Cold Light of Day (Missing in Alaska, Book One)

 

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2/7/23.

How acquired: Received from the publisher via Revell Reads Blogger Program.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: When this book came up for review, I didn’t even read the synopsis. Just the word “Alaska” and the author’s name were enough for me to know I wanted to read it. I’ve loved all of the author’s books that I’ve read so far, and lately I’ve been drawn to anything set in Alaska.

Autumn Long is the police chief in the small town of Shadow Gap, following in her father’s footsteps. Currently, the city council members are considering relieving her of her position, driving by Wally, who is pushing for his nephew to take over as police chief. On top of that, she’s suddenly faced with a small crime wave in her town, the likes of which Shadow Gap has never experienced before. So she’s got her hands full and plenty of stress on her plate.

Grier Brenner is an outsider who showed up in Shadow Gap to do some fishing, and then stuck around. That’s all Autumn knows about him, other than the fact that she finds him attractive and is drawn to him, feelings she does her best to ignore. I loved Autumn, but Grier was definitely the bigger draw for me. We know nothing about his past and can only speculate along with Autumn, who decides he must be former military at the least. But when the narrative is focused on him, we do start getting hints along the way. He’s a mysterious stranger, and we know he’s in hiding, as he keeps trying to remind himself he’s not in Shadow Gap to make friends and needs to keep to himself. But he’s also human, and with the townsfolk being so open and friendly, he can’t keep himself from visiting the Lively Moose every morning to eat breakfast with his new buddies. Whatever is going on in Shadow Gap, with two bodies, found near each other but seemingly unrelated, it’s nothing to do with him and he needs to keep a low profile. And yet he finds it hard to not get involved…

Memories that felt like they were from another life chased him. And here he was, running after danger again. For all the right reasons – again.

As the happenings in Autumn’s life and Grier’s life began to converge, the plot got a little convoluted, but the tenseness and suspense kept it moving at a brisk pace. Autumn and Grier are both being hunted, and find themselves thrown together in investigating, with Autumn offering to hire Grier since he obviously has skills, and Grier refusing the offers, because a background check might give her too much information about him, but then sticking close and working with her unofficially because he feels a need to protect her.

As I seem to say about every title I read from Revell’s romantic suspense line, the author’s writing is wonderful. I loved the detail about the Alaskan wilderness, and Autumn’s feelings about Shadow Gap and how much she loves her town and her work. The supporting characters aren’t fleshed out much, with Grier’s new friends being interchangeable to me, but this is about Grier and Autumn, and they were very real and believable and I was wholly invested in their story.

All in all, a great start to the author’s newest series. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book.

*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Goodreads Synopsis: Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community. 

Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are--to disappear--when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he's not sure even Autumn could save him. 

As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats.

Night Work

 

STEVE HAMILTON

Stats for my copy: Hardcover, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin’s Press, 2007.

How acquired: Borrowed from library.

First line: I was scared to death that night.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: At the library browsing the shelves I picked this book out. My first time reading this author, so I didn't really know what to expect. I was sucked in pretty quickly. Joe is a juvenile probation officer, going on a date for the first time since his fiancé was murdered two years ago. Later, his date turns up dead. And then another woman he cross paths with dies. The only connection seems to be Joe.

Told in first person narration, I enjoyed being in Joe's head as he begins to realize he may become a suspect, and then sets out to figure out who the real killer is. I laughed when his best friend, a detective, told him don't say find the real killer, you sound like O.J.

I gotta tell you, I started to wonder if Joe could possibly be the killer, like maybe he was having blackouts and didn't realize it. And then the last part of the book I was on the edge of my seat and my eyes actually kept darting ahead because I couldn't read fast enough. Talk about twisty turny.

Looking through my TBR, I realized I have one of the author's books, but it's the sixth book in a series, and I can't read a series out of order. But I do want to read more from him.

