mystery

Book Review: First Degree

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First Degree
Andy Carpenter #2
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

Defense attorney Andy Carpenter is reluctantly brought into a case when a man confesses to murder under the protection of attorney-client privilege. The case takes a turn when Andy’s girlfriend ends up being accused of the murder, and it’s up to him to unravel a conspiracy and prove her innocence.

Frame-ups and high-reaching conspiracies are the common ground in this series so far. I like that these stories look at both the investigation and the trial, because even when Andy knows his client isn’t guilty, he still has to be able to prove it. And that’s when discovering the real culprit(s) comes in. I’m not remotely an expert in what goes on in a courtroom, but Rosenfelt makes those scenes seem much more real that what I normally see on TV. Maybe it’s just because he includes so many details that others leave out. I also really liked the bits of the previous book that continued into this one, especially Andy helping his previous client with a lawsuit against those who caused him to be incarcerated for years. The question of whether or not Andy will win the trial is probably not as suspenseful as it could be, since solving the mystery is pretty tied up in proving his client innocent, and I suspect that will be the case throughout the series, but it doesn’t make the mystery less interesting.

Only two audiobooks in, Gardner is already the definitive voice of Andy Carpenter for me. Gardner really brings Andy’s wit and sarcasm to life. I’m definitely sticking with the audiobooks for this series as much as possible. Fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas should consider reading this book.

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Book Review: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

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The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Hercule Poirot #1
 by Agatha Christie
read by Hugh Fraser

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

This is the first Agatha Christie book I’ve ever read, and now I’m wondering what took me so long, especially since I’ve been a fan of mystery books all my life. I think when I was younger, I figured older books would just be boring, but as an adult, I definitely appreciate the simplicity of books written or set in historical time periods. Though I think the narrator, Hastings, needed more development as a character, Poirot is an interesting detective-type character, and I look forward to getting to know him more. I had some theories about the mystery, though I don’t know that the clues to the true answer are really given to the reader. Poirot plays things pretty close to the vest, allowing Hastings, who acted as his sidekick, to go down quite a few wrong paths. Though some say it’s not the best idea to start with this book if you’ve never read any in this series before, because Christie was still figuring out who Poirot is or for other reasons that might keep someone from liking the series enough to want to keep going, to me, that just means it’ll get better from here. And though Poirot may have over-explained after the mystery was solved, I enjoyed the story overall. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Hugh Fraser and thought he did a great job. I’m looking forward to continuing on in this series!

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Book Review: Open and Shut

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Open and Shut
Andy Carpenter #1
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When defense attorney Andy Carpenter dad dies and leaves him with a request to appeal the murder conviction of a man whose case his dad prosecuted and an unexpected inheritance of $22 million, Andy suspects that there’s more going on than a wrong conviction. He has to dig into the past to find the truth, and he might not like what he finds.

I have read 2 books from much later in this series, and liked them enough to start back at the beginning. It was interesting to read about where Carpenter’s money came from—money that in those later books allow him to be more discriminate in the cases he chooses to take on. Though this reference will likely be lost on most, this first book reminded me a lot of the pilot of Due South, an underrated Canadian show in the 90s. Though Andy Carpenter is certainly no Benton Fraser. I enjoyed the mystery in this book, the various paths Carpenter treads to build his defense case for the convicted murderer while also following thin threads related to his dad and the money he left. What makes this book stand out a bit from other mystery novels, to me, is the wit and snark of the main character. I often found myself smiling or even chuckling along the way.

I listened to the audiobook, and it didn’t take me as long to warm up to the narrator as it often does. Gardner did a great job bringing Carpenter’s often-sarcastic voice to life. I look forward to making my way through the rest of the series in the same format. Fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas should consider reading this book.

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Book Review: A Winter by the Sea

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A Winter by the Sea
On Devonshire Shores #2
by Julie Klassen

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

When Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and Strathearn, and his family come to spend the winter in Sidmouth, the Summers sisters’ guest house becomes host to three members of the prince’s staff. Emily Summers finds herself drawn to the duke’s private secretary, even though she is still holding out hope for a renewal of a relationship she’d left behind when the family first moved to Sidmouth. Meanwhile, Sarah Summers has to deal with the duke’s junior chef invading her kitchen, and the third guest harbors secrets that may lead the sisters into danger.

