The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Line: '... and then I said, "But that's what I wanted the parsnip for in the first place."'

After a week of torrential rain and ferocious winds, the inhabitants of Littleton Cotterill are eager to emerge from their homes-- only to discover that one of Sid Hyde's prize sheep has been mauled to death. In no time, rumors are flying about a vicious beast stalking the countryside. 

Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence Armstrong, are sure there is a rational explanation, but when Sid Hyde himself is brutally killed, and another man is killed and yet another injured, it's plain to see that whatever is behind the attacks needs to be caught-- and fast. 

Lady Hardcastle and Flo have their work cut out for them.

~

After reading some very serious and depressing fiction and non-fiction, I was in dire need of something light and fun. The Beast of Littleton Woods was just what the doctor ordered! It's my favorite book in the series so far. 

For one thing, there is a marvelous cast, and I'm not just talking about the primary characters. The secondary characters, all the way down to individual villagers, add so much to the story. I grew up in a village, and T.E. Kinsey's characters remind me so much of some of the people I grew up with. He also firmly roots his stories at the turn of the twentieth century with Lady Hardcastle and Flo wondering if they should bring electricity to their house. In this twelfth book in the series, readers make the acquaintance of Sir Hector's older sister, Joyce Adaway and her little dog, Lady Araminta Fluffikins. (I know...) Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo know all these people so well that they remind me of another sleuth-- Bruno Courrèges in Martin Walker's excellent series. 

I loved the plot. Is there really a beast on the loose? If there is a beast, where did it come from? And who keeps resorting the mail in the post office? I had so much fun putting the clues together as I turned the pages.

One of the best ingredients in the Lady Hardcastle recipe is the wordplay. The banter between Lady Hardcastle and Flo is top-notch, and there are other elements. A butcher named Spratt. Lady Hardcastle's penchant for purposely mangling the names of people and objects (a law firm she refers to as Messrs Philtrum, Hallux, and Uvula). And then there's the threat of a bit of rhinobattery. If I wasn't smiling, I was laughing my way through the entire book.

If you're in the mood for some light-hearted fun and a good mystery to solve, look no further than The Beast of Littleton Woods. I can't wait to see what happens next. 

The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781662521614

Thomas & Mercer © 2025

eBook, 294 pages

Historical/Humorous Mystery, #12 Lady Hardcastle

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

Cheap Trills by Wendall Thomas

 

 

First Line: Eat. Pray. Barf.

 

It's 2007, and Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love has swept through the book clubs of Brooklyn-- so much so that travel agent Cyd Redondo's mother books a trip to Bali with a rival agent and sneaks away for her own adventure. 

When her mother's trip goes horribly wrong, Cyd grabs her Balenciaga bag and flies to the rescue, little knowing that she'll also be battling songbird smugglers, thieving monkeys, mother-daughter issues, and a killer along the way.

 

~

 

If you want to be transported to Bali, book a trip through Redondo Travel and find yourself enjoying the landscape, wildlife, customs, and culture of this marvelous place in Wendall Thomas's Cheap Trills. What Cyd Redondo doesn't know about booking the perfect trips for her clients isn't worth knowing, and if her agency were real, she'd definitely have all my business. 

Being broiled alive in a brutal (and seemingly endless) Phoenix summer, I loved sinking into the pages of this book and losing myself in the descriptions of Balinese scenery and wildlife. Speaking of wildlife, it always plays an important role in any Cyd Redondo mystery, and in Cheap Trills, I learned about smuggling songbirds and the fight to protect the endangered Bali Starling. But-- as much as I love learning about wildlife and the customs of other countries-- I wouldn't be a diehard fan of this series if it weren't for Cyd Redondo herself. Cyd is extraordinary, from her knowledge and contacts in the travel business to her smart-alecky view of the world to her ability to kickbox in stilettos to her passionate endeavors to save wildlife. She has a Balenciaga bag that MacGyver would give his right arm for, and one of the highlights of Cheap Trills is discovering that Balinese women also know the importance of a good set of Tupperware.

 

Cyd Redondo is so very easy to laugh with and to love. I would willingly follow her anywhere. I could even be of assistance in a future adventure. You see, Cyd doesn't have a good relationship with bats, and it just so happens that I was the bat wrangler at a previous place of employment. Think about it, Cyd. I could really help you out!

As you can see, I've fallen head over heels for Cyd and her adventures. If you love mysteries with strong female leads that are light-hearted, visual feasts, let me steer you straight to Redondo Travel. You're going to love Cyd.

