Bleeding Hearts

Finished August 5

Bleeding Hearts by Susan Wittig Albert

This is the fourteenth book in the China Bayles mystery series set in Pecan Springs, Texas. China runs and herbal shop and café with a friend and they've recently added a new partner and expanded into catering. The book includes herbal information and lore and recipes. 

Here China is approached by the local high school principal to discreetly look into the past of the high school football coach. The principal recently received an anonymous call that the coach has been involved with female high school students before. Her legal advisor downplayed it, but she's worried enough to want it looked into. China's mom lives near the town the coach worked in previously and goes to visit the mother of the girl he was supposedly involved with. She discovers that the accusations were dismissed by the school, police, and church there, and the mother was frustrated with the situation, but had let it go until recently, when her daughter, now in college, was found dead in a hotel room.

The death was deemed a suicide, but as China looks into things further, she has more and more questions and concerns. 

On the home front, her partner McQuaid has taken a case in New Mexico, where his ex lives, her stepson Brian has something with a friend that he's worried about, and China's mom has been contacted by her late husband's late secretary's son about some letters he found in his mother's belongings. She's asked China to deal with it and let her know if there is anything she needs to know.

There is a unique cultural part of this novel about the way US football is treated. High school coaches are paid very well, often higher than any other school employee, not always required to teach any classes, and treated as heroes and celebrities when the teams are doing well. This gives a coach a layer of untouchability when rumours arise, and this is definitely in play here.

We also see a lot of China's professional life, with her business partners who are also friends. She's concerned about things in their lives, and about the employees they share. There is a real sense of the community nature of a small town, the politics and social structure, and the activities that have people's lives overlap in unexpected ways. 

The Shattered Tree

Finished July 5

The Shattered Tree by Charles Todd

This is the eighth book in the Bess Crawford series. Bess is a nursing sister stationed near the front in World War I. As the book opens it is October 1918 and a badly injured man in a tattered French uniform is found in the woods near the front lines. He is brought into Bess's unit, and treated there. When another soldier suddenly attacks him, Bess noted that the French soldier spoke in German as he was attacked. She mentioned this to Matron, but is about to go on leave. 

When Bess returns a couple weeks later, the man has been sent to a hospital further from the lines and she finds out his name, Philippe Moreau. But then Bess herself is injured by a sniper and finds herself at a convalescent hospital in Paris where she is the only female patient. She is still bothered by the discrepancies she noticed about Moreau and tries to learn more about him as she recovers her strength. Even with the help of an American officer that her well-connected father has keeping an eye on her, and the information she gathers from a French nun working as a nurse, she has difficulty learning more about this man, but has seen him in Paris. As she perseveres her investigation, she puts herself and others in danger, but remains led by her intuition that something isn't right about the situation. 

This had an interesting plot and I like this series and main character. Bess is from an upper class family, but isn't afraid of hard work. She is careful who she trusts with what she knows and is very observant.

A Legacy of Murder

Finished June 23

A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry

This is the second book in the Kate Hamilton mystery series, set around American antiques dealer Kate as she visits the United Kingdom. Here, she is visiting her daughter Christine. Christine is starting an internship at the estate of Finchley Hall in Long Barston, where she will be organizing the archives. Kate will also be visiting with Tom Mallory, a policeman she met on her recent visit to Scotland.

Kate begins her visit with a tour of the estate, but the tour begins late, and ends abruptly when one of the tour attendees, a young boy, discovers a body in the lake. The body is one of the other interns and Kate's observant nature and curious mind have her giving tips to Tom, who is in charge of the investigation, and digging deeper herself. 

She gets to know local antique dealer Ivor Tweedy, who proves very helpful, and becomes friendly with the owner of the estate, Lady Barbara. There is an odd collection of items known as the Finchley Hoard, that was buried to protect them from theft and then rediscovered more than a century later. This collection will be on display for the first time during an upcoming ticketed event at the estate. Lady Barbara's butler Mugg is worried about the possibility of theft and security for the event is ramped up due to the recent death. 

