Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

 

First Line: A young woman has the camera in selfie mode as she goes through a door into a modern apartment and walks into the kitchen area.

Social media influencer Elly Parker thought she had the perfect life until, in the worst way possible, she discovered her husband was having an affair with her best friend. She thought there was no way things could be worse until she stopped to help a stranger in distress. 

Now Elly needs a lawyer who's willing to bend the rules in order to find the truth that will keep her out of prison. Eddie Flynn and his team sign on for the job, but they find themselves hunting a master manipulator who's always one step ahead.

~

It's always a pleasure to watch former con man/current lawyer Eddie Flynn take on the impossible, and his latest, Two Kinds of Stranger, is no exception. 

Even though I have a rather jaundiced view of social media influencers, Elly Parker is such an engaging character that I couldn't help but want her to be saved. Cavanagh does an excellent job in showing her world, her emotions, unraveling right in front of everyone. 

What is unusual in Two Kinds of Stranger is the fact that the master manipulator who's decided to ruin Elly's life isn't your garden-variety criminal. There are twists and turns to his own life that, although you know he must be brought to justice, you can't help but feel a tiny bit of sympathy for him.

Eddie Flynn and his team are at their best here, dealing with two very important cases simultaneously, and I loved watching everything come together. If you're in the mood for a fast-paced tale with plenty of surprises as well as a strong cast of characters, Two Kinds of Stranger may be just what the doctor ordered. 

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

eISBN: 9781668093412

Atria Books © 2026

eBook, 400 pages

Legal Thriller, #9 Eddie Flynn

Rating: A-

Source: Net Galley

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

 

First Line: The right book in the hands of the right person at exactly the right moment can change their life forever.

Since the death of her husband, celebrity memoir editor Tilly Nightingale has been in a fog of grief. Unable to enjoy her favorite books and her crafts, she is shocked to receive a call from a local bookshop telling her she has a gift waiting for her there.

The gift is from her beloved husband Joe. With the help of shop owner Alfie Lane, Joe has chosen a year of books for Tilly-- twelve books, each with a handwritten letter from him.

Seduced by her husband's words, Tilly becomes immersed in each book, and each one encourages her to open a new chapter in her life.

~

Like humor, grief is a very personal and very subjective emotion. After reading so many good things about This Book Made Me Think of You, I decided to read it. 

Having lost my own husband for about the same length of time as the main character, Tilly Nightingale, I was naturally drawn in by her situation. For the first half of the book, I enjoyed watching Tilly immerse herself in each book that her husband Joe had chosen for her. These books not only addressed her grief, but also began to help her with other issues in her life. 

Unfortunately, the second half of the book began to drag for me. Why? Because it was extremely predictable. Now... I know that a predictable, feel-good story can be just what the doctor ordered. It can give flagging spirits just the boost they need. I've had this happen to me. However, the magic just didn't work for me this time. Is it because of my own situation? I don't know. But, as I said, grief is a very subjective emotion. Just because this wasn't the right book for me at the right moment doesn't mean that it won't be for you.

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

eISBN: 9798217187003

Berkley © 2026

eBook, 416 pages

Standalone Fiction

Rating: B-

Source: Purchased from Amazon

I Must Get Caught Up on My Reviews!

The time has come for another edition of Catching Up on My Book Reviews. Are you ready? 

I have four books that I want to give you my thoughts on. I have included a link to Amazon US if you'd like to read the synopses or find out more about each book. Here we go!

The Program by Charlie Lovett

Standalone Science Fiction set in New York City

Rating: D

My Thoughts: Lovett has written some wonderful books, like The Lost Book of the Grail, but The Program isn't one of them. This tale of a highly popular new weight loss program kept me intrigued, but when how the program really worked was revealed, it completely lost me. 

This one may not satisfy, but as I said earlier, he has written some wonderful books. 

The Restoration Garden by Sara Blaydes

Dual timeline Fiction set in England

Rating: B

My Thoughts: Julia Esdaile, who specializes in historic garden restoration, has been hired to restore the gardens of Havenworth Manor to the way they were in 1940. Many family secrets are uncovered along the way.

I enjoyed learning more about the language of flowers as well as the garden restoration itself. The characters were sympathetically drawn in both timelines, although the modern-day characters were a bit predictable.

An enjoyable, although not particularly memorable, read.

Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg

#1 Eve Ronin Police procedural set in Los Angeles, California

Rating: A

My Thoughts: When I shared how much I was enjoying Goldberg's Ian Ludlow books, I was told that I should give his Eve Ronin series a try. Of course, I had to.