 

Cheap Trills by Wendall Thomas

eISBN: 9781960511195

Beyond the Page Books © 2023

eBook, 302 pages

 

Humorous Mystery, #4 Cyd Redondo mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley and the Author.

The Fatal Flying Affair by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Line: Lady Hardcastle was in the garden offering the new gardener a scone.

 

It's August 1911, and Lady Emily Hardcastle and her maid Florence Armstrong are enjoying the beautiful summer weather by getting their garden into shape and walking to the Dog & Duck, hoping that the pub soon puts tables and chairs outside. Everything changes when Lady Hardcastle's brother, Harry Featherstonehaugh, arrives to enlist their aid. 

 

Bristol Aviation had a routine test of a parachute that went horribly wrong, killing the pilot Dickie Dupree. Harry is positive there's more to the "accident" than meets the eye since he's learned that someone at the airfield is leaking top-secret intelligence to foreign rivals. 

 

With international powers investing heavily in the field of aviation, Lady Hardcastle and Florence are more than willing to go undercover at Bristol Aviation. There's a spy and a killer to catch!

 

~

 

To steal a bit from American advertising, no one can read just one Lady Hardcastle mystery; they're just too much fun. This series is the perfect, light-hearted, witty look at turn-of-the-century England when all was still right with the world... or at least it felt that way. I've been laughing my way through this series, and although I had already downloaded this book to my Kindle, I couldn't resist giving the audiobook version a try. I'm pleased to say that it was a complete success. Not only was the story what I've come to expect from T.E. Kinsey, but the narration by Elizabeth Knowleden was splendid.

 

With Lady Hardcastle's brother making a personal appeal for help, the two women turn their backs on what promised to be a sedate yet lovely summer and turn to a "summer of flying lessons and snooping." Each book in this series has touched upon some new innovation at the turn of the twentieth century, and this time it's aviation. With the clock ticking down to the cataclysm known now known as World War I, readers also get a bit of industrial espionage thrown in for good measure. And while readers are learning, they're having a jolly good time.

 

One of the absolute best parts of this book and the entire series is the repartee between Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence Armstrong. Both are multi-talented, and we're not talking about petit point and painting pretty little flowers on china plates. Lady H and Flo love each other dearly and depend on each other completely, and they certainly do enjoy poking a little fun at each other from time to time. It's what dear friends do. Add to this wonderful concoction Lady H's brother, who fits right in. He calls Florence "Strongarm" instead of Armstrong, and Flo calls him "Featherstonehuff." Now this is a play on names that Americans might not grasp. You see, on that side of the pond, the name Featherstonehaugh is pronounced "Fanshaw." Don't ask me why, I just know that there is a boatload of similar names the British butcher with impunity. (I think they do it just to confuse the rest of us.)

Along with flying in canvas and balsa wood planes and creeping around airplane hangars at night, Lady Hardcastle and Florence get to deal with the annual village show, which adds more mayhem and hilarity to the proceedings.

If you like some light-hearted fun along with your knowledge gathering and mystery deduction, please give this series a try. I love these books to bits! 

The Fatal Flying Affair by T.E. Kinsey

Narrator: Elizabeth Knowelden

ASIN: B08BMXH6MJ

Brilliance Audio © 2020

Audiobook. 8 hours.

 

Historical Mystery, #7 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Fogged Off by Wendall Thomas

First Lines: January 2007. "Jack the Ripper had it made."

When travel agent Cyd Redondo finds herself responsible for bringing home the body of Shep Helnikof, client and Jack the Ripper expert, she wastes no time flying to London to cut through all the red tape and get the job done. What she doesn't expect is the fact that Shep's death was not due to natural causes; it was murder.

Cyd has a lot to keep her occupied on this trip to London. She was forced to bring along her uncle, Leon Spartacus Redondo, and her Aunt Helen has charged her with keeping a close eye on the man. That's not going to be easy since Uncle Leon vanished the second his feet touched British soil, and he won't return her calls. Getting Shep's body back to Brooklyn is proving problematic as well, and Cyd is beginning to think the only way she'll achieve her goal is to find Shep's killer herself. And-- as if she needed anything else to worry about-- she and her formidable Balenciaga purse run headfirst into a rodent smuggler.

Disappearing uncles, unemployed actors, Shep's former girlfriends, incompetent Embassy employees, amorous rodents... will Cyd ever find the time to actually enjoy her first trip to Jolly Olde England?

~

Do I ever love this series! When I'm reading the latest adventures of Wendall Thomas's Cyd Redondo, I forget that I have to spend an hour a day hooked up to a (sometimes painful) machine. Instead, I'm laying there smiling, chuckling, and sometimes laughing loud enough that my husband comes into the room to find out what's so funny. The humor, the references to old movies, the characters, the mystery... everything weaves together into a winning combination that will brighten anyone's day.

