A Body in the Bookshop by Helen Cox

First Line: Evie Bowes took short, timid steps along the frosty pavement York council had not seen fit to grit.

It's almost Christmas in York, but the season of goodwill seems to have skipped a few people. When Detective Sergeant Charlotte Banks is suspended on suspicion of assaulting a burglary suspect, it's obvious to librarian Kitt Hartley and her friend Evie Bowes that she's being framed... but why? Charlotte's boss's hands are tied due to police procedure, so it's up to Kitt and Evie to solve the mystery.

The first book in this series, Murder by the Minister, I thought a good mystery was slightly hampered by too much romance. I wondered what was going to happen in the second book. In a move that surprised me a bit, A Body in the Bookshop focuses on Kitt Hartley's friend, Evie Bowes, a shy woman who has been deeply affected by the events in the first book.

Is there romance in this book? Yes, there is, but it centers on the damaged Evie. Her dealings with both physical and emotional scars as well as her budding romance are dealt with great sensitivity, and I found it more appealing than Kitt's love life in the earlier book.

A Body in the Bookshop is a somewhat puzzling title since there is no body in the bookshop, but the mystery is a good one that contains some excellent misdirection. I also appreciate the fact that I'm getting a good "feel" for the city of York by reading Cox's books. The real problem for me with this series is that I'm not warming up to the characters, so if you're a character-driven reader like I am, you might want to take this into consideration.

A Body in the Bookshop by Helen Cox

eISBN:  9781529402247

 Quercus © 2019

eBook, 300 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Kitt Hartley Yorkshire mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley


 

Murder by the Minster by Helen Cox

First Line: The corner of Kitt Hartley's mouth twitched.

It's just another ordinary day for librarian Kitt Hartley in the Women's Studies section of the University of the Vale of York Library. Well, it is until Detective Inspector Halloran arrives at her desk to tell her that her best friend, Evie Bowes, is the prime suspect in the murder of her former boyfriend.

Although all the evidence points to Evie, Kitt knows there's no way her friend could murder anyone. Since the police have got it all wrong, there's only one thing for Kitt to do: conduct her own investigation fueled by all the mystery novels she's read. How hard can it be?

Finding that her assistant Grace can be a lot of help-- and receiving help from some of the more eccentric library patrons whether she wants it or not-- Kitt discovers that there's a lot more going on in the quaint streets and snickelways of York than she's ever dreamed. Not only that, but she must be careful. The murderer has a list of intended victims... and Kitt is being watched.

Trilby-wearing Kitt Hartley is definitely a character to watch. She's got all her librarian scowls and stares down pat as well as a sharp tongue that she's not afraid to use. It's also good to see that Helen Cox has given her main character an excellent mystery to solve. Any time that I haven't put all the pieces together-- or at least some of them-- is a rare day, and I was certainly kept guessing as I read this book.

There was only one thing wrong with Murder by the Minster for me-- and it may be the one thing that makes this book perfect for some of you-- it went way overboard on the romance. Once Kitt has seen the handsome detective inspector, her thirty-five-year-old hormones go into hyperdrive, and when the attraction heats up a notch, I found myself skimming a page or two. But, as I said, this may make this book the perfect cup of tea for some of you.

Even though I turn up my nose at romance, the author has done such a good job with her setting and the story that I'm willing to read the next book in the series. Maybe Kitt will have her hormones in therapy...

Murder by the Minster by Helen Cox

eISBN: 9781529402223

Quercus Books © 2019

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Kitt Hartley Yorkshire mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

In the Midst of Life by Roger Silverwood

First Lines: It was 9 a.m. Nurse Derri Evans, aged twenty-five, loaded a hypodermic with one millilitre of equinol.

A dead woman has been found in Yorkshire on Detective Inspector Michael Angel's patch. There's not much to go on, and Angel's preferred detective sergeant is off on a training course. It's not until a woman comes to the station asking for the police to find her missing sister that some of the pieces of evidence begin to come together. 