It’s a little difficult to boil this book down to a succinct summary, because there’s so much going on. Each book in the series so far has given insight into more than one of the sisters living at Sea View, while focusing in on one sister. In the previous book, we see Viola fall in love, and this time, the spotlight is on her twin sister Emily (and Viola is mostly in the background, comparatively). My favorite thing about this book is the way the author includes the real history of the duke’s family visiting Sidmouth and what transpires during that visit. The brief quotes from real history books at the beginning of each chapter give hints into what will be coming in each chapter, and sometimes they can be seen as spoilers, but I liked the way they ground the book in reality. Though I will admit that the inclusion of the fortune teller was a bit more than I would have preferred in a book of this genre, considering the weight Emily gives to the woman’s predictions, despite being warned against paying any attention to her by a woman who uses the Bible as her reference.

One of my biggest issues with this book, though, is the length. While in the previous book, there were 3 perspectives shown (Viola, Sarah, and Emily), there were only 2 in this book, yet it is just as long as the previous. I often felt like too much detail was included about things that aren’t important, and the book could have been considerably shorter without hurting the main story or any of the side plots. Though I also question if all of the side plots were needed as well. I read and enjoyed the Tales from Ivy Hill trilogy by the same author, which was a similar kind of series with an ensemble set of main characters, but this one hasn’t worked as well as the first one did, for me. I don’t know if I can really explain why, but I think part of it is that a trope I noticed in the earlier series is simply wearing on me more in this series. That being that when one of the female MCs has a dramatic moment or is in come compromised state, despite the fact that there is a house/town full of people, it just so happens that the potential love interest for that character is in the area, and usually the only one in the area, so that they can have a moment. It’s the kind of forced coincidence that I can let slide a few times, but it happens so often that it’s now become boringly predictable.

There are a few threads that have gone through both of the books in this series that could be tied up in the third book, and at least one of them I very much hope to see expanded on, so I definitely plan to read the third book in the series and see what comes of those threads. After that, I may stick to stand-alone books by Klassen, because I have loved those I’ve read by her, but I’m a bit more rocky with these ensemble-cast series. Based on past experience, though, I have good reason to believe that most fans of Regency-era Christian romance will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: A Beautiful Disguise

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A Beautiful Disguise
The Imposters #1
by Roseanna M. White

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical mystery

Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother Yates, an earl, may have inherited a grand estate, but their father left no money to keep it running. He blew it all on entertainment, which fortunately included circus acts that gave Marigold and Yates the training they needed to earn money as private investigators. When Sir Merritt Livingstone brings them a case involving possible espionage and treason, the investigation brings the Fairfaxes a little too close to home. Marigold’s carefully cultivated disguise of wealthy, vapid noblewoman might just blow up in her face.

This book drew me in right away, and I loved it all the way to the end. The story alternates between 3 POVs—Marigold, Yates, and Merritt. I worried it might be too much at first, but I really appreciated all 3 of these perspectives. I enjoyed the balancing act that both Yates and Marigold had to perform as anonymous investigators hired by Merritt and as acquaintances in social settings. While there’s a subplot of romance, it is not a focal point of the book, in my opinion. In fact, I feel like there’s more of a friendship base before anything further develops than normally happens in a book where the romantic pair start off as strangers.

The mystery that Merritt brings to The Imposters, Ltd. is not super complex, yet was not easy for me to unravel on my own. It actually seemed a little too simplistic at first, but then it became more complex as it went. Overall, it kept me engaged, as did the unique lifestyle of the Fairfax siblings, living on their estate with circus performers, complete with a monkey, a peacock, and Marigold’s lion friend.

