Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller ReviewsHandbags & Hooligans by Laina Turner
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Handbags & Hooligans*
What Happens in Vegas
Before she can really start her new job as a Mary Kay consultant, Presley leaves town for Las Vegas. Her friend Anne has been involved in wedding planning, and she and her fiance decide to ditch all the plans and just run off to Vegas instead. Presley’s younger brother lives in Vegas. Unfortunately, his girlfriend has gone missing, and it appears the brother has secrets as well.
Will they find the missing girlfriend? What secrets have been hidden . . . and by whom? Will the wedding still go off without a hitch? Does a new career await Presley in Las Vegas?
This book wasn’t quite as humorous at the last one, but it was fun to get a little more insight into Presley’s family. I like how the author has been setting up each book of the series with a prologue that describes a key scene that is relevant to the central mystery of the book.
If you have enjoyed the previous books in this series, you will enjoy Presley’s next adventure.
I received a free copy of this book, but this did not affect my review.
Tesla by Jason Walker
Available at Amazon, Kobo, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
Tesla*
Would There Be Danger If What Was Hidden Was Found
Starting with an interesting scene where are Tesla, Edison, and Mark Twain meet with a secret group high up in the relatively new Eiffel Tower, having been invited by Monsieur Eiffel himself. The Tesla story is juxtaposed with a more modern one based around a spy named Darren and his wife who work for a secret arm of the CIA, operating as agents for the shadow government. Darren comes across some old original notes of Tesla’s. What will he do with his findings? Will they put him and his family in danger?
This book is written in the present tense, and in general, I think that is an awkward way to write fiction. And unfortunately, in this case, sometimes the other tenses required to show proper sequence of time weren’t chosen correctly around the ubiquitous present tense; this is one of the pitfalls of using the present tense. That said, this was still an interesting read, making the reader of ponder what unknown knowledge might be hiding out there, who are keeping it secret, and what it could mean if it was known.
In just a total aside . . . Since Mark Twain was the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, I think it would have made an ironic twist to have the members of the secret committee him as Sam instead of Mark.
Berried Alive by Chelsea Thomas
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Berried Alive*
Going Toes Up in the Berries
In this installment of Apple Orchard Cozy series starts off with a mini mystery! Who is behind the Post-it caper at the Brown Cow? But things soon take an ominous turn. Local business owners are up in arms about the developer who has come to Pine Grove with plans to open up a Massive Mart. When he is found face-down, murdered, in a berry pie, Chelsea and Miss May are ready to step in to help local law enforcement figure out what’s going on.
Who is behind the developer’s death? Will Chelsea pursue the relationship with her favorite detective? What about Germany Turtle, son of the victims is of the previous crime that Chelsea and Miss May helped with?
This was a light, fun read. The author has set up a quirky female amateur sleuth team in Chelsea and Miss May. As often happens in cozy mysteries, there is a lot of humor here, and it is well done. In this book, I particularly enjoyed the little moments with Germany Turtle. I am a massive Jane Austen fan, and Germany Turtle reminded me in his interesting mix of pomposity and servility of Mr. Collins. I like him better than Mr. Collins, though; Germany just comes across as very sweet and perhaps not comfortable than people. His speeches were rather humorous.
I found one glaring error in the book. The author called the Marianas Trench the Mariana Trench. As I have several friends who are named Mariana, this stuck out like a sore thumb to me. But still, I quite enjoyed this quirky cozy.
Necklaces & Nooses by Laina Turner
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, Angus & Ferguson
Necklaces & Nooses*
New Boss Found Hanging!
At her new job in a boutique, Presley walks to find her boss Solange hanging from a light fixture. Presley figures it’s suicide, but Detective Willie thinks it’s a homicide. As Willie works on the case, he and Presley begin dating. Who killed the boss? Will Presley be a suspect since she found Solange? Will she and Willie become an item?
