ARC Review: For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews

For Duck's Sake
Author: Donna Andrews
Series: Megs Langslow Mysteries (Book 37)
Publication: Minotaur Books (August 5, 2025)

Description: Donna Andrews returns with her latest charming addition to the bestselling Meg Langslow mystery series.

Meg is in the backyard of the house her brother Rob, Delaney, and their new baby have moved into, supervising some workmen who are using a bulldozer to start digging out a duck pond. She wants to get away from her own house, which has become the staging site for Caerphilly's first Mutt March, which will be held the next day. Meg thinks it will be more peaceful at Rob's house--and it is until the bulldozers uncover a skeleton whose skull has a hole and a bullet rattling around inside.

Meanwhile, Chief Burke begins searching the police records to see if he can identify any missing persons who would fit the bill. He doesn't turn down Meg's offer to help with his identification efforts, and she begins looking in the library and talking to old-timers. She's all the more eager to help because Iris Rafferty, who sold the house to Rob and Delaney and still lives in the mother-in-law suite, disappears the morning after the finding of the body... does her disappearance have anything to do with finding the body? Was it voluntary? Or was she kidnapped--possibly by the prowlers who are spotted lurking around the half-finished duck pond at night? Or do the prowlers have sinister designs on one or more of the dogs who will be marching in the parade?

Written with her classic cozy and investigative style, Donna Andrews is sure to delight in the latest in her Meg Langslow mystery series.

My Thoughts: Escaping the madhouse that her home as been with the preparations for the first annual Mutt March, Meg has taken refuge at her brother Rob's house where a duck pond is being constructed. Things grind to a halt when bones are discovered in the area where the pond will be. Now, Meg is adding discovering who the skeleton belongs to her weekend plans. 

Then Iris Rafferty disappears. She's the one Rob and Delany bought their house from and has lifetime residency in the mother-in-law suite. Meg wonders why Iris chose now to disappear and considers what she might know about the buried body. 

Meanwhile, back at Meg's house, rumors have surfaced that a dog fighting ring might be interested in some of the 297 dogs that are being assembled for the Mutt March.

This was another entertaining episode in this long-running series. I loved that so many of the characters readers have grown to love over the series made appearances in this one. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

"This is the life," Iris Rafferty exclaimed, taking a long pull on her glass. "Eileen, give Meg a refill on those Arnold Palmers."

Friday 56:

"Yeah, that kind of explains it," I said. "As much revenge as justice."

This week I'm spotlighting For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews. This is from my review stack and is the 37th book in the Meg Langslow mystery series:

Andrews returns with her latest charming addition to the bestselling Meg Langslow mystery series.

Meg is in the backyard of the house her brother Rob, Delaney, and their new baby have moved into, supervising some workmen who are using a bulldozer to start digging out a duck pond. She wants to get away from her own house, which has become the staging site for Caerphilly's first Mutt March, which will be held the next day. Meg thinks it will be more peaceful at Rob's house--and it is until the bulldozers uncover a skeleton whose skull has a hole and a bullet rattling around inside.

Meanwhile, Chief Burke begins searching the police records to see if he can identify any missing persons who would fit the bill. He doesn't turn down Meg's offer to help with his identification efforts, and she begins looking in the library and talking to old-timers. She's all the more eager to help because Iris Rafferty, who sold the house to Rob and Delaney and still lives in the mother-in-law suite, disappears the morning after the finding of the body... does her disappearance have anything to do with finding the body? Was it voluntary? Or was she kidnapped--possibly by the prowlers who are spotted lurking around the half-finished duck pond at night? Or do the prowlers have sinister designs on one or more of the dogs who will be marching in the parade?

Written with her classic cozy and investigative style, Donna Andrews is sure to delight in the latest in her Meg Langslow mystery series.

Book Review: Death on the Boardwalk by Caleb Wygal

Death on the Boardwalk
Author: Caleb Wygal
Series: A Myrtle Beach Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Franklin/Kerr (February 2, 2021)

Description: THE BOARDWALK IS BEAUTIFUL—UNTIL SOMEONE TURNS UP DEAD.

Welcome to Myrtle Beach, where the sunsets are vibrant, the sea breeze carries secrets, and murder lurks just beneath the surface. Clark Thomas, a grieving bookstore owner trying to rebuild his life, makes a chilling discovery: the body of a friend rolled up in a rug behind his shop.

As Clark digs into the mystery, he’s pulled into a web of suspects that include business owners, environmental activists, and even the victim’s own coworkers. With the police focused elsewhere, a beautiful and suspicious tipster encourages Clark to investigate the crime himself.

But is he ready to face what he might uncover—and confront the ghosts of his own past along the way?

Perfect for fans of Southern mysteries, amateur sleuths, and small-town secrets, Death on the Boardwalk is a witty, fast-paced read that blends charm, suspense, and heart.

Don’t miss your chance to start the Myrtle Beach Mystery Series—where every charming corner hides a secret.

My Thoughts: Myrtle Beach bookstore owner Clark Thomas finds himself in the middle of a mystery when he finds a body wrapped in a rug outside the rear door of his bookstore. He recognizes the woman as a frequent customer and employee of OceanScapes resort.

Stuck in a holding pattern after the sudden death of his wife two years earlier, Clark finds his curiosity rousing. He has read many, many mysteries and works as a ghostwriter of thrillers, but he's never come face-to-face with a real murder. 

