REVIEW: The Whole Art of Detection

The Whole Art of Detection
Author: Lyndsay Faye


**I voluntarily read an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from Grove Atlantic via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**

I have been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since I was a little girl. I can remember the stormy afternoon I discovered the magic of Arthur Conan Doyle. It was Sunday and every Sunday we visited my uncle. He was a bachelor with no children, so most Sundays I spent the whole day playing outside because there was nothing at his house for kids to do. But this Sunday was horrible -- rain came down in sheets outside. No playing outdoors. So, I ventured upstairs to his library. For that entire afternoon, I lay across the bed in the guest room reading Sherlock Holmes stories. Instant love.

In my circle of family and friends, I'm the one who usually dislikes Hollywood remakes of classic movies, new covers of songs, any Disney movie with a 2 in the title, and tinkering with classic literature.  I like my classics left alone, with very few exceptions. But, I am learning to expand my horizons and give revisits, retellings and remakes more of a chance instead of just shutting down before even attempting to engage. The above 3 Rs are not intrinsically evil. I need to relax and let my classic horizons expand sometimes. In the past few years, I've discovered many retellings and new stories starring classic characters that I like. I'm finding that loving books means learning that new authors tinkering with beloved classic characters sometimes has a wonderous, joyful outcome! But I do have to admit that while I now give revists to classic characters a better chance, I am still very picky. I can't help it. In this case, I was quite pleased and enjoyed my return visit to Baker Street.

The Whole Art of Detection is an homage to Sherlock Holmes written by a long-time big fan of Sherlock who also discovered the character as a young girl just like I did. I'm so glad that Lyndsay Faye wrote these stories!! I absolutely LOVED this book! I felt the same way about this book that I did when I first discovered Sherlock while draped over an old 4-poster bed in my uncle's drafty, old house on a rainy afternoon all those years ago.

The book is divided into several sections: Before Baker Street, The Early Years, The Return and The Later Years. Faye's stories encompass the entirety of Holmes' career from the time he was just learning to apply his detecting skills as a young man to the years following his faked death. Faye grabs the essence of the characters, the language, wit and humor of the original and runs with it!

For me, the most enjoyable thing was Faye's ability to capture the nature of the relationship of Sherlock and Dr. Watson. Those feelings of annoyance, frustration, yet strong love and friendship are essential to both characters.

The stories are all well-written, mostly true to the style of the originals and entertaining to read. It was so nice to read more exploits by one of my all-time favorite characters.

Any fan of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle will enjoy this book. I read an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for review, but have a finished copy on my pre-order list. It will go on my keeper bookshelf with my 2-volume set of the complete Sherlock Holmes. This book will release March 7th, 2017. Mystery and Holmes fans should definitely get a copy and enjoy the return to Baker Street!

Lyndsay Faye is the author of several other Holmes novels and the Timothy Wilde series. I plan to read them all! Definitely a fan! To discover more information about the author and her books, check out her website: www.lyndsayfaye.com

REVIEW: Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

Red Velvet Cupcake Murder
Author: Joanne Fluke

The Albion Hotel in Lake Eden, MN is hosting a grand re-opening. The hotel has been totally remodeled and anybody who is anybody in Lake Eden is at the ceremony. Hannah Swensen has baked her famous Red Velvet Cupcakes for the occasion. With the arrival of Doctor Bev - a woman that Hannah hates because she tried to hurt her friend, Norman - gossipy whispers start passing from one guest to another. But, the whispers stop when Barbara Donnelly falls from the roof of the hotel. As the Lake Eden Police Department scrambles to find out why Barbara fell from the roof, Doctor Bev falls back into her witchy ways, informing Hannah that she could steal Norman back from her with little effort. Hannah barely has time to stop being angry before she finds Doctor Bev's car submerged in Miller's Pond. Ding, Dong with witch is dead. Only it wasn't a Ding Dong that killed Doctor Bev. Local authorities believe it was Hannah who caused Doctor Bev's death by spiking her cupcake. Things don't look good for Hannah. The only way she can prevent her own arrest is to investigate and find out who actually killed the nasty Doctor Bev.

I enjoyed Red Velvet Cupcake Murder, the 16th book in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. The mystery was a bit more involved this time. There were more suspects (even Hannah herself) and a bit more substance to the investigation. I didn't like the fact that Doctor Bev was the murder victim. Not that I didn't feel the venomous, slutty doctor didn't deserve it....but this is the 4th time this particular plot device has been used in this series. Two prior murder victims were women that dared to date Hannah's other love interest, Mike Kingston. Then a jerk ex-boyfriend of Hannah's was killed.  And now, the female dentist who was really horrible to Norman Rhodes is murdered. After awhile, deaths surrounding this on-going love triangle would start to make the authorities a little suspicious. How many boyfriends/girlfriends can drop dead around these people? I rolled my eyes at this one....not that part of me wasn't elated that Doctor Bev wouldn't be coming back in any of the future books.....I think Joanne Fluke needs to start murdering people who have never dated Mike, Norman or Hannah. It's a bit over-used after 4 times.

