Tag Archives: Women Sleuths

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

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A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

 

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Description:
Veronica’s natural-historian beau, Stoker, has been away in Bavaria for months and their relationship is at an impasse. But when Veronica shows up before him with his brother, Tiberius, Lord Templeton-Vane, he is lured back home by an intriguing job offer: preparing an iguanodon for a very special dinner party.
 
Tiberius has received a cryptic message—along with the obituaries of two recently deceased members of his old group of friends, the Seven Sinners—that he too should get his affairs in order. Realizing he is in grave danger but not knowing why, he plans a reunion party for the remaining Sinners at his family estate to lure the killer out while Veronica and Stoker investigate.
 
As the guests arrive and settle in, the evening’s events turn deadly. More clues come to light, leading Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius to uncover a shared past among the Sinners that has led to the fatal present. But the truth might be far more sinister than what they were prepared for.

 

 

 

Review:

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn is the 8th book in her Veronica Speedwell Mystery series.  I have not read this series, though it does read well as a standalone; but would have probably been better to have read some of the more previous books.

Veronica Speedwell, our heroine, is a very good amateur sleuth, in historian times.  In the last book, she and her lover, Stoker broke up, and she has been helping his brother, Tiberius on an assignment.  Now, Tiberius wants her help, and also Stoker’s; seems someone is sending threatening cryptic messages regarding a death from twenty years ago.   On that day, twenty years ago, Tiberious hosted friends at his family estate, they called themselves the Seven Sinners; and one member of their party died due to an accident. In present time, Tiberius decides to bring back members of their group to his estate for a reunion party; especially after reading the obituaries of two members of the Seven Sinners.  Tiberius knows someone is out to kill him, and together with Veronica, Stoker, and a younger brother, they welcome the group, with their wives.

What follows is a slow burn story, with Veronica and Stoker still at odds, but together they are determined to discover who in this group is behind the threats, at the same time keeping a protective eye on Tiberius.  Three of the Sinners arrive; Count Pietro Salviati & his wife, Beatrice; James Maciver & his wife Augusta, and Doctor Timothy Gresham & his sister, Elspeth.  The story picks up half way through, when it gets very exciting.  There are a few twists and surprises, with one death that throws things for a loop.  Veronica begins to find clues, and just when she suspects one person, everything changes, as she comes face to face with the real killer; and Veronica’s life is in danger.  Will she survive?

A Sinister Revenge was a very good mystery, though it was a bit slow early on.  I really liked Veronica and how brave she was, as well as her independence.   As noted, the last half of the book was very exciting, with some twists and surprises along the way. A Sinister Revenge was very well written by Deanna Raybourn.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Whiskers and Lies by Sofie Kelly – a Review

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Whiskers and Lies by Sofie Kelly – a Review

 

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Description:
Baker Georgia Tepper has been hired to provide delicious and spooky cupcakes for the Reading Buddies Halloween Party at the library, and she and Kathleen are meeting to finalize the menu of festive confections. Unfortunately, once Georgia’s former mother-in-law ambushes her at the library and threatens Georgia with legal action, the afternoon of fun is soured.

When Georgia’s litigious in-law is later found dead and the friendly baker is implicated, Kathleen is eager to help prove her innocence. Luckily, Kathleen and her intrepid magical cats, Hercules and Owen, have solved their fair share of mysteries. As a result, she knows that in life as well as crime solving, it is all relative, but with hard work, she can make sure the right criminal is booked.

 

Review:

Whisker and Lies by Sofie Kelly is the 14th book in her wonderful Magical Cats Mystery series.  Our heroine in this series is Kathleen Paulson, the librarian of Mayville Heights, as well as her adorable two cats, Hercules and Owen, who have some strange magical abilities like walking through a door, or just disappearing.  It’s fun to see Hercules and Owen find ways to give Kathleen little hints to help solve crimes. 