When one of the other employees of OceanScapes asks Clark to look into the crime, he lets his curiosity take control. He's lucky to get some covert help from the detective on the case and from a local reporter. Even his avid mystery lover mother throws in some hints. 

This was a fun mystery that begins a series. I enjoyed it and the Myrtle Beach setting. 

I got this free book via BookBub April 27, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Death on the Boardwalk by Caleb Wygal

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

There was a rug I wasn't expecting awaiting me in the alcove by the backdoor of my bookstore as I arrived to start the day. The rug had an art deco pattern of periwinkle and sepia toned multi-colored squares with a tan border. Each square was different. Random. It was a nice rug.

Except for the body rolled up on the middle of it.

Friday 56:

"It was weird, Clark," Margaret said after I returned. "I've never seen a young person have problems with that card reader before."

This week I am spotlighting Death on the Boardwalk by Caleb Wygal. It was free when I got it in April 2025. It is also the start of a nine-book series. Here is the description from Amazon:

THE BOARDWALK IS BEAUTIFUL—UNTIL SOMEONE TURNS UP DEAD.

Welcome to Myrtle Beach, where the sunsets are vibrant, the sea breeze carries secrets, and murder lurks just beneath the surface. Clark Thomas, a grieving bookstore owner trying to rebuild his life, makes a chilling discovery: the body of a friend rolled up in a rug behind his shop.

As Clark digs into the mystery, he’s pulled into a web of suspects that include business owners, environmental activists, and even the victim’s own coworkers. With the police focused elsewhere, a beautiful and suspicious tipster encourages Clark to investigate the crime himself.

But is he ready to face what he might uncover—and confront the ghosts of his own past along the way?

Perfect for fans of Southern mysteries, amateur sleuths, and small-town secrets, Death on the Boardwalk is a witty, fast-paced read that blends charm, suspense, and heart.

Don’t miss your chance to start the Myrtle Beach Mystery Series—where every charming corner hides a secret.

Book Review: A Not So Shocking Murder by Lily Stirling

A Not So Shocking Murder
Author: Lily Stirling
Series: Holt Jacobs Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Stirling Options (October 15, 2023)

Description: First, no coffee. Then a dead guy. This is one killer vacation.

I thought being forced into a Mother’s Day trip with my entire family on the Oregon Coast was bad. Then came the dead bodies.

Turns out Mom’s cozy vacation spot kept its high murder count a secret.

So I’m stuck in a death trap.

Either I can play detective for a few days or follow Mom’s perfect schedule. Detective it is. But is my vacation long enough to solve a couple years’ worth of crimes?

Five days. Six murders.

No pressure.

Holt Jacobs isn’t for everyone. He’s a sarcastic introvert who can never get quite enough coffee. Becoming a sarcastic sleuth was unexpected, but as an engineer, Holt is used to solving puzzles.

My Thoughts: A NOT-SO SHOCKING MURDER is the first in the Holt Jacobs mystery series. Holt is a nearly 30-year-old engineer who has been dragged by his mother to join in on a Mother's Day celebration with his whole family at a small town on the Oregon coast. Holt loves his family, but forced together time is not high on his list of favorite activities.

Holt arrives at the first event - a dinner at a seahorse themed restaurant - jet lagged, dehydrated and sleep deprived after a series of travel mishaps. He doesn't expect to see a new town resident die of poisoning right in front of his eyes. Nor does he expect to pass out and come to looking into the beautiful eyes of paramedic Brittany. 

Curious about the reason for the man's death and eager to get out of his very organized mother's planned events, Holt decides to look into things. He soon discovers that the most recent murder is one of a series of murders that the local Chamber of Commerce isn't publicizing. Those murders include Brittany's fiancé with her brother accused of the crime. 

Between trying to get enough sleep and enough coffee and dodging his mother's plans, Holt is kept busy trying to solve the series of murders. 

I liked Holt who is a sarcastic introvert with a coffee addiction. 

I got this free title via BookBub April 27, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Bearer of Bad News by Elisabeth Dini

Bearer of Bad News
Author: Elisabeth Dini
Publication: Gallery Books (April 29, 2025)

Description: A sharply funny and moving debut in which a young woman accepts a job that takes her though the Italian Dolomites and into an international mystery far greater—and more personal—than she could have ever expected.

For someone who hates secrets, Las Vegas hairdresser Lucy Rey is about to be faced with a whole bunch of them. After discovering that her fiancé has been cheating on her with someone from his improv class, she finds herself short on funds and desperate for a change of scenery. Enter a most unusual job opportunity: a Bearer of Bad News.

Sure, it’s a little weird—the job description has few details, and the bad news is more like a vaguely worded threat—but Lucy can’t say no to the perks: an all-expenses-paid trip to the Italian Dolomites, plus a generous bonus if she proves she’s delivered the message. Then she learns that her task is just the tip of the iceberg.

Launched into a world of betrayal and greed involving eighty-year-old secrets, stolen jewels, and a World War II–era mystery, Lucy is in over her head. And she’s connected to her mission in ways she never saw coming.

For fans of Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Kirstin Chen’s Counterfeit, Bearer of Bad News is an exhilarating romp that deftly explores the weight of secrets, the power of friendship, and how, by healing the wounds of the past, we can build a brighter tomorrow.

My Thoughts: Lucy Rey has almost hit rock bottom in this story. Her fiance, who gave her a lovely cubic zirconia for an engagement ring, has been photo'd with his new love - a guy from his improv class. There she is in Las Vegas in an apartment she hates and with a job she hates when she sees on add on social media. Someone is looking for a Bearer of Bad News to travel to the Italian Dolomites to find a person and give her some news.