Cyd is front and center. This is her show, and I love her voice. For a travel agent, she's done very little traveling herself, and I have to admit that I enjoyed watching her as she traveled the streets of London-- seeing places she'd discussed and booked for her clients and dreamed about, learning that the first floor isn't the same floor in England as it is in the United States... and who knew that closets were American? 

No mention of Cyd Redondo is complete without her Balenciaga bag, the bag that MacGyver would kill to possess. It is even gaining a reputation. Don't believe me? Well, one character confronts Cyd and tells her, "I don't trust you. I trust your purse." All women should be so lucky to have a purse like Cyd's. Armed with such handbags, it would only be a matter of days until women ruled the world. Maybe even the universe.

Cyd's uncle and aunt add even more spice to the tale, especially Aunt Helen. All I can say is mess with the Redondos at your own peril. And don't forget that no Cyd Redondo adventure is complete without a critter. This time it's Bruce, the Casanova of rodents. So not only do I want a Balenciaga, I want a Bruce, too.

If you're in the mood for a good mystery filled with wit and humor, do yourself a favor and read all of Wendall Thomas's Cyd Redondo mysteries. Start with the first, Lost Luggage, enjoy your way through Drowned Under, and finish off with Fogged Off. Then you and I will be in the same boat-- waiting to see what Cyd Redondo gets up to next. This is a series that's good for what ails you. Do not miss it!

Fogged Off by Wendall Thomas

ASIN: B09D4145XK

Beyond the Page Publishing © 2021

eBook, 241 pages

 

Humorous Mystery, #3 Cyd Redondo mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author, Net Galley

The Delightful Life of a Suicide Pilot by Colin Cotterill

First Line: There was a myth.

A corpse's still lushly growing nose hair and Dr. Siri Paiboun's lack of reading material lead the elderly doctor and his formidable wife into their last mystery, a mystery that will solve an unknown chapter of World War II history in Laos.

An unofficial mailman delivers a bilingual diary to Dr. Siri Paiboun, and to the dismay of his wife and friends, he insists on reading it aloud, chapter by chapter-- probably because the note attached to the diary says that someone needs his help. It's the surprisingly dull diary of a Japanese kamikaze pilot stationed in Laos, but Dr. Siri can't stop obsessing over it. His wife, Madame Daeng, knows the only solution is for them to go to the place where the pilot was stationed to solve the mystery. Little do the couple know that they will be uncovering some of the darkest secrets of World War II.

I was dismayed when I learned that The Delightful Life of a Suicide Pilot is the last Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery. I love these books, not just for their mysteries, but for the characters, the knowledge I've gained, and their irreverent sense of humor. I do have to be realistic, however. Dr. Siri is in his eighties-- how much longer could we expect him to investigate mysteries?

In this last installment, Inspector Phosy has his own mystery to solve, while their daughter Malee seems to have tied down his wife, Dtui. Another favorite, Mr. Geung, makes an appearance that spotlights one of my favorite things about this series: its respect for all human beings. Geung: "I have ... Down syndrome." Siri: "So? That doesn't make you an idiot." And as all fans of this series know, Geung is not an idiot. Madame Daeng also has time to solve a mystery while Siri works with that diary.

As I followed along with Siri and Daeng, trying my best to figure out what was going on before they did, I enjoyed so many things. The way these two, who have no money, can still afford to travel. The way Cotterill brings 1981 Laos to life for me. (11,000  out of 14,000 motor vehicles in the country had no access to gasoline for instance.) And last but not least, Cotterill's fantastic sense of humor, which can be seen in phrases and sentences like "I hear she has the temper of a rabid Chihuahua" or "...the food was spicy enough to strip the paint off a tank" or even Siri refusing to cooperate with the bad guys by telling them he's suffering from "terminal horripilation".

The Delightful Life of a Suicide Pilot is a fitting end to this series, but oh, am I going to miss these characters! However, as long as Cotterill keeps on writing, all is not lost.

The Delightful Life of a Suicide Pilot by Colin Cotterill

eISBN: 9781641291781

Soho Press © 2020

eBook, 288 pages

Historical/Humorous Mystery, #15 Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

A Fairly Dangerous Thing by Reginald Hill

First Line: Joe stood, dramatically outlined against the sky, on a rocky eminence above the Bosporus, and laughed mockingly as Cyril Solstice and Miss Onions were bound back to back (no; make that front to front, nothing was too bad for them) thrust into a sack and hurled into the swirling waters.