Goodreads Synopsis: Joe Trumbull is not a man who scares easily. As a juvenile probation officer in Kingston, New York, he's half cop, half social worker to the most high-risk youth in the city. And when he's not pounding the streets, trying to keep his kids out of jail, he's pounding a heavy bag in the gym to stay in shape. But tonight Joe Trumbull is scared to death. It's been two years since his fiancée, Laurel, was brutally murdered. Two years of grief and loneliness. On this hot summer night, he's finally going out on a blind date, his first date since Laurel's death. He's not looking for love, just testing the waters to see if it's possible to live a normal life again. The thought of it is turning his knees to jelly.

Marlene Frost is a beautiful woman. She's warm and funny, with a smile to match. After the first awkward minutes, Joe finally starts to think this isn't such a bad idea after all. In fact, maybe this blind date will turn out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him.

He couldn't be more wrong. Because somehow, for reasons Joe can barely understand, this one evening will mark the beginning of a new nightmare. A nightmare that will lead him to the faceless man in the shadows, and to the most terrible realization of all.…

For Joe Trumbull, the past is never past. And the worst is yet to come.

Caught in the Middle (Amhearst Mystery, Book 1; (Love Inspired Suspense)

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS.

GAYLE ROPER

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Love Inspired Suspense, 2007.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: “It was a dark and sleety night,” I muttered as I slid behind the wheel and slammed the car door, grateful to have reached protection without drowning.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I was thrown off just a little as soon as I started this book because it’s written in first person POV, which I don’t think I’ve come across before in a Love Inspired. Not that I’m complaining. Merry is very likable and self-deprecating. Something else I’m not used to seeing in a Love Inspired. There was quite a bit of humor. Not laugh out loud, or even chuckle humor, but witty, bantering humor.

Merry is a journalist for the local paper, writing up mundane stories about Board of Education meetings and the like. After finding a dead body in the trunk of her car, Merry finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, and the killer seems to have turned his focus to her. Giving her the opportunity to write the biggest story of her life.

When her boss sends her to interview a local artist, she chafes at the thought. “A personality puff piece was the last thing I wanted to do now.” However, that interview introduces her to Curt, “a man in his early thirties who exuded energy, whose mass of curly dark hair was a far cry from the sparse gray I had anticipated.” Now, at this point you’re probably thinking Curt is the hero of the story and at the end he and Merry will have an HEA. It is a category romance after all. But no. Don’t get me wrong, he is the hero, as far as I’m concerned anyway, but by book’s end, while they’re squabbling like an old married couple, there is nary a kiss in sight, and certainly no declarations of love. Apparently their relationship will play out over the course of the series. Another thing I’m not used to in a Love Inspired!

The mystery was intriguing, with a couple of red herrings, and an on-the-edge-of-your seat chase through a steel factory. My only issue with the story was that when Merry realizes who is trying to kill her, it was quite obvious to me also, even though she doesn’t say his name. Then when he shows up immediately after, she only refers to him as the gunman, and doesn’t reveal his identity until the police close in on him. Which I understand as a narrative choice to keep the reader guessing, but I can’t imagine any reader not having already figured it out at the same she did.

But the fact remains, this is a delightful, amusing, suspenseful and engaging read, and I can’t wait join Merry in her next adventure.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Amhearst, Pennsylvania was just the kind of place for new beginnings for brokenhearted reporter Merry Kramer. But she soon discovered that danger lurked behind the lilac tree when a dead body turned up in her car!

The trouble didn’t end there—gunshots, attacks, and a handsome new friend who might not be what he seemed. Surrounded by suspects, Merry would have to use all her investigative skills to keep from becoming front-page news—as the killer’s next victim.

Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage, Book 1)

 

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, April 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: Chance Carter should have known this last delivery wouldn’t go down without a hitch.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: Elizabeth Goddard has quickly become a favorite author for me, after having read her Uncommon Justice series, and I’ve since acquired several books from her back list. So I was thrilled to get this first book in her new Rocky Mountain Courage series, set in the same area of Wyoming as the Uncommon Justice series. In fact, in one scene a couple of characters from that series make a brief and welcome appearance.

