Tag: mystery

BONUS REVIEW: Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce

BONUS REVIEW: Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Myrtle Hardcastle is the daughter of the local prosecutor, and a scientist, her late mother. So she comes by her intellect and her curiosity honestly. So can anyone be surprised when she uses the telescope to look in on the neighbors or when she reads about poisons?

When Myrtle notices a change in the daily patterns of her neighbors at Redgraves, she looks into things on her own and then notifies the police. They discover that the lady of the house, Miss Wodehouse, has passed away.

Everyone says it was her heart, but Myrtle is convinced it was murder. Myrtle and her governess, Miss Judson, do some of their own investigating at Redgraves, talking to the presumed heirs as well and hunting for clues. In fact, Myrtle eventually convinces the powers that be that it was, in fact, murder. Now, all she has to do is find the killer.

Review

This was excellent! I loved the characters in this. Myrtle is a delight – brilliant and confident. And the cast around her is equally fantastic. I would snap up book 2 – How to Get Away With Myrtle – which also released this week. This was terrific!

The characters are what would keep me coming back to this series. I’m already excited about their next adventure. But the mystery in this is also excellent. There are several suspects and some nice surprises. Mystery fans are going to love this! Crimes include a suspicious death/murder, fraud, and kidnapping.

Do not miss this new mystery series for older middle grade readers (ages 10+) or the amazing Myrtle Hardcastle. I’d hand this to kids who enjoy mysteries like City Spies, FRAMED, Aggie Morton, The Westing Game, Capture the Flag, The Parker Inheritance, or Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor. (You can read about other middle grade mysteries here.) I think they will fall in love with Myrtle.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½=I loved it! Would re-read!

REVIEW: Daphne & Velma: The Vanishing Girl by Josephine Ruby

REVIEW: Daphne & Velma: The Vanishing Girl by Josephine Ruby

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The town of Crystal Cove counts on their mysterious history (the disappearance of most of the town founders) and the Haunted Village attraction to bring tourists to town.

When a teen gets locked in an attraction at Haunted Village, and she blames ghosts, there’s tons of fresh attention on the town. Unfortunately, the girl’s story could cost Velma Dinkley’s mom her job at the Haunted Village. The Village has already taken so much from her family. So Velma is determined to get the girl, Marcy, to recant her story so Velma’s mom can get back to work.

Instead, Marcy goes missing. Daphne Blake is Marcy’s best friend. She does NOT believe the lame story that Marcy ran away to Mexico. Finding Marcy is a bigger job than Daphne can tackle on her own. But the only other person who questions the story is Velma. Maybe they could have worked together when they were 10. But the two girls have been bitter enemies for years now. Could they put aside their history to find out the truth about Marcy?

Review

This was great! I loved watching the girls work through their history as well as the mystery. Shaggy and Scooby play a role, and Fred is around, but the girls are the stars here.

I’m not certain if this is an alternate universe from the TV shows I have enjoyed for years, tracking it’s own independent course, or if it is an origin story for the Mystery Inc. gang that will develop over time. I’ll have to keep up with the series to find out. And I plan to! This was so fun.

I had thought this was going to be a graphic novel, but this is a prose novel instead. The history and angst between Daphne and Velma is a significant part of the story. It’s mostly resolved by the end, and I’m eager to see how they move forward in future books. There’s also family stuff going on for both girls that added some nice layers to the story.

The mystery was terrific. It felt like an episode of Scooby Doo in all the best ways. I’m eager to dive into book 2, The Dark Deception. A third book is currently scheduled for spring, 2021.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = Loved it! Would read again

BONUS REVIEW: Cat Me If You Can by Miranda James

BONUS REVIEW: Cat Me If You Can by Miranda James

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Charlie and his finacée, Helen Louise, along with Charlie’s Maine Coon, Diesel, travel to Asheville, North Carolina for a mystery retreat for the members of the Athena Public Library’s mystery group. The Ducote sisters secured a lovely boutique hotel for everyone to stay in that will also hold their group events.

The group includes the Ducote’s ward, Benjy, as well as an art history professor, a loan officer, a plumber, and a retired couple. All together, there are 12 group members there as well as a few significant others. Charlie is looking forward to getting to know the other folks in the newly formed group.