Joe Askern, teacher in an English village day school, has three obsessions: (1) concocting dire scenarios in which to put the two people in charge of the school, (2) Averningerett House, a stately home, and (3) female mammary glands. With the aid of a particularly hopeless student and the student's father, Joe is set up to learn just what can happen when obsessions collide.

In no time at all, Joe finds himself blackmailed into being a participant in the master heist of Averningerett House. Unable to finagle his way out of the mess, Joe agrees to navigate the caper. What none of them know is that it's going to be much more difficult getting out of the house than it was to get in.

Since I am a fan of Reginald Hill's Dalziel & Pascoe police procedural series as well as his standalone, The Woodcutter, I thought I'd enjoy A Fairly Dangerous Thing. For the most part, I didn't. What part did I enjoy? The caper itself. I've always liked a good heist/caper book or film, and Hill's book fulfilled this particular requirement.

What didn't I enjoy? Once, just once, I'd like to see someone who's being blackmailed say, "Damn the consequences, I'm turning these buzzards in!" I know. Then there wouldn't be much of a book. (It would, however, be quite refreshing.) I found Joe's dithering-- which only wrapped him tighter in the blackmailer's web-- tiresome, and even more wearying was his almost open drooling over women's breasts. Put a good-sized pair in front of certain men and you can do anything you want with them. But guess what? It's boring. Dolly Parton isn't the only woman who's happy that Dolly Parton jokes are a thing of the past.

So... a very good heist story involving an exasperating main character. Written by almost anyone else, I would not have finished it. Of course, your mileage may vary.

A Fairly Dangerous Thing by Reginald Hill

eISBN: 9781504057820

Open Road Integrated Media © 2019

Originally published in 1972.

eBook, 190 pages

Humorous Mystery, Standalone

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

 

Miss Seeton Draws the Line by Heron Carvic

First Line: "Stop!" The little girl took no notice and stepped into the road.

Miss Seeton is seriously thinking about early retirement to her little cottage in the village of Plummergen. Why? Because all her attempts at a portrait of little Effie Goffer have gone horribly wrong. But once Inspector Delphick sees Miss Seeton's drawing, he asks her to do another of a dead child in Lewisham. Is the elderly art teacher actually drawing clues to a series of child murders? Delphick thinks she is, but even though he wants to concentrate on the murders, he's also got to pay attention to a series of burglaries and robberies, as well as a pesky newspaper reporter and a gang of hooligans who like to create mayhem wherever they go. Is little Miss Seeton with her drawing pad and umbrella going to be able to help solve all these crimes? Find out for yourself!

This second book in the Miss Seeton series is every bit as delightful as the first, Picture Miss Seeton. Heron Carvic wrote an essay in 1977 in which he recalled how, after having first used her in a short story, 'Miss Seeton upped and demanded a book' -- and that if 'she wanted to satirize detective novels in general and elderly lady detectives in particular,' he would let her have her head. I'm so glad he did. These books are the perfect light (and absolutely hilarious) reads when readers want to forget about what ails them and their world.

Miss Seeton may be satirizing detective novels and elderly female sleuths, but at least she has Inspector Delphick ("the Oracle") who sees her worth and pays attention to her. With her unfailing good manners and distracted air-- and how on earth could I forget her umbrella? -- she unwittingly solves all the crimes in Plummergen, not that her fellow villagers appreciate it. In fact, one of the best scenes in Miss Seeton Draws the Line is one in which a group convenes to discuss village business and winds up conducting a vicious gossip session, all described by Carvic as a medieval joust. Splendid! The scene reminded me of two things: (1) why I moved from the village where I grew up, and (2) the writing of T. H. White in The Once and Future King. Since I love White's novel, this is definitely meant as a compliment.

If you need (several) good laughs, if you need to be charmed, if you need a read that draws you inexorably to the next book in the series, by all means start reading the Miss Seeton mysteries. They are wonderful! (Although I am wondering if Miss Seeton ever discovers where all the strange pillows and cushions in her cottage came from...)

Miss Seeton Draws the Line by Heron Carvic

eISBN: 9780993576317

Farago © 2016

Originally published in 1969.

eBook, 240 pages

Cozy/Humorous Mystery, #2 Miss Seeton mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Burning Issue of the Day by T.E. Kinsey

First Line: "Be a dear and pass the pepper, would you?" said Lady Hardcastle.

January 1910. A journalist has been killed in a suspicious fire. All the evidence found at the scene points to a suffragette who insists that she is innocent. It's not long before Lady Hardcastle and her trusty maid Florence Armstrong are enlisted to prove the woman's innocence. The evidence is damning but also easily planted, and with the police treating it as an open-and-shut case of arson, the two women must fight through stubborn resistance to get at the truth.

