A Holiday Reading Round-Up

Denis and I tried to do the laundry yesterday, but the washing machine decided to stop working. No available repair time until Christmas Eve, so the laundry will continue to pile up.

 

Speaking of things piling up, I've read quite a few books that I haven't shared with you. Shame on me! Let me haul out my book journal, find the right page, and start telling you about a few of them. I'm just going to give you my thoughts on each one instead of a full-blown review. If you'd like to find out more about one of the books, just click on the link to Amazon US in its title.

The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland

320 pages

Rating: A

My Thoughts: Adrian Hyland is one of my favorite authors, and this second appearance by Jesse Redpath makes me wish all over again that this talented Australian would write faster, faster, faster. 

Redpath is in new territory and discovers a murder disguised to look as an accident. She also is determined to help Nash Rankin, a former police officer.

I always enjoy Hyland's mysteries and characters, but even more, I love the way he uses landscape and wildlife to make Australia come alive for me. (Did you know Australians call eucalyptus trees "widow makers"? Neither did I!)

Sheer Window by Diane Vallere

93 pages

Rating: A

 

My Thoughts: This short story is perfect when you're in the mood for something light, fun, and holiday-themed.  

Poly Monroe, owner of the Material Girl fabric shop, has severely sprained her ankle and has to stay off it. This is bad timing since she's hosting Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends. 

As dinner preparations commence, Poly (dressed as Grace Kelly in Rear Window) finds herself stationed at her window, convinced she's watching a crime being committed. 

This Thanksgiving tribute to one of my favorite Hitchcock films really hit the spot!

Playing Dead by Peggy Rothschild

299 pages

Rating: A

 

My Thoughts: I found myself in need of cozy comfort reading, and I was very fortunate in my choices of books. In just two books, author Peggy Rothschild has made me a fan of her Molly Madison series.

 

Molly, a former police officer and private investigator transplanted to the California coast, has the knack for taking in dogs and helping the police solve crimes. I really appreciate Molly's background because it means she's not the typical blundering cozy mystery heroine who doesn't have a clue. I also really appreciate that the dogs in this series aren't just a hook to get you to read the books and then you never see them again unless they need to be fed or walked.

 

Playing Dead has Molly continuing Harlow's agility training and Noodle's scent work. She also provides daycare for a French bulldog and takes in a boxer in hopes of finding it a good home.  If you love good mysteries, strong characters, and plenty of dogs, this is the series for you. 

Dagger of Death at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison

320 pages

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: This is one of my favorite cozy series because I like the main character, and I love how Dennison weaves threads of antiques, history, and life in a crumbling country house into her mysteries.

This tenth book in the series has a new sixtysomething vicar in town that all the older women are salivating over, as well missing military memorabilia, and Kat's relationship muddles. Either I'm mellowing in my twilight years or Kat's mother is because instead of irritating the stuffing out of me, she actually made me laugh a time or two.

This series has something for almost everyone: a fun cast, an excellent setting, plenty of humor, and learning opportunities for bits of history and antiques.

The Glass Bottom Hoax by Diane Vallere

240 pages

Rating: A

My Thoughts: In this twelfth installment, Madison and Tex go undercover on a cruise ship as a Doris Day impersonator and her manager husband in order to find thieving employees. However, things go haywire quickly when their only contact aboard ship is murdered.

This is another light, fun outing for one of my favorite characters. I sympathized with Madison because she wanted to redecorate the ship so badly, and I found myself being every bit as lost as she as she tried to find her way around the ship.

[You should have seen my face when I opened the book and found not only a Kittling Books blurb, but that the book was dedicated to me. Boy howdy...]

The Hotel Detective by Alan Russell

329 pages

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: I'd previously read two or three book in Russell's Michael Gideon series featuring Gideon and his canine partner, Sirius. I stopped reading because I got tired of Gideon consistently ignoring Sirius when his dog was trying to warn him of danger. I'm happy to say that I was much happier with The Hotel Detective.

Assistant Manager Am Caulfield is "given other duties as assigned" when the Hotel California's security director abruptly leaves. He is quickly overwhelmed when a murder mystery weekend and a Bob Johnson convention descend on the hotel at the same time. 

This is a light, fun mystery that gave me plenty of laughs and smiles. The Hotel Detective is definitely geared towards people who have dealt with the public during their working lives (which I did for over forty years), which means that things I found spot-on and funny might not seem so to you if you've never been on the other side of the counter. 