Eve Ronin (AKA Deathfist) found a way to get the job she wanted in the LAPD, and although she has to put up with nonsense from her fellow officers, she doesn't let that stop her. Goldberg shows Eve's mistakes as well as her real talent as she investigates. 

Filled with Goldberg's usual fast pace, vivid descriptions, and laugh-out-loud humor, I thoroughly enjoyed Lost Hills and look forward to meeting Eve again.

The Missing Checkout Girl Mystery by Rachel Ward

#1 Supermarket Mystery set in England

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: I don't remember how this book first caught my eye, but it did. I was surprised by how many good reviews it had received, and I decided to give it a try because, well... I'd never read a mystery with a supermarket checkout employee as a sleuth. (It also brought back memories of the first time I set foot in a British supermarket and saw the checkout employees sitting down.)

After reading The Missing Checkout Girl Mystery, I am no longer surprised by its good reviews. Bea Jordan and her cohorts are so engaging, and I loved getting to know all of them. In fact, I enjoyed the days of our lives in a supermarket so much that I almost didn't care whodunit.

An added bonus was learning a bit more about British retail, as well as a certain slang term that even had my three English nieces a bit puzzled. (Pasta parcels, anyone?)

Okay. Are you sitting down? You'd better be because I am finally caught up with my reviews! 

Did I tempt you with any of these books? Which ones?

A Study in Secrets by Jeffrey Siger

 

First Line: Michael had grown quite fond of the anonymous souls who paused beneath his window.

After years of a complicated life in the intelligence service, Michael has been enjoying a reclusive life in his New York townhouse, inventing lives for the people he watches strolling through the park across the street, and having his every need taken care of by his housekeeper, Mrs. Baker.

But this quiet life of his changes when the girl he's been watching for some time drastically changes her routine. Michael realizes she is in danger and decides to do what he can to help her.

In no time at all, Michael finds that he needs to use all the tricks of his former trade because he's just plunged headlong into the New York underworld.

~

After years of enjoying Jeffrey Siger's Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mysteries set in Greece, I wasn't about to miss this first in his new Redacted Man series. Although Michael, the retired intelligence officer, could remind readers of Sherlock Holmes with the number of his townhouse being 221, his housekeeper named Mrs. Baker, and his exhaustive knowledge, Michael says, "I get to play the Wizard of Oz." He prefers to work behind the scenes, and the contacts he's made throughout the years are nothing short of amazing.

It did take me a while to warm up to the characters; their histories unfold so gradually, but I did: Angel, the young girl Michael decides to help, a brother and sister who find themselves over their heads when the brother acquires a very dangerous man's treasure, Michael's friends in the neighborhood, Michael himself, and especially Mrs. Baker.

With a strong, fast-paced plot and engaging characters, A Study in Secrets was a pleasure to read. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. 

A Study in Secrets by Jeffrey Siger

eISBN: 9781448317073

Severn House © 2026

eBook, 212 pages

Thriller, #1 Redacted Man

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

 

First Line: The trouble started, as it so often does, behind the manure spreader.

Reverend Clare Fergusson and her husband, Russ van Alstyne (newly resigned from his position as chief of police), have plans to celebrate the perfect Christmas with their baby boy, Ethan. Those plans come to a screeching halt when white supremacists crash a beloved holiday parade. In no time at all, they find themselves yanked into a world of militias and murder.

Others are also drawn into this mess, including single mother and police officer Hadley Knox. She's worrying about her former partner, Kevin Flynn, who's taken leave from the Syracuse Police Department and then disappeared. 

Add to this a novice lawyer on an off-the-books investigation and a missing park service ranger, and it's plain to see that it's going to take a lot of work to have a Christmas that's merry and bright in Millers Kill, New York.

~

It is so good to have Clare Fergusson and Russ van Alstyne back! I have really missed Julia Spencer-Fleming's series, and it's wonderful to see that At Midnight Comes the Cry brings these beloved characters roaring back at full strength.

Although I have to admit that I'm sick to death of white supremacists in the news and really don't want to have them taking center stage in my fiction, the storyline is strong, and with Clare Fergusson in charge, it's not going to be the "same old, same old." 

For longtime fans, there's plenty of catching up to do with the author's wonderful cast of characters. We get to see Clare and Russ with their baby, and Hadley worrying about Kevin Flynn. A novice lawyer is going off the reservation from the state Attorney General's Office, and a forest ranger is looking for his missing uncle. Clare and Russ work together like a well-oiled machine in the hair-raising climactic scenes, too. (Of course!)