There has also been mention of a 'strange foreign gentleman' hanging about nearby and rumours link him to Lady Barbara's missing son. Christine, Kate's daughter, is also having relationship issues, something common for her, but these issues bleed into other happenings at the estate and bring Christine under suspicion in the investigation. Kate is now motivated more strongly to get to the bottom of things.

I like this series, finding the antique aspect interesting and I like Kate's character for the most part. She is relatable and interesting. 

Death on Beguiling Way

Finished June 19

Death on Beguiling Way by Patricia McLinn

This is the third book in the Secret Sleuth series. Sheila Mackey has started a new life in small town Haines Tavern, Kentucky. She and her new friend Clara go to yoga twice a week. One evening, their usual instructor is away with a more energetic substitute leading the class. When they go to class the following morning they find their instructor from the previous evening was killed just outside the studio and the police are on the scene. 

While the police talk about the murder being random, Sheila and Clara are sure it wasn't and begin to investigate. As usual, their dogs Gracie and Lulu are helpful in engaging with others and in providing a reason to be places. 

Sheila also has new friend Teague reconfiguring the bedroom closets in her house, bringing along his dog Murphy when he works there. Teague, an ex-cop and now teacher and handyman is discouraging of the amateur detective work, but seems to have inside knowledge of his own. 

I enjoyed this plot, with themes of financial fraud, family disfunction, and women trying to restart their lives. A light, engaging read. 

Losing Your Head

Finished February 21

Losing Your Head by Clare Kauter

This humorous mystery was a great read. It is the first book in the Charlie Davies series, which is set in a small town in New South Wales, Australia. Charlie, nineteen, has been working as a cashier in a run-down grocery store in town, living at home with her mom, and hoping to save up for a better car. Her boss at the store is a creep and always makes her do extra work. When he asks her to lie for him and she does, albeit sarcastically, his wife threatens him with divorce. Charlie decides enough is enough and quits. 

Charlie goes to explain to the wife that she wasn't serious, and ends up inviting her back to her place to stay. 

With a new housemate and no job, Charlie goes looking, and finds herself in the right place at the right time to get hired as a receptionist for Baxter & Co., a security and investigation company. When she encounters her high school enemy James McKenzie, a man estranged from his family and who has lived with his uncle for years, the conversation turns to the recent murder of said uncle. Charlie bets James that she can find the real killer in exchange for a few thousand dollars and a house, he jokingly agrees, but she's serious. 

As she investigates, using tools at her new job, and enlisting the help of her new housemate, she finds herself in some interesting situations. 

Charlie is delightful. She's a tad klutzy, and known for sabotaging herself, but she has a great wit, isn't afraid to talk back, and is impulsive. She's also a hard worker, and isn't afraid to try new things, which serves her well. 

The mystery was interesting, and I liked the vibes of future romance between her and James. 

Death on Torrid Ave

Finished November 12

Death on Torrid Ave. by Patricia McLinn

This is the second book in the Secret Sleuth series and the first with the main character Sheila Mackey in her new home in north west Kentucky. She has adopted a rescue dog, collie Gracie, who is about a year old, and Sheila is intent on being a good dog owner. She goes regularly to a dog park near here, one that has four different areas all accessed by gates from a central area. Two are intended for small dogs and two for larger dogs. There are a lot of people who use the park, and among them are two men who have a longstanding disagreement regarding proper dog training, Bob Coble and Dwight Yagos. They argue a lot and both have a group of followers. There are also many people that try to avoid those two factions. 

Sheila has made a friend, Clara, who has a dog Lulu that Gracie loves to play with. She is also working on repairs and changes to her older house. She's looking for a contractor now to add shelving in a couple of rooms, but has been disappointed in the lack of professionalism in the ones that she's contacted, who either come late to appointments or don't show up at all. 

To avoid being outed as the famous author she previously pretended she was, she has come up with a backstory of being an English teacher in upstate New York who has received a small inheritance allowing her to retire. 

When the two women befriend another new arrival in town Teague O'Donnell and his dog Murphy. He's a substitute teacher and a tutor. Sheila worries about whether him also being a teacher might jeopardize her cover story, and he does ask a lot of questions. But when he turns out to be handy, she hires him to do the shelving project in her home. 