Reading a Lady Hardcastle mystery never fails to brighten my day. And if you think reading a mystery-- and a humorous mystery to boot-- is a waste of time, think again. In The Burning Issue of the Day, I learned quite a bit about the fight for women's suffrage in Bristol, England, as well as the settings for several scenes in the book. (The author's notes at the end of the book are well worth reading.)

For once, a pair of (not-so-amateur) sleuths have a good working relationship with the local detective inspector, and that's something I greatly appreciate. Lady Hardcastle and Florence Armstrong are marvelous characters, and I love their lively banter. Well, to be honest, I love all the humor in the entire series. In this fifth book, we get the added bonus of learning a bit more about these two women's escapades before they settled down in a small English village.

Whodunit was rather easy to deduce, but I didn't care because I enjoy the characters, the setting, and the humor too much. If you like historical crime fiction and need to read something that can put a smile on your face, pick up one of T.E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle mysteries. You can pick this one up and not feel lost, but don't be surprised if, once you've read this book, you go back to read all the others. They're little gems, and perfect for learning things and for a badly needed pick-me-up.

The Burning Issue of the Day by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781542041157

Thomas & Mercer © 2019

eBook, 312 pages

Historical/Humorous Mystery, #5 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Drowned Under by Wendall Thomas

First Line: December 2006. It was Tiki Night at Chadwick's.

Due to some fallout that occurred after Cyd Redondo's trip to Africa (Lost Luggage), she isn't the most popular person in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn-- and that's tough to deal with at Christmas. In order for the rest of her family to enjoy the holidays, Cyd decides to help her ex-husband whose parents have disappeared on an Australian cruise.

She wastes no time-- enlisting the help of travel liaison and friend Harriet Archer to get a room aboard the cruise ship. When she arrives on board ship, she finds Harriet dead in the cabin they were supposed to share. Now Cyd's got to find her ex's missing parents and identify a killer. It's not going to be easy: the cruise ship is busy covering up the "unfortunate event" and sanitizing the crime scene, but if anyone can get the job done, it's Cyd Redondo of Redondo Travel armed with her Balenciaga bag.

Once again, Wendall Thomas has crafted a laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will have readers learning things along the way. There always seems to be a wildlife angle for Cyd-- by the way I liked finding out what happened to Barry the chameleon from Lost Luggage-- and this time it involves her former teacher, Sister Ellery Magdalene Malcomb, in addition to an international fugitive with more wigs and costume changes than a Las Vegas showgirl, and a Tasmanian Tiger. Never heard of a Tasmanian Tiger? Neither had I. See what I mean about learning stuff?

That's one of the things I like the most about Thomas' writing. Yes, I have a blast laughing my head off, but I also like to learn. In Drowned Under, I not only learned about those tigers, I learned quite a bit about the cruise ship industry, and although I can't say I want to board one any time soon, at least I understand them and the people who frequent them much better.

If you're in the mood to laugh, pick up Drowned Under, and if you haven't had the pleasure of reading Lost Luggage, get your hands on that one, too. And you're not just reading these books to laugh. In both, Thomas has crafted intriguing mysteries to solve with a main character who has to be related to MacGyver. Now all I have wonder about is what my husband is going to say when I tell him that I want a Balenciaga bag personally packed by Cyd Redondo herself?

Drowned Under by Wendall Thomas

eISBN: 9781464210631

Poisoned Pen Press © 2019

eBook, 288 pages

Humorous Mystery, #2 Cyd Redondo mystery

Rating: A

Source: NetGalley

 

Brothers Keepers by Donald E. Westlake

First Line: "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned."

Having heard many good things about Donald E. Westlake, I looked forward to reading Brothers Keepers. After all, what in the world can a group of sixteen monks do when their 200-year-old monastery on Park Avenue in New York City is condemned to make way for a new high-rise?

It's a miracle they knew about it at all. If not for Brother Benedict's weekly purchase of the Sunday New York Times, they might have been blissfully unaware until the wrecking ball showed up at their door. Once they know, however, they move as quickly as possible in an attempt to save their home.

Humor is one of the most subjective things there is, and I'd heard a lot about Westlake's. Although I did smile a time or two at Father Banzolini's way of listening to confession, I did not find the book overly funny. In fact, the entire book didn't grab me at all even though I could appreciate how well it was written.

That happens sometimes. No matter how well someone writes, a book just doesn't pique a reader's interest. I'm glad that I did read a Westlake novel and can move on. Your mileage, of course, will definitely vary, and I hope you do enjoy Brothers Keepers.
 