I haven't read anything about the fate of this series, but there is something mentioned at the end that makes me wonder if this is the last time we'll see Clare and Russ. If so, they end on a high note... and I'll miss them. 

At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

eISBN: 9781250022677

Minotaur Books © 2025

eBook, 320 pages

Police Procedural, #10 Fergusson/Van Alstyne

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

 

First Line: There's something wrong with Ruby Johnson.

A former member of the Manhattan upper class, Ruby Johnson now works as a maid and a nanny to the people in the types of houses she used to live in. She knows everyone's dirty secrets, and when she witnesses a murder, she has plans in mind that do not involve telling the authorities the truth.

Eddie Flynn is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases, and none is more hopeless than John Jackson's: the gun that killed his neighbor was found-- with Jackson's DNA on it-- in his own home. Flynn and his team will need all their expertise to keep an innocent man from being sent to prison. However, while Eddie is trying to save his client's life, he must also protect his own loved ones. The scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.

~

Few authors can write absorbing legal thrillers like Steve Cavanagh. Witness 8 has it all: humor, a sympathetic yet scary witness to murder, life-and-death situations, and a roller coaster ride of a courtroom drama.

I love watching the way Eddie Flynn's mind works. He's not your usual lawyer. He's a streetwise ex-con-artist-turned-defense-attorney, and he knows all sorts of people from all walks of life. The team he has assembled is top-notch, so much so that it seems that there is nothing they cannot do.

As a witness to murder, Ruby Johnson is scary yet sympathetic. I felt for her circumstances, but she was so skilled in her manipulations that I wanted her stopped ASAP. Ruby also made me realize just how much the "hired help" knows about the families they work for. My advice to the rich? Pay your servants well, be nice, and don't anger them. They always know much more than you think.

To add to Eddie's worries, there's the danger for those near and dear to him-- not just from corrupt police officers but also from an assassin named Mr. Christmas. (Don't you love his name?)

If you love legal thrillers, by all means, acquaint yourself with Eddie Flynn. I would definitely want him defending me if I were on trial.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

eISBN: 9781668049396

Atria Books © 2025

eBook, 416 pages

Legal Thriller, #8 Eddie Flynn

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Don't Tell Me How to Die by Marshall Karp

 

First Line: At six-feet eight, three-hundred and sixty pounds, Irv Hollingsworth was not only the biggest TV weatherman in Heartstone, New York, his larger-than-life personality and his flair for showmanship had made him the most popular in the county.

At the age of forty-three, Maggie Dunn has it all: a fantastic husband, two great kids, and an exciting career as mayor of her hometown. Then the ax falls. A rare genetic blood disease will kill her before her next birthday.

Maggie's mother also died of the same illness, and when Maggie was seventeen, her mother warned her about the women who would surround her suddenly single father. Those women did, and one of them almost destroyed him, Maggie, and her sister. 

Maggie is not about to let that happen to her family. In the three months she has left, Maggie will spend every second searching for the perfect woman to take her place, and she will do whatever it takes to find her.

~

I became a fan of Marshall Karp after reading his Lomax & Biggs books. Karp then went on to team up with James Patterson in the NYPD Red series. I was happy to see him back with a solo title, Don't Tell Me How to Die, and this fast-paced tale certainly does not disappoint.

Maggie Dunn is a woman who knows how to get things done. She knows how to succeed. She has a younger sister and friends who will support her no matter what. She's been living with the threat of a rare genetic blood disease hanging over her, so when she's told she only has three months to live, she knows what she has to do.

I love Marshall Karp's writing style. Each chapter is headed by how much time is left before Maggie's funeral, and that adds urgency to the story. There are also laugh-out-loud moments that can catch readers off guard, and if you're a fan of plot twists, you'll love the ones in in this book. 

Maggie is a force of nature, and although I ultimately did not like her, I did like her absolute honesty. I couldn't stop following her every move. If you're a fan of fast-paced books filled with twists and turns and an indomitable main character, pick up a copy of Marshall Karp's Don't Tell Me How to Die.

Don't Tell Me How to Die by Marshall Karp

ASIN: ‎ B0D7W4DZMR

Blackstone Publishing © 2025

eBook, 320 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

 

First Line: Amanda White lifted the lid from the electric baby bottle sterilizer and stared inside at the .22-caliber revolver.

