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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue in Books
Oct 13, 2021 (Updated Oct 13, 2021)
While the Detectives are Away
When Maeve answers the door, the last thing she expects is a woman desperately looking for Frank Malloy. Mrs. O’Neil is a former neighbor of the Malloys, and she is anxious to find Frank because her daughter, Una, has just been arrested for the murder of her husband. The problem is that Frank and his new wife, Sarah Brandt, are in Europe on their honeymoon. So Maeve jumps into the investigation, aided by Gino and Sarah’s parents. Will the four of them uncover what really happened?
This is a different book for the series since Frank and Sarah, our usual main characters, aren’t in it. However, it allows the secondary characters time to shine, which was a lot of fun, especially since I love them. It also provided a bit more humor, which I appreciated. The mystery itself is serious, and the book balances the tones perfectly. The mystery is also strong and kept me turning pages, as always. I did feel there was a bit too much rehashing of things at times in the middle, but that got better as the book went along. Sadly, there are some timing issues in the climax as the characters forget when things happened. Ironically enough, the climax makes even more sense if you remember the correct timeline. There are a few Christmas elements in the book, but the main focus is on the characters and mystery. This may be a unique entry in the series, but fans will still love it.
This is a different book for the series since Frank and Sarah, our usual main characters, aren’t in it. However, it allows the secondary characters time to shine, which was a lot of fun, especially since I love them. It also provided a bit more humor, which I appreciated. The mystery itself is serious, and the book balances the tones perfectly. The mystery is also strong and kept me turning pages, as always. I did feel there was a bit too much rehashing of things at times in the middle, but that got better as the book went along. Sadly, there are some timing issues in the climax as the characters forget when things happened. Ironically enough, the climax makes even more sense if you remember the correct timeline. There are a few Christmas elements in the book, but the main focus is on the characters and mystery. This may be a unique entry in the series, but fans will still love it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Penne Dreadful in Books
Aug 2, 2019 (Updated Aug 2, 2019)
This Debut is Anything but Dreadful
Tessa Esposito has had her life turned upside down. Her husband has been killed in a car accident, leaving her a widow at 30. However, she is about to get another shock. Her cousin Gino, a cop, stops by to visit and drops the bombshell on her – the police don’t think the accident was an accident at all. Instead, they think it was murder. And he suggests that someone at Slice, the local pizza parlor where Dylan had lunch most days, might be responsible. After all, he was last seen alive leaving the restaurant. Tessa loves to cook, and Slice just happens to be advertising for a cook, so she snags the job, hoping to get a clue about what really happened to her husband. But her co-workers don’t seem to happy to see her. Is she going to be able to get anything out of them?
With Tessa’s husband being the victim, this book starts out with a more somber tone. Some events try to lighten it, but it didn’t quite work for me. After a bit of time to set up the characters and plot, things take off, and the book becomes impossible to put down. Tessa must unpeel the layers like an onion, and each new layer has a twist that kept me hooked until I reached the end. The suspects are all strong, and Tessa is a sympathetic lead character. It is easy to understand everything she is going through. The potential series regulars have a little room to grow, but that’s because they weren’t on the page too much. That’s what sequels are for, right? I did find some inconsistencies in the timeline late in the book, but nothing that ruins the plot at all. My biggest complaint is how much Tessa’s love life was a sub-plot; it’s something that should have been held until at least the next book in the series in my opinion. The book has some delicious sounding recipes at the end, including Tessa’s prize-winning tomato sauce. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to seeing what happens to Tessa next.
With Tessa’s husband being the victim, this book starts out with a more somber tone. Some events try to lighten it, but it didn’t quite work for me. After a bit of time to set up the characters and plot, things take off, and the book becomes impossible to put down. Tessa must unpeel the layers like an onion, and each new layer has a twist that kept me hooked until I reached the end. The suspects are all strong, and Tessa is a sympathetic lead character. It is easy to understand everything she is going through. The potential series regulars have a little room to grow, but that’s because they weren’t on the page too much. That’s what sequels are for, right? I did find some inconsistencies in the timeline late in the book, but nothing that ruins the plot at all. My biggest complaint is how much Tessa’s love life was a sub-plot; it’s something that should have been held until at least the next book in the series in my opinion. The book has some delicious sounding recipes at the end, including Tessa’s prize-winning tomato sauce. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to seeing what happens to Tessa next.