Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller ReviewsLoony Town by Paula Lester
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Loony Town*
Strange Magic at the Retirement Community
Things are rarely quiet for long at the Sunnyside Retired Witches Community! Zoey was having a lovely moment a flying kite with her boyfriend when she was called back to the community. Apparently, an insurance agent has been murdered on the premises. That’s not all. Strange magics are occurring, and odd energy blips seem to happen around them. Are the residents of the community involved in the murder? Why do these magic blitzes happen?
I’ve read all the books in this series so far, and they are a delight. The author is able to make the characters seem realistic even though this is a magical setting, and she can inject humor into what could be very serious scenes about the crime. In this book, most of the magic that goes awry is just plain funny (the sweatbands!). I love when I see that a new book in this series pops up because I can’t wait to read it.
A Trail of Breadcrumbs by D. E. Dennnis
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A Trail of Breadcrumbs*
More Grimm Murders
The Grimm twins are pulled into another investigation by the mother of a woman who was recently murdered in the Siren Woods. This brings up memories and questions about others who were killed at or found missing from that spot. As the siblings dig deeper, they find themselves confronting issues with the cold cases as well as their current one. I’ve read several books in this series by now, and I quite enjoy the banter and interaction between Monica and Michael, the twins. They seem much like a real brother and sister. In this book, the author created a proper mystery novel, not as simple novella as many seem to be these days, with multiple plotlines, murders, and red herrings to keep interest and the pages turning. As in the other novels in the series, the twins have to fight resistance from the local police department while they’re trying to figure out everything else. One of the twins is even endangered. I like all the different secondary characters as well, as they flesh out the plot and add much to the multiple storylines. Some of these are recurring characters, while others were new. Dialogue is realistic and at times funny but still remains heightened and tells us just what we need to know.
Grits, Gamblers, and Grudges by Paula Lester and Lisa B. Thomas
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Grits, Gamblers, and Grudges*
Skeleton in the… Basement?
I’ve enjoyed the two previous installments in this series, and this one was just as delightful. It’s got all the things that I love about paranormal cozy mysteries: a beleaguered heroine, quirky cast of characters, a small town that is more than it seems, a little supernatural flair to take it out of the ordinary, and a mystery that has a few surprises that make it fun to follow. Paige certainly had a rough go right from the start. Not only did she need to take out a loan for plumbing repairs, but the plumber finds a skeleton. An inspector comes out to look at the plumbing but discovers Paige has been living there in a commercial-only zone; she gives Paige two weeks to get out, or she’ll be fined and the bookshop closed. Could deceased Aunt Nora actually be responsible for the skeleton found in the basement of the bookshop? I enjoy the author’s writing style, as I can just slip right back into the world she has created as if I never left. Looking forward to more in the series.
Missing You by Shereen Vedam
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Missing You*
Spy Heroine in Cozy Mystery?
I am a big fan of cozy mysteries, so I was intrigued by this book. Cozies usually take place in small, made-up towns full of quirky characters; the mystery of themselves can be either silly or serious. I found I didn’t particularly like this book because I just couldn’t get behind the idea of cozy mystery heroine being an actual spy. Whenever the heroine mentioned her job, it just didn’t ring true for a cozy mystery. It seemed to make the whole book too serious for a cozy. Also, parts of the book took place outside of a small town (yes, I know it is listed as a travel mystery!); to me, that is one of the requirements of a cozy (that and an amateur sleuth). The concept just didn’t work for me. The writing itself is fine, at times humorous though not as often as is usually the case for a cozy mystery. It took a while, too, to get to the actual mystery of the book; it felt like the book meandered for quite a while without much purpose (or interest). The romance line fell flat for me as well. I’ve read other books by this author and enjoyed them, but this one was not my cup of tea.
Avoiding Matthew by Caroline Bell Foster
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Avoiding Matthew*
Story Overwhelmed by Technical Errors
I typically enjoy romantic suspense or suspenseful romance, whichever way the plot tends to skew. I was looking forward to this one, as the blurb suggested it had a globe-hopping thriller element as well. Unfortunately, the book had so many technical errors that I found myself overly distracted and could not enjoy the story.
What kind of technical errors? The author doesn’t seem to have a clear grasp of grammar, punctuation, and usage to such an extent that barely a paragraph goes by without some sort of error. Clearly, this was not professionally copyedited or proofread. Commas were sometimes missing altogether or used when they should not have been. Sometimes I had to reread a line because the lack of punctuation (or wrong punctuation) made it confusing. At least one sentence ended with a comma instead of a period. There was a lot of headhopping in this book; the narrator did not always stay consistent for a particular scene or segment of a chapter. The author quite often confused person and tense in the areas where she had a character think or muse about a specific idea. In one instance in two paragraphs right next to each other, she had a character “muse” in the second person and then “think” in the first person! Same character, same train of thought.
The two characters have a sexual history, and the book does get sexual very fast. Their lust for each other frequently overwhelms the rest of the story. The author does use some profanity and crude words, which I’m not a fan of. At times, it felt like the characters were just toying with each other, and that started to grate on my nerves.