With a new cadet and a rather lackadaisical stand-in detective sergeant, Angel has to solve a case that has its roots in a murder committed twenty years ago. It's not going to be easy, and time is running out. Angel has to work fast before the body count rises.

This first Inspector Angel book has promise. I really enjoyed the mystery. It kept me guessing until the end-- when I discovered that my deductions were all wrong. I've read a lot of crime fiction, so I always like it when an author pulls the wool over my eyes.

Inspector Angel is definitely the star of this show. He's as stubborn as they come, he likes to shout, and a lot of his humor contains dated references that zoom right over the heads of the sergeant and cadet who are working with him. Since I understood his humor, I found much of it to be genuinely funny.

But there are a few kinks that need to be ironed out. Angel is a strong character, but it's not always for the right reasons. I got tired of his shouting. He "pursed his lips" so much I began to fear that he would be forced to face the world with a permanent pucker. And I most certainly did not care for the way he treated the cadet working with him. Early on the cadet proved himself to be hard-working and self-motivated, and Angel did mentor him a bit, which was good to see, but Angel also treated the poor young man as a lackey-- making him go out frequently for groceries, to make restaurant reservations, get his lunches, and the like. Since the cadet is an Indian, and Angel refers to him as "Sabu," a case could be made for bigotry. At least he treats Detective Sergeant Crisp no better... and sometimes worse.

Halfway through the book, I suddenly thought to myself, "Where are all the females?"  Throughout In the Midst of Life, the only females making an appearance are victims, victims' relatives, witnesses, and suspects. Not a one was in police uniform. Rather strange for a police procedural set in 2002. 

Silverwood has written a strong mystery that I did enjoy, but the problems I had with Inspector Angel leaves me doubtful that I will be returning to read more of the series.
 

In the Midst of Life by Roger Silverwood

ASIN: B00T9JPSZK

Endeavour Press © 2015

eBook, 240 pages

Police Procedural, #1 D.I. Michael Angel mystery

Rating: C

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

The Mushroom Man by Stuart Pawson

First Line: Father Tudor Harcourt had a problem.

The worst kind of case on which Detective Inspector Charlie Priest can work?  Anything involving children, and that's just what's been dumped right in his lap. The eight-year-old daughter of local businessman Miles Dewhurst has gone missing, and it's as if she's vanished in a puff of smoke. Priest and his team fear the worst. Charlie's suspicions focus on Dewhurst himself, but until they uncover more evidence nothing can really be done except to continue to look for the little girl.

Not that Charlie has time on his hands to begin with, since local clergymen are dropping like flies. The most recent victim had a picture of a mushroom left beside his body, and the press quickly dubs the killer "The Mushroom Man." It seems like something more than coincidence ties the clergymen together, but until Priest and his team can get their first lead, they all feel as though they're merely spinning their wheels. Is it any wonder that Charlie wishes he had time to spend courting Annabelle, a luscious bishop's widow?

I've been spending some time this summer picking up where I left off with several mystery series that I've enjoyed in the past. After reading The Mushroom Man, the second book in Pawson's Charlie Priest series set in Yorkshire, I tried to remember how long it had been since I'd read the first, The Picasso Scam. Five years, that's how long. I can't believe it, especially since I clearly remember enjoying that first book so much. After falling under Charlie's spell every bit as deeply as I did the first time, I'm going to have to make sure another five years does not go by before I read the third. Stuart Pawson writes excellent mysteries!

The two separate investigations are both very strong. Many writers would have chosen to separate them into two books, but Pawson knows what he's doing. Oh boy, does he know. In some ways it almost feels as if he's teasing readers because clear clues are provided all along the way. All we have to do is see them for what they are. Both cases do not focus on the actual crimes, and I was grateful for that, especially in the case of the missing child. No, the focus in both is on the investigation itself and in showing how patient, dogged footwork-- and a tiny dash of intuition-- can bring a murderer to justice.