Brothers Keepers by Donald E. Westlake

ISBN: 9781785657153

Hard Case Crime © 2019

Originally published 1975

Paperback, 304 pages

Humorous Mystery, Standalone

Rating: C+

Source: the publisher


 

Scot Free by Catriona McPherson

First Line: Outside my window, mortars fired rockets into the darkness and the night was rent by the crack of gunpowder and the screams of children.

It was a whirlwind courtship. Marriage counselor Lexy Campbell met a handsome dentist on a golf course in Scotland, married him, and left to live the golden life in California. Six months later, she's divorced, broke, and getting ready to head to the airport and go home. The only thing that keeps her from returning to Scotland is octogenarian Mrs. Bombarro, her only client, who's been accused of killing her husband with a fireworks rocket and is now sitting in jail.

Knowing the cops have it all wrong, Lexy decides to postpone her departure for a few days so she can clear the elderly woman's name. She finds a cheap place to sleep at the Lassditch Motel... and finds her task complicated many times over by the motel's strange collection of residents.

I've had a hit-or-miss affair with Catriona McPherson's writing. Her Dandy Gilver historical series is so period correct that the one book of the series that I read reminded me too much of those Golden Age mysteries, which I really don't care for all that much. On the other hand, I loved the one standalone psychological suspense novel of hers that I read, The Child Garden. When I learned of Scot Free, which appeared to be written for laughs, I simply had to try it because I've witnessed McPherson's humor firsthand. This woman is a riot, and she kept us all laughing at Left Coast Crime in 2016.

Scot Free was a tad uneven, staggering a little between the humor and solving the mystery, but I still enjoyed it a lot. The residents of the Lassditch Motel are a quirky bunch who rapidly became Lexy's family. And-- wonder of wonders-- as a first-time amateur sleuth, Lexy's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Her gullibility muddles her investigation more than once. At first, this annoyed me, but it finally dawned on me that most first-timers are going to be gullible and not know what to do from one step to the next. Silly me!

What's more, I loved the humor-- especially Lexy's comparisons between the California lifestyle (which is where McPherson lives now) and that of her native Scotland (where she grew up). Some readers may find these comparisons off-putting and anti-American but it's spot-on social commentary, plain and simple.

With a brilliant cast of characters and the oftentimes hilarious social commentary, I'm really looking forward to the next Last Ditch mystery. You will be, too.

Scot Free by Catriona McPherson

eISBN: 9780738754512

Midnight Ink © 2018

eBook, 290 pages

Humorous Mystery, #1 Last Ditch mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley


 

Lost Luggage by Wendall Thomas

First Paragraph: Travel is my business. Or at least it was. After the last two weeks, no one may trust me with a drink order, much less their seat assignments, cabin preferences, or credit card numbers.

Third-generation Brooklyn native Cyd Redondo may be a travel agent who specializes in senior citizens, but she's never ventured farther than New Jersey. (The elders in her family suffer acute separation anxiety.) Shortly after the pet store owner next door to Redondo Travel is poisoned, Cyd wins a free safari. Going against her Uncle Ray's wishes, Cyd doesn't cash in the tickets for computers, she packs her bags and heads for Africa. Going along as her "plus one" is her convention fling, Roger Claymore.

The two arrive at their destination to find that their luggage has been lost and two of Cyd's elderly clients are in jail. Cyd barters them out only to discover that smugglers have hidden a half million dollars' worth of endangered parrots, snakes, frogs, and a Madagascan chameleon in their outbound luggage. Thus Cyd Redondo is rudely and abruptly welcomed into the world of international animal smuggling, and only her smarts, her stilettos, and her Balenciaga bag are going to get her out in one piece.

Thank heavens! I've been waiting for years to find a successor to Janet Evanovich, and I've finally found one. For the first eight books, I was a passionate Stephanie Plum fan. I would read during my breaks, and I would laugh so much and so hard that everyone in the breakroom made me start reading aloud. I can only hope that Wendall Thomas's hilarious Cyd Redondo series will take flight (and not fall victim to stagnant characters and plot lines like the older series did).

Before I go any further, I do want to warn animal lovers that this is not just a laugh-out-loud funny book; it's about the very serious topic of animal smuggling, and there are two short scenes which describe how the animals are readied for transport. These scenes made me yearn for instant karma: may every smuggler be readied for transport in the exact same way and be loaded on around-the-world flights only to end up as unclaimed baggage.

