gives them their strength.

Don't let the fact that this is a romance keep anyone from reading it.  It is very well-written, and carries the emotions of the characters well; and the secondary characters buoy the relationship between the two, sometimes without knowing they are doing so.  Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Bikini-Lauren-Christopher/dp/0425274411/