Unlucky Charms (A Superstition Mystery Book 3)

Author:  Linda O. Johnston
Genre:  Mystery

Paperback; Ebook
ISBN #:  9780738745558
Midnight Ink Publishing
288 Pages
$14.99; $7.99 Amazon
October 8, 2016

Four Stars

Rory Chasen, manager of the Lucky Dog Boutique in Destiny, California, hopes her new line of good-luck doggy toys will be a hit, especially the stuffed rabbits with extra-large feet.  The timing of the line's debut proves ill-fated, though, as several local shops - including Rory's - are ransacked and vandalized with spilled salt and other unlucky charms.

The most likely culprit is disgruntled real estate agent Flora Curtival, whose issues with the town give her a motive.  But after Flora is murdered and one of Rory's toy rabbits is found with the body, Rory needs all the luck she can get while trying to determine just who killed the superstitious vandal.

********

Rory Chasen moved to Destiny, California after her fiance Warren stepped under a ladder and was killed.  In her grief, she wanted to find some reason why; if there was any truth to the superstition that to do so was bad luck.  Destiny, it seems, is a virtual haven of a town for superstitious people.  All the shops sell items that are rumored to be lucky, and the inhabitants never miss an opportunity to cross their fingers or knock on wood to protect themselves from bad luck.  It's even become a tourist destination due to its reputation.  Now Rory's so taken with the town that she's decided to stay.

But she isn't happy at the moment because a pushy real estate agent, Flora Curtival, seems to be stalking her, trying to get Rory and her friend Gemma into a new home and out of the B&B in which they currently reside.  Although Rory intends to move eventually, she isn't in the market for a new home at present, but Flora won't take no for an answer.

Also, while the people in Destiny think it's bad luck to discuss it, Rory learns that several of the local businesses have been vandalized - some of their merchandise has disappeared and unlucky symbols left in place.  She discovers this first hand when she arrives one morning at the shop she manages, The Lucky Dog, to find that all the new 'lucky dog' merchandise she's designed and just stocked has been stolen, with unlucky symbols such as spilled salt, all over the shop.

When Flora is found murdered, and Rory's stolen dog toys strewn about, she becomes the chief suspect in the murder, especially since Flora had especially singled her out for revenge; and it doesn't help that she's having a hard time figuring out the murderer because everyone believes it is bad luck to talk about it.  Plus, with her relationship with police chief Justin Halbertson heating up, Rory is determined to find the killer and get her life back on track.  But since it appears - at least to her - that she's the only suspect, she enlists the help of the owners of the local newspaper to assist her in a covert operation to find the real killer and get him - or her - to confess to the crime before Rory's luck runs out...

The premise of this series is interesting, and is why I began reading it.  While it makes for an interesting idea - the town of Destiny is full of residents that are truly superstitious - I don't believe it's realistic, at least not to the point that these residents are; they go out of their way to avoid anything that might bring them bad luck, and everything Rory thought came back to a superstition, even as she was proclaiming that she wasn't sure she believed in them or not.

However, this was a quick, enjoyable read that had a steady flow and I was able to finish it in one sitting.    Everything came together nicely at the end, and it was completely satisfactory, making for a decent mystery.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Unlucky-Charms-Superstition-Mystery-Johnston/dp/0738745553/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1788129142

More on Linda O. Johnston's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/j/linda-o-johnston/

Dangling by a Thread (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery, Book 4)

Author:  Lea Wait
Genre:  Mystery

Paperback; Ebook
ISBN#:  9781496706263
Kensington Publishing
304 Pages
$7.99; $5.99 Amazon
October 25, 2016

Four Stars

The Mainely Needlepointers are about to learn that no man is an island - especially when greedy developers want his land...

Hermit Jesse Lockhart lives alone on King's Island, three miles east of Haven Harbor, Maine, where he's created a private sanctuary for the endangered Great Cormorants.  But when a wealthy family wants to buy the island and Jesse's cousin Simon petitions for power of attorney to force him to sell, Jesse is the one who becomes endangered.

Mainely Needlepointer Dave Perry, who befriended Jesse in the VA hospital, rallies the group to his defense.  Angie Curtis and the ravelers stitch "Save the King's Island Cormorants" pillows and sell T-shirts to pay for Jesse's legal counsel.  But tragically, on a visit to the island, Angie finds Jesse dead.  Now the search is on for a common thread that can tie the murdered man to his killer...

