Blue Moon Mystery Saloon

Blast from the Past

A "Where are They Now?" Mystery, by Toni L.P. Kelner, Berkley Prime Crime, February 2011

Entertainment reporter Tilda Harper rarely gets to interview current film or TV stars, so she jumps at the chance to interview actor John Laryea. The well-known and well-liked movie star is currently on Cape Cod filming location shots for his newest film, Pharos. It's the big screen adaptation of  a cult-favorite, limited-run, 80's comic book series by the mysterious Leviathan. The film's producer-director team, Edwina Hudson and Joni Langevoort, want to hire Tilda to uncover Leviathan's identity, and she agrees when they permit her to stay the whole week and do in-depth interviews for future articles. She doesn't realize that her biggest story will be the one she witnesses...the hit-and-run death of Francis Foster, Laryea's personal assistant.

All the evidence points to Pete Ellis, a limo driver and bodyguard from the film's security company. The local police and the company's owner think Pete's guilty, and they refuse to consider anybody else as a suspect. Tilda believes Pete is innocent and does all she can to track down the person who used Pete's limo to kill Laryea's assistant. She convinces Nick Tolomeo, the son of the security company owner and her ex-boyfriend, that Pete's not guilty, and together they try to find the real murderer before he can strike again.

This is the third in Kelner's "Where are They Now" mysteries, and it shines with humor and strong characters. Tilda is a likeable protagonist who brings intellect and a fascination with Hollywood culture to her assignments. Despite a death threat and working with her ex, she stays positive and focuses on her goals to get useful interviews and find Foster's real murderer. John Laryea, Toni and Edwina are complex characters and seem as if they could walk off the pages onto the beach of Cape Cod and film a real movie. The behind-the-scenes glimpses of movie location shoots and the cult 80's-comic-book culture add realism and provide great material for the story. Blast from the Past is a definite winner in the cozy mystery genre. Make sure to tuck this in your beach bag for a sweet read and a fun day in the sun.

PROTAGONIST: Entertainment reporter, smart, strong female

ACTION: Movie scene preparations, hit-and-run accident

LOVE INTERESTS: Security company owner's son - strong, caring, dating someone else

ROMANCE: A light kiss and lots of hugs

QUIRKINESS: Former kid's TV show host walking around in an "animal" costume, red-headed geeky guy stalking John Laryea, imposters claiming to be Leviathan

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Behind-the-scenes glimpse into movie location shoots and comic book fan culture, info about Cape Cod, hamster fears

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted with quirky characters and fun scenes

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Missing Pieces Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Pepper Martin Mysteries by Casey Daniels

 

 

A Touch of Gold

A Missing Pieces Mystery, by Joyce and Jim Lavene, Berkley Prime Crime, March 2011

Dae O'Donnell, mayor of Duck, NC and psychic finder of lost objects, is walking towards the Duck Historical Museum to return a gold coin when the building explodes, knocking her into the street and killing the museum's curator, Max Caudle. When she awakens in the hospital, Dae discovers she now has powerful visions of an object's history whenever she touches it. Though she's overcome with emotions when she handles old items, her new skill comes in handy when she and Kevin Brickman, a former FBI agent and new owner of The Blue Whale Inn, try to track down Sam Meacham. He's disappeared, and as he and Max were known adversaries, the police consider Sam the person responsible for the explosion and Max's death.

Dae believes Sam is innocent and that he may have some useful information about who caused the explosion. Following the impressions she picks up from a horse statue in Sam's office, she and Kevin continue to Currituck Beach, where they find an abandoned Segway in the bushes. As Dae grasps its handle, she feels intense fear and the sense of someone running. Now she believes Sam's in trouble and the same person that killed Max is threatening Sam.

Dae can't shake the feeling that the museum explosion, Max's death and Sam's disappearance are all linked to a rumored stash of old gold coins. Only when she can control her intense reactions to her visions is she able to uncover the museum's secrets, the gold connection and the real identify of the murderer.

This is a strong sequel to last year's A Timely Vision and includes some familiar faces. Dae's grandfather Gramps, a charter boat captain and a former sheriff of Duck, is a larger-than-life character who provides home, family and community stability for Dae. Kevin Brickman is an ex-FBI agent and the owner of the Blue Whale Inn. He becomes Dae's sounding-board and love interest, and he helps her come to terms with her new psychic ability. Dae's good friends and business neighbors, Trudy Devereaux and Shayla Lily, are three-dimensional, fun characters with distinctive personalities, histories and fashion style, and both provide a little comic relief.

