REVIEW: Murder, She Barked

 Murder, She Barked
Author: Krista Davis

I've read this book 3 times. 2016. 2019. And now again in 2023. I started this series and loved it....but then life got in the way and I lost track of the series. Life gets in the way sometimes! Flash forward to 2023 and the Paws & Claws series now has 8 books, and I'm back to listen and read my way through all of them! 

Murder, She Barked is the first book in the series.

The basics: Holly Miller gets an emergency call from her grandma's best friend and rushes to Wagtail, VA without even packing a suitcase. She arrives to discover her grandma has been in an accident, one of the employees at the Sugar Maple Inn has been killed in a hit and run, and a thief has been stealing valuables all across town. Soon, another resident of Wagtail is dead and Holly finds herself in the middle of the investigation.

I enjoyed this book.  It's a light cozy mystery.....no blood, no graphic violence, no sex, cursing, etc. The plot is light and a bit cozy-tropey, but I didn't care. The story is fun to read! The setting is fun -- a tourist town catering to pet owners. The characters are tourist-town quirky.  Murder She Barked made for an enjoyable, relaxing listen!

Favorite characters? Trixie and Twinkletoes, of course! The dog and kitten steal the show all the way through the book! :) I love the cover art for this series - always so cute and colorful!

 The audio book is just over 9.5 hours long and narrated by Jeanie Kanaley. I have hearing loss but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book. Happily moving on to book 2 -- The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer!

Krista Davis also writes the Domestic Diva Mysteries and Pen & Ink cozy series.

REVIEW: Parker Pyne Investigates

 Parker Pyne Investigates
Author: Agatha Christie

Parker Pyne Investigates is a short story collection featuring a lesser known character created by Agatha Christie. Mr. Pyne is a middle-aged man who retired from a government job, and now uses his skills as an odd detective of sorts. He doesn't solve mysteries.....he solves unhappiness. The key? The clever use of statistics, and some pretty serious manipulation (lol). 

There are 12 stories in this collection. All different. All clever. Definitely not your usual Christie mystery collection. The mystery in each case is actually the person who hires Mr. Pyne -- what makes them tick, what the problem is, and how to solve it. Very interesting concept, even if most of the outcomes are brought about by pure trickery, lies and subterfuge. The story collection was published first in the UK in 1934 as Parker Pyne Investigates, and in the US later that same year as Parker Pyne, Detective. Prior to the short story collection, some of the stories were published in magazines.

I listened to the audio book version of these stories (narrated by Hugh Fraser) while reading through my old paperback copy. I found some places where language had been changed for good reasons. I also found it amusing and more than a bit cringe worthy that I had this book in my collection of Agatha Christie books and never actually read it...literally for decades. I had my used copy of this book long enough that my maiden name is written on the inside of the front cover.....a habit I stopped after high school. So, this book has been in my collection of Christie books for at least 37 years....and I never actually read this story collection. Yikes! I had a real aversion to trying out Christie's less well known characters!! I bought the book...looks like I purchased a used copy...but never once gave it a chance. Glad I bought it -- as it really enhanced my listening enjoyment to read along while Hugh Fraser read each story to me. And, I'm learning a lot about my earlier reading habits. I wanted Poirot and Marple....and the books starring others just sat on my shelf as another Christie book in my quest to find copies of them all. Gathering dust. Glad my journey through all of Christie's books in publication order made me get over myself and finally read this book!! 

Now....on to the stories!

The Case of the Middle Aged Wife: An aging wife hires Mr Pyne when she believes her husband is beginning to be romantically interested in a typist at his workplace. I enjoyed the story, but it did start my brain down the path of contemplating the amount of lying, manipulation and deceit Pyne puts into play to help his clients. What if they discover they were completely taken in? Would that undo the outcome in some cases? And, is lying to force a good outcome morally and ethically wrong? A character at the end of this story makes some observations, and I think I side with the lounge lizard on this one. This story was adapted for television in 1982 and is the first episode of The Agatha Christie Hour. You can see the episode on Youtube or AcornTV. The adaptation changes a few things here and there, but it's basically the same story. Definitely enjoyable to watch.

