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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2676 KP) rated Murder in the Piazza in Books

Sep 10, 2022 (Updated Sep 10, 2022)

Murder in Rome

Maggie White’s husband has been sent to Rome for two years for his job, and she’s gone along with him. After a few months of living the life of leisure, she has found a job working for Masterpiece Tours, a specialty tour company that offers painting lessons and tours of some of the museums and famous locations in the city. She’s barely started and she’s already fantasizing about ways to kill her boss, Lord Phillip, an English expat. However, she is shocked to find him shot in his office one evening. The police don’t seem that interested in figuring out what happened, so Maggie starts investigating. Can she figure out what is going on?

This was a good travel themed mystery. It brought Rome to life in such a way that I felt I was there with Maggie. Unfortunately, the pacing of the mystery was off early on, but I did appreciate how everything came together at the end. We met many of the characters in a group setting, but they became distinct people as the story progressed, so it wasn’t really an issue. If you are looking for a virtual visit to Rome with a side of murder, this is the book for you.

Kudos

Record Store Reckoning

J. C. Kenney

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

When the manager of Marysburg Music, Darcy Gaughan, returns to work after a vacation, she expects to...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2676 KP) rated Record Store Reckoning in Books

Mar 9, 2023 (Updated Mar 9, 2023)

Murder of a Mentor

Darcy Gaughan has just returned home from a wonderful vacation. On her first day back at work, she makes a horrible discovery, the body of her boss and mentor in his office. The evidence seems to point to suicide, or at least that’s what the police think. Darcy doesn’t buy it for a minute and starts to investigate to learn the truth. Can she figure out what really happened? Or are the police right?

I couldn’t resist a music store set cozy, and this one introduced us to some great characters. I liked Darcy and the rest of the staff, and the suspects were strong as well. I appreciated the fact that they still had motives even though the victim was generally a well-loved person. I did feel the pacing was off, including a small data dump early on, but it did build to a strong climax. I also found a lot of typos in the physical copy I bought soon after it came out. The book is still very readable, but they were annoying. Things build to a logical and fun climax. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to Darcy next.

Kudos

Deadly Depths

John F. Dobbyn

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

A notable archaeologist, close to finding a priceless artifact, meets his untimely demise— Matthew...

Crime Mystery Thriller

Jousting and Justice (Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic #5)

Elizabeth Pantley

9.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

An invitation to a medieval festival. A ferry ride to a mysterious island. A scheming, inept witch....

Paranormal Mystery

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2676 KP) rated Thicker Than Water in Books

Sep 18, 2026 (Updated Sep 18, 2026)

The Young Woman in the Shack

When a college student walks into Sally’s office asking for protection from a man, Sally is willing to help. But the young woman doesn’t give many details before she disappears. Two days later, Jim is pulled into the hunt for a missing autistic young man. While the man is found, he is talking about a “sleeping blue lady” he saw in a nearby shack. Sure enough, there is a dead young woman there. And it’s the woman that came to Sally for help. Sally just can’t let it go, so she starts investigating on her own. Will the two be able to figure out what happened to the victim?

The plot quickly pulled me in. I appreciated that, as always, we got just the detail we needed on certain things to bring the story to life without going too far. There were a good number of twists, but the climax was a little messier than I would have liked. Still, it did tie everything up. I loved watching Sally and Jim take another step forward in their relationship while learning from what has come before. I’m as invested in their relationship as the mysteries in each book. As always, reading this book is time well spent.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2676 KP) rated Death Walked In in Books

Oct 27, 2026

Death Walked In

Carolyn Hart | 2008 | Mystery

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Is a Treasure Hidden in Annie and Max’s New House?

It’s February, and Max hasn’t taken on any clients since what happened to him last summer. Instead, he’s poured all his focus on restoring the Franklin House to its former glory so he and Annie can move in. So, when a woman calls Max’s office saying she hid something in Franklin House, Max isn’t interested in hearing more. Annie, on the other hand, goes to visit the woman only to find her dying. Is there really something hidden in Franklin House? Who killed the caller?

It was nice to see this book pick up on a few threads from the previous one, although you don’t need to read the books in order. Max actually got some growth, which I appreciated. I did miss most of the regulars, although the main supporting trio still managed to make their usual fun contributions. I am very frustrated with the lengths we go through to continue having an adversarial relationship with the police, but the mystery itself was solid with a logical climax that I only partially figured out. It’s always fun to pop over to Broward’s Rock, and this book is no exception.