This second book of the series is an improvement over the first. The author isn’t trying so hard to be sassy or quirky and is playing a bit more with Presley’s character. I’m wondering, although, if it will be a thing in this series that Presley develops a romantic interest in whoever is investigating the murder in the book. Book three might give me some insight! The book has some issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. Most glaring was the improper use of a past participle, *had broke* instead of *had broken*. It was a little jarring to see, but otherwise, I wasn’t overly impacted by these issues.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Stilettos & Scoundrels by Laina Turner
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, and Angus & Robertson
Stilettos & Scoundrels*
Who Killed the Senator?
After a MeToo moment, heroine Presley quits her job in HR and decides to become a journalist. The day after her first interview, her subject–a senator–is found murdered, the weapon being a stiletto heel. Was Presley the last one to see him alive? Her ex-boyfriend Cooper thinks she’s a suspect.
Who murdered the senator? Does this spell the end for Presley’s new career . . . and her freedom? Will old feelings resurface between her and Cooper, or will they be at each other’s throats?
This is the debut novel for the author. I think she was attempting to do one of those quirky, funny cozy mysteries, with humor, but she fell out short of the mark. I’m willing to cut her slack as it is her first book. I am interested to see what happens in book 2.
Just a side comment . . . This book is full of brand names and cultural references. I wonder if that dates a book and/or makes it less accessible to those who aren’t familiar with these references. Books can live on Amazon and other online book stories for a long time. Will a reader ten years from now understand what the references mean?
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
The Minotaur’s Kiss by Erin St. Charles
Available at Amazon, Kobo, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
The Minotaur's Kiss*
Gods, Shifters, Latents, Magical Creatures … Oh, My!
In this complex world, alien gods use human concubines to procreate as the god’s genetic lines have been tainted by inbreeding. This has also given rise to a vigorous sex trade. The world is also inhabited by shifters, who may not understand their lineage until puberty. Because of the danger inherent in the sex trade, an army of social workers seeks to protect the industry’s workers. Diana is one of them. At an office event, she hooks up with a minotaur shifter she doesn’t know for a one-night stand. Unfortunately for her, he soon turns out to be her evaluating supervisor during a case that could make her career, smoothing the handover of a concubine. During what should be a routine inspection at one of the brothels, they find a sex worker whose missing. Soon, both she and Mac, the minotaur, are drawn into dangerous unforeseen circumstances, and Diana finds herself relying on him for protection.
Max is having a hard time dealing with Diana. He is usually a one-night-stand kind of guy, but their interactions have him rethinking his stance and even pondering a longer-term relationship. Thrown together on the job, he has a hard time keeping it professional. He’s never had such a sustained attraction to a female, and he’s not quite sure what to do about it.
By the way, this is a very steamy read. Within the first few chapters, we’re giving details about their one-night stand. The author has done a very good job at setting up the complexities of this world of gods, shifters, latents, other magical characters, and humans. She did a good job of creating tension-filled action scenes. Diana is a black woman, and I found it interesting that the author had her question racism as it applied to minotaurs, which was a sneaky way to get readers to think about the harshness of racism in our own world.
If you enjoy steamy stories about gods and shifters in a fast-paced read, this book might be for you.
Coven at Collington by Shereen Vedam
Coven at Callington*
Witch Wars, Intrigue, and Romance in Fantastical Regency England
Fresh from fending off an attack by hellhounds, Guard of the Green Cross–a secret arm of the Anglican Church meant to handle evil forces and entities if they rise from darkness–the Earl of Braden gets new orders from the Archbishop that are directly opposed to a central tenet of the guard’s code: do not interfere in disputes between witches and warlocks. Centuries ago witch hunts blackened the name of guards (then known as knights), so meddling is now forbidden. Braden has been tasked with retrieving the son of a warlock, who was supposedly taken by a demon, as well as destroy the coven in the area. More is happening at Callington than Braden imagined, and he is more than tempted to enlist the aid of the coven protectress, Merryn, to help figure it all out. Merryn believes that the same warlock who killed her younger brother has taken the boy.
