Music is always one of the earliest components of a story I write. I find a song––sometimes on purpose, mostly on accident––that inspires a sensation of a story. Listening to Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” and Danny Elfman’s “Little Things” gave me an inkling of a pairing on the run, on the streets, wits and danger, and crimes afoot.
This week we have 4 more fun mysteries for you-A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron, Murder at an English Séance by Jessica Ellicott, Come Shell or High Water by Molly MacRae, and Trouble is Brewing by Vicki Delany. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 4 books and links to purchase them from Amazon at the end of each review.
There really is nothing better than getting in on the ground floor of a new cozy mystery series, and Lisa Q. Mathews’ debut, The Jig Is Up is an absolute delight. In this first book of the Irish Bed & Breakfast Mystery series, Lisa’s crisp writing blends wit and mystery to create a charming and page-turning read.
When we last saw Danika Delany, she was…oh, maybe you haven’t read any other books in this scrumptious, ice cream sundae-based series? If so, I won’t spoil it for you. (While part of a series, this book can be read on its own.) Author Lena Gregory has once again plunged us (the readers) into a plot that is as fun as it is risky, with her heroine Dani surrounded by quirky characters that alternately rein her in and enable her wild plans to uncover a murderer.
I grew up reading crime books. Our house was full of them. Pulp and literature. Piles of paperbacks. Colorful covers or stark monochromes with hard typefaces that shouted Reader Beware. Good writing and bad, it didn’t matter, I read everything I could lay my hands on. It helps to have parents who are voracious readers.
Murder at Vinland marks the 12th book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series and my very first time venturing to Alyssa Maxwell’s 1900s Rhode Island. Jumping into a series 12 books in isn’t something I normally do, but Emmaline Andrews’s stunning world of high society and cunning schemes welcomed me with open arms.
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This is my first Jake Longly thriller, but I did not feel lost and was able to keep the players straight. An enjoyable mystery, it reminds me a bit of the Travis McGee books I read when I was younger. Different from those older novels are the multiple points of view which give more insight into what the characters are thinking. This might be book seven of the series, but it does a very good job as a stand-alone.
After her humiliation of being left at the altar was live-streamed and went viral, social media influencer Maddy Montgomery took advantage of an unexpected inheritance to flee L.A. and move to New Bison, Michigan to take over her late Great-aunt Octavia’s bakery. Along with Baby Cakes Bakery came the unexpected gift of Aunt Octavia’s 250-pound Champion English Mastiff, Baby, a Georgian-style home, and the four close friends who make up the Baker Street Irregulars.
When it comes to the arts, the Central Valley is hardly a wasteland. With theatre and dance companies and festivals, orchestras, bands, and plenty of art galleries and related events, the scene is vibrant and thriving. Another component that is less showy and flashy but just as vital is literature.
This week we have 3 more fun cozy mysteries for your end of summer reading-Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket by Laura Levine, A Murder for the Sages by Amy Lillard, and Peg and Rose Play the Ponies by Laurien Berenson.
