The House on Hallowed Ground (A Misty Dawn Mystery #1)

Author:  Nancy Cole Silverman
Genre:   Mystery/Paranormal

Hardcover; Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781635------; 9781635115512
Henery Press Publishing
[Pages tba]
$31.95; $15.95; $---- Amazon
September 10, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Misty Dawn, a former Hollywood Psychic to the Stars, moves into an old craftsman house, she encounters the former owner, the recently deceased Hollywood set designer, Wilson Thorne.

Wilson is unaware of his circumstances, and when Misty explains the particulars of his limbo state, and how he might help himself if he helps her, he's not at all happy.  That is until young actress Zoey Chamberlain comes to Misty's door for help.

Zoey has recently purchased The Pink Mansion, a historic Hollywood Hills home, and believes it's haunted.  But when Misty arrives to search the house, it's not a ghost she finds, but a dead body.

The police are quick to suspect Zoey of murdering her best friend.  Zoey maintains her innocence and fears her friend's death may have been a result of the ghost...and a long-time family curse.

Together Misty and Wilson must untangle the secrets of The Pink Mansion or submit to the powers of the family curse.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Misty Dawn is a psychic who's helped both the police and the FBI solve crimes.  But since she never saved any money, she's currently living in her VW van with her cat, Bossypants.  On this day, however, she's given a chance at a real home.  One of her clients, realtor Denise Thorne, has offered to let her live in her late brother's home in exchange for regular readings.  With some misgivings, Misty decides there are more pros than cons and agrees to the arrangement.

What she doesn't expect though, is the fact that Wilson Thorne, who was a movie set designer, would still be living in the home.  Sort of.  Since he's a ghost and all.  And he doesn't want to share his space with Misty or especially her cat, since he's allergic.  However, Misty isn't afraid of ghosts, having dealt with them in the past, and she's not going anywhere.  So eventually they come to an uneasy truce, although Wilson isn't happy about it.

Then a young actress shows up at Misty's door; a young woman named Zoey - and Wilson already knows who she is.  Zoey is convinced her new home - nicknamed the Pink Mansion - is haunted, and she wants Misty to find out why the ghost is there.  When Misty is waffling about helping Zoey, Wilson convinces her to do so, and agrees to help, too.  Once Misty knows she's won in her battle with Wilson, she agrees.

But then she gets another visitor - Denise.  Wilson couldn't stand his sister in life, and he still can't, and wants Misty to get rid of her.  But Denise has just come from another psychic (she's a psychic junkie it seems), who told her she was going to meet an important man.  She takes this to mean that she's finally going to meet Hugh Jackman.  This is significant because poor deluded Denise believes that Mr. Jackman will meet her, realize they're soulmates and leave his wife.  When Misty refuses to be part of it, and actually tells her she's stalking him, Denise refuses to accept it.

The next day Misty goes to Zoey's and is surprised to see the place surrounded by police.  She discovers that Zoey's best friend Lacey accidentally drowned in the spa the night before.  After the police leave, she also meets her fiancé Chad, who has a band, and his bandmates Zac and Kelsey.  Then Zoey tells Misty that she thinks the ghost killed Lacey - who was not only her best friend, but her stunt double - because it thought she was Zoey, and now the ghost is out to kill her.

When Misty starts looking into the history of the house, she discovers that a four-year-old girl drowned there in 1943.  She knows a small child didn't kill Lacey and isn't out to kill Zoey, so now her curiosity gets the better of her and she's curious as to what's going on.  But Misty finds more than she's looking for, and none of it is good.  Now she needs to help Zoey, help the police find a killer, and help Wilson find out why he's still stuck in the human world...

This is the first book in a new series, and a very good start.  If anyone has read the Carol Childs series by the author, they will have remembered Misty Dawn as having shown up on Carol's doorstep one day, much as Zoey showed up on hers.  But then, Misty wasn't asking for help, she was there to help Carol (mostly against Carol's will), and help her get into a good place in her life.

