Lethal Lifestyles (A Headlines in High Heels Mystery #6)

Author:  LynDee Walker
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Ebook
ISBN #:  9781635110685; 9781635110654
Henery Press
262 Pages
$31.95; $15.95; $6.99 Amazon
September 27, 2016

Five Stars

Wedding bells are ringing at the Richmond Telegraph, and maid of honor Nichelle Clarke is determined to give her friends the perfect fairytale beginning to their happily ever after.  So when a corpse crashes rehearsal weekend, Nichelle ditches her wedding coordinator shoes for her crime reporter ones, and a little poking around turns up a big problem:  the victim and the groom have a history, and it's not a pretty one.  Evidence against groom Grant Parker piles up, leaving Nichelle wishing a hostile bridesmaid was still her biggest worry as she tries to fend off Richmond's favorite TV reporter - and her own scheming publisher.  At odds with the cops, her beloved editor, and the ticking clock, Nichelle races to uncover the truth and save the day before this perfect wedding turns into a funeral.

********

Nichelle Clarke is a Reporter Extraordinaire for the Richmond Telegraph; but right now she has her hands full planning the wedding of her friends and co-workers, Melanie and (Grant) Parker.  She's turned into a Wedding Planner Extraordinaire, determined to give them a memorable fairy tale wedding of all weddings.  The venue is lovely, a vineyard setting courtesy of the owner, Dale Sammons, who is a fan of Parker's, once a state baseball star before an injury cut his career short.

They are at the winery for a rehearsal, and when Nichelle steps away from the festivities for a moment, she overhears a conversation with disturbing news:  A body has been found in a wine barrel - and that doesn't bode well for anyone.  She volunteers to convince the party to temporarily vacate the premises (they are all staying in cabins onsite for a few days) and have dinner somewhere else so that the concerned vineyard employees can call the police and hopefully get the matter resolved before they return.  After all, it doesn't have anything to do with any of them, right?

Wrong - when the dead man is none other than Mitch Burke, a longtime rival of Parker's and someone who also hated him intensely - to the point of sending threatening emails - and it puts Parker right in the middle of the investigation as a possible suspect.

Since it soon becomes apparent that all clues lead back to Parker, Nichelle is determined to prove him innocent, even if no one but herself and Melanie thinks he is.  But it's going to be trickier than she thought.  When she starts digging, she finds out that Burke was into some illegal goings-on, and other people are involved as well, including some who want to see Parker charged with murder.  Even the love of her life, Joey D'Amore, who has shady connections himself, is warning her away, but Nichelle is willing to risk everything - including her job and her life - to catch a killer...

This, my friends, is the best book in the series to date.  While it begins harmless enough with the wedding of two of her best friends, it soon evolves into something much darker and convoluted in no time at all.  There is no dearth of suspects, even when it becomes obvious that Parker may have had the best motive of anyone - wanting to protect Melanie.  Still refusing to believe him capable of murder, she uses her journalist's nose and gut feelings to ferret out information that proves it is more than just revenge at the core of Burke's death.

To add to it all, she discovers that something is afoot at the vineyard that may or may not be connected to Burke's death, but is just as sinister in every sense of the word; leaving her feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of a nervous breakdown in more ways than one.  But with all else that is going on, Nichelle's personal life is taking a turn as well.  A misunderstanding leads to a change in her relationship with Joey, one that changes both their lives forever.

I can't describe how much I enjoy this series.  Ms. Walker has a way of not only bringing characters to life on the page, she actually gives them life on the page; you feel a part of everything that is occurring; and this is a very good thing.  They are luminous and fully dimensional; vivid and convincing.  It is a joy to read each book and watch their personalities evolve even as we try, along with Nichelle, to find a killer in their midst.

