Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens

First Line: I was fifteen years old the day I learned that Ms. Lida Poe had gone missing.

 

Fifteen-year-old Boady Sanden is busily saving up money to leave his suffocating little hometown of Jessup, Missouri. One day soon-- poof!-- he's going to be gone. He doesn't think his mother, who's still grieving the death of Boady's father, will miss him, and he certainly won't miss being bullied at St. Ignatius High School.

 

But all that changes when Thomas Elgin moves in across the road. Becoming acquainted with the Elgins-- a Black family settling in a community with strict notions of "us" and "them"-- forces Boady to rethink the world he's always taken for granted. He begins to notice, really notice, the people around him: his mother who still wraps herself in the loss of her husband, the neighbor with a mysterious past, the quiet boss with his own secret.

 

But the biggest secret of all is what happened to Lida Poe, the Black woman who keeps the books at a local plastics factory. The rumor mill has it that Ms. Poe left town with a hundred thousand dollars of company money. What Boady doesn't realize is that-- although he's never met Ms. Lida Poe-- the threads of her life are securely woven into the very fabric of his own world, and when it comes to race and class, he's going to be forced to choose sides. 

~

 

Young Boady Sanden has the type of voice that grabs hold of me and drags me right into the heart of a story. He's a typical fifteen-year-old boy who is blind to everything unless it has some impact on his own personal wants or desires. Boady isn't an "Us Versus Them" type of person, he's a good kid at heart, but author Allen Eskens does a superb job of showing how Boady has absorbed facets of racism without even realizing that he has done so. This is a lesson that many people need to learn, and Boady begins to learn his when the Elgins move in across the street.

 

Parts of the mystery surrounding what happened to Lida Poe are relatively easy to deduce, but not all of them, and the journey to Truth is mesmerizing. The scales begin to fall from Boady's eyes, and as he finally starts seeing people like his mother and his neighbor Hoke Gardner and his boss as individuals with their own lives and wants and needs, so do readers.

 

Nothing More Dangerous is a coming of age story that inexorably gathers momentum until it blossoms into something much larger than the sum of its parts. Boady Sanden's going to be with me for a long time, and I think he will be with you, too.

Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens

eISBN: 9780316509749

Mulholland Books © 2019

eBook, 305 pages

 

Historical Mystery, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Death & the Brewmaster's Widow by Loretta Ross

First Line: Death and the fire captain came in through the front door.

When firefighter Randy Bogart dies in an arson fire at an abandoned brewery, Death (rhymes with "teeth") Bogart and his girlfriend Wren Morgan go to St. Louis, Missouri to settle the dead man's affairs. When they stop at the firehouse, they are given Randy's badge, which was left behind because it needed to be repaired. But their questions begin when the coroner gives them another badge that was found on Randy's body.

Death is desperate to know what really happened, so he and Wren begin to investigate. Their searches lead them to a connection between Randy's death and the Cherokee Caves once used by nineteenth-century beer barons. But the more they dig, the more danger they put themselves in.

One of the minor obstacles readers must overcome in this extremely enjoyable series is the pronunciation of "death."  Death & the Redheaded Woman, Death & the Brewmaster's Widow, Death & the Gravedigger's Angel... all have the sounds of a regular mystery series until you discover that Death is the name of one of the main characters and it is pronounced "deeth" because he's named after Lord Peter Wimsey. That does take some getting used to, and once trained I still find myself pronouncing the word the Wimsey Way. But as I said, that is a very minor obstacle that doesn't take away from how good this series is.

The plot is downright Hitchcockian, and readers quickly realize that this isn't a matter of whodunit but how. On the surface, the plot may seem far-fetched, but in these days of trying to beat DNA tests and "Forensic Files," it fits right in. It's wonderfully twisted and bound to keep readers guessing. The only real quibble I had with it is Death putting himself and his compromised health into unnecessary danger.

However, this is not a plot-driven book. In addition to the author's lovely sense of humor, she's created the sort of people that character-driven readers (like myself) crave. I did miss the auction angle of the series, but at least the auction company's owners made a hilarious appearance or two. Wren is smart, funny, brave, and very caring. Death is a veteran who returned from war with ill health and a troubled mind. It's taking him time to recuperate, and he's taking it all in with a mix of good humor and exasperation. What is wonderful to watch unfold is the creation of his support system, people gathering around him who truly care for him and will help when needed. This is a man who has lost so much, and his journey adds an extra dimension to this series that raises it above the usual cozy mystery you read.