Kathleen’s friend, Georgia, is a baker, and helps with the Halloween party.  Georgia went on the run, when her husband died, and his parents wanted to take full control of her young daughter, Emmy. Years later, they find her and threaten to take her daughter away. When the mother-in-law is found dead off a cliff, Georgia becomes the suspect. Kathleen is determined to find the real killer and prove Georgia’s innocence. 

There are so many wonderful secondary characters, and Kathleen will talk to the local people in trying to find clues. I loved Hercules and Owen, who were so much fun.  I also loved Kathleen and Marcus (her detective boyfriend) together, as they made a great couple.    

Whisker and Lies is a lighthearted, fun and comforting mystery, that was so very well written by Sofie Kelly.  Again, Hercules and Owen were delightful, as they always managed to get Kathleen’s attention ‘pawing’ out the clues. The story was fast paced, and kept me glued to my kindle.  If you want a fast cute fun mystery, I wholly suggest you read this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry – a Review

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The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry – a Review

 

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Description:
As Kate Hamilton plans her upcoming wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, she is also assisting her colleague Ivor Tweedy with a project at the Netherfield Sanatorium, which is being converted into luxury townhouses. Kate and Ivor must appraise a fifteenth-century painting and verify that its provenance is the Dutch master Jan Van Eyck. But when retired criminal inspector Will Parker is found dead, Kate learns that the halls of the sanatorium housed much more than priceless art.

Kate is surprised to learn that Will had been the first boyfriend of her friend Vivian Bunn, who hasn’t seen him in fifty-eight years. At a seaside holiday camp over sixty years ago, Will, Vivian, and three other teens broke into an abandoned house where a doctor and his wife had died under bizarre circumstances two years earlier. Now, when a second member of the childhood gang dies unexpectedly—and then a third—it becomes clear that the teens had discovered more in the house than they had realized.

Had Will returned to warn his old love? When Kate makes a shocking connection between a sixty-year-old murder and the long-buried secrets of the sanatorium, she suddenly understands that time is running out for Vivian—and anyone connected to her.

 

 

Review:

The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry is the 4th book in her Kate Hamilton Mysteries series.  This is the first book I have read by this author, and I really enjoyed it very much. The cozy mystery read very well as a standalone, with details of the main characters giving us a wonderful background.  I plan to read more about Kate Hamilton and adding Connie Berry to my list of authors I want to read.

Kate Hamilton, our heroine, is a visiting American antiques dealer currently living in Suffolk in the small village of Long Barston. She is a widow with two grown up children, and is now engaged to Englishman DI Tom Mallory; they are still in the process of planning where they want to live. Kate is currently working with antiques dealer Ivor Tweedy, arranging an auction for valuable antiques belonging to the Netherfield Sanatorium, which is being converted to deluxe apartments.  One of the main items is a painting that is valued to be in the millions; with Kate and Ivor appraising the originality of the item.

Kate and two friends, out for the evening and taking a short cut home, come across a body of an elderly man, who is dead.  The dead man was identified to be Will Parker, and old friend of Vivian (one of Kate’s local friends), she has not seen this man in more than sixty years.  Kate will learn from Vivian about what happened all those years ago, when a group of them spent a week at Hopley’s Holiday camp, with five of them going to a local house belonging to the Beaufoy family, where the parents died suddenly, and they decided to be sleuths playing the game ‘clue’. After Ivor (with Kate’s help) hypnotizes Vivian to remember all she could back to the past, detailing that they put all their clues in a metal box. Now it appears someone in the present is wanting to find that box, and why was Will Parker trying to visit Vivian?

Kate works with Tom, trying to investigate what turns out to be Will’s murder; and as time goes on, the other 4 people seem to be targeted.  While Tom does his police investigation, Kate and Vivian travel to meet family members of the other possible targets; learning several of the former teen group have recently died.

