The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories

Edwards, Martin, editor. The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories. Scottsdale, Arizona: Poisoned Pen Press, 2019.

As in most collections, some stories are better than others.

"A Christmas Tragedy" by Baroness Orczy
Although occurring at Christmas, the story is not Christmas-y. It’s a rather boring story in which Lady Molly identifies the killer of Major Ceely. Suspicion fell to his daughter’s secret boyfriend who maintained his innocence.

"By the Sword" by Selwyn Jepson
I didn’t like this one. I was distracted while reading it, but I didn’t like it well enough to go back and read the rest of it.

"The Christmas Card Crime" by Donald Stuart
Interesting story involving passengers on a train impeded by snow with the focus being on a girl with a partial Christmas card.

"The Motive" by Ronald Knox
Westmacott waits for Robinson to board the train. Although Robinson had not shown up, Westmacott boards after receiving a message when seems to ease his mind. Robinson boards near departure time. The two men share adjoining compartments. Robinson asks for a “wake up” call. When it is time for him to leave the train, he is not there. What happened to him?

"Blind Man’s Hood" by Carter Dickson
Rodney and Muriel Hunter arrive late at “Clearlawns,” and their hosts are out. However, a woman tells them the story of an unsolved murder that occurred years ago at the castle while they await their hosts to return from a church function.

"Paul Temple’s White Christmas" by Francis Durbridge
Kind of resembles a very short spy story. Other than the references to snow and Christmas, it could have been set any time.

"Sister Bessie or Your Old Leech" by Cyril Hare
Rather boring and not much mystery to this tale. Bessie feigns death, and Timothy rifles through her things in search of the letter before being confronted by Bessie herself. He kills Bessie but then learns a lesson.

"A Bit of Wire-Pulling" by E. C. R. Lorac
An inspector recalls an account of a man who was shot while he was in the room. The solution was obvious from the moment the inspector told his observations of that night.

"Pattern of Revenge" by John Bude
The wrong man is sent to prison for a murder. The evidence pointed to him because of his peg leg, but three years later another man confesses to the crime on his death bed.

"Crime at Lark Cottage" by John Bingham
John Bradley stops at a home near Skandale where a woman and her daughter reside.  It is nearing Christmas as they are decorating the Christmas tree. The woman seems frightened. Bradley sees a wedding photo of the woman and a report of her husband’s escape from jail. As noises are heard, the woman becomes more frightened, and Bradley suggests he should go on to town. He finally gets her to confess to her part in planting evidence against her husband to protect her lover from incarceration and then reveals his Scotland Yard affiliation.

"‘Twixt the Cup and the Lip" by Julian Symons
Thieves plan a heist of Russian jewels, but it doesn’t go exactly according to their plans.

Best story: "The Christmas Card Crime" by Donald Stuart
Worst story: "By the Sword" by Selwyn Jepson

A Dagger Before Me

Dams, Jeanne M. A Dagger Before Me. Scottsdale, Arizona: Poisoned Pen Press, 2019.

The first half of the book more or less is nothing but a story of village life and traveling about England and a collection of odd British facts. About halfway into the book, Dorothy and Alan visit one of Alan's former colleague's sons to be godparents at the christening of a newborn son. A rite involving a dagger must be performed at the christening so the boy can inherit according to the estate's entail. Unfortunately the dagger is missing. Then a woman claiming to be mother of the current estate holder is found with a dagger in her back although she died of smoke inhalation. Alan and Dorothy assist a bit but most of the investigation is handled by the police. The ending seemed a bit abrupt. A better editor would have told the author to cut the first half of the book and expand the rest. Waiting until halfway through a book for a stolen dagger and corpse is too long in a mystery. I used to love the Dorothy Martin series but the last few I read contain major problems. Dams needs to decide whether she wants to write about village life or mysteries and stick with the genre. I received an advance electronic review copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Something Read, Something Dead

Gates, Eva. Something Read, Something Dead. New York: Crooked Lane, 2019.