Whether you read for humor, twisty plots, or characters, you'll find all three in Loretta Ross's series. I urge you to give it a try-- at the beginning-- with Death & the Redheaded Woman.

Death & the Brewmaster's Widow by Loretta Ross

eISBN: 9780738747460

Midnight Ink © 2015

eBook, 266 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Auction Block mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

And Death Goes to... by Laura Bradford

First Line: You know the kid who lurks at the top of the stairs, listening to adult conversations they're not supposed to hear?

The St. Louis Advertising Awards are the area's Academy Awards for those in that field, and the Tobias Ad Agency has been nominated for its most prestigious prize, Best Overall Ad Campaign. Naturally, Tobi Tobias wants to win, but she isn't shocked when she doesn't. What does shock her is when the winner takes the stage and plummets to her death when a platform gives way.

Tobi's Grandpa Stu is on hand to help compile a list of suspects, but the first question that Tobi must answer is... Was the dead woman the intended victim? Other lives may depend on the answer.

Laura Bradford provides a solid mystery filled with twists and turns. I enjoyed trying to identify the killer, and I also greatly enjoyed the fact that there was a significant decrease in the use of all of Tobi's nicknames, which I found so distracting in the previous two books in the series. But in some ways, the mystery was overshadowed by Tobi's personal life.

Many times Tobi has mentioned the fact that she's "almost thirty" as though she has the wisdom of the ages at her disposal, but her behavior has proven otherwise. I was thrilled to bits that Tobi finally put on her big girl panties to deal with a situation in a truly adult manner. In some ways, this series could almost be considered the coming of age story of its main character.

As you can tell, I've let Bradford's characters get under my skin while I've been enjoying the mysteries they solve and the advertising background the author provides! The same thing will probably happen to you.

And Death Goes to... by Laura Bradford

eISBN: 9781516102105

Lyrical Press © 2017

eBook, 210 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Tobi Tobias mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

30 Second Death by Laura Bradford

First Line: Hell had officially frozen over.

Against her better judgment, Tobi Tobias hires a problem actress for a commercial in order to help out her good friend, Carter McDade. When the egomaniacal diva drops dead mid-filming, the only suspect the police are looking at is Carter. Tobi definitely has to work fast in order to save her friend.

Laura Bradford has created an enjoyable cozy series that gives readers a peek inside the workings of a new and growing advertising agency. Another delight is the mystery itself. Early on I placed a bet with myself as to the identity of the killer, and nothing really made my antennae twitch enough to change my mind. I should have because I lost my bet. I love it when that happens!

I really enjoy the cast of characters in this series. Tobi is intelligent, funny, and a genuinely caring person. Her Grandpa Stu is her emotional rock, and it's really going to be interesting to see how Tobi adapts to the growing relationship he has with Ms. Rapple, the neighbor Tobi loves to hate. She has a huge blind spot when it comes to the woman, so what's it going to be, Tobi? Your happiness... or your grandfather's? I definitely want to see what's going to happen with this!

Tobi's friend, Mary Fran Wazoli, gets a larger share of the spotlight in this book, and so does Mary Fran's teenage son, Sam. Sam is a talented photographer who works on Tobi's ad campaigns. He's also a good listener and comes up with some wonderful insights, and if I have anything against this young man it's that he's almost too good to be true.

I only had two small quibbles in reading 30 Second Death. One was the fact that romance took control of the action a time or two and I've never made a secret of the fact that I don't care much for romance in my mysteries, especially when it's all about the old flame being back in town.

The second thing that bothered me also bothered me in the first book, Death in Advertising. I'm going to have to re-read that first book to see if any mention is made of Tobi hating her first name. Why? Because there is nickname overload. In Death in Advertising, Grandpa Stu called Tobi "Sugar Lump" so often that I found myself grinding my teeth. In 30 Second Death, Carter calls her "Sunshine" almost every other sentence. (Or it seems that way.) I was dreading the time when both Carter and Grandpa Stu would be in the same room with Tobi. Even Sam chimes in with his "Tobes." I know all this nickname calling must have some deeper meaning, but it escapes me. Isn't it odd the things that bother a person when she's reading?

Small irritations or not, I do enjoy this series: a good setting in the world of advertising; a great cast of characters (including a parrot with a mind of its own), and first-rate mysteries to solve. I'm looking forward to the third book.
 

