Category Archives: Book Reviews

I’ve enjoyed all four books in Gigi Pandian’s Jaya Jones series. Jaya is a art historian and professor who, for me, seems to combine Indiana Jones and Amelia Peabody (Elizabeth Peter’s intrepid heroine) into one. I always have a lot of fun reading these books and recommend them to anyone who enjoys a fun and funny mystery with historical references.

In this story, Jaya is off to Italy to investigate a claim that her former professor, Lilith Vine, has made about an artist whose work she says, in the 16th century, spanned between the Italian Renaissance and India. Such a tie had never existed. Lilith was disgraced by making erroneous claims in the past but Jaya is convinced something is afoot when the disgraced professor dies suddenly after their meeting. Jaya is also convinced that she was murdered even though every one else thinks it was accidental.

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This is the first book in the new Gesthsemane Brown series by Alexia Gordon. As the book series starts, Gesthsemane has just found herself in Ireland homeless, without a job, and with her luggage stolen. Thankfully, she is a very talented orchestra conductor and classical musician who is able to find a place to stay, get a job, and borrow the clothes she needs fairly quickly.

The job is at an all-boys school where she is quickly informed part of her duties are to get them to win a prestigious event in a matter of weeks. Of course, they haven’t won this contest in 75 years so Ms. Brown has her work cut out for her.

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“Pumpkins in Paradise” is the first book I have read by author Kathi Daley. The book is also the first in a series of mysteries about Tj Jensen. Tj has taken on the task of raising her two half-sisters after her mother recently passed away. She is also the type of individual who likes to volunteer (or be volunteered) for a various groups and causes in her small town Paradise, Nevada.

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This is the first book I have read by Ritter Ames and it is the first in a series of books about recovering artworks.

In this story, Laurel Beacham is the sleuth who ferrets out artworks that have been misappropriated in the past. She likewise re-appropriates them (by hook or by crook) and restores them to their rightful owners. She has an uncanny ability to change her appearance and demeanor and has, up until now, not been found out.

Laurel finds herself looking not only for artwork but for her co-worker as well. Her past relationship with the man gives her an extra motivation as well as knowledge of where to look for him. She runs into a new individual and has to decide whether to trust him or consider him part of the plot that has taken her friend.

The book is both funny and has a lot of roller-coaster style thrills. I had a lot of fun reading the book and look forward to more in the series in the future.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher, Henery Press, via Netgalley.

I read this series out of order by reading the 19th and the 21st books before reading this, the 20th book in the Eve Duncan series. I thought that I had not missed much but once I went back and read through “Hide Away”, I realized that it was filled with pivotal information that transitioned the series. I highly suggest that you read these three books in their intended order.

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I started reading this series with book number 19 “Shadow Play”, which as it turns out, was the beginning of the trilogy series within the larger Eve Duncan series. I missed book 20 “Hide Away” but picked up again with “Night and Day” which is the last of the three books.

In the first book I read, Eve Duncan worked as a forensic sculptor. In “Night and Day”, her skills are not touched upon and that was more than slightly disappointing. Otherwise, the book was action packed and filled with “bad guys” and paranormal happenings as well as relationships forming and families being completed. The ending was satisfying but it also held promises of more to come in the next book in the series. Hopefully, in the next book, there will be more about Eve’s work which was so intriguing to me in the first book I read in this series.

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This is the first in what I hope is a series (at least one other book) about literary editor Val Cameron. Val is a New York City type of gal of who is sent to a small town in Canada by her boss and sometimes more than a boss to get a contract signed with an author who will “save” the imprint they both work for at their publishing company.

Val doesn’t know (or care) anything about camping, living in a small town, or probably anything outside of the big city. She gets challenged over and over again as she makes her way to the author.

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I had no idea that this book was the seventh in a series when I chose to read it. I often read books out of order in series to see if the book stands alone as a story. This one certainly does; however, I so enjoyed it, I feel like I must now go back and read the first six books to catch up on the characters and to provide myself hours of enjoyment as well.

The sleuth in the story is Mattie (Matterhorn) Winston. She is a former nurse who now works for the Medical Examiners office. How she went from treating living patients to dealing with the ME’s office is another story (and one that I will be reading soon enough.)

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I picked up this prequel to three series of mysteries published by Henery Press. I am familiar with the novels by Gigi Pandian and Diane Vallere but had not read any books by Kendel Lynn.

In this set of three short stories, there is a mix-up of three pieces of luggage. What is interesting but perhaps a little too ingenious is that the luggage is vintage in make and style and all three individuals have the same bag. It might have worked better if the luggage had been more nondescript as I questioned how and why such an unusual bag would be owned by three individuals who crossed flight paths.

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