 

One dark evening on New York's Upper West Side, two women find common ground in their grief, their loneliness, and their need for revenge on the men who destroyed their families. As they talk, they come up with the perfect plan: If you kill for me, I'll kill for you.

 

In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when her beautiful brownstone is invaded. Against the odds, she survives her knife-wielding attacker, but will she ever feel safe again while the blue-eyed stranger who left her for dead is still out there?

 

Fear. Grief. Loneliness. Revenge. All very powerful motivations...

~

This is the second book using Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train as a stepping stone that I have read this year, and I wondered what my reaction would be. It is a testament to Highsmith's iconic story and Cavanagh's skill that I finished Kill for Me Kill for You with a big smile on my face.

This fast-paced, plot-driven book may leave you feeling as if you're strapped in a car on a wild and woolly roller coaster ride. However, where most plot-driven books fall short in characterization, Kill for Me Kill for You doesn't. It's all too easy to put yourself in the shoes of the grief-stricken Amanda, Ruth, and Scott, and all too easy to hope that Farrow, the homicide detective, will put all the pieces together for some sort of justice to triumph.

 

Since so much hinges on the marvelous plot twists, I can't say much about this book without giving something away, but I will say this: Read it, and don't be surprised if it puts a smile on your face, too.

Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

eISBN: 9781668049365

Atria Books © 2024

eBook, 352 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

 

First Line: Sixteen hours before his death, Frederic Delaney realized that he'd left his Hutchinson champagne stopper at home.

 

Bern Hendricks, one of the world's preeminent experts on the famed twentieth-century composer Frederick Delaney, has just received the call of a lifetime. Hendricks knows everything there is to know about the composer, so when Mallory Roberts, a board member of the distinguished Delaney Foundation (and a direct descendant of the man himself), asks for Bern's help in authenticating a newly discovered piece that may be Delaney's famous lost opera, Bern jumps at the chance.

 

With the help of his tech-savvy friend Eboni Washington, Bern soon learns that the truth is far more complicated than history-- and the Delaney Foundation-- would have them believe. 

The two begin to uncover more and more clues that indicate Delaney may have had help in composing his most successful work. Bern and Eboni are caught in the crosshairs of a very powerful organization that will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden, but they are determined to move heaven and earth to right history's wrongs.

~

Author Brendan Slocumb's first book, The Violin Conspiracy, was one of my Best Reads last year, so I picked up Symphony of Secrets with a great deal of anticipation. Once again, Slocumb brought me into the world of music and made me feel each note. This book is not only a celebration of music, it also cautions readers about legacy, privilege, and creative genius.

For me, the strongest part of this book was the relationships between various characters and how those relationships changed over time. There's not just the relationship between Bern and Eboni as they work to uncover the truth about world-famous composer Frederick Delaney, there's the relationship between Bern himself and the composer. Bern is a man who has spent his life becoming an expert on Delaney and his music. As more and more facts are uncovered that Delaney did not compose his own music, Bern is no longer the slavish devotee. Now he is a disillusioned knight fighting to right a serious wrong, and if he is to survive, he must shed his naïveté in dealing with the Delaney Foundation.

Perhaps the most profound relationship in Symphony of Secrets is between Frederick Delaney and neurodivergent Josephine Reed, a poor Black woman who just happens to be a musical genius. Theirs is a most personal relationship that also shows how Blacks were treated in the music industry of the 1920s.

I found myself equally enjoying both time periods (present day and the 1920s) as the story unfolded, and I often felt myself working through all the legal and moral implications of what Bern and Eboni were uncovering as they dug up each new clue. Wow. What has Brendan Slocumb got up his sleeve next? I can't wait to find out.

 

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

ISBN: 9780593315446

Anchor Books © 2023

Hardcover, 448 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from the Poisoned Pen Bookstore.

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

 

First Line: For a trial lawyer, there are two words in the English language that terrify us more than any other.

 

The premise is simple: a man is murdered. His two daughters are in the house with him. Each woman makes a 911 call accusing the other of killing him. Which one of them is lying? Which one of them is the killer?

 

~

 

 

Having read and loved Steve Cavanagh's Thirteen, I looked forward to reading Fifty Fifty with a great deal of anticipation. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat. Not necessarily because it was badly written-- it wasn't. It fell flat because it didn't meet my expectations. 

What did I expect? I expected to have to work hard to deduce which one of the sisters was the killer. I knew which sister "done it" almost from the beginning, and that burst my bubble. Granted, I did enjoy watching the main character, defense lawyer and former conman Eddie Flynn, putting the pieces together, but it just wasn't as much fun as playing Sherlock Holmes for myself. 

