Andy Carpenter is a reluctant attorney. He’d be happy if he never went before a judge again. He has the Tara Foundation, a rescue for dogs in need, his son Ricky, wife Laurie, and football on television. Why work if you don’t have to?
I started writing this article for Kings River Magazine in March of 2021. And as much I enjoy writing the article, locating all the LGBTQ+ mysteries, and adding to my TBR, I am starting to take on adjunct teaching for a community college that will take more of my time.
Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts introduces badass private investigator Evander Myrick (named after her police chief father, who always wanted a son). “Vandy” has recently returned to Queenstown, New Jersey, the community where she grew up, to restart her career after the heartbreaking loss of her daughter. In the opening chapter, Vandy bests a thug in a bar fight and then picks up a sexy mimbo for a one-night stand.
Summer is the busy season for the town of Westham, Massachusetts, but a bout of rain has Mackenzie Almeida lulled into a slow period for her Mac’s Bikes shop that sells, repairs, and rents out bicycles. The neighboring Rusty Anchor Pub is not sharing the same slowdown, but it’s certain that their chef does not appreciate finding the first customer of the day dead behind the bar.
The peace and quiet of Taos, New Mexico, population less than 6,000, is shattered by a botched bank robbery that leaves an officer down and an all-law-enforcement search for the robber underway.
The Mummy of Mayfair is book two in Jeri Westerson’s Irregular Detective mystery series, and fans of historical mysteries should be delighted with this latest entry.
This is a series starter that starts off pretty well. Alice Pepper, former chef/restaurant owner turned librarian is someone who likes a good puzzle, literally. Alice and her friends put together several puzzles during the story as they “puzzle” out not only a murder but also a few cold case mysteries.
Recently I learned that my “quozy” mystery series, Domestic Partners in Crime, is on the verge of cancellation by my publisher, Kensington, due to low sales of the second book, Rehearsed to Death. Suffice to say, this has been a sobering experience.
Charlie and his Maine coon cat have a new helper at the library. Tara Martin is an odd person. She rarely makes eye contact and has no tact. She blurts out whatever comes to mind without a thought as to how it sounds to the recipient. For example, she told Charlie’s co-worker, Melba, that the green dress she wore made her look like a cucumber.
Flying Off the Candle is book two in Sarah E. Burr’s Glenmyre Whim Mysteries featuring candlemaker Hazel Wickbury and her aunt Poppy. I am new to the series and gobbled this one up in audiobook form. This reads well as a standalone, and I have also downloaded books one and two because I’m excited to start from the beginning and learn more of the backstory for these wonderful characters.