I love Cyd Redondo. Growing up with a herd of "brousins" (a cross between brothers and cousins), she still gets called "Cyd the Squid," but those brousins keep their distance. Cyd is into kickboxing-- in her stilettos-- and when she explained why she trains in that footwear, it made perfect sense. She's got a Balenciaga bag containing so many goodies that she could outfit a platoon, and that bagful of stuff isn't mere feminine vanity. This woman is a worthy successor to MacGyver. Lord, have mercy! And believe it or not, she is one amazing travel agent. Too bad she's fictional: depending on the age requirements, I'd love to have her handle all my travel plans.

Lost Luggage has so many things that made me laugh out loud, and it's the sort of book that I'd love to share all those things with you, but I will exercise restraint and let you discover them for yourselves. (I will admit that Barry the chameleon was my second favorite character, though.) Besides the amazing female lead and the marvelous humor, there's actually a good mystery to solve, too. If you've been pining for a mystery that makes you laugh, Lost Luggage is the one for you. As for me, it's going to be a long wait for the next book in the series!

Lost Luggage by Wendall Thomas

eISBN: 9781464208935

Poisoned Pen Press © 2017

eBook, 259 pages

Humorous Mystery, #1 Cyd Redondo mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon. 

Free Fall by Chris Grabenstein

First Line: For a cop, there's nothing worse than hearing an old friend say "I didn't do anything, Danny!" two seconds after you pull her out of a nearly lethal cat fight.

If a cop got a nickel for every time he heard someone say, "I didn't do it!" he could live a life of ease on a Caribbean beach. But it's harder to ignore when a friend says it. Danny Boyle's friend Chris is a home health care aide, and she's been accused of aggravated assault by one of Sea Haven's elite. 

Danny and Chief of Detectives John Ceepak trust Chris and work hard on her behalf, but when one of her patients turns up dead, the two detectives are faced with a question no policeman wants to hear: Did I just help a friend get away with murder?

It's with a real sense of sadness that I've come to the end of this marvelous series. I live in hope that Chris Grabenstein will see fit to continue it. It's always been filled with (often) laugh-out-loud humor-- and Free Fall certainly isn't an exception-- but the real reason I love these books is the growth of Danny Boyle's character. At the beginning, he's a rather lazy kid who wants to do good and have a good time on the beach, but he lacks real direction. That's where John Ceepak fits in. Ceepak is a truly good man who sometimes seems to be too much of a straight arrow to be real, but he's the role model Danny Boyle was hungering for. Now in the eighth book, Danny has grown up. He's had to do some really tough things in the line of duty. He's been affected by them and is still facing the consequences, but he's no longer a kid. Now the team of Ceepak and Boyle is a true partnership. And it makes you proud... as though you had something to do with it.

The suspect pool in Free Fall is long and distinguished, and it's simply a matter of narrowing it down to the right person and the right motivation. Sometimes those are the most enjoyable mysteries to solve. 

If you enjoy mysteries filled with action, intriguing investigations, marvelous characters and emotions that run from gales of laughter to (now and then) brushing a tear from your eye, I heartily recommend Chris Grabenstein's Ceepak and Boyle mysteries. Begin at the beginning with Tilt-a-Whirl. The entire series is a delight.   

Free Fall by Chris Grabenstein

eISBN: 9781453298695

Pegasus Books © 2013

eBook, 352 pages

Police Procedural/Humorous Mystery, #8 Ceepak & Boyle mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Fun House by Chris Grabenstein

First Line: He wasn't happy about it, but last night my partner John Ceepak became a TV star.

The mayor of Sea Haven always wishes everyone a "sunny, funderful day," and when the cast of reality TV show called Fun House decides to take him up on it, everyone seems thrilled. Except police officers John Ceepak and Danny Boyle, that is. The two have been assigned babysitting duty for the cast while trying to prevent the wild kids from breaking laws up and down the beach. At first, their duty is nothing but a monumental pain in the hiney, but no one could have anticipated that one of the cast members was going to be murdered. With other members being threatened with the same fate, Ceepak and Boyle have their hands full.

I make it a point not to watch reality TV, but with the number of mystery series that I read using that as a plot device, I now know I was justified in my decision. Of course, it helps when a master like Chris Grabenstein is writing the book; I know he'll make me laugh about it-- and he certainly did (although I think I was cringing while I was laughing).

Layla, a character from the previous book, makes an appearance here as a production assistant on the set, and we have one worried Danny Boyle. You see... Ceepak is seriously thinking about a career change.

This is another swift-moving entry in this excellent series. Grabenstein planted plenty of red herrings for us readers; however, I still found the identity of the killer to be easy to deduce. But let's face it-- I don't read Ceepak and Boyle for ground-breaking mysteries. Grabenstein has created two splendid characters who have grabbed hold of my heart, and he knows how to make me laugh. That's more than good enough for me, and I think it will be for you, too. 
 

