Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller ReviewsThe Eyewitness by Nancy C. Weeks
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The Eyewitness*
Romance Fell Flat, But Suspense Plot Was Good
This contemporary romantic suspense starts with an unfortunate bang as the heroine’s father is murdered just after they had a big argument. The book details the investigation into this as well as the budding romance between the heroine and the hero, who happened to be her dead father’s partner.
This book was mostly well written, but I didn’t quite buy the romance aspect. This is an enemies-to-lovers spot, and I think that is hard to pull off in general but especially when there’s so much else going on in the story (like there is in this one). We need to see a pivotal shift for both characters that’s believable and contextually correct. Yes, I got that the two had a bad history, which sets up the enemies part, and they continue to butt heads even while they have an undeniable attraction to each other. Neither part rings true for me. Another thing that didn’t quite sit right for me was the idea of a hot-headed person being a forensic scientist; the two ideas just don’t blend well together in my mind. I know one of the themes that runs throughout is that she is working on that aspect of herself, but it seemed like an oil-and-water combination that would be unlikely to happen in real life. I also didn’t feel like the initial hospital scene was accurate in several ways; I won’t detail all the reasons, but I am an RN, and I wondered if the author had done much research into what goes on in a hospital and what it’s really like (including security).
The familial relationships in this story are complex in a way that feels accurate to real life. I enjoyed the dialogue in that it seemed natural, but I didn’t think that the key characters had enough differentiation in their voices. The suspense aspect was better done than the romance aspect. There were plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. While the book didn’t technically end on a cliffhanger, there are some unresolved issues. All in all, despite the glowing reviews for this book, it doesn’t inspire me to read the next book in the series to see how those loose ends to tie up.
Covens and Coffins by Lily Webb
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
Covens and Coffins*
Another Zoe and Crew Paranormal Cozy
I have read several books in this series now, and I always enjoy a trip to Zoe’s magical world. I like that she isn’t an experienced, know-it-all witch as often happens in these paranormal cozy mysteries. In fact, this book starts with a scene of one of her areas of witchy ineptitude: she can’t fly a broom like the other witches. Despite her lacks, she has decided to run for Head Witch because of all the mysterious events she has been involved with previously. All does not run smoothly, of course, when a rival is murdered at a town hall meeting of the candidates just before the election. Zoe becomes a suspect, and she has to use her skills to ferret out the real murderer. In an interesting subplot, some are proposing wand reform (in a way that mirrors gun control in our world).
I like how the author has made this series stand-alone but interrelated, and she gives necessary backstory in tiny bite-sized chunks that are easy to assimilate. Backstory seems to be one of those things that authors quite often trip up on, either giving too little or too much in an info dump. That doesn’t happen here. For those of us who have read previous books, the relationships between Zoe and her friends and her grandma are a delight to watch as the friendships, like with Mallory and Raina, are realistic in showing both closeness and humor, and the familial relationship shows a deep love and understanding. I just like watching Zoe and her peeps interact. I thought that the murder should have happened a little earlier in the context of the story to give a bit more time for the mystery to play out, but it was still a solid read.
Two Scandals are Better Than One by Nancy Yeager
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Two Scandals are Better Than One*
Steamy Victorian Suspense
Luci is concerned about her missing father and goes to a gentleman’s house party—code word for a den of iniquity—in hopes of gaining information that will help her find him. She doesn’t quite realize the dangerous world she is dipping her toe into. She is surprised to find Steady Eddie there, who has been a friend of her of the family since she was a child. She had a crush on him until she realized that he was much too dull for her to truly consider as a life mate. This is why it is such a surprise to find him at this party that is only a step above a brothel. While he doesn’t recognize her at the party, he is intrigued by her scandalous persona, and he soon finds out who she really is. Once he knows what is going on, he insists on helping her figure out what’s going on with her father so he can protect her.
I so enjoyed this romantic Victorian suspense! Early on, the author did an excellent job portraying Edward as a proper English gentleman in a very uncomfortable setting; he usually didn’t go to debauched house parties; he wanted just one night of craziness. She was even able to give him speech patterns that make him sound like a toff but not so much that it sounds like unnatural speech; I think this is a hard line to straddle, but the author did this perfectly. The hero and heroine have fantastic chemistry. He is willing to put himself in harm’s way to protect her and help her figure out the mystery. The more time they spend together, the more steamy the book becomes, but the progress of their romance seemed appropriate to their characters. I love the suspense element in this plot and enjoyed seeing what the characters had to do as they became more deeply involved in the criminal underworld. The ending was very satisfying.