********

Angie Curtis has recently returned to Haven Harbor, Maine from Arizona, where she worked as an assistant to a private investigator.  She's currently living in the home where she grew up, once belonging to her grandmother, who has recently married the local pastor.  She's also inherited the running of Mainely Needlepointers, a business her grandmother began with other Mainers.

One morning while watching the boats in Haven Harbor, she sees a small skiff enter the harbor and its lone occupant walk toward town.  Angie, her curiosity getting the better of her, eventually finds out a little about him from Dave Percy:  his name is Jesse Lockhart, he lives alone on a local island, but Dave won't tell her any more, so she decides to drop the subject.

When Angie and another needlepointer, Ruth, are having dinner at Dave's home the next evening, Jesse shows up unannounced and nearly frantic.  He tells them that someone said he had to sell his island, which will also disturb the nesting grounds of the Great Cormorant, which is a threatened species.  It seems that the island was left to both Jesse and his cousin Simon, and Jesse fears that Simon wants to sell and will force him to do so also.

Wanting to help Jesse, the Needlepointers decide they will enlist help from anyone they can (including the Audubon Society) to keep the island from being sold to the rich tourist who wants to

buy it to build a home.  But when Angie and Dave go to the island to warn Jesse about something they discovered, Jesse, not recognizing Dave right away, shoots him with an arrow, and Dave has to be taken back to the mainland immediately for treatment.

When a local police officer informs Angie that Jesse will have to be brought in for questioning, she insists on going along, but when they arrive at the island they find Jesse dead.  Not too long after that it is discovered that Jesse was murdered; it appears someone didn't want to wait for the island to be sold, but who?  There's plenty of suspects - was it Jesse's cousin Simon, local real estate agent Jed Fitch, or Gerry Bentley, the tourist who wanted the island?  With Dave in the hospital and Jesse dead, Angie's determined to find the killer...

This is the fourth book in the Mainely Needlepoint series, and the needlepointers (Angie, Anna, Dave, Ruth, Sarah)are back again.  When they are told of the trouble regarding Dave, Jesse's only friend, they band together in a campaign to save the Great Cormorants, a threatened species.  But they also find that not everyone thinks the birds are worth saving - others thinking they could just as easily find nesting grounds elsewhere - including Gram's new husband, Reverend Tom, who believes an influx of wealthy residents could be good for the town and with the everyone divided, Angie will have to be careful in her questioning if she isn't to raise suspicions.

While Angie's love life is still pretty much up in the air, it appears that there is one or two possibilities that will be interesting to watch as they develop; yet Angie is a strange bird who doesn't seem sure of herself at all - trying to decide if wearing eye shadow is "too much".  (Which begs the question that if she thinks eye shadow is too much, then do any of the Haven Harbor women wear makeup?  It seems odd that the entire female population of a town would eschew trying to look their best).  For myself, I like to see that female protagonists wear makeup rather than just throwing on lip gloss.  (Does anyone except preteens even wear lip gloss?)  But this is just my opinion, and I digress...

I enjoyed reading this book so much that I read it in one sitting; the mystery was well-written and the pieces were woven nicely together, giving the characters more depth than they had in previous books, which is always nice to see.  I do love the descriptions of the Maine coast; the harbor, the boats, the sea air; it really makes me want to make a trip Down East, and soon.  This book is more about others pitching together when a tragedy strikes, but I didn't feel it detracted at all from the murder.  When we finally find the identity of the killer and the reason that Jesse was murdered, it all seems so sad, somehow; convoluted beliefs that led to murder.  However, it gave a satisfying ending to the book, and I look forward to reading the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496706269/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1784742136

More on Lea Wait's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/lea-wait/

Send in the Clowns (The Country Club Murders Book 4)

Author:  Julie Mulhern
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Audio CD; Ebook
ISBN #:  9781635110845; 9781635110814; 9781515963684
Henery Press
246 Pages
$31.95; $15.95; $29.99; $6.99 Amazon
October 25, 2016

Five Stars

Haunted Houses are scary enough without knife-wielding clowns.  Especially murderous knife-wielding clowns.  So thinks Ellison Russell, single mother, artist and reluctant sleuth.  Now death wears a red nose and Ellison is up to the blood-stained collar of her new trench coat in costumes, caffeine, and possible killers.  Who stabbed Brooks Harney?  And why?  Money?  Jealousy?  Drugs?  With Mother meddling, her father furious, and her date dragged downtown for questioning, turns out Ellison's only confidante is Mr. Coffee.