I'm going to stop at six. I don't want to tucker you out, and I've been sitting here at the computer long enough. Besides... I have a book I have to get back to! 

Here's something from my virtual closet before I go...

Happy Reading!

A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild

 

First Line: "Please be careful with that."

 

After the death of her husband, ex-police officer and former P.I. Molly Madison and her golden retriever, Harlow, move cross-country from Massachusetts to California to start over. 

 

On her first day in her new house as the movers are bringing in the furniture, a very large, slobbery Saint Berdoodle wanders in. Molly winds up taking on the responsibility of training Noodle for his busy owner. During one of their beach walks, Noodle digs up a severed hand. 

 

When Molly alerts the local police, they run a background check on her, and a past incident they find makes her the prime suspect for one of the investigating homicide detectives. Now it's up to her to clear her name.

~

When I read the synopsis of A Deadly Bone to Pick, I was intrigued by the main character's background as an ex-police officer and former private investigator. Being a lover of canines, Molly's current calling as a dog wrangler was icing on the cake. I was ready to see how well the crime solving blended with the dog walking.

As it turns out, very well indeed.

 

After the fracas surrounding her husband's death, Molly has shut herself off from almost everyone, only letting in her mother and a trusted friend. Her friend worries about her and keeps telling her to get out and meet people. Molly's not so sure, but she soon finds that walking two large dogs down to the beach every day is a guaranteed way to make new acquaintances. 

 

After learning that Molly has a collection of signed first editions of Sue Grafton's mysteries AND that one of her first stops in her new hometown was the used bookstore, I wanted to go knock on her door and introduce myself. (And pet her golden retriever, Harlow, but I digress.) Whether she wants to be or not, Molly is a magnet for both people and dogs. In no time flat, she's made friends with eight-year-old Ava and is helping her train her puppy, Butterscotch. The precocious Ava actually sets her up as the local dog wrangler, and her "collection" of canines begins to grow.

 

One of the things I liked the most in A Deadly Bone to Pick was the fact that the dogs aren't just a prop to draw people to read the book; they are an important part not only of the book but of Molly's life. Harlow goes through agility training. After watching him, Molly thinks Noodle would benefit from scent training, and she also takes on the training of a deaf puppy. Whenever she's questioned by the police, she sees to the needs of the dogs first.

The mystery also kept me guessing, although when whodunit was revealed, I mentally slapped myself upside the head. I guess I was enjoying being around those dogs so much that I forgot to pay attention to the clues Rothschild planted all along the way.

If you love crime fiction and animals and are looking for a mystery where the animals do more than demand to be fed or let outside, A Deadly Bone to Pick is the book for you. With an engaging main character ("Why didn't you like me?"..."You weren't nice to your dog."), an intriguing mystery, and plenty of canine involvement, I find myself looking forward to the next book in the series with a great deal of anticipation.

A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild

eISBN: 9780593437094

Berkley Prime Crime © 2022

eBook, 304 pages

 

Amateur Sleuth, #1 Molly Madison mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

February 2023 New Mystery Releases!

 

It's been a rainy January here in the Sonoran Desert, which is a wonderful thing-- although Californians might disagree with me. I hope Mother Nature continues to give this desert I love gentle, soaking rains. Who knows? We may even have a super bloom of wildflowers this year, which is so gorgeous it has to be seen to be believed.

Of course, I'm well-known for multi-tasking. I'm able to stretch out on the daybed to read and watch it rain as well as keep my eyes peeled for the best new crime fiction being released throughout the month of February.

The following list contains my picks for the new mysteries you need to read. I've grouped them by their release dates, and I obtained their covers and synopses from my favorite showroom, Amazon.

Let's see if any of my choices are on your own lists...

=== February 1 ===

Title: Invitation to a Killer

Author: G.M. Malliet

Series: #2 in the crime writer Augusta Hawke series set in the Washington, D.C. area.

240 pages

Synopsis: "Callie Moore is no ordinary aspiring writer. Notorious wife of a Washington lobbyist, Callie believes no publicity is bad publicity and that publishing her scandalous memoirs will help her achieve her heart's desire: a diplomatic posting. She just needs crime novelist Augusta Hawke to be her ghostwriter.

It's hard to say no to Callie, but Augusta does agree to attend her dinner party. The guest list is impressive, and it's Augusta's chance to meet celebrity doctor Doc Burke. But before Augusta really gets a chance to chat with the famous humanitarian, the evening ends in his untimely death.

