Tag Archives: Women’s Sleuths

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan- a Review

Posted on by
14

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan- a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub.

 

Description:
Mia Crawford is responsible to a fault. She has to be. Between her high-demand job and taking care of her grandmother and her cats, she has little time for anything else. What time she does have, she pours into reading. Mysteries, romances, thrillers…books filled with women who are far more impulsive than she would ever dream of being. Now, forced into taking a long-overdue vacation, she finds herself on a luxurious private island where she just might have a chance to reinvent herself—for a little while, anyway. She can explore the island. Flirt shamelessly with a cute bartender. Have a vacation fling. Live like a heroine in one of her favorite novels.

Or she can curl up with a good book on the beach. Turns out reinventing yourself is easier planned than done. But when gossipy notes written in the margins of an old book turn out to be clues to the disappearance of another guest, Mia finds herself diving headfirst into a dangerous adventure. With everyone at the resort hiding secrets of their own, she’ll have to solve this real-life mystery before she becomes the next target. 

 

 

 

Review:

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan is another one of her fantastic stories. We meet Mia Crawford, who is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to the exclusive St. Caire Island; since she has just been promoted to partner for her job as an accountant.  Mia is looking forward to relaxing, reading and maybe flirt.  Mia learns that someone at the resort has recently disappeared from the island; and since she bought a book in the gift shop, she discovers that someone wrote in the book, all kinds of clues that must have been done by the person who is still missing. Mia can’t resist playing detective, piecing the clues hidden in the pages.

Soon it is discovered that the missing women was found murdered, with Mia finding out that the victim was blackmailing other guests. The situation becomes dangerous, as a second murder shakes the island.

Mia does meet the island’s handsome and charming bartender, Jason Mallory. In a short time, they both find themselves attracted to each other.  Jason helps Mia work together as a partner in the crime solving mystery. The chemistry between Mia and Jason was sizzling, and I really liked them together.  I enjoyed how Mia befriended Brie, and Brie was determined to stop her father from remarrying an evil witch.  They made a great team, though at times it was tense. There was a group of wonderful characters, good and bad, who were either fun or dangerous.

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds was a wonderful mix of suspense, action, murder, romance and a gripping mystery.  The island environment, with the Caribbean tropical setting, beaches were very well done.  The ending was sort of a surprise, especially a major twist.  Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds was so very well written by Allison Brennan. This was a terrific mystery, and a wonderful romantic story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

Share

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin – a Review

Posted on by
14

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub

 

Description:
It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.
 
In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?
 
As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

 

 

Review:

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin is the 1st book in her new Castle Knoll Files series.  The story starts off in 1965 when 3 teenage friends visit a fortune teller at the Castle Knoll Country Fair, when Francis is given a bad prediction that she will be murdered.  Francis spent most of her life fixated on that message, always trying to avoid her death.  The story revolves around two POV’s 1965 with a teenage Frances and present time (60 years later), with the perspective of Annie, Frances’s great niece.  Frances is now making a will, and summons her niece, Annie, as well as other family/friends. Annie, who writes mystery stories, heads to Castle Knoll, to discuss changes to her aunt’s will, and meets Frances’ lawyer, Walter Gordon, his son, Oliver, and Saxton and his wife, Elva. Others working within the lands and mansion are also in attendance.   When they arrive at the mansion to meet with Francis to review the will, she is found dead. Was the prophecy true? Was she murdered?

During the reading of the actual will, everyone learns that both her and Saxton will have to compete to uncover the truth about her murder with the person who resolves it, receiving the entire estate.  If neither solves the crime, the house will be sold and broken down. Detective Crane notifies everyone that further examination proves that Francis was indeed murdered.

Annie is determined to find the killer and with an old diary belonging to Frances, she learns more about the past.  Francis, Rose and Emily were best friends back in the 60’s. The past POV has a lot of information about their friendship, and the mysterious disappearance of Emily. The diary gives Annie an immediate connection the past, and how it effects the present.  We switch seamlessly between Annie’s perspective in the present and Frances’ diary entries from the past, creating intrigue and suspense.  Someone in the past knows the secrets, which will put Annie possibly threaten by a dangerous killer.

What follows is a captivating and intriguing small-town mystery, with a number of suspects, including the one who disappeared 60 years ago. I really liked most of the characters, with Annie being the lead.  To say too much more, will ruin it for you. You need to read this book from start to finish.

How to Solve Your Own Murder turns into a wild gripping ride that will have you unable to put the book down. The plot was extremely well done, with a number of surprising twists.  This was a very exciting masterpiece of a thriller.  How to Solve Your Own Murder was very well written by Kristen Perrin.  

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

Share

A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild – a Review

Posted on by
14

A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
Ex-police officer and former P.I. Molly Madison is starting over. After the death of her husband, she and her golden retriever, Harlow, move cross-country to California. But as charming and peaceful as the beachside town seems, she soon learns its tranquil tides hold dark secrets.

On her first day in the new house, a large, slobbering Saint Berdoodle wanders in. Molly winds up taking on the responsibility of training Noodle since his owner is too busy to do the job. On one of their daily beachside walks, Noodle digs up a severed hand. Once Molly alerts the police and they run a background check on her, she’s an immediate suspect–after all, Noodle’s testimony to clear her name won’t hold much water in court.

To prove her innocence, Molly must rely on instincts keener than a canine’s to sniff out the real killer. But when Molly’s life is put in danger, will her two very loyal pups be able to rescue her?

 

 

Review:

A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild is a stand-alone mystery novel.  Molly Madison (our heroine) has just moved with her golden retriever, Harlow to a small beachside town, Pier Point, California. Molly is a former police officer and P.I., and after the death of her husband, she plans to start over, becoming a dog wrangler.  Turns out, Molly is very good training dogs, and as she meets her friendly neighbors, and she gets off to a great start.

However, on the first day she moved in, a big slobbering Saint Berdoodle, stands outside her door, wanting to come in. Molly meets one of her neighbors, who explains that Noodle (the dog) is always walking into people’s houses, as he is an escape artist, when his owner (emergency room doctor) is away working long hours at the hospital. Molly, of course, takes it upon herself to train Noodle, after getting permission from the doctor.

Molly takes Harlow and Noodle on their daily walk on the beach, and Noodle finds a severed hand; she calls the police.  She meets two detectives, who question her, one being nice and cute, and the other a mean and nasty. In a short time, it will be discovered that Molly was a suspect in the death of her husband, who had been murdered; but the real murderer was found, exonerating her; the bad detective kept pushing that she might be responsible for all the bad things happening in town.  Molly doesn’t want to get involved, but her police training makes her look into finding clues.

While the mystery remains, it was nice to see Molly become friendly with some of her neighbors, helping train their dogs, and teach a young girl. I thought that was a fun part of the story, especially with so many dog tips along the way.  Most of all I loved both Noodle and Harlow.

What follows is an exciting, fun cozy mystery in a town filled with secrets that will put Molly’s life in danger.  I did like some of the secondary characters, especially the good cop, and some other neighbors.  Harlow and Noodle were so great with Molly, and it was fun to see other dogs benefiting from her expertise. A Deadly Bone to Pick was an excellent story that was very well written by Peggy Rothschild.  The last half of the book was tense and exciting. If you like mystery suspense stories, you should read A Deadly Bone to Pick.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Share