Luci and Edward are a delightful couple to watch as they try to unravel all that is going on while falling more deeply for each other. This is the second book I’ve read of the Harrow Five series, and I look forward to the next installment. If you like historical romance with a bit of suspense, you will most likely enjoy this book.
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
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The Library of Lost and Found*
Unlikely Protagonist Becomes Hero of Her Own Story
I am always drawn to a book about books! The cherry on top of that for this book is that the middle-aged main character works at her local library as well. The author does a brilliant job at the beginning of the book showing, not telling, of Martha’s fussy and pedantic yet selflessly giving nature. Martha lives on her own but fills her time doing thankless tasks for family and neighbors, like fixing her nephew’s trousers and repairing a paper mache dragon. Her insular world is broken apart when she receives a book left at the library’s door that was inscribed by her beloved grandmother who died when Martha was young. This opens up a whole new world for Martha as she tries to puzzle out the mystery of how her grandmother could have inscribed a note to her in the book months after the elder lady supposedly died.
This is the first time that I have read this author, and I was delighted by her in-depth characterization in this book. Martha at the beginning could very well have been a pitiable martyr, but the author managed to make her real in such a way that didn’t allow for such a simple take. The book does meander a bit, but I have found that to be quite often the case for certain British writers that I’ve read (and enjoyed, like the delightful cozy mystery writer V. S. Vale). While some may find this annoying, this author pursues this path deftly, in part because of the very excellent characterization of not only Martha but the secondary characters she meets along her path but also because of the depth of the backstory and its secrets that are slowly revealed. I quite enjoyed Martha’s transformation over the course of this book. A wonderful read.
Prose and Poison by Jennie K. Brown
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Prose and Poison*
More General Mystery Than Cozy
This book is the cozy mystery debut of a writer who has written in different genres. Unfortunately, this mystery seems more like a general mystery than a cozy to me. To me, cozy mysteries must be filled with quirky characters in a zany small town. There’s at least one familial relationship that bolsters the protagonist in a way that is not typical of the family relationship; usually this is with an aunt or a grandmother. The protagonist is usually involved in one of the funky businesses in town. There may or may not be a pet. This book did have an amateur sleuth (and even a pet!), but the feel of the entire book was not like a cozy. It lacks the quirkiness factor. Yes, there were some funny-named businesses, but that was the extent of it. The secondary characters weren’t really quirky at all; they seem like ordinary people. I didn’t feel like there were enough progressive complications to keep the middle of the book interesting, especially considering that there wasn’t the quirkiness factor that normally keeps me engaged while reading a cozy.
An Automated Murder by Shelly West
Available at Amazon
Free with Kindle Unlimited
An Automated Murder*
A Mystery with a Surprising Culprit!
Granny and Abigail are at it again when a special Christmas unveiling at the Wallace Point toy store turns into a crime scene. A toy cannon automaton apparently kills a man in a locked room. In his dying breath, the man states that the shop owner did it. But Granny and Abigail can’t believe that this family man and business owner would be capable of doing such a thing. Who is responsible for the dastardly deed?
I have read the other cozy mysteries in this series, and I enjoy the small-town world that the author has created. I adore the relationship between Granny and Abigail. The fictional town has all be quirky characters and zany happenings that you love and expect to find in a cozy mystery. There are even delightful dogs, Thor and Missy, though we didn’t see as much of them in this book as we have in previous books. I love the subtle and not-so-subtle humor that the author is able to inject into these books. In this one, I love how a yacht was named the Knotty Buoy. Perfect! I enjoyed seeing Wallace Point at Christmastime. It’s not just murder and secrets in this book but also Christmas lights and cookies! The answer to the “whodunit” question at the heart of every mystery is an actual surprise! As I am rarely surprised by any book, let alone a mystery, this made the book even more delightful. If you enjoy well-imagined, humorous cozy mysteries, you may well enjoy this book and the rest of the series.