But their mystery-focused fun is disrupted when the loan officer’s “boyfriend”/stalker disrupts their first meeting. The next day, he is found dead. Before long, the whole group is pulled into a real-life mystery.

Review

Another great mystery starring Charlie and Diesel, book 13 in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series. It was nice to have a change of setting for this book. I wanted more of their mystery retreat sessions. I loved the bits on Golden Age writers that are part of the set up of the story. In fact, I even started a list of authors to check out. I was sad that the murder investigation ended up edging out the rest of their retreat meetings.

The mystery here was excellent. It was twisty in all the best ways. I didn’t see the solution until it was revealed on the page.

There’s lots here for series fans to enjoy. There are plenty of scenes with Diesel as well as some of Charlie’s usual friend group, including the ladies from Miranda James‘ Southern Ladies Mysteries series. There’s also a fresh setting and a mystery to keep you guessing until the end. Fans of these characters should not miss this installment. Book 14, What the Cat Dragged In, will release in the spring of 2021. (Alludes to off-page sex, LGBTQ+, TW: Suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥=Great, might re-read

BONUS REVIEW: The Candy Mafia by Lavie Tidhar

BONUS REVIEW: The Candy Mafia by Lavie Tidhar

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Peachtree Publishing Company in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It’s been 3 years since Mayor Thornton banned chocolate and sweets from the town. Three years since the Farnsworth Chocolate Factory closed and the owner disappeared.

Nelle Faulkner is a private detective on summer break. Eddie deMenthe is her latest client, a candy bootlegger looking for someone who can find things. Precious things. Stolen things.

But Nelle’s case only gets more complicated. Someone breaks into her office. The police come to her house. And Eddie goes missing. Something in the secret chocolate trade is rotten. Something beyond just smuggling.

Review

This was fun. The premise was interesting – the candy ban, kids as smugglers. And then the larger secrets and motives that Nelle discovers as she investigates.

I liked Nelle and the other kids she ends up working with. The focus of the book was more on the action than character development. I would have enjoyed more on the characters. There were hints at the toll of the smuggling scheme on the kids; I would have loved to see that explored a lot more. I found that piece fascinating.

The mystery had a few twists – some I predicted and others that surprised me. I think kids will enjoy this story . Mystery fans will get a kick out of trying to solve the case before Nelle.

Like Nelle, I wanted more in the end, but overall the story is fun, and the solution is solid. This could be a fun read-aloud selection or good for use in a book club.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½=Good+

REVIEW: The Game by Linsey Miller

REVIEW: The Game by Linsey Miller

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Underlined Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In the spring, the thoughts of the seniors at Lincoln High turn to college acceptance letters – and murder.

Well, not actual murder. Just to the annual game of Assassins. Armed with water guns, the teens of Lincoln track their peers with the hope of being the last one standing.

Lia Prince is counting on Assassins to be her claim to fame. Always in her older brother’s shadow, Lia is determined to make her name here. She’s been observing her classmates’ schedules for months, planning her strategy for this moment.

But when one of the players dies in an accident, the Assassin game is in jeopardy. When a second dies, and NOT in an accident, it’s clear something more than some good clean fun is going on in Lincoln.

Review

I knew this was billed as a mashup of Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders (which I know of but haven’t read) and Riverdale (which I’ve never seen). But I didn’t expect the tie-ins to the Christie mystery to be as clear as they were, starting with even the email address for the Council that is running the game. It was a clever set up for Christie, and it’s still a clever set up here. Those who aren’t familiar with the original mystery will probably catch on to the scheme quickly.

I enjoyed the suspense of this and the idea of a harmless game that turns deadly. The suspense and the stakes bring to mind books like #Murder Trending (♥♥♥♥) and thrillers by Karen McManus (One of Us is Lying – ♥♥♥♥, Two Can Keep a Secret). This one wasn’t as well executed as those, but there were some good moments.

