Mousse and Murder

Logan, Elizabeth. Mousse and Murder. New York: Berkley Prime Crime, 2020.

In the premiere installment of a new cozy series, Charlie and her cat Benny reside in Alaska where she runs the diner her now-retired parents established. When her chef turns up dead, Trooper deputizes Charlie and a newspaper reporter. Motives for several persons begin to emerge. While some plot elements seem a little far-fetched, I found this a pleasant mystery in an enjoyable setting with local characters I enjoyed. While I did figure it out before the sleuth did, I initially suspected a different person. I loved Benny the cat and his role in the mystery! I received an advance electronic copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Pumpkin Spice Peril

McKinlay, Jenn. Pumpkin Spice Peril. New York: Berkley Prime Crime, 2020.

Rene dies just before a catered event in which her artistic creation will debut. Mel becomes a suspect when the police chief questions how she keeps finding bodies and threatens her with an independent counsel investigation into her involvement in past homicides. Meanwhile Angie battles morning sickness but her brothers provide support for her and Mel. I found this to be a pleasant diversion. Even though I missed several installments, my familiarity with the characters was adequate to appreciate this. Even though I rarely read more than 50 pages at a time, I enjoyed this one. These COVID-19 days filled with other distractions account for the length of time it took to read it. I suspect under normal circumstances this would have been read in a few hours. I received an advance review copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Sugar and Vice

Calder, Eve. Sugar and Vice. New York: St. Martin's, 2020.

Although I missed the first installment of this series, the author provided enough background on the characters that I quickly caught up. While planting, Maxi finds a corpse presumed to belong to a legendary pirate. The Coral Cay grapevine alerts residents to the discovery. When an archaeologist arrives on the scene, he delivers the verdict the man died in the last ten years. Soon Kate and the gang begin investigating. My biggest complaint involves the choppiness of the writing. 68 chapters provided far too many breaks in a novel this length. Between the choppy chapters and COVID-19 distractions to reading, I found it difficult to concentrate. I'd give it 2.75 stars, but since I realize these are unusual times and my ability to fully enjoy any book is marred, I'm rounding it up to 3. I received an advance review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Haunted Lady

Rinehart, Mary Roberts. The Haunted Lady. New York: Penzler Publishers, 2020.

When repeated attempts to rattle or kill wealthy widow Eliza Fairbanks occur, the police send nurse Hilda Adams to care for her. Greeted by a swarm of relatives with motives to kill the woman, Adams knows Eliza's imagination did not get carried away. When the woman turns up dead, the police and nurse Adams must sift through lies and clues to come up with the real murderer.  Roberts drops too many obvious hints of future events. The mystery shows its age in some aspects, but it still presents an interesting puzzle for modern readers. I received an advance review copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Gone with the Whisker

Cass, Laurie. Gone with the Whisker. New York: Berkley, 2020.

I love Eddie the Bookmobile Cat! Minnie's niece Katie comes north to spend the summer, taking on three jobs. Rafe, Katie's boyfriend, works on the home he's preparing for them. In the meantime, Minnie lives on the houseboat. After Katie stumbles over the corpse of a bookmobile patron, Minnie promises to help catch the man's murderer. Eddie helps locate a second corpse later. He plays additional roles later. It's a fun read for mystery lovers who are cat lovers. I caught a couple of typos in the advance review copy that I hope an editor corrects in the final version. I received the advance review copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Speak, Lord, for Thy Servant is Listening!

COVID-19 continues to rage in our country. Unlike anything witnessed during our lives, it changes our day-to-day lives. The other day our associate pastor's wife posted the following to her Facebook page:

You've cleared our schedules.
You've flipped our focus.
You clearly have much to say, Lord.
Now will you still our racing thoughts?
Calm our spirits?
It is noisy, Lord.
Help us to not miss Your voice.

Those words reminded me of Samuel's words in the Old Testament, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:10, NASB)

Other Facebook posts remind us of how God is removing idols such as sports and money and giving us an opportunity to seek His face in this time of need.

This morning my Bible reading plan included Deuteronomy 4 as one of the texts. While it refers to circumstances in the lives of the Israelites, it reminded me of our present situation as well. In the chapter Israel was chasing after gods made by hands instead of the one true God. God allowed Israel to be scattered among the peoples. However, this time of trial and testing produced good for verses 29-31 proclaim:

29) But from there you will seek the Lord you God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. 30) When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. 31) For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

May we recognize our sin and return to the Lord! Speak, Lord, for Thy servant is listening.

