Tuesday Book Review

Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens - five stars

Daisy and Hazel are spending the Christmas hols at Cambridge, where Bertie is studying and Alexander and George are visiting George’s brother. Of course there’s a murder, or rather two. But with the Detective Society and the Junior Pinkerton’s on the scene, the murderer can’t hope to get away with it. Told in Hazel’s wonderful voice as she journals every step of the way as the two rival agencies compete to find the killer first, this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are full of fun and surprises. I may have been able to predict parts of the story but Daisy and Hazel never disappoint.This is the fifth novel in the series. There’s one more and a book of short stories to read. I’m looking forward to the next one.

Tuesday Book Review

Tuesday Book Review

Water Lily by Crystal Packard. Five stars

Very enjoyable read. A fantasy adventure and romance. Lily likes to escape from her demanding mother and memories of her best friend’s death by visiting her grandmother, called Mémé. But when she arrives her great-aunts tell her that her grandmother has gone off somewhere. Unhappy, Lily finds a mural on Mémé’s wall. When the moon shines on it, the mural radiates and when she touches the water in it, her hand comes away wet. Lily passes through the painting and arrives in an old-fashioned world. Believing her grandmother is somewhere in that world, she meets people who help her and others who don’t. Her adventures teach her who she loves and what abilities she has.

Early Tuesday Book Reviews

Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King - Five stars

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes in early twentieth century San Francisco. Throw in Dashiell Hammett and a few other interesting characters. Mary must unlock the rooms in her brain to solve the death of her parents and brother, always thought to be an accident, and their Chinese servants. Wonderful exploration of her suppressed memories. I also enjoyed seeing San Francisco through Sherlock's British viewpoint. I'd heard about this series and when a friend gave me a copy of this book, I gave it a try. If the others are as good, I'll read the entire series.



The Deadly Art of Deception by Linda Crowder - Four stars

Caribou King runs an art gallery in a town on the inner passage in Alaska that gets many tourists during the season. Her friend returns a year after the death of the friend's husband, an artist. Everyone lies to Carbou. The plot is convoluted, and hard to follow in places. But I enjoyed the story and characters, and will eventually read the sequel.

Belated Tuesday Reviews

Polar Bear Dawn by Lyle Nicholson - Four stars


Good detective story with excellent descriptions of the settings. Bernadette has her hands full when financial and petroleum interests try to use the invention of a scientist to manipulate the trade of oil stocks and the scientist has his own ideas. I tended to skim over the parts about the weapons people used. There were lots of bodies. Although we were in the heads of several of the players, we never really got to know most of them.




The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin - Five stars

I'm so glad this trilogy had an ending that was the logical conclusion to this saga. The writing is superb. The combinations of second person for Essun and third for her daughter, Nassun, and of course first for the narrator, Hoa work to separate the three stories that are all part of the same story. As a scientist, I'd like to know more about how the Plutonic Engine worked, but don't need that to comprehend what's happening. This is the first of Jemisin's work that I've read, but I'll definitely read more. Loved it.

Tuesday Book Reviews

Murder on Magazine by Julie Smith

So good to be back with Skip and the gang in New Orleans. This time, a terrific new character is introduced. Cody, or any of the other names Cordelia goes by, was sold into prostitution by her mother, but in escaping, she thinks she kills the whale. As Skip officially investigates the death of the man who was monitoring Cody, the teenager does her own investigation. Who was the whale? Did he kill the other man? Where will Cody be safe? And through it all are the dogs. And opinions, mainly negative, on the Airbnb situation in NOLA. Hope this means we’ll see more Skip Langdon stories, and that they include more Cody.

Jolly Foul Play by Robin Stevens

Another wonderful Wells and Wong detective story. When the head girl at Deepdean School for Girls dies during a bonfire, Daisy and Hazel are on the case. They witnessed how the victim and her group of big girl prefects had terrorized the younger girls at the school. Malicious rumors and secrets began to turn up after the death. Along with their dorm-mates, they conclude that the prefects are the only viable suspects. Hazel’s ‘voice’, telling the story as she recorded it for their Detective Society, is wonderful. Thanks to my daughter, I now have three more in the series.

Book Review Tuesday

Review of The Silent Shield by Jeff Wheeler

This is the fifth book in Jeff Wheeler’s reworking of the Arthurian legends. It’s the second about Trynne Kiskaddon, the daughter of the protagonist of the first three, Owen Kiskaddon, and a very worthy successor. I did guess early on that she’d marry [spoiler]. The action is credible. Many of the characters are well-drawn. I’m looking forward to book six. Hoping for the return of Trynne’s mother and father. Love the theme of history repeating itself.

Book Review Tuesday:



Dying for a Vacation by E.M. Swift-Hook and Jane Jago

In an England where the Romans were never kicked out, Dai Llewellyn is investigating the stealing of antiques in England, while his pregnant (and Roman) wife Julia has escaped his overbearing attention by traveling to Egypt. This is a strong addition to the Dai and Julia series of mysteries. The addition of Egypt and an archaeological dig as setting for a part of the story was great. I also love the addition of Hook-Beak’s wife. She’s a wonderful character. And of course, Dai and Julia solve the crimes.