Sure, it looks like a scam, but she doesn't have any better prospects. After signing a draconian NDA, Lucy finds herself traveling at quite a bit less than First Class to Italy to find her employer's sister and deliver some bad news. 

One in Italy, Lucy finds herself in the middle of a mystery concerning an emerald necklace lost during World War II and the people who interacted with it. And she's not the only one looking for it. The Department of Lost Things have been trying to track it since the 1940s and has an agent in place and there are other people looking too. Then Lucy discovers her own family's relationship to the necklace and some mysteries in her own family. 

This was an engaging story that began as an almost cliched humorous romp and ended up being a story about heart and finding yourself. I liked it a lot. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Gallery Books. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen

Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman
Author: Tessa Arlen
Series: Lady Montfort Mystery Series (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (January 6, 2015)

Description: Lady Montfort has been planning her annual summer costume ball for months, and with scrupulous care. Pulling together the food, flowers and a thousand other details for one of the most significant social occasions of the year is her happily accepted responsibility. But when her husband’s degenerate nephew is found murdered, it’s more than the ball that is ruined. In fact, Lady Montfort fears that the official police enquiry, driven by petty snobbery and class prejudice, is pointing towards her son as a potential suspect.

Taking matters into her own hands, the rather over-imaginative countess enlists the help of her pragmatic housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to investigate the case, track down the women that vanished the night of the murder, and clear her son’s name. As the two women search for a runaway housemaid and a headstrong young woman, they unearth the hidden lives of Lady Montfort’s close friends, servants and family and discover the identity of a murderer hiding in plain sight.

In this enchanting debut sure to appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, Tessa Arlen draws readers into a world exclusively enjoyed by the rich, privileged classes and suffered by the men and women who serve them. Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is an elegant mystery filled with intriguing characters and fascinating descriptions of Edwardian life—a superb treat for those who love British novels.

My Thoughts: This historical mystery concerns the death of young man at a weekend house party. The hostess, Lady Montfort, enlists her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to help her solve the crime. 

Teddy Mallory was not a nice young man. Many people at the party, including Lady Montfort's son, had reasons to want him dead. The more Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson look into things, the more they learn about all the dishonorable and illegal things Teddy was into.

At the same time someone is murdering Teddy, two young women also disappear from the house party. One is the daughter of a wealthy man, and the other is a housemaid. An unsuccessful search doesn't discover either of the young women which only adds to the mystery. 

The story set after the sinking of the Titanic and before the start of World War I was a detailed picture of a time that has gone. The rigid separation of classes was already breaking down, but it was Mrs. Jackson who was most disturbed by this. The traditional roles of the aristocracy develop cracks as the heir is more interested in the new flying machines than he is in managing the family estates. 

I enjoyed this slow-paced mystery and the glimpse into Edwardian life.

I bought this one January 25, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Light on Bone by Kathryn Lasky

Light on Bone
Author: Kathryn Lasky
Narrator: Nancy Peterson
Series: Georgia O'Keeffe Mysteries (Book 1)
Publication: Tantor Audio (September 6, 2022)
Length: 10 hours and 40 minutes

Description: Kathryn Lasky has written an exciting new adult amateur sleuth mystery set in New Mexico in the 1930s.

The sleuth is Georgia O'Keefe, who actually did suffer a nervous breakdown in 1933 when her husband Alfred Stieglitz had a somewhat public affair, was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment, and then traveled to the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico to paint. O'Keefe was approaching the peak of her fame and success, having just sold a painting for a record price. The narrative begins when she discovers the slain body of a priest in the desert. The plot includes several other murders, Georgia's burgeoning romance with the local sheriff, an international espionage plot involving Charles Lindbergh (who is staying at the ranch with his wife Anne), and lots of intricate twists and turns leading to a thoroughly unforeseen denouement.

The strength of this story is how Lasky's elegant writing captures the emotional depth of this artist's turmoil and so stunningly reveals O'Keeffe's perception of the landscape that moves her to paint. It is not simply a whodunnit mystery, but much more: It is a narrative of healing and resurrection of spirit.

My Thoughts: This historical mystery stars artist Georgia O'Keeffe. She is spending time at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico after a nervous breakdown. She loves the light and color for her art. One morning, on her way to paint, she discovers the body of a man dresses as a Franciscan priest. 

This discovery leads to an investigation which introduces her to a possible new love interest in the person of the recently widowed sheriff. It also has her interacting with luminaries of the day including Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. 

The story includes murders, Nazi sympathizers including Lindbergh, a spy ring in the New Mexico desert, and child abuse. All of these themes are filtered through O'Keeffe's artist eyes. I enjoyed the writing both about the crimes and O'Keeffe's internal monologues as she comes to terms with where her life is now.  

The narrator did an excellent job with the tone of the book. 

I got this one through Audible Plus. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Light on Bone by Kathryn Lasky

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 was hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

The damn cassock was really a nuisance. Even worse, he was almost out of gas after becoming hopelessly lost in this desert country. And these roads, gouged with arroyos from the violent summer downpours, made driving almost impossible.

Friday 56:

"True, but it doesn't need my prints in the mix. You found it out there, near where the body was? How near?"

"Ten feet or so."

