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Murder on Pleasant Avenue
9.0
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When midwife Sarah and detective Frank Malloy’s friend and new partner Gino Donatelli is accused...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated Murder on Pleasant Avenue in Books
Oct 13, 2022 (Updated Oct 13, 2022)
Did Kidnapping Lead to Murder?
When Gino’s sister-in-law shows up at the detective agency Frank Malloy now owns, she is looking for help. One of the volunteers at the settlement house where she volunteers in her neighborhood of Italian Harlem has been kidnapped by the Black Hand. Soon Sarah has joined her husband, Frank, and Gino is trying to figure out what has happened. But just as they think they’ve gotten a handle on what is happening, a murder happens and Gino is the only suspect. Can they clear him before the Black Hand decides to take revenge on him?
It was a pleasure to jump back to 1900 once again and visit these characters. The action unfolds quickly. While I figured a few things out before the characters, I didn’t have the entire picture put together until they did. I did feel the final chapter felt forced into the book, but that was a minor complaint. I love spending time with these characters. We don’t see all the supporting players, but I was happy with some of the advances we saw for the core characters. I also enjoyed the seeds planted for some upcoming historical events. I’m so glad I’ve spent the time reading this series. Anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery will enjoy it as well.
It was a pleasure to jump back to 1900 once again and visit these characters. The action unfolds quickly. While I figured a few things out before the characters, I didn’t have the entire picture put together until they did. I did feel the final chapter felt forced into the book, but that was a minor complaint. I love spending time with these characters. We don’t see all the supporting players, but I was happy with some of the advances we saw for the core characters. I also enjoyed the seeds planted for some upcoming historical events. I’m so glad I’ve spent the time reading this series. Anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery will enjoy it as well.
Hanging by a Thread
4.0
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From USA Today bestselling author Dorothy Howell, the charming new cozy mystery featuring...
Murder at the Majestic Hotel
7.0
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Against all expectations in Edwardian England, newly married American heiress Stella Kendrick and...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated Until Depths Do Us Part in Books
Sep 11, 2024 (Updated Sep 11, 2024)
Sailing Away with a Dead Bride
When her nephew needs a last-minute location for his Thanksgiving wedding, Charlotte reluctantly offers the private residence ship she’s just learned her late husband bought a cabin on. Charlotte and her sister, Jane, aren’t sure about this wedding, but they are trying to be supportive for their nephew. However, their first night at sea, someone kills the bride, and their nephew becomes the obvious suspect. Can the sisters figure out what really happened?
I’d been wanting to try this author’s books for a while, and I’m glad I did. This book handled the tricky job of backstory and mystery set up well, and I was pulled into the story from the beginning. I did feel the interactions with one character got repetitive, but overall, the plot kept me engaged as Charlotte kept finding out more things that might have played into the murder. The solution was perfectly logical when we got there. We met the majority of characters at once, so I had a harder time keeping them all straight, but I did by the end. That doesn’t apply to Charlotte and Jane, who are great main characters. I enjoyed the fantasy of cruising, yet the murder is played seriously. I’m looking forward to booking another cruise with this series soon.
I’d been wanting to try this author’s books for a while, and I’m glad I did. This book handled the tricky job of backstory and mystery set up well, and I was pulled into the story from the beginning. I did feel the interactions with one character got repetitive, but overall, the plot kept me engaged as Charlotte kept finding out more things that might have played into the murder. The solution was perfectly logical when we got there. We met the majority of characters at once, so I had a harder time keeping them all straight, but I did by the end. That doesn’t apply to Charlotte and Jane, who are great main characters. I enjoyed the fantasy of cruising, yet the murder is played seriously. I’m looking forward to booking another cruise with this series soon.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated Fondue or Die in Books
Dec 12, 2024 (Updated Dec 12, 2024)
A Pageant Proves that Murder is not Beautiful
This Labor Day, Willa Bauer is participating in the Dairy Days festival held in the next town over. Her employee and friend, Mrs. Schultz, is once again helping out with the Miss Dairy pageant that closes out the festival. But when Willa finds the pageant director dead, plans turn chaotic. The police don’t seem that certain that it was murder, but Willa is concerned about the safety of her friend, so she starts investigating. Can she figure things out?
I’d forgotten just how much I love this series until I picked up this book, but I was soon under the spell of the characters again. We aren’t in the usual locations as much, but that’s a minor complaint. The characters’ relationships continue to draw me in, and I liked the new characters we met as well. At least the ones who weren’t acting suspicious. One relationship gets some wonderful development. The mystery is fantastic. I kept second guessing myself until we reached the climax. I did have a niggle with the ending, but it was minor overall. As usual, these books will make you crave cheese, so you’ll be happy with the three recipes at the end. Fans new and old will find themselves savoring this entry.
I’d forgotten just how much I love this series until I picked up this book, but I was soon under the spell of the characters again. We aren’t in the usual locations as much, but that’s a minor complaint. The characters’ relationships continue to draw me in, and I liked the new characters we met as well. At least the ones who weren’t acting suspicious. One relationship gets some wonderful development. The mystery is fantastic. I kept second guessing myself until we reached the climax. I did have a niggle with the ending, but it was minor overall. As usual, these books will make you crave cheese, so you’ll be happy with the three recipes at the end. Fans new and old will find themselves savoring this entry.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2536 KP) rated The Unkept Woman in Books
Mar 2, 2026 (Updated Mar 2, 2026)
The Body in Sparks’s Apartment
When Iris Sparks returns to her apartment one night after work, she is shocked to find an unexpected visitor. It’s someone she is less than happy to see, especially since she thought the person was out of her life for good. After quickly going to the Bainbridge’s for the night, she thinks things are behind her again – until a body is discovered in her living room. Who was the victim? And who committed the murder?