30 Second Death by Laura Bradford

eISBN: 9781516102082

Lyrical Underground © 2017

eBook, 222 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Tobi Tobias mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley


 

Death in Advertising by Laura Bradford

First Line: Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Moonlighting in a pet shop to make ends meet wasn't exactly in Tobi Tobias's plans when she opened her own ad agency, but there may be a light at the end of her tunnel. She's just been given her first big break. Zander Closet Company needs a catchy campaign slogan pronto, and Tobi thinks she's come up with a winner: "When we're done, even your skeletons will have a place." Unfortunately, there is such a thing as bad publicity when a dead body falls out of one of Zander's showcase closets. Now Tobi has to save her business, but the only witness to the murder is a stressed-out parrot. As first investigations go, Tobi has her work cut out for her.

Laura Bradford's new series set in St. Louis comes out of the gate strong. Animal lovers are going to enjoy the pet shop angle, and lovers of wit and words are going to enjoy the ad slogans Tobi comes up with. Fans of good mysteries are going to be tickled pink, too. The mystery in Death in Advertising is a good one-- I didn't have it figured out, but once the killer was revealed, I could see the trail of breadcrumbs that had been left for everyone to follow.

As with all good cozy series, the cast is the most important thing and these characters shine. I really liked Tobi's voice, even though I wasn't enamored of her slogan for the closet company. She's just the sort of character readers would choose as a friend. Smart, funny, compassionate, willing to help, and she has an excellent support system. 

Sam is the teenage photographer that Tobi likes to work with for her ad agency clients, and she works with his mother in the pet shop. Ms. Rapple and her dog are the neighbors from hell, and closet king Andy Zander is mouthwatering as a possible love interest. Perhaps the best secondary character of all is Tobi's Grandpa Stu, although I wish he'd find another term of endearment for his granddaughter besides "Sugar Lump."  He called her that so often that it began to grate on my nerves. My belief that being called a lump isn't a good thing is probably just a personal quirk. (All readers have them.)

Lumps or no, Bradford's first Tobi Tobias mystery is a winner, and I'm certainly looking forward to book two.
   

Death in Advertising by Laura Bradford

eISBN: 9781516102068

Lyrical Underground © 2017

eBook, 212 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Tobi Tobias mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley


 

Death & the Redheaded Woman by Loretta Ross

First Line: He was gorgeous and he was naked but, unfortunately, he was dead.

When Wren Morgan showed up at the old Campbell mansion to begin cataloguing its contents for the upcoming auction, the last thing she thought she'd find was a dead body. When the body turns out to be a crook with ties to a recent jewel heist, it's time for Wren to meet private detective (and part-time bounty hunter) Death Bogart. 

Death and Wren hit it off-- partly because Wren knows the origin and pronunciation of his unusual name-- but neither one of them expected to be tossed right in the middle of a treasure hunt. Two of their fellow hunters will do anything to eliminate the competition, so survival means Wren and Death must buckle down and solve two mysteries that span a century and a half.

This debut mystery kept me hooked from first page to last. The growing relationship between Wren and Death is excellent, and I love their sharp repartee. Wren is no shrinking violet-- her preferred choice of weapons is unusual to say the least-- and I like that. Death himself has got to overcome his reluctance in asking for help, and the auctioneering company that Wren works for-- Keystone and Sons-- has more than a touch of the Keystone Kops (for you old movie fans). 

Searching for both old treasure and new was a lot of fun, especially when it concerns looking for hidden rooms and secret passageways in an old house. Speaking of fun, that is the overwhelming feeling I got as I read this book: that the author had so much fun as she was writing Death and the Redheaded Woman that she just had to share it with all her readers. 

It worked. Now I'm looking for book number two: Death and the Brewmaster's Widow! 
  

Death & the Redheaded Woman by Loretta Ross

ISBN: 9780738743936

Midnight Ink © 2015

Paperback, 264 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Auction Block mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Paperback Swap

A Deceptive Homecoming by Anna Loan-Wilsey

First Line: And then it was my turn to view the body.

Hearing the news of the death of her good friend's father, traveling secretary Hattie Davish returns to St. Joseph, Missouri. She may be back in her hometown due to sad circumstances, but she is looking forward to seeing people again. However she's in for a rude awakening. Her friend Virginia behaves as though Hattie is the last person she wants to see. Virginia's father's death is more than a bit mysterious, and there are problems at Hattie's alma mater, Mrs. Chaplin's School for Women.

When Hattie begins to investigate the incidents at the school, her search for the truth leads her from the town cemetery to an outlaw's home-- and into the tunnels beneath the State Lunatic Asylum. 