The plot hits the ground running as the story opens with a small plane losing power and the pilot desperately trying to safely land, only to crash, leaving him injured and fearful of what will happen if he’s unable to complete delivery of a package. From there we’re off and running. We’re then introduced first to Grayback County Sheriff’s Detective Jack Tanner, and then US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors (along with other characters sporting long awkward titles!).

I’ve never been to Wyoming, but Ms. Goddard’s descriptions of the landscape make me wish I could travel there some day. Terra has vast knowledge of the mountains, which makes her an asset in Jack’s investigation of the murder of a local insurance salesman whose body is found at the bottom of a cliff.

As much as I loved the book, I will admit that the plot seemed a little more convoluted than the author’s other books, as I sometimes had to reflect back on previous happenings to understand what was going on, or felt a little confused. But that may have been an issue with my own concentration, especially since work has kept me so busy lately that I often could only read two or three chapters at a time (with sixty-five chapters most of them are fairly short). But that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. Along with the evocative descriptions, Ms. Goddard does a wonderful job with characterization. I love a good character study, and prefer character driven stories over plot driven, but Ms. Goddard’s books fall into both camps.

PRESENT DANGER is a well written and suspense filled story with a second chance romance. I can’t wait for the next book!

Goodreads synopsis: Former FBI Special Agent Jack Tanner is working as a detective in Montana when he comes across a body in the national forest during a search and rescue mission. He's committed to finding the killer, even if it means working alongside his old flame, US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors.

When Terra discovers that the murder victim had ties to a powerful and dangerous trafficker of archaeological artifacts, the investigation takes a deadly turn--one that hits too close to home. As Terra fears she lacks the courage to face what comes next, Jack is more determined than ever to protect her. But he's failed her before. And if he fails this time, it will cost them far more than just their hearts.

Join bestselling and award-winning author Elizabeth Goddard as she plunges you into a web of deceit made of hidden crimes, open threats, and long-buried family secrets in this gripping first book of an explosive new series.

The Escape (US Marshalls, Book One)

LISA HARRIS

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2020.

How acquired: From the publisher for review, through the Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: There is a razor-thin edge between justice and revenge, where the two easily blur if left unchecked.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: This is officially my favorite of Ms. Harris’ books. It’s only the third book of hers I’ve read, but still. I love plane crash/survival stories, so I had high hopes, and the author delivered. When we meet Madison, a US. Marshall, she is still grieving the senseless murder of her husband five years before. She’s dated occasionally over the years, but her heart was never in it. Every year on the anniversary of his death, she would visit his grave, and every year she would find a black rose left there. This year she did not go to the grave site, but coming home after her morning run she found a black rose on her bed. She doesn’t have time to deal with that though, as her boss calls her in to help transport two prisoners from Seattle to Colorado. She is partnered with Jonas for the flight. When Madison was training to be a Marshall, Jonas was her instructor, but their acquaintance never went beyond that. Like Madison, Jonas is focused on work and has no interest in dating or relationships, especially with a co-worker. He’s been down that road before, and it did not end well.

The plane carrying them to Denver crashes in the Idaho wilderness, and this is where the book really took off. Both pilots and one of the prisoners are killed in the crash. The other prisoner, Barrick, facing a life sentence for murder, manages to escape, and Madison and Jonas are determined to hunt him down.

I sailed through this intense book in two days, despite my full time job. The descriptions of the land, the forests, the river, are vivid, as Madison and Jonas hunt the prisoner, who sometimes hunts them. There are lots of near misses, with Barrick somehow managing to stay two steps ahead. The action is non-stop, and I never knew what to expect from one chapter to the next. The wilderness aspect only lasts for about half the book, and then they are back in civilization, with other law enforcement officers involved in the man hunt, but I was just as riveted, and stayed that way until the very end.