********

Ellison Russell is a widowed artist who lives in a suburb of Kansas City and belongs to the wealthy Country Club set of the 1970's.  One night around Halloween her daughter Grace doesn't come home from an outing to a haunted house with friends, so she decides to go look for Grace herself.  But during her excursion into the frightful place, she comes across a clown holding a bloody knife, who not only stumbles toward her, but appears to know her, calling her name and asking for help.  When he collapses in front of her, the knife falling from his hand, it is only then she realizes that he is dying.  Glancing up, she sees another clown, also armed, and he is heading her way.  She is saved only by a group of girls who have entered the haunted house, and makes her way into the center of the circle, thereby saving herself.

Shaken, she calls Detective Anarchy Jones, who believes her even when they return to the room and find no body.  But it is only a day or later when the body of Brooks Harney is discovered floating in a river.  Brooks, it seems, is the lost black sheep of a wealthy local family who has apparently given him up ever since he became hooked on drugs and stole jewelry from them.  What Ellison soon finds out, however, is that Brooks was apparently turning his life around - intending to graduate college and go into social work when he was killed.  

But who wanted him dead, and why?  That, literally, is the million dollar question.  Was it his brother Robbie, who wanted nothing to do with him?  His mother, who blames him for another child's death?  His apparent widow, who wants his inheritance?  Or someone else who just hasn't been discovered yet?  While Ellison is trying to stay away from the situation it isn't easy - especially when three blood spattered business cards were found in the pocket of the trench coat she was wearing at the time - and one of them belongs to Hunter Tafft, an attorney who is also a trusted friend and suitor.  When Ellison realizes that Brooks must have put the cards in her pocket when he fell on her, she chooses to keep Hunter's card - turning the two others over to Detective Jones.

Yet there are more surprises in store: when Ellison attends the Brooks' funeral, she discovers that the young man had a wife, a shrew named Stormy who is intending to stick around until she receives a supposed inheritance, and is under the mistaken impression that Ellison can obtain it for her; Ellison's father is having a rare argument with her (he thinks she needs a man to manage her) that has her wound up; her mother tells her with a change of attitude she can avoid finding dead bodies; and Anarchy Jones and Hunter Tafft are in fighting form as they vie for her attentions.

Even when Ellison tries to stay out of the investigation, she keeps getting pushed back in - but it isn't until Ellison decides to make a decision she's been avoiding for awhile that she begins to put the pieces together which will not only solve one puzzle, but may bring her face to face with a cold-blooded killer to solve a murder...

Once again, Ms. Mulhern has given us another delightful entry in this series; and just as delightful is the fact that the books keep getting better every time.  The characters keep evolving, as well they should, and we learn more about them with every volume.  In fact, it is a testament to the writing talent of Ms. Mulhern that her characters are so believable that even I would have a hard time choosing between either Tafft or Jones - but it sure is fun trying to figure out which one she'll eventually end up with - and even if it isn't doing her insides and her brain any good at all to waffle between them, I love reading about it.

As always, when the murderer is finally revealed and the questions are all answered, it comes a surprise, amid quite a clever plot.  There are hints throughout, but hidden nicely and not easy to find, which gives us a very good mystery indeed.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Send-Clowns-Country-Club-Murders/dp/1635110815/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1782738197

More on Julie Mulhern's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/julie-mulhern/

Michelangelo's Ghost (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery #4)

Author:  Gigi Pandian
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Audio CD; Ebook
ISBN #: 9781635110722; 9781635110692; 9781515951469
Henery Press
288 Pages
$28.83; $15.95; $29.99; $6.99 Amazon
October 4, 2016

Five Stars

A lost work of art linking India to the Italian Renaissance.  A killer hiding behind a centuries-old ghost story.  And a hidden treasure in Italy's macabre sculpture garden known as the Park of Monsters...When Jaya's old professor dies under eerie circumstances shortly after discovering manuscripts that point to a treasure in Italy's Park of Monsters, Jaya and her brother pick up the trail.  From San Francisco the heart of Italy, Jaya is haunted by the a ghost story inexorably linked to the masterpieces of a long-dead artist and the deeds of a modern-day murderer.  Untrustworthy colleagues, disappearing boyfriends, and old enemies - who can Jaya trust when the ghost wails?