Now Misty has her own beginning, and quite a delightful one.  I do love stories about ghosts (as long as they're not poltergeists), and I love it especially when they interact with the living.  In this, Ms. Silverman does not disappoint.  Wilson begins as quite an arrogant, curmudgeonly spirit who morphs not only through his association and friendship with Misty, but as he drops his earthly ties, he becomes more ethereal and caring about the earthbound people around him.  It is quite a transformation, and quite enthralling.

The story is written very well, and with plenty of things occurring around Misty, and it's wonderful to watch her 'read' the people around her to get to the core of it all.  Her ability to see and hear things others aren't aware of is the main charm of the story.  It draws you into the action, and the developing friendship between Misty and Wilson is indeed worth reading.

Watching Misty try to help those around her and help the police solve the murder of Lacey also brings her in contact with police detective Romero, who doesn't believe in ghosts or pretty much psychics, yet we see things change between them through the course of the book.

When we finally discover who killed Lacey and why, it's disturbing; but the way Misty puts it all together with the almost-blessing of Romero is fun to read, and even Wilson does his part, understanding at last what he needs to do to help someone else instead of thinking only of himself.

We watch as the characters of Misty and Wilson first circle each other in a battle of wills, then come to an uneasy truce, and finally to friendship and caring about each other.  Their characterizations are done beautifully, and I loved the fact that we watched them develop throughout the book.

Misty is quite a character on her own, having lived life on her own terms (as did Wilson), and she's comfortable in her own skin.  I felt that this was an outstanding introduction to the collaboration of Misty and Wilson, and I enjoyed it immensely. In this, Ms. Silverman has created an entertaining cast of characters that bring the story to life, and I find myself eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/House-Hallowed-Ground-Misty-Mystery/dp/163511554X/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2865570054

More on Nancy Cole Silverman's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/nancy-cole-silverman/

Murder in the Balcony (A Movie Palace Mystery #2)

Author:  Margaret Dumas
Genre:   Mystery

Hardcover' Trade Paperback
ISBN #:  9781635115352; 9781635115353
Henery Press Publishing
296 Pages
$31.95; $15.95 Amazon
September 24, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Classic movies, ghostly mischief, and murder!  Nora Paige is settling into her new life as manager of the Palace movie theater.  She only has a few things to worry about.  Like keeping the theater safely out of the clutches of an evil real estate developer, dealing with her staff of movie-obsessed misfits and their daily meltdowns, and hiding the fact that her new best friend Trixie is the ghost of an usherette who died in 1937.

It would also be helpful if she could figure out whether she wants to take her charming-but-cheating husband back.

But when someone close to the Palace is murdered, the only thing Nora really needs to worry about is finding the killer before they strike again.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Nora Paige is an ex-Hollywood wife who was dumped by her movie-star husband and moved to San Francisco to manage the Palace Theater, which shows classic Hollywood films.  She's decided to move out of her friend's cottage and buy her own home when she discovers that her almost-ex-husband is supposedly broke (not that she believes it for a minute).  But there are even worse things afoot:  her employee Callie's boyfriend Warren has been killed, and even though the police aren't saying, she thinks he might have been murdered.

Warren was a newly-minted real estate agent in the office of her realtor June Howard.  While everyone is stunned at the news, it's even more disturbing when they find out Callie wasn't the only girlfriend Warren had.  Now Nora learns that high-end real estate developer, Stan McMillan is trying to buy up their entire block, and she not only is panicking at the thought, she's wondering if he's the killer.  Since the lead detective won't tell her anything, she does a little investigating on her own.  Everything she finds points in his direction.  When someone else is gravely injured, she's positive she's on the right track.  But is she?  Or are there other clues but she's just not looking in the right direction?

First off, I'm going to say that I am a huge classic movie fan - in the sense that I don't watch any other movies.  I own thousands of them and can name any actor, any film, any plot, any year.  It's one of my superpowers.  So this book was made for me.  I loved all the references that Nora spouts at any given moment, and it actually enhances the plot of the book.

For you see, while Nora is still somewhat feeling sorry for herself - like the movies she references at the beginning of the book when she hasn't decided what to do about Ted, by the end of the book the movies reflect her feelings and the fact that she knows everything will be just fine.  It's a lovely nuance about life.