Charlie Priest himself is a marvelous character, and one of my favorites. He went to art school, wears artsy fartsy ties, and doesn't particularly care for high brow music. He has a great relationship with his team, partly because he's always out there working with them and partly because they know exactly what he expects from each and every one of them. With two such engrossing cases for readers to attempt to solve, his bumbling efforts to show Annabelle Wilberforce how much he is growing to care for her are a welcome-- and endearing-- respite.

How did I fare in deducing the killers? One out of two. I was laser-sharp at spotting the very first clue Pawson planted for the missing child, but I was a dismal failure in the second investigation. In fact, when I learned why the clergymen had been targeted, the answer was so blindingly obvious that I could have slapped myself upside the head. Having this much fun reading a mystery should be illegal. Since it's not-- and before anyone in authority changes that-- I'd better move on to the next Charlie Priest novel!

The Mushroom Man by Stuart Pawson

ISBN: 9780749083854

Allison and Busby © 2004

Mass Market Paperback, 408 pages

Police Procedural, #2 DI Charlie Priest mystery

Rating: A

Source: Paperback Swap 

Twisted Tracks by Lesley Horton

Title: Twisted Tracks
Author: Lesley Horton
ISBN: 9780752890609
Publisher: Orion Books, 2007
Paperback, 288 pages
Genre: Police Procedural, #5 Handford and Ali mystery
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Bookcloseouts.


First Line: If anyone had asked her, she could have explained why she wasn't afraid.

After several years on the job, John Handford and Khalid Ali have turned into two of the best investigators on the force. But nothing remains the same. Both men have been promoted, and the new Detective Chief Inspector Handford and Detective Inspector Ali are working on separate cases. Although Handford is more than happy with his new boss, he feels untethered because his wife has accepted a teaching position in the United States, and he very much misses having her loving and level-headed presence in his life. 

Handford is trying to find a young woman who's vanished without a trace, and Ali is tracking the killer of a 96-year old woman who was murdered in her own home. The two cases seem to have nothing in common, but the more the two men dig, the more the investigations seem to converge. Philandering husbands, insurance scams, an ex-con set on revenge... Horton's plotting is diabolical, and the only person who can deal with it is the multi-layered character of DCI John Handford.

It's not necessary to read the other books in this series before opening this book, but with such excellent plotting and characterization, I'd hate to see you deny yourself the pleasure of reading the entire series. It's one of my favorites.

Learn More from Amazon.

AA Leisure Guides: Yorkshire Dales

Title: AA Leisure Guides: Yorkshire Dales
Author: Mike Gerrard
ISBN: 9780749550233, AA Publishing, 2008
Genre: Travel
Rating: A

First Line: With a huge National Park at its core, the Yorkshire Dales is a region of exquisite beauty, and a surprising amount of variety.

A drive through the Yorkshire Dales on the way to Glasgow, Scotland, was one of the highlights of our last trip to the UK. The Dales are beautiful, and I'm planning to explore them more on our next trip, which is the reason why I bought this guide.

The first thing I noticed is that it's spiral-bound, and that makes it much more useful as a tool when you're traveling. The next thing I noticed was the beautiful photography, but in this day and age it would be rather silly to publish a travel guide with rubbish photos! It wasn't until I actually began reading it that I became fascinated.

This book is filled with villages to visit, walks to take, routes for bicycle tours and for driving in a car. Enough local history is given to whet your appetite, the market towns are listed as well as the days of the week the markets are open for business. And after all that walking and bicycling, all the best pubs are listed as well.


Besides the information about shops and pubs, I loved pouring over the maps of the walks that are available in each area. Distances, how many stiles you have to cross, slippery places where you need to be careful, car parks, approximate times that it will take to complete each walk...it's all there in a very readable style.

I have to admit that my copy is now littered with bright orange Post-It flags, and I'll be using this information when making plans for our next journey across the pond. If you're planning on traveling through the Yorkshire Dales, this book is an excellent resource.