Craig Johnson: The Brothers McKay

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Walt Longmire #22

It’s no secret that Walt Longmire loves literature; so does his creator Craig Johnson. The Longmire books are filled with literary references and allusions but The Brothers McKay is a straight-up homage to Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. As a mystery lover, I’m embarrassed to admit I haven’t read Dostoevsky’s classic but it’s not required reading to understand and enjoy Walt’s latest adventure.

Like The Brothers Karamazov, The Brothers McKay is about the murder of a despicable man (Pepper McKay) and his four sons, all suspects in his murder. At stake is the ownership of the O-Kay Lodge, a lucrative resort/dude ranch built at the turn of the previous century. Without giving anything away, suffice to say the relationships of the four brothers are complicated and Walt uncovers lots of secrets and past discord. Complicating the investigation is the fact that one brother is a monk being visited by his Elder Bishop, Abbot Deputy, and a novice of their order, thereby increasing the suspect pool. But are the monks actually suspects? As in Dostoevsky’s novel, these characters lead a lot of interesting philosophical discussions about God and morality, an important theme of the story. read more

Elizabeth Penney: Dungeons and Danger

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Ravensea Castle #2

Above the village of Monkwell, Yorkshire, sits Ravensea Castle, home of the Asquith family since 1138. The current family includes herbalist Nora, her sister popular TV actress Tamsyn, mead-brewer brother Will, amateur historian and father Arthur, Rolf the English Mastiff, Ruffian the cat, and several ghosts, including the ghost of ancestor Sir Percival. What more could one ask for in a castle-turned-B&B?

It’s almost Halloween and Will is hosting a Viking Fest at the castle to promote his mead. Hundreds of visitors in Viking costumes turn up, along with actual B&B guests: a history professor (with the hilariously appropriate name of Tweedy) and a group of ghost hunters filming an episode of Britain’s Got Ghosts (just in time for ghostly Halloween appearances). Tweedy convinces Arthur to let him search Ravensea for a lost Viking treasure while the ghost hunters hope to capture images of the ghost of Rusla, a Viking shield maiden known to haunt the battlements. read more

Krista Davis: The Diva Hosts a Murderer

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Domestic Diva Mysteries  #19 

It’s the 4th of July in Old Town, VA and Sophie Winston has a houseful of family and friends to entertain for the holiday. Between historical tours of Old Town and Washington, DC, holiday events, and lots of delicious meals, trouble arises when neighbor Dollie Peabody reports finding a body in her yard – but when the police arrive the body is gone. Did she imagine it and does she also imagine the voices and other noises she claims to hear in her house at night? And what’s up with Aunt Mellie’s new hubby Gus, whom she impetuously married during a trip to Las Vegas? Why does his friend Stan tag along for a family vacation at Sophie’s? And just who is Sophie’s sister Hannah sneaking out to see each night? read more

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles: Deadly Force

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DCI Bill Slider #26

This has long been a favorite series of mine since the first book, Orchestrated Death (1991), in which the main character, the married Detective Bill Slider, meets what turns out to be the love of his life. Joanna, who is now his wife and mother of two of his children, is a musician, and in the first book the music is part of the story, which adds to it and gives it depth.  Most of the other books are straight up police procedurals, but they are excellent ones.

This novel, the 26th in the series, is no exception to Harrod-Eagles’ excellence.  Her way with language, humor, and puns is undimmed, and all you need to do is skim through her chapter titles to get a taste of her humor.  Her character descriptions are as sharp and brief as any a golden age writer committed to a page and are one of the reasons I love her writing so much.  This book, while late in the series, does not need to be read in order, as the story told stands well on its own.  I will say that a reading of the earlier books will add to your reading enjoyment, as the characters are filled in and established throughout the series. read more

Author Interview: Frank Anthony Polito

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Frank Anthony Polito is a Detroit area writer whose “quozys” are a delightful tour of southeastern Michigan.  In book four in his Domestic Partners in Crime series, he takes a loving look at the drag show scene. If you are in the mood for a Detroit based cozy, this is the series for you.  Happily, Frank agreed to answer a few questions.

Q:  How did you come to writing mysteries? – I know you’ve written other things. Were you always a fan?

