REVIEW: Fatality by Firelight

Fatality by Firelight
Author: Lynn Cahoon

The Cat Latimer Mystery series continues with book #2, Fatality by Firelight. Cat is still renovating the large Victorian house she inherited from her ex-husband into a writers' retreat bed and breakfast. Her first retreat was a success, even though one of the guests was murdered. Hopeful that this next retreat will be less murderous, Cat starts the event with a ski trip to a local resort. The day ends with a dead man in a ski resort hotel room and one of her retreat guests a suspect in his murder. It seems Cat's second writers' retreat also has murder on the agenda. Not only is her Uncle, the local police chief, investigating the murder at the ski resort, but Cat discovers more information about the death of her ex-husband, Michael.

I enjoy the Cat Latimer series because it is a bit more realistic than most cozy series. It touches on sex, murder and other topics with more realism but without becoming graphic. Cat is an excellent main character. She is torn between wanting to start her life over again and not being ready to close the part of her life she shared with her ex-husband, Michael. The Victorian house is comforting and distressing for her at the same time. She has a hard time living in the house she shared with her first husband, but at the same time loves the writers' retreats and the business she is building in it. The mystery portion of the plot was well-paced and more complex than in the first book. Cat also discovers some new information about her ex-husband's death. I'm anxious for book 3 to find out what direction her investigation into Michael's death will go.

Fatality by Firelight is an intriguing mystery with several suspects, interesting subplots and characters. It isn't necessary to read the books in order. A reader could jump in at book 2 and fully understand the story and characters. I definitely recommend this book and series to mystery lovers! It was a fun, quick read!

Lynn Cahoon also writes the Tourist Trap Mystery series. For more information on the author and her books, check out her website at http://www.lynncahoon.com/

REVIEW: Kneaded to Death

Kneaded to Death
Author: Winnie Archer

Ivy Culpepper moves back home to California after her mother dies in a hit-and-run accident. Ivy is grieving and trying to learn to live life without her mother. She finds a local bread bakery, Yeast of Eden, and decides to take a bread making class. The shop owner, Olaya Dias, and her sisters are very special people. Ivy feels an instant connection to them. But, during the first baking class, one student goes outside to take a phone call and never comes back. Ivy, Olaya and a couple baking class students go outside to the parking lot looking for the missing class member, Jackie. Not only do they discover two men about to fight in the parking lot, but they find Jackie's body in her car. She has been murdered. Suddenly, Ivy finds herself involved in a very complex murder case and implications that it might have connections much closer to home.

Kneaded to Death is the first book in the new Bread Shop Mystery series. I am a big fan of culinary cozy mysteries, so when I noticed this was the start of a new series, I just had to read this book! I'm glad I did! The mystery portion of the plot is well-paced, more complex than most cozies, and filled with possible suspects and unexpected twists. The sub-plots of Ivy's family grieving the death of her mother, the almost magical bakery and details about bread and baking really made this a rich, interesting culinary cozy. There was more substance to this story than most cozies. It wasn't overly cute and cuddly, but a real, serious mystery. There is mention of the supernatural in that Olaya admits to being a Bruja, but it's a minor portion of the story. And, there is a dog....a cute rescue pug.....but the dog is not magical or an integral part of the plot. Too many cozy mysteries use the tropes of magical supernatural pets, ghosts, witches, etc. This book mentioned magic and witches, but only to the extent that Olaya is a healer and uses her hands and talents to bake wonderful bread. Kudos to Winnie Archer for writing a great debut cozy with just the right amount of color and culinary subplot.....without falling prey to the tendency for cozies to go too far towards the cute and cuddly leaving the mystery portion of the plot to languish and falter.

I am definitely going to read future books in this series! This book is well-written and an intriguing read. Plus, there are recipes in the back as well! I'm learning to bake bread so that part of the plot was fun for me! At one point a student in the cooking class forgot to add the yeast to her dough so she had to have help to fix her mistake -- I smiled at that point. That would be me, if I was in Olaya's class. I am not a natural baker.....I'm learning, but have had several loaves that just didn't work. My dogs love it when that happens as they get to eat the mistakes! I loved the theme for this debut in a new series, and I'm definitely on board for the next book!!

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

REVIEW: The Chilbury Ladies' Choir

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
Author: Jennifer Ryan

In the early days of World War II, the Vicar in the village of Chilbury announces that the church choir will be disbanded because there are very few men left in the village. A newcomer to the village, Music Professor Primrose Trent, objects saying that music can bring the women of the village together and help them all get through the war. Under her expert leadership, the women band together and form the Chilbury Ladies Choir. They use their music and friendships to help get them through deaths, threat of invasion, bombings, rationing and all of the changes the war brings to their little corner of England.

The Chilbury Ladies Choir is a beautiful epistolary novel. The story comes to life through the letters and journal entries written by the women of Chilbury. The women share their fears, triumphs and challenges. Choir practices and performances bring them together and give them support and hope during a bleak time. One of my favorite scenes involves Prim Trent bringing the choir together to give thanks for the soldiers who have given their lives and to de-stress. Prim teaches the women about Gregorian Chant, and they sing together. Each woman left practice that night with peace and hope renewed in their souls.