The Case of the Discontented Soldier: A retired military officer is finding it hard to return to civilian life. In fact, he finds his life completely boring and uninteresting. He turns to Parker Pyne to put some zing and interest back into his existence. And, Pyne delivers. But again -- more complete manipulation and trickery are used to force the happy ending. This is also a story where I noticed some language changes between my old paperback version and the newer audio book. For good reason. There were some racist terms used in the original version, which were removed and replaced by neutral terms instead. I do not ascribe to the "product of their time'' excuse. I rather say that prior generations used wrong terms to describe other races and we can learn from their mistakes and behave better. And.....we can correct literature from those times that used words that are no longer seen as acceptable when it does not change the plot or story line. In this case, the changes made no difference to the story at all. It just removed any racist tones from the tale. Excellent edit, in my opinion. This story was adapted for television in 1982 and is the fifth episode of The Agatha Christie Hour. You can see the episode on Youtube or AcornTV. The episode sticks pretty closely to the source. And, for once, I actually enjoyed the adaptation better than just reading the original story.

The Case of the Distressed Lady: A young lady comes to Parker Pyne regarding stolen jewelry. This story was first published in magazines in the UK and US in 1932. Parts of this story made no logical sense to me. It was still an enjoyable read, but it seems just a bit slapped together. Maybe this was just a quick filler story written for magazines, and then added to this story collection to round out Pyne's stories. Not my favorite in this collection. 

The Case of the Discontented Husband: Parker Pyne has helped a woman in distress over her husband. And now, we see the flip side -- a man who is upset about his wife planning to leave him. This story was first published in 1932 in both the US and UK in magazine format. Interesting turn of events in this story. This time Pyne seems to learn that basing solutions on lies and tricks doesn't always have the expected outcome. It was an ok story....nothing special. My research turned up no adaptations for film or radio for this story.

The Case of the City Clerk: An unhappy middle aged man comes to see Mr. Parker Pyne, requesting some adventure while his family is away visiting relatives. Again, like other stories in this collection, this story was first published in 1932 in magazines in the US and UK. I found this story cute and enjoyed it better than some of the others because the man involved really had a good time. The Case of the City Clerk was adapted as a radio drama by BBC4 Radio in 2003. The adaptation was renamed "The 199 Pound Adventure." It's on Youtube to listen to here: https://youtu.be/kVHy9tACCRA   This is the only adaptation I found for this story. The radio drama modernizes and changes quite a few things about the story, but the changes are mostly superficial. The basic bones of the plot are still intact. I think it kept the feeling and intent of the original story quite well while modernizing it. Very enjoyable! I loved the full cast, music and sound effects added in! :) Made me smile even more imagining Mr Roberts having his adventure! There is one scene where he tells a cab driver that he's in a hurry....OMG....hilarious. :) This is my favorite tale out of the entire collection.

The Case of the Rich Woman: A rich widow has a lot of money, but it isn't making her happy anymore. So, she contacts Parker Pyne, of course. I enjoyed this story, even though it involved drugging someone against their will and playing extreme psychological games with someone for an extended period of time. An odd, but enjoyable, tale. This story was first published in Cosmopolitan Magazine in the US in 1932. It was not  published in the UK until it was included in Parker Pyne Investigates. My research did not turn up any adaptations of this story. Despite the issues with drugging someone, I'd say this story is a close second favorite right after The Case of the City Clerk. Neatly complex plot with some interesting revelations and changes for the main character. 

Have you got everything you want?: A young woman who is worried about a situation with her husband just happens to meet Parker Pyne on a train. This story was first published in magazines in the UK and US in 1933. I found no adaptations for this story in my research. For me, this was just an ok story. More major lies from Parker Pyne. In fact, in one spot he says "It is a fundamental axiom of married life that you must lie to a woman.She likes it!" What?? Yuck. 

