Murder in the Locked Library

by Ellery James

As the construction finally begins for the upscale spa Jane Steward has wanted to add to Storyton Hall, her hopes are put on indefinite hold when her twin boys notice a skull dangling precariously from the backhoe’s bucket.   The timing of this discovery couldn’t be worse as participants for the Rare Book Conference will be checking in before the day is finished.  As it turns out, the conference is fortuitous when the discovery of a rare, historical book is discovered with the body.  Jane invites one of the participants to help with the investigation into the history and origin of the book but soon realizes her mistake when he ends up dead.

This is the fourth installment of the Book Retreat series.  The storyline is original and the main characters are easy to engage.  I enjoyed the overall mystery that James has laid out, however, there are references to characters within the storyline that are not covered with a backstory.  For a reader who is new to the series, I would advise you to pick up the first book before reading this.  I believe it would make the events within this volume clearer and help define the background and history of Storyton Hall and its inhabitants.  It is stated that Jane and her ‘employees’ are part of something bigger and very important, but it isn’t explained.   #MurderinTheLockedLibrary #netgalley

I wish to thank the generosity of the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Kensington Publishing

PUB DATE:  April 24, 2018

ISBN:  9781496715630

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Suitors and Sabotage

by Cynthia Ann Antsey

Imogene’s father has strongly suggested she get acquainted with Mr. Ernest Steeple, as he finds the young man perfect for her.  However, as the week unfolds, Imogene finds herself more drawn to Ernest’s brother, Benjamin.  Things are complicated further when it becomes apparent that someone means to harm Benjamin. 

Fans of light romantic tension will relish Antsey’s story.  Teens who enjoy the drama of the first romantic encounter and mistaken romantic intentions within a historical back drop will rejoice.  Readers will cherish their ability to make their own decisions as Imogene is locked within the expectations and inherent acceptance of the behaviors of young ladies and gentlemen of polite society.  You realize that helicopter parenting is not something new and teens will identify with Imogene’s struggles. 

I wish to thank #netgalley and the publisher for generously providing an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan Publishing

PUB DATE:  April 17, 2018

ISBN:  9781250145659

Genre:  Historical Romance/Young Adult

Bad Neighbors: An Agnes and Effie Mystery

by Maia Chance

Rebounding from being dumped by her ex-fiancé, Agnes is beginning to feel at home again in Naneda. Sort of.   She’s been dating the good looking, love of her life, Oits Hatch and the romance was moving right along.  Sort of.  She’s also been helping her great aunt Effie renovate the historical Stagecoach Inn that was beginning to look respectable.  Sort of.  They weren’t ready for guests but when they receive a call that a tour bus full of leaf peepers has broken down, they are asked to take in a few tourists that need a roof over their heads.  Agnes reluctantly agrees to go pick up the stranded tourists only to arrive just in time to see her beloved Otis being helped into a police cruiser.  In hand cuffs, no less!  She soon learns the body of Hatch Automotive employee, Mikey Brown was discovered with his head bashed in and Otis is their numero uno suspect. As the leaves unfold in all their glory, Agnes and her Aunt Effie start their own investigation, eagerly assisted by their stranded tourists. 

The adventures of Agnes and her Aunt Effie are even better in this second installment of the Agnes and Effie mystery series.  I really enjoy books that give you a good story and great entertainment without taking itself too seriously.  You root for the good guys and curl your lip at the snarky ones.   Readers who enjoy their stories laced with a little push-pull of romance will enjoy the angst and self-doubt that is Agnes’s life.  And how can I not bring up Chester?  We all have a cousin like Chester or we want one.  Our friends are glad we don’t. Love him.  Chance delivers an overall good book that makes us all a little glad we don’t have an Aunt Effie in our lives.  But then again.  .  . 

I wish to thank #netgalley and the publisher for generously providing an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Crooked Lane Books

PUB DATE:  April 10, 2018

ISBN:  9781683315414

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Lord of the Pies: A Palace Chef Mystery

by Nell Hampton

This is the second in Hampton’s Palace Chef series and it is just as satisfying as the first.  At least Chef Carrie Ann, personal chef to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, doesn’t have a body in the royal garden this time, just her lemon pie.  Face down in her lemon pie.  The pie is left over from a bridal shower she catered for a school friend of the Duchess that happens to be the sister of Carrie Ann’s best friend.

