Midwestern murder! The people may seem nice, but murder lurks under all that wholesomeness...
Death Checked Out (A Larkspur Library Mystery) by Leah Dobrinska A small town librarian solving cime? Sounds straight up my alley. Greta Plank is the new librarian in Larkspur, Wisconsin, and like the doctor in last month's Scottish mystery, she is haunted by something in her past that the author takes three-quarters of the book to reveal. Honestly, but the time Greta's secret came out, I didn't care, and when I learned what it was, I cared even less. Mountains out of molehills, indeed. I'm assuming this is the first in a new series, so here's your synopsis: Greta's hermit-like neighbor is found dead, and while it looks like an accident, Greta is not convinced it was. When she finally manages to convince Larkspur's new detective that he was murdered, she finds herself as the number one suspect. Greta and her two library colleagues set out to uncover the murderer. I did like Greta's happy and healthy relationship with her parents, whom I'd have liked to see more of (they are more interesting that her, to be honest). No blood or gore or cursing or sex, for those who like their mysteries squeaky clean. (Net Galley)
Bake Offed (Five Ingredient Mystery) by Maya Corrigan I'd not read any books in this series, but I was tickled by the idea that a young woman and her grandfather were the amateur detectives. I started reading this on a flight to Washington DC. and was delighted to find that the book was set in Maryland. Val is helping her friend host a mystery convention, with one of the highlights a baking contest, and Grandad is one of the participants. Someone slips a warning message in his conference tote bag, and then one of the participants is found dead by Val. It's not a difficult mystery to figure out, but the characters were pleasant enough to spend some time with, and I do like the idea of a multi-generational amateur detective team. I won't go out of my way to track down any more in there series, but if one comes my way, I'll probably read it. Another squeaky clean mystery. (Net Galley).
On Spine of Death (By the Book Mysteries 2) by Tamara Berry After all this midwestern mayhem, I ended the month in one of my favorite states, Washington, and the fictional town of Winthrop, where mystery writer Tess Harrow and her daughter Gertrude have settled down permanently after Tess' divorce. Tess is remodeling her grandfather's hardware store when a body is found, and then a second body, and soon Tess realizes that the murders are eerily familiar. Funny and delightful, with engaging secondary characters, a realistically healthy yet imperfect mother-daughter relationship, and a small town full of very quirky inhabitants make for a very fun read. Yes, I figured out the whodunnit pretty early on, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book. I want to read the first in the series now, and hope I don't have to wait too long for Tess and Gertrude's next adventure. (Net Galley)
Out to Canaan by Jan Karon I needed an audiobook for some car time, and I remembered how popular these were in the 1980s when I worked in a wonderful independent bookstore. Father Tim and all the secondary characters and the setting have held up fairly well, although readers will think it takes places further in the past than it does given the lack of technology. Gentle stories about ordinary things, which I generally like, but I couldn't get into the series when it was first published and this one still left me cold. I think everyone is just a little too bland for my liking.
No comments:
Post a Comment