Soon, though, there are more things to worry about, when one of the regulars at the dog park turns up dead in the park without their dog. With Sheila and Clara making the discovery, the local law enforcement seems to focus on Sheila as a newcomer. She and Clara decide to do a little investigating on their own. 

I liked the characters, including the details that gradually came out as the story unfolded. I liked the dogs and how the different breeds and individual dogs had their own quirks. The plot worked well, and didn't feel contrived. I like this series.

Death on the Diversion

Finished October 8

Death on the Diversion by Patricia McLinn

I was introduced to the main character in this series, Sheila Mackey, in the novella Before the Murders. Here Sheila is on a cruise, something that she has done plenty of times before, but this is her first time without her aunt Kit. They've also taken a relative along with them, and this trip Sheila is travelling with a distant cousin, Petronella, who is recently divorced from her abusive husband because he found a new woman. She has obvious confidence problems and is also protective of Sheila. 

Sheila meets a member of a group travelling together as she gets a manicure at the start of her voyage. Odette is friendly and has travelled on with her group before, but there are interesting dynamics between what used to be three couples. Spouses are now in relationships with other of the group's partners, with Odette the odd woman out and seemingly not bothered. Another woman in the group, Leah, is the one who seems often in a bad mood, and is unpleasant to fellow travellers and staff alike. 

There is also another repeat group aboard, a group of women who are loud, with flashy clothing, cosmetic enhancements and and entitled attitudes. 

As Sheila, with long distance advice from her aunt Kit, endeavours to figure out the mystery, she gathers information from crew members, members of both travel groups, her own companion, and her helpful dinner table companions. 

I enjoyed this mystery, and the way that Sheila became more confident of her own observation and problem-solving skills. There is humour here as well. An entertaining read. 

Sweet Savage Death

Finished August 2

Sweet Savage Death by Jane Haddam

I was looking for a book to fit a challenge and found this older title in my library's offerings. I'm glad I did, I really enjoyed reading a book written in the early 1980s, without knowledge of all the technology, and I loved the humour of the author. The main character Patience (Pay) McKenna is a writer that writes both well-researched articles freelance and romances. 

Before the novel proper starts, there is a section called Fires of Love General Editorial Guidelines. This is typical for category romances at the time, where the publisher determines certain aspects of the book and a formula for the plotline. We will learn that this is a relatively new publishing line that Myrra, Pay, and many others have written for. This gives some insight into the area of the publishing world that this book is set around. 

As the novel begins Pay is at the funeral for a fellow romance writer, Myrra Agenworth, who had died as a result of a mugging. It was unusual that she was out walking her dog in the middle of the night, but the authorities didn't make much of that. Pay had liked Myrra and Myrra had taken her under her wing a bit, since all her own children were dead and her granddaughter lived overseas. Pay is sitting with a fellow romance author and friend, Phoebe Damereaux who has been very successful. They are noticing the other authors, the agents, and the editors who are also attending, and we get some background on the ones who will appear later in the novel, which is helpful. 

Pay and Phoebe go out for dinner together after the funeral, and then back to Phoebe's place. Pay doesn't get back to her apartment until after midnight, where she grabs her mail, and walks up the stairs to her third floor apartment. But then things go sideways. Her apartment is not only locked, but also bolted from inside. She goes for assistance, and when the police break down the door, they discover the body of Julie Simms, literary agent to many top romance authors. Despite her alibi, she is a suspect in this death, and Myrra's death is now being looked at again. As Pay decides she must figure out the real killer to save herself, she finds several people who could be responsible and doesn't know who to trust besides Phoebe. 

I found the writing refreshing and the plot intriguing. Pay is a woman who isn't intimidated easily, and she is smart with a wry sense of humour. I will look for more books in this series. And yes, she has a cat. 

Deep Freeze

Finished May 13

Deep Freeze by Anne Louise O'Connell

This is the second book in the Deep Mystery series and a great read, set in an interesting place. The main character, Susan Morris is living in Dubai with her husband Mitch, a pilot for EmAir, and they've been there a couple of years. Susan is trained as a nurse but isn't working now. One of her friends Pat is another woman who followed her husband Barry when he signed on as a surgeon at the American Hospital in Dubai. The couple is planning a ski vacation to Austria at the Christmas holidays, but Pat hasn't skied before. Susan offered to take her to Ski Dubai to teach her. 