This week I am spotlighting a relatively new arrival on TBR mountain. Light on Bone by Kathryn Lasky is the first in the Georgia O'Keeffe mysteries. Since the audiobook was available through Audible Plus, I decided to listen to this one. 

Here is the description from Amazon:

Kathryn Lasky has written an exciting new adult amateur sleuth mystery set in New Mexico in the 1930s.

The sleuth is Georgia O'Keefe, who actually did suffer a nervous breakdown in 1933 when her husband Alfred Stieglitz had a somewhat public affair, was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment, and then traveled to the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico to paint. O'Keefe was approaching the peak of her fame and success, having just sold a painting for a record price. The narrative begins when she discovers the slain body of a priest in the desert. The plot includes several other murders, Georgia's burgeoning romance with the local sheriff, an international espionage plot involving Charles Lindbergh (who is staying at the ranch with his wife Anne), and lots of intricate twists and turns leading to a thoroughly unforeseen denouement.

The strength of this story is how Lasky's elegant writing captures the emotional depth of this artist's turmoil and so stunningly reveals O'Keeffe's perception of the landscape that moves her to paint. It is not simply a whodunnit mystery, but much more: It is a narrative of healing and resurrection of spirit.

Book Review: Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

Homicide in Hardcover
Author: Kate Carlisle
Series: A Bibliophile Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley; Reprint edition (January 21, 2009)

Description: Book expert Brooklyn Wainwright discovers that murder is always a bestseller in the first novel in the New York Times bestselling Bibliophile Mystery series.

Brooklyn Wainwright is a skilled surgeon. Sure, her patients might smell like mold and have spines made of leather, but no ailing book is going to die on her watch. The same can’t be said of Abraham Karastovsky, Brooklyn’s friend and former employer.

On the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration, Brooklyn finds her mentor lying in a pool of his own blood. With his final breath Abraham leaves Brooklyn with a cryptic message, “Remember the Devil,” and gives her a priceless—and supposedly cursed—copy of Goethe’s Faust for safe-keeping.

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to Derek Stone, the humorless—and annoyingly attractive—British security officer who found her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice...

My Thoughts: The first book in the Bibliophile mystery series introduces book restorer Brooklyn Wainright and her eccentric family. Brooklyn spent most of her childhood living in a commune in California's wine country. Her parents met as Deadheads traveling around following the band. However, now they are very successful members of a rich commune. Her father makes wine. Her mother follows every path to enlightenment. 

The commune is where she met Abraham Karastovsky who first began teaching her how to repair books when she was eight. Brooklyn broke off her apprenticeship with him when she went off to college and graduate school. Abraham didn't think she needed what college taught her. 

They met again at an opening at the Covington where rare books were going to be the focus of attention. They mended their past differences and renewed their long friendship just in time for Abraham to be found murdered. 

Brooklyn discovers the body and shortly after is discovered by Commander Derek Stone who is doing the security for the exhibition. He initially suspects her, and she is keeping secrets. She isn't willing to mention that she saw her mother in the same area as the murder. 

When one of her ex-fiancés asks her to take over Abraham's restoration of a very valuable edition of Faust, Brooklyn agrees even though the book is believed to be cursed having left a string of dead owners behind it. 

And the deaths continue when a second, somewhat criminal book restorer is also murdered. Brooklyn also discovered his body since she had an appointment with him. Brooklyn also comes under attack when her studio is vandalized, and she is knocked unconscious. 

This was a fun series beginning. I liked the information about bookbinding. I liked Brooklyn and the cast of characters who surround her. I'm eager to read more in the series. 

I bought this one February 22, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney

Madrigals and Mayhem
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Series: The Cambridge Bookshop Series (Book 4)
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 26, 2024)

Description: In Madrigals and Mayhem, the fourth in Elizabeth Penney's charming Cambridge Bookshop series, Molly Kimball finds that even the holidays can come with a healthy dose of mystery.

Molly is eager to experience her first English Christmas with family and friends now that she's adjusted to her move to Cambridge and her restoration of her family’s ancestral bookshop, Thomas Marlowe―Manuscripts and Folios. When local toyshop Pemberly’s Emporium reopens, Molly is excited to meet the new owner, Charlotte Pemberly, who is determined to make the toy store a success after unexpectedly becoming her grandfather Arthur’s sole heir.

Arthur's new wife Althea Winters and her unpleasant family loathe Charlotte for inheriting what they believe was theirs and have set their sights on a valuable Madame Alexander doll that's gone missing. When Althea's grandson is poisoned by cakes from Tea & Crumpets, Charlotte becomes the top suspect. Molly believes Charlotte was the intended victim and investigates the Pemberly’s home, only to discover that Arthur had been murdered.

To get closer to this treacherous family, Molly and her boyfriend Kieran go undercover by volunteering to act and sing for a madrigal dinner directed by Althea and her daughter at St. Hildegard’s College. Molly must help her new friend clear her name while searching for the missing doll and wrangling her own family during the chaotic holiday festivities at the bookshop.

My Thoughts: When the local toyshop reopens after the death of the owner, Molly is pleased to make a new friend in the owner's granddaughter Charlotte who has taken over the store. However, neither of them expects to find a gravely ill intruder when Charlotte gives Molly a tour. 

Molly soon gets involved in solving a mystery as Christmas nears. Charlotte's relatives were angry that her grandfather left everything to her including the clues to the location of a very valuable doll. But no one thought they were angry enough to try to kill her. 