We also have returning - literally, from Colombia - the enigmatic Hector Acosta who is obviously interested in Nora but is allowing her time to figure out that she's interested in him.  Which she is.  But she's not ready to let him know how much.  It makes for a nice romance, the kind in classic movies, where romance was paramount.  I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

But back to the murder - now we have a cheating dead boyfriend, which makes it less tragic for Callie (although death is always sad), and Nora is convinced he was 'done in' by Stan but can't prove it.  So she assigns her ghost-in-residence, Trixie, to keep an eye on him during a real estate conference that's being held at the theater; and she does her job admirably, sticking with him like Velcro.  However, something happens that startles Trixie so much she temporarily disappears from Nora's life, and so she'll have to fly solo if she's going to get to the truth.

[For those who haven't read the first in the series (a true loss), Trixie is an usherette who was killed in the theater back in the 1930's and can't leave; she's thrilled that Nora can see and hear her.  The unfortunate thing is that Nora is also the only one who can see and hear her, which means she needs to keep it to herself so they don't have her committed.  Still, Trixie is an endearing character, forever trapped in the past as she knew it, trying to understand the present, and with a sparkling personality to boot.]

This is the second book in the series, and just as delightful as the first.  Nora is a hoot, with her witty banter (much of it to herself) that has me laughing throughout.  (It's a good thing that she's not saying aloud much of what she's thinking).  We've come to see a new side to grumpy Marty, and while I liked him in the first book, I'm glad to say he's still like that one sarcastic friend you have but don't spend a lot of time with, for obvious reasons.  He's warming up (reluctantly) to Nora, only because he thinks she almost knows as much as he does about classic movies.

When the ending comes and murderer is revealed, you realize just how far someone will go to achieve their ends - and how far they're willing to go still.  When it's finished, you can close the book and feel satisfied that everything is just the way it should be.  There's even a teaser (just a small one) that makes you realize the next book can't arrive too soon, and I loved reading it.

Ms. Dumas has spun a terrific tale of murder that nabs you from the moment you open the book and keeps you happy until the end.  Her characters are animated and believable, the plot nicely done and well-thought out, with just the right amount of clues to lead you where she wants you to go.

The descriptions of the theater are wonderful, making anyone who's ever been in an old, majestic theater long for the lost opulence and grandeur, when it was magical and exciting as you watched life on the screen.  For anyone who actually loves classic films this series is made to order.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Balcony-Movie-Palace-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07V58JRT2/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2841566282

More on Margaret Dumas's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/margaret-dumas/

The Subject of Malice (A Lila MlLean Mystery #4)

Author:  Cynthia Kuhn
Genre:   Mystery

Hardcover; Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781635115147;  9781635115116
Henery Press Publishing
248 Pages
$31.95; $15.95; $4.99 Amazon
July 23, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The organizers have rustled up plenty of surprises for the literary conference at Tattered Star Ranch.  But the murder of an influential scholar wasn't on the program - someone has clearly taken the theme of Malice in the Mountains to heart.  This shocking crime is only the beginning: Other dangers and deceptions are soon revealed.

English professor Lila Maclean has a full agenda:  She must convince a press to publish her book (possibly), ace her panel presentations (hopefully), and deal with her nemesis (regrettably).

However, when Detective Lex Archer requests Lila's academic expertise, she agrees to consult on the case.  While her contributions earn high marks from her partner, it could be too late; the killer is already taking aim at the next subject.

As Lila races to keep her colleagues alive, publish or perish takes on new meaning.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lila MacLean is an assistant professor of English at Stonedale University.  She's at the Malice in the Mountains literary conference, and while there is finally going to meet her publisher and discovers she's also up for an award.  But it's not going to be easy - her colleague and nemesis Simone Raleigh is there for the same reasons, and Lila discovers that Simone has a sister - Selene, who is Simone's twin.  They are alike in almost every aspect, right down to picking at Lila every chance they get. It doesn't help that the Raleighs seem to be friends with the publisher; and what's worse - she's just discovered that their own book proposal is on Isabella Dare.