The Gate of Baghdad: A group of tourists venture from Baghdad out into the desert on an excursion in a 6-wheeled Pullman car. When one of them is found dead in the morning, Parker Pyne is on the case to catch a killer. Pyne actually does some sleuthing in this story. Despite his constant commentary that he is not a detective, he really does a great job in the role of investigator! Interesting story! The only adaptation I found for this story is a BBC4 radio drama adaptation first aired in 2002. You can listen to the full cast adapation here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6tc2ca   I enjoyed this story. Nice to have Pyne investigating a murder rather than employing trickery and lies in this story. I enjoyed the adapation. Again, the full cast, sound effects and music added a nice touch. The story was changed here and there, but the basic plot that Agatha Christie wrote was left intact. Very enjoyable.

The House at Shiraz:Again, this story appeared first in magazines in the US and UK in 1933 before being included in this short story collection. Mr. Parker Pyne continues his travels in the Middle East..While in Teheran, he hears the story of a mad Englishwoman.....and offers her his services. This is an interesting, but strange story. I enjoyed it, but just found it a bit odd and slightly contrived. I didn't find any adaptations of this story. In my opinion, this is one of the weaker stories in the collection.

The Pearl of Price: This story along with two others: Death on the Nile and the Oracle at Delphi were published in a UK magazine in 1933 under the heading "More Arabian Nights of Parker Pyne." These 3 stories are the final ones in this story collection. Parker Pyne continues his travels. This time he is encamped at Petra with a group of tourists. When a pearl earring disappears, Mr. Parker Pyne sleuths out the truth by examining the human nature of the group around him. Interesting story set in a very famous and romanticized place. Christie makes a point of showing that oftentimes outward appearances aren't the truth. An ok story. Not one of my favorites. 

Death on the Nile: Mr. Parker Pyne is enjoying a cruise down the Nile when a case interrupts his leisure once again. This time - a case of poisoning. An enjoyable short piece of Murder ala Christie. A group of people on a boat. Most of them are terrible people with secrets....but only one is a murderer. I found no adaptations of this story. These stories make me wonder if Agatha pulled character ideas from people she actually met while on her world travels. I can't imagine enjoying a trip with any of the people in this story. I think I would be tempted to toss a couple of them overboard lol. 

The Oracle at Delphi: Mr. Parker Pyne is tired of having his vacation rest interrupted by people wanting to hire him, so he sneaks off to Greece....only to land smack dab in a kidnapping drama. Definitely a Christie mystery. I enjoyed this one! I found no adaptations of this story. 

Overall, I enjoyed these stories. They are definitely shorter, quick mysteries to showcase Christie's writing. Perfect for magazine publication. But after 90 years, I don't feel these short stories have aged all that well. Parker Pyne is an interesting character, but his tricking and manipulating clients, even if the outcome is good, is still unethical and even fraudulent. I love the concept though. 

I watched/listened to all of the adaptations I found. The radio dramas for The Case of the City Clerk and The Gates of Baghdad are available online, but also collected into an audio book: Agatha Christie - Twelve Radio Mysteries.

Following these 12 stories published in the 1930s, Agatha Christie only wrote two more stories featuring Parker Pyne: The Problem at Pollensa Bay and The Regatta Mystery. Parker Pyne is only featured in short stories. He never got a full length novel. And, Christie never re-visited the character after the 14 short stories. I think maybe she used Parker Pyne to flesh out ideas she had that wouldn't really work for a straight up detective story, and then she moved on from the character after a few stories. That's just my personal guess. I find the concept interesting....Pyne isn't a detective. He solves life problems for people. I just don't like how he does it. He's a con man with good intentions.

So, while I enjoyed this book and found a couple of the stories highly entertaining, this is my least favorite book by Christie so far. Still upset with myself that this book languished in my Christie collection for almost 40 years or so before I actually read it. I may have felt differently if my younger self had read this. As a 54 year old woman, I can't seem to get past the fact that Pyne's skills rest on intricate lies and tricks.

 Moving on in my journey through Christie's books.....up next? Three Act Tragedy (or Murder in Three Acts - US title).

REVIEW: Matcha Do About Murder

 Matcha Do About Murder
Author: Eryn Scott

The story of Rosemary Woodmere, her ghostly bestie Asher, and Pebble Cove Teahouse continue in Book 2, Matcha Do About Murder. 

