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Sabrina Salter has escaped a past in Boston, hoping to enjoy her new life in St. John. However, trouble finds her in the US Virgin Islands when she arrives to clean one of the villas she maintains only to find the tenant dead in the outside hammock. Will the police see her as the prime suspect? Can she live through something like this again?

While the setting may be a paradise, the tone is more somber given Sabrina’s past. I enjoyed the juxtaposition and getting to know the strong characters. The plot unfolds differently than I am used to in a mystery, but everything we need to solve the crime is there, and we get two very dramatic and satisfying climaxes.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-review-no-virgin-island-by-c.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
When Trixie learns that the local birds are having trouble finding food, she thinks it is the perfect project to keep the Bob-Whites busy during an especially harsh winter. They quickly decide to put on a pet show to raise funds. But someone disagrees. Who is out to sabotage the show?

Most fans of the series focus on the elements that seem out of place – Mart working on a computer and the Sleepyside mall. However, I still like this book. The plot seems weak for an entry in the series, and the crime is a little forced, but that’s my only complaint. There are some good opportunities for character growth, and the story is still fun overall.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-pet-show-mystery-by-kathryn.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Reading Up a Storm focuses more on characters outside of the library staff than the first two novels in the series, and Lucy has a new friend in this one who is accused of murder. Of course she doesn't trust that the police will see past her friend Stephanie's apparent motive for the crime, and is soon getting herself into trouble asking questions and trying to solve the case by herself. She probably figured it out long before I did, but it was gratifying to find that the killer was the person I suspected, for once.

And for those of you who enjoy a little romance with your cozy mystery - I love where the author has taken the romantic triangle that was developing in the first two books. I can't say anything more without spoilers, but I was very pleased with the outcome.