********

History professor Jaya Jones is preparing for finals week at university when she receives a cryptic email from her ex-mentor, Professor Lilith Vine.  Lilith, it seems, isn't highly thought of in the academic world - she had an early historical discovery when she was in her twenties and has been chasing the ghost ever since trying to recreate that notoriety - but it backfired when she continued to seek out fame and glory; two things that never again materialized in her career.  When she left the university for a smaller one, she wanted Jaya to go with her, but Jaya listened to other faculty and turned her down, leaving her feeling guilty about the encounter.  Now, though, she believes the least she can do is visit Lilith and find out what all the secrecy is about.

When she arrives at Lilith's home, she finds nothing much has changed - Lilith, you see, is a functioning alcoholic, and Jaya is skeptical about the story she's telling her regarding a Renaissance painter's hidden artwork - until she sees the sketchbooks.  Sketchbooks from the 16th century, written in the hand of Lazzaro Allegri, an artist who may have been Michelangelo's protege.  Lilith, who is not in good health, traveled to Italy to discover more information and has passed what she has learned onto Jaya, in hopes that she will continue to find the truth:  that Lazzaro traveled from Italy to India and applied Renaissance painting techniques to Indian subjects.  What Lilith wants her to do is travel to Italy and try to find Lazzaro's hidden studio, and hopefully what remains of his artwork.

Jaya, of course, agrees to go once she sees the sketchbooks and other information Lilith has gathered.  But she's not going alone...her brother Mahilan "Fish", has arrived in San Francisco to visit her with his new girlfriend Ava in tow, and they've decided to take the vacation with her.  Their destination is Bomarzo, Italy, to the Park of Monsters, where the studio is supposedly hidden.  The Park of Monsters (very real) was created by an Italian in honor of his late wife (although I don't believe I'd want such an 'honor' created for me) and from what Lilith has already discovered, is where the studio is hidden.

But finding the treasure - if it exists - isn't going to be easy.  The park has been transformed into an an amusement park of sorts, so getting into it after hours might be tricky.  Then there's the legend of the ghost that haunts the grounds - when it rains, you can hear the wails of an Italian woman who mourns the loss of her dead husband; so much so that the locals believe the history and refuse to go anywhere near where the ghost walks.  But when Jaya, Mahilan and Ava hear the wails themselves, they're not so sure the legend isn't true.

It also doesn't help that Jaya hasn't been able to reach Lane and let him know where she is, and she discovers there's a fourth sketchbook, but it too has disappeared.  With two disappearances, the appearance of an elusive thief and a ghost warning them away from the area, Jaya still remains determined to find the hidden studio.  But when the stakes are raised and it seems that there's a killer on the loose, a killer who might have murdered Lilith Vine and now be after Jaya, just how far will she be willing to go to find an elusive treasure?

There are a couple of subplots woven into the tale:  we learn a little more about Mahilan throughout the story, some of which is quite amusing; his new relationship with Ava, who could be "the one" (but Jaya is still on the fence regarding this); Jaya's own relationship with the elusive Lane Peters, whom she obviously adores but isn't sure if they have a future, and the 'Hindi Houdini' Sanjay, Jaya's best friend (who obviously adores her).  Somewhere in this group I've mentioned there is a secret that could bode for either good or bad in the long run...

Ms. Pandian has once again given us a fascinating tale.  Michelangelo's Ghost is full of adventure and intrigue, carrying us to the small town of Bomarzo in central Italy, to the fantastical Park of Monsters and blended it with a fictional story of a wailing ghost that haunts the park and lost art; it is masterful and compelling and pure delight to read.  Her characters are fleshed out and highly believable, her mixture of historical fact and fiction is superb, and, as in all good mysteries, the further we get into the tale, the more the suspense grows.  As always, Ms. Pandian does not disappoint; she is a writer who knows her craft well and is able to spin a tale that pulls one in immediately and keeps them entertained throughout.

