Amateur sleuth

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

Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier: The Bush Tea Murder

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Debut

Short story writer Ashley-Ruth Bernier’s debut proclaims those roots – this sweetly moving novel is told via short episodes.  The episodes connect, and are longer than the typical short story, packing more of a punch, and by the end of the novel, the ends are neatly tied up.  Our heroine is culinary TV star Naomi Sinclair, who tells stories through her reporting on, and love, of food.

Naomi is from the island of St. Thomas, and it’s her Crucian heritage that shines through on every page of this novel.  As the book opens, she and a fellow host on EAT TV are pitching their true crime-food episodes, and Naomi is leaving her audience in suspense.  She has a great story to tell and her audience of TV producers are hanging on her every word to find out the solution to the long ago murder of Ursula Merchant, a well known island chef and entrepreneur. read more

Simon Brett: A Disorganised Death

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Decluttering Mystery #5

I love series fiction.  I’m sure I love it for the reasons many others love it – the deep and extended look at characters we grow to love as readers.  Some we love so much they seem real, to the point where when a series character is occasionally killed off, readers revolt and grieve, as though the characters actually were real, not fictional.  Simon Brett has written several series (Charles Paris, Mrs. Pargeter, Feathering) but I am hooked on this one.

This series follows Ellen and her family – she’s a widow with two twenty something children and an irritating and self-involved mother, Fleur.  By book five they are now old friends I am happy to reunite with, though Brett writes in such a way that a reader could enjoy the books in any order.  Ellen works as a home declutterer – often helping hoarders come to terms with their reasons for hoarding and letting go of some of their stuff. read more

Erica Ruth Neubauer: Vengeance in Venice

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Jane Wunderly #7

Vengeance in Venice is the seventh full-length novel in Erica Ruth Neubauer’s Jane Wunderly series, set in the 1920s in various locations around the world.  The adventurous Jane is an American war widow whose abusive first husband was killed in World War I.  Now she is much more happily married to the Englishman Redvers, who conducts secret missions for the British government.  Jane is a full partner in Redvers’ investigations, and their witty dialogue is one of the outstanding features of the series.  The couple met in Egypt in the first novel, Murder at the Mena House, and their adventures have taken them to, among other places, Istanbul, a Scottish island, and, most recently, India.  The series also includes a delightful Christmas novella, Murder Under the Mistletoe, which should not be missed.  Part of the fun of the series is trying to figure out where Jane’s and Redvers’ adventures will take them next. read more

Hattie Fox: Baking up a Murder

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Debut

In Hattie Fox’s debut, Madeline is our amateur sleuth and prestigious French pastry chef who is unfortunately going through the loss of her grandfather. To help out her Grandma Ruth, Madeline has returned to their home of Solvang, California where her grandparents run a Dutch bakery in the Dutch themed town. Madeline took over the bakery while her grandfather was on the decline, allowing him to rest and her grandmother to spend time with him without worrying about the shop. But when he passed, Madeline couldn’t bear the thought of Grandma Ruth selling the place and finding a job elsewhere. Staying was a difficult decision, as she had made wonderful progress back in LA at a famous restaurant. Staying meant leaving that job. Her grandmother’s only caveat to Madeline taking over the bakery? Madeline would do it her way and make the French pastry she loves. read more

Sujata Massey: The Star from Calcutta

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Perveen Mistry #5

One of the best written and smartest historical series being created these days are the books by Sujata Massey featuring female lawyer Perveen Mistry, who navigates the turbulent waters of India in the twenties. While never giving way to scolding polemic, the issues Perveen experiences become an organic part of the story, allowing Massey to highlight women’s issues in a way that resonates with the reader of today.

More of a straight up traditional mystery than some other instalments but no less enjoyable for it, The Star from Calcutta opens, with Perveen and her father – whose firm she works for – meeting with a movie producer named Subhas.  He’s worried that his most bankable star (and wife) is in breach of contract and asks them to see what they can do to resolve the issue, inviting Perveen to a party and screening at his home slash movie studio to see what she can uncover. read more

Marnie Riches: The Gardener’s Club

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This charming, sweet novel is set in the world of the competitive gardening clubs in the UK.  The main character, Gill Swanley, a widowed single mom, is juggling a burgeoning teen, a horrible job and a difficult and aging mother.  Her job seems especially soul crushing, as she’s in charge of a group of insurance call centers, ordered to cull her workforce by uncovering the slackers.

Riches manages to find humor in this situation, especially in the texts from Gill’s teenaged son (the one where he can’t find the lasagna she left for him to heat up for dinner is a classic).  For respite, she decides to try joining a garden group called the Bromley Botanists. Her first get-together sounds a bit like an AA meeting with everyone sharing their feelings, but the main thrust of the discussion becomes the “Golden Trowel,” a gardening award which the Botanists have never won, something they are determined to change in the coming year. Gill is just beginning to form alliances and friendships with members of the group when she and Marjorie, the Queen Mum of the group, discover a dead body in the community greenhouse and all heck breaks loose. read more

Stacy Hackney: The Primrose Murder Society

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Paperback Original

The Primrose Murder Society is the first adult mystery by Stacey Hackney, who has previously written two middle grade books. Indeed, this mystery also prominently features a kid – main character Lila’s rebellious little girl, Bea. When we meet mother and daughter, they’ve lost just about everything but each other. Lila’s well to do husband, Ryan, has been caught committing fraud and has abandoned them to run from the law. No one in Lila’s upper crust circle believes that she didn’t know about the crimes, and she has been shunned from society. read more

Lucy Connelly: The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor

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Series debut

You can’t help devouring Lucy Connolly’s yummy books like a really good bar of chocolate.   This first installment of her new series finds the central character, former journalist Dr. Gwen Griffiths, returning to Wales to become a professor at the very place where she attended university.  After the layoffs and contractions endured by newspaper staff everywhere, she’s certain she’s found a secure berth at a new place when her old friend Carolyn, now the dean, recruits Gwen to run the journalism department with a real-world edge. read more

Fergus Craig: I’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home

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Serial killer Carol, just released from prison, has found a cozy apartment at a fancy retirement home, and is looking forward to enjoying freedom and perhaps making new friends.  She takes a baking class and is beginning to feel comfortable, when someone discovers her past and the other residents begin to avoid her.  It’s heartbreaking.  As she’s sitting alone on her balcony with her morning coffee one day, a body falls past her to his death, and she hears a scuffling sound on the roof.  She’s sure it’s murder, the police are sure it’s suicide.  When she puts herself forward, the police arrest her, simply because of her past. read more