A Plain Vanilla Murder by Susan Wittig Albert
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A Plain Vanilla Murder*
All About Vanilla… Murder and Recipes!
Despite the title of this novel, the murder mentioned in the title is anything but plain vanilla! Of course, the author would state that there is no such thing as plain vanilla anyway; I would agree. A professor of botany who has a great interest in vanilla has been murdered. The murder at first looks like a suicide, but it soon becomes clear that it is not. His ex-wife is the first suspect, of course. But then it turns out that the professor might have been involved in this several shady dealings, perhaps smuggling or taking full credit where it should have been shared.
While I read a lot of mysteries, this was a new author for me. The research is very detailed; I liked the extra details included in the author’s note and the vanilla recipes at the end. These aren’t baking recipes; instead, they are recipes that can serve as foundations of other dishes, like homemade vanilla extract, vanilla powder, and even vanilla salt. The author has created a cast of characters whom I could tell had been together for a long time in the earlier books of the series. I like how the narrative focus shifted between the amateur sleuth and the detective. I appreciated that they weren’t at odds and actually worked together; they do have different approaches, so they come up with different information. I am used to reading stories where part of the conflict involves the relationship between the amateur and the real detective. It was refreshing to read a different take. The mystery itself had lots of twists and turns—like the many different notes as pure vanilla—creating a delightful rabbit hole to go down in order to figure out the who and the why. While this might have been my first book by this author, I’m sure it won’t be the last.
A Murder in Helvetica Bold by Jessa Archer
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A Murder in Helvetica Bold*
Starting Over… and Murder!
Ruth has been back in her hometown for a while now and has a good start on rebuilding her life after her divorce at the age of 50. She is just barely getting the town newspaper back in business when a neighbor dies under suspicious circumstances. Law enforcement is leaning toward natural causes or suicide, but clues lead Ruth to believe that foul play was involved. She and her daughter, Cassandra, who is in town for an extended visit, feel a need to investigate for themselves.
I love books with a middle-aged protagonist; life doesn’t end after 20 (or 25) as seems to be the case in many books. I liked how Ruth was reclaiming her life and focusing what mattered to her. In particular, I enjoyed the relationship between Ruth and her adult daughter. They act in a naturally friendly way that all mothers and their adult children should do. After having read the mini prequel about the bear, I was glad to see the town’s secondary characters take on a bit more depth. Some townspeople have intriguing pasts. I like how this mystery brought up questions from the past and drew out a person who looked out for Ruth. I thought on occasion that the author did informational dumps rather than incorporate important information more seamlessly. That said, I did enjoy this amateur sleuth mystery.
Hound on the Sound by Jessa Archer
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, and Angus & Robertson
Hound on the Sound*
Nice Start to New Series
Pepper is returning to her hometown after time in the big city to open up her own law firm. She’s able to buy a property at a steal, which she does question but is happy about. The sleazy lawyer in town gives her a hard time when she moves in, but with a little help from friends and family, she is able to work it out. An old flame is now the sheriff, and he’s recently separated from his wife. Why was the property such a steal? Will there be a second chance at romance for Pepper as well?
The hound mentioned in the title is Mr. Woogles, and while I am not a dog person, I thought he was very cute indeed. Pepper’s interactions with him were adorable. Even though this is a short story, I felt like we got to know some of the characters in town somewhat. I like the promise of a little bit of romance in the future stories and in this series. The author writes description well, allowing the reader to visualize places and settings. The dialogue felt natural.
Baskerville for the Bear by Jessa Archer
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Baskerville for the Bear*
Not Long Enough for Much Depth
After a divorce, Ruth is returning to her small town after 30 years as a reporter in the big city. She plans on restarting the town’s paper and restarting her life as well at the same time. A neighbor has been hunting on her property, her parent’s old place, but now she’s found a headless bear in a trap. While bear hunting is not illegal, trapping one is. When Ruth attempts to get law enforcement to look into this, she is brushed off. But Ruth will not be satisfied by this, and she starts to look into it herself.
This is a super short cozy mystery. I found it suffered from the faults typical of short cozies, specifically having a data dump at the beginning to set up the world and not having enough space to develop the characters and mystery. Aside from these two issues, the story itself was well-written with visual detail. If you think you might delve into the rest of the series, it is worth a read.
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