The basics: Rosemary decides to go to check out her competition - the other tea shop in town. A complicated mess of small town drama starts when a man drops dead during the tea event. His matcha latte was apparently poisoned. Can Rosemary sift through all the suspects and come up with the truth while investigating Asher's death and navigating issues with her tea business? 

I enjoyed this second book in the Pebble Cove Teahouse cozy series. The plot kept my attention from start to finish. The story had enough suspects and twists to keep my interest, plus some interesting character development. I like the touches of humor and the splash of paranormal in this series. Not overdone - just the perfect amount of both. The side plots - the teahouse and investigating how Asher died - don't overshadow the main murder investigation but add some extra depth to the story.  

Very entertaining! I enjoyed this second book just as much as the first in this series! I like the characters, the setting, the side plot of a Victorian tea shop, and the main character forming a friendship with the ghost that lives in the house. 

On to the next book in this series - A Score to Kettle! But first - I'm brewing a pot of tea (of course)!

REVIEW: Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

 Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
Author: Agatha Christie

Even as a huge Agatha Christie fan, I have to admit that I was prepared to dislike this story. I'm a huge Poirot and Marple fan....not so much Parker Pine and other side characters. I had not read this story before even though I do own the book (both as Why Didn't They Ask Evans and the US title The Boomerang Clue). In the past, I skipped over stories that didn't feature my favorite Christie detectives. I pretty much wrote this one off as two upper class twits stumble on a murder in their group of other upper class twits and catch an evil upper class twit...the end.  Silly....I know. I should have given it a chance. 

I pretty much had to force myself to start reading this story. And I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself liking Bobby Jones -- 4th son of a Vicar and abysmal at golf -- and Lady Frances "Frankie'' Derwent -- the sweet and usually carefree daughter of the Earl of Marchington. Neither were twits or completely clueless. It only took a couple chapters for me to be totally sucked into the story. I have to offer an apology to Dame Agatha -- I'm sorry I never gave these characters a chance. They are just delightful and not tedious at all. Lesson learned -- all of Christie's stories are magnificent and never write off one-off characters without giving them a chance. 

The basics: Bobby Jones' terrible golf game leads him to find a dying man who has taken a tumble down a cliff. The incident quickly turns into a mystery as Bobby and his friend Frankie suspect the man did not fall accidentally. They conduct some very creative amateur sleuthing before realizing that chasing after a killer can be very dangerous. 

This story was first published in an abbreviated version as "The Boomerang Clue" in Redbook Magazine in 1933. The same abbreviated version was released as part of Six Redbook Novels in 1934. The full version of the novel was first printed in the UK as part of the Collins Crime Club in September 1934, and in the US under the title The Boomerang Clue in 1935. 

 I listened to the audio book version of this story thanks to my lovely local library! Narrated by Emilia Fox, the audio is just over 7 hours long. Fox does a great job of voice acting. I enjoyed her performance! It definitely kept my attention from start to finish. The story has quite a bit of amateur sleuthing capers and had enough twists and turns to keep me on my toes. Typical Agatha! She's quite sneaky with those unexpected twists. And I loved the humor in this story! It was just fun to read!

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? has been adapted for film/TV three times. 

In 1980, the story was adapted for television. It was the first television adaptation of Christie's works that was allowed following the author's death. Christie did not like television and had allowed very few adaptations of her work for TV while she was alive (especially after one 1949 television performance of And Then There Were None where a dead person got up and walked off set in full view of a camera....ooops). The 1980 movie had some actors I recognized -- Connie Booth, Joan Hickson (who later played Miss Marple), and John Gielgud. There are some changes to the story line, but mostly this adaptation stays pretty true to the way Christie wrote it. 