Lila has been passionate about the author for as long as she can remember, and is writing a book on her.  But when the Raleighs decide that their own book will be comparing Charlotte Bronte's work to Isabella Dare's, she can hardly believe her ears.  It's obviously an attempt to undermine her, and she's furious, even though she's keeping her emotions in check.  She also knows that the Raleighs know she's been writing a book about Isabella since she works at the same university.

Later that night, Lila is asked to sit at the press table, along with her editor Meredith, and other members of the Fairlake University Press:  managing editor Richmond Haskin, Hanover Jones, computer expert, Ellis Gardner and Candace Slaten.  While all seems to be going well, there is a book signing, and Lila is joined by others in line.  But then she hears a scream...and discovers Meredith and Hanover bending over the body of Ellis, who appears to be dead.

Cue the arrival of Detective Lex Archer of Stonedale PD, who is also Lila's boyfriend and was at the conference to be with her.  Now he's on the job, and since it's an academic conference, he and the department need Lila's help.  It's not the first time she's helped the police, but it's the first time she's actually been added as a consultant, and she's giddy over it.

Then there's golden boy Flynn McMaster (gee, I love that name for some reason); an author who has taken both the book and film worlds by storm.  There's a new book coming out which focuses on his work - and is going to be published by her own house.  When Flynn is introduced as the keynote speaker, he decimates the book and the publisher, and everyone is stunned.

What later ensues can only be described as a disaster.  The press is trying to do damage control because of Flynn's unauthorized - and devastating - speech about the book; Lila sees Selene - an engaged Selene - coming out of Flynn's suite the morning after a party; Lila discovers another body; and she learns something about Lex that threatens their budding relationship.  Now Lila has to figure out how to get her book published before the twins and help find a killer who might kill again if they're not stopped...

I have always enjoyed Ms. Kuhn's books and this one, I am glad to say, was just as enjoyable as the others.  There is a lot going on, so you have to keep on your toes to pick up the clues as they come.  Although I didn't understand why Lila kept her emotions to herself (I'm not one to be a doormat for anyone), I am glad to say that her 'gumption' finally won out in the end.  Faced with everything that was happening, it was bound to, sooner or later.  Lila is a wonderful character; she's intelligent but not without insecurities which make her likable.

The story goes in several different directions from Lila's intense desire to get published so she will get tenure, to avoiding the Raleighs, to trying to find a killer.  Yet all threads come together in the end, and the journey is a gratifying one.  The mystery is done beautifully, and you never quite know who the killer might be until near the end, which is how it should be.

When all is said and done, the reasons for the murder is rather sad; yet there is a delicious surprise at the end which leaves us longing for more.  This was a captivating story that pulls the reader in quickly and keeps them absorbed throughout and I thoroughly loved it.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Subject-Malice-MacLean-Academic-Mystery/dp/1635115140/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2889566939

More on Cynthia Kuhn's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/cynthia-kuhn/

It's Your Party, Die If You Want To (A Liv and Di in Dixie Mystery #2)

Author:  Vickie Fee
Genre:    Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781496700643
Kensington Publishing
329 Pages
$7.99; $4.99 Amazon
September 27, 2016

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Between a riverboat gambler-theme engagement party and a murder mystery dinner for charity, Dixie, Tennessee, party planner Liv McKay is far too frenzied to feel festive.  Add to the mix her duties at the annual businesswomen's retreat and the antics of a celebrity ghost-hunting diva, and Liv's schedule is turning out to be the scariest thing about this Halloween - especially when the ladies stumble across a dead body in a cemetery...

Morgan Robison was a party girl with a penchant for married men and stirring up a cauldron of drama.  Any number of scorned wives or frightened philanderers could be behind her death.  As Liv and her best friend, Di, set out to dig up the truth, they'll face the unexpected and find their efforts hampered by a killer with one seriously haunting vendetta...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Liv McKay is an event planner in Dixie, Tennessee.  She's got her hands full with planning a riverboat-themed engagement party, a Halloween bash with three separate parties for children, teens, and adults; and is a member of a women's business association, which is giving her the most grief.

The president of the association is banker's daughter Morgan Robison, and she's nothing if not trouble.  She's enlisted Liv to be chauffeur/gofer for a local who's become a worldwide celebrity due to her ghost hunting show.  The diva, Lucinda Grable, treats everyone the same - like they're beneath her, so Liv, while annoyed, doesn't feel singled out.