What follows is an excellent mystery tying in the poisoned deaths of the Beaufoy parents years ago; what is in the missing box, and how the current painting was part of the past.   I really thought Kate was a fabulous heroine, and loved her relationship with Tom; hoping in the next book Kate and Tom do marry.  I also enjoyed many of the local secondary characters, as well as the wonderful village.  The Shadow of Memory was a cozy, fun and entertaining story line, with a number of surprising twists.  The Shadow of Memory was very well written by Connie Berry, and read very well as a standalone.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Totally Pawstruck by Sofie Ryan – a Review

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Totally Pawstruck by Sofie Ryan – a Review

 

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Description:
Although Sarah Grayson is often tending to the contained chaos of her delightful secondhand store in North Harbor, Maine, plus dealing with the quirky personality of her rescue cat, Elvis, she still takes an occasional night off. But her evening out comes to an abrupt end when Sarah discovers Stella Hall, a member of the library board, standing over a body in the street.

Although Stella admits that she and the victim had fought about several things including library funding, she is adamant that she is innocent and the real killer is on the loose. Sarah is eager to help, but even with the assistance of Charlotte’s Angels, the senior citizen detectives who rent out part of her shop, there is still a vast amount of circumstantial evidence linking Stella to the crime. The odds may be stacked against them, but Sarah and Elvis, along with the Angels, will work hard to check out the suspects and catch a killer.

 

 

Review:

Totally Pawstruck by Sofie Ryan is the 9th book in her fun, cute Second Chance Cat Mystery series.  Sarah Grayson, our heroine, runs a resale/repurpose store called Second Chance, and she has a smart adorable black cat named Elvis; who also helps Sarah solve mysteries.  Also, Sarah rents an office space in her store, to a detective agency called Charlotte’s Angels, which are a wonderful group of senior citizens (Rose, Liz, Charlotte and the one man, Mr. P).

Enjoying a night out, Sarah and her friend Jess, leave a restaurant and while walking home, they see a friend standing over a body. When they run to check on their friend Stella, who is in shock, Sarah bends down to check on the man; who turns out to be a member of the library board, who most people hate, including Stella.  The police question Stella, since the man died, and Sarah with her help from Charlotte’s Angels are determined to prove their friend’s innocence.

What follows is an exciting, fun, mystery whodunit, with wonderful recurring characters, which kept my attention from start to finish.  Though Elvis was a bit quieter in this book, the rest of the wonderful group were lots of fun to watch them separate the clues to find the killer.  There were a number of twists and surprises that kept changing the game, and Sarah will begin to narrow down the suspects; especially since the victim was evil. 

I do not want to give spoilers, so not to ruin it for you. I continually loved the friendly banter and relationship with Sarah, Elvis, and The Angels, as they were all smart and savvy, with no fear among them.  The romance between Sarah and Mac picks up more, as I really like them together; as well as the secondary characters not part of the Angels (Nick, Jess, Michelle, etc)  

Totally Pawstruck was a delightful, fun, mysterious and charming story, with a fantastic group of recurring characters, as well as our wonderful Elvis, all of whom have a wonderful bond together.  If you enjoy a lighthearted mystery, a smart cute cat, and wonderful heroine, then I suggest you read this series, so very well written by Sofie Ryan.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Doggone Deadly by Deborah Blake – a Review

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Doggone Deadly by Deborah Blake – a Review

 

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Description:
When the woman running the big regional dog show calls out sick, dog groomer Suz Holden is asked to take over. But it’s too much for her to handle by herself– considering the president of the kennel club, Olivia Weiner, criticizes her at every turn–so she calls in her best friend, Kari Stuart, for help.
A long, stressful day goes from bad to worse when a local breeder is found dead, and the murder weapon seems to incriminate Suz.

While Kari knows her friend isn’t guilty, the police aren’t so sure, especially after a second murder points to Suz again. But trying to run a dog show and investigate a murder at the same time is like herding cats, and Kari will have to rely on the rest of the Serenity Sanctuary staff to keep things running smoothly while she–and her beloved and clever kitten, Queenie–sniff out the truth.

 

 

 

Review:

Doggone Deadly by Deborah Blake is the 2nd book in her fun Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery series.  I loved the first book, as we were introduced to the heroine of this series, Kari Stuart, and her adorable black kitten, named Queenie (who quietly gives her tips to help solve the crime).