A: I’ve always been a fan of mysteries. Growing up I watched The Hardy Boys on TV and read every Encyclopedia Brown book. But I’d never really thought about writing a mystery novel myself. Then, around 2020, my editor at Kensington reached out and mentioned they were looking for someone to write a gay cozy mystery series and thought I might be a good fit. read more

Frank Anthony Polito: Dragged to Death

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Domestic Partners in Crime #4

I’ve enjoyed the first three books in this series, which features writer Peter Penwell and actor JP Broadway adding sleuthing to their busy lives. Somehow, bodies keep turning up, no matter what they do.  They also are hosts of a house reno show on “HDTV” – a show that sounds like HGTV’s sadly departed Bargain Block.  In this outing, however, the home reno is taking backstage to a drag show, which they’ve agreed to participate in for charity.

The strongest part of this novel is the explication and definition of the drag community, and the reasons why people are a part of it.  As Peter and JP join the group they are introduced as drag “sisters” who will learn techniques from the older queens.  In loving detail, Polito provides rich descriptions of the makeup and fashion that go into a drag presentation.  I loved that this was a universe where these men felt safe and accepted.  Like every other bubble in the world, though, bad things sometimes happen. read more

Emily Sullivan: A Murder in Marylebone

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Minnie Harper #2

A Murder in Marylebone is the second book in a delightful new mystery series by Emily Sullivan, featuring Minnie Harper, a widow in her thirties with two children, in the late 1890s.  The first book took place on Corfu, where Minnie had lived with her husband, Oliver, until his sudden death.  She had promised him that she would stay on Corfu and raise their children there, but in the previous book her daughter, fourteen-year-old Cleo, decided to go to school in England with the hope of attending Girton College, Cambridge (one of the first colleges for women), just like Minnie did.  And so, Minnie and her son, eight-year-old Tommy, who is a budding natural scientist, return to London to be closer to her. read more

Sarah Graves: Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers

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Death by Chocolate #9

In Sarah Graves’ Death by Chocolate series, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree runs the Chocolate Moose bakery in Eastport, Maine. Her partner and friend Ellie White have a reputation for serving up baked goods to die for, and finding out what people died for. Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers takes place in the summer amidst several town celebrations, including a class reunion, which provides Jake and Ellie with plenty of catering opportunities.

Class reunions tend to bring up more than memories of good times with friends — they also bring up old flames, grudges, and resentments. However, most high school angst does not result in a body. Cindy Munson is found murdered at the reunion’s masquerade dance. The primary suspect ends up being her ex-husband and grown high school bully, Terry Lawson. Given that Cindy’s body was found in Terry’s car, the local authorities do not see this as a difficult solve. However, a six-year-old daughter of Terry and Cindy, Ivy, is now caught up in a strange town with no one to look after her and no foster families readily available to take her in. As a former foster care kid herself, Jake feels compelled to help Ivy avoid the trauma of being drawn into the system and takes her in. Determined to figure out the truth so Ivy can either be reunited with her father, or protected from him, Jake and Ellie begin to investigate, which can be a little tricky when you also have a small child you are responsible for. There aren’t a lot of options for amateur sleuth childcare. Luckily, Jake’s parents come home early and are able to help take over some of the watch. read more

Lynn Cahoon: Confessions of an Amateur Sleuth

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Bainbridge Island #2

In Lynn Cahoon’s second Bainbridge Island mystery, Meg Gates has taken to island life, being embraced as one of the locals rather than a tourist. She’s working at her mother’s bookstore, Island Books, and is dating a childhood friend, Dalton, who works on the ferry. Things are looking up from the absolute dumpster fire that her life had become when her ex-fiancé broke off their engagement and went on their honeymoon with one of her bridesmaids. Quite a way for her life to fall apart, but she got to go home again and found a place to live renting from her aunt and working at the bookstore for her mother. She’s also begun to write, thanks to encouragement from her job working for the famous, yet reclusive, author Lilly Aster. read more

Colleen Cambridge: In the Spirit of French Murder

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An American in Paris #4

In the Spirit of French Murder is the fourth book in Colleen Cambridge’s An American in Paris Mystery series set in post-World War II Paris, about Tabitha Knight, a former Rosie the Riveter and best friend of Julia Child.  At the time this novel takes place, in March of 1950, Tabitha, the daughter of an American policeman father and a French mother, has been in Paris for almost a year.  After growing up near Detroit, she has gone to live with her French grandfather and his life partner, Oncle Rafe.  Tabitha’s cooking skills are not up to making the French dinners her “messieurs” love, but, luckily for her, she has Julia Child as a neighbor.  At this time, Julia is a student at the prestigious Cordon Bleu chef school, and she is happy to cook meals for Tabitha and her messieurs or to direct Tabitha in making them. read more