Between Home and Heartbreak by Jacqui Nelson
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Between Home and Heartbreak*
Fast-Paced Western Romance with Lots of Intrigue
I was not wild about the first book of the series, though I had enjoyed other books by this author. So I wanted to give the second book in the series a chance. I am glad that I did. I found this book so much more riveting than the first. The book is full of intrigue, lies, secrets, and blackmail. From the start, it is hard to know who or what to believe, but all is gradually revealed as the book goes on. The hero is hard-working, smart, and swoon-worthy (even if he isn’t the best rider or horse breaker). The heroine has quite a detailed backstory that is fully revealed over time. The initial question, whether the heroine is the girl that the hero knew back in childhood, only scratches at the surface of the deeper questions raised in this book as it moves along, which it does at a fast pace.
The author has a good command of Old West history and the western Romance subgenre. She has a way of describing items and settings that makes you feel like you can see precisely what is going on without being overly descriptive such that it overwhelms the narrative. I like how she slips in Western idioms and colloquialisms that make the text come alive.
Force Majeure by Ashley Barner and Jennifer Sanders
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Force Majeure*
Magical Quirky Cast… and Mystery
The book begins at the reading of the heroine’s grandfather’s will. She, her brother, and her sister are all his heirs, each getting a generous stipend from his business. But Hulda receives his house, which she silently understands means that she is to take over his position in the community—running a group of witches! But before things get too far, a storm forces an unlikely group of characters together.
The authors have done an excellent job of creating a cast of quirky characters. I have a hard time choosing which of the van Dusen siblings I like more. They’re each distinct and add a unique perspective to the twists and turns of the plot. Parts of this book felt very realistic, but it had a magical overlay that made it so much more than regular day-to-day life. I like how at the end the authors left so much open. What will be the next adventures for this group? I am interested in finding out.
The Last Van Gogh by Will Ottinger
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, Angus & Robinson, and Indigo (Chapters)
The Last Van Gogh*
Compelling Mystery with Historical Backstory
What a well-written page-turner! This book is essentially a quest to find the last painting that van Gogh created and weaves in the story of how it became lost. Three distinct time periods are followed throughout the narrative, Van Gogh’s time, the 1930s before World War II, and present day (2018). The author does a fantastic job keeping these threads separate so they are not confusing. He does this both visually and using the writer’s toolbox. Van Gogh’s scenes are written in italics and from an omniscient viewpoint (well done for once by a modern writer), the pre-World War II scenes are in alternating third-person viewpoints, and the modern-day sections are written in the first-person vantage point by one intimately involved in the quest.
The characters in all timelines are well drawn, and I appreciate that the bad guys are complex, not just two-dimensional villains. The pace is tight, making you not want to put the book down. I found myself wanting to get to the next sections in the three different threads. The mystery here is complex in its heart as is the quest to unravel it.
I enjoy mysteries that have a historical element like this one, and this is one of the better ones that I have read. If you enjoy mystery like that as well, you might enjoy this book.
The Medium Place by Erin Huss
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The Medium Place*
Another Paranormal Cozy in this Humorous Series
I had thoroughly enjoyed the first book of the series, so I was very pleased to see this show up at one of the book review sites that I use. I looked forward to starting it because I had hopes that the author would continue to amuse me with the delightful Zoe, her zany neighbors, and her spirits.
I was not disappointed, I am happy to report. This book is as humorous, if not more, so than the first but not in the way that feels over the top. It feels just right and very appropriate for Zoe and the crazy characters that live in her small town. What an unusual spirit to approach her! One with terrible wounds and such a mystery to figure out, made all the more difficult and conflict-inducing because the sheriff sees Zoe as a suspect.
If you enjoyed the previous book, with Zoe’s humor and interesting relationships with those living and dead, you will most likely enjoy the second book of the series as well. If you enjoy paranormal cozy mysteries, you should give this author and this series a try.
A New Witch in Town by Jenny Bankhead
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A New Witch in Town*
Paranormal Cozy is Missing Some Pieces
Lorna has inherited an English cottage from an old aunt. She decides to give up her job and no-good fiance in Tennessee and start a new life in England. The cast of quirky characters starts coming around the new place and introducing themselves. Lorna has barely settled in when a murder rocks the sleepy town of Tweed-upon-Slumber. Lorna’s inquisitive nature makes her want to help figure it out.
I was intrigued by the concept of the book. I love a good witchy paranormal cozy mystery. However, I was put off by several elements. There was quite a bit of head hopping, even just for brief moments. Occasionally, the author switched to an omniscient viewpoint, telling us things that the character couldn’t know or wouldn’t know yet. At the very outset, several things just didn’t ring true to me. They are tiny details, but enough to affect my suspension of disbelief. For instance, her aunt has only recently died, but the house is in total disarray with cobwebs, lots of dust everywhere, and rotting furniture. Even if it took Lorna a while to settle her affairs in the States and get to England, this doesn’t seem like it would be accurate; could the place get so bad so quickly. Another tiny quibble was that the author stated that Lorna only was given a small snack on her transatlantic flight; having just done one not too long ago, you usually do get a proper meal.
The book started with a bit of an informational dump about Lorna’s past and all that brought her to claim her inheritance in England. The parade of neighbors didn’t feel quite right either. Cozy mysteries definitely need to have a cast of quirky characters, but we’re not usually introduced to them one right after the other in one setting. Typically, the protagonist will meet someone around town or at an event. It almost felt like an information dump for characters!
Inexplicably, this cozy mystery takes place in the 1990s. I’m not sure why the author felt the need to make it happen that long ago. It was simply jarring when I first read the word “nineties” in relation to time. Before that, I had assumed it was contemporary, so I had to read that line more than once to understand the context of the word and that it’s a story that supposedly takes place twenty years ago.
Because of the odd setup on several points, I can’t fully recommend this book.
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