Sometimes these twisty legal thrillers work, and sometimes they don't. While this one didn't quite hit the mark for me, it was still a good read, and I look forward to reading more of Cavanagh's books featuring Eddie Flynn.

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

ISBN: 9781409185864

Orion Books © 2020

Paperback, 368 pages

 

Legal Thriller, #5 Eddie Flynn mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon UK

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

 

First Line: On the morning of the worst, most earth-shattering day of Ray McMillian's life, he ordered room service: scrambled eggs for two, one side of regular bacon (for Nicole), one side of vegan sausage (for him), one coffee (for Nicole), one orange juice (for him).

 

Young Ray McMillian is determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing is going to stand in his way. Not the fact that his mother wants him to stop all that noise, get his GED, and start earning money for a 60-inch color television. Not the fact that he's Black and wants a career in a predominantly white profession. Not the fact that he's never had private lessons. Not the fact that he doesn't even have a decent violin to play.

Given a beat-up old family fiddle by his beloved grandmother, Ray's fortunes begin a meteoric rise when he discovers that the old fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius. All his dreams are suddenly within reach, and he qualifies for the renowned Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Then tragedy strikes. His violin is stolen; the thieves wanting five million dollars before they will return it. As the time for the competition approaches, Ray not only has to try to recover his violin but he also has to prove that-- regardless of the outcome-- there is a truly great musician within him.

~

I don't remember why I decided to pick up Brendan Slocumb's The Violin Conspiracy and read it, but I'm certainly glad I did. Slocumb's story grabbed me by the throat almost from the beginning, and it didn't let me loose until I'd turned the last page.

The story isn't new. Boy has talent. Boy needs violin. Boy gets violin. Boy works hard. Boy starts to get some breaks. Boy's violin is stolen. Can boy's dreams still come true? But if the only books that mattered were those with completely new plots, very few books would matter at all. Some stories are universal and deserve to be told over and over again.

Some of the characters aren't new either. The self-absorbed mother who wants Ray to stop making all that racket, get his GED, and get hired on at the hospital so he can buy her that 60-inch color TV she wants. The greedy family who, when they learn that the old family fiddle none of them gave a hoot about is actually a priceless Stradivarius, see nothing but DOLLAR SIGNS and insist that Ray sell it so they can wallow in millions of dollars. The evil couple who insists that the violin is theirs. The fairy godmother of a college music professor. Even Ray isn't new. 

But guess what? Those tried-and-true characters we've seen thousands of times are just as fine as that "old" story because of the way Brendan Slocumb breathes life into it all. We care about Ray. We want him to succeed. We want to tackle every bigot the young boy has to face and get them out of his way for good. Our hearts soar as music fills every pore in Ray's body and then comes out in a brilliant torrent as he plays that old family fiddle. You don't have to love classical music to enjoy this book, but-- if you do-- it's going to add that extra Something Special. 

The identity of the violin thief is easy to deduce, but how the theft was accomplished and what happened to the thief made up for that. The author explains how much of The Violin Conspiracy actually happened in his notes and acknowledgments, and I also watched a video of one of his appearances on Youtube in which Slocumb stated, "I want to be the Stephen King of musical thrillers!" After falling head over heels into this first book of his, all I can say is that I hope his wish comes true.

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

ISBN: 9780593315422

Vintage Books © 2022

Trade Paperback, 368 pages

 

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

Death Plans a Perfect Trip by Mary Jane Maffini

First Line: "You two are going the wrong way."

 

It's not unusual for bestselling author Esme Adams to dash off on spontaneous trips to Europe, but when she misses two of her scheduled phone calls with her daughter, professional organizer Charlotte Adams, Charlotte knows something is wrong. Esme has never missed a phone call before. Ever. 

 

Other people think Charlotte is worrying over nothing, but she can't get over the feeling that her mother is in danger. When Charlotte's home is ransacked and set ablaze, Charlotte needs a safe place to be, and she knows just what to do: get out of town, away from the people who are after her, and head to Europe to find her mother. 

As Charlotte follows clues in Paris, Lisbon, and Milan, she finds herself a major player in a very dangerous game of cat and mouse. She keeps narrowly missing her mother while simultaneously squeaking past the people who followed her from the U.S. And the more she searches, the more secrets about her mother's past and her own childhood are uncovered.