It is never difficult for me to explain what I don’t like about a book (and I’m usually the outlier, struggling with books that most others loved), but it is often difficult to put into words what I enjoy about a book. What I have expressed above doesn’t adequately explain my love for this book, but I liked it so much, I’m going to immediately add previous books by this author to my TBR list, plus I’m so excited to see the next book in the series has already been announced! I highly recommend this book for fans of Christian historical mystery (this is set during the Edwardian era in London), but be aware the romance is a fairly slow burn.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: The Emperor’s Code

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The Emperor’s Code
The 39 Clues #8
by Gordon Korman

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Children’s mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

Amy and Dan Cahill are reeling over news of their heritage and take it out on each other. When they get separated, Dan and Amy will have to use the clue hunt to find their way back to each other. 

I really liked the fresh turn this story took with Dan and Amy’s argument. Not that it’s the first time they’ve argued, but the siblings being separated, having different experiences, and working the clue hunt from two different angles, is all new and interesting. The ways that they’re both trying to deal with what they discovered in the previous book about their parents, grandmother, and themselves, adds some realism and seriousness to the story. While there are still some outlandish situations, the climax in particular, I found myself enjoying the ride. I really want to see how Amy and Dan handle their ancestry and what it means for their role in the clue hunt, and I hope to learn for certain who can be trusted and who can’t. The clues themselves seem less important than the hunt to find them at this point, and I look forward to continuing the series.

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Book Review: A Caffeine Conundrum

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A Caffeine Conundrum
by Angela Ruth Strong

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When Marissa Alexander and Tandy Brandt both want to purchase the same building—Marissa to open a tea house and Tandy to open a coffee shop—the bidding war is over before it begins, due to the untimely death of the building’s owner. To make matters worse, their proximity to the death and desire to buy the building put Marissa and Tandy squarely in the crosshairs of the investigation. Local beauty queen Marissa and newcomer Tandy will have to work together to find the real killer so they can go back to vying for the building.

These ladies are not the kind of MCs I look for in a mystery story. They jump to suspecting everyone that they meet or that comes to mind in the course of the investigation, coming up with outlandish theories, making wild accusations with no particular need for evidence, and then proceeding to be terrified of whoever they’ve most recently decided must be guilty. Tandy has her issues, but she’s a lot more relatable than Marissa, who is incredibly rude to Tandy the moment they meet, is selfish and whiny, and gives a whole new meaning to the word “klutz” (seriously, how she doesn’t kill herself is beyond me). On the plus side, though these two start off at odds with each other, I do appreciate that they begin a grudging partnership that turns into friendship in a way that doesn’t feel forced.

The mystery itself left a bit to be desired for me. Because every single potential motive is beaten to death by these girls, it’s pretty clear to me that none of their suspects could be the actual killer. Which led me to suspect the one person they hadn’t turned their attention to, which turned out to be correct, though I didn’t guess the motive at all. The “murder weapon,” though, really threw me off. I tried to look up what would happen if you put instant coffee into a machine and brew it, and other than gunking up the inside of the machine, it seems to have no other negative side effects. Either the author completely made up the chemistry involved or didn’t explain what she was going for very well in the book. 

Overall, this book was not for me. It’s the beginning of a series of mysteries with these two as the main characters, which I will not be continuing. However, the reviews for this book are mostly positive, and even more so for the rest of the series. If you’re a fan of contemporary mysteries and aren’t bothered by what I mentioned above, please consider giving this book a try.

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Book Review: Children of the Shadows

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Children of the Shadows
Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries #3
by Erica Vetsch

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical mystery

While already working on a murder case, Bow Street runner Daniel Swann is brought a case of missing street children by more than one individual. With the Duke of Haverly’s help, he’s also attempting to prove his rightful status as Earl of Rotherhhide, and both his future with Lady Juliette Thorndike and his future as an agent for the Home Office are in question depending on the outcome of the suit. Lady Juliette has also been asked to re-examine her commitment as a spy and is given time to think it over, while not being allowed to work on any cases.