But the first night of the retreat Morgan is murdered, and Liv is pretty sure it's poison from the horrific look on Morgan's face.  When another member is accused and arrested, Liv's friends try their hardest to convince her that the woman can't be guilty.  Now it's up to Liv and her best friend Di to try and find a killer who has no remorse and may not be done killing...

I really like this series, even though I haven't read them in order.  I was saddened to discover that it appears there isn't another available, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the author will keep writing them. 

Morgan was thoroughly unlikable with a penchant for married men and controlling everyone around her, so it's no surprise to anyone when she's murdered.  It seems nearly everyone had a reason, but finding the guilty party isn't an easy task, and not one Liv is happy about. 

The mystery was done very well, and I will say that while Liv's character is fully fleshed out, along with her family members, I just honestly don't care all that much for Di.  I get that she has a past she's not happy about, but she's a little too closed off to be interesting.  Basically all she does is work and drink, and help Liv in her 'escapades' (although to be fair, she does instigate one or two).  I would like to see her take control of her life and refuse to allow her past to define who she is right now.

Anyway, while there's plenty of suspects abounding, I was surprised at finding out the murderer.  We weren't privy to the truth until it actually came out, and that's always a good thing.  Liv's mother is a hoot and seems like the kind of woman you'd actually have fun with.  Liv herself has a happy marriage, is good at her job and with people, and her friends are interesting, to say the least.

When all is said and done, I've read every one of these, and I loved them all.  My only hope is that Ms. Fee continues with this series.  I'll be the first to buy the new book.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Party-Want-Dixie-Mystery/dp/1496700643/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2884244655

More on Vickie Fee's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/vickie-fee/

Ditched 4 Murder (A Sophie Kimball Mystery #2)

Author:  J. C. Eaton
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781496708571
Kensington Publishing
352 Pages
$7.19; $5.99 Amazon
November 28, 2017

⭐⭐⭐

 

Moving from Minnesota to Arizona was a big change for Sophie "Phee" Kimball.  She's much closer to her mother's retirement community now - which can drive her a little crazy, but at least her mom, Harriet, has her book club and her chiweenie dog, Streetman, to keep her company.  And now there's even more activity, with Aunt Ina's upcoming wedding.  The seventy-four-year-old bride has roped Phee into working on the tent, the pastries, and even her headpiece in preparation for the ceremony.  But it's Harriet who really gets demanding when a dead body turns up yards from her front door.

Aunt Ina's fiancé is acquainted with the victim - a local millionaire restaurateur murdered at the golf course.  Working for a private investigator, Phee is drawn into the case - not just professionally but personally, since Harriet is in a panic about her safety.  With a killer on the loose, Phee vows to figure out the plot - that is, if her side job as a wedding planner doesn't kill her first...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sophie "Phee" Kimball moved from Mankato, Minnesota's dreadful winters to sunny Arizona to work for a private investigator she's known for years.  In fact, when he was a police officer, she worked with him in the department, and he coaxed her to take a year off and see if she liked it enough to stay.

Her life is settling in nicely when she finds out her 74-year-old aunt Ina is getting married and needs her help.  Ina's aflutter with the wedding and wants Phee to help with the pastries.  But it doesn't end there.  Then she's roped into one more thing, and one more...

Her boss Nate has taken the case of a dead golfer that the police have deemed suspicious, and Phee discovers that  Ina's fiancé Louis knew the man. Then the chef who's catering the meal is murdered, and Phee stumbles across the body.  While that should be the end of it, it isn't.  When an item belonging to the chef turns up in Louis's garage and Louis goes missing, her aunt becomes frantic, the police are interested, her mother's getting hysterical, and all Phee wants to do is get sleep...

I read the first in the series and really liked it, even with Harriet being an overbearing mother.  But this second one, while amusing in the beginning, has begun to turn sour in the middle of the book.  Phee has no backbone.  None at all.