In this fourth book in the Hattie Davish historical mystery series, Hattie has some ghosts that she must lay to rest, and she does even though her investigation has her traveling from one spot in St. Joseph to another-- and trying to avoid an old boyfriend at the same time. There are several plot threads in A Deceptive Homecoming, and author Anna Loan-Wilsey deals with them with ease. One of the reasons why I enjoy the character of Hattie Davish is that she is an inveterate list maker (like me). Whenever she has a moment or is trying to think something through, she'll sit down and update her list of questions. Not only does this practice keep her thoughts organized, it helps readers think the mystery through themselves. 

There are some serious topics in this book. An old friend who behaves like an enemy. Hattie's beloved alma mater is under some sort of attack. Something's not quite right at the State Lunatic Asylum.... Fortunately the author doesn't keep everything deadly serious all the time. One of the parts of the book that I enjoyed the most involved Hattie being forced to deal with her fame: she's being idolized by many of the students in Mrs. Chaplin's School. Many, but not all, the girls are starstruck, and Hattie is fun to watch when she's in situations with the girls.

There is one scene in A Deceptive Homecoming that had me thinking that Hattie was too stupid to live-- normally a deal breaker for me. When she got past the reception area in the State Lunatic Asylum and began following someone deep down into the bowels of that creepy place, my eyes rolled so far back into my head that they almost stuck. Since I did indeed finish reading the book and have written this review, you can tell that Hattie redeemed herself in some way. (But I'll be keeping an eye on her!)

Anna Loan-Wilsey's series is light and fun to read, and it also manages to highlight historical personages and incidents that are downright fascinating. I look forward to traveling with Hattie and her typewriter again in the future.
 

A Deceptive Homecoming by Anna Loan-Wilsey

eISBN: 9781617737275

Kensington Books © 2015

eBook, 304 pages

Historical Mystery, #4 Hattie Davish mystery

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley 

The Dirty Book Murder by Thomas Shawver

First Line: The young women disappeared, one after the other, a week apart.

Lawyer-turned-bookman Michael Bevan is a damaged soul whose wife's death sent him into a tailspin from which he's still recovering. He's found terra firma with his book business, and he's hoping to find some saleable books at a Kansas City auction house. The auction house has listed a collection of erotica, but Bevan doesn't expect to find anything worth his time. What he does find are exquisite Japanese Shunga scrolls and a first edition Colette novel that has an inscription by Ernest Hemingway-- in other words, the stuff of dreams.

Outbid by a stranger, Bevan rues his bad luck, but in an auction house fracas, he notices another book dealer steal the Colette novel. The next day, the thieving dealer is found dead, and Michael Bevan is the prime suspect. He's got to clear his name fast because he's pretty sure no one is going to let him sell books out of his prison cell.

This slim little volume in the Random House Alibi eBook mystery line, could almost be called a ringer. With its cover and its title, I expected something light and almost frivolous, but the bookman angle intrigued me so I decided to give it a try. I'm very glad I did. This is a meaty tale of books, damaged souls, darkness and perversion. When I finished reading, my first thought was that I wanted more.

The author knows his Kansas City setting, and his background of the military, the law, and books mirrors that of his main character. There's the ring of truth in Shawver's pages that really hooked me. The characters are complex and show surprising sides of themselves as the book's tone changes from light to dark-- and the plot made me more tolerant of characters like Bevan's daughter who is Master Class at being bitchy and difficult. (Actually, it was more than the plot; it had a lot to do with Shawver's skill in characterization.)

More than anything else, The Dirty Book Murder reminded me of John Dunning's superb Cliff Janeway series. When Dunning stopped writing those books, he left a gaping hole in crime fiction. What I experienced in reading this book leads me to hope that Thomas Shawver, with his own characters, his own experiences, and his own knowledge of books, will pick up Dunning's baton and lead the way to reading nirvana.

The Dirty Book Murder by Thomas Shawver

ISBN: 9780804179270 

Alibi, a Division of Random House © 2014

eBook, 220 pages

Amateur Sleuth/Noir, #1 Rare Book mystery

Rating: B+

Source: NetGalley

A Bad Day for Pretty by Sophie Littlefield

First Line: Mama was already down in the cellar with Gracellen and Patches.