~

I've been a fan of Mary Jane Maffini's Charlotte Adams cozy series since I picked up the first book, Organize Your Corpses-- and it's not just because I love to organize things, too. I was sad when the series stopped at the fifth book, but I soon got caught up with a series that Maffini co-wrote with her daughter. When that series ended, I was left in limbo. Imagine my delight when I learned of Death Plans a Perfect Trip!

It was great to be reunited with Charlotte and her significant other, Jack, who runs a cycle shop called CYCotics (love that name). I also liked the fact that Maffini's book is edgier than the usual cozy, the danger more palpable and scarier, without actually "crossing the line." Charlotte and her mother's backstory is quite an interesting one, and I enjoyed watching all the bits and pieces Charlotte discovers coming together. The scenes set in places like Lisbon, Portugal made me feel as though I were walking the streets with Charlotte. As always in this series, rescue dachshunds Truffle and Sweet Marie make their adorable appearance, although they did have to be left behind when Charlotte traveled to Europe. 

If you're in need of a new cozy series and haven't made the acquaintance of Mary Jane Maffini's Charlotte Adams, I recommend that you do so. And if you get a chance, the cozy series she co-wrote with her daughter under the name Victoria Abbott is an absolute delight. (The first book in the Book Collector series is The Christie Curse.) You have some good reading ahead of you!

Death Plans a Perfect Trip by Mary Jane Maffini

eISBN: 971954717978

Beyond the Page Publishing © 2022

eBook, 308 pages

Cozy Mystery, #6 Charlotte Adams Professional Organizer mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Deadly Director's Cut by Vicki Delany

 

First Line: "LIGHTS. CAMERA. ACTION!"

 

Academy Award-winning director Elias Theropodous has chosen Haggerman's Catskills Resort as a shooting location for his next movie, and the guests and employees are loving every minute of rubbing elbows with the stars. If only the manager of the resort, Elizabeth Grady, could say the same. While her mother is sharing living quarters with one of the movie's stars and catching up on all the gossip, Elizabeth finds herself being pulled in all directions by the outrageous demands of Theropodous. If the resort didn't desperately need the hefty fee the film company is paying, she'd send them all packing. 

 

Then Theropodous is poisoned at a dinner at the resort, and Elizabeth has her work cut out for her in trying to find the killer. She has to because she needs to protect the reputation of the resort and keep those all-important bookings coming in. Unfortunately, the director was so disliked that the list of suspects is a long one. Elizabeth is going to have to work fast. 

 

~

 

With its 1950s resort setting of the Catskills in New York State, Vicki Delany's new series is perfect for all readers who count Dirty Dancing as one of their favorite movies. Deadly Director's Cut is the second book, and it's left me-- once again-- wanting more. 

 

I love the setting. Delany really gives a feel for how a resort of this type is run. Elizabeth's work is never done, and she has to have both diplomacy and a spine of steel to stand up to impossible guests and vendors. It's a pleasure to watch her doing so well in what was considered a man's job in the 1950s. Another thing I like about Elizabeth? When she figures out whodunit, she calls the police before she puts her plan into action. This woman is turning out to be one of my favorite cozy sleuths, especially since she's sleuthing while being fully armored in a girdle, no-nonsense bra, stockings, and a poodle haircut. (Interesting how a very few details-- like clothing-- can help readers transport themselves to another era, isn't it?)

 

Also, having a movie being filmed on location at the resort was a stroke of genius. Not only do readers get to experience a bit of Hollywood behind the scenes, but it also broadens the playing field with the addition of so many suspects.  

 

Deadly Director's Cut was another thoroughly enjoyable visit to Haggerman's Catskills Resort, and I look forward to my next. I hope I can book my favorite cabin. 

Deadly Director's Cut by Vicki Delany

eISBN: 9780593334409

Berkley Prime Crime © 2022

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #2 Catskills Summer Resort mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Final Fabergé by Thomas Swan

 

First Lines: Petrograd, December 16, 1916. On the table was a box.

 

It is up to Scotland Yard art crime detective Jack Oxby to prove-- or disprove-- the rumor that a mysterious Fabergé Easter egg disappeared during the last days of the reign of Nicholas and Alexandra... and may still be in existence today.

 

It's not going to be an easy task. For one thing, everyone who may have information about the egg turns up dead, and Oxby's investigation is putting him right at the top of the hit list. The way Oxby sees it, if someone's that determined to hide all knowledge of the art treasure, chances are good that it does, indeed, exist... and he's going to find it.

 

~

 

I have a weakness for the beauty and brutality of Tsarist Russian history, especially in the fields of art and architecture. Combine that with a love of art history mysteries like Iain Pears' Jonathan Argyll series, and it was inevitable that I would read Thomas Swan's The Final Fabergé. 

