Category Archives: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

“The Breakdown” is the story of a young woman who feels she may be on the verge of a mental breakdown. It also incorporates the story of another woman who appears to have had her car breakdown on a horrible stormy night. The two stories converge early on in the book and each has an effect on the other.

Cassie returns home on the stormy evening after spending the night out with co-workers even though her husband made her promise to stay on the main road. She decides to take the short cut through the woods and comes across a car which seems to have broken down. She can’t quite convince herself to leave the safety of her own car to see if the other driver needs help (though she does stop to see if the other driver will get out of her car to seek help.) When she doesn’t, Cassie drives home. Because she broke her promise to her husband, Cassie can’t talk about the other driver or where she saw her.

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I’ve read a number of the books in this series, so having a good background of characters made for a difference. I suggest reading the books in order so you can understand the relationships between the characters.

Nichelle Clarke is the cop and crime reporter for the Richmond Telegraph. She is also the maid of honor at a wedding she is helping plan which will unite two of her co-workers. When a body is found at the wedding venue and her friend comes under suspicion, it makes sense for the Nichelle, both as maid of honor and as a reporter to jump in to figure out the whodunnit.

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“Death in D Minor” is the second book in the Gethsemane Brown mystery series. Gethsemane is a concert violinist who, for reasons detailed in the first book in this series, is now residing in Ireland and teaching music at an all-boys school. When she finds out that she is about to be evicted from her cottage, she sets about trying to summon the ghost who so ably assisted her in the first book. Problem is, she doesn’t quite know what she is doing and the results of her plot are not quite what she was expecting.

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I had enjoyed reading Ms. Costa’s first book in this series, which had many lighthearted moments. I thought that this book would be in the same vein. Turns out that it is much more serious with lots of dark overtones.

I enjoyed it equally as well but hope that some spark of humor returns to the series with the next book. Val can be such a fun sleuth that it would be a shame not to highlight that in the future.

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Sunday Night is one tough lady. The events of her life have shaped her into a woman who likes to stand-alone and who likes to stand away from the rest of life. When her mentor Beau comes calling with a case that needs her help, she is pulled out of her hermits existence and back into the real work.

There are two stories that are being told side-by-side. The primary one involves the case Sunday is working on (with assistance from her twin brother Gus) while the other is a more nebulous story. Both are riveting.

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This is the fourth book in the Allison Campbell Mystery series and is the second book I have read. With the background of the third novel, I was much more familiar with the characters and had a better understanding of why each of the continuing individuals act the way that they do. I still suggest that the books be read in order as I still have many unanswered questions about a number of the characters and how the plot line has developed thus far.

In this story, Allison journeys to Italy to help work her image re-branding magic on a seemingly young woman, Elle. Elle is the daughter of a iconic pair – her father was a world famous rock star who is now struggling with physical and mental issues while her mother was a starlet who passed away young. Elle’s husband has recently passed away and she is struggling to find herself once again. The problem is, she doesn’t seem to know who or what she is or wants to be – she just knows she wants to change.

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I’ve read the entire series of A Bodies of Art mysteries and, while I enjoy the series, I felt that “Fatal Forgeries” left a little too much up in the air at the end of the book.

The story lines of the preceding books generally solve a smaller crime while leaving an other-reaching and larger crime or criminal activity left unsolved. I am used to this type of scenario, especially in British television mystery series. The problem with this book is that none the lesser crimes were solved.

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I am a real fan of Susan M. Boyer’s Liz Talbot mystery series. The latest (“Lowcountry Bonfire”) is another great entry in the lineup.

In this story, the paranormal touch is lighter than in many of the other books. Coleen, who is the ghost of Liz’s best friend from high school, has been warned off helping Liz and her husband Nate too much. For that reason, she is less involved in this particular story but there is a promise of more coming in future books.

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This is the latest entry in the Giulia Driscoll mystery series. Giulia is a former nun now turned private investigator. In this book, this series makes a left turn into a somewhat paranormal adventure. There is still a mystery to solve but other forces are added in as you go along.

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This is the fourth entry in the A Red Carpet Catering Mystery series. The sleuth is Penelope Sutherland, who is also the owner and head chef of Red Carpet Catering, which is a catering service for movies and television crews.

In this book, Penelope and her crew are on the road in Indiana. She is once again working with her best friend, housemate, and part-time employer, Arlena. Arlena is also an up-and-coming movie star. While she is part of the story, there is less focus on her as well as on any of the mainstay characters (Joey, Max and Randall) in the series besides Penelope.

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