She's roped into helping with the wedding preparations, even though she doesn't want to - it begins as merely helping with the pastries and before she knows it everyone is coming to her to make decisions, because Ina is "just too unsettled" to do it herself.  What I get out of it is the fact her aunt wants to get married, has an idea of what she wants, but doesn't want to do anything to get there.

Phee won't tell anyone 'no'.  When her mother says jump, she asks 'how high?'  When her mother's friends call for help, she gives up her own private time to do as they ask.  When it got to the point that Aunt Ina woke her at 3 am and demanded she show up at Louis's home (regardless of the reason it could have been done after 10 pm and before midnight) - I was completely pissed.  Let someone - anyone - try that with me and see how far it goes.  She should have told her that she had a job and needed sleep, and wasn't going to do it.  She also should have told her that to take her mind off of Louis being gone she could take over planning her own wedding.  But she didn't.

I honestly had to put the book down after this.  You read to enjoy, to relax - and it's difficult to relax when you're disgusted with the characters in a book.  I didn't even care who the murderer was at this point; I just wanted to see Harriet and Ina falling off a cliff.  Seriously.  I needed time to decide if I wanted to continue with this book, because I absolutely detest women who have no backbone.

I was so perturbed I just wanted the book to end.  I also wanted Phee to go back home and get away from her family.  You've heard of mama's boys?  Well, Phee is a mama's girl.  And that's not a good thing.  Not only when her mother and aunt tell her to do stuff, but her mother's friends, she does them - even when she has plans of her own.  How spineless is this woman?  Also, how do all these women have Phee's number - they're not relatives! - and why are they calling her for problems?  They should be calling Ina, not expecting Phee to be their personal emissary and wedding planner.  Are they all like Harriet, expecting Phee to do things for them with no return? 

Truthfully, I can't stand her mother nor her aunt.  What kind of people are they that they're treating Phee like she's a slave?  What nice things have they done for her?  As a matter of fact, what have Harriet's friends ever done for Phee that's nice?  What does Phee's mother do that shows she loves Phee?  Nothing.  She treats her like unpaid help.  Is this supposed to be hilarious?

After writing down these thoughts, I decided to let the comments stand (I've never been shy about the truth) and finish the book.  I will say that while I don't like any of these obnoxious people - who, I believe, are supposed to be hilarious as "old people" - I am glad I finished it.  Once we got to the day of the wedding the real plot finally picked up.  I say 'real' because most of the plot centered on Ina's wedding that she wasn't doing anything for and Phee having to take care of it because obviously, these people are all afraid of Ina going off the deep end and have no problem pushing everything onto her niece.  This is not humorous, it only shows that these women are not people you'd want to spend any time with for fear they'd have you walking their dogs or taking out their trash.  Luckily, I know older people who are a real delight to be around; they can handle problems on their own.

Anyway, once we got to the gist of the story - the wedding - things started to come together and add up.  Phee and her boss Nate are lucky enough to be around when the truth comes out, and even though the wedding turns out to be a disaster (you'll see if you haven't read the book; it's another episode that's supposed to be funny but really isn't) it all ends well and Phee can get back to her life and relax for awhile. 

All in all, it wasn't a bad story and I will probably read the next just to see if Phee ever stands up to her mother or remains an invertebrate.  A decent story (if frustrating) that can be read in an evening.

https://www.amazon.com/Ditched-Murder-Sophie-Kimball-Mystery/dp/1496708571/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2150282052

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

A Dark and Stormy Murder (A Writer's Apprentice Mystery #1)

Author:  Julia Buckley
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Audio CD; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780425282601; 9781977353177
Berkley Publishing
304 Pages
$7.99; $22.81; $7.99 Amazon
July 5, 2016

⭐

Camilla Graham's bestselling suspense novels inspired Lena London to become a writer, so when she lands a job as Camilla's new assistant, she can't believe her luck.  Not only will she help her idol craft an enchanting new mystery, she'll get to live rent-free in Camilla's gorgeous Gothic home in the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana.

But Lena's fortune soon changes for the worse.  First, she lands in the center of small-town gossip for befriending the local recluse.  Then, she stumbles across one thing that a Camilla Graham novel is never without - a dead body, found on her new boss's lakefront property.

