aunt_agatha

V.M. Burns: Murder on Tour

by

Mystery Bookshop #9

There is a lot that goes into getting a book written and on shelves. After the author thinks it’s finally done, it then has to pass through the publishing gauntlet. Once it makes it through that, then the author must go about promoting their book to ensure sales stay up and their next book has a better chance of getting published. Often times they must promote at events with other authors who have many other books published and have a solid fan base. In Murder On Tour, V.M. Burns portrays our protagonist Samantha Washington’s struggle to be not just a published author, but a confident one. It does not help her ego any to be a last minute addition to a book festival, and that her table isn’t in a very ideal location. Luckily she has her grandma Nana Joe present to keep her confidence up and boost her morale. But, once behind the scenes, Samantha finds out that things are not all they appear to be. The infighting between these well-known authors is shocking and Samantha does her best to stay out of it. read more

Lauren Elliott: Murder in a Cup

by

Crystals & CuriosiTEAS #2

Lauren Elliott’s second book in her Crystals & CuriosiTEAS series, Murder in a Cup, does not disappoint. Shay Myers is determined to make her new life in Monterey Peninsula a success and, given the popularity of her shop, that seems to be more than possible. With the help of her sister Jen, a local misfit teenager named Tassi, and of course her loyal dog Spirit, Shay has plenty of help in running Crystals & CuriosiTEAS. Serving tea and selling knick-knacks isn’t Shay’s only business, she also provides services as a Seer, such as reading tea leaves or palms. Given that she is a self-taught Seer, logical minded Shay is always a little nervous about exploring this more mystical side of herself. Luckily local pub owner and friend Liam has his Gran coming into town and she is a well versed Seer. Unfortunately for Shay, Gran is also more than a little pushy and has her committing to doing a group event reading before she’s really comfortable with it. read more

Sara Driscoll: That Others May Live

by

FBI K-9 #8

That Others May Live by Sara Driscoll is a little bit of a deviation from my usual cozies, as it is much more of a thriller mixed with a procedural, but still qualifies as an animal detective cozy. This is the eighth book in her FBI K-9 series, and it’s very emotional and engaging. The main protagonist Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue K-9 dog, Hawk, are faced with the horrors of a collapsed twelve-story condo. Given that the collapse happened in downtown DC, there are plenty of law enforcement agencies on high alert, and plenty of fears and conjectures. However, that isn’t what Meg and her fiancée firefighter Todd are concentrating on. They are most concerned about any potential victims that could still be alive and waiting for rescue. While the outlook seems impossible and grim, for their own mental health and that of the rescue dogs they refuse to accept that there might not be anyone to save. read more

Rosemary Simpson: Murder Wears a Hidden Face

by

Gilded Age #8

Murder Wears a Hidden Face is the eighth book in Rosemary Simpson’s series set in Gilded Age New York City.  The two protagonists are Prudence MacKenzie and Geoffrey Hunter, partners in an investigative law and detective firm.  Prudence, the daughter of a prominent judge, was raised in New York’s high society, but rebelled against her upbringing and became only the second woman in New York State to pass the bar exam, even though she still cannot argue cases in court.  Geoffrey, who is somewhat older than Prudence, is a former Pinkerton agent and a Southerner who came north around the time of the Civil War because of his antislavery beliefs.  He and Prudence have a slow-burning romance that develops throughout the series.  Geoffrey was quicker to acknowledge his feelings than Prudence was, but now she is beginning to recognize her attraction to Geoffrey as what it is, even though she still doesn’t want to get married and lose her independence. read more

Kathleen Marple Kalb: The Stuff of Murder

by

Old Stuff #1

It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Kathleen Kalb’s.  The fact that her maiden name was actually Marple might be reason enough to love her, but she’s also an incredibly adept and enjoyable cozy writer.  She kicked off her career with an historical fiction series featuring an opera singer, but she’s written various cozies, one based on her actual profession (radio host), one featuring a secret hit woman, and this latest one featuring historical society head and antiques expert Christian Shaw. read more

Celeste Connally: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord

by

Lady Petra Inquires #1

Joining the now crowded regency mystery field, Celeste Connally manages to make her entry a stand out in her series debut.  Set in 1815, Lady Petra Forsyth has declared to all of society that she plans to remain unmarried.  Unusually for the time, she has her own monies left to her by her mother, and she’s mourning not only a dead fiancé but the loss of her dearest childhood friend, Duncan Shawcross.  The two were raised together and parted on a terrible note after the death of Petra’s beloved, who was also Duncan’s best friend. read more

Amanda Flower: I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died

by

Emily Dickinson #2

I hardly ever think the second book in a series is better than the first, but in this case, I do.  Amanda Flower introduced Emily Dickinson as a detective in the first audacious book. She detects with her maid, Willa Noble.  While the first book was mostly about Willa and her family, this one is more a melding of the two women’s lives, centering on a visit by Ralph Waldo Emerson to the home of Emily’s brother, Austin, and his new wife, Susan.

As the story opens Austin and Susan have just returned from their honeymoon, and Emily insists that Willa help them out for the week, preparing the house for Emerson’s arrival.  She blithely insists Willa can do her work at her house when she’s finished for the day at Austin’s.  One feature of this book, a bit more than the first, is Emily’s lack of awareness of the different life of a servant, and the constraints under which they function.  She’s constantly putting Willa into situations where no other maid would find herself and where Willa is supremely uncomfortable. This friction, mostly undiscerned by Emily herself, adds depth to the story. read more

Val McDermid: Past Lying

by

Karen Pirie #7

This is the series I think of as Val McDermid’s “gentler” series.  Unlike the gruesomeness of the Tony Hill books, these books are more cerebral.  Cerebral in an un-putdownable way. Karen Pirie heads up Edinburgh’s cold case squad – called in Scotland the HCU or Historical Cases Unit.  At the close of the last book, Karen and her squad mate, Daisy, had agreed to go into lockdown together as COVID was just taking its hold on the world.  At that moment, it seemed like lockdown would be a few short weeks, but as this novel opens COVID is in full swing. read more

Rhys Bowen: The Proof of the Pudding

by

Royal Spyness #17

The fun factor in this series never diminishes.  In this outing, Lady Georgie is awaiting the arrival of her baby.  She’s settled in her godfather’s house, and her big issue is finding a chef.  At the moment, her longtime employee Queenie is running the kitchen, but she’s not a trained chef and Georgie has found a candidate in Paris who is about to appear.  Queenie is in a classic huff, saying she won’t take orders from foreigners, when the dashing Pierre appears at the front door and all Queenie’s objections disappear. read more

Stephen Mack Jones: Deus X

by

August Snow #4

Stephen Mack Jones, creator of August Snow – Detroit’s Mexican-African American knight in shining armor – wants to ponder, in his fourth novel, the cost of doing what’s morally right, no matter what.  As the book opens, August is visiting his girlfriend’s family in Sweden but while there, he seems to have tracked down and caught a serial killer.  That’s just the first chapter.  He gets an urgent call from his sometime housemate, Lucy Three Rivers, that her adoptive mothers are in crisis.  One of them is in the hospital with a heart problem. read more