When we reach the end of the tale, everything falls into place, as well it should.  There was indeed a murderer, and not one that would have been suspected under any circumstances, giving us a satisfying end to a highly realistic mystery.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Michelangelos-Ghost-Jones-Treasure-Mystery/dp/1635110696/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1777525317

More on Gigi Pandian's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/gigi-pandian/

Death of a Toy Soldier: A Vintage Toyshop Mystery

Author:  Barbara Early
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Ebook
ISBN #:  9781629538389
Crooked Lane Books
304 Pages
October 11, 2016

Five Stars

Liz McCall grew up in a playful winter wonderland but it was never her dream to manage her father's vintage toyshop.  However, after he sank his entire police pension into the business, someone needed to help him turn his dreams into reality - and keep him from sneaking off to patrol the not-so-mean streets of East Aurora, NY.

The mood goes from nice to naughty when a nervous man, who was trying to have his antique toys appraised, is found in the shop with a lawn dart through his chest.  Suddenly, Liz's business plan is plunged into deep freeze, while she and her father find themselves toying with a cold-blooded killer who's playing for keeps.

Now, it looks like Christmas might be cancelled for the neighborhood kids if Liz can't wrap up the case.

********

Liz McCall is gearing up for the holidays, working in the toy shop her father owns, Well Played.  Her father Hank is the ex-chief of police of East Aurora, New York; having had to retire due to a near-fatal gunshot wound.  This, however, hasn't kept him from his habit of occasionally sneaking out to maintain law and order in their small town.  So much so, that the new current chief of police, Ken Young, has deputized him.

One evening a nervous stranger arrives bearing an old cardboard box of vintage toys, asking if he can get an appraisal.  When it's discovered Hank has sneaked out once again, Liz convinces the man to leave the toys for her father, who can assess their true worth.

Several nights later Liz is awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a crash coming from the store, which is below the apartment she and her father reside in.  When she goes to investigate she finds her father, disoriented and stumbling, with blood on his head and discovers a gruesome sight:  the dead body of the man who had brought the toys to them earlier - stabbed with one of their own lawn darts.  To make matters worse, the box of toys seem to have disappeared from the store.

But identifying the man isn't going to be easy, since he was found with no identification and other problems arise that make it difficult.  Questions abound, including the fact that it appears her father didn't even know the man, and not the least withstanding of why her father was meeting with him in the late evening hours.  Knowing her father's innocence, even if Chief Young may think he's suspect, Liz is determined to prove this fact by whatever means possible.

When they are finally able to identify the man they also find his employer, the the true owner of the missing toys - yet he, too, is recently deceased, and this only complicates things - because now her ex-boyfriend, Jack Wallace becomes involved, since the second dead man was his uncle and it leads to even more questions.  Why did the man killed in their shop have the toys in the first place?

She gets help from her father, of course, but also from a pair of elderly sisters who live next door to the deceased and who might know more than they've let on; a newcomer who turns out to be a ghost hunter; and her ex-boyfriend who might just still be interested in Liz - or could just be interested in the fact of finding the killer before his own mother becomes a suspect...

What a delightful introduction to a new series.  Liz McCall is a level-headed, thirty-something woman who moved in with her father to care for him after his accident and stayed on to manage the toy shop her father owns.  She's joined by her sister-in-law Cathy, who writes bad poetry and can't cook, but has a good heart and only wants the best for Liz; and I found the scene where Liz and her father are discreetly trying to 'dispose' of Cathy's experiments in the kitchen quite humorous.

We are also given some of Liz' and her brother Parker's background: growing up with a police officer father, who was absent at times, and an alcoholic mother, which explains why Liz is so protective of her dad.  Then there is Jack, her ex-boyfriend who seems to want to be a part of her life again, and Chief Young, who also appears to be intrigued by Liz.  It will be interesting to see where this takes the story line in future books.  (It must run in the family because her father is no slouch in this area, either).

The plot was different and quite involved: a dead man who wasn't who he said he was, a box of missing toys, greedy relatives, ghost hunters, and no lack of suspects with possible motives.  It gives a whole new meaning to the idea of people fighting over toys, and this time someone comes to a deadly end.

When we finally discover the identity of the killer, it comes as a bit of a surprise, but that's what a mystery is supposed to be all about.  The ending is gratifying and it makes sense, leaving no unanswered questions.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Toy-Soldier-Vintage-Toyshop/dp/1629538388/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1775692147

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/