Signs point to a heart attack, but Augusta isn't convinced. Especially when his niece tells Augusta about the mystery woman who claimed the doctor's remains.

Augusta decides to host a writers' retreat and invite all the suspects, most of whom are connected in some way with writing. Isn't that what Agatha Christie would do? But the remote lodge soon becomes snowed in and the group starts to crack when it becomes clear the killer may not be finished killing. Can Augusta flush out the culprit before anyone else gets hurt?"

=== February 7 ===

Title: Wined and Died in New Orleans

Author: Ellen Byron

Series: #2 in the Vintage Cookbook cozy series set in New Orleans, Louisiana.

288 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "It’s hurricane season in New Orleans and vintage cookbook fan Ricki James-Diaz is trying to shelve her weather-related fears and focus on her business, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, housed in the magnificent Bon Vee Culinary House Museum.
 
Repairs on the property unearth crates of very old, very valuable French wine, buried by the home’s builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet. Ricki, who’s been struggling to attract more customers to Miss Vee’s, is thrilled when her post about the discovery of this long-buried treasure goes viral. She’s less thrilled when the post brings distant Charbonnet family members out of the woodwork, all clamoring for a cut of the wine’s sale.
 
When a dead body turns up in Bon Vee’s cheery fall decorations, the NOPD zeroes in on Eugenia Charbonnet Felice as the prime suspect, figuring that as head of the Charbonnet family, she has the most to gain. Ricki is determined to uncover the real culprit, but she can’t help noticing that Eugenia is acting strangely. Ricki wonders what kind of secret her mentor has bottled up, and fears what might happen if she uncorks it.
 
In the second Vintage Cookbook Mystery, Ricki has to help solve a murder, untangle family secrets, and grow her business, all while living under the threat of a hurricane that could wipe out everything from her home to Bon Vee."

 

 

Title: Last Seen in Lapaz

Author: Kwei Quartey

Series: #3 in the Emma Djan private investigator series set in Ghana.

360 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "Just as things at work are slowing down for PI Emma Djan, an old friend of her boss’s asks for help locating his missing daughter. According to her father, Ngozi had a bright future ahead of her when she became secretive and withdrawn. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was be with her handsome new beau, Femi, instead of attending law school in the fall. So when she disappears from her parents’ house in Nigeria the middle of a summer night, they immediately suspect Femi was behind it and have reason to believe the pair has fled to Accra.

During Emma’s first week on the case, Femi is found murdered at his opulent residence in Accra. There are no signs of Ngozi at the scene, and fearing the worst, Emma digs further, discovering that Femi was part of a network of sex traffickers across West Africa.

Emma must figure out which of Femi’s many enemies killed him, but more urgently, she must find Ngozi before she, too, is murdered in cold blood."

 

 

Title: Sentenced to Death

Author: Betty Hechtman

Series: #3 in the Writer for Hire cozy series set in Illinois.

224 pages

 

Synopsis: "When writer for hire Veronica Blackstone is asked to write the copy for The Friends of Hyde Park's annual house and garden tour, she never expects to get involved in a violent death. But that's exactly what happens when famous author Landon Donte is found dead in his study during a dinner to highlight the tour.

With his career on the wane, and apparently having deleted his last manuscript, it looks as though Landon committed suicide. But Veronica isn't so sure. She discovers that left-handed Landon was killed by someone right-handed and becomes convinced someone murdered him.

It's true that Landon had many enemies: his rival and neighbor, bestselling romance author RL Lincoln; his put-upon assistant, Brad; even his own daughter! But are any of them capable of murder? Veronica is determined to uncover the truth."

 

 

Title: A Killing of Innocents

Author: Deborah Crombie

Series: #19 in the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James police procedurals set in England.

368 pages

 

Synopsis: "On a rainy November evening, trainee doctor Sasha Johnson hurries through the evening crowd in London's historic Russell Square. Out of the darkness, someone jostles her as they brush past. A moment later, Sasha stumbles, then collapses. When Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his sergeant, Doug Cullen, are called to the scene, they discover that she's been stabbed. 

Kincaid immediately calls in his detective wife, Gemma James, who has recently been assigned to a task force on knife crimes which are on the rise. Along with her partner, detective sergeant Melody Talbot, Gemma aids the investigation. But Sasha Johnson doesn’t fit the profile of the task force’s typical knife crime victim. Single, successful, career-driven, she has no history of abusive relationships or any connection to gangs. Sasha had her secrets, though, and some of them lead the detectives uncomfortably close to home.