Just after their first run, a chair lift collapses and Barry is one of the men injured. Pat is distraught and Susan finds herself helping out. When they discover Pat and Barry's house has been ransacked and their Sri Lankan maid Anu is missing, they begin to wonder whether it was really an accident. 

As Susan finds herself investigating the issues that cause her, Barry, and Pat to be suspicious, Susan is drawn into a situation that may involve hospital and government employees and jeopardize her stay in the country. 

The situation with the missing maids, as Anu is not the only one who has disappeared, is related to the religious attitude of the government, the imbalance of power between servants and their employers,  someone who longs to be recognized for their intelligence, and sheer greed. 

Susan also finds herself reexamining her marriage and whether Mitch is the man she thought he was. 

I really enjoyed Susan, a woman who is forthright, empathetic, and loyal. She sees all people as individuals, no matter their role or status, and that leaves her open to new ideas, new friendships, and new possibilities. The plot was also engaging, and captured my interest. I also found the setting refreshing, one that I am not familiar with and that has rules as customs quite different from the ones I live with. 

I also liked how the ending promises more for Susan perhaps in many different countries, something I look forward to. 

Detective Aunty

Finished March 11

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin

This cosy mystery follows Kauser Khan as she faces a family crisis. Kauser and her husband moved from Scarborough to North Bay after the death of their younger son. Kauser took it very hard, and wasn't able to handle life in the same surroundings. That was years ago, and with Kauser's husband dying a little less than a year ago, she's been adjusting to a new solo life, while still keeping in contact with her daughter in Scarborough and her son in England. 

When her daughter, Sana, phones her to see that she needs her, and that Sana is suspected of murder, Kauser overcomes her fears and books the next flight to Toronto. Her best friend May drives her to the airport and we hear from her how Kauser is one of those people who notices things. Small things that others don't, but that tell one things about situations and people. She encourages Kauser to get to the bottom of things, but Kauser's first consideration is Sana and her family, particularly her two young daughters. 

After her children were both in school, Sana started a clothing boutique in a small strip mall near her home. Her husband was supportive, and Sana has been doing well. When she went into the store early one day, she finds her landlord in her store and very dead. When the murder weapon is found to be from the store as well, Sana finds herself the prime suspect. 

Kauser arrives at Sana's and lets herself in, but with no one home, she gives in to curiosity and walk over to the mall, checking out the investigation, and observing things closely. Back home, she finds that Sana has been released and both girls are home from school. 

Kauser notices some issues with Sana's relationship with her husband, and a tension within the family. As she digs deeper into the family dynamics, she also reaches out to old friends, both those of her and her husband, and those of her children. Using these connections, she arranges for a lawyer for Sana, and follows her instincts as she asks for other favours to answer the questions that come to her. 

The book also leaves a hint for a future sequel, one I would definitely be interested in. 

I liked the main character, and her skills with relationships. There's a lot going on, but she is able to use her skills, and the way that some underestimate her due to her age, gender, and religion, to gather the information that she needs. 

A Cotswold Killing

Finished December 2

A Cotswold Killing by Rebecca Tope

I've read a later book in this series, but this is the first book in the series featuring widow and amateur detective Thea Osborne and her dog Hepzibah. There is a map in the front that shows the locations of the first eleven books in the series, so you can see how they relate to each other geographically. I would have liked it more if they had also included Thea's town of Witney. She also has a note at the front that indicates that her settings are real places, including the churches and pubs (which are describing in enticing ways as the main character visits them). More personal places like farms and houses are imagined by the author. 

As the book opens, Thea is preparing to go to her first house sitting commission, looking after a small sheep farm in Duntisbourne Abbots, the home of Clive and Jennifer Reynold. The couple are headed off on a cruise. Thea has been widowed just over a year and is still grieving in many ways as we see through the course of the novel. 

When one of her neighbours is murdered on the farm she is looking after on her first night there, Thea finds herself drawn into the life of this secretive village, looking for information on the young man who was killed, his connections, and her other neighbours. 

