Robin Agnew

Tarquin Hall: The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck

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Vish Puri #6

You may not know that the world’s greatest detective is Delhi based Vish Puri, but if you read this sweetly sunny book you will immediately find yourself fascinated by his family and work life.  As the story opens, Vish has just been named “International Detective of the Year,” but, unfortunately, the “confidential” news has leaked prematurely, and his office is quickly deluged with congratulatory phone calls and sweets.  Even worse, his mother phones to inform him that she plans to accompany him and his wife to London for the award ceremony, which an unwelcome associate has also pledged to attend. read more

Danielle Arceneaux: Glory Daze

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Glory Broussard #2

This series, featuring an absolute genius creation of a main character is a delightful breath of fresh air. Glory Broussard, of LaFayette, Louisiana, is a divorcee of a certain age who suffers from arthritis, loves the Commodores (and really, who doesn’t?), and works part time as a bookie in her favorite coffee shop on Sunday afternoons.

She’s shocked when her ex’s new wife, Valerie, shows up at her “place of business” on a Sunday and asks her to track down Sterling, her former husband.  Even though she’s had as little to do with her successor as possible, she finds herself agreeing. read more

Patrice McDonough: A Slash of Emerald

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Dr. Julia Lewis #2

This new series featuring a female doctor in Victorian England is one to enjoy.   Protagonist Dr. Julia Lewis began the first book called out on a criminal case, and by this one, the second,  the police have quickly learned that although she may be female, she can help them solve difficult problems.  Of course she also has a regular practice,  but the focus of the books is her work with the authorities, specifically one very attractive yet damaged Inspector.

While I loved the first installment, it was jam packed, as are many scene setting series debuts,  while this sequel benefits greatly from a more focused plot.  As the story opens, Dr. Julia is called in to perform a pelvic exam on a woman who was assaulted while walking close to an army barracks.  Under British law at the time, the woman was required to be examined for infectious disease, while the man was not, and Inspector Tennant asks Julia to perform this exam, thinking it will be easier for the victim when conducted by a member of the same sex. She agrees. read more

Author interview: R.P. O’Donnell

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I absolutely loved R.P. O’Donnell’s first novel, No Comfort for the Dead, set in tiny Castlefreke, Ireland.  The book follows the journey of the town librarian, Emma, and it’s an evocative, beautifully written and felt novel.  This is a writer who is giving readers much to enjoy, and much to look forward to.  The lovely prose reminded me of Louise Penny.  This is not a book to be missed!  I was delighted when he agreed to answer a few questions.

Q: First of all, let me just say I loved the book.  One of the reasons was character, especially Emma.  Can you talk about how you developed your characters and populated the story? read more

Allison Montclair: An Excellent Thing in a Woman

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Sparks & Bainbridge #7

This is one of the best series going at the moment, and even though it’s the seventh, this installment retains the freshness and originality of the very first.  It follows the adventures of Gwen Bainbridge (a widowed socialite) and Iris Sparks (a former WWII spy), who together run The Right Sort, a marriage bureau in central London.  It’s now 1947, and as London recovers from the horrors of war it still finds new things to celebrate, like the dawn of a new technological miracle – television.  Gwen’s beau Sally, a giant sometime playwright, works at the BBC, and is willing to take Gwen, Iris and Gwen’s son and cousin on a tour of the studio. read more

Kemper Donovan: Loose Lips

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Ghostwriter #2

I really enjoy this quirky new series featuring a nameless ghostwriter as the main character.  In the first book, the writer trailed a Hilary Clinton-esque figure and wound up solving a crime with her.  In this follow up, she’s now an established professional after publishing an account of her previous adventure and is recruited for a private cruise for wannabe writers.  She’s the “mystery writer” instructor, along with a poet, a memoirist, and an ultra successful romance writer.  We eventually learn her pen name, Belle Currer, which certainly makes things simpler from a logistical point of view. read more

Nicholas George: A Lethal Walk in Lakeland

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A Walk Through England #2

This series, one of the sweetest around, centers on Widower Chase, a retired policeman, who, enthralled by the beauty of the British countryside, goes on frequent walking tours.  This is the second book in the series and so far every time Chase goes on one of these journeys, someone gets murdered.  In the first one, he met a man, Mike, a coroner in the UK (Chase is American) and sparks flew.  In this installment they will be reunited, but Chase’s walk through Lake Country is the real focus, and the pair don’t even get together until nearly the end. read more

Laurie L. Dove: Mask of the Deer Woman

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Debut

Laurie Dove’s debut novel, Mask of the Deer Woman, is a mystery centering on the many missing and murdered indigenous women who have vanished throughout the southwest and beyond. There have been several books on this topic, recently William Kent Krueger’s Spirit Crossing and Vanessa Lillie’s Blood Sisters, as well as a searing television show, True Detective: Night Country. Dove frames her story with a strong and troubled female character.  Carrie Starr, an ex-Chicago cop, has made her way to her long ago childhood home, Oklahoma, where she has ties to the rez and is the newly appointed Federal Marshal for the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs). read more

Ellen Yardley: Eleanor and the Cold War

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Eleanor Roosevelt #1

This is a pleasant read, with the added bonus of having Eleanor Roosevelt, a remarkable human being and perhaps our greatest first lady, as one of its main characters.  In this novel, which takes place in 1951, we find her in the middle of the cold war, a widow and a former first lady working for human rights in every possible manner.  The action begins when Eleanor and her secretary, Kay Thompson, discover the body of a young woman in the bathroom of a train. The girl proves to be the missing daughter of a friend who had asked Eleanor to look into her disappearance. read more

S.J. Bennett: A Death in Diamonds

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Her Majesty the Queen Investigates #4

I love this series, and with this title its excellence continues.  It was originally published in the UK last year, but thanks to a change of publishers, readers in the US have had to wait until now to get their hands on it.  While the central premise of Queen Elizabeth having a private secretary who helps her with undercover investigations may sound a bit silly, Bennet pulls it off thanks to her way with smart plots, great characters and humor.  The Queen has access to all kinds of things, of course, but there are also topics that the people around her think a royal should not concern herself with.  As portrayed by Bennett, Elizabeth loves solving puzzles, and her private secretary becomes her eyes and ears out in the world. read more