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Review of Lost Luggage by Wendall Thomas

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From the publisher

Cyd Redondo, a young, third-generation Brooklyn travel agent who specializes in senior citizens, has never ventured farther than New Jersey. Yet even Jersey proves risky when her Travel Agents’ Convention fling, Roger Claymore, leaves her weak in the knees-and everywhere else-then sneaks out of her Atlantic City hotel room at three a.m.

Back in Brooklyn, when she reads about smugglers stopped at JFK with skinks in their socks or monkeys down their pants, she never imagines she will join their ranks. But days after the pet store owner next door to Redondo Travel is poisoned, Cyd wins a free safari. Her boss, Uncle Ray, wants to cash it in for computers, but Cyd is determined to go. When Roger turns up at the Redondo clan’s door, Cyd invites him along as her “plus one.” And just like that she is thrown heels-first into the bizarre and sinister world of international animal smuggling.

She and Roger arrive in Africa, luggage lost, to find two of Cyd’s elderly clients in a local jail. She manages to barter them out, only to discover smugglers have hidden five hundred thousand dollars’ worth of endangered parrots, snakes, frogs, and a lone Madagascan chameleon in the clients’ outbound luggage. When Roger steals the bags—is the U.S. Embassy in on the contraband ring?—Cyd and the chameleon helicopter into the jungle to go after Roger on their own.

Wondering if “plus one” Roger is actually a minus, Cyd dodges Interpol, faces off with a cobra, steals a diplomatic bag, hijacks a FedEx truck, crashes an eco-safari, winds up in a leopard trap, and is forced to smuggle snakes in her bra. It’s a scramble to find the smugglers, save her clients, and solve Mrs. Barsky’s murder before finding herself at the top of the endangered species list.

My review of Lost Luggage

Lost Luggage is a riotous romp through Africa. It’s filled with clever dialogue, funny situations, and more OMG moments than a bungee jump marathon. And that’s exactly what it feels like travel agent extraordinaire Cyd Redondo has done—entered a world in which cliffhangers are just the beginning of a new adventure.

It’s difficult to make me laugh out loud when I’m reading, but Lost Luggage did that many times over. Cyd Redondo and her naive-but-savvy travel brilliance had me begging for more. An outstanding read that will not only have you flipping pages to see how Cyd handles her latest crisis, but also to find out who’s behind all the chaos.

Review of Brewed Awakening by Cleo Coyle

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Brewed Awakening by Cleo CoyleFrom the publisher of Brewed Awakening

When coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi awakens on a bench in Washington Square Park, she has no idea she’s been missing for days, or that her friends and family have been frantic with worry. Now that she’s back, everyone is overjoyed, including a handsome NYPD detective who claims to be her fiancé. But to Mike Quinn’s crushing distress, Clare doesn’t remember him, or much of anything about the last fifteen years of her life.

Clare’s missing memory is tied to a crime she witnessed. An acquaintance of Clare’s elegant employer–and fellow member of an exclusive Gotham circle known as “The Ladies Who Brunch”–invited Clare to her posh hotel to sample gourmet wedding cakes. After their indulgent tasting, they headed to the parking garage, where a camera captured a masked figure with a gun confronting the hotel heiress with Clare looking on. Did the kidnapper take Clare, too? The camera went dark, just like Clare’s memory. Soon authorities grow suspicious. Is Clare really a victim? Or merely acting like one? Evidence is mounting that she set the woman up.

To clear her name, Clare must find a way to reclaim her memories and rescue the heiress before this high-stakes crime ends in tragedy. Otherwise, instead of walking down the aisle, Clare may find herself perp-walking to prison as an accomplice to kidnapping and murder.

My review

A well done blend of cozy mystery and suspense. In this case, the suspense comes from questions surrounding Clare’s loss of memory and what she will remember when and if she recovers her memory. The interplay between the characters and their competing priorities served to keep the story on an edge between success and failure. 

Kudos to the Cleo Coyle writing team for the way this installment was put together. Clare’s apprehension and fear, as well as that of those around her, dominate the story, but are woven into the mystery storyline. This one kept me on the edge all the way through.

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Review of The Fever Cabinet by Frankie Bow

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Image003From the publisher

All Professor Molly wanted to do was teach literature. Instead she’s been named department chair. She’s buried in Student Retention paperwork. She has to mentor the department’s new star, the prickly Fiona Spencer. The college has just relocated to a former asylum, and the air conditioning is broken. At least nothing else can go wrong.Until Fiona finds a body in her office.

My review of The Fever Cabinet

Let’s get right to the point—I thoroughly enjoyed The Fever Cabinet. To begin with, I found Professor Molly’s predicament fascinating—she’s a tenured professor, head of her department, yet is hamstrung by the bureaucracy and a limited budget. It’s a side of academics most of us never think about.

The characters came across as quirky, but realistic. Despite her snobbish attitude, Fiona, the second POV character in the story, was surprisingly enjoyable to follow. Perhaps it was the fact that she, like Professor Molly, was caught in a difficult situation—living in a place she doesn’t like, tolerating a boss she finds intrusive, and slowly learning she’s married to a philandering husband she really doesn’t know. All in all, it’s a very complex set of relationships that set the stage for a well-written story.