If you have yet to meet the ladies of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, I don’t suggest you start here. Despite the prologue, which has a scene two days before the story really starts (yep, still hate that literary technique), the book takes some time getting into the mystery. Instead, we get some updates in the ongoing soap opera infused storylines. But, as a fan, I was there for it. Things only pick up once the murder happens. Despite my focus on Iris in the teaser, Gwen gets plenty of her own moments to shine, and the plot couldn’t have been solved without both of them. And they continue to be two compelling leads I can’t wait to spend more time with soon. Fans looking to catch up will be as hooked on this entry as I was.
If you have yet to meet the ladies of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, I don’t suggest you start here. Despite the prologue, which has a scene two days before the story really starts (yep, still hate that literary technique), the book takes some time getting into the mystery. Instead, we get some updates in the ongoing soap opera infused storylines. But, as a fan, I was there for it. Things only pick up once the murder happens. Despite my focus on Iris in the teaser, Gwen gets plenty of her own moments to shine, and the plot couldn’t have been solved without both of them. And they continue to be two compelling leads I can’t wait to spend more time with soon. Fans looking to catch up will be as hooked on this entry as I was.
A Killing in Costumes
7.0
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Stardom fades fast when you’re on the line for murder, in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans...
Murder Comes Home
10.0
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From author Rosalie Spielman comes a quiet hometown suddenly invaded by TV celebrities... and a...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Inherit the Bones (Detective Gemma Monroe, #1) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Gemma Monroe is a police detective in a small town nestled in the mountains of Colorado. Early in her career, while skiing, Gemma found the long-buried bodies of two young boys who disappeared in the mid-1980s. The boys were murdered; their killer never found; and their disappearance and the subsequent crime has haunted the town. Now, in the present day, Gemma is called upon to investigate the gruesome murder of a teenage circus worker who was part of a circus traveling through town. Soon though, Gemma will come to realize that this murder is connected to the disappearance of the boys. She'll uncover a dark past that haunts her town--and discover that someone desperately wants her to leave the past alone.
This was an excellent and well-plotted mystery novel. The story reels you in immediately and never lets you go with its strong, complex narrative. Gemma is a likeable, fairly deep, and interesting lead character. I took to her quickly and found myself wrapped up in her life. Gemma is six months pregnant - something you don't always find in detective novels, and you see her grappling with not only the case, but her personal life. Working in a small town, she finds quickly that she can't really trust anyone, and Littlejohn gives us good insight into her squad dynamics. She also captures small town living fairly well. This is a town wrapped up in its past, unable to move on from a web of secrets and lies that have tormented it for years.
Indeed, the secrets continue to unfold, but in a completely believable manner, which I really appreciated. I guessed a part of the plot early on, but there were still so many pieces to the story that I was very much riveted until the very end. There's a strong supporting cast here as well, without the usual simple stock characters who sometimes support a rural detective. Goodreads is telling me that this is the first in a Gemma Monroe series, which I hope is true. While I think the series could hit a wall--as many others do--with the small town aspect (only so much murder and mayhem can happen in a small town: see Linda Castillo's excellent Kate Burkholder series, where you eventually start to fear for the poor townspeople of Painter's Mill), but I would certainly love to see more of Gemma.
Overall, a well-done mystery. Originally rated at 3.5 stars, but pushing up to 4 as I write this review and realize how much I enjoyed it. Always nice to have a new face in the mystery world.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 11/01/2016.
This was an excellent and well-plotted mystery novel. The story reels you in immediately and never lets you go with its strong, complex narrative. Gemma is a likeable, fairly deep, and interesting lead character. I took to her quickly and found myself wrapped up in her life. Gemma is six months pregnant - something you don't always find in detective novels, and you see her grappling with not only the case, but her personal life. Working in a small town, she finds quickly that she can't really trust anyone, and Littlejohn gives us good insight into her squad dynamics. She also captures small town living fairly well. This is a town wrapped up in its past, unable to move on from a web of secrets and lies that have tormented it for years.
Indeed, the secrets continue to unfold, but in a completely believable manner, which I really appreciated. I guessed a part of the plot early on, but there were still so many pieces to the story that I was very much riveted until the very end. There's a strong supporting cast here as well, without the usual simple stock characters who sometimes support a rural detective. Goodreads is telling me that this is the first in a Gemma Monroe series, which I hope is true. While I think the series could hit a wall--as many others do--with the small town aspect (only so much murder and mayhem can happen in a small town: see Linda Castillo's excellent Kate Burkholder series, where you eventually start to fear for the poor townspeople of Painter's Mill), but I would certainly love to see more of Gemma.
Overall, a well-done mystery. Originally rated at 3.5 stars, but pushing up to 4 as I write this review and realize how much I enjoyed it. Always nice to have a new face in the mystery world.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 11/01/2016.