As Molly investigates, she finds herself stumbling onto clues and additional crimes. Meanwhile, she is busy finding books about dollhouses for a display that echoes the historical dollhouse in the toy store's window. The book within a book in this episode deals with a grief-stricken child and the dollhouse figures who try to ease her sorrow.

I enjoy this series which is set in Cambridge. I like that Molly and her mother are making a new life for themselves in England working in a bookstore that has been in the family since the 1600s. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

The Gardener's Plot
Author: Deborah J. Benoit
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 5, 2024)

Description: A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day.

After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.

When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.

The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.

My Thoughts: Maggie Walker is back in her hometown after a failed marriage. She has purchased her grandmother's house and is eager to build her new life. As a master gardener, she's eager to restore her grandmother's gardens. She has also been encouraged to volunteer with the new community garden that is just opening by new friend Violet Bloom.

However, on opening day, Violet is a no-show. Worst of all, Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the newly prepared plots and there is a body attached to it. Carl Henderson is a local real estate developer with a shady reputation. Maggie knows him because he has been pressuring her to sell her grandmother's house. 

The police want to talk to her, and they want to talk to Violet who seems to have disappeared. Maggie and her next-door neighbor and childhood friend decide to look into the case despite the police strongly discouraging their help. 

I enjoyed this mystery. I liked that Maggie was very upset by her discoveries which seems much more realistic than many cozy mysteries. I also liked that Maggie wasn't going to be deterred from finding out what has happened to her new friend. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 was hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

Of all the people I didn't want to run into, the person at the top of that list just happened to be in the line in front of me at the Grocery Mart.

Friday 56:

Too late I thought of the possibility of fingerprints. I sighed. If anyone else's fingerprints had been on the note, they were long gone now; though truth be told, they probably were gone when I crumpled it up and shoved it in my pocket on Saturday morning.

This week I am spotlighting The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit. This is an award winning first novel from my review stack. Here's the description:

A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day.

After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.

When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.

The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.

ARC Review: Smoke and Mirrors by M. E. Hilliard

Smoke and Mirrors
Author: M. E. Hilliard
Series: A Greer Hogan Mystery (Book 4)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (June 4, 2024)

Description: Librarian turned sleuth Greer Hogan is back on the case and headed to the big city in this fourth installment of M. E. Hilliard’s smart, suspenseful mystery series, perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Louise Penny.

Having spent months quietly investigating in the village of Raven Hill, Greer Hogan returns to New York City determined to find her husband’s murderer. She secures a temporary gig at a private library inventorying the personal collection of a deceased magician. In her free time, Greer sleuths, leaving no stone unturned–even the ones which could be hiding deadly secrets.

Four years earlier, Greer had discovered her husband Dan dead in their apartment. He’d tried to tell her about something strange going on at his office, but she hadn’t had time to listen until it was too late. Worse still, she has always suspected that the wrong man was convicted of the crime. Now, Greer has solved other murders and has a few tricks up her sleeve. She combs through belongings she packed away soon after Dan’s death and interviews his former colleagues and people who were near the scene when he died. Soon, Greer is followed and attacked, so she knows she’s struck a nerve—but whose?

When two more people are killed and Greer realizes she can’t escape the smoke and mirrors surrounding her suspects, she confides in one of her new colleagues, a magician named Grim with whom she’s bonded over similar traumas. Though she knows he’s got secrets of his own, the tricky Grim may be exactly the assistant Greer needs to pull a rabbit out of a hat and shine a spotlight on a killer before the curtains come down on her for good.

My Thoughts: Greer Hogan has been building her investigative skills and circle of friends with unique gifts in the four years since she discovered her husband Dan murdered in their apartment. The time has come for her to return to New York City and finally discover his murderer. 

Greer gets a job in a private library inventorying the personal collection of a magician who disappeared. There she meets Joseph Grimaldi, known as Grim, who has a somewhat mysterious past. He was friends with the magician and is searching the house for something the magician told him was there. 

Meanwhile, Greer is investigating New Leaf, the company Dan was working for as an accountant when he was killed. She's certain that there is a connection there. She discovers some things as she finally goes through the belongings packed up after Dan's death and stored with her parents. She also questions former co-workers and people she knew at the time of Dan's death. 

Somehow, she touches a nerve because she finds herself both followed and attacked. Luckily, the self-defense courses she's taken prove helpful. But two other people connected with the case are murdered which makes Greer more determined than ever to find Dan's murderer.

This was an engaging story with lots of information about the legalized marijuana business and all the governmental hoops around it. Greer feels that something shady in the business could have been the cause of Dan's death - and maybe her own if she gets too close.

I enjoyed this story with its mystery-loving librarian main character. The references to other books and fictional detectives were fun additions. 

Favorite Quote:

Haynes frowned. Most police officers I know disliked coincidences as much as they liked fresh baked goods. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Mayfair Dagger by Ava January

The Mayfair Dagger
Author: Ava January
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (April 23, 2024)

Description: A witty, feminist mystery set in the heart of nineteenth-century London, this daring adventure featuring an intrepid woman detective will thrill fans of Deanna Raybourn and Katharine Schellman.

London, 1894. Albertine Honeycombe never wanted a husband and certainly not the one with fifteen children that her cousin, Aubrey, is trying to marry her off to. She reinvents herself as Countess Von Dagga, a private detective aiding the upper echelons of women in society. As the Countess, she is a married woman, with a conveniently absent husband who doesn’t exist, which allows her far more freedom than being single.