The emotional beats to this didn’t click for me. I didn’t care for Lia or any of the other main characters. I also didn’t lock into Lia’s obsession over this game. She explained it several times in the book, but I wasn’t emotionally hooked into her rationales. She was pretty over-the-top in her preparation and her compulsion to put herself in danger for the sake of this game. I didn’t feel like the case for her drive was as clearly made as it could have been. I felt like her reputation as a puzzle person was more told rather than shown, and this skill/gift of hers wasn’t really reflected in the story.

Fans of thrillers, fans of The ABC Murders, and those intrigued by the premise of this one should consider it. If you are new to the genre, this might be a nice starting spot. A weird, mysterious ending could indicate that there is a sequel planned, which I know will make fans of this story excited to see what is next for Lia and her friends. (Violence)

Rating: ♥♥½*

*I have a new rating system. ♥♥½ is “Mostly solid to solid. May have some issues.”

BONUS REVIEW: The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson

BONUS REVIEW: The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Rake Tarbell is having a bad day. He woke up hungover in a strange hotel room. In Venice, Italy. But he has no memory of going there. He also has no wallet, no phone, and he’s fallen into the canal. And the tip of the iceberg? When he finally finds his way to his bank accounts to get some money, he finds them empty.

All of that is epically bad. But in the middle of discovering how much trouble he’s in, he also meets a woman who says the girl at her side – Lillith – is his daughter.

So now Rake is in Italy with no money, no ID or passport, no phone to call his family, and a kid he doesn’t know but might be responsible for. Thankfully, the woman who brought Lillith to him, Delaney, is willing to help him. They just have to dodge thugs, stuff Easter baskets, and figure out why Rake’s life has turned upside down.

Review

What a hoot! I got a huge kick out of Rake and this whole story. Apparently this takes place concurrently with book one, Danger, Sweetheart, which I have not read. I feel like I picked the right book, and the right brother of the Tarbell twins, though. Rake is obnoxious early on, but I warmed up to him. (His brother, on the other hand, always felt like a jerk whenever he appeared in this book.) Lillith is also a complete delight. I love adult books with fantastic kid characters. And Lillith is brilliant, both literally and figuratively.

The “mysteries” of what Delaney and her friends are up to, what happened to Lillith’s mother, and what happened to Rake’s money were engaging. I enjoyed watching it all unfold, and I laughed loudly and often as I waited for things to be resolved. This was a ton of fun, and I’m glad I tried it out!(Language, sex, some violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: City Spies by James Ponti

BONUS REVIEW: City Spies by James Ponti

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Sara Martinez is arrested, she knows it’s a big deal. She was caught hacking. She did it to expose her foster parents for the abusive charlatans they are. But of course nothing happened to them, and Sara was arrested.

But then the British guy shows up. Pretends to be her lawyer. Masterfully works the court case to Sara’s favor, getting her sentenced to a fictional facility until she turns 18.

All so Sara can become a spy for MI6.

MI6 has a team of young spies ready to go on a super secret, super vital mission. But their hacker up and quit the program. If Sara can cut it, she’ll be their new hacker.

They’ve never seen a computer whiz like her!

Review

This was an absolute treat! I loved Sara from the start. She’s crazy smart, fierce, and loyal. My favorite sort of protagonist. The other kids on the team are fascinating as well – talented and quirky with interesting back stories. Even some of the adults get backstories in this book!

The mission and mystery are top notch. No surprise, really. I expected that after the delightful FRAMED series by this author. (I totally need to read those again!) There were several fantastic twists along the way. And some unresolved threads will pull readers into the next book, which is City Spies: Golden Gate, scheduled to release next spring. I already have it in my shopping cart!

Readers who love mysteries, kid spies or found family stories should NOT miss this one!!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Muzzled by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: Muzzled by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Beth Morris finds owners of lost pets. When someone in her network – say, Andy Carpenter’s Tara Foundation – finds a stray dog, Beth uses her skills and her contacts to find the owners. Sometimes the owners don’t want the dog, and it’s then freed up for adoption. Other times it’s been lost and she gets to reunite the family with their beloved pet.

Lucy is one such dog. And Beth has determined that Lucy’s owner is one of the men who recently died in a suspicious boat explosion.

Then Beth gets a call from someone else who knows all about Lucy. Has Beth made a mistake in her research? Or has a dead man come looking for his dog?