A Body in the Bookshop

Cox, Helen. A Body in the Bookshop. London: Quercus, 2019.

I enjoyed this book until about 40% through the book when the book took a turn I did not expect. It was one I, as a Christian, did not wish to read about in detail. I took a break for a few days and returned to the book but when the theme picked back up immediately, I knew it was time to abandon the book. Nothing about this appeared in the book's description, and I will not be reading previous or future installments. I received an advance electronic copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Beheld

Nesbit, TaraShea. Beheld. New York: Bloomsbury, 2020.

Nesbit imagines life in the Plymouth Colony in this fictionalized account providing a back story and after story to its first murder. The author writes in the vernacular of the day, creating a piece which helps the reader become absorbed in 17th century life. Much of the story's narration comes from the wife of the convicted murderer. Her differences with Bradford and Standish at times make the reader question her reliability as a narrator and at times create questions of the integrity of the colonial leaders. The book, lacking an action-driven plot, requires the reader to savor the characters and atmosphere created by the author. As someone who loves colonial American history, I enjoyed this book; however, it may not be a book for everyone. I received an advance review copy from Bloomsbury, the publisher. While an honest review was encouraged, it was not required.

Eight Perfect Murders

Swanson, Peter. Eight Perfect Murders. New York: William Morrow, 2020.

What a fun read! Malcolm Kershaw runs a mystery bookstore in Boston.  A female FBI agent walks in near closing time one day to ask about a blog post he wrote some years back for the store on "Eight Perfect Murders." She sees a pattern between random murders and the post which discusses such crime classics as Strangers on the Train and The A. B. C. Murders. Readers ponder the reliability of the narrator among other things. It includes some aspects of a psychological thriller. Lovers of crime classics will want to dip into this one which may or may not leave them guessing until the last page due to twists and turns along the way. I needed its edginess as the moment. Did I mention there's a cat? I won an advance copy through GoodReads. Although requiring no review, the giveaway encourages winners to write an honest one.

British Murder

Meier, Leslie. British Murder. New York: Kensington, 2020.

This book is an omnibus featuring two earlier Lucy Stone mysteries set in England.

English Tea Murder: Lucy Stone and some of her friends join a tour group from Winchester College to England. While still in the air, the tour leader dies of an allergic reaction. A doctor on board the plane who is a member of the group is unable to save the man in time. Lucy and her friends begin to notice some strange things. One member of the group attempts suicide; Lucy's friend Pam is barely spared when pushed in front of traffic. Could the members of the group be involved in a conspiracy? If so, what possible reason could they have had to murder a well-beloved professor? The mystery element in this book is fairly light. The book is mostly an account of a visit to England with a few misadventures along the way. While I enjoyed the sights and sounds of England, I was a bit disappointed that there was not a more clear-cut murder in this one.

British Manor Murder: Lucy's grandson moved to Alaska with her son and his wife. She mopes because she missed seeing the lad. Her friend Sue asks Lucy to accompany her to England for a hat show at Moreton Manor. They expected more grandeur, but find the manor itself serves as a tourist attraction while the family lives in a secondary house. As they wander in the maze, they find a corpse. They discover things are not quite they seem at the manor with cheap reproductions replacing valuable art pieces. Some inconsistency exists between the earlier installment with a British setting and this one. In English Tea Murder Pam, faced with a maze, states the key is to turn to the left since designers know most people will turn right. In this one, Pam can't figure out which way to go and turns right, getting them lost in the maze. It seems either Pam or Lucy would remember this and automatically go left.

I received the omnibus as an electronic advance copy through NetGalley with expectations of an honest review.

Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut

Graves, Sarah. Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut. New York: Kensington Books, 2020.

The town's pirate festival promises to be good business for Jacobia "Jake" and her friend Ellie who own the local bakery. When a man turns up dead in their basement, Jake becomes the chief suspect and knows she needs to catch the person or persons responsible before she lands in jail. The bakery plays a secondary role in this adventure with the seaside location paramount. While the main characters feel better developed than in the first installment, the mystery itself needs better plotting. Jake and Ellie come across as bumbling fools who fail to heed their own intuition, rather than clever amateur detectives. I almost quit reading this installment when a snake scene went on far too long. Potential exists for the series, but it still needs a dose of reality achieve it.

Coconut Layer Cake Murder

Fluke, Joanne. Coconut Layer Cake Murder. New York: Kensington Books, 2020.