 

Scotland Yard art crime detective Jack Oxby has figured in two other books by Swan. He's been in this division of the Yard for fifteen years. He's savvy, he's got all sorts of contacts he can ask for help, and he's more than willing to jump on a plane and fly to who-knows-where in order to track down information.

 

From a promising beginning, The Final Fabergé rapidly devolved into a standard thriller: dashing from one location to the next to showcase Oxby's expertise in dodging bullets and knives while learning about power-hungry baddies and soulless henchmen. While not bad by any stretch of the imagination, the book would have been improved by spending more time in the historical aspect of the story-- in Fabergé's workshop and in the houses of the rich and titled. So much time was spent in chases and ambushes that it was easy to forget-- or to really understand-- what all the commotion was about. Yes, I would have loved to have spent more time immersed in the mystique of Fabergé and the treasures he and his artists created. 

 

Will I be looking to meet Jack Oxby again? I rather doubt it. 

The Final Fabergé by Thomas Swan

ISBN: ‎ 9781557049698

William Morrow © 1999

Paperback, 320 pages

 

Thriller, #3 Jack Oxby mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet.

The Necklace by Matt Witten

 

First Lines: Sunday, April 7, Twenty Years Ago. "Which do you like better?" Amy asked. "The purple dolphin or the pink duck?"

 

Due to the generous donations of the people in her small hometown, Susan Lentigo is ready to set out on a road trip she's been waiting twenty years to undertake. Twenty years ago, her seven-year-old daughter was raped and murdered, and now Susan is on her way to a front-row seat at the prison to watch justice be done as the killer is executed.

 

She's barely set out on her journey when she is stunned to learn that the man in prison for her daughter's murder may actually be innocent and that the real killer is still free. At first, Susan isn't sure about what she should do, but when she learns that her prime suspect has a young daughter who's at terrible risk, she knows she must do something.

Trouble is, she's finding it difficult to find someone to help her. The FBI doesn't want to reopen the case. Even her mother thinks she's just having an emotional meltdown. But then Susan finds help from two unlikely sources: a rebellious teenage girl and the retired cop who made the original arrest. But is it too little too late? Will Susan Lentigo finally find justice for the condemned man and for her daughter?

~

Due to some stand-out writing by Matt Witten and some excellent narration by Harley Jane Kozak, The Necklace turned out to be a story that kept me cheering for Susan Lentigo's ultimate success. Susan's voice drew me right into the heart of the story and never turned me loose. This woman's life slammed into a brick wall twenty years ago when her seven-year-old daughter was raped and murdered, and she's never wanted to recover from it. She expects nothing from life, and your heart aches for her as she relives her memories of life with her little girl.

This story puts its foot on the gas and never lets up as Susan begins her journey to a North Dakota prison. Readers experience the trauma she and her husband suffered twenty years ago, and while we can see how the shock and indescribable pain sometimes made Susan overreact to situations, I for one never doubted her when she learned of the real killer's identity. 

What added strength and veracity to the story was the addition of the two people who believed Susan. One, a rebellious teenage girl who recognized in Susan the parent she wanted (and deserved) but didn't have, and the other, the retired cop who made the original arrest and wound up putting an innocent man behind bars. When you've got a trio of characters like these who are willing to fight against the odds, you've got one dynamite story and one emotionally-charged ending nothing will stop you from reading.

I want to thank the person who recommended The Necklace to me. I'm certainly going to be on the lookout for more of Matt Witten's writing.

The Necklace by Matt Witten

Narrated by Harley Jane Kozak

ASIN: B09CLQY1XW

Oceanview Publishing © 2021

Audiobook. 8 hours, 34 minutes.

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Audible.

Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delaney

First Line: "My neighbor Mrs Francesco heard him at a club in the city."

 

Elizabeth Grady hopes that the summer of 1953 will be a break-out year for Haggerman's Catskills Resort. With the one-two punch of her mother's Hollywood celebrity and her own management and organizational skills, Elizabeth wants to make the resort the family destination for all those people seeking to escape the heat of the city.

 

However, when one of the guests is found murdered in his cabin and a copy of the Communist Manifesto is found among his papers, the local police immediately start shouting "Russian Spy!" and bring in the FBI. With Joseph McCarthy's Red Scare tactics preying on the fears of the nation, the last thing Haggerman's needs is to become known as a hotbed of Communism. It would literally be the kiss of death.