Beth immediately brings the case to Andy. Despite his protests that he’s “retired,” there’s something about this case that grabs his attention.

Review

I know that’s not much of a summary, but I don’t want to give too much away about what Andy and his team discover as they work on this case. Andy is in top form in this twisty mystery! The clues are doled out slowly, so I was guessing all the way to the end. There were some great courtroom moments, as well as tons of sarcasm, and at least one jaw-dropping surprise. These are the things that keep me coming back to this series.

The characters in this series are top notch. There’s less time with Andy’s legal team in this one, but an increased focus on the K-Team which was a great trade off.

Fans of the series should pick this one up right away. It’s terrific. Newcomers should be able to jump in anywhere. I started this series with book 15 – The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (♥♥♥♥♥) – and then read all of the backlist. I haven’t missed a book since. Rosenfelt does a good job of keeping new readers clued in without doing an annoying backstory dump. Reading the books out of order has never been an issue for me.

Mystery fans, especially those who enjoy courtroom dramas, should be sure to check out this series! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

BONUS REVIEW: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Mason “Mace” Reid trains cadaver dogs. And Elvira is his latest trainee. She survived a rough beginning to her life and has become a great HRD – Human Remains Detection dog. She’s bright, and she picked up the tasks quickly. It helps that Mace treats the training like games for his “kids,” the pups.

On Vira’s first real case, she finds the body in less than 2 minutes. And while she and Mace wait to make an official statement to the police, Vira zeroes in on a guy in the watching crowd – and she attacks. The guy is hospitalized for his injuries. And Vera is supposed to be put down. But Mace believes in her and believes there might be more to the guy she attacked. Mace has to investigate in order to save her life. That’s what she means to him. He’d sacrifice anything for her.

That’s what puts Mace on Everyman’s radar. He’d been loosely connected to that other case. He’d been almost mentoring the young sociopath involved. And when Mace ruins that situation, Everyman turns his attention to Mace – and his dogs – instead.

Review

I received an offer of a review copy of this book because of my love for the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt, another dog-related mystery/suspense series.  This felt darker, thanks to the serial killer angle, but there were similarities, too.

The dogs in this book are excellent. And the investigative work is as well. Vira is a more active part of the story here than Rosenfelt’s dogs tend to be, at least in the Andy Carpenter series. I got a kick out of the questions about Vira’s special skills. She’s pretty amazing!

The mystery here, while dark, was well executed (pardon the unintentional pun). There were a couple interesting twists to this, plus a side case to show off Vira’s gifts that was very clever. I would definitely read more books in this series to see what happens with Vira and Mace in the future.

Thriller fans, especially those who enjoy stories with dogs and/or law enforcement, should be sure to check this out. You could hand this to other Rosenfelt fans as well as fans of books like A Borrowing of Bones with other working/law enforcement dogs. (Language, including one use of the word “retarded.”)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

REVIEW: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Millie, Thea, Cassie, Nathalie, Robin, and Wren are the Amelia Six – six girls who won the chance to spend the night at Amelia Earhart’s Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas. It was supposed to be an evening of food and fun with a scavenger hunt and a tour of the house, full of Amelia Earhart memorabilia. The prize attraction is a pair of Amelia’s goggles – a pair that is about to go the Smithsonian. But over the course of the evening, the goggles go missing.

The kids and the adults in charge of the museum are trapped in the house due to a snowstorm. There’s no cell reception. And everyone is suspicious of everyone else. The goggles are worth a lot of money to a thief.

But the Amelia Six are determined to find the goggles, get to the truth, and preserve Amelia’s memory. But what can six pre-teens do?

Review

This was a fun mystery with some unexpected twists. Millie was the point of view character, but the ensemble of girls was great. They worked well together once the investigation kicked in, and each brought something different to the sleuthing.

There’s a lot of great Amelia Earhart information both in the book and in the back matter. The setting for the story and the group that plans the event for the girls in the book are both real. Amelia Earhart fans will get a kick out of all the little nuggets of information.

Mystery fans, Earhart fans, and fans of books with great ensembles of characters should be sure to check this one out. It is a lot of fun with plenty of page-turning suspense.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