The Ghost and Lady Alice

Author: Marion Chesney
Genre: Historical Romance

2 Stars

Alice Lovesey is a  16-year-old innocent servant girl who is being sexually pursued by one of her employers.  One night she sees a portrait of the deceased Eighth Duke of Haversham and makes a wish that she could change her life.  She somehow, through that wish, brings the duke back as a ghost.

At first the ghost refuses to help her, then, on a whim, he decides he will not only help her to escape, but also help her find her way to an advantageous marriage, by 'reinventing her' as someone else. He succeeds in this to such an extent that he, himself, begins to fall in love with her (since this is a romance from that wonderful writer Marion Chesney, of course he would, so I am not really giving anything away.

I read this book because I thought it would be interesting; ghosts and castles somehow just belong together.  The book itself was a quick read, and had a different premise (ghost and living person fall in love).  The storyline was interesting, but there are a few things I would have preferred differently, including the ending (which I won't reveal here, but if you're interested, please check out my review on Goodreads to view the spoiler).

www.amazon.com/Ghost-Ladu-Alice-Marion-Chesney/dp/0449216985

The Koala of Death

Author:  Betty Webb
Genre: Mystery

3 Stars

 

 

In this second installment of the zookeeper Teddy Bentley novels, she finds the body of Koala Kate (another zookeeper) in Gunn Landing Harbor.  She soon finds out that Kate didn't drown and was strangled.  Suspects in the murder include not only other animal keepers at the zoo, but also people who live on boats at the same harbor Teddy does.

Teddy also needs repairs to her boat and agrees to appear on Koala Kate's weekly television show with some of her animals, albeit reluctantly.  When Teddy starts to go through Kate's journals, she finds out some things about her fellow zookeeper, and the killer begins targeting her.

There were some very funny moments with the television show when the host of the show wouldn't follow her instructions not to touch the animals (obviously, this host didn't realize that just because they're in a zoo, it doesn't mean they're not wild animals). 
 

I thought the mystery in this book, as in the first one, was pretty good.  Hence the 3 stars.  I like the information about, and interaction with, the animals.  But I still find Teddy herself annoying, and all the problems she has.  Usually in books the protagonist has one or two "problems" somewhere about; but Teddy seems to have them everywhere she looks.  Again, it's almost as if she has a black cloud somewhere over her head.

 

 

www.amazon.com/Koala-Death-Gunn-Zoo-Mystery/dp/1590587588

The Anteater of Death

Author:  Betty Webb
Genre: Mystery

3 Stars

 

 

This is the first of this series.  Lucy is a pregnant Giant Anteater who is suspected of killing a man found dead in her enclosure.  Teddy Bentley, her zookeeper, doesn't believe Lucy did it and sets out to find the real killer.  On top of that, she is going to be evicted from the houseboat she lives in, her father is running because he embezzled millions from the feds, and numerous other problems plague her, including the fact that being a single woman her mother keeps trying to set her up with eligible men.

 

 

I believe that the author did a good job in this book of showing zoo animals interacting with people, and I really liked that, and I also enjoyed the fact that they were made part of the mystery.

I liked this book - to a point. I really liked the idea of a mystery that actually shows animals interacting with people, but - and this is what bothered me: there was just "too much at once." Kids falling into moats (really, how often does it happen that a mother just lets her child sit on a rail?)and she has to save them, embezzler father, she's in danger of losing her home, ex-boyfriend is investigating officer, ex-husband dumped her, oft-married, over-protective mother, attempt on her life,...moreI beI 

What I didn't like:  There was just "too much at once."  Too many things being thrown at me that could have been stretched out into several books.  It came off seeming that Teddy (the main character) was walking around with a black cloud over her head.  I am going to read the next book in this series and see if it is perhaps not so "busy". 

I guess it bothers me because this book was sort of like the person you first meet who tells you everything about their life right away - their kids, marriage, job, home, etc. I find it annoying to meet people like that. I prefer to spend time with them, and then learn things about them gradually, as they learn things about me. Of course, in a stand-alone novel that's different; but since this is the first in a series, why would you want to know everything about the character right away?

 

 

www.amazon.com/Anteater-Death-Gunn-Zoo-Mystery/dp/159058774X



Working Stiff

Author: Annelise Ryan
Genre: Mystery

4 Stars

 

 

Mattie Winston is a nurse who catches her husband, David, cheating on her with another nurse.    David Winston is a doctor at the same hospital she works at, so, not wanting to work at the same place he does, she quits her job and  goes to work as assistant coroner for her friend Izzy, the coroner, who also gives her a place to live.

 

Her first homicide is the woman that her husband was cheating on her with.  Not exactly a good way to start a new job, I'd bet.  Not wanting her soon-to-be ex-husband the murderer (not that she ever thinks he is), she decides to investigate herself and find out who the killer is.