When the ending comes and all the secrets are revealed, it is both warped yet still satisfying; what at first appears to be merely twisted winds up being misbegotten in the extreme.  It is a delightfully twisted plot that gives us plenty of red herrings without allowing us to discover the killer early on, a true standard of a successful tale.  Kudos to Ms. Walker, and I look forward to the next book in the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Lethal-Lifestyles-Headlines-Heels-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01HOS85XE/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1766132038

More on LynDee Walker's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/lyndee-walker/

Death Among the Doilies (Cora Crafts Mystery #1)

Author:  Mollie Cox Bryan
Genre:  Mystery

Paperback; Ebook
ISBN #:  9781496704641
Kensington Publishing
320 Pages
$7.99; $5.99 Amazon
August 30, 2016

Three Stars

For thirty-something blogger Cora Chevalier, small-town Indigo Gap, North Carolina, seems like the perfect place to reinvent her life.  Shedding a stressful past as a counselor for a women's shelter, Cora is pouring all her talents - and most of her savings - into a craft retreat business, with help from close pal and resident potter Jane Starr.  Between transforming her Victorian estate into a crafter's paradise and babysitting Jane's daughter, the new entrepreneur has no time for distractions.  Especially rumors about the murder of a local school librarian...

But when Jane's fingerprints match those found at the grisly crime scene, Cora not only worries about her friend, but her own reputation.  With angry townsfolk eager for justice and both Jane's innocence and the retreat at risk, she must rely on her creative chops to unlace the truth behind the beloved librarian's disturbing demise.  Because if the killer's patterns are pinned, Cora's handiwork could end up in stitches. 

********

Cora Chevalier, who decided to start a new life after developing an anxiety disorder at her job as a counselor in a women's shelter, and Jane Starr, her best friend who wound up at the shelter to get away from an abusive husband, have recently moved along with Jane's daughter London to Indigo Gap, North Carolina and plan to open a crafting retreat in an old Victorian home that Cora has purchased.  They believe they've found the perfect place in an idyllic setting, and there's even a carriage house on the property which is home to Jane and London.  Everything is coming together for their first retreat, with attendees and the caterer lined up.

But when a local librarian is murdered, and partial fingerprints that might match Jane's are found near the body, she's been labeled a Person of Interest in the death, and once the locals discover this, they cancel their attendance and there's other backlash as well, leading Cora to think her new business might fail.  She feels her only chance for helping Jane and making a go of her new life is to find the killer herself, if she can only stay out of harm's way long enough to do so...

First off, let me say that I was really looking forward to reading this first book in a new series.  However, I struggled with the fact that the newspaper would publish the name of a 'Person of Interest' without any proof: an unmatched fingerprint, the fact that no one ever stated whether Jane had been in Sarah's house to prove the print could have belonged to her, she'd only been in town a month, etc. POI could also mean they're merely a witness, so publishing this information would be foolhardy.  This is a pretty major flaw to begin the book on, considering the plot is focused on that fact.  (It has been done, but if the person turns out to be innocent, the newspaper could be sued).

I also thought that the mystery took second place to the women thinking every guy was hot and even Ruby was telling Cora she needed to "get laid".  With their past histories, you wouldn't think they'd be so man-crazy.  Even a couple attendees were sleeping around while they were at the retreat.  I felt that it detracted from what could have been a really good mystery.

Aside from these two things, I liked the premise of a series based on a crafting retreat.  Being a crafter myself, I thought this was great.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the house and the different crafting techniques; the projects and recipes at the end of the book are a nice touch.

When we find out the identity of the killer, and why the crime was committed, it seems rather sad and twisted; the reality is that loyalty and love know no bounds.  All in all, not a bad start to a new series, and I will read the next book.

  

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Among-Doilies-Crafts-Mystery/dp/1496704649/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1759896299

More on Mollie Cox Bryan's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/mollie-cox-bryan/

All You Need is Fudge (A Candy-Coated Mystery #4)

Author:  Nancy Coco
Genre:  Mystery

Paperback; Ebook
ISBN #:  9781496701626
Kensington Publishing
352 Pages
$7.99; $4.99 Amazon
July 26, 2016

Five Stars

The annual yacht race off the coast of Mackinac Island, Michigan, is a highlight of the summer season, and Allie is pulling out all the stops making chocolate centerpieces for the occasion.  Unfortunately, she and her Bichonpoo, Mal, also pull a dead body from the murky waters of the marina.  When Allie's boyfriend's sister becomes the prime suspect, Allie dives into investigating the murder herself.  Amid bitter feuds and hushed-up scandals, the courageous candymaker quickly gets in over her head.  Someone is trying to fudge the facts to keep a secret worth killing for...

********

Allie McMurphy owns an historic hotel and fudge shop on Mackinac Island, Michigan that she inherited from her grandparents.  While taking her puppy Mal out for a walk on the coast one morning, she sees someone floating in the water, and pulls her to shore.  Realizing the girl is dead she calls 911 and soon discovers the dead girl is Carin Moore, a young woman about the same age as Allie.