When Lord Grendel, from whom she has recovered blackmail letters, is murdered, Albertine is suspect number one—having been the last person to see him. And when the Duke of Erleigh comes looking for her utterly fictitious husband, she realizes she has landed herself in hot water, without a tea bag. When Albertine also becomes the prime suspect in her fictional husband’s death, things are looking grim.

My Thoughts: Albertine Honeycombe has fled an unwanted marriage along with her maid Joan. They have come to London to follow up on dreams held by Albertine's brother Algie before his death. His goal for the two of them was always to set up a detective agency like that of Sherlock Holmes and Watson.

In order to begin this, Albertine has made up a new name and a new fake husband so that she can claim a place in society and begin working. However, jobs are infrequent and generally the society women who asks for her help doesn't see any reason to pay for it. Her latest job is retrieving some blackmail letters from the safe of an unscrupulous gentleman. She finds the letters but is disturbed by the gentleman and is forced to use a sleeping potion developed by her father in order to get away.

Unfortunately, someone else came upon the sleep aristocrat and strangled him. This murder brings her to the attention of Scotland Yard in the person of Spencer Sweetman who, after a successful career at Scotland Yard, has inherited the title of Duke of Erleigh after the unexpected death of his brother. Spencer had never wanted to be the Duke. He preferred the relative freedom he had without the burdons of the dukedom. 

Spencer finds himself the new public face of Albertine's detective agency as he investigates the possibility that she murdered Lord Grendel and possibly her spouse too. Aiding in throwing suspicion Albertine's way is Lord Wallop, a gambling cheat whose crimes Albertine exposed. 

Neither Spencer nor Albertine were looking for love when they met, but love found them anyway. Before they can live happily ever after, they will have to deal with accusations of murder, false imprisonment, and lies each has told. 

This was an entertaining historical mystery/romance with interesting characters. 

Favorite Quote:

"I run a somewhat...that is...it's a detective agency." She didn't sound too certain. There was a long pause and she met his gaze. "There are times when we require the assistance of a man person."

"A man person," Spencer repeated, schooling his features. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Murder in Rose Hill by Victoria Thompson

Murder in Rose Hill
Author: Victoria Thompson
Series: Gaslight Mysteries (Book 27)
Publication: Berkley (April 23, 2024)

Description: Midwife Sarah Malloy and her private detective husband Frank discover that the cure is worse than the disease when they investigate the death of a promising young woman in this atmospheric, riveting mystery from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Murder on Bedford Street.

Sarah Malloy has just helped with the delivery of a bouncing baby girl at her women’s clinic, when she receives a visit from an engaging and determined young woman writing an article for New Century Magazine. Louisa Rodgers explains that she is researching the dangers of patent remedies. Sarah is only too happy to tell Louisa exactly what she thinks of the so-called medicines whose ingredients include heavy doses of alcohol and other addictive drugs, and hurt much more than they help.

A few days later, Sarah receives a visit from a bereft Bernard Rodgers, who explains that his daughter, Louisa, has been found strangled in the lobby of the building where New Century has its offices. The police have decided it was a random attack and have made no attempt to investigate, hinting that Louisa got what she deserved for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. Sarah wants justice for the bright young woman but as she and Frank delve deeper into Louisa’s life, they find that nothing is quite as it seemed and Louisa is not who she claimed to be. The Malloys must first solve the mystery of Louisa’s life before they can figure out who wanted to see her dead…

My Thoughts: The story begins when Louisa Rodgers comes to the women's clinic where Sarah volunteers to find out what they know about patent medicines. Louisa is a socialite who wants to be a journalist and is hoping to write an article exposing the dangers of patent medicines.

When Bernard Rodgers comes to see Frank a few days later, he wants Malloy to discover who murdered his daughter Louisa. There are plenty of suspects including a delusional stalker who claims he and Louisa were engaged, a fellow boarder at Louisa's boarding house who claims to be Louisa's best friend, and the owner of a company that makes patent medicines. 

As Frank and Sarah investigate, they learn that all was not well in the Rodgers' home. While her father doted on Louisa and disparaged his son Oscar, her mother was just the opposite. 

Then Mr. Rodgers is found dead of an apparent suicide which greatly complicates the case.

I liked the setting and the historical detail as the story takes place the same time McKinlay was shot and later died making Theodore Roosevelt, an acquaintance of the Malloys, president. I liked the information about patent medicines. I liked Sarah's electric car. 

This was an entertaining historical mystery which is the 27th book in the series. 

Favorite Quote:

"At least we're trying to learn," Malloy reminded her. "Not all the parents do."

"I know," Sarah said sadly. "I can't understand how a parent of a deaf child could refuse to learn to sign. How would you communicate with your child? How would the child let the parents know what she needs?"

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Body at the Dance Hall by Marty Wingate

A Body at the Dance Hall
Author: Marty Wingate
Series: London Ladies' Murder Club (Book 3)
Publication: Bookouture (April 8, 2024)

Description: 1922. Amateur sleuth Mabel Canning is surrounded by the bright lights of London as she chaperones a young American woman to a dance. But when someone is murdered, a deadly tango begins…

Meet plucky woman-about-town Mabel Canning, leader of the London Ladies’ Murder Club and trusted assistant to gentlewomen. When she is tasked with accompanying Roxy, a fun-loving heiress, on a glamorous night out, Mabel can’t wait to sip champagne and practice the foxtrot. But just as Roxy sashays out of sight, a mysterious man warns Mabel that the feisty young redhead is in danger. And someone is dead before the music stops...