 

There were a few things that bothered me, but not enough to detract from the book.  Example (not too much of a spoiler since it's only one scene): Mattie goes to a party wearing pantyhose that only go partly up her rear end, and she somehow expects them to miraculously stay up. A normal person couldn't even walk like that, considering you'd know they never would.   You'd waddle (pantyhose are a little tight, and supposed to be that way).  At this same party, her dress splits in the back and she doesn't even know it happened - I think I would know since the dress would be loose, not fit the same, and you'd definitely feel a breeze.

 

Aside from a few episodes like this, the book was pretty good.  It was pretty funny and had a good mystery, which is why I rated it 4 stars.  Definitely worth the read.

www.amazon.com/Working-Stiff-Mattie-Winston-Mystery/dp/0758234538

 

 



Good or Bad Book?

I read an article recently where an author had his book reviewed, and it must not have been very good, since he responded with the thought that he was a better writer than the person was a reviewer, and that his writing was far above what the reviewer could understand.  (Not exactly a quote, but pretty much what it said).  I don't know personally whether the reviewer attacked the book or the author, but it is NEVER okay to attack the author.  They have put their heart and soul into writing, and while it is perfectly fine to not like a book, or the style of writing, you should never make a personal attack on the author.

That being said, the bottom line is this:  Everyone is different. Every book was not meant for every person. Everyone will read a book and come away with something different. Every reviewer is different, and they will all see books differently. Would you really want everyone in the world to read a book and like only certain ones, and not others? What a boring world it would be. What a dearth of authors we would have. If you choose to write a book, you must also take the risk of having it criticized or loved. If you want all people to love your book, then you really have no business writing one in the first place.

Murder Passes the Buck

Author: Deb Baker
Genre: Mystery

1 Star

 

 

The story itself seemed interesting:  Gertie Johnson is a 66-year-old widow who lives in the UP (Upper Peninsula)  of Michigan. She has a friend who is killed while in a deer blind (which, for those who don't know, is the place hunters sit while they wait for deer). 

Her son, Blaze, is the police chief, and he decides it's an accident, but she doesn't think so.  After unsuccessfully trying to convince her son the man was murdered, she decides to solve it herself, along with her friends, Cora and Kitty.

Also, because she refuses to put her money in the bank (she says she doesn't trust them), Blaze petitions the courts to become her legal guardian, and her daughter, Star, who also lives on the same acreage (in different homes), as both Gertie and Blaze, either doesn't know about it or doesn't do anything to support her mother (I have no idea since it wasn't mentioned).

Now comes the sticky part: I don't know how much of this I can review without spoiling the book for others, but I thought it was way over the top. She talks like a hick (she drops her 'gs' on all her words although no one else around her talks like that). True redneck woman living in the UP. I've lived in the UP and never heard anyone talk like her.

Her son treats her like she's an idiot, her mother-in-law is mean to her, and Gertie's kids don't do anything about it.  Those are just two of the examples in this book I didn't care for.  I didn't think this book was funny at all; in my opinion the only thing humorous was the title.

www.amazon.com/Murder-Passes-Buck-Johnson-Mystery/dp/1463514549

The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts

Author: Lilian Jackson Braun
Genre: Mystery

4 Stars

 

 

Mrs. Cobb is a friend of Jim Qwilleran (Qwill).  One night she hears noises in her antique-filled farmhouse and calls him for help. When he gets there, she's dead.  Everyone thinks that she has been frightened to death, but no one seems to know how or why.  Since they don't want to leave the farmhouse unattended, Qwill moves in with his cats, who set about finding the murderer.

I really liked this book; I liked the mystery, I liked Qwill, I liked the cats. What I didn't like:

Qwill, who is a billionaire, is Morally Cheap. By that, I mean the guy has money, but he doesn't want to spend it. He has to buy a suit for a funeral, and doesn't want to pay the tailor. Does he think the tailor is free? Does he think the tailor has no employees to pay? He has the money, he should at least not begrudge the guy a living. I sure hope he's not this cheap in the rest of his books (I'm not saying give the money away, I'm saying recognize other people have to make a living).

His girlfriend(?): She could be his girlfriend, but I don't know. She's a librarian and wears grey tailored suits. I've yet to meet a librarian who dresses like that. That's odd enough, but then she drives a separate car to their 'dates' because she doesn't want people to know. Really? They're both in their 50's and they have to hide it like one of them is married or something? If I was dating the richest guy around, I'd want everyone to know so that he wouldn't be chased by other women.

He eats at places that have 'meat you have to gnaw at but has really good flavor'. I'm sorry, but if the meat is chewy, it DOESN'T have really good flavor. It's a bad cut of meat and the people don't know how to cook. He's got the money, he can afford to eat at a decent restaurant. And a restaurant with 'chewy' meat wouldn't be in business long.

Other than that, a good book.

www.amazon.com/The-Cat-Talked-Ghosts-Who/dp/0515102652