So if you're looking for another book to read by the pool or on the beach this Summer, spend a little time in Duck, NC with Dae and her friends. You're sure to enjoy your time there.

* The next book in the series, A Spirited Gift, will be released in December 2011.

PROTAGONIST: A psychically gifted & single 36-year-old female mayor of Duck, NC and owner of Missing Pieces store

ACTION: Locked in the cabin of a boat, swimming in the cold Atlantic Ocean, car crashes, rescues

LOVE INTERESTS: Ex-FBI agent turned innkeeper

ROMANCE: Lots of kisses and hugs

QUIRKINESS: Dae's psychic abilities - touches a person's hands and finds their lost items, and sees and feels the history of an item upon contact

COLLOQUIALISMS: Local and regional sayings

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Pirating history of Outer Banks, scavaging methods of Duck ancestors, facts about the Outer Bank's wild horses

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted with some comic relief throughout

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams, Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries by E.J. Copperman, Port Chatham Mysteries by P.J. Alderman, and Renaissance Faire Mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene

 

To Sketch a Thief

A Portrait of Crime Mystery, by Sharon Pape, Berkley Prime Crime, June 2011

New PI Rory McCain, a former sketch artist with the Suffolk County Police Department, shares an uneasy alliance, an investigation business and her house with Ezekial "Zeke" Drummond, a federal marshall who died in 1878.  Since Zeke is confined to her residence, Rory does most of the investigating alone. She is an independent, 28-year-old protaganist with a lot of gumption and a .45 as backup.

A stray dog named Hobo appears in her yard one day, and Rory drives him to the street address stamped on his dog tag. When no one answers the door, she follows Hobo into the house and discovers a dead woman on the kitchen floor, a knife sticking out of her back. An estranged friend of the victim shows up and tells Rory that Tootsie, the dead woman's prized Maltese, is also missing. Thus begins Rory's involvement in a dognapping case that may also be tied to the murder of Hobo's owner.

After Rory decides to give Hobo a temporary home, she's hired by Tina Kovack, another dognapping victim and the murdered woman's friend, to find Tootsie and hopefully track down her own stolen Malteses. The investigation becomes personal when Hobo is poisoned and almost dies. Rory suspects Hobo's veternarian of providing information to aid the dognappers, but she must rely on him to keep Hobo alive.  More potential persons of interest come to light at the local dog park. Eventually an elementary school teacher helps Rory track down the people responsible for stealing the dogs when all other leads become dead ends.

To Sketch a Thief is filled with potential murder suspects, dog humor, a ghost consultant,  and red herrings. This is the second book in the Portrait of Crime Mysteries and a strong sequel in the series. If you are a fan of mysteries involving ghosts, good stories with canines and novels with a strong female protaganist, then you'll enjoy To Sketch a Thief.

* The third book in the series, Sketch a Falling Star, will be released in March 2012.

PROTAGONIST: Independent, 28-year-old, .45-toting, female PI

CRITTERS: Hobo - a 90-lb, gray & white mutt

ACTION: Fun dog chases, not-so-fun dog vs man, humorous dog vs ghost

LOVE INTEREST: Hobo, the adopted dog

ROMANCE: Lots of dog kisses and drool

QUIRKINESS: Ghost from 1878 who's computer proficient

INTERESTING TIDBITS: A glimpse into a lawman's day in 1878

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, cute scenes with Hobo

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries by E.J. Copperman, Port Chatham Mysteries by P.J. Alderman, Pepper Martin Mysteries by Casey Daniels

 

Hexes and Hemlines

A Witchcraft Mystery, by Juliet Blackwell, Obsidian Mystery, June 2011

Lily Ivory is not your average shop owner and businesswoman in San Francisco. She owns a vintage clothing store,  Aunt Cora's Closet, in the city's Haight-Ashbury district and is a practicing witch. That's why she's standing in Malachi Zazi's penthouse investigating his murder scene, and his glass-impaled body, with SFPD Inspector Carlos Romero.  The apartment is full of bad luck symbols designed to discount superstitions, including upside down horseshoes, broken mirrors, thirteen chairs at the dinner table, and a ladder to walk under at the front entry. Lily suspects a clearing spell has been cast throughout the penthouse. She can't read any residual energy, good or bad, which is strange in an almost 100-year-old residential building. She wants to find Zazi's murderer to help the police, but she keeps butting up against a force more powerful than she understands.

