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Review of Ask Me No Questions: A Lady Dunbridge Mystery

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From the publisher of Ask Me No Questions

From New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble, Ask Me No Questions is the first in the Lady Dunbridge Mystery series featuring a widow turned sleuth in turn-of-the-twentieth century New York City.

A modern woman in 1907, Lady Dunbridge is not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She’s ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm.

From the decadence of high society balls to the underbelly of Belmont horse racing, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.

My review

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I love the time period, the pomp and circumstance, and and the spirit of the times. In short, I came into this book with high expectations.

The story begins with a smart introduction of Philomena Amesbury, the countess of Dunbridge. Known as Phil to her friends  She has sass, is smart, and has no compunction about showing up the police.

The strength of this book is the plot and the story. It’s filled with twists that left me unsure of who the killer was until the end. For readers who like the continuity of a series, the author introduced multiple long story arcs, which will likely form the basis of future stories.

In period pieces, I look forward to being immersed in the world, but I found the descriptions and character development weak. There were times when they didn’t paint a clear picture, making it difficult to visualize the setting, the dress, the atmosphere, and others where I was quite satisfied. The one main character who really shined was Detective Sergeant John Atkins. His essence and values were clear from the beginning and remained true throughout.

This was a good story overall. I was always interested to see what was coming next and wanted to know how Phil was going to solve the crime. I’m also curious as to what her next adventure will be.

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Review of Back Stabbers by Julie Mulhern

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From the publisher of Back Stabbers

All Ellison Russell wanted was an update on her stock portfolio. Instead, she found her broker dead.

With an unexpected out-of-town guest at her house, Ellison is too busy for a murder investigation. Only this time, Detective Anarchy Jones wants her help, and she can’t deny the handsome detective. Can Mr. Coffee supply her with enough caffeine to keep her brain sharp and everyone else happy?

Juggling bodies (one, two, three, four), two-faced friends, her social calendar, and a cat (yes, a cat) is taxing but Mother might be the biggest challenge of all.

With a killer drawing closer, can Ellison put together the pieces or will she be the one getting stabbed in the back?

My review

This cute cozy is filled with humor, twists-and-turns, and a look back to seventies high society. It’s a fun read with crisp dialogue and quirky characters. I especially liked the scene in which there is a literal cat-and-dog fight that results in plenty of mayhem. I don’t want to spoil the surprise of where the cat winds up, but it had me laughing out loud.

The identity if the killer isn’t clear until the end thanks to red herrings and some deft plotting. Relationships between the characters feel real—even when they’re the deliberately contrived relationships of people who mix socially but dislike each other. This creates some delicious backbiting which we, as readers, get to enjoy.

Book & a Latte Contest

What: This month, Julie is giving away one e-book copy of “Back Stabbers” and I’m adding a $5.00 Starbucks gift card. One random entry will be chosen as the winner. The winner will receive a book and a gift card.

How to enter: Choose one or more of the options below. Each option gives you an additional chance to win.

Who can enter: This contest is only open to anyone over 18 years of age.

Winners: Selected winners must claim prizes within 72 hours of notification. Verification of entries: All winning entries are subject to verification.

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Review of The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller

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From the publisher

A big bestseller leads to small town trouble.

Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure didn’t believe in ghosts, until she was haunted by the hard-boiled spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard. Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful…

After an elegant new customer has a breakdown in her shop, Penelope suspects there is something bogus behind the biggest bestseller of the year. This popular potboiler is so hot that folks in her tiny Rhode Island town are dying to read it–literally. First one customer turns up dead, followed by another mysterious fatality connected to the book, which Pen discovers is more than just fiction. Now, with the help of her gumshoe ghost, Pen must solve the real-life cold case behind the bogus bestseller before the killer closes the book on her.

My review of The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller

Who would have thought a dead gumshoe could be so much fun? Right from the beginning, the presence of a stereotypical 1930s private detective thrown into a modern world comes through loud and clear. This mystery is all about keeping things light. The dialogue between the protagonists comes through as a relationship between two people with a genuine attraction to each other.

The story moves along briskly, thanks to the banter between the two main characters. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about the whodunnit part of the mystery. This isn’t a story filled with deep character development or intense descriptions, but one that relies on an overabundance of cliches straight out of an old movie. The formula works, helping to give readers of The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller a mystery to solve along with that mysterious fun factor.

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Review of The Gold Pawn

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From the publisher of The Gold Pawn

November 1936. Mayor La Guardia’s political future buckles under a missing persons case in New York City. Simultaneously, Lane unravels devastating secrets in the outskirts of Detroit. As two crimes converge, judging friends from enemies can be a dangerous game . . .