Fifty-something Stella Hardesty may have a sewing machine business that gets the bills paid, but this widow (and former abused wife) has a sideline that means a great deal more. When women come to her who need help with abusive spouses and boyfriends, Stella shows these men the error of their ways-- and sometimes it takes force. She's good at it, but business in that "second job" has been a bit light lately, and Stella's found herself cozying up to Sheriff "Goat" Jones instead.  One night when she and Goat are getting comfortable, a tornado roars through town and drops Goat's estranged wife right on the doorstep. Talk about a mood killer.

Not only has the tornado dumped an unwelcome guest in town, it's also torn down the snack shack at the local demolition derby track, and a woman's body has been discovered. All the circumstantial evidence points to a man Stella believes is innocent, and since she can't cozy up to the sheriff, she decides to prove this man not guilty of murder in the first degree. With a lot of help from Chrissy Shaw who helps out at the sewing shop, Stella aims to solve a crime before an innocent man goes to jail.

I enjoyed the first book in the Stella Hardesty series, A Bad Day for Sorry, but I found this book to be a bit harder getting into. So much of the wit and feistiness that charmed me in that first book is missing here, and it's due to the fact that Stella does a lot of soul-searching. It's necessary introspection because many people who read the first book may not have liked the idea of Stella taking the law into her own hands to rehabilitate abusers whom the law couldn't seem to touch. As Stella works her way through lessons she learned during her childhood and on through memories of her marriage and beyond, readers really get to see the type of person she is. Like I said, this is necessary for our understanding of the character even if it does remove some of the sparkle from the story.

Chrissy Shaw, the young woman who helps Stella in her sewing machine shop, is turning into a fascinating character in her own right. Stella helped Chrissy out of an abusive relationship, and although Chrissy doesn't have much education, she's all natural-born smarts and sharp edges-- a woman to reckon with who's raising her child and working to make better lives for them both. She's also becoming increasingly important in Stella's life.

The crime is a puzzler, but with two women like Stella and Chrissy hard at work to solve it, the killer doesn't have a chance. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series, and I'm hoping there will be less introspection and more smart alecky feistiness.

A Bad Day for Pretty by Sophie Littlefield

ISBN: 9780312559755

Minotaur Books © 2010

Hardcover, 304 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #2 Stella Hardesty mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet

A Wilder Rose by Susan Wittig Albert

First Line: With an audible sigh, Rose Lane rolled the letter out of her Underwood typewriter and signed it  --Much love as always, Rose.

In 1928, Rose Wilder Lane packed her belongings and left Albania-- a place she loved-- to return to the Missouri Ozarks to check on her aging parents. Her father, Almanzo Wilder, was 71; her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder, was 61. They needed help, and Rose felt obligated to stay and get things straightened out. But when the Crash occurred Rose's investments were wiped out, and there was no longer much money to be made writing magazine articles. This was when her mother Laura started writing about her pioneer childhood, and a collaboration was formed that has bewitched thousands upon thousands of readers to this day.

A Wilder Rose is written from Rose's point of view. She's a world traveler, a journalist, and a highly paid writer for all the best magazines of the day. Growing up poor, always having to "make do," being ridiculed at school-- all this and more made Rose want to be more, to do more, and she did. When she returns to the Ozarks and becomes trapped by lack of money, her pain is palpable as she tries desperately to gather up the funds needed for both her parents and herself to have the lives they deserve.

I can see some readers not liking this book because Albert doesn't write the fairy tale that they have grown to love. Laura isn't the adorable little Half Pint in this book; she's an older woman who's experienced many hardships and heartbreaks, and she's much more real as a result. Laura Ingalls Wilder was not an easy woman to live with, and the stories she wrote about her childhood were far from being publishable. Rose was the true writer in the family, and she knew what needed to be done to a manuscript to make it marketable. Countless battles of will occurred with the birth of each of the Little House books, and the entire process is fascinating to read.

Albert also does a masterful job of portraying the period itself: how the stock market crash affected people, what life was like during the Dust Bowl. The political and social conflicts of the time come to life. I was amazed at how similar those conflicts are to the ones we are experiencing today.

Susan Wittig Albert walks a fine line in A Wilder Rose, and she does it very successfully. While the Laura presented here isn't the lovable little tyke of the books so many people like me grew up reading and loving, the portrait of the older Laura is a realistic and utterly believable one. However, the author shines at letting us see the real Rose Wilder Lane and hear her voice. Rose's story is one that forcibly struck home with me. It was expected that Rose would give up her life, give up the person she was, give up so many of the things she loved to do, to go home and take care of her parents as their health declined. The exact same thing was expected of me when my beloved grandfather's health declined. I understood her love for her parents, her feelings of guilt and of being ripped in two.