It doesn't take long before she discovers that Carin wasn't well-liked by many people.  But did anyone dislike her enough to want her dead?  It seems someone did, and the police think that someone is her boyfriend Trent Jessop's sister, Paige.  It turns out they were seen arguing the day before the murder, and the police have enough evidence to arrest Paige on suspicion of murder.  When the Jessops close ranks against everyone in town, including Allie, she's determined to prove that Paige isn't a killer and find out the truth even if it means putting her own life in danger...

When Paige is arrested and charged with the murder of Carin, Trent withdraws from Allie and stops taking her phone calls or answering her texts.  Allie is naturally hurt and upset, and decides that she's going to show Trent she can be of help to his family by finding the real killer.  But it doesn't help that Trent's withdrawal is causing her to wonder if his feelings for her are as deep as hers for him.  

What she does find out is that everyone she talks to has a different version of the same story.  Ferreting out the truth isn't going to be easy and she needs to find out who's lying and why they want Paige to take the fall for something she didn't do.  It's not until Allie realizes that maybe it's not about Paige but Carin that she begins to put the pieces together.

This book was a delight to read, with (mostly) likable characters, transporting us to Mackinac Island and its inhabitants.  We learn more about those we've come to spend time with and meet some new residents along the way.  I especially liked the backstory of Mr. Devaney and his request of Allie's help in planning a memorable marriage proposal for Frances; it gave a needed cheerfulness to the story and a sweet touch of romance.

The tale flows well, and the characters are believable, keeping you engaged in the story.  There were quite a few twists, a lot of lies to sift through, and an ending that was something you had to really think about to discover the killer.  A thoroughly enjoyable read, and an easy one to get through in a day or two.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/All-Need-Fudge-Candy-coated-Mystery/dp/1496701623/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1758083607

More on Nancy Coco's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/nancy-coco/

Silk Stalkings (A Material Witness Mystery)

Author:  Diane Vallere
Genre:  Mystery

Paperback; Ebook
ISBN# 9780425270592
Berkley Publishing
304 Pages
$7.99 Amazon
August 2, 2016

Five Stars

The time has come for San Ladron, California's annual Miss Tangorli beauty pageant, and Poly has agreed to use Material Girl's inventory of shimmery silks to create embellished gowns fit for a crown.  But when millionaire Harvey Halliwell - the man who revived the city's citrus trade with his imported tangorli tree - is found dead days before the pageant contestants are announced, something sour takes over the town.

To make matters worse, her friend, mechanic Charlie Brooks, is soon caught up in the crime, having been seen in the company of the case's prime suspect.  Now Poly's on a mission to squeeze out the truth.  But as she searches for a pattern, the killer seems intent on cutting up the evidence...

********

Polyester Monroe lives in San Ladron, California and owns a fabric shop, Material Girl, that she inherited from her late aunt and uncle.  One evening while attending a local event, she is spending some time with her could-be-boyfriend, Vaughn McMichael, in the gardens of Waverly House, an historic inn owned by his mother, when she sees two men arguing across the way from them, one of them clad entirely in orange, right down to his hair.  Vaughn identifies him as Harvey Halliwell, the man behind the pageant and creator of the Tangorli, a cross between a tangerine, orange and lime.  When she sees Harvey fall down, the other hurries away.  She rushes over, sending Vaughn to call for help.  When he leaves, Harvey recovers, insists he's fine and departs before Vaughn returns.

The next day she is approached in her shop by Nolene Kelly, Harvey's employee and organizer of the beauty pageant.  She asks Poly to help out, guaranteeing a hefty fee.  It seems Nolene wants all the young ladies who have entered to have the same chance of winning, so she's asked Poly to help:  She wants her to sell each of them ten yards of silk, allow them to design their own gown, and Poly will have seamstresses sew the creations.  Not willing to turn down a lucrative assignment, she agrees.

But later that day when she is heading across the gardens, she finds Harvey's body - he's been stabbed with an orange-handed knife.    But who killed him?  When Poly starts talking to people, and they to her, she finds that there is no lack of suspects; in fact, the more information she gains, the more she discovers that there were any number of people who wouldn't be upset to see Harvey dead and gone.  But which one is the killer?

