aunt_agatha

Carlene O’Connor: You Have Gone Too Far

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County Kerry #3

This series, set in tiny Dingle, Ireland, is focused on Dimpna Wilde, a veterinarian. In the first two novels, Dimpna was front and center, but in this third outing she takes a bit of a back seat to a full on, ticking clock police investigation. Stepping up is Detective Inspector Cormac O’Brien, who catches the most nightmarish of cases, one that’s haunted by a similar case from 20 years ago.  The perpetrators of that case have recently been released from prison, and Cormac’s Sergeant, Barbara Neely, has never gotten over working that one. It drives her forward with pure fury. read more

January Book Club: Katie Tietjen

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Katie Tietjen

As always our book club meetings are open to all.  During the winter months, we meet exclusively on zoom.  Simply message us on facebook or email me at store (at) auntagathas.com for a zoom link.  In October, we’ll meet on the 20th at 2 p.m. to discuss Michael Bennett‘s debut novel, Better the Blood, featuring a Māori detective.  This is a strong start to a new series.  In November, we are delighted to welcome author Vanessa Lillie on Sunday, November 17 at 2 p.m.  She’ll discuss her wonderful novel, Blood Sisters, which I very much hope is a series kick off.  We take December off and in January we are lucky enough to have new author Katie Tietjen join us on Sunday the 19th at 2 p.m.  Katie will discuss her first novel, Death in the Details. The book is loosely based on the work of Frances Glassner Lee who created crime scene “nutshells” (miniature rooms, basically) and revolutionized the way crime scenes are processed and investigated.  As Katie is a novelist, however, she brings the reader her own fascinating story.  This is a terrific debut novel, one of my favorites of this year. read more

The Canine reads of Margaret Mizushima and Paula Munier

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The Night Woods, Paula Munier (Mercy Carr #6) and Gathering Mist, Margaret Mizushima (Timber Creek K-9 #9)

In sports there are often rivals who challenge each other to greater excellence.  This happens in writing too, and the head-to-head match up of Paula Munier and Margaret Mizushima, who both write working dog mysteries, is a fantastic example.  Both series continue to maintain their excellence, and while I can’t say for sure if these two women know each other, are friendly rivals or even read each other’s work, I do know the similarity in topic calls for a comparison.  Munier’s first book, A Borrowing of the Bones, was published in 2018, while Mizushima’s first novel, Killing Trail, came out in 2015.  Each writer has worked steadily, producing a book every year. read more

Julia Kelly: Betrayal at Blackthorn Park

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Evelyne Redfern #2

In Julia Kelly’s first book in this series, heroine Evelyne Redfern got a job as a clerk in Churchill’s war rooms only to discover a body on her very first day.  As she’d been asked by a high up family friend to “keep her eyes open,” she ends up investigating. and solves the crime. In book two, she’s already been sent north for training as a member of the ultra secret Special Operations Executive (SOE), where she’ll be working as an investigator.  Her maiden outing is to Blackthorn Park, which has been requisitioned by the government as a center for creating bombs for use in the field. The home office suspects some kind of theft is going on and requests that Evelyne travel there and assess how easily the property can be breached. read more

Liz Ireland: Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before New Year’s

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Mrs. Claus #5

As August comes to a close, I’m sure we’re all sick of the summer heat and more than ready for cooler weather. Liz Ireland takes readers on a winter vacation in Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before New Year’s, the fifth book in the Mrs. Claus series. The fantastical town of Santaland is where April, the current Mrs. Claus, makes her home with the current Santa, Nick. The whole town is alive with Christmas cheer as Nick is about to head out on his yearly excursion. All the elves are ready for the celebrations, already singing carols, well into eggnog, dancing with abandon. April is a little less enthusiastic simply because she worries about Nick making it home safely. He’s done the trip plenty of times, but the idea of him rocketing about the world in an old sleigh without seatbelts and only flying reindeer to keep it steady has April uneasy. read more

Anna Lee Huber: The Cold Light of Day

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Verity Kent #7

For those looking for a historical cozy, The Cold Light of Day will fit the bill. The seventh book in the Verity Kent series by Anna Lee Huber takes readers to Dublin, Ireland. Although Verity is an ex-spy, she finds herself dabbling back in the game when one of her fellow agents, Alec Xavier, suddenly goes missing. Now anyone who knows anything about 1920’s Ireland knows that it was not a time of political stability. Revolution is in the air, and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) is regularly clashing with the British occupying authority. While the British government tries to play down the unrest and instability, Ireland is a powder keg ready to explode — not the ideal time or place to suddenly go missing. Because of their history together performing war work, Verity is unable to sit back and just wait for Alec to resurface. read more

Michael Falco: Murder in an Italian Cafe

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Bria Bertolucci #2

Michael Falco takes readers away to the village of Positano, Italy, in his second Bria Bartolucci Mystery, Murder in an Italian Café. The Amalfi coast is one of the most gorgeous spots on earth. The ocean views, the warm people, the villages built into mountainsides that seem to defy gravity, and, of course, the food, draw people from all over the world. Bria Bartolucci has made a home her for herself and her son Marco by running a bed and breakfast called Bella Bella. She and her late husband Carlos shared the dream of opening Bella Bella, and she is doing her best to live her life and honor his memory. Things were off to a rough start when she first opened and found herself pulled into a murder investigation, but now has settled in and become a part of the village. Her bed and breakfast is now seen as a staple of the village, and Bria and her son as firm members of the community. read more

Dorothy Howell: Shear Terror

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Sewing Studio #3

Shear Terror is the third book in Dorothy Howell’s Sewing Studio Mystery series. Abbey Chandler is our protagonist, and she lives with her Aunt Sarah in Hideaway Grove, California. She organizes and heads a charity effort to make pillow dresses for girls in Africa, and plenty of people in town enjoy attending the events. In addition, she has taken up teaching herself how to sew and is currently trying to grow a business creating embroidered handbags. Unfortunately, making ends meet is a little difficult, and she has taken up a job at the local Visitor Center. Currently they are getting ready for the annual Lost and Found Day, which requires employees to sort through all the lost and found items turned into the Visitor Center for the past year to resale at extremely discounted prices. read more

Andrea Penrose: Murder at King’s Crossing

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Wrexford & Sloane #8

Murder at King’s Crossing is the eighth installment in Andrea Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane series set in Regency England.  The two protagonists are the Earl of Wrexford, a chemist and amateur sleuth, and his wife Charlotte Sloane, who, under the name of A.J. Quill, is England’s leading satirical cartoonist.  Wrexford has a logical mind and relies on deductive reasoning and the scientific method to solve crimes, while Charlotte uses her intuition and her artist’s eye for detail.  Usually they arrive at the same conclusion using very different methods. read more

Jenny Milchman: The Usual Silence

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Series Debut

It’s been awhile since Jenny Milchman had a new book out (The Second Mother, 2020) but her brand of feminist, almost gentle, thrillers are always appealing and difficult to put down once you’ve started reading one.  Her new book is the launch of a series featuring Dr. Arles Shepherd, a therapist who, as the book opens, is in disgrace. She’s been fired from her job as she appears to have huge gaps in her memory, one of which happened during a session with a client.

Arles also has an ailing stepfather suffering from dementia, and when she visits, it’s clear there’s some kind of bad emotional backstory, and that he’s hung on to a family property that belongs to her.  She plans to take over the property and turn it into a therapeutic immersive camp for families.  It’s also clear she’s had a long obsession with a certain photograph, and she’s just found the identity of the person in the photo.  Part of the reason for her therapy camp is the woman in the photo, who happens to have an autistic son.  She’s a perfect fit for the camp. read more