The lighthouse has a crack threatening continuing library operations unless significant funds are raised. Josie's upcoming wedding brings in distant relatives from New Orleans who think she's way behind on her wedding planning and try to take over. When one of them shows up dead, Josie becomes a suspect. The state police send in their own detective since the local law enforcement know the main suspect too well. Officer Watson doesn't even try to dissuade Lucy from her investigation in his usual manner. The action takes place during winter when tourism is slow on the Outer Banks. I figured this one out much earlier than Lucy did, but it didn't stop me from enjoying my trip to the Outer Banks with the enjoyable cast of characters, including Charlie the lighthouse cat. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Broken Bone China

Childs, Laura. Broken Bone China. New York: Berkley Prime Crime, 2019.

Theodosia and Drayton witness a drone intentionally taking out a nearby hot air balloon as they soar above Charleston. The three person aboard were killed in the explosion. Then an employee of one of murdered men reports the theft of a valuable historic flag. Theodosia's detective boyfriend is attending a conference out of town  most of the book. Tidwell is the main investigator. Needless to say, Theodosia does a little detecting. Readers always wish they could visit the tea shop on their trips to Charleston. I wanted to attend all the themed teas she did in this installment, especially the Nancy Drew one! It's a satisfying installment in a long-running series. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expecation of an honest review.

The Spook in the Stacks

Gates, Eva. The Spook in the Stacks. New York: Crooked Lane Books, 2018.

Once again Lucy, the staff, and patrons of the Lighthouse Library, located on North Carolina's Outer Banks, find themselves in the midst of a murder. The victim,a former area resident who planned to donate his collection of valuable historical documents to the library, dies at a library event, and Lucy finds him. Until the evening of the murder, his finalists list for the collection also included Blackmore College's history department. His granddaughter and curator accompanied him to the Outer Banks, immediately becoming suspects. Lucy's boyfriend Connor seeks re-election as mayor, spending much of his time, campaigning. Butch, the detective, warns Lucy against detecting, but somehow the mystery seeks her out. Louise Jane enthralls guests with her haunting stories of local ghosts while Lucy spots her first one and some inexplicable happenings with a model ship on loan from Louise Jane. Although light and cozy, the book keeps the reader engaged. Some portions, particularly in the first few chapters, seemed a bit repetitious, providing details such as Lucy's living arrangements in more than one location. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher via NetGalley with expectations of an honest review.

Twelve Slays of Christmas

Frost, Jacqueline. Twelve Slays of Christmas. (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery, no. 1). New York: Crooked Lane Books, 2017.

What a fun cozy Christmas mystery! Holly White returns home to Mistletoe, Maine after a failed engagement, just in time for the 12 days of reindeer games hosted on her parents' farm. Unfortunately Margaret Fenwick, head of the local historical society, is killed right on the farm, and Holly discovers the body. Holly can't help but investigate, which brings threats to her and her parents. I really enjoyed this light mystery which includes a spark of romance between Holly and Sheriff Evan Gray, a Boston transplant. I enjoyed many of Holly's friends. This one has a lot of potential as a series, although if murders continue at Christmas each year, I doubt anyone will be wanting to visit the reindeer games. I look forward to the next installment of the series and may try some of the author's "Kitty Couture" mysteries written under the name Julie Chase. I received an advance review e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Death Overdue

Brook, Allison. Death Overdue. (Haunted Library Mystery ; 1). New York: Crooked Lane, 2017.

Carrie, a floating librarian at a Connecticut public library, decided it was time to move on when opportunity knocked on her door. While her uncle, a member of the library board was partially responsible for the opportunity, library director Sally offers her a permanent position in programs and events. After a brief consideration, she decides to accept the job and begins looking for a home. At the first event, set up by the librarian who moved away, the detective who failed to solve a case years before and suddenly claims to have solved it dies. A cookie unlike any purchased for the event bore the poison. Carrie and the son of the woman murdered years before set out to solve the crime. Carrie soon discovers the ghost of a former library director resides in the library. Only a few people see her. The ghost proves helpful to Carrie on a number of occasions. While I really don't like paranormal elements such as ghosts, this one is beneficent. I think it's a cute Halloween installment, but I'm not sure it will work long-term as a plot device. I fingered the murderer pretty early, but the author crafted several red herrings. I'll probably read the next installment. I received an advance uncorrected e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

An Echo of Murder

Perry, Anne. An Echo of Murder: A William Monk Novel. New York: Ballantine, 2017.