To add to the confusion, it seems the man who was arguing with Harvey the night before he died is the man who gave her friend Charlie a home for several years and treated her like his own daughter.  While his actions are suspicious, Charlie is adamant that he's no killer, and Poly needs to find out if Charlie's loyalties are misplaced or someone else would be happy to see him take the fall.

Silk Stalkings is delightful to read.  There is intrigue aplenty, and red herrings around every corner.  Just when you think one person might be the guilty party, someone else comes along.  Although there are plenty of people who could have wanted Harvey dead, there is only one killer (sorry, folks, this isn't Murder on the Orient Express) and Poly is having a difficult time figuring out who that is.

To add to it all, she's trying to figure out her relationship with Vaughn.  While the romance, as it were, is secondary to the murder (as it should be) it's still quite interesting to see how he reacts to certain situations she puts him in, and enjoyable enough to see how he handles it all.  I look forward to seeing more on this development in later books.

The plot is tangled in tightly with secrets being revealed along the way, and any one of them could have gotten Harvey killed.  But deciphering the truth isn't as easy as all that for Poly, and she finds that sometimes it's not the secrets that can get you killed, but the truths that were hiding in plain sight all along.

When we come to the end and the murderer is revealed, it's both satisfying and believable.  The characters are given depth and are convincing.  Ms. Vallere has given us a plot that entails a highly wrought elaborate plan that is inviting and also a pleasure to unravel.  This is the third book in the series, but enough information is given that it can be read as a stand alone.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Silk-Stalkings-Material-Witness-Mystery/dp/0425270599/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1756029446

More on Diane Vallere's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/v/diane-vallere/                                                                       

A Killer's Guide to Good Works (A Val Cameron Mystery Book 2)

Author:  Shelley Costa
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Ebook
ISBN #:  9781635110645; 9781635110616
Henery Press
272 Pages
$31.95; $15.95; $2.99 Amazon
September 20, 2016

Four Stars

Senior Editor Val Cameron is back at her desk in New York.  When her curator best friend returns from an abbey in England, she invites Val to see a priceless relic that has mysteriously found its way into her carry-on.  But by the time Val arrives at the museum, her friend has been murdered - and the relic is gone.  Val soon learns that a young monk at the abbey has also been murdered.  Is there a single killer at work?  What dark purpose is attached to the relic that's led to two murders?  When Val discovers her apartment has been broken into, her native New York feels like a place she no longer knows.  Now she has to unmask a killer who will stop at nothing to fulfill an ambitious plan - and Val Cameron is just the latest person to stand in the way.

********

Val Cameron, New York book editor, receives a call one morning from her best friend Adrian Bale, saying she has something exciting to show Val - something she inadvertently picked up on a recent visit to England.  But when Val is able to make it over to Adrian's place of work, she finds the area taped off by the police.  It isn't long before she discovers that Adrian is dead, shot shortly after making her call to Val.  Stunned, she can't figure out who would want to kill Adrian and why.

Soon Adrian's brother Antony arrives in the United States, and Val is reluctant to meet with him.  Antony is a monk who lives in England, and Val's not particularly religious, so she's been able to avoid meeting him so far, but no more.  She is, however, surprised to find he's nothing at all like what she thought he might be, and finds herself spending time with him, not only because of Adrian, but because there's been another murder in England, one that could possibly be connected to Adrian's 'stowaway.'

Val's also dealing with a new writer, James Killian, who has a handsome face and charming style, but has a book she'd rather not publish; however, this too is an unavoidable situation, and although physically drawn to him, she manages to keep her feelings in check.

Then there's her Aunt Greta, who works for the Artifact Authentication Agency, and has asked her help with an ancient artifact, and it's not long before Val begins to suspect that the situations she's been thrust into are all connected in some way, and the killer might just have her as the next target...

While for the most part I enjoyed reading the book, I have mixed feelings about it.  This is the second book in the series (the first being Practical Sins for Cold Climates).  None of the characters - except Val (and Ivy) - are carried over into this book, which seemed odd.  This means that if you've invested any time in getting to know and/or like any of the characters from book one, you're out of luck.   For my part, I believe that in a series there should be more than one person carried from one book to the next, or it becomes "The Adventures of..."