The recipes in this book all looked yummy. Mostly desserts this time, with one hotdish recipe.

All in all, the story was interesting, well paced, and an enjoyable Hannah Swensen mystery. But, it did nothing to get closer to a solution of the Mike-Norman-Hannah issue. The love triangle has gone on long enough.....and it's getting a bit annoying. The series has 20 books...with #21 coming out at the end of February. I'm trying to catch up with the series so I can find out if the weird love trifecta was ressolved before I accidentally read a spoiler somewhere that gives it away. I guess, even though it is annoying, the plot device of having Hannah indecisive in her love life is working if it has me reading through a 20 book series just to find out if she makes up her mind! The minute I start thinking she has decided on Norman.....Mike pops back up. Then I think maybe she's going to choose Mike...then she's back onto Norman. Maybe she just needs to dump them both and find someone else entirely.

I have to say......I'm finding myself pretty much siding with Team Norman. But, my guess is that most likely a dark horse will appear to steal her heart from both of them. Hopefully I find out soon! I'm tired of reading all the way through a novel and finding her not even one step closer to making any sort of a decision. Frustrating! :)

I receommend this series for anyone who enjoys light, cozy mysteries. There is no cussing, sex, spurting blood or graphic violence. Hannah runs her bakery with her friend Lisa, and seems to have a knack for discovering dead bodies. The supporting characters are fun and quirky. And, the recipes included are definitely yummy!

REVIEW: Devil's Food Cake Murder

Devil's Food Cake Murder
Author: Joanne Fluke

Devil's Food Cake Murder is the 14th novel in the Hannah Swensen cozy mystery series. The books are quick, light reads with lots of recipes included. Hannah, the main character, owns a bakery specializing in cookies and other desserts. Each book is named after a dessert. At least one recipe that ties into the storyline appears at the end of most chapters.

I like this series. The characters are fun and a bit quirky. The mystery plotlines are not that in-depth, but still fun to read. These are cozy mysteries, meaning that there is no graphic sex, no spurting blood, no cussing....it's pretty light fare. It makes for a great read at the beach, a light story for the waiting room at the doctor's office or for recreational reading. I love to read this series while curled up on the sofa with a mug of hot tea, my chihuahua sidekick and a fuzzy blanket. :) Perfect winter's evening reading.

In Devil's Food Cake Murder, Hannah's friend Claire is preparing to go on her honeymoon with her new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson. A replacement minister is coming in to take over services at the church while they are on their trip. Matthew Walters is a childhood friend of Bob's and he's happy to fill in while the couple is gone. But, plans go astray. Hannah finds Matthew slumped over the desk in the rectory office. He's been shot in the head.

Hannah seems to  have a knack for finding dead bodies. I always smile when one of the other characters jokes with her about her "slay-dar.'' In reality, I think that she would end up under investigation. If I went around finding dead bodies every month or two, the local police would have a field day. I'd be in big trouble. Especially if a couple of the dead bodies were women who tried to steal my boyfriend. But, then again, cozy mysteries are not meant to be realistic. They are meant to be fun, light, mysteries with cute subplots and minimal blood and guts. So, I suspend reality and just enjoy the books.

I think the love triangle subplot might be approaching its climax finally. No spoilers from me. But I do see some light at the end of the tunnel of Hannah's love life. I don't think it's going to be the ending I expected....but really...isn't that the way life usually goes? We expect one thing.....and something else happens. Que sera, sera.

I enjoyed this book. The mystery was well paced and there was a twist I didn't really see coming. There was a little bit more substance to this book than the last two. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending....that was a nice touch. Luckily I have the next book sitting on my shelf and I don't have to stew about it for long!

This cozy series is perfect for light reading. I've tried many of the recipes.....never had one that wasn't an instant hit with my family. Devil's Food Cake Murder has a recipe for welsh rarebit. I've always wanted to try that! I think it might be a great experiment for Sunday breakfast this week!

There are 20 books in the Hannah Swensen series so far. The 21st book, Banana Cream Pie Murder, is coming out February 28th. I'm doing my best to catch up. I don't want to accidentally read a spoiler about how Hannah's lovelife comes out.....so I'm spending every evening with Hannah until I catch up! :) Getting closer!