A Wilder Rose succeeds beautifully on so many levels: as a social history of the times, as the story of the collaboration of two dissimilar women to create one of the most beloved series of books in America, and as the story of a woman trying to uphold her familial obligations while being true to herself. It's a book that I found hard to put down, and it's a book that's made me see that Rose Wilder Lane deserves to be given credit for all the work she did in creating those little houses.

A Wilder Rose: Rose Wilder Lane, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Their Little Houses 

by Susan Wittig Albert

ISBN: 9780989203500

Persevero Press © 2013

Paperback, 288 pages

Rating: A

Source: the author

If Fried Chicken Could Fly by Paige Shelton

First Line: If the items in the cast-iron skillet hadn't burst into flames just as Gram was dunking the coated chicken breast into the hot bubbling grease, we might not have found the dead body so soon.

Everything was going fine until then. Betts Winston and her grandmother were helping their students in Gram's Country Cooking School prepare for the Southern Missouri Show-Down-- the cook-off that begins the summer tourist season in Broken Rope, Missouri. Then that kitchen fire occurred, and Betts and Gram had to get the cleaning supplies. There in the supply closet was the body of local theater owner Everett Morningside, buried under buckets, mops, and rolls of paper towels.

Everett and Gram had been seeing each other, so it comes as a shock when Everett's widow appears and accuses Gram of being the killer. It also doesn't help when Betts learns that her old high school flame is back in town and a member of the police force. Betts' grandmother is in trouble, and she's going to move heaven and earth to make sure the real killer is the one put behind bars.

I personally don't enjoy cooking, but I did enjoy this first in the Country Cooking School mystery series. Betts Winston, the law school drop-out, has joined her grandmother in running a cooking school that specializes in down home cookin', and Gram cooks the exact same way as my mother and great-grandmother did: with passion and intuition-- and no measuring cups or spoons. (That gene skipped my grandmother and me for some reason.)

The school is in Broken Rope, Missouri-- a town with a very colorful past. In fact the cooking school (converted from a former bingo hall) is next to the old cemetery, a draw for tourists where several of the town's more memorable citizens are buried. That cemetery is where Betts begins seeing a cowboy that no one else seems to see, and that elusive man is going to be the one who helps her solve this case.

Yes, the setting is a definite winner; the fictional town being a combination of Rolla, Missouri, and Tombstone, Arizona. Shelton has to have fun creating Broken Rope with its great old buildings and rich history. I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series just because of the setting.

But of course, there has to be more to the book than its setting, and there is here. Betts and Gram are just the type of characters I love to get to know, although Gram does tend to get my back up with her stubbornness. Betts' best friend Jake, the town historian, is another character I want to know more about, and I thought the town's legal eagle, Verna Oldenmeyer, was a hoot as well as being one sharp lawyer. The other characters who own shops on Main Street as well as the ghostly presence of Jerome Cowbinder also add to a strong, vivid cast that do an excellent job in solving future crimes.

The plot is a fast-moving one that involves the town's history as well as a strong glint of gold, but I'll say no more about that because the story is so much fun that I don't want to spoil it for any of you.

If you're in the mood for a strong cast of characters in a fun, fast-moving plot, you can't go wrong with If Fried Chicken Could Fly. I'll definitely be visiting Broken Rope again.

If Fried Chicken Could Fly by Paige Shelton

ISBN: 9780425245859

Berkley Prime Crime © 2012

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Country Cooking School mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.

The Rifle by Gary Paulsen

First Line: It is necessary to know this rifle.

This short little book traces the history of one flintlock rifle from its creation during the American Revolution to the 1990s.

The rifle's creation is a months-long labor of love by a journeyman gunsmith named Cornish McManus. When completed, it is most definitely a "sweet rifle" (meaning one of stunning beauty and accuracy). In desperate need of money, Cornish reluctantly sells the gun to John Byam, a sharpshooter in the Revolutionary War who dies of dysentery.

The rifle, intended as a gift to a son killed in battle, is tucked away and forgotten as the centuries pass. In the 1990s it is found, and changes hands a few times until it rests above the mantel of a home in Missouri. Tragedy will ensue because-- during all this time and through all the hands it's passed-- no one has ever checked to see if the rifle is loaded.

The first part of this book is wonderful. The craftsmanship that goes into the making of this rifle is phenomenal, and Paulsen brings the entire process to life. The rifle's "life" while in the hands of sharpshooter John Byam is also vivid and well done.