I also thought there was just too much unnecessary detail.  There was so much written about the satire, the crown, etc., for so many pages it just got tedious and slogged down the book.  (It's like reading a Dan Brown book - if you like his works, you will probably like this).  Yet we never learn much about the cult or the high council, or given any reasons as to why anyone would be drawn into it.  I wasn't really drawn to Greta; in fact, there was nothing to be drawn to.  She didn't have much of a personality and there wasn't anything about her that would make me want to spend time with her.  I did, however, enjoy the character of Tali, who was wise beyond her years.

Any of this notwithstanding, the book was well-written with the plot quite nicely thought out, giving the reader a story that combines fact with fiction, and the choice to believe if anything they have read has the possibility of being the truth.  I usually follow the rule of three, wherein I will read three books in a series before passing judgment, so hopefully the next one will make it all come together.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Killers-Guide-Works-Cameron-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01HFH7C7E/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30375243-a-killer-s-guide-to-good-works?from_search=true

More on Shelley Costa's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/shelley-costa/

Practical Sins for Cold Climates (A Val Cameron Mystery Book 1)

Author:  Shelley Costa
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Ebook

ISBN #: 9781943390441; 410; 9781943390410

Henery Press

282 Pages

$12.17; $15.95; $2.99 Amazon

January 26, 2016

Five Stars

When Val Cameron, a Senior Editor with a New York publishing company, is sent to the Canadian Northwoods to sign a reclusive bestselling author or risk losing her job, she is definitely out of her element.  Val is certain she can convince Charles Cable, but first she has to find him.  Aided by a float plane pilot whose wife was killed two years ago in a case gone cold, Val's hunt for the recluse becomes even more muddled.  When all signs point to Cable as the killer, she must work to clear his name before the scandal sinks her career.  Trapped in a wilderness lake community where livelihoods collide and a killer lurks, the prospect of running into a bear could be the least of Val's problems.

********

Valjean Cameron is a New York book editor who has been sent to Canada to get a signed contract from recluse Charles Cable before anyone else hones in.  Her boss Peter, really didn't give her a choice - get the contract or get a new job.  It doesn't help that she and Peter recently broke up, and Val believes they're "soulmates" and belong together - she figures it's only a matter of time before Peter figures it out.

What she's not happy about, though, is being in the north where she has no business being in the first place.  She knows nothing of woods, camping, or any other mysteries Canada has to offer, and she'd like to keep it that way.  After a rocky start and a lot of misgivings, she meets Wade Decker, Peter's friend and her guide to finding Cable, who comes and goes as he pleases.

What she also discovers is that Wade's wife Leslie Selkirk Decker, was killed two years ago in what at first seemed an accident, but others consider murder, since, on the surface, everyone loved her, right?  Only Val starts digging a little bit and finds out differently.  Wade tells her to leave it alone but Val, of course, doesn't.

What follows is Val's journey through the wilds of Canada to trap her elusive author and it's a jarring one for her - no fresh laundry, no comforts of home, everything she's been happy to avoid until now.  When she finally reaches her destination and is almost ready to go home, this is when she finds out the truth of Leslie's death - a truth that will hurt her very core.

This book is not just a murder mystery - it is a tale of secrets and lies, and how when kept too close to the chest can oftentimes lead to pain, betrayal, hurt, and a feeling that what one has lost in one human being can never be redeemed by another.  

To be honest, I didn't much care for the character of Val - she seemed shallow, self-serving, spoiled, and not the kind of woman I'd want to be friends with.  I never really felt that she loved Peter, only that she had an obsession of sorts about him, wanting to make him love her.  An adult realizes that you can't "make" anyone love you; but an obsessed person won't see this.  It didn't seem realistic that everything she did, she did for Peter.

There were redeeming qualities to the book that I enjoyed very much indeed, and they showed through:  Raw pain - from Carolyn regarding Martin; Charlie regarding Marcus; Wade regarding his late wife (in that he knew he'd been used); but no raw pain from Val regarding Peter.  That one bothered me a little bit.

However, the one thing that stands with me is the fact that there are many people who pass through our lives; those we know will stay a short time and those we know will stay forever.  When a man stands before you - naked under a waterfall, totally at peace with the world and with himself, you'd be a damned fool to walk away from that.  This is an act of sheer beauty; not nature vs. man, but with man, someone who's been through whatever the world throws at them and can still find life worthwhile.  Val would be an utter fool to allow him to leave her world.