Now, Lena must take a page out of one of Camilla's books to hunt down clues in a real crime that seems to be connected to the novelist's mysterious estate - before the killer writes them both out of the story for good...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lena London is a recent grad-school graduate with no job, no boyfriend, and nothing to look forward to.  That is, until her friend Allison calls her and tells her that Lena's idol, writer Camilla Graham, is in her knitting class and needs an assistant.  Lena is over the moon, and after a telephone interview with the author, is hired on the spot.

But Lena's not going to find it all peaches and cream.  She meets a reclusive, rude neighbor, and later on finds a dead body on the beach in front of Camilla's home.  Now she's stuck in the middle of a murder investigation and wondering what it is that makes the neighbor so attractive to her.  But will she find out before the killer finds her?...

I should have known right away about this book when the author (no offense intended) mentioned she loved Mary Stewart books.  Mary Stewart, for those who do not know, wrote Gothic mysteries.  To wit:  a young, innocent woman stumbles into suspense and terror, and there is always a dark, brooding stranger that's hiding secrets but turns out to be 'the one' when All Is Discovered.

So...this is just like that.  The 'dark, brooding stranger' turns out to be Sam West, who may or may not be married because his wife just...disappeared, and everyone in town (including the hunky Chief of Police) think he's guilty.  So of course, Lena decides that romance with Sam would be so much better than the upstanding, cute, loyal, Doug.  Why would you even get involved with someone who might still have a wife somewhere?  Lena is stupid.

Not to mention, Sam was extremely rude to her when they met.  That's his personality.  If a man has it in him to be nasty to a perfect stranger (regardless of his past) then who's to say he's not going to snap at you at some point in the future?  No thanks.  I also didn't like Sam at all.  Doug seemed so much nicer, and more realistic.

Unfortunately, I lost interest in the book right about the time Lena is having breakfast in a crowded cafe and Sam, seeing she's alone, just goes over to her table and sits with her, knowing how the town feels about him.  For some reason he doesn't care that she's new in town, and association with him could taint her with the same brush (if these people are that nasty, they would think the worst of her, too).

Also, why were people calling everyone else by their first and last names?  Did the author need the word count?  It got annoying fast.  Since there was only one Sam and one Lena, did she think we’d get them confused with other characters?  One can only hope Sam’s wife comes back and they move somewhere else, but I don’t think so.  I’m honestly sorry I even started this book.  There’s two hours of my life I’ll never get back.  

But the worst part was - this is the first in the series and the author ends on a cliffhanger!  Or as I call it, holding the reader hostage.  It’s as if authors think they won’t sell the second in the series if they don’t do this.  This isn’t a TV show where you can see what happens next week - it’s a freaking book, and you might have to wait a year to see what happens.  Then, what’s to stop the author from doing it in the next book?  Or the next?  Nope.  I not only won’t read any more in this series, I won’t read any of the author’s other series, either.  Once you pull the 'you-have-to-buy-the-next-book-to-find-out-what-happens' at the end of a book, you’ve lost this reader for good.

Luckily, I don’t care enough about the characters to even care what happens to them.  Lena's an immature idiot (throwing nuts at Doug because she's upset?); Sam's boring and too broody, Camilla's only there as a plot point, and the poor cat Lestrade is just there - Lena spends very little time with him, and he has practically no reason to be in the book at all.  The only one remotely interesting is Doug, who's halfway intelligent, and Lena’s too dumb to figure it out.

https://www.amazon.com/Stormy-Murder-Writers-Apprentice-Mystery/dp/0425282600/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2873042271

More on Julia Buckley's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/julia-buckley/

Murder By the Book (A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #1)

Author:  Lauren Elliott
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Audio CD; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781496720191; 9781977365217
Kensington Publishing
286 Pages
$7.99; $16.50; $5.99 Amazon
October 30, 2018

⭐

Addie Greyborne loved working with rare books at the Boston Public Library - she even got to play detective, tracking down clues about mysterious old volumes.  But she didn't expect her sleuthing skills to come in so handy in a little seaside town...