But the book falls apart in the end. It's obvious that the author wants to teach children how deadly serious guns are, that no matter how beautiful they are or how innocently they are kept, guns are made to kill-- and they will kill. But it strains credulity to the breaking point to believe that a gun loaded in the 1770s will still fire first-time true in 1993.

Paulsen does not believe that "guns don't kill people, people kill people," but the tragedy that occurs at the end of the book is due entirely to humans who don't care about simple gun safety. The ending of the book, in particular, bothered me: "And in the meantime the rifle sits in the gun cabinet. Waiting." Guns are not inhabited by evil spirits who lurk patiently until the unwary come within range. (Although all too often they are owned by people who have no business having them in their possession.)

Middle school children may well take Paulsen's message to heart, and I hope they do, but for most of the adults who read along with their children, the aim of his story is going to fall short.

The Rifle by Gary Paulsen

ISBN: 0440219205

Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers ©1995

Paperback, 105 pages

Genre: Childrens Books

Rating: C

Source: Paperback Swap

Make, Take, Murder by Joanna Campbell Slan

Title: Make, Take, Murder
Author: Joanna Campbell Slan
ISBN: 9780738720661
Publisher: Midnight Ink, 2011
Paperback, 348 pages
Genre: Cozy, Amateur Sleuth, #4 Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft mystery
Rating: B
Source: the author

First Line: I was rummaging around in the trash Dumpster searching for my lost paycheck, when I reached down and grabbed Cindy Gambrowski's severed leg.

Finding a severed leg in the Dumpster would be a memorable beginning to anyone's day, and it certainly was to Kiki Lowenstein. The discovery begins a search for Cindy Gambrowski, and while the police are looking, Kiki has to keep on truckin' with her almost teenaged daughter who's an angel one second and a demon the next, with her mother-in-law (who always seems to be the latter), and with her prickly co-owner of their scrapbooking store Time in a Bottle. To put the icing on the cake, it's December in St. Louis, Missouri, and anyone in retail can tell you that the sales figures for this month can make or break a business. But Cindy Gambrowski was a customer, and Kiki can't get her out of her mind-- even when co-owner Bama goes ballistic when the shop is featured on the television news. Kiki searches for clues as best she can during the busiest season of all.

The scrapbooking and retail aspects of this book are very well done. By the time I was finished with the last page, I had an itch to take up scrapbooking-- a craft I'd never had any interest in before. Slan shares ideas and tips that are guaranteed to get any crafter anxious to start a new project. Trying to walk that fine line of supply and demand, a shoplifter who's stealing some of their best items, having enough help in the shop to serve all the customers-- the author made this retail veteran feel right at home.

There were some characters who got on my nerves a time or two. Kiki has a mother-in-law who goes out of her way to be hateful to her. I've said in other reviews that I can do without the obnoxious mother-in-law, and my opinion hasn't changed. Bama, the co-owner of Time in a Bottle, is abrasive to the point of being outrageous. Although the reason for Bama being the way she is is given at book's end, I still wondered why everyone let her get away with her behavior.

Kiki seemed to me to be the type of woman who wants to be liked by everyone... a woman who wants to get along with no fighting and harsh words. Unfortunately, she's not surrounding herself with the right people for her wishes to be a reality. The only time I really disagreed with something she did, however, was when a man walked up to her and her co-workers at 11 PM and asked about a mutual acquaintance because he had flowers to deliver. Come on, Kiki-- what flower shop would spend the payroll to make deliveries at that hour of night?

The search for Cindy Gambrowski is a puzzling one, and although subtle clues are given all along the way, the ending is still a shocker. This isn't your typical cozy mystery. There's more meat on the bone. Yes, the characters are front and center as they should be, and yes, you get a feel for the craft aspect of the book. You also see how difficult it is for a single mother with limited funds to raise a child. But there are even deeper issues-- such as spousal abuse-- that Slan deals with in such a way to make us all stop and think... and wonder what we would do in the same situation.

Did it feel strange for me to begin reading a series with book four? No, the author does a good job of providing enough backstory for things to make sense without bogging down the plot. I enjoyed being in Kiki's world for a while and look forward to meeting her again.

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A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield

Title: A Bad Day for Sorry
Author: Sophie Littlefield
ISBN: 9780312643232
Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2010
Paperback, 288 pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, #1 Stella Hardesty mystery
Rating: B
Source: Purchased from Amazon.

First Line: Stella knew from experience that Roy Dean Shaw wasn't a particularly brave young buck.