In Doggone Deadly, Kari is helping out her best friend, Suz, in setting up the annual local dog show; she also sets up her own booth for her animal shelter, to alert people about dogs and cats available for adoptions, as well as hoping for donations. 

During the first day, Suz and Kari overhear a few arguments, one person fighting with a breeder, a woman showing her dog is convinced a breeder stole her dog, and a protest is going on outside.  Suz also has to deal with the nasty president of the kennel club, as well as also showing her dog.  Later that day, the handler (breeder) was found murdered, and the police are suspecting Suz, since it was one of her scissors that was used by the killer.  The second day another victim is found murdered. Of course, Kari and Queenie will need to find the killer.

What follows is another cute cozy mystery, with wonderful secondary characters (Suz, Angus, Sara, Bree) and fun adorable dogs and cats. Kari was a great heroine, and I continue to adore Queenie.  Doggone Deadly was a light hearted and fun small-town mystery that kept you guessing till the very end. Deborah Blake did a wonderful job writing this story, and keeping our interest throughout. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Truth About Gretchen by Alretha Thomas – a Review

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The Truth About Gretchen by Alretha Thomas – a Review

 

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Description:
Gretchen Holloway, in her final year of graduate school, is in the throes of auditioning actors for her thesis film, inspired by a murdered young football star who has haunted her dreams for two years. Gretchen believes making the movie will be cathartic. But instead of freeing her, embarking upon the film production unleashes a sequence of events that lead Gretchen to conclude that she’s the reincarnation of the young man.

Regina Wilson has always wanted to be an actress. When her agent gets her an audition for a role in Gretchen’s film, which eerily mirrors one of the worst events of her life—the unsolved murder of her older brother, Robert—she’s hard-pressed to go through with it. Upon fleeing, she leaves behind a keepsake that features Robert’s photo. Gretchen sees the picture and recognizes Robert from her dreams. She tracks down Regina, and after being rebuffed and called crazy, Gretchen’s unexplainable knowledge of events in Robert’s life eventually convinces Regina that Gretchen is Robert reincarnated.

The two decide to have his case reopened, but their significant others are dead set against it, and the police, who believe that Robert’s death was gang-related, are less than cooperative. However, Gretchen is desperate to get justice for her former self, and Regina wants justice for her brother. The women piece together the final week of Robert’s life. And the deeper they delve into his past; one shocking revelation follows another, leaving them wondering who they can trust and if they’ll live long enough to find Robert’s killer and bring him to justice.

 

Review:

The Truth About Gretchen begins with Gretchen Holloway hosting auditions for a film she’s making in her last year of graduate school.  She has been haunted for two years by recurring dreams/nightmares of a young man being murdered.  She also has no idea who the guy is.  All she knows is that the need to make a movie based on these dreams is a need like no other.

Regina Wilson has struggled for twenty years with the unsolved murder of her brother.  She lands an audition for the movie Gretchen is making, but, is disturbed at how eerie the events are to her brother’s murder.  She makes her way to the auditions, only to breakdown at the thought of actually going through with the audition.  She leaves in a near panic and has no idea how an item she leaves behind will change her life and the lives of others.

The Truth About Gretchen is another well written story by Alretha Thomas.  Gretchen and Regina are both relatable from the beginning.  However, it’s Regina, at least for me, that pulls you in.  Her steadfast need to find out what really happened the night that her brother was murdered is emotional on one hand and endearing on the other.  Even though both Gretchen and Regina are doubted from the very  beginning of their quest for justice, they know that they won’t allow anyone, or anything,  get in their way.  The story is wrought with intrigue and  mystery, but it is the emotion that makes it a page turner, which is, in my humble opinion, what makes Thomas a standout author.  The secondary characters are well written as well, and you’ll find yourself hoping your inner circle is as supportive as these people are.  As always, I can’t wait for Thomas’ next book………….  Well done, Alretha Thomas!  Very well done!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy supplied for review

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