Hampton’s knowledge of the workings within Kensington Palace gives you a realistic peek behind the scenes.  Her continued rendering of the egos of the different chefs is fun and adds to the ongoing story.  Everyone loves the drama!  Hampton’s recurring characters are easy to like and you want to meet.  At least those who are friendly.   The prickly ones make you glad you don’t have to work with them.  The recipes at the end sound good.  I would like to see more included.  (I’m not a pie person.  Cookies perhaps?)

I wish to thank #netgalley and the publisher for generously providing an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Crooked Lane Books

PUB DATE:  April 10, 2018

ISBN:  97816813315599

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Lost Books and Old Bones: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery

by Paige Shelton

A fantasy job for me would be to relocate to Edinburgh, Scotland with a job in an old bookshop called The Cracked Spine.   The protagonist of Shelton’s Scottish Bookshop Mystery series has done just that.  Delaney Nichols left her home in Kansas and is happily employed at The Cracked Spine. She never dreamed that the beautiful, old, and very valuable medical books they acquired would bring about the murder of a young medical student.  The creep factor goes up a notch when the current crime begins to mix with the legendary body snatchers, Burke and Hare. 

This mystery hit many of my favorite buttons.  The dusty bookstore with the mysterious warehouse, Edinburgh history, pubs and cute pub owners.  Shelton’s writing takes you into the personalities of the Scots with dialogue written in first-rate dialect.  A fun read that makes you go look up the notorious history of Burke and Hare and Scotland’s fleshmarket.  Curl up in front of the fire with a favorite libation and settle in for a cozy read.

I wish to thank #netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader’s copy for my honest review

PUB: St. Martin’s Press

PUB DATE:  April 3, 2018

ISBN:  9781250127792

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Murder at Half Moon Gate

by Andrea Penrose

In her Author’s Notes, Andrea Penrose likens the engineering leaps to industry in Regency England to the rapid change of technology in our own time.  She reminds us how we humans do not like change.  We always want things to stay the same.  However, if nothing ever changed, we would be bored and would soon, probably implode.  Charlotte Sloane is aware of how change can be for the good or one wrong decision made for the wrong reason could send one’s life spiraling into the abyss.  However, the windfall from recent events has forced her hand and now she finds herself moving into a better area of London and able to provide a better life for the boys she has taken under her wing.  Her current political drawings, under her pen name of A. J. Quill have been addressing the fears of the working class versus the new machines threatening to take over their jobs.  As Lord Wrexford and his friend Kit Sterling manage to get turned around in an alley after a night of gaming, they stumble upon the body of a very well-known inventor.  As Wrexford and Sloane combine their skills to bring the murderer to justice, Charlotte will have to make some hard decisions and learn to rely on the kindness of others. 

Some series start off strong and have difficulty maintaining the strength of the recurring characters or their stories.  In this second installment of the Wrexford and Sloane series, Penrose does not disappoint. It is an excellent offering.  The complex plot of Murder at Half Moon Gate is well thought out and moves at a steady pace.  Penrose’s story of greed and power mix well with her little peeks into the past stories that make up Wrexford and Sloane.  How their differences and their similarities make them the strong characters she is developing.  An added plus are the Weasels.  The two orphaned boys Sloane has taken in and who Wrexford has come to rely on.  I will enjoy reading every volume Penrose creates in this series just to see how the boys mature. This is comfort reading at its best.

I wish to thank the generosity of the publisher and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Kensington Books

PUB DATE:  March 27, 2018

ISBN:  9781496710796

GENRE:  Cozy Mystery/Historical Mystery

The Broken Girls

by Simone St. James

Simone St. James has a real knack for writing ghost stories.  Her manner of weaving the specters within the meat of her story gives it depth and reality.  Her current novel combines a contemporary theme within the historical backdrop of a girls boarding school in a small town in Vermont.  It has been 20 years since the body of Fiona’s sister was found in the field of the now derelict grounds of the school.  Fiona hopes she can put the horror of the murder behind her when she chooses to write an article about the new owners and planned renovation of the school. As she is interviewing the son of the new owner she notices the work has stopped.  The discovery of a body on the school grounds will propel Fiona on a quest to look beyond the death of her sister and into the history of Idlewild Hall. 

St. James current novel is a gem and will be enjoyed by her fans and hopefully discovered by many new readers.  Her descriptions of situations and characters are vivid.  Read this on a cold gray day in front of the fire to get the complete feel of this novel.  It will transport you to the gray, damp campus of Idlewild Hall.  Possibly closer than you will want to be.

I wish to thank the generosity of the publisher and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review.

PUB: Berkley Publishing

PUB DATE:  March 20, 2018

ISBN: 9780451476203

Genre:  Mystery/Paranormal