Just before her fiftieth birthday, Stella couldn't take it anymore. When her abusive husband laid into her, she dispatched him with a wrench. Now a few years later, she's so busy helping other women deal with their own abusive husbands and handing out her own brand of justice, there's scarcely any time left for her to run her sewing shop.

Stella works outside the law, so she's free to do whatever it takes to convince these violent men to stop what they've been doing. All she has to do is keep her distance from Goat Jones, the handsome local sheriff. When young mother Chrissy Shaw asks for Stella's help with her abusive husband, Roy Dean, it looks like just another day in Stella's office. But when Chrissy's two-year-old son is taken from her, Stella finds that she's got a lot more to worry about than skinny old Roy Dean.

A Bad Day for Sorry has to have one of the most memorable prologues I've read in years. Stella is an original; she endured an abusive husband for years, and as a result she tends to view things differently from those of us who haven't. Her own homegrown brand of justice must appeal to any woman who's found our existing legal system less than ideal for dealing with a man who believes beating the crap out of a woman is a divine right.

Unfortunately for Stella, word of mouth has spread, and she's now got so much business that, not only is her real business-- the sewing shop-- suffering, she can't even have a day off:

Stella picked off the sons-of-bitches one by one, leaving their women free to breathe easy, to live without dread as their constant companion. And now this sideline threatened to overtake her real job, the shop she'd inherited from Ollie, supplying the women of Prosper with sewing notions and keeping their sewing machines in good working order. Every time she thought she'd earned some time off, a new woman would show up, terrified or battered or both, but finally ready to make it stop. And Stella knew what kind of courage that took-- and she never turned a client away.

I liked the character of Stella and her voice, and although I did enjoy the book as a whole, I did have a couple of problems with it. For a woman in her mid-fifties, Stella has a tendency to behave as though she's ten feet tall and bullet-proof-- for example going alone to a deserted area after dark to meet someone when she knows something's not right. Chrissy Shaw, the young mother whose son is taken from her, begins her characterization as the complete blond bimbo-- totally cowed by an abusive husband, unable to think or talk above a slow stumble. Less than twenty-four hours after losing her son, Chrissy goes from Bimbo to Rambo in the blink of an eye. I just find it difficult to believe that someone who's been so completely under her husband's thumb could make such a stunning transformation that quickly.

But, as I said, I did enjoy this book. Stella is feisty and funny, and as long as she's not being beaten up on a regular basis, I can see myself reading this series for a long time to come. A word of caution, however: the language can be salty at times and there is violence. Both fell well within my parameters, but your mileage may vary.

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Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Title: Sharp Objects
Author: Gillian Flynn
ISBN: 9780307341556, Three Rivers Press, 2006
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: B+

First Line: My sweater was new, stinging red and ugly.

Not all that long ago Camille Preaker was a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Now she's a reporter for a second-rate Chicago newspaper. Her first assignment? To go back home to Wind Gap, Missouri, to cover the murders of two young girls.

Although the police think that the killer is a transient, Camille believes a local is responsible. As she interviews old acquaintances and newcomers, she begins reliving her childhood and uncovering long-buried secrets in her family.

This was a very uncomfortable book for me to read. Although I try my best not to give away plot points, this book has been out for about four years, and what I'm about to say is nothing that can't be found in any review at Amazon. The razor blade on the cover of Sharp Objects isn't there merely for decoration. The reason why Camille was in a psychiatric hospital is because she's a cutter. Reading about Camille's preference for self-harm not only gave me the creeps, it strongly reminded me of my own battles with severe depression. (In my own case, I was in so much mental pain that picturing chopping off my hand with a meat cleaver was seductive, and I actually believed that it would feel good.) Although I'm well past that, the memories are very easily brought to the surface.

As I met the members of Camille's family, I wanted to drag her out of that house and never let her return. Mental illness had made that place a dead zone, my skin was itching fiercely, and I found the pages more and more difficult to turn.

My strong reactions may give you the impression that the book is poorly written. It is not. On the contrary-- to produce such strong emotions in me, I would say that it's very well written. The only real weakness I found in Sharp Objects was the fact that Flynn's attempts at misdirection did not work with me. Early on I'd homed in on the murderer like a guided missile, and Flynn could not shake me.

After turning the last page, I felt as though I needed a stiff drink or a strong tranquilizer. I haven't felt that way in a very long time. If Flynn's second novel, Dark Places, is anything like her first, I'm not at all sure that I'll read it. I think my grandfather would call that a back-handed compliment!