And that's not her only problem. Oscar, her familiar, refuses to be nice to the black cat she's temporarily inherited and is allergic to, and Bronwyn, her friend and employee, has an unfortunate connection to the victim.

Handsome journalist Max Carmichael hasn't called Lily since he's been back in town, powerful warlock Aidan Rhodes is angry that she's broken a fragile territory pact with other paranormals, and tall, dark and handsome Sailor is a sourpuss who reluctantly accompanies Lily to the more menacing parts of town in her quest for information.

This is the third book in the wonderful Witchcraft Mystery series, and it feels as fresh and new as the first, Secondhand Spirits. The characters seem alive with their individual personalities and idiosyncrasies, and colorful descriptions set the scene and pull the reader along for the whole adventure.

From gargoyles and Goofer Balls to dark magic in the forest, Hexes and Hemlines is sure to keep you entertained to the last page, and laughing along the way.  It's the perfect book to take to the beach, read at the pool or brighten up a dull flight. So whether you're on a vacation or a staycation, this Witchcraft Mystery will help make it a fun and relaxing one.

* The next book in the series will be released in 2012. 

 PROTAGONIST: Vintage clothes store owner, single, practicing witch

CRITTERS: Oscar- a familiar that turns into a pig around humans, Zazi's cat-a black cat staying with Lily and Oscar

ACTION: Time alteration, chase through a dark forest, fight on a rooftop, snakes ready to bite

LOVE INTERESTS: A handsome journalist, a gorgeous warlock, and a sexy bodyguard

ROMANCE: Melting pewter, sizzling kiss, hot embrace

QUIRKINESS: Unique characters, Oscar-the goblin who turns into a pig, High Prince Zazi-the aging, self proclaimed "High Prince of Hell", Doura-the high-voiced time-bender

COLLOQUIALISMS: Texas sayings and Spanish phrases

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Bad luck symbols, history of gargoyles, architectural descriptions, Tidal Basin cherry trees, war chemicals used for backyard gardening

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, witty dialogue, laughs throughout

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Art Lover's Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell writing as Hailey Lind, Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell

 

Dire Threads

A Threadville Mystery, by Janet Bolin, Berkley Prime Crime, June 2011

Willow Vanderling leaves her Big Apple job in investment counseling and moves to Elderberry Bay, PA to open In Stitches, a store selling all things embroidery. The town's other craft store owners, one of which is her best friend Haylee, are very supportive and glad that she's opened a complementary business in their "Threadville" part of town. But some long-time residents aren't as welcoming, particularly Mike Krawbach, the town's gorgeous and scheming planning commissioner. Willow vehemently opposes his plans to condemn the Victorian Gothic cottage on her property and replace it with restrooms for ATV riders. So Mike takes matters into his own hands and tries to torch the little house. Willow calls 911 after she discovers him unconscious and dying in her backyard, but when Mike dies, the town's sole policeman thinks she's guilty and refuses to consider any clues that may prove she's innocent. Willow realizes that the only way she'll stay out of jail is to track down the killer herself.

Though the story starts a little slow, it gains momentum with each chapter. It's apparent that the author knows a great deal about embroidery and other sewing crafts. She shares her knowledge with the reader in scenes where her protagonist and other craft store owners offer sewing, quilting and embroidery tips and techniques to their customers.

Dire Threads has characters galore, but Smythe Castor is one of my favorites. His bee-themed clothing and unusual source of income (a honey farm) provide some of the book's more amusing scenes. The personalities of Threadville and Elderberry Bay are sure to mature into more complex and well-rounded characters as the series continues. Fans of Miss Marple and other craft-related mysteries, especially Amanda Lee's Embroidery Mysteries, should enjoy this first book in a new mystery series.

* The next book in the series will come out in June 2012. 

PROTAGONIST: Single, 32-ish, embroidery store owner

CRITTERS: Talley-Ho and Sally-Forth, rescued one-year-old border collie-ish dogs

ACTION: Small town, slower pace

LOVE INTERESTS: Clay Fraser, owner of Fraser Construction

ROMANCE: Handshakes, flirting

QUIRKINESS: Honey farm owner who dresses like a bee, hard of hearing doctor who can really carry a tune

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Embroidery and sewing tips and techniques, little known fact about padlock keys, info on hardwoods and their use

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted with some amusing scenes

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Embroidery Mysteries by Amanda Lee, Miss Marple Mysteries by Agatha Christie, Cookie Cutter Shop Mysteries by Virginia Lowell, Cardmaking Mysteries by Tim Myers and Elizabeth Bright, Victoria Square Mysteries by Lorraine Bartlett 

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat

A Magical Cats Mystery, by Sofie Kelly, Obsidian Mystery, February 2011

Kathleen Paulson has only been in  Mayville Heights, Minnesota for a few months, but already she's been adopted by two unusual kittens, catnip-addicted Owen and disappearing Hercules, and has formed several new friendships. One person she hasn't befriended is the visiting conductor and guest artist for the Wild Rose Summer Music Festival, pompous Gregor Easton.