Hannah accompanies her mother to California to visit a relative. Doc prescribed the vacation for her when he diagnosed her with stress. It isn't long until she receives a message the police need her help in an investigation in which Lonnie's presence makes him a suspect. Mike can't investigate because Lonnie is his partner. Only a newly minted detective and the chief himself can investigate, so even the chief wants Hannah to meddle this time. The victim's personality made her unpopular so several persons held motives. A remains of a coconut layer cake plays into the investigation, thus giving the installment its title. The book contains lots of recipes. The premise of this one does not really hold up that well as the police would have called in the state to conduct the investigation. However, it was fun. The love triangle between Hannah, Norman, and Mike continues. I received an electronic advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Much Ado About Nutmeg

Fox, Sarah. Much Ado About Nutmeg. LaVergne, Tennessee: Lyrical Underground, 2020.

When a man goes overboard on a yacht and a vicious sports writer's body emerges from the same waters, Marley McKinney, the owner of Flip Side, a pancake house in Wildwood Cove, begins pursuing the case. In spite of reminders from the sheriff about dangers of her involvement, she questions people she encounters who are in town for the Golden Oldies Games. Marley prepares for her wedding with Brett as she runs her business and pokes her nose into the investigation. Although I did not read the previous five installments, I really enjoyed the setting and the central characters for this series. I want to go back and read the earlier installments. It's a perfect read for when you need something on the cozy side. I received an advance electronic copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Finding Time to Read

Last week saw the birth of the International Genealogy Book Club. Over the weekend members shared to be read books in piles, shelves, and digital reading stashes. Many found another book to add to the pile.

An administrator asked, "What are some of your tricks to carve more reading time out of your day?"

As someone who read over 300 books in 2018 and over 225 in 2019, I asked myself what my tricks are. I came up with a few things:

1) Listening to audio books on my commute to work and whenever I drive longer distances. Generally speaking if my drive is more than 5 minutes, I listen to an audio book. Yes, I occasionally need a break from it. I sometimes allow myself one work commute (either going or coming home) to clear my mind. If I get tired of listening on the road, I change to the radio, a CD, or downloaded music for awhile. However, I listen to audio books the majority of the time I drive.

2) Reading during lunch break. I usually either take my own lunch or grab something in the library's cafe which I take to my office. This allows me to read while I'm eating, and it gives me about a half-hour to read without interruption afterwards.

3) Reading as I man the service desk in the mornings. I open the library most days. Most students simply print assignments from our computers or retrieve print jobs sent from their rooms. Most of my job responsibilities require special software not available at the front desk. I do not usually get a lot of questions during this time so it's a good time to read.While it amounts to only 15 minutes or so, it enables me to knock out a few pages.

4) Kitty cuddle time. My cats love to sit on my lap as I read. I can even pet them and read. Turning pages may interrupt the petting momentarily, but they wait for me to resume! I read faster than I used to read. If I'm reading fiction or popular non-fiction, my rate is roughly a page per minute. If I'm reading an NGSQ article that needs to be studied or something I may use in a presentation, it takes a little longer, depending on how many notes I take, references I check, etc.

5) Morning devotional time. I read through the Bible each year using a reading plan--usually one in the YouVersion Bible app. I also use some sort of through the Bible daily devotional. These books usually contain one or two pages per day. I also read some other Christian work during the devotion time. It may be a book on Christian living, a Bible study, a devotional commentary, or other book. I try to read a chapter per day (or its equivalent).

6) A chapter per day plan. This works really well for books of short stories or essay-driven books. For example, Generations and Change offers 16 academic essays on genealogy or family history. Reading one essay/chapter per day allows me to finish it in 16 days.

7) As I catalog books. I must confess to reading every picture book which comes across my desk to add to the collection. We don't purchase a lot--usually only the Caldecott winners. However, I enjoy these momentary escapes into my childhood! We receive gift collections. Most books end up in an annual book sale, but I will hold an interesting book destined for the sale in my office to read during lunch and then put it in a box heading to the book sale room.

8) On the plane. If I'm flying, I usually read something. Sometimes it is a book; sometimes it may be NGSQ.

Facets of Death

Stanley, Michael. Facets of Death. Naperville, Illinois: Poisoned Pen Press, 2020.

