Category Archives: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

In this re-release of the eighth book of this thirteen book series, Ellie Haskell is once again searching for the solution to a mystery. It really isn’t a murder mystery per se but rather puzzles that need some solution. While there are deaths, the point isn’t to solve those. The who was fairly easy to solve but the why took a bit more puzzling and clues.

Ellie’s father has turned up out of the blue after he left her to her own devices at age 17 (just after her mother passed away.) He drops on their doorstep just as she and her husband are about to leave on a much needed get-away to France sans children. Needless to say, the trip is off.

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“Abstract Aliases” is the third book in the A Bodies of Art Mystery series by Ritter Ames. Each book builds off the previous ones, so I highly recommend reading the books in order. There are many references backwards to the prior books and it could be both a bit confusing and a bit of a spoiler to read them out of order.

In this book, Laurel Beacham is on the run from those who would hurt her. As a change, she is not actively searching for a particular piece of art. Instead, she and Jack, the infuriating Englishman who keeps pushing his way into her life (and maybe her heart) are on their trail of a group that is busy murdering art forgers. The settings are primarily Italy and a bit in England with descriptions of beautiful landmarks and artwork as well.

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While this is the third book in the Giulia Driscoll murder mystery series, it is the first one that I have read. The beginning of the book may have assumed that the reader had read the prior books as it started in the middle of a scene with a variety of characters. I felt pretty lost but read on and within a short amount of time, I felt that I knew who each character was. I do suggest reading the books in order as it took time and effort to figure out who was who.

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This is the fourth book in the Ivy Meadows series, a series about actress turned part-time private detective Ivy Meadows (aka Olive Zweigwart.) These stories are some of the funniest mysteries that I have enjoyed in a very long time.

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This is the first book I have read by Leslie Nagel. It is, however, the second book in the Oakwood Mystery series. While I found it easy to dive into and read as a stand-alone book, there were enough clues given in this book about the previous one that it was a bit of a spoiler. If the idea of the series is interesting to you, you might want to consider starting with the first book and reading them in order.

Charley Carpenter is the owner of Old Hat, a vintage clothing store. She is also the girl friend of the town detective, Marc Trenault. She is also a very inquisitive and bold in action woman. When one of her oldest friends and mentors is found murdered, she can’t rest until the murderer is brought to justice.

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This is the third book in the Red Carpet Catering mystery series. The series sleuth is a caterer for movie and television sets. It’s an interesting twist in the cozy mystery genre and provides a peek into the backstage of making movies, etc.

Penelope Sutherland is the owner and catering chef of Red Carpet Catering. She and her crew have taken a short job on an Indy film in New York City. The hours are difficult and sporadic as some days (or nights rather) they work until dawn.

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I have read all of the books in The Country Club Murders series and have enjoyed each and every one. Julie Mulhern places her sleuth in humorous situations and has a knack for dialog which makes her characters come alive. In “Watching the Detectives”, the humor is still evident but a serious issue is addressed and it is done in a very serious way. To say more about the issue would be somewhat of a spoiler, so I won’t do so.

Ellison Randall seems to be a magnet for finding dead people. The entire town is beginning to talk about it. Really, she almost seems to trip over them. That the murders take on the aspect of a Clue game right in her own home is making her a bit leery of being at home with teenage daughter Grace.

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I’ve read all of the books in this series and each one is as great as the last. The series is set in the 1970’s with Ellison Russell as the reluctant sleuth. It isn’t that she wants to keep finding dead bodies, it just keeps happening.

Ellison, who is not quite 40, is one of the privileged country club set. She wants to break out of the mold and has become a successful painter. She is also being actively pursued by two different men, one who is part of her set (and a lawyer) and the other is from a different class which makes him even more appealing (not to mention he is the homicide detective who keeps popping up to assist with those dead bodies.)

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The Ivy Meadows Mystery series by Cindy Brown has rapidly become one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I have so much fun reading the books, that I end up laughing out loud.

In this story, actress/private detective (in training) Ivy Meadows (aka Olive Zweigwart) has a gig on a Get Lit (as in Literature, people) which involves both of her areas of expertise. She and her uncle are undercover looking for the gang that is responsible for the series of thefts that have been plaguing the cruise line. As part of the deal, Ivy has also been cast as Nancy in their adaptation of “Oliver” which is called “Oliver! At Sea!”).

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This is a fun new cozy mystery series featuring Penelope Sutherland who is a movie caterer. This book was originally published as “Murder On the Red Carpet” but underwent a name change when it was re-published.

In addition to her catering, Penelope also works as a live-in chef to up-and-coming movie star, Arlena Madison. Penny and Arlena are out in a snow storm looking for their adorable dog, Zazoo, who has, during a storm related power outage, gotten out of the house and past the electronic fence. What they find is murder.

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