Roxy was the last person to see the victim alive, and she stumbles into Mabel’s arms with her daffodil-yellow dress splashed with blood. Determined to protect her ward, Mabel gathers her dashing beau Winstone and her pals from the murder club. Together they trace the weapon back to the ballroom, but when its twin goes missing, it is clear time is running out to prevent another murder on the dance floor…

The police conclude the killer is in Roxy’s family, but Mabel finds herself spinning between a motley troupe of suspects. Mr Bryars, the anxious ballroom manager, is constantly tripping over himself to hide his secrets. But would he kill to protect his reputation? And young Ned Kettle may have looked dashing while waltzing around with Roxy, but he was once a notorious thief. Is the sticky-fingered rogue also a dab hand at murder?

Just as Mabel and her murder club friends quickstep closer to the truth, Roxy is kidnapped, and Mabel comes cheek to cheek with the killer. Can she save poor Roxy and herself? Or has she danced her last dance?

A delightfully witty and utterly addictive whodunnit absolutely bursting with 1920s sparkle, from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman, Verity Bright and T.E. Kinsey.

My Thoughts: It's 1922 and Mabel Canning works for the Useful Women Agency in London. Tasks can range from helping a client pick out wallpaper to solving mysteries. Mabel's next job is acting as a chaperone for a young American woman who has come to England to visit with the father she hasn't seen since she was three.

Roxanne Arkwright is a modern young woman and a little wild. She managed to ditch her chaperone and travel to England on her own and sees no reason to need another chaperone now that she's in England. Her father disagrees. He hires the Useful Women Agency which is owned by one of his former flames and Mabel is assigned to the job. 

When Roxanne decides she wants to visit a dance hall, Mabel is eager to go along. She doesn't expect that the man Mr Arkwright also hired to look after his daughter would be there and would be murdered leaving Roxanne in a blood-spattered yellow gown. 

While not officially hired to solve the other detective's murder, being with Roxanne and performing her duties as a chaperone will give Mabel plenty of opportunities to search for clues. 

But then Roxanne is kidnapped...

As Mabel calls in all her friends to find Roxanne, a dastardly and murderously inclined villain has their own plans for Roxanne. And there is just a short timeline before it will be too late to rescue her.

This was an engaging and entertaining historical mystery. It is third in a series. I like the way Mabel has grown into her new position with Useful Women. I also like the way she is gathering an assortment of intriguing and useful friends too. 

Favorite Quote:

"Rupert Arkwright's announcement the first Mrs Arkwright is, at this very moment, on her way to England put a stunning end to the afternoon. The news certainly put the wind up Roxanne and her father, I can tell you that."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen

Death in the Details
Author: Katie Tietjen
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (April 9, 2024)

Description: Inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, and featuring a whip-smart, intrepid sleuth in post-WWII Vermont, this debut historical mystery will appeal to fans of Victoria Thompson and Rhys Bowen.

Maple Bishop is ready to put WWII and the grief of losing her husband, Bill, behind her. But when she discovers that Bill left her penniless, Maple realizes she could lose her Vermont home next and sets out to make money the only way she knows how: by selling her intricately crafted dollhouses. Business is off to a good start—until Maple discovers her first customer dead, his body hanging precariously in his own barn.

Something about the supposed suicide rubs Maple the wrong way, but local authorities brush off her concerns. Determined to help them see “what’s big in what’s small,” Maple turns to what she knows best, painstakingly recreating the gruesome scene in miniature: death in a nutshell.

With the help of a rookie officer named Kenny, Maple uses her macabre miniature to dig into the dark undercurrents of her sleepy town, where everyone seems to have a secret—and a grudge. But when her nosy neighbor goes missing and she herself becomes a suspect, it’ll be up to Maple to find the devil in the details—and put him behind bars.

Drawing inspiration from true crime and offering readers a smartly plotted puzzle of a mystery Death in the Details is a stunning series debut.

My Thoughts: Maple Bishop is dealing with a lot of grief in this post WWII historical mystery. She lost her mother and brother and her husband leaving her alone. She also finds herself in Vermont after growing up in Boston. Things get even worse when she learns that her husband - a popular but not financially bright man - leaves her an estate of slightly less than $13 and with a monthly mortgage of just of $52 to pay. 

Maple has been educated as a lawyer but can't find a job in that field. Law jobs are going to men and returning veterans. However, Maple is skilled at making miniatures - complex doll houses on a 1 inch to 1 foot scale - and sees selling them as a way to make some money. 

Unfortunately, when she goes to deliver her first sale, she finds the buyer hanging in his barn. While the police and the medical examiner are quick to declare the death an accident, Maple who has a photographic memory sees quite a few discrepancies that lead her to think that the man's death was murder. But her painstakingly accurate miniature of the scene isn't enough to convince the paperwork-hating sheriff that a crime was committed. 

Teaming up with Kenny who is a new deputy who just happens to be the sheriff's nephew, Maple begins to look into the crime against the sheriff's orders. And when the town's biggest gossip who has had numerous arguments with Maple disappears, Maple finds herself a suspect in the kidnapping. She's convinced the two cases are related but it takes her involvement in a dangerous situation to prove it. 

I enjoyed this story. I liked the setting and time period. I especially liked Maple's determination to forge a new independent life for herself after all of her personal losses. 