In this prequel to  Kubu Bengu series, a heist at the world's largest diamond mine sends the straight-out-of-the-university Bengu and CID colleagues into investigation mode, especially when the robbers are killed but the diamonds remain missing. Suspicion falls to a local witch doctor, but the young officer comes up with a plan to solve the case. Will he succeed or fail? The novel felt disjointed to me because the chapters were so short. Ultimately the mystery itself was gratifying, but the novel's flow stymied by the writing. I received an advance review electronic copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Come Homicide or High Water

Swanson, Denise. Come Homicide or High Water. Naperville, Illinois: Poisoned Pen Press, 2020.

A woman whose husband claims she suffers dementia goes missing in Scumble River. A woman who plans to take the high school principal to court turns up dead. School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd, now on maternity leave, and her husband Wally, chief of police, investigate. While much of the plot is implausible as in many cozy mysteries, it's still an enjoyable holiday read set around Thanksgiving but referring to Christmas in places. I received an advance electronic copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Murder in Rat Alley

Castrique, Mark de. Murder in Rat Alley. Naperville, Illinois: Poisoned Pen Press, 2019.

Sam Blackman and his partner Nakayla Robertson investigate a death linked to the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute near Asheville. The man's remains were found when equipment was brought in to help with current operations. He had been missing for decades. His former fiancee does not trust federal officials to get to the bottom of things because she thinks PAGI and other agencies covered up his disappearance. In the meantime someone burns Nakayla's home. Sam and Nakayla must work with several jurisdictional law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of the case. I enjoy the series, but this installment did not hold my attention as much as some, likely because of some espionage elements. I learn odd bits of Western North Carolina history because of this series. The setting always delivers!  This review is based on an advance review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Giver of Stars

Moyes, Jojo. The Giver of Stars. New York: Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, 2019.

Set during the years of the Works Progress Administration, this novel weaves the story of a group of pack horse librarians in the Kentucky Appalachian area. Margery spearheaded the efforts in Lee County. Alice, the English wife of the mine owner's son, Beth, Izzy, a slightly crippled young woman, and Sophia, a black woman trained to work in Louisville's libraries for blacks, assisted her. Later others began to help. Some thought the books and magazines might be too unwholesome, but they helped achieve a higher literacy rate in the area. Unhappy in her marriage and beaten by her father-in-law, Alice moved in with Margery. When a drunken man dies, apparently of an injury caused by a library book, the mine owner points suspicion to the very pregnant Margery whose family had a known feud with the man's clan. The book generates interest in the important New Deal era of American history by bringing interesting characters fulfilling an interesting role to life. Although the book included some information on the role of church in the area, particularly in regards to what materials certain persons would read, I felt the author underutilized that element by failing to show characters regularly attending church. The book ably depicts the courage and bravery of the women in navigating treacherous terrain and in humanitarian efforts during a flooding situation. I received this book through a GoodReads giveaway. Although no review is required, one is appreciated.

The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch

Potts, Kimberly. The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch: How the Canceled Sitcom Became the Beloved Pop Culture Icon We Are Still Talking About Today. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2019.

Author Kimberly Potts provides insight into one of television's most beloved programs of all time. The Brady Bunch never garnered top ratings during its five seasons, but it remains popular 50 years after the first show aired in syndication. Several other programs featuring the Brady Bunch cast appeared throughout the years, sometimes with a "fake Jan" or "fake Marcia." We learn about the show's casting, about Robert Reed's hatred for the program, and more in the pages. Comparisons to other shows of the time and influence upon shows that appeared later are covered. The show's fans will want to own or read a copy of this book. The book provided a trip down memory lane as the author mentioned things I read on the pages of popular teen magazines of the 70s such as Tiger Beat. The book covers the recent HGTV renovation of the home used for exterior house shots. I received an electronic advance review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The publisher classified this book under "Art & Photography" at NetGalley so I expected a little text with a lot of photos. Instead I got a lot of text and no photos. In spite of the disappointment, I still enjoyed the book.

The Body in the Dumb River

Bellairs, George. The Body in the Dumb River. 1961, Reprint with new introduction by Martin Edwards. Naperville, Illinois: Poisoned Pen Press, 2019.

With flooding in the area, the local police find themselves stretched to the limit. Since Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard wrapped up a case in the area, they call on him to investigate. The victim James Teasdale, aka Jim Lane, suffers the misfortune of being married to a woman from a snobbish family. He owned a carnival game attraction and spent most of the time on the road. His income helped maintain his wife's standard of living, but she nor her family knew how he really earned the income. While on the road, he lived with another woman to save money. Although the author includes several red herrings, the perpetrator seemed obvious. The writing style did not really grab me. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.