For whatever reason in 2009, the story was adapted for an episode of Marple, starring Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple. Of course this means that the story was heavily changed because Miss Marple is not in the original novel. The golfing aspect of the plot is removed completely, which negates Christie's reason for naming the main character Bobby Jones after a famous American golfer of her time. It's a cute joke as Bobby in the novel is a horrible golfer, which is how he finds the body in the first place. I guess they did the episode for silly readers like me who waited to read this story for 40+ years because it didn't have Marple or Poirot in it. :) The episode is Season 4, Episode 4 (available on BritBox). Be aware there are major changes to the story and the characters.  In my opinion, the episode completely mangles the plot and changes the complete feel of Christie's story. I didn't like what they did with the main characters at all, especially Frankie. Much as I love all of the Marple television shows -- this episode was poorly done. Bleck. 

Why Didn't They Ask Evans was also adapted in 2008 for French Television as an episode of Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie. 

And, in 2022, Hugh Laurie directed and starred in a version for BritBox. This newest adaptation is split into 3 episodes. In my opinion, this is the best film version of the story. Will Poulter was fabulous as Bobby! Some changes were made to the plot, but nothing that left me feeling like the main story had been altered too much.

I did not find any radio adaptions of They Should have Asked Evans. I was a little disappointed as I always love the radio plays of Christie's stories.  If anyone comes across a radio/audio play version of this story, please let me know. BBC radio and others have done some awesome radio drama, full-cast, adaptations of Christie's works.

 So -- this book taught me a lesson -- don't discount a story because an author's most famous characters don't play a part in it. Sometimes a break from Poirot and Marple is a good thing! And, the story was a very enjoyable stop on my way through all of Christie's mysteries in publication order! And it's a good thing I just made a vow not to discount books that don't have her most famous detectives in them, as the next book coming up is..... Parker Pyne Investigates.

REVIEW: Steeped in Suspicion

 Steeped in Suspicion
Author: Eryn Scott

I love it when I "discover'' a new-to-me author and find the first book I read by them completely entertaining and enjoyable! 

I am currently on a stay-cation, and decided that I wanted to just relax and read today.  The past year has really cut into my reading time -- a 1500 mile move, new job, new everything -- so I've been struggling to actually find time to sit and read. Today I took that time! And I am so glad that I did! As a book blogger, I download a lot of indy published books and read as many as I can. I end up on a lot of author newsletter lists, and today I just happened to have an email in my inbox from Eryn Scott. I decided right then and there that I wanted to try out something new! I clicked around on the lovely, colorful newsletter until I ended up on Eryn's website, and I picked the series that caught my interest the most. 

The Pebble Cove Teahouse Mysteries. 

I am a tea fanatic! I work from home, and my tea/coffee bar is right by my desk. My tea stash is large...because tea is my zen! So, of course, I had to read the series about a teahouse! Perfect choice - it was a total binge read for me.

The basics: Rosemary's estranged grandmother passes away and leaves her a Victorian teahouse. She expects to come into town, arrange for sale of the house and return to Portland. But childhood memories, a ghost, and a dead body washing up on the beach change her plans. Can Rosemary figure out what's going on in Pebble Cove before she becomes the killer's next target?

This story was completely entertaining and the mystery/side plots kept my attention from start to finish! I liked the setting -- Pebble Cove sounds like a place I would enjoy visiting. The characters were all charming...except the evil-doer of course! And, I didn't guess the killer before the reveal. 

Pebble Cove Mysteries is a completed series of 8 books and an epilogue novella to round out the ending. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next!! 

I'm definitely reading this series from start to finish. Book 1 sucked me right in! 

On to book 2 -- I have it borrowed on Kindle Unlimited already! :)

REVIEW: The One and Only Ivan

 The One and Only Ivan
Author: Katherine Applegate

Ivan is a Silverback Gorilla. While he should be roaming in  the jungle with his family doing what gorillas do, instead he is a featured attraction at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. His best friends are an elephant named Stella and Bob, a stray dog. They deal with their life in cages and being on display or being forced to perform. Until one day, the Mall Owner brings in a baby elephant. Ruby is scared and doesn't understand where she is. And Ivan makes a promise to protect her. A promise he will keep. 

This is such an emotional and heartfelt story. I listened to the audio book version and enjoyed every minute. The audio is just short of 4 hours long and is narrated by Adam Grupper. The story kept my attention from start to finish. This is a middle grade book and would be enjoyable for older children. And adults for that matter, as I enjoyed it immensely!