Favorite Quote:

"Laws and principles of justice are meaningless if there aren't individuals who stand up and fight to uphold them day in and day out--even when others don't live up to that standard."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton

The Poison Pen 
Author: Paige Shelton
Series: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery (Book 9)
Publication: Minotaur Books (April 9, 2024)

Description: The Poison Pen, the ninth installment in the Scottish Bookshop series by Paige Shelton, set in a specialty bookstore in Edinburgh called The Cracked Spine.

Edinburgh is mourning recent the death of Queen Elizabeth II when Bookseller Delaney Nichols's boss comes to her with a most unusual assignment. An old friend of his, living in an estate in the village of Roslin, has found what could be a priceless relic on her property, and Delaney is tasked with investigating. Could Jolie possibly have an item of breathtaking Scottish historical significance in her possession? But when Delaney arrives at Jolie's estate, she is greeted by a legal team with a vested interest in the property. Jolie manages to remove the interlopers, but as they're examining the priceless item, they hear a scream, and meet a much less welcome discovery: a body.

As Delaney digs deeper, she discovers Jolie's own fascinating history. Jolie's mother had long claimed that her daughter was the rightful heir to the throne, not Elizabeth II, because of an affair she claimed to have with King Edward VIII. The only evidence, however, is in the form of a purported journal that one of Edward’s secretaries kept. The puzzles become more confusing when a connection is uncovered between this far-fetched story and the murdered man. Delaney will have to read between the lines to put together the pieces...or become history herself.

My Thoughts: When called to the home of an old friend of Edwin's, Delaney is expecting to look at on old sword discovered on the grounds. She doesn't expect to find a body. 

As Delaney investigates, she has to deal with a woman who has a problem with telling the truth, a shady lawyer, and a director of the Treasure Trove Unit who has his own agenda. 

This is the ninth mystery starring Delaney who is an American transplant to Scotland who loves her job dealing with antiquities at the bookshop Edwin owns. She has a tendency to discover bodies wherever she goes. Over the course of the series, Delaney has made a number of friends who make appearances in this story including Inspector Winters who is her friend in the police. 

The story is set shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth which plays into the story both because Delaney occasionally has voices in her head which offer her clues. Usually, the voices are from works of literature. In this one the voices are Elizabeth's from some of her speeches. 

I enjoyed the story because I like Delaney and her circle of friends. The mystery had some nice twists and turns too. 

Favorite Quote:

Long into my search, I did find an article about "officials" visiting Jolie right before she seemed to be silenced, though details of that visit or meeting weren't readily available, even though speculation was, no doubt, that they'd told her to stop talking about all of it. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: A Relative Murder by Jude Deveraux

A Relative Murder
Author: Jude Deveraux
Series: A Medlar Mystery (Book 4)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (March 29, 2022)

Description: Even the closest families have secrets hidden away.

Bestselling novelist Sara Medlar is skilled at sharing stories about other people, but she hoped the truth about her own family would never surface. Her home in Lachlan, Florida, is her refuge and she loves having her niece Kate and dear friend Jack Wyatt together under her roof. The Medlar Three, as they are known around town, have sworn off getting involved in any more murder investigations.

When the sheriff unexpectedly leaves on vacation, Jack is surprised to find himself appointed as deputy. So when Kate stumbles upon a dead body while visiting a friend, the Medlar Three are back in the sleuthing game. Kate also has a charming new real estate client with a mysterious past. He seems to be followed by trouble and that makes Sara and Jack uneasy.

It doesn’t take long to discover that the murder and the new man in town are somehow related—the question is how. When the stranger’s true identity is revealed, Sara realizes her carefully crafted story is about to unravel and she fears she’ll lose Kate and Jack forever. But she desperately hopes that love and honesty will win out over years of lies and deceit. And besides, family is family—even if you sometimes want to kill them.

My Thoughts: The fourth book in the Medlar Mysteries reveals a lot of secrets many of them centering around Kate. First of all, the father her mother told her was dead is released from prison early and has come to Lachlan to get to know his daughter. Kate's world is shaken. Her beloved Aunt Sara has been keeping secrets from her for years. 

And Sara is suffering from guilt of her own as she feels that she was instrumental in her brother Randal's incarceration. Kate also doesn't know that Aunt Sara is the one who provided all the money for her and her mother ever since her father went to prison. 

Then Kate's mother Ava, who has been insisting that Kate return to Chicago to take care of her, decides to show up in Lachlan too. She wants her daughter and her husband back and is keeping quite a few secrets of her own too. 

There is some element of slapstick to this episode with both Sara and Randal both doing everything they can to keep out of Ava's sight. And the sheriff who has his own reasons for staying away from Randal convinces Jack to become deputy sheriff and take over the department saying that he's going on a cruise with his wife but stays almost hidden in his home. 

This was an excellent episode in the series. I enjoyed learning some of the secrets and liked that the Medlar Three came through it all still a tight trio. 

Favorite Quote:

"There's no reason to be upset," he said. "Nothing has happened to you. Well, except your mother flaunting herself about town to make sure you know she's here--which is eating you with guilt. Sara's so angry that black mold is beginning to grow on the walls. And then there are a couple of dead bodies, but one's not dead. He's in a coma and may not ever wake up. And of course there's your not-dead father who's making you crazy by courting you like he's the Beast, and you're Beauty. If he doesn't  win you over to his side, he seems to think his life will be forfeit. And then there's..."

Kate's laugh cut him off. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.