Banana Cream Pie Murder

Banana Cream Pie Murder
Author: Joanne Fluke

Banana Cream Pie Murder is the 21st book in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. This new book will be published February 28th!

Hannah isn't even back home from her honeymoon before she gets news that a famous resident of Lake Eden has been murdered. She arrives home and immediately starts trying to figure out who killed the director of the Lake Eden community players. Hannah's family and friends join in as usual. And sprinkled in among the chapters are lots of yummy recipes.

I enjoyed this book! Hannah was on the case immediately. There were plenty of suspects and a few twists and turns before the murderer was caught. The book ends on an exciting cliff-hanger that I didn't see coming. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book! I sincerely hope I don't have too long to wait! :)

I loved the pie eating contest subplot. Mayor Bascomb, after all of his shenanigans in most all of the prior 20 books, deserved a little pie on his face and a few jokes at his expense. Fictional character or not, the man is truly an ass!

Readers who are new to this series don't necessarily have to start at the beginning. Dive in at book #21 if you like -- you will still enjoy the mystery! If you want to see the development of the personal relationships between all the key characters from Lake Eden, it's best to start at the beginning though. But, it's not a requirement to enjoying the books.

This is a cozy mystery, which means there is no cussing, spurting blood, graphic sex. It's light reading, with a cute subplot (Hannah owns a bakery and discusses dessert recipes throughout). She lives with her cat Moishe, her husband and her family and friends stop by her condo all the time for dinner or to assist Hannah in her amateur sleuthing. The ability to suspend reality is necessary because Hannah finds more dead bodies than any other baker I've ever heard of. It's like Jessica Fletcher finding all those dead bodies in Murder She Wrote.....nobody ever batted an eye, unless it was intrinsic to the plot that she be a suspect. Hannah's slay-dar is still in full force after 21 books. :)

For lovers of cozy mysteries and the Hannah Swensen series, this book will be an enjoyable, relaxing read. Those readers looking for a more in-depth police procedural with graphic gore and realistic investigation, then cozy mysteries are not the right fit. This is a perfect mystery to read by the fire place with fuzzy socks on and a cup of coffee. Relaxing, cute and enjoyable. With lots of ideas for yummy things to bake!

I'm looking forward to the next book!!

For more information on Joanne Fluke and her books, check out her website: www.murdershebaked.com.There are also recipes on her site!

FYI: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel has made 4 Hannah Swensen movies starring Alison Sweeney. They are cute and really enjoyable! There are some plot changes and character differences (Moishe isn't a ginger cat but a striped tabby and doesn't have the mangled ear, etc that he does in the book, and Hannah is a beautiful blonde instead of a slightly chunky redhead with frizzy hair, etc), but that's something to be expected in nearly every film adaptation of books. The newest movie, Strawberry Shortcake Mystery, will premiere March 26th!!

**I voluntarily read an Advance Readers Copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Apple Turnover Murder

Apple Turnover Murder
Author: Joanne Fluke

My husband saw me reading this book last night and stopped, standing in front of me with a grin on his face. "Hey, are those the books you read that have recipes in them?'' I nodded, and he walked off still grinning. "I guess this means you are baking apple turnovers this weekend!''

Sure, why not! :)

Apple Turnover Murder is the 13th book in the Hannah Swensen series. I like this cozy mystery series. It's light reading, sprinkled with recipes throughout the story. I like to "visit'' Hannah in the evening with a cup of hot tea, my dog in my lap, fuzzy socks keeping my toes warm....just a nice, light before-bed read. The plots are never too complex, and the books are usually quick reads at under 300 pages. Cozy mysteries offer a bit of escape......light reading, some humor, a cute subplot or two, quirky characters, and a murder mystery thrown in. No sex. No cussing. No spurting blood. Think Hallmark Channel movies (which is perfect because Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel has made 4 of the Hannah Swensen books into made-for-television movies).

Sometimes I just need a story where I like the characters and the plot is just light and easy to read. Comfort reading. It's a lot like comfort food for avid readers.

I have to admit I didn't like Apple Turnover Murder as much as I've liked the other books in this series. This book seemed a bit too simplistic, or maybe like it was rushed? I'm not sure exactly. Something was just a bit off for me this time. Hannah is baking a lot of goodies for a large charity gala in Lake Eden, MN. More than 1000 cookies and just about as many apple turnovers are just too much for her to tackle alone, so she gets her business partner, Lisa, and her mother-in-law to help her out. Hannah is, as usual, mulling over her relationship difficulties and losing sleep from overwork and stress. Add in former boyfriend, Professor Bradford Ramsey deciding to be a lecherous jerk, and Hannah definitely has a lot going on. Just when she thinks nothing else could possibly go wrong, at the talent show, Hannah discovers Bradford Ramsey dead backstage.....just after she told him she wanted to kill him. Hannah is back on the case to discover who killed the promiscuous professor.