Loosely based on a real gorilla who was kept as a mall attraction and later transferred to Atlanta Zoo, this story hits home regarding the sad lives of animals kept on display in cages and trained to perform. Although the story does discuss animal capture, health concerns and training, it is not graphic. There is nothing inappropriate for middle grade age children. 

I enjoyed this story! I'm definitely going to read the second book: The One and Only Bob. 

REVIEW: All the Queen's Spies

 All the Queen's Spies
Author: Oliver Clements

I have to admit that when I first requested to review this book, I somehow missed that it is the 3rd book in a series. But I love this era in history -- all the politics, court intrigue, and treachery! -- so I jumped in and read without backtracking to start the series from the beginning. 

I am happy to report that I was able to follow the characters and plot of this book without having read any of the prior books in the series. I am going to back up and read the books in order now just to get the entire feel of Clements' writing and the tales he is building. I am a total nut for anything historical from the Tudor era, fiction or non-fiction. So I happily sipped tea and read this fictional story set in Queen Elizabeth I's reign. 

Some historical license is taken in this story. But, it's a fictionalized suspense/mystery story, so that's to be expected. The changes in fact were nothing major that pulled me out of the story. Minor historical license taken for the sake of story doesn't really bother me. 

All in all, a very entertaining read. I am going to jump back in at the first book and read my way through all three books before the next one comes out. 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Atria Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Irish Knit Murder

 Irish Knit Murder
Author: Peggy Ehrhart

A shadow is cast over St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Arborville when a well-known local resident is found dead just after performing some Irish tunes at the local senior center. Pamela and the Knitting Club are soon on the case to catch a killer. 

Irish Knit Murder is the 9th book in this fun and quirky cozy mystery series. Knit and Nibble Mystery stories never disappoint me! The characters are fun and the plots are entertaining. And -- knitting! I love knitting themed cozy mysteries! 

This was a very entertaining addition to this series. The mystery kept my attention from start to finish. There was lots of sleuthing, suspects and twists. I enjoy the mix of mystery and humor. 

Delightful read! I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series. Can't wait to see what the knitting gals get up to next! This series always has the cutest cover art as well. Love it!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington. All opinions expressed are completely my own.**

REVIEW: An American in Scotland

 An American in Scotland
Author: Lucy Connelly

Dr Emilia McRoy moves to Sea Isle, Scotland to change her life. A fresh start. Something less hectic than a big metro hospital. Surely life as a doctor in a small Scottish town will be idyllic, right? 

Finding a dead body that then disappears before she can conduct an autopsy soon has Emilia rethinking her life choices......

I absolutely loved this book! The local residents are quirky. The local constable is difficult. And Emilia is a strong and stubborn main character determined to get to the bottom of what happened. 

Just a delightfully fun and entertaining story to read! This is one story that will be wonderful on audio. When the audio book comes out, I'm going to listen to the story a second time! 

I also listened to a review copy of the audio book from Dreamscape Media. Narrated by Kimberly Wetherell, the audio is just over 9 hours long. I like Wetherell's voice - she reads at a nice pace, and did a great job of voice acting. Very enjoyable listening experience! 

I'm definitely going to keep reading this series. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and audio book from Dreamscape Media. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: A Midsummer Night's Scheme

 A Midsummer Night's Scheme
Author: Harper Kincaid

A Midsummer Night's Scheme is the second book in the Bookbinding Mystery series. I'm so glad I read this book. The story is just fun and totally entertaining!

The basics: Quinn Caine's life gets a bit chaotic when a famous actor returns to their town. Chad was a real jerk when he lived in Vienna....and he's pretty much still a complete jerk when he comes back to flaunt his Tony award winning career and lifestyle. His womanizing bad behavior doesn't get much of a change to pop out, as he soon turns up dead. When the killer's next target seems to be a family member, Quinn finds herself on the trail of a killer. Can she catch a murderer before the curtain comes down on her own brother? 

This book was just fun to read. I loved the mix of light hearted humor, wit and cozy mystery. I like the characters in this series and the book related background plot. The mystery moves at a nice pace. There is plenty of sleuthing, suspects and twists. Loved it! 