This is a moving and beautiful book. It shows an entire village pulling together to survive war-time horrors. Some rose to the occasion and became a support structure for everyone around them, and others were pulled down into criminal activity. The book doesn't sugar coat the effects of war on village life, but shows the reality through the eyes of the women left at home.

I'm usually not a big fan of epistolary novels. But this one is well-written and wonderful. I highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys historical or women's fiction.

This is Jennifer Ryan's debut novel. To find out more about the author, check out her website: http://jenniferryanbooks.com/

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

REVIEW: Murder Go Round

Murder Go Round
Author: Carol J. Perry

Maralee Barrett and her Aunt Ibby go to a storage locker auction. They win the contents of one locker, finding all sorts of treasures including a silver samovar, a beautiful quilt, and a faded but beautifully carved carousel horse. Almost as soon as they take the items home, strange things start happening. Someone takes their trash. Strangers show up at Goodwill to rifle through the boxes of items they donated. And, after being taken to a local craftsman to be restored, the carousel horse is broken into pieces at the man's shop by an unknown intruder. Maralee's strange ESP visions start warning her of murder and danger, and her cat O'Ryan starts dropping clues to the mystery as well. Soon they discover that the mystery dates back to 1915 when six Russian immigrants came to the United States with some items entrusted to them by Czar Nicholas himself. Maralee and her aunt must sift through the clues, along with Maralee's policeman boyfriend, Pete, to discover the truth behind the items in the storage locker. It's a secret worth killing for in the past and the present, putting them all in danger.

Murder Go Round is the fourth book in the Witch City Mystery series. I enjoy this series because each book is so different. This time the mystery revolves around Russian history and relics from the last days of Czar Nicholas and his family. The mystery was intriguing, well-paced and very interesting. Maralee's ESP visions are a vital part of the plot, but not presented in an over-the-top cheesy manner. And the cat, O'Ryan's special qualities are also understated, not over-done. I enjoy Maralee as a main character, and the supporting cast (Aunt Ibby, O'Ryan, Pete, River) are all wonderful, interesting, eccentric characters. The books are always a nice mix of humor and mystery with a touch of supernatural.

A 5th book in the series, Grave Errors, is coming out this fall.

All in all, an enjoyable, fun cozy mystery. I highly recommend the Witch City Mystery series for mystery lovers who enjoy cozies with a touch of supernatural and cute humor. Fun read! It isn't necessary to read the books in order. A reader could jump in and start with book 4 and not have a hard time figuring out the characters.

REVIEW: The Falconer

The Falconer
Author: Elizabeth May

18-year old Lady Aileana Kameron is so much more than the daughter of the Marquess of Douglas. It's 1844 and nearly every day Aileana wishes she could return to her former life where dresses, dances and the trappings of her privileged life meant something to her. But, since the bloody death of her own mother, her life has become something she never expected. She is still beautiful. She still has wealth and a title. But now she is a hunter, tracking down and murdering the faery creatures who roam the night with the intent to murder humans. She is a Falconer, the last in a long line of female warriors who hunt and kill the fae. But, they also hunt her.....

The Falconer is book 1 in the Falconer trilogy. The third, and final, book is set for publication in June 2017.

I enjoyed this fun, YA steampunk adventure. It wasn't anything new plot-wise, following an established YA trope: plucky, female character must battle evil to save the world and learns to fight while battling her inner confusion over whether she should love the bad boy or her childhood friend. But despite following an established basic plot, I still found myself enjoying the story. I liked Aileana as a main character. She was feisty and fun, not caring that her night battles with the fae had the local aristocracy thinking she was up to unladylike activities. Except for it angering her father and making him decide she needs to marry, and forcing her mother to lecture her on how ladies behave at social events, Alieana really doesn't care what anyone thinks. And, she has a love-hate relationship with the faery who helps train her. She is attracted to him, but she doesn't trust him and at times proved that he did not have control over her. Plus the mix of 1840s Edinburgh and steampunk was just enchanting. The main plot wasn't overshadowed by cheesy romance or overdone steampunk. It was a nice blend, well-written and without the tendency to become overly romantic childish fantasy that some similar YA books fall into. I did have to smile a bit that the main character is not only stunningly beautiful but also from a wealthy family -- poor, plain girls are never entrusted with saving the world. :o)

The Falconer is an enjoyable, light steampunk adventure. I will definitely read the rest of this trilogy. Don't expect anything really new....or complex....but it is a very enjoyable read!

This was Elizabeth May's first book. I'm very interested to see how her characters and writing matured as she continued this series. For more information on the author and the Falconer trilogy, check out her website at http://www.elizabethmaywrites.com/

REVIEW: The Dollhouse Murders

The Dollhouse Murders
Author: Betty Ren Wright

I've been stuck inside the house for several days now battling bronchitis. Cabin fever is really settling in. I want to be out and about....doing almost anything away from the house. But, I'm still too sick to wander very far.

Sigh.