It helps Thea that her brother-in-law, James, is a superintendent in the West Midlands police. This gives her a helpful reference for her house sitting commissions, and a link to police investigations. She finds that this connection also has benefits for James and his fellow police officers. 

The character of Thea is built with depth here, as we see both her strengths and weaknesses appear as the mystery unfolds. Her dog is a comfort and a companion, a calm presence in most situations. I liked seeing her come to life for me, and found the mystery intriguing

Deck the Halls

Finished November 21

Deck the Halls by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark

This mystery is set around a popular New York City based mystery writer and her family. Nora Reilly had planned to spend the holiday season with her husband Luke and daughter Regan in Hawaii. Unfortunately she tripped on a rug and broke her leg and now the family is spending Christmas in New York. Regan has flown in from her home in Los Angeles. Luke has a few plans, from putting in an appearance at a funeral taking place at the funeral home he runs with a partner to a dentist appointment before returning to the hospital later that day and then going out for a bit with Regan.

When calls go her dad go unanswered, and he doesn't show at the dentist, Regan knows something is wrong. At the dentist she runs into amateur detective Alvirah Meehan whose husband had an emergency dental visit just before Luke's scheduled appointment. Alvirah gives Regan a ride back to her parents' house and is there when a call comes in demanding a ransom be paid for Luke's release.

When Luke exited the hospital earlier, he and his driver were surprised by a former contractor with a gun. The contractor has teamed up with a disgruntled relative of a recently deceased business acquaintance of Luke's and the two have multiple grievances against both Luke and his young single mother driver Rosita Gonzalez. 

Gonzalez is worried about the inexperienced babysitter she had left her two young boys with and Luke is thinking of ways to provide information to his daughter that may help her find him.

Regan works as a private detective back in L.A. and with Alvirah's help and contacts quickly gets high-level support from the police. 

The ineptitude of the kidnappers provides both comic relief and tenseness as they seem to be ill-prepared for any changes to their plans. 

This is a light seasonal mystery book that provided me with a quick and enjoyable escape read. There is even a touch of romance. 

The Deadly Hours

Finished February 21

The Deadly Hours: An Anthology by Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber, and Christine Trent

This linked set of novellas has in common a pocket watch, one cursed from its origin in gold stolen from a church in Cartagena.

We first encounter the watch in 1733 along the Spanish coast when a fierce storm forces several ships to take shelter in a small coastal town. At the local inn, there are several players in international affairs. One has been sent to kill someone and others are on a mission to protect the same man. This first tale is by Susanna Kearsley and features her character Mary MacPherson along with her Jacobite husband Hugh. The watch is owned by Valcour, a pirate who took part in the acts in Cartagena. 

The second tale is set in the 1830s in Edinburgh and is told by Anna Lee Huber. It features her character Lady Darby and the watch seems to be linked with a number of deaths in the city, and is brought to Lady Darby's attention by a man who reappears several times in her life, the criminal leader Bonnie Brock Kincaid. She and her husband Gage track the rumours about the watch to try to save the city from the threat.

The third tale is set in London in the 1870s and is told by Christine Trent. This tale features her character the Victorian undertaker Violet Harper and her American photographer husband Samuel. Violet has been hired by a recently distinguished peer to gather his deceased relatives from wherever they are currently interred and bring them together in a new tomb. In one of the graves she opens, she finds a curious object, and it seems to bring trouble to the rich neighbourhood of her client.

The fourth and last tale is told by C.S. Harris and takes place in 1944 in a small town near Dover. The local leader of the Home Guard, and watch collector is found dead under suspicious circumstances and only one item seems to be missing from his home. When more victims are found, suspicion ranges to several foreigners living locally. The main characters here are a female historian and an MI5 agent.

I enjoyed the strong female characters in this book, and it was my first introduction to the characters in the stories. I also liked how the authors worked together to link the story of the watch over time. 