I am definitely going to keep reading this series. Very entertaining!

 I also listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Renee Dorian, the audio is over 7 hours long. Dorian gives a great voice acting performance bringing to life the mystery and humor in this story. I enjoyed listening to this story in the car and while working around the house. Definitely a very enjoyable audio book!  I had a review copy of the audio and also checked it out via my lovely local library on Hoopla so I could listen on my computer as well as on my phone.

 **I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and audio book from Dreamscape Media. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Of Manners and Murder

 Of Manners and Murder
Author: Anastasia Hastings

When I first read the description of this first book in a new series, I knew I had to read it. It just sounded so entertaining and refreshingly different! I'm glad I read this book. It was a completely entertaining story!

The basics: When Violet's aunt takes off on a trip to distant parts with her lover, Violet is forced to take on her aunt's persona as Miss Hermoine, the most popular women's advice columnist in 1885 London. When the writer of the first letter she receives turns up dead, Violet finds herself on the trail of a killer. 

This book is a wonderful mix of period cozy mystery, humor and wit. Just a fun story to read! I enjoyed every word! There is an audio book out as well, and I plan to listen very soon. I can tell this story will be one that is just as fun to listen to as it was to read.Totally worth a second visit!

I am definitely going to keep reading this series. This first book has me hooked! I can't wait to find out what happens next! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: The Drift

 The Drift
Author: C.J. Tudor

C.J. Tudor has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read the Chalk Man. I was a bit hesitant to read a post-apocalypic pandemic-style story given...well, you know. But since it was by C.J. Tudor.....I got over it and read this book. So glad I did! I loved the blend of suspense, creepiness and survival. 

This book is 3 intertwining stories meshed together. A medical student on a train. A woman trapped on a cable car. A man working in a medical research facility. Add in a killer virus and a deadly mountain blizzard. 

I'm not going to say anything else about the main plot. I've seen too many reviews of this book with major plot spoilers. I will say that this story is scary in spots, very suspenseful and creepy-cool. I started reading and ended up on a hours long binge reading session. 

C.J. Tudor never disappoints me! I loved this book! I can't wait to find out what she will come up with next! Very entertaining read! When the audio book releases, I'm going to listen to this story again. Somehow stories like this creep me out even more when they are read to me!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Random House/Ballantine. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

REVIEW: Standing Dead

 Standing Dead
Author: Margaret Mizushima

I have been faithfully reading the Timber Creek K-9 series since book 1. Standing Dead is the 8th book in the series, and I enjoyed it just as much as all of the others! Margaret Mizushima never disappoints me!

The basics: Deputy Mattie Cobb's mother and her husband disappear in Mexico. A note taped to Mattie's door in Timber Creek, sends the sheriff's department into the high country to investigate. Mattie is forced to go undercover to save her family members. 

I'm not going to say more than bare bones info about the plot as it's always best to go into a suspense story without much information on the plot. I can say that this story is gritty, suspenseful and downright creepy in some parts. I enjoyed every word!

I enjoy the setting, the action and the characters in this series. Robo is an awesome K-9 officer, and Mattie is a very strong main character. Margaret Mizushima is a very skilled writer, getting in all the nuances of a K-9 team, investigation, procedures and action. 

I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the next book in this series! Always an enjoyable read! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

REVIEW: A Murderous Persuasion

 A Murderous Persuasion
Author: Katie Oliver

A Murderous Persuasion is the second book in the Jane Austen Tea Society series. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one! 

The basics: In order to save the inn where she lives with her aunt, Phaedra and her Aunt Wendy host a Murder Mystery event based on Austen's novel Persuasion. Everything is going great until a guest turns up dead. Can she save the inn and catch a killer? 

I love this light hearted series. Phaedra is a fun main character and I love the Austen theme! The stories are a nice mix of cozy mystery, humor and Austen fandom. Very entertaining! 

I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the next book in this series! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: The Devil You Know

 The Devil You Know
Author: P.J. Tracy

I first was introduced to the writing of  P.J. Tracy with the Monkeewrench series. So when the Detective Margaret Nolan books started being released, I jumped right on the new series. This series has never disappointed me. Gritty, police procedurals with realistic characters. Very enjoyable! The Devil You Know is the 3rd book in the series. 

