Sharp Force - Patricia Cornwell

I love this long running series from Patricia Cornwell. I was thrilled to see a new entry called Sharp Force.

It's Christmas Day but there’s no rest for chief medical examiner, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, and her team. There is another group and they’re working just as hard to push their own agenda. I don't know how Kay says nothing! Well, she's got a great voice in her brain.

I absolutely am amazed at how the crimes are solved with a body left to tell the tale.

The fire is stoked up when three people are attacked by a ghost. Which is not probable - is it?

I like how Cornwell moves the lives of her characters forward. I’ll be interested to see how Al is used in the next few books. This one caught me off guard so much more than I thought. 

Well written, addictive and just a great read! Watch for this! SCARPETTA soon to be a streaming series starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis.   

The Killer Question - Janice Hallett

The Killer Question is Janice Hallett's latest novel.

I always look at the covers and see what I might find out about the story waiting for me.

Have you ever gone to pub night and/or played quiz with your team? I have once or twice. It was actually great fun. But there are those who take things a little bit closer to their hearts - literally ....

Janice Hallett gives the reader an absolutely wonderful plot. There is no way a reader will before come up with the answer to whodunit !

Now's what I love - the book is written in clever epistolary! Through quiz categories, phone messages, email correspondence and more.

Janice Hallett is such a talented writer. I will eagerly await her next book!

The Sister's Curse - Nicola Solvinic - Blog Tour!

 

The cover of Nicola Salvinia's new novel, The Sister's Curse caught my eye. What is swirling in the water? And what about the curse? On sale today!!

The story: There’s something in the water in Bayern County…

Lieutenant Anna Koray thought she’d finally found solid ground and escaped her past as the daughter of a notorious serial killer. But when she rescues a boy from drowning—his body marked by strange symbols—she's pulled into an investigation unlike any she's ever seen. More bodies soon surface, all linked to the Kings of Warsaw Creek, the town’s wealthiest and most powerful men—and all bearing the same eerie signs.

As a string of ritualistic drownings rocks her small town, Lieutenant Anna Koray must unravel a case tangled in myth, murder, and long-buried vengeance—all while haunted by her own legacy as the daughter of a convicted serial killer.  Dark forces may be at work in Bayern County, and Anna must separate legend from truth before she becomes the next to vanish.

From the author of The Hunter’s Daughter—an acclaimed debut named “the best thriller” on the TODAY show and a Best of the Year pick by Amazon—comes a chilling supernatural mystery steeped in Slavic folklore. THE SISTER’S CURSE is an atmospheric blend of psychological suspense and slow-burn horror, perfect for fans of The Marsh King’s Daughter, Simone St. James, and A Flicker in the Dark.

Nicola Solvinic holds a master’s degree in criminology and has worked in and around the criminal justice system for over a decade. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and cats, surrounded by a secret garden full of beehives."

On my teetering list to read... 

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective - Jo Nichols

I started The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective after dinner one night. And stayed up way too late - I just couldn't put it down!

We meet the folks who live in the six cottages, including Mrs. B. She owns the cottages and has a relationship with each person.  Except for the dead body found on the grounds of the cottage. And what about that latest resident....

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective has the feel of a cozy mystery. And it is. We (the reader) are aware of their personalities, lives, thoughts, hopes, fears and more. Can you solve the case?

I love the epistolary bits used by Nichols. The group meets online. And the comments are quite funny. Quirky is the word for this book and characters. I quite enjoyed it all! Thanks so much Jo Nichols.

 

The Armchair Detectives - Matt Dunn

I find I am reading more and more 'cozies.' They are relaxing despite the bodies and baddies! How to pick one? For me it is usual the cover. I liked the bright red and the image had a cane and slippers of this one.

This is the first in a series - The Armchair Detectives by Matt Dunn. Where do you think the tale might be set? Retirement and care home? You're right!

Martin is our lead character and his sidekick is Albie. Martin is sure that there is crime afoot..... 

I liked Martin but as the book progressed, I grew tired of listening to him repeating for Albie. Martin's daughter was a bit wooden to me. I would like to have seen a woman in a larger role that Barbara was.

The crime was clever. It will be interesting to see where and what happens in the next entry.

This may be a trigger for some and a learning opportunity for others ... a medical condition is described. 

  

The Armchair Detectives - Matt Dunn ---- Blog Tour

New from Matt Dunn - The Armchair Detectives 

What's it about...?

"They might be over the hill but they’re far from six feet under and now there’s a murder to solve!

Meet Martin Maxwell. As a former government operative, at eighty-four-years young he always pictured a retirement sipping shaken-not-stirred martinis on a far-flung island. But in need of some care after a new hip, he finds himself at Twilight Lodge on the decidedly cloudy English coast.

From the outside, it’s a picture-perfect place to recuperate. But when popular resident Elsie dies unexpectedly, Martin suspects foul play. She’s the third death in less than two weeks and always had a clean bill of health. Armed with a walking stick and his trusty notebook and pen, Martin decides to investigate.

While nobody believes him – death is an inevitable part of care home life after all – Martin is convinced something sinister is afoot. With his wheelchair-bound sidekick and former nemesis Albie in tow, they begin questioning the residents. Soon they learn that there are several suspects in the frame.

When they discover Albie’s love interest Barbara is in the killer’s sights, Martin knows time is running out. Will Albie’s heart be broken forever, or can they battle the effects of old age and each other, outwitting a murderer before it’s too late?"

"An absolutely hilarious and heartwarming cozy mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood, Jesse Q. Sutanto and Only Murders in the Building."

"Matt Dunn is the author of numerous novels, including the bestselling The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook (which was shortlisted for both the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award and the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance), A Day at the Office, 13 Dates (shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Comedy of the Year), and At The Wedding (an Amazon Kindle #1 bestseller). He’s also written for various publications including The Times, Guardian, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Company, Elle, and The Sun. Previously, he’s worked as a professional lifeguard, fitness-equipment salesman, and most recently, an I.T. head-hunter (where his success in re-writing other people’s CVs made him think he might have a talent for fiction), but he prefers writing novels for a living."

 

                                                   See what other book lovers thought!

 

A Very Bookish Murder -- Dee MacDonald Tour!

A Very Bookish Murder is the third entry in Dee MacDonald's series

I like to have a cozy book when I've had a long day and just want to 'escape' with some amateur sleuths. Maybe I can solve the whodunit before the last page is turned? (I didn't!)

MacDonald has a lead character in Ally McKinley that is clever, curious and likeable. There are a number of supporting folks from the village. Queenie from the village makes me laugh. And Ross is lovely. I feel like I am catching up with old friends. Ally is offering her B&B group of writers attending a retreat. (I also want to own Ally's historical building.) All is good until.....I'm sure you know what happens next.....make a cuppa and enjoy.

Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of BOAC) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years. She has worked at the BOAC when they had the franchise.

Dee has since relocated to BOAC, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70! Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.