This book is part of Revell’s romantic suspense line, but there’s much more suspense than romance. As Madison and Jonas work together, they learn more about each other, and come to admire each other, but neither is looking for romance, and they don’t have time for those kind of thoughts regardless. However, I did expect the two Marshalls to come to term with and admit their feelings at the end, and I was not prepared for the book to end on a bit of cliff hanger! The story line with Barrick is thankfully wrapped up, but the mystery of those black roses still needs to be solved, and there is no happily ever after, or even a happy for now, leaving me very eager for the next book in the series.

Goodreads synopsis: US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are thrust into a high-profile case when they are called on to transport two prisoners across the country on a private plane. But when the plane experiences engine trouble en route from the Pacific Northwest to Colorado, the pilots crash-land the aircraft deep in the heart of the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest.

When Madison and Jonas regain consciousness, they find both pilots and one prisoner dead--and one fugitive on the run. They'll have to negotiate the rugged and remote backcountry through Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado while tracking a murderer who is desperate to disappear--and will do anything to stop them.

This high-octane game of cat-and-mouse from bestselling and award-winning author Lisa Harris will have your heart pumping as you try to catch a fugitive with nothing to lose.

Standoff (Natchez Trace Park Rangers, Book One)

PATRICIA BRADLEY

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2019.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: What had he gotten himself into?

(For the Goodreads synopsis, scroll to the bottom of this post.)

My thoughts:  I like finding books where the characters are in a profession I don't know much about, and this book definitely scratched that itch. As the story begins, Brooke is an interpretive park ranger, on the verge of being commissioned a law enforcement park ranger. I had no idea there was more than one kind of park ranger! I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series and reading more about park rangers.

Brooke's father is a law enforcement ranger, or was – in the first chapter he dies under mysterious circumstances. Ruled a suicide by the medical examiner, Brooke is convinced he was murdered and is determined to find his killer. She's surprised to learn that her childhood sweetheart, Luke, is in town, and had apparently been close to her father. When Luke left town after high school he broke Brooke's heart, and she's had no contact with him since then.

As the book started out, I got a little confused with all the characters being introduced, especially since one has not been identified and we, the reader, don't know who he is. But I quickly became swept up in Brooke's life as she deals with her father's death, her fledgling relationship with Jeremy, a local politician, and her feelings for Luke. Not to mention secrets coming to light that throw her for a loop. She and Luke's characters are well written, and my heart hurt for Brooke as her life kept getting turned upside down again and again. The action feels pretty non-stop, yet there is still characterization in between the action.

This is my first time reading Patricia Bradley, and her writing flows. Despite all the action and characterization there is still a lot of dialogue, natural and realistic, with no info dumping. Revell is a Christian publisher, but most of their romantic suspense titles will still appeal to non-religious readers – there's no beating you over the head with scripture or religious references here, while still being a clean read. (Unless you have issues with drug references – an undercover drug investigation plays pretty heavily in the narrative.)

Solid suspense, light romance, and a mystery that I did not figure out on my own. Revell has another winner.

Goodreads synopsis: The Natchez Trace National Parkway stretches 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez, the oldest town on the Mississippi River. It's the perfect road for a relaxed pleasure drive. Unfortunately for Luke Fereday, it's also perfect for moving drugs. 

Sent to Natchez to infiltrate the organization at the center of the drug ring, Luke arrives too late to a stakeout and discovers the body of his friend, park ranger John Danvers. John's daughter Brooke is determined to investigate her father's murder but soon finds herself the target of a killer who will do anything to silence her. 

Luke will have his hands full keeping her safe. But who's going to keep him safe when he realizes he's falling – hard – for the daughter of the man he failed to save?

Deadly Deceit (Harbored Secrets, Book Two)

NATALIE WALTERS

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2019.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

(For the Goodreads synopsis, scroll to the bottom of this post.)

First line: In the face of small-town news, all creativity left Vivian DeMarco.