Fun House by Chris Grabenstein

ASIN: B007R1DI5Y

Pegasus Books © 2012

eBook, 336 pages

Police Procedural/Humorous Mystery, #7 Ceepak & Boyle mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Circles in the Snow by Patrick F. McManus

First Line: Blight County Sheriff Bo Tully stood on snowshoes atop a knoll overlooking the Blight River.

Sheriff Bo Tully of Blight County, Idaho, is seriously contemplating retirement, but he doesn't have the time to do more than gallop the idea through his mind from time to time. Someone is killing bald eagles, a widely disliked rancher has been killed-- by bow and arrow no less-- and there are perfectly round circles appearing in the snow.

Tully has a long list of suspects in the rancher's murder, several of whom lived right on the ranch with the dead man. This time putting together all the pieces of the puzzle might mean a trip to Mexico for his cantankerous father and his second-in-command. Will Bo be able to solve the crimes (and will Mexico ever be the same)?

I always know I can depend on Patrick McManus for a well-crafted mystery with a fine cast of characters and plenty of humor, and Circles in the Snow is no exception. McManus has a gift for dialogue, and his humor always stems from his characters and the situations they find themselves in; there's no clever word play or comedic set-ups.

The baffling part of the death of rancher Morgan Fester isn't who done it, but how it was done, and I often find that type of mystery more fun to solve. From the author's splendid descriptions of eagles roosting in trees to his theme of intelligence (or lack thereof) and on to the solution to the circles in the snow, McManus's latest Bo Tully mystery is just plain fun to read. I sincerely hope the sheriff doesn't  retire any time soon!
    

Circles in the Snow by Patrick F. McManus

eISBN: 9781629142838
Skyhorse Publishing © 2014
eBook, 240 pages

Police Procedural/Humorous Mystery, #6 Sheriff Bo Tully mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased from Amazon. 


 

Terminal by Marshall Karp

First Line: The Prius idled in total silence.

Detective Mike Lomax and his girlfriend are enjoying their sojourn as surrogate parents. Precocious eight-year-old Sophie is a joy, and it's going to be tough for Mike to give the little girl back to her mother, who's gone to China to be with her own, dying, mother. 

What he's not enjoying is waiting for his doctor to come in and give him a prostate exam, but he's "saved" by the sound of a shotgun blast. Grabbing his gun and running down the hall with his bare behind in full view due to his open-backed exam gown, Mike is just in time to witness the owner of the shotgun commit suicide while standing over the body of the doctor he's killed.

When Lomax and his partner Terry Biggs begin investigating, evidence leads them to the fact that someone is recruiting terminally ill people to commit murder before they die-- with a lot of cash going to the loved ones they leave behind. Now all the two detectives have to do is find out who's behind it all-- and why.

It's been a long six years since the last Lomax and Biggs mystery, and I have to admit to doing a little happy dance when I discovered the existence of Terminal.  Although it's understandable that Marshall Karp would want to partner with James Patterson in the highly successful NYPD Red series, he's created two police detectives that I just can't get enough of.

Karp always seems to come up with an ingenious mystery. In Terminal, we know the identity of the killers and why they've signed up as hit men, but we still need to know who's behind it all and why this person wants it done. Karp skillfully joins the personal to the professional in such a way that readers feel invested in the story; they're not just armchair sleuths trying to solve the crime before the heroes do. Mike Lomax not only has Sophie in his life at this time, the terminally ill killers remind him painfully of his wife who lost her own battle with cancer. He's also worried about the extra blood work his doctor has insisted upon. All this makes him a bit crankier than longtime fans have ever seen him. Did it bother me? Not in the slightest. These things would make most humans a bit irritable.

Karp sprinkles his character fairy dust not only on Lomax and Biggs, but on those terminally ill killers as well. I felt real empathy for them-- and I also wondered what I would do if faced with identical circumstances. 

When you read one of Marshall Karp's Lomax and Biggs mysteries, you're going to get a puzzler of a crime, a fast pace, laugh-out-loud humor, and some wonderfully drawn characters that stick in your mind long after you've finished reading the books. Terminal is an excellent addition to the series, but I do have one request of the author: 

Please don't make me wait another six years before your next Lomax and Biggs book!
    

Terminal by Marshall Karp

eISBN: 9781523821006
Mesa Films, Inc. © 2016
eBook, 262 pages

Police Procedural/Humorous, #5 Lomax and Biggs mystery
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Amazon.