Addie left some painful memories behind in the big city, including the unsolved murder of her fiancé and her father's fatal car accident.  After an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt, she's moved to a small New England town founded by her ancestors back in colonial times - and living in spacious Greyborne Manor, on a hilltop overlooking the harbor.  Best of all, her aunt also left her countless first editions and other treasures - providing an inventory to start her own store.

But there's trouble from day one, and not just from the grumpy woman who runs the bakery next door.  A car nearly runs Addie down.  Someone steals a copy of Alice in Wonderland.  Then, Addie's friend Serena, who owns a nearby tea shop, is arrested - for killing another local merchant.  The police seem pretty sure they've got the story in hand, but Addie's not going to let them close the book on this case without a fight...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Addie Greyborne moves from Boston to a small town after a couple of tragedies in her life.  First, her fiancé David is murdered, then her father has a fatal car accident, and she believes it wasn't really an accident.  It seems fortuitous when she receives an inheritance from a recently deceased relative and is given the means to move away.

After finding many rare editions and used books in the Victorian home she's inherited, she decides to open a bookstore.  But on her first day, her back door has nearly been forced open, someone has taken a copy of Alice in Wonderland (non-valuable), there's a car following her, she's nearly run down, and someone breaks into her home.  The 'accidents' don't stop, either.  Her keys go missing, a car is parking in her driveway at night...well, you get the idea.  She's also met two of her new business neighbors, one doesn't like her and the other, Serena, takes to her immediately.

It seems someone in this town wants her gone, and even if the police don't take it seriously (they think it's just "coincidences"), she knows it's true.  It doesn't help when Serena is arrested for murder, and Addie knows her new friend couldn't be guilty so is determined to find the killer.  But with someone obviously out to get her, will she have time to prove Serena's innocence?

I really wanted to like this book because I thought the premise sounded good.  But it's never good if you fall asleep out of boredom while reading...during the middle of the day.  Yeah.  It's unfortunate, but there it is.

First, I don't understand why the police couldn't put two and two together about David and her father.  One murdered and another has a fatal accident a short time later?  Her father was run off the road.  There would be indications he didn't leave the roadway voluntarily, and the police should have noticed that right away.  But they didn't.  Then, her business and her home is vandalized, and there's a car watching her every move.  The police should have found this odd.  But they didn't.

Then, when Serena was arrested, Marc, the chief of police, should have turned the case over to someone else, because he was her brother.  But he didn't.  Addie had a rich relative in a town named after her family, and she should have known something about her heritage.  But she didn't.  It seems to me there are an awful lot of "didn't's" in this story.

Also, why didn't (there's that word again) Addie know any of the other business owners?  She never went and introduced herself?  She also didn't spend any time at her business, so how did she stay open?  She was always off doing something else.  I also thought Addie was unlikable.  With all the tragedy in her life, she acted like she wasn't grieving at all.  It had been a short time and she was just going to move on with her life, even be ready for a new romance.  This didn't ring true.

When Addie explains to Marc how Blain must have died, and that Serena couldn't have committed the murder, it makes sense.  So I have to wonder - again - why the DA's office and the investigating officers couldn't have figured this out and realized that Serena must have been telling the truth.  No DA's office worth their salt would have prosecuted her if the defending attorney could show how ridiculous it looks in a court of law (and, after reading it, it does sound ridiculous).

Honestly, I got as far as the petition to revoke her business license because 'she brought crime with her' and threw up my hands.  What kind of morons live in this town?  Not even the criminals were very smart - they couldn't find what they'd been looking for, but Addie found it almost immediately after thinking about it for a few minutes. 

In the end, I feel I need to say it:  1) if you see someone looking at where you put the keys to your shop, don't leave them there again.  2) if someone is breaking into your home/business, get the locks changed.  Now.  Install a security system.  Today.  3) Keep your phone charged - if you can see a car, you can probably take a picture of it to show the police.  Shouldn't someone from the "Big City" have more common sense than this?  She sure didn't. 

All in all, this isn't a series I will be seeking out again.  Unfortunately I read it.  I wish I didn't.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Bookstore-Mystery-Lauren-Elliott/dp/1496720199/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2871841582

More on Lauren Elliott's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/lauren-elliott/