The murder of a Hungarian man whose shop faces the river brings Monk and his Thames River force to the scene. The crime is horrific--extremely violent, an act of hate--and accompanied by 17 candles, two of which are purple, and the smashing of Roman Catholic icons. A man, aspiring to be the leader of the Hungarian community in London, is first on the scene. His alibi is airtight. The man is very observant. Communicating with the Hungarian population is problematic.

Monk and Hester's adopted son "Scuff" is apprenticed to a doctor, coming in contact with Fitz, a doctor who served with Hester in Crimea. As the body count grows, the pressure to locate the perpetrator increases due to the growing unrest of the Hungarian community.

I do not read every installment of the Monk series, but I enjoyed this one very much. While any experienced mystery reader will be able to predict some of the action, certain aspects of this installment will keep readers interested. It held my attention--something most books failed to do recently.

I received an advance review copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Death of a Busybody

Bellairs, George. Death of a Busybody. Scottsdale, Arizona: Poisoned Pen Press, 2017.

Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is called to assist DC Harriwinkle in the village of Hillary Magna when the village "busybody" Miss Tither is murdered. She displayed a "holier than thou" attitude and aimed to make people repent of their errant ways. Lots of people, as you can imagine, have motives, and a recently changed will provides an interesting twist. Suspicion even falls to the vicarage. Bellairs' carefully crafted plot will cause many to second-guess or change their minds along the way about whodunit. My biggest problem with the book is the naming of charcters. I'm not certain how intentional it was, but I felt the author was finding a way to belittle the church with his names. I'm glad British Library is bringing back these classics, and I thank Poisoned Pen Press for providing an advance readers e-galley for review purposes.

Bibliomysteries

Penzler, Otto, ed. Bibliomysteries: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores. New York: Pegasus, 2017.


As with most collections of short stories, some resonated more with me than others.

"An Acceptable Sacrifice" by Jeffery Deaver - Mexican drug lord with a weakness for books. Not my thing.

"Pronghorns of the Third Reich" by C J Box - A couple of men kidnap a lawyer who won a case involving one of the men and his grandfather. Books play a role, but I don't want to give away the plot.

"The Book of Virtue" by Ken Bruen - A lot of short choppy sentences that create a tale a bit too "noir" and full of crude language for me.

"The Book of Ghosts" by Reed Farrel Coleman - A story born out of a World War II fabrication of a "Book of Ghosts."

"The Final Testament" by Peter Blauner - Sauerwald visits Freud in Britain, discussing Freud's books, a manuscript Freud is writing, and one Sauerwald himself wrote. It gets bogged down in places.

"What's In a Name?" by Thomas H. Cook - An old schoolmate visits Altman carrying a manuscript. Book has an interesting twist.

"Book Club" by Loren D. Estleman - Guy who collects rare books is murdered.

"Death Leaves a Bookmark" by William Link - Excellent mystery featuring Lt. Columbo as detective.This was my personal favorite in the collection.

"The Book Thing" by Laura Lippman - What's going on with a series of book thefts in a Baltimore children's bookstore? Tess helps discover what's going on and finds a way to prevent it in the future. I liked this one a lot.

"The Scroll" by Anne Perry - Mystery centers on the discovery of a scroll, written in Aramaic, with unusual properties.

"It's in the Book" by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins - Mike Hammer is entrusted with a finding book or ledger believed to exist. Spillane is not my typical mystery read, but I liked this one a lot.

"The Long Sonata of the Dead" by Andrew Taylor - This is set in the London Library. There's a man having an affair. I'm really not quite sure what to make of this one. It's just weird.

"Rides a Stranger" by David Bell - A college professor returns home for his dad's funeral, making a surprising discovery about his father's literary life.

"The Caxton Library & Book Depository" by John Connolly - A man witnesses what appears to be a re-enactment of Anna Karenina. Then he witnesses it again. His investigations of the strange matter lead him to the Caxton Library.

"The Book Case" by Nelson DeMille - Bookstore owner is killed by a bookcase falling on him. It appears an accident to most, but the detective discovers wedges holding the case in place were removed. He interviewed suspects and solved the case.

My favorite stories were not those written by the authors I typically read and enjoy. Readers may discover they wish to give a chance to a "new to them" author or to one who may be a better writer now than in earlier days.