My review

If you love the 1930s, get ready for a fun art-deco ride. The Gold Pawn picks up right where The Silver Gun left off. There’s enough back story to orient the reader, so this can be read as a standalone. Filled with gangsters, dolls, and atmosphere, the story is a nice escape to a sometimes simpler time. 

Lane is a thrill-seeking young woman whose heart has been stolen, and we feel her joy at taking risks as well as her anxiety over whether she should indulge her dark side. This contrast creates a fun character who takes us on a journey filled with layer upon layer of lies and deceit. Each revelation takes Lane closer to her ultimate goal, but that journey comes at a personal cost.

While the dialogue felt a bit plain at times, the story was always moving forward and progressing toward an exciting and satisfying conclusion. There are a variety of “heroes” in this story, including a group of homeless kids. This band of street urchins were among my favorite characters in the book.

This was an enjoyable read that held my interest throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to dive into such a colorful time in history.

Kensington and L.A. Chandler have special thank you gift to anyone who pre-orders THE GOLD PAWN and registers here at http://sites.kensingtonbooks.com/lachandlar/. It’s a limited edition gold author card, swag and a Silver Gun bracelet.

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Review of Prisoner in the Castle by Susan Elia MacNeal

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prisoner in the castleFrom the publisher of Prisoner in the Castle

World War II is raging, and former spy Maggie Hope knows too much.

She knows what the British government is willing to do to keep its secrets.

She knows the real location of the planned invasion of France.

She knows who’s lying. She knows who the double-crossers are. She knows exactly who is sending agents to their deaths.

These are the reasons Maggie is isolated on a remote Scottish island, in a prison known as Killoch Castle, out of contact with friends and family.

Then one of her fellow inmates drops dead in the middle of his after-dinner drink—and he’s only the first. As victims fall one by one, Maggie will have to call upon all her wits and skills to escape—not just certain death . . . but certain murder.

For what’s the most important thing Maggie Hope knows?

She must survive.

My review

The Prisoner in the Castle brings home the terror that anyone would feel if they were imprisoned on an island and a killer was on the loose. 

The characters were a quirky lot, but also felt real, and normal. Of course, that was the point of the Special Operations Executive, to see what ordinary people could do under extraordinary circumstances. The setting was also described well and felt appropriately depressing. Especially the castle. Yeesh! 

In this Maggie Hope adventure, we see the SOE premise brought home fully as we experience the systematic elimination of British spies gone astray. Will Maggie rise to this latest challenge?

At times, Maggie’s internal dialogue felt repetitive, but overall this was a good read. There’s a nice balance of action and twists to keep the story moving. This one will keep you turning the pages to see how—or if—Maggie Hope survives.

Review of Robert B. Parker’s The Hangman’s Sonnet

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From the publisher

Jesse Stone, still reeling from the murder of his fiancée by crazed assassin Mr. Peepers, must keep his emotions in check long enough to get through the wedding day of his loyal protégé, Suitcase Simpson. The morning of the wedding, Jesse learns that a gala 75th birthday party is to be held for folk singer Terry Jester. Jester, once the equal of Bob Dylan, has spent the last forty years in seclusion after the mysterious disappearance of the master recording tape of his magnum opus, The Hangman’s Sonnet.

That same morning, an elderly Paradise woman dies while her house is being ransacked. What are the thieves looking for? And what’s the connection to Terry Jester and the mysterious missing tape? Jesse’s investigation is hampered by hostile politicians and a growing trail of blood and bodies, forcing him to solicit the help of mobster Vinnie Morris and a certain Boston area PI named Spenser. While the town fathers pressure him to avoid a PR nightmare, Jesse must connect the cases before the bodies pile up further.

Review of The Hangman’s Sonnet

Readers of this series know about Jesse Stone’s drinking problem. This time, Jesse’s lack of control takes him to the brink of failure. Nevertheless, he must persevere or lose everything he’s worked for throughout his career.

Very little felt unnecessary in The Hangman’s Sonnet, except for a few scenes in which we met two of the “bad guys.” Some readers will like the cutaway to a bad guy’s viewpoint; I’m just not a fan of the technique.

Coleman’s solid plotting eventually brings us to exactly where we should wind up in a murder mystery, with a character confronting failure on many fronts. The dialogue is classic Parker—tight and crisp without a lot of wasted words. A very solid entry in the Jesse Stone series.