This morning I was perusing my local library's online digital offerings when I noticed some middle-grade books popping up on my recommendations list. My son and I had been looking for some things for him to read the other night....so there was a long string of children's mystery and suspense novels popping up. It perked up my mood immediately! I love ghost stories and sometimes middle-grade versions are just incredi-awesome!

What a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon when I'm stuck inside again with only bottles of medicine and sleeping pets to keep me company! I picked out a couple and found the quick reads to be absolutely and wonderfully entertaining!

The first middle-grade book I chose is The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright.

The basics: Amy feels trapped sometimes when she has to watch her sister Louann after school. Louann suffers from brain-damage and requires constant supervision. Amy loves her sister but sometimes she wants to be able to do things with her friends without having to watch Louann. One night after an argument with her mother, Amy walks to her Aunt Clare's house, and asks to spend a few days there with her aunt. Just a little break....that's what she needs. Little does Amy know that the dollhouse she discovers in the attic will pull her into family secrets and a 30 year old mystery.

This was such a fun book! The mystery is engaging, and the subplot of Amy's struggle with being responsible for her sister was realistic and interesting. The old house added a layer of creepiness to the tale. Just a fun, quick middle-grade read!

I highly recommend this book for kids and adults who like a bit of suspense and mystery. The ending was perfect. I'm definitely going to read more by this author, and I'm going to recommend this book to my granddaughter.

Before her death in 2013, Betty Ren Wright wrote 25 children's fiction books, including Christina's Ghost and Ghosts Beneath Our Feet. The Dollhouse Murders was first published in the early 80's. It was re-released in 2008, so copies are still readily available from local bookstores or online.

It doesn't matter how old you are.....there are times when children's books can be quite delightful and enjoyable to read! I was ready to spend an entire afternoon bored out of my mind, but instead I was completely entertained and happy! And, I think I have found several books that my granddaughter will love!

REVIEW: Dead Mountain

Dead Mountain
The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident
Author: Donnie Eichar

In January 1959, a group of 10 experienced Russian hikers took a trek together in the northern Ural Mountains. The route they were traveling was the highest difficulty -- a Grade III -- because they wanted to be certified to lead expeditions. They were to document their journey in photographs and journals for the certification. All were quite bright -- engineering and economics students. They were all fit and loved trekking through the mountains. But this trip would be different. This time, only one of them would return home.

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident details the Russian students' mysterious deaths.

I first heard about this strange, unsolved mystery on a podcast. The hosts gave the facts and then discussed different theories as to what happened to the students. This book was mentioned in their list of source material. After reading it, I can understand why. Author Donnie Eichar became obsessed with the story himself after hearing it, and traveled to Russia to talk with people that knew the group and to hike to the area where their bodies were found. He met the families of some of the students and even interviewed Yuri Yudin, the student who survived because he was not healthy enough to complete the entire trip.

Eichar outlines in his book that the families of the hikers had to beg local officials to begin looking for the missing students when they failed to return from their trip on time. The officials said that they supposed the group was just delayed...that the trip took longer than they intended and that they would just be coming back late. But the families persisted. When the time stretched to more than two weeks with no word from the missing students, helicopters and people were sent to the area to search for the missing group. First their campsite and tent were found. The tent was torn and covered in snow. Personal belongings were still inside, including boots, skis and other necessities. The search continued until the first bodies were discovered nearly a mile from their campsite. Strangely enough, most were wearing no boots and a couple of the bodies wore only undergarments. Why would they have fled their camp into the bitterly cold winter night without wearing boots or proper clothing? Five bodies were found relatively quickly, but the remaining bodies were not recovered until spring.

The mystery is compelling. Nine young fit people trekked into the mountains, only to be found days later dead in the snow, having fled their camp in the middle of the night. Some had strange injuries including a skull fracture, a missing tongue and eye injuries. There have been many theories over the decades since the incident.....severe wind shear, an avalanche, yeti, UFOs, Soviet military weapons testing, an unknown assailant.....

The photographs in the book are haunting. Beautiful pictures of a group of University friends enjoying a long journey in the mountains. Smiling, laughing, posing.....more serious photos meant to show proper formation and dress for the mountain guide certification they all wanted. Then photos of the search parties, the damaged tent, personal belongings strewn over the snow.....and frozen bodies.

What happened that cold, snowy night in the Ural Mountains? The story is truly fascinating and Donnie Eichar presents well-researched facts and information about the group, their trip and his journey to Russia to walk the same path.

I'm not really expert enough to form an educated opinion about the different theories. But I do know it had to be something terrifying and sudden for the entire group of skilled survivalists to run from their tent without even putting on warm clothes first.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading about unsolved mysteries, unexplained deaths and life in Soviet Russia. Eichar does not include any graphic photos of the bodies. It is all documented in a respectful manner. The book is well-written and an interesting account of the incident. In the end after all his research, trips to Russia and meetings with scientists, the book closes with Eichar's opinion about what might have caused the nine experienced hikers to die. I found his conclusion interesting and plausible.

For more information on the author and his book,check out his website at: http://deadmountainbook.com/