Kathleen is overseeing the renovation of the public library when she hears loud voices in another part of the building. She finds Mr. Easton berating one of her coworkers and complaining about the chaos and inadequacy of the library. Easton is furious because the computer stations haven't been set up and he can't go online to check his emails. As Easton continues his tirade, Owen appears out of nowhere and attacks the conductor's head. Kathleen tries to mollify Easton by promising to send over a special breakfast to his hotel room the next day. But he never gets the chance to eat it. Kathleen finds his body slumped over Stratton Theatre's piano early the next morning when she's looking for someone else. 

With the reknowned conductor dead, it's questionable if the festival can continue. But that's small potatoes when there's a murder to solve. Afraid she's the primary suspect, Kathleen, Owen and Hercules band together to solve the case and catch the real killer.

This first book in a new cozy mystery series is lighthearted and very entertaining. The quick pace is helped along by several refreshing twists and unusual feline activity. I connected with the author's humor and couldn't help but laugh out loud at Kathleen's interaction with her almost personable cats. Though I had a little bit of trouble keeping Rebecca, Roma and Ruby straight when they shared a scene, that was just a minor blip in a very enjoyable story.  So if you're in the market for another fun book to read on vacation, be sure to pick up Curiosity Thrilled the Cat.

 *The next book in the series, Sleight of Paw, comes out in September 2011

PROTAGONIST: Past 30, new head librarian, lives in old farmhouse

CRITTERS: Two cats - Owen, gray and white tabby, and Hercules, stocky black and white cat

ACTION: Accidents in the library, humorous cat chases

LOVE INTEREST: Detective Marcus Gordon

ROMANCE: Lots of cat nuzzles and cuddling

QUIRKINESS: Catnip-addicted cat, veterinarian taking care of people, disappearing cats

INTERESTING TIDBITS: History of libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie, how to handle feral cats

FUN FACTOR: Lighthearted, cute quips, humorous dialogue

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Midnight Louie Mysteries by Carole Nelson Douglas, Cats in Trouble Mysteries by Leann Sweeney, Cats and Curios Mysteries by Rebecca M. Hale; Cat in the Stacks Mysteries by Miranda James

 

Missing Persons

A Kate Conway Mystery, by Clare O'Donohue, Plume-Penguin Group, June 2011

Kate Conway produces true crime shows for cable TV. She interviews grieving spouses, suspicious exes and confused friends of the missing and murdered to spin the most sensational story she can in twenty-two minutes. But now she's the one being interviewed...by Chicago police and homicide detectives. Her almost ex-husband Frank is dead, and she's the prime suspect. Already under a lot of pressure to film a missing person case within a tight schedule, Kate's pushed to the breaking point to find out what, and who, really killed Frank before she's arrested for his murder.

O'Donohue (author of the Someday Quilt Mysteries) moves Missing Persons along with witty dialogue, frequent scene changes and fresh, well-developed characters. From her irritating in-laws and concerned co-workers to the grieving family and friends of the missing good-girl, Theresa Moretti, everyone Kate interacts with has a unique personality and an interesting backstory. And all contribute to an entertaining, enjoyable mystery, the first in a brand new series. It just may be your favorite beach read this summer. 

PROTAGONIST: Almost divorced, 37-year-old, red-headed, freelance TV producer

ACTION: Frequent scene changes, short chapters, story never stalls

LOVE INTEREST: Her job

QUIRKINESS: Young, 25-ish coworker says just what he thinks, unfortunately

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Behind-the-scenes look at producing a 22-minute, true crime show

FUN FACTOR: Plenty of fun situations and quirky characters

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: Charlotte McNally Mysteries by Hank Phillippi Ryan, Soap Opera Mysteries by Eileen Davidson, Fat City Mysteries by Kathryn Lilley

Sweet Revenge

A Lady Arianna Regency Mystery, by Andrea Penrose, Obsidian Mystery, April 2011

SWEET REVENGE is a cozy mystery set in Regency England involving chocolate, illicit drugs and an old aristocratic scandal. Lady Arianna Hadley will do anything to find her father's murderer and see him punished for his crime. So she forms an uneasy alliance with Alessandro De Quincy, the Earl of Saybrook, and transforms herself from a chef and a street urchin to a wealthy widow in search of sensual diversions...all to ensnare her prey and avenge her father's death.  Lord Saybrook searches for the same criminal to uncover a treasonal money-making scheme that could ultimately impact England's position against Napoleon.