The basics: Margaret is a detective in LA. Bad stuff happens every day. But it isn't every day the body of a famous actor is found only hours after a video was released that pretty much gutted his career. Was it an accident, suicide.....or murder? Another death makes it abundantly clear there is more going on here than a ruined career and a rockslide. Hollywood might glitter, but it can be dangerous. 

I enjoyed this book. There were a couple scenes I thought were a bit overly melodramatic, but it's a fictional tale about Hollywood, famous actors, and the dangerous undercurrents of the entertainment industry. Of course, melodrama should be expected. Overall, another really good book in this series! I'm definitely in line to keep reading! 

I started reading a digital ARC of this book before release....and then was offered a review copy of the audio book. So I started all over, and listened to the audio book. I'm all for suspenseful stories being read to me! Narrated by Abby Craden, the audio book is a bit over 7 hours long. Craden does a good job of voice acting. I'm picky about narrators, but enjoyed her performance. She reads at a nice pace and does a good job of voicing the different characters. Very entertaining! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of the ebook from St Martins Press  and listened to the audio book from Dreamscape Media. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: The Mayor of Noobtown

 The Mayor of Noobtown
Author: Ryan Rimmel

This series was recommended to me by a LitRPG group I joined on Facebook. And I joined that group after a friend recommended the genre to me in the first place. I'm so glad I got clued in to LitRPG. The stories are so fun to read or listen to -- adventure, a bit of gaming thrown in the mix....just entertaining!

The basics: Jim is dead. But dead doesn't mean done. After he breathes his last, Jim finds himself in another world, pulled in by a demon. The world is like the afterlife equivalent of an RPG game. With a demon as a sidekick, Jim does his best to navigate this world as a noob. 

I'm not going to say much about the story arc itself because....spoilers. Best to go into this book with no plot knowledge and just enjoy it! 

I listened to the audio book version of this story because I just like having adventure/RPG stories read to me. Narrated by Johnathan McClain, the audio is just a bit over 9 hours long. This is the first time I've listened to a book narrated by McClain. His performance is spot on - he reads at a nice pace and is a talented voice actor. I'm picky about narrators -- and I enjoyed his performance from start to finish. The book itself drags in spots. It is the first book in the series so there is a lot of explanation, stats given and just general set-up. That's to be expected in a series like this, and I didn't mind the game stats. A person who doesn't play RPG might be annoyed by it, but I thought it really brought the RPG feel to the story. I'm glad I chose the audio format for this series. I would have been tempted to skip over the stats portion of the book if I had been reading. 

I'm definitely going to keep listening to this series. Very entertaining. Good mix of humor, RPG and adventure. Nice action scenes. I like the characters. A bit immature in spots -- like naming his sidekick Shart -- but if you've ever been at a table playing games with fellow role players, there are often little snickering moments like that. I just smiled and moved on. :) 

Can't wait to find out what happens next!!

REVIEW: The Crime that Binds

 The Crime That Binds
Author: Laurie Cass

I have been reading the Bookmobile Cat series since it first started! The Crime that Binds is book #10 in the series. While I am still sad that Minnie no longer lives on her houseboat (something that made this series so different), I still love, love, love Eddie the Cat's Mrrrr commentary and the characters in this series. 

The basics: As Chilson, MI residents start to have dreams of spring, Minnie finds herself trying to absolve a Bookmobile patron of robbery and murder, while also sleuthing out the perpetrator of an art theft and second murder. 

I listened to the audio book version of this newest book in this series. Narrated by Erin Bennett, the audio is just shy of 9 hours long. Bennett does a good job of voicing all the characters and doing Eddie's signature Mrrrr. I enjoyed her performance. She reads at a nice pace, and has a pleasant voice.  The story itself dragged in spots for me, but was mostly very enjoyable.

Entertaining new story in this series. I'm definitely in line for the next book! 

 Favorite character? Eddie the Cat of course! Mrrrrrr!