I received an electronic advance review copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books

Edwards, Martin. The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books. Scottsdale, Arizona: Poisoned Pen Press, 2017.

Don't let the title mislead you. The book discusses far more than 100 mysteries. It does, however, provide a little more depth of coverage on about 100  titles. The book is intended as a companion volume to the British Library Crime Classics series. It arranges the mysteries into categories by the types of mysteries they are. (For example, locked room, vacation spots, manor houses, etc.) Mystery lovers are certain to find a few books they missed through the years to add to their to-be-read lists. Fortunately the British Library Crime Classics series is making many of these readily available for a new generation of readers to discover. I received an advance electronic galley of the title from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

Brooklyn on Fire

Levy, Lawrence H. Brooklyn on Fire. New York: Broadway Books, 2016.

Mary Handley is a female private investigator. When her brother is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, an actress, she sets out to prove his innocence. The plot quickly weakens as the author begins dropping names of New York's upper crust, even engaging Mary to George Vanderbilt. It simply is not believable even though some of the novel is based on real events, and those characters are included, including the investigative team of Mary Handley and Superintendent Campbell. With the exception of the believability factor, the mystery itself is plotted well enough. The final few chapters leave an opening that many of the characters will make repeat appearances in future installments, once again being interviewed by Mary in her investigations. This review is based on an Advance Review Copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

Murder by Matchlight

Lorac, E. C. R. Murder by Matchlight. Mineola, New York: Dover, 2015.

This reprint from the Golden Age of Mysteries features the death of a man known as John Ward on a bridge. Although witnesses catch a glimpse of the murder, his identity is unknown. A small pool of suspects, most of whom reside in the house with the man known as Ward, are interviewed by Inspector MacDonald and his colleagues. Evidence points to "John Ward" being an assumed name and another identity is found for the man which begins to yield motives in the group. While some of the characters could have been a bit more developed, others are sufficiently developed. Although it is not a particularly complicated mystery, it is enjoyable. Dover Publications is doing a great service providing better access to this and other mysteries of the Golden Age. This review is based on an Advance Readers Copy provided by the author through NetGalley with the expectation a review would be written.

Invisible by Lorena McCourtney

Ivy Malone is an elderly woman whose best friend dies. Her best friend rents an apartment to a young woman going by the name of Kendra. When Kendra disappears and a body is found matching her description, Ivy comes forward to identify the body. The woman had been using the identity of someone deceased. Ivy is not satisfied that the police are being thorough and sets out to investigate. There were parts of this story I enjoyed. The opening chapter has Ivy and her best friend in a cemetery and appalled by the vandalism that had taken place there. Having seen cemeteries in this condition, I can completely identify with the outrage. Ivy, however, has some neighbors who are obsessed with genealogy. Unfortunately the author seems to be making fun of their avocation. Genealogical research is not pictured in a favorable light, and the author's unfamiliarity with professional genealogical standards is quite apparent. This is a minor plot line, but it marred my enjoyment of the book. There is a problem with believability. I really cannot picture an elderly woman such as Ivy crouching all night in a cemetery behind tombstones hiding out or being willing to do so. There are also other things that just do not seem that plausible. Ivy is a likable sleuth. This is a work of Christian fiction, and at times I felt that the author was being evangelistic rather than allowing testimonies to take a natural course. All this said, Ivy is likeable, as is one of the detectives, and I would probably read the second book if it is offered as a free Kindle download as this first one was. 2.5 stars.

Why Did This Have to Be Fictional?

I am in the midst of reading Karen MacInerney's Murder Most Maine which was published at the end of 2008. There is a most interesting historical mystery in the story line. It involves a lighthouse keeper who disappeared in the 1840s, a slave bounty hunter, and some "parcels" arriving from South Carolina bound for a Canadian province. There are places in the story where I'm just "itching" to do some genealogical research on the persons in the story. The only thing is that I can't do it, because they are fictitious. I have enjoyed it as the amateur sleuth and the island historian have done the research for me in the available records (such as they are for fictitious people), but it's just not the same as doing it oneself. I love sleuthing out those details! I'm not quite done with this book, but I am enjoying it.

As I began to puzzle through the sleuthing aspect of mysteries and genealogical research problems, I began to wonder, "Do all genealogists love mysteries?"