Each chapter begins with a segment of an old journal that highlights an historical fact about chocolate followed by a modern recipe using chocolate. Both intrude on the flow of the story, and after the first chapter, I waited to read the rest until I'd finished the whole book. The journal entries, set in the 1700s, might have blended okay with the book's historical setting. However, the recipes specify oven temperatures and the use of electric mixers and wax paper, quickly lifting me from early 19th century England into the 21st century USA.

Without the interruption of the journal entries and recipes, the story moves along nicely. Lady Arianna is an appealing protaganist, who has been on her own since she was 15, doing whatever needed to survive. She enjoys delving into complex mathematical puzzles and changes roles quickly and easily. Her wary partner, Lord Saybrook, is a former army intelligence officer with a wounded leg and an addiction to opium. They mistrust each other but know it's crucial they work together to achieve their goals.

In spite of the intrusive journal entries and chocolate recipes, Sweet Revenge is fairly well-paced with intriquing storylines, intelligent characters and interesting dialogue. If you like to learn more than "whodunit" in your mysteries, then make sure to save space in your library for this cozy, the first in a new series.

* The next book in the series, The Cocoa Conspiracy, comes out in December 2011.

PROTAGONIST:  Independent, 20-something, good at disguises 

 ACTION:  Story never bogs down, medium-paced

LOVE INTEREST: The earl

ROMANCE: She's no virgin, but gets no action either

QUIRKINESS:  Men "lever up" from their chairs,  Spanish and French phrases, fondness for mentioning "cajones"

INTERESTING TIDBITS:  The history of chocolate, recipes for chocolate food and drink

FUN FACTOR:  A few amusing characters

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE:  Molly McQuire Mysteries by Rhys Bowen, Being Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron, Lady Emily Mysteries by Tasha Alexander

Cookie Dough or Die

A Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery, by Virginia Lowell, Berkley Prime Crime, April 2011

A little store in Chatterly Heights, MD that specializes in cookie-cutters is the setting for this first book in a new cozy mystery series. After residing in Baltimore for twelve years, newly divorced Olivia Greyson is back in her hometown and living in an apartment over her new business,The Gingerbread House. Along with her best friend, Maddie Briggs, she enjoys managing her shop, baking cookies, offering baking lessons and throwing special events to entice more customers into her store.

Olivia's contentment is short-lived, however. Early one morning her business mentor and good friend, Clarisse Chamberlain, is found dead at home. Sheriff Del Jenkins thinks it's a possible suicide. Olivia thinks it's murder, and begins her own investigation to prove it. But when it's discovered that Clarisse left Olivia a tidy sum of money and a pricey antique cookie-cutter collection, Olivia becomes a suspect. Then the town's nosy postman winds up in the hospital, the only clue to his critical condition an empty cookie bag from The Gingerbread House. Suddenly Livie's search for Clarisse's killer becomes personal.

Things move at a slower pace in Chatterly Heights and in this story too. If you like Miss Marple mysteries and want a pleasant, small town story with familiar characters and an easy to follow plot, make sure to add this book to your To Buy list.

* The next book in the series, A Cookie Before Dying, comes out in December 2011.

PROTAGONIST: 31-year-old, divorced, shop owner

CRITTERS: Spunky, a rescued Yorkie

ACTION: Small town, slower-paced

LOVE INTEREST: The sheriff

ROMANCE: Very little for protaganist, more action for best friend

QUIRKINESS: Drives a green 1972 Valiant, mom's a constantly busy, 4'11”, flower child

INTERESTING TIDBITS: Valuable cookie-cutters, versatility of cookie-cutters

FUN FACTOR:  Some funny parts

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE:  Miss Marple Mysteries by Agatha Christie; Booktown Mysteries by Lorna Barrett; Victoria Square Mysteries by Lorraine Bartlett; Cardmaking Mysteries by Tim Myers and Elizabeth Bright