Will Braden succeed in rescuing the boy? What exactly is going on between the warlocks and witches in Callington? Will Braden risk his position to follow what he knows is right? Will he fall for the coven protectress?
The author has done a fantastic job of creating a magical version of Regency England. I love how the first scene in Regency times a flame in a streetlight is talking! I literally did a double take to see if I was reading correctly! There are other magical elements as well, some of which are not truly explained until later. I thought the idea of having this secret group of guards under direct orders of the Archbishop of Canterbury was inspired. Braden is a complicated, fascinating hero to watch wrestle with right and wrong, on both personal and professional levels.
With elements of fantasy, the paranormal, intrigue, and romance . . . what’s not to like!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Bottle Full of Djinn by Paula Lester
A Bottle Full of Djinn*
Mysterious Happenings at Witches’ Retirement Community
Zoey is the head of staff for a magical retirement community. Her town of Sunnyside, California, is full of witches and warlocks, though normals do occasionally pass through town. People aren’t supposed to use magic in public, but they are often lax about it. Strange events that Zoey can’t explain start happening at the retirement community, a kitchen covered in chocolate cake batter, farm animals in the common room, and a ghost. Will Zoey figure out what’s going on? Will she lose staff and residents because of this? If you read the prequel to The Sunnyside Retired Witches Community series, you are familiar with the quirky world and cast characters that make up the greater and smaller communities of Sunnyside. The author does a fantastic job of integrating magic into the story, often in a humorous fashion. It’s an engaging read that makes you wonder what funny, offbeat thing will happen next, whether it is magical or not. The book is a delightful way to spend an afternoon.
Daring the Detective by Riley Cole
Daring the Detective*
Mismatched Pair Seeks Answers
Zadie, the heroine, is immediately uneasy when she comes to the Restitution League to ask them to take her case. She was expecting to find fellow thieves and other reformed criminals, not a police detective. Not quite sure whether to trust sharing the full story with the Sweets and the detective, she ultimately decides that her aunt’s life is more important than the possibility of arrest. Her aunt has gone missing under suspicious circumstances, and she fears that her business of retrieving stolen objects has led one of her victims to strike. Detective Caleb, the hero, believes he knows her type and suspects she is keeping details from them. The League does take up her case, but will everything change when other law enforcement believe that Zadie is not only involved in her aunt’s disappearance but also in her murder? Will romantic sparks fly between this honorable detective and a tarnished lady?
For those who read the two previous books in the Restitution League series, it will come as a surprise that this book is not about one of the Sweets. After all, Briar still hasn’t met found her mate. The writing in this book is not quite as snarky and humorous as the first two books, but this read about a very mismatched pair who have a hard time trusting each other in the face of danger is a compelling one. Detective Caleb puts his career in jeopardy, and Zadie’s very life may hang in the balance.
S’more Event by Wendy Meadows
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
S'more Event*
Chocolate-Driven Cozy Mystery
This is a cozy mystery taking place in a fictional New England town. Things get off to a rocky start when ten pounds of chocolate go missing from one of the stores there. The owner first accuses chocolate-loving parrot, Spot. But of course, one bird can’t eat that much chocolate. Soon, a much more dire event takes place. A woman is found dead. Who could have done such a thing and why? Does the missing chocolate have anything to do with the murder?
This is a relatively short book that doesn’t take long to read. At first, I was a little annoyed at the initial bit about the parrot eating the chocolate, as that scene did go on for a bit, when it is obvious that a parrot couldn’t eat that much! However, things got a little less silly, thank goodness, when the murder happened. I enjoyed the main character, Hillary. She is a recent widow, and she feels like Spot, her parrot, helps keep her memory of her husband alive. The police chief has a romantic interest in her, but she’s not quite ready or another relationship.
The book had some of the common issues with grammar, punctuation, and spelling that many books seem to have today, but it was not overly distracting from the story.
If you enjoy short cozy mysteries with a food bent, you might enjoy this one.
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