I would have liked to have seen Professor Molly do a bit more sleuthing earlier in the story. However, once she was on the trail, the hunt was on to reveal an unexpected killer. The dialogue was also fun. There was just enough of the Hawaiian islands’ pidgin sprinkled throughout. There wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to give the feel of the islands without burdening the reader with the need to translate what is basically a foreign language. It was a nice touch that added character to a delightful read.

Review of Serf and Turf

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Serf and Turf coverFrom the publisher of Serf and Turf

A dead serf, soccer moms, and the world’s most interesting man complicate Marty’s life. Will his girlfriend disappear next?

When a dead body comes between Marty Golden and his girlfriend, how will he put things to rights? Juggling work, family and his love life, Marty is far from a Renaissance Man. Yet, if he wants his life back to normal, this quirky uncle must race to solve the murder of a serf in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Can Marty scour Silicon Valley for the killer before it’s too late?

Serf and Turf is the hilarious third novel in the Silicon Valley Mystery series. If you like your mysteries funny, witty and with more twists than red licorice, you’ll love this laugh-out-loud cozy mystery. 

My review

If you’re looking for an unusual protagonist, look no further. Marty Golden takes the unreliable narrator to a whole new level. With more red herrings than you’ll find in a New England fish market, Serf and Turf will keep you guessing until the end.

Even though he’s overly-impressed with his capabilities and importance while at the same time being hopelessly insecure, Marty is still the man who solves the crime. The laugh-out-loud moments in this book were well done. Much of Marty’s sleuthing appears to have little to do with actual crime solving, yet all of Marty’s missteps move him closer to ferreting out the killer. The dialogue in Serf and Turf feels natural, however, I did find Marty’s introspection a bit much.

When Marty revealed the killer’s identity at the end of the book, I was completely surprised. I even went back to check for the clue that led Marty to solve the crime. To my surprise, it was there—and I’d missed it.

Learn more about Marc Jedel and the Silicon Valley Mystery series at www.marcjedel.com.

 

 

Review: Mumbo Gumbo Murder by Laura Childs

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Mumbo Gumbo Murder

Mumbo Gumbo Murder coverFrom the publisher of Mumbo Gumbo Murder

A shocking murder strikes a sour note during Jazz Fest in the latest New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

It’s Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and the giant puppets from the Beastmaster Puppet Theatre are parading through the French Quarter. Some are very spooky and veiled, others are tall and gangly, like strange aliens.

As the parade proceeds, Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava, follow behind, down Royal Street and past the food booths. Suddenly, they hear a terrible crash from Devon Dowling’s antiques shop. They rush inside to find Devon collapsed with blood streaming down the side of his face. Has he been shot? Stabbed? 911 is hastily called, and the police and EMTs show up. After the police examine Devon’s body, they tell Carmela and Ava that their friend was murdered with an icepick. They’re shocked beyond belief—and now Mimi, Devon’s little pug, is left homeless.

Carmela and Ava are determined to catch the murderer, but the list of suspects is long. How long do they have before they find themselves on the killer’s list?

My review

Mumbo Gumbo Murder is classic Laura Childs. Lots of food, antics, and fun. This cozy is filled with plenty of atmosphere from New Orleans and the Jazz Festival. The descriptions are lively and the setting takes on a life of its own. The best news is the mystery part of the story remains a puzzler to the end. Fans of the Scrapbooking Mysteries will love to lose themselves in the chase as Carmela and Ava go on their quest to find the killer despite the stern cautions from Carmela’s hot detective boyfriend Edgar who, of course, warns her to steer clear of his murder investigation or face his wrath.

Learn more about Laura Childs at laurachilds.com. 

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Review of Stir Up by Annabelle Hunter

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Stir Up review book coverFrom the publisher

Peace and quiet is underrated.

After her last brush with murder, Larklyn Davis is relieved to be spending her time with the talented new horse at her stables instead of tripping over body parts. While she’s trying to figure out why her newest horse has lost his mojo, she’s also puzzling over her relationship with the brooding, uncommunicative Detective Brecken Wilson.

But then, disaster strikes, and both Lark’s reputation and business are on the line. Once again she finds herself pulled into a murder case and in close proximity to the handsome Detective. Throw in a dashing veterinarian plus a matchmaking town and Lark’s life spins out of control. As clues pile up and all evidence leads back to her barn, Lark gets saddled up to solve another mystery.

Who knew life in Barrow Bay would stir up so much trouble?

My review of Stir Up

Stir Up is an equestrian themed mystery with an unusual twist—the murder victim is a horse. It’s obvious the author cares deeply about horses and animal cruelty. At first, this departure from the traditional blueprint for a mystery bothered me, but as the story progressed, I found the plot twist refreshing.

The main character, Lark Davis, is a mixture of spunk, snark, and sass. In a world of snarky characters, Lark reigns supreme. She’s got a comeback or comment—even if it’s only in her head—for every person, conversation, and situation. For me, Lark’s internal monologue slowed the story.
Unfortunately, Lark’s obsession with her love life, or lack thereof, became a bit much for me. For those who love getting involved in the main character’s personal life, Lark’s your girl. And for those mystery readers who are also horse lovers—mount up because Stir Up has you covered.

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