My thoughts: I loved the first book in this series so much, I was very excited to get this second book, and I think I may love it even more. Though if I went back and read the first book again, I might love it more. Maybe. I love both of them! And such beautiful covers!

We met Vivian, a hard hitting investigative journalist, in the first book. I don't remember her being the most likable person in that book, but at the end she showed she was a decent person by killing a story that could have hurt Lane, the heroine. Now we learn that that decision cost Vivian her job, and she is back in Walton, working for the local paper. She's not thrilled to be there, but it's just a stepping stone to a job at a larger paper down the road. We also met Deputy Ryan Frost in the first book. A computer hacker genius, he's being headhunted by practically every agency out there – FBI, CIA, along with private security firms. But he's finding it hard to make a decision when it means leaving Walton – and his mother and sister, who he's taken care of ever since his father abandoned their family.

The mystery was very interesting and quite different than I've come across before, involving cyber crimes, blackmail, and murder. Vivian's boss, Harold, who had become a friend and mentor, dies in the first chapter, seemingly from an allergic reaction but later determined to be murder. With his last words he tells Vivian to find Lauren, and that becomes her mission. She doesn't know who Lauren is or what Harold's interest in Lauren is, but she is determined to track her down, and to figure out who killed Harold, as are Ryan and the rest of the police force, and of course they bump heads.

Vivian and Ryan are both wonderfully written characters, both of whom come with a lot of baggage. There's a lot of internalizing, which I love. Ryan is being pulled in different directions, and feels that if he takes a job somewhere else he will be abandoning his mom and sister, just like his dad did. Vivian has her own father/abandonment issues, and feels unworthy of, well, anything that can bring happiness. She's resisted putting down roots, resisted the friendships offered her in Walton, and resists the idea of falling in love with Ryan. It was quite heart warming to watch them each grow as their values change (or at least Vivian's do), and even though the story takes place over a relatively short period of time there was nothing rushed about their relationship and the way it progressed.

I love Ms. Walter's writing, and as with the first book I was completely drawn in from the first few pages and very invested in the outcome. This book can be read as a standalone but I would urge readers to not skip the first book. And I will be eagerly awaiting the next book!

Goodreads synopsis: Independent and tenacious journalist Vivian DeMarco is back in Walton, Georgia, for one reason -- to do her job and get out. When her boss suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, Vivian's only hope for finding the truth -- and the next big story -- is small-town law enforcement's lanky poster boy, Deputy Ryan Frost. But the deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes. False leads, incriminating emails, and someone called the Watcher force Vivian to fight for answers -- and her life.

It's Always the Husband

MICHELE CAMPBELL

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, St. Martin's Press, 2017.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: She stumbled through the dark woods, the trees dripping raindrops onto her hair and her party dress.

My thoughts: Despite the fact that there is murder involved and “whodunit” and some twists at the end, this book didn't really feel like a suspense/mystery. While the narrative occasionally goes back and forth between past and present, the first half of the book is more focused on past, where the three girls meet when they are assigned as college roommates their freshman year. From there it's more of a character study about the three girls, and I really enjoyed getting to know them. They are all so very different from each other, and yet they become fast friends.

Then the second half is focused on the present, where the girls are still friends but have drifted apart a bit. More time is spent with Jenny and Aubrey than with Kate, and frankly, I didn't really care for the grownup adult versions of Jenny and Kate. Neither girl is particularly likable, especially Jenny who is now the controlling, power hungry mayor of their small town. I did like Owen, the new chief of police investigating the present time murder, but towards the end of the book Jenny is determined to get rid of him because he won't answer to her, and then suddenly he's just gone with no explanation and not heard from again, which really disappointed me.

As far as whodunit, I was kept guessing, thinking I knew and then being proven wrong. Although the method used to get the victim to the spot where the death occurred seemed very contrived and unrealistic.

Regardless, the book definitely kept my interest and overall I enjoyed it. 