Nightmares Can Be Murder

Finished December 2 

Nightmares Can Be Murder by Mary Kennedy

This novel begins a series set in Savannah, Georgia around a group of women who meet regularly to discuss and analyze their dreams. Taylor Blake is a business consultant based in Chicago who has come to Savannah to see her sister Allison (Ali) and offer some assistance with her candy store. The store is relatively new, but hasn't yet turned a profit and Taylor is worried about Ali's tendency to lose focus. Alison also runs a Dream Club, a group of women who meet regularly to share their dreams, discuss the meaning of them and try to help each other with the life issues that are connected to these nighttime messages. 

When the owner of another business in the area, Chico Hernandez, a charming but smarmy dance instructor, is found dead in his dance studio, Ali is one of the people that saw him just before his death, and thus gets drawn into the investigation. One of the dream club members, Sam, is a police officer involved in the case, and another, Gina, works for Chico and is the one who finds the body. Taylor is determined to dig deeper to solve the case so the neighbourhood can move forward, and she involves her ex-boyfriend, Noah, an ex-FBI investigator who now works as a private detective. 

Many of the women here have their own secrets and agendas, and there are lots of red herrings to take you off the track of the real murderer. This is a cozy and light mystery with a lot of sweet food discussion, but unfortunately no recipes. 

Death in Avignon

Finished October 29

Death in Avignon by Serena Kent

This is the second book in the series featuring Englishwoman Penelope Kite. Here, Penelope has settled into her new home and is continuing renovations, painting, getting more bathrooms installed, and tightening the house up before winter comes. She likes that traffic isn't as crazy as tourist season dies down. She is still trying to experience that dinner for two with the handsome mayor of her small town, but things keep arising that cancel their plans. 

When they finally have the date booked, they start the evening by attending a local gallery showing, where four artists are showing their work, all of them represented by the same agent. One of the artists is a British ex-pat, who Penelope fends off the advances of before she gets to the art of the local man that she is there to see. The ex-pat's art is kitschy and not to her taste at all. 

But before the couple move on to their planned dinner, one of the artists has a severe episode, needing CPR before being taken to the hospital. 

As Penelope observes the episode, she can't help but wonder what led to it. Was it a natural event of ill health, or was it brought on by someone wanting to hurt or kill the man? She must reach out again to her former boss for an opinion on the case.

During this time, Penelope's step-children and three young grandsons descend on her home, causing her to step up her timeline for renovations and reflect on the decision to move permanently to France. Her French has improved dramatically and she is feeling more and more like her true self. Her neighbours treat her well, even inviting her to be part of a wedding, and she finds a local group of musicians to play with. 

I liked how her life in France grew, with more friends and activities, and she became more settled. The way she handled the case and her interest in it caused some real issues with her friends and she had to reach out to them in new ways to show her motivations were good ones. I'm really enjoying this series and like Penelope who is finally living the way she truly wants to, not bending to the expectations of others.

Death by Pumpkin Spice

Finished October 24 

Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson

This is part of a series featuring bookstore/café owner Krissy Hancock in the fictional town of Pine Hills. This is the third book in the series, but the first I've read, so some of Krissy's backstory comes out here. She has moved relatively recently to this town, coming from California, and opened a combination bookstore and café with her best friend Vicki Patterson. One of the things that she left behind in California was an ex-fiancé named Robert, who pops up in this book, having tracked her down and wanting a second chance. But Krissy isn't interested and as the book opens she gets invited to a fancy costume Hallowe'en party at a house that seems almost purpose-built for such festivities. The young doctor who invited her seems to be a potential new relationship and Krissy is very attracted to him. But she's also attracted to a young local police officer, Paul Dalton, who also is attending the party. Krissy seems to have a bad lack of self-confidence around her body and looks and that was one aspect of the book that I didn't like. Everyone around her kept reassuring her that she looked good, but she just kept putting herself down. However that doesn't stop here from getting involved when a dead body is found in the house, the body of a woman dressed as Marilyn Monroe. 

Many questions arise from this discovery and as Krissy tries to help with the investigation, she puts herself in danger as well as exposing other activities that people haven't been upfront about. 

The house and the recently deceased owner seem surreal. Could anyone actually live year round in such a house? I think it would drive one crazy. Lots of interesting characters with potentially interesting stories crop up, and I can see potential for more stories for this series. 

A light seasonal mystery.