As far as the mystery goes, it was interesting enough, and I liked the surprise ending.  It made the book come together well, and it helped that the characters were enough to make you care what happened to them.  Ms. Costa's portrayal of not just the solving of a murder, but the people left behind and their shattered lives speaks volumes.  As a start to a new series, this one does very well indeed.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Sins-Climates-Shelley-Costa/dp/194339041X/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1739879071

More on Shelley Costa's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/shelley-costa/

                                                                                       

Murder in G Major (A Gethsemane Brown Mystery Book 1)

Author:  Alexia Gordon
Genre:  Mystery

Paperback, Ebook
ISBN #:  9781635110579
Henery Press
268 Pages
$15.95; $2.99 Amazon
September 13, 2016

Four Stars

With few other options, African-American classical musician Gethsemane Brown accepts a less-than-ideal position turning a group of rowdy schoolboys into an award-winning orchestra.  Stranded without luggage or money in the Irish countryside, she figures any job is better than none.  The perk:  Housesitting a lovely cliffside cottage.  The catch?  The ghost of the cottage's murdered owner haunts the place.  Falsely accused of killing his wife (and himself), he begs Gethsemane to clear his name so he can rest in peace.  Gethsemane's reluctant investigation provokes a dormant killer and she soon finds herself in grave danger.  As Gethsemane races to prevent a deadly encore, will she uncover the truth or star in her own farewell performance?

********

Gethsemane Brown is a gifted musician who has recently been cheated out of a much-coveted position as an assistant conductor of a prestigious orchestra.  She has also arrived in Ireland with her luggage and money stolen, having accepted a position to turn unruly schoolboys into an orchestra the school can not only be proud of, but to win a trophy the school's not had for seventy-five years.

It is at least fortunate she's allowed to live at the cottage of her late idol, Eamon McCarthy.  What she doesn't count on, however, is that the late Mr. McCarthy is still living at the cottage...as a ghost.  When he realizes that Gethsemane can not only see him, but hear him, he pleads with her to solve his murder.  While it has been determined that he threw his wife off a cliff in a rage, and then committed suicide in remorse, Eamon vows this is not true.  At first Gethsemane refuses, but it it not too long before her curiosity gets the better of her and she agrees to help him.

When she begins digging into the past she finds inconsistencies regarding the investigation into the deaths of Eamon and his beloved wife Orla.  It's enough for her to try and convince the police that Eamon not only did not murder his wife, he did not commit suicide.  But the officer in charge of cold cases tells her to leave it be, since there's no physical evidence to back it up.  But as she keeps looking for ways to prove it was murder, it appears that there is at least one person who doesn't want her to discover it, and will go to any lengths to ensure she doesn't dig any deeper...

I enjoyed the book for the most part, with Gethsemane determined to find out the truth for Eamon as well as herself.  I also liked the fact that she asked questions without being too invasive, therefore making it believable that she was only asking in the reasoning of wanting to know more about the inhabitants of her present living quarters.

However, I didn't understand why she didn't have any money.  Was her purse stolen?  If not, why would you put money in your luggage, or even your carry on?  This doesn't scream "intelligent woman" to me.  The other things that bothered me about Gethsemane was the fact that she is written as strong, determined, self-willed, smart, brave, quick-witted, etc.  In other words, a Paragon Among Women.  She has a brilliant family (how many entire families do you know that are overachievers?)  She has no problem going where she isn't supposed to, and without fear.  She faces down people who wish to do her harm, without being nervous about the encounter.  I would think at least in a couple of situations there would have been trepidation or nervousness, but I saw none of that.  It made her appear almost robotic.  Having a strong female character is great, but not if it seems as if she's stepped out of a scientist's lab.  

I did feel that there should have been more descriptions of the characters, as I didn't feel that I got to know any of them very well.  But since this is the author's first book, I am hoping that we'll learn more as the series progresses. 

 Aside from this, I felt it was an interesting twist regarding the murderer (for we know there is one), and it all came together quite well.  I felt that the writing was sharp and the plot one that has a very interesting premise.  This, my friends, is a book you can sit down, get a cup of coffee or tea, and contentedly read into the night.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Major-Gethsemane-Brown-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01H42FOHK/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1730178052