Goodreads synopsis: Kate, Aubrey, and Jenny. They first met as college roommates and soon became inseparable, even though they are as different as three women can be. Twenty years later, one of them is standing at the edge of a bridge . . and someone else is urging her to jump.

How did things come to this?

As the novel cuts back and forth between their college years and their adult years, you see the exact reasons why these women love and hate each other—but can feelings that strong lead to murder? Or will everyone assume, as is often the case, that it’s always the husband? 

The Kind Worth Killing

PETER SWANSON

Synopsis from Goodreads: On a flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning Lily Kintner. Over martinis, the strangers play a game in which they reveal intimate details about themselves. But what begins as playful banter between Ted and Lily takes a turn when Ted claims, half-seriously, that he would like to kill his wife. Then Lily surprises him by saying that she’d like to help.

Back in Boston, Ted and Lily forge an unusual bond and talk about the ways Ted can get out of his marriage. But Lily has her own dark history she’s not sharing with Ted. As Ted begins to fall in love with Lily, he grows anxious about any holes in their scheme that could give them away. And suddenly the two are pulled into a very lethal game of cat and mouse, one in which both are not likely to survive when all is said and done.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, William Morrow, 2016.

How acquired: Borrowed from my mom.

First line: “Hello, there,” she said.

My thoughts: While at my mom's house, talking about a book we'd both recently read and loved (LULLABY, by Claire Seeber), I commented that it made me want to read more of that genre. My mom promptly disappeared into her room and reemerged with this book in hand. I started it the next day and whizzed through it.

The chapters start out alternating between Ted, who just discovered his wife is cheating on him with their contractor, and Lily, who he meets in an airport bar. The find themselves on the same flight, and Ted spills the whole story to Lily, admitting that he'd like to kill his wife. And Lily, rather than being shocked, says she will help him do so.

As they take turns narrating, both in first person POV, we learn more about how Ted and Miranda met, and Lily's unconventional family, along with some secrets from Lily's past (although she does not share that information with Ted). They plot and plan how to murder Miranda and Brad, the contractor, and when the time is almost nigh, holy plot twist! Something right out of left field, and the twists and turns just keep coming.

This is a fast paced and engrossing book. I feel like I can't say too much about what happens without getting spoilery, but I was glued to the pages. The character's narrative voices aren't very distinctive, but that's literally the only complaint I can come up with. A brilliant and unexpected read, and I've already pre-ordered the author's next book and bought one of his previous books. 

Jeopardy in July (Jamie Quinn Mystery, Book 5)

BARBARA VENKATARAMAN

Synopsis from Goodreads: Old people were dying at an alarming rate at La Vida Boca, a posh assisted living facility in Boca Raton, Florida. With its sterling reputation, dedicated staff, and top-notch medical care, none of the deaths are considered suspicious, but when members of the poker club start to die under strange circumstances, attorney Jamie Quinn finds herself once again embroiled in a mystery. With help from her new friend, Jessie Sandler, and her favorite P.I., Duke Broussard, Jamie uncovers a crime that took place forty years earlier. Can she stop the killer in time? Or is she in danger of becoming the next victim?

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, 2017.

How acquired: Link to free download provided by the author Goodreads.

First Line: With lights flashing, an ambulance pulled up to the front door of La Vida Boca before screeching to a stop.

My thoughts:  When Ms. Venkataraman posted on Goodreads that her newest Jamie Quinn mystery was live on Amazon, with a link to download a free copy, I jumped on it. I've enjoyed all the Jamie Quinn stories, and I think this fifth book in the series is my favorite.

Jamie's boyfriend, Kip, is still off in Australia playing with wombats, but there was plenty going on in Jamie's world to keep her occupied while missing him. Jamie is such a fun character, witty and self-deprecating, and drawn to helping others. We don't see as much of bestie Grace as in the previous book, but P.I. Duke gets lots of page time, and I love the banter between Jamie and Duke. Frenemie state attorney Nick finds himself having to grudgingly bring Jamie into an investigation he's assisting her FBI pal Jayashree with, and while Nick and Jamie aren't the best of friends they definitely have chemistry and their banter is even better than that between Jamie and Duke.