 

Since the obnoxious police chief is content with his diagnosis of the situation, Elizabeth knows that she has to follow her own instincts in order to save the resort from deadly rumors. She's convinced the victim was not a spy, and she does the only thing she can do-- set out to find the killer herself.

 

~

 

Author Vicki Delany has become a prolific cozy mystery writer. Under her own name and the pseudonym Eva Gates, she writes five cozy series. My favorites? I first learned about her from reading her excellent Canadian police procedural series featuring Constable Molly Smith. My favorite of her cozy series is her Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series. Now with Deadly Summer Nights, I think I'm going to be adding another favorite: this Catskill Summer Resort series.

 

The period detail is fantastic, and the name of the resort, Haggerman's, had me singing Kellerman's end-of-season song from Dirty Dancing. As readers follow Elizabeth Grady around, they learn a lot about the running of a summer resort. It ain't easy, especially when there are guests like Mrs. Brownville on site. 

 

Delany has created a well-defined, interesting cast of characters that you want to learn more about-- something that seems as easy to her as breathing, although I'm sure it's not. Elizabeth is a widow and content to remain that way for the time being. Her mother, Olivia, is a Hollywood/Broadway diva who can actually be useful from time to time. Her Aunt Tatiana is in charge of housekeeping, and her best friend Velvet McNally also works at the resort. Elizabeth's also made a friend in town. Lucinda, who works in the diner, is always in the know, so readers know she's going to be a good friend to have in future mysteries. Even Winston the bulldog has a part to play in the goings-on.

 

Between the setting, the mystery, and the characters, I was entertained throughout, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. Oh, by the way-- that last line of Deadly Summer Nights? I loved it! 

 

Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delaney

eISBN: 9780593334386

Berkley Prime Crime © 2021

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #1 Catskills Summer Resort mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood

First Line: The first time I met Lillian Pentecost, I nearly caved her skull in with a piece of lead pipe.

 

Little did circus runaway Willowjean "Will" Parker know that saving the life of Lillian Pentecost with her knife-throwing skills would change her life. She didn't realize that she was saving the life of New York City's finest and most unorthodox private investigator.

 

Pentecost's multiple sclerosis means that she's not able to keep up with her case load, and she wants to hire Will as her right-hand woman. In return, Will will receive a salary, room and board, and training in Pentecost's methods of investigation.

 

Three years later, the two are on the Abigail Collins case, the case of a rich woman who was bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball during a booze-laced Halloween party in her home. Rumors are flying that the woman was killed by the vengeful spirit of her husband, who committed suicide in the same chair in which Abigail's body was found. The police can't seem to find any answers, so the Collins family hires Pentecost. 

 

The case proves to be even trickier than Will expected. There's a spiritualist involved whom Pentecost has had her eye on for years, and then there's Becca Collins, the gorgeous daughter of Abigail whom Will finds herself falling for. Will the two investigators be able to navigate all the twists and turns in order to bring a killer to justice?

 

~

 

I feel as though Fortune Favors the Dead should win some sort of special award. You see, it's the first audiobook I've listened to that didn't put me to sleep in under thirty seconds. Granted, I wised up and had my knitting needles busy while I was listening, but I think the book would have kept me awake regardless. 

 

Stephen Spotswood has written an engaging story set in 1940s New York City that has a hint of noir, a dash of humor, and two unusual and mesmerizing characters in Willowjean "Will" Parker and her boss, Lillian Pentecost. It's not often that you read a mystery that involves a female circus runaway and a middle-aged woman with multiple sclerosis and a glass eye. Will is the book's voice, and that voice drew me right into the story with its sass and spark. She kept me listening as the story unfolded, and I didn't even particularly mind that the identity of the killer wasn't that difficult to deduce.

As a novice audiobook listener, it hasn't taken me long to learn that the narrator has a lot to do with a book's success. I found that the narrator of this book, Kirsten Potter, was perfect. Her Will was smart and sassy and her Lillian was calm and determined. She did a good job of creating different voices for all the characters even though I don't find that to be a necessity. (Just don't have a run-of-the-mill voice that drones.) In fact, I found Potter to be so good that Spotswood's series is one that I'll continue to follow in audiobook format. Now all I have to do is wait patiently for Pentecost and Parker to make another appearance. 

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood

Narrated by Kirsten Potter.

ASIN: B085J1TKR2

Random House Audio © 2020

Audiobook. 8 hours, 31 minutes.

 

Historical Mystery, #1 Pentecost & Parker mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Audible.