As the team unravels the victim's tangled connections, another murder raises the stakes. Kincaid, Gemma, and their colleagues must put even friendships on the line to find the killer stalking the dark streets of Bloomsbury."

 

 

Title: Playing Dead

Author: Peggy Rothschild

Series: #2 in the former PI Molly Madison cozy series set in California.

304 pages

 

Synopsis: "Molly Madison has barely had a moment to catch her breath after moving to the sleepy beach town she now calls home. But as a former PI, she can’t help but notice the odd chemistry between members of Playtime Academy on the first day she and her loyal Saint Bernadoodle, Noodle, and golden retriever, Harlow, visit. When a trainer’s body is found on-site, Molly knows it’s her duty to put her ex-police skills to use. She can’t say no to temporarily taking in the deceased woman’s dog, either—not with those puppy dog eyes.

Relationships at the training facility are not as clean as the prize-winning agility runs, making it difficult for Molly to get a leash on potential suspects. And her personal life is just as messy—her boyfriend is hiding something, her agoraphobic neighbor needs help, and her number of four-legged friends keep growing as she agrees to dogsit a wriggly local French bulldog.
 
When Molly’s friend is arrested for the murder, she’s not sure who to believe anymore. Is the case as simple as the local cops make it seem, or is something more devious afoot?" 

=== February 14 ===

 

 

Title: The Cliff's Edge

Author: Charles Todd

Series: #13 in the Bess Crawford historical mystery series set in post-World War I England.

320 pages

 

Synopsis: "Restless and uncertain of her future in the wake of World War I, former battlefield nurse Bess Crawford agrees to travel to Yorkshire to help a friend of her cousin Melinda through surgery. But circumstances change suddenly when news of a terrible accident reaches them. Bess agrees to go to isolated Scarfdale and the Neville family, where one man has been killed and another gravely injured. The police are asking questions, and Bess is quickly drawn into the fray as two once close families take sides, even as they are forced to remain in the same house until the inquest is completed.

 

When another tragedy strikes, the police are ready to make an arrest. Bess struggles to keep order as tensions rise and shots are fired. What dark truth is behind these deaths? And what about the tale of an older murder—one that doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the Nevilles? Bess is unaware that when she passes the story on to Cousin Melinda, she will set in motion a revelation with the potential to change the lives of those she loves most—her parents, and her dearest friend, Simon Brandon…" 

=== February 21 ===

Title: Irish Knit Murder

Author: Peggy Ehrhart

Series: #8 in the Knit & Nibble cozy series set in New Jersey.

304 pages

 

Synopsis: "The Listers have been part of Arborville society for generations—though seventy-something Isobel Lister doesn’t fit the role of upper-crust heiress. She’s always been a colorful character, and her fun-loving spirit is on display at the senior center celebration as she performs some beloved Irish songs. But just minutes later, her body is found backstage.

It’s hard to imagine who’d target such a harmless eccentric, but Pamela finds herself suspecting everyone. There’s the Wiccan who thought St. Patrick wasn’t so saintly; the woman upset about cultural appropriation who feels the commercialization of shamrocks is a sham; the two men Isobel was seeing, who could have been green with jealousy—and old friends and family who may have feared Isobel would spill their secrets. But Pamela’s on the case, and that means for the killer, the jig will soon be up . . ."

 

 

Title: Sea Castle

Author: Andrew Mayne

Series: #4 in the Underwater Investigation Unit series set in Florida.

315 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "When a young woman washes ashore on a Fort Lauderdale beach, Sloan McPherson of the Underwater Investigation Unit is called in to consult. Sloan’s instinct says murder, but even then, there are too many questions.

For answers she reaches out to Gwen Wylder. The Miami homicide detective is notorious for being manipulative, bitter, a tyrant to her peers, and wicked smart. And she demands something in return from Sloan: fresh insight into seemingly unrelated cold-case murders and disappearances―and a possible serial killer trolling the Florida coast.

As loose ends of the old files begin to come together, another woman disappears. Sloan and Gwen are certain she’s the newest link in a deadly chain. They are determined to track her down before she dies, but they soon find themselves in uncharted waters. And the deeper Sloan and Gwen go, the stranger the case gets." 

 

 

February is another one of the months that I love where there's something for everyone. If there's one book on my list that I'm the most excited about, it's Deborah Crombie's A Killing of Innocents. It's been much too long since there's been a new Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James mystery!

 

What about you? Are any of these books on your own lists? Which ones? You know that inquiring minds would love to know!