There's a lot going on plot wise – art forgery, poker buddies at a senior citizen living center dying one after another, Kip possibly keeping a secret from Jamie, her dad acting strange when she tells him she's coming to visit him – and Ms. Venkataraman weaves everything together seamlessly. I think I laughed out loud more at this book than the previous ones, and I got quite teary eyed at one point.

This series is fun to read, and while each entry involves a different mystery and could probably stand alone, I recommend reading them in order. I sure hope there will be more Jamie in the future!  

Elementary, She Read (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, Book 1)

VICKI DELANEY

Synopsis from Goodreads: Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The shop--located at 222 Baker Street--specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche, and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body.

The highly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman's suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it's a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good. 

Stats for my copy: Hardback, Crooked Lane Books. Expected publication date 3/14/17.

How acquired: Received for review from the publisher through Cozy Mystery Review Crew.

My thoughts:  This book sounded so good that I was really excited to get it and looking forward to reading it. And it was good, but not quite up to my (admittedly high) expectations. The first person narrator, Gemma Doyle, runs a book store/gift shop devoted to Sherlock Holmes and items related to Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Sherlock canon. Not because she is a particularly devoted Sherlock fan, but because her uncle, who IS a particularly devoted Sherlock fan, started the bookstore and she joined him in the business later. But Gemma is a bit like Sherlock. She has acute powers of observation, and there are many conversations wherein she shows off, er, demonstrates said powers of observation by pointing out things the other party to the conversation did not notice or missed. She often comes off as a bit...lofty. Her friends seem to just accept it and aren't put off or insulted by her. But I found her a little irritating at times. She tells us, more than once, that she's offered or attempted to help out the local police investigate crimes in the past only to have her offers rebuffed.

It's been many many many years since I've read any of the Sherlock books, and my only recent experience with him is through the Benedict Cumberbatch TV show (which I do love). So I don't remember if Sherlock himself, the book Sherlock, came across the same way. But since those stories were narrated by Watson, I think that probably helped temper it. Maybe if Gemma's best friend, Jayne, were the narrator here...I just didn't find Gemma to be a very sympathetic character and so I had a little trouble liking her.

That being said, I did like Jayne, and I liked Ryan Ashburton, the local police detective who also happened to be Gemma's ex. And the mystery was good. I was completely in the dark about who the culprit was in the end and it came as a complete surprise. 

STORM FRONT (The Dresden Files, Book One)

JIMBUTCHER

Synopsis from Goodreads: HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD

Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the ONLY at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get interesting.

Magic - it can get a guy killed.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, New American Library, 2000

How acquired: From a BookCrossing member.

My thoughts:  A wizard named Harry, but living in a very different world than that other Harry! Harry Dresden lives in present day Chicago, where he barely makes a living as a sort of paranormal private detective. I love the world building here, with Harry openly proclaiming himself to be a wizard rather than hiding his powers from the general public. A client comes in and wants Harry to locate her missing husband. He tries to refer her to the local police, but she says her husband has been fooling around with magic, and since that's Harry's specialty...meanwhile, Lieutenant Murphy, director of the Special Investigations unit of said local police, has called on Harry to help investigate a grisly double murder.

The story is told in first person POV by Harry, who, during the course of his investigations, drops little facts here and there about wizards and the magical community, without info dumping. We also meet a faerie, a vampiress, and a talking skull that lives in Harry's basement.

The plot was fairly intricate, with lots of twists. Harry isn't out to be a hero, he's just trying to make a buck, but he has morals and he won't walk away when someone is in danger. I liked his character, and I enjoyed the story and the writing. His narration is often amusing and self-deprecating.

Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face.

Entertaining and quick paced, building up to a climactic confrontation that had me sitting up a bit past my bedtime.