The mystery portion of the plot seemed hurried this time. The investigation was lackluster, and the ending just seemed staged to me. The interaction between the main characters was obviously building up to something....but the reveal was a bit ho-hum for me. I still enjoyed the book...don't get me wrong. This particular book just seemed a bit meh to me.

I still love Hannah Swensen. And this book was a good build for what I think it going to happen in the rest of the series. I'm forging ahead with the rest of the series. Not every book in a long series can be monumentally exciting. And this is entirely my own opinion. To some, this book may have been awesome. I think I'm just ready for this series to head in a different direction.....the love triangle sub-plot was getting old five books ago. I think there might be light showing at the end of the tunnel though......

The recipes in Apple Turnover Murder sound SO yummy!! I think I need to bake this weekend! My husband excepts apple turnovers!

There are 20 books in the Hannah Swensen series, with #21 Banana Cream Pie Murder coming out February 28th!

As soon as I catch up with Hannah, I think I'm going to check out some of Joanne Fluke's suspense novels. I have heard good things about them. I'm curious to see what her non-cozy books are like! The cover-art looks delightfully creepy on her suspense books! I can't wait to try a couple of them! For more information about Joanne Fluke and her books, check out her website: www.murdershebaked.com

REVIEW: Haunted Christmas

Haunted Christmas:
Yuletide Ghosts and other Spooky Holiday Happenings
Author: Mary Beth Crain

I have loved ghost stories ever since I was a little girl. When I saw this book filled with Christmas related spooky stories, I just had to read it. I'm glad I did!

I was familiar with some of the stories (the Bell Witch, The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, Anne Boleyn's ghost), but some were completely new to me (the sinking of the Christmas tree ship, Epworth Rectory, the death coach). The 30 tales are varied. Some are from modern times, others from centuries ago. The book includes tales from all over the world - Ireland, Canada, the United States, Germany, France, England, Scandinavia, and other countries. All are well-written and spooky, but not too scary. A middle grade age child should be able to read this book without being overly frightened. I also enjoyed the introduction where Mary Beth Crain tells a supernatural tale of her own. And the first chapter explains the ghostly history of the holiday season. Some of the stories are frightening, but some are also tales of blessings and unexplained miracles that occurred at Christmastime.

At 195 pages, this book is a quick read. It was perfect entertainment for me on a cold, rainy winter afternoon! The cover art is great!

Mary Beth Crain is also the author of several other books including Haunted U.S. Battlefields, Haunted Pet Stories, and a memoir, A Widow, A Chihuahua, and Harry Truman. I will definitely read more of her work. This book was a fun, spooky read!

REVIEW: The Fearless Travelers' Guide to Wicked Places

The Fearless Travelers' Guide to Wicked Places
Author: Pete Begler

You will get lost. 

You will be scared.

You will fall.

You will flee.

You will fight.

You will learn.

And without a doubt,

You will find your way home. 

Nell Perkins is 12-years old. She loves her mom and her brothers, and lives a relatively normal life. Until a strange storm hits. A weird purple cloud shaped like a skull appears in the air, chasing her and her mother. What happens next sends Nell and her two brothers on a magical journey through Dreamland -- witches kidnap their mother and turn her into a bird.  With the help of a Fearless Traveler, the children battle supernatural killer clowns, bird witches, and other ethereal creatures in Dreamland in an attempt to return their mother to human form.

This is a beautiful, imaginative, amazing story!! I couldn't stop reading -- I just kept seeing the story unfold like a movie playing in my head. Dreamland is scary and hauntingly beautiful at the same time. The adventure to return their mother to her human form teaches the children to rely on themselves, to work together and to believe in their skills and intelligence. The tale is also sprinkled with witty humor and interesting supporting characters. I think my favorite side characters are the skeletons the children meet while riding on the bus.

The author, Pete Begler, works in television. I can honestly say that I would LOVE to see a film version of this story! It would be beautiful!! Surely Tim Burton or someone similar could take this and make a hauntingly beautiful movie or television show from it! The world-building is exquisitely creative, the characters are wonderful, and the action is intense. What a fun read! I couldn't put it down!

The Fearless Travelers' Guide to Wicked Places will be published March 1st by Capstone. This is Pete Begler's first novel.