I don’t gush over a book often, but I don’t think I can avoid it with this book, especially considering that it is the end of a series that I have loved and also follows up another series that I loved (Serendipity & Secrets). Vetsch is hands-down my favorite writer of Regency fiction, and I am so very sad to see this series come to a close. It feels like it’s just getting started! I want more mysteries for Thorndike and Swann, especially since they didn’t really get to work together in this book. And I really want more Marcus Haverly! Though he was a side character in this book, he still stands strong as my favorite overall character from these 2 series. 

The mystery in this story is engaging and exciting. It works well as a wrap-up to the series, since it involves some of the characters that recurred throughout. I tried so hard to guess at the identity of the main villain, but even though the clues are right there, I totally missed them. I kept grasping at outlandish theories, but hey, that’s why I’m not an investigator. There was another hidden identity that I did guess correctly, though. Juliette’s forced break from any real spy work was the only reason I rated this slightly less than 5 stars—the series is all about them teaming up to solve mysteries, after all.

I’m already looking forward to starting back at the beginning of the Serendipity & Secrets series and going through to this final book again. And maybe by then, there will be more of Marcus, Daniel & Juliette, maybe even Sophia or Philippa Cashel or the Cadogans, to carry on with. I highly recommend this book and series for fans of this genre and time period, whether you like romance or not, because there is some, but it’s not the focus of the books. But I would also really recommend checking out Serendipity & Secrets, and maybe even consider reading that trilogy first.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

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Book Review: The Viper’s Nest

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The Viper’s Nest
The 39 Clues #7
by Peter Lerangis

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Children’s mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

With both police and a storm closing in on the island where Amy and Dan Cahill just watched one of their rivals in the hunt for 39 Clues die, they first must escape and then try to continue the hunt. Next, it’s off to South Africa to follow the trail of a famous British statesman.

This is the 7th book in the series and the 2nd written by this author. His first book was when I first noted that having a different author for each installment in the series could be annoying, and I noted some glaring differences in this book too, mostly in the way of some of the main characters talking very differently than I’m used to. Dan talks and acts like a 4-year-old sometimes, and Nellie (Amy and Dan’s au pair) suddenly talked like a teeny bopper. I don’t fully understand the reason behind having 7 different authors write the 11 books in a series, unless it’s to get their names in front of people, thus promoting their own works, but I feel like it could have been done better. They should have compared notes more/better.

Still, with all of that being said, it did not diminish my overall enjoyment of the book or series enough to keep me from moving forward. There was still intrigue and some suspense, and a HUGE secret was revealed in this book. I’ve suspected this secret for several books, now, almost to where I didn’t see how it could work out any other way, but I don’t think it will be as obvious to most kids of the age these books are meant for. Instead, it will probably come as a pretty big shock, and it leaves us all unable to trust even more things that we’ve learned throughout this series. I also am sure that things about this book that frustrated me would probably not bother those in the demographic the book was written for. I still have another theory or two related to the big reveal from this book, so I’m looking forward to seeing if I’m right.

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Book Review: Snow Place for Murder

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Snow Place for Murder
Mountain Lodge Mystery #3
by Diane Kelly

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Cozy mystery

Misty Murphy, owner of a mountain lodge, becomes entangled in a murder investigation when a resort developer is found dead on her property. As suspects include the other guests in the lodge, as well as some locals, Misty takes it upon herself to dig into motives and opportunities to help the local law enforcement solve the crime.

I have not read the previous 2 books in this series, but figured if I enjoyed this one, I’d go back to them. I can safely say this is not a series I’m going to be delving into, though, as I didn’t care for the author’s style in this book. I am not used to quite so much hand-holding in a mystery book, as the narration includes every single thought the main character has about the case, large or small, sometimes repeated. As I read, I had to assume that her speculations through most of the book were all wrong because otherwise, it wouldn’t be a very engaging plot. Also, there is a lot of detail that was wholly unnecessary, including a long stretch of time before the mystery really got going. When Misty listens to conversations between others, just about every line of dialog is followed up with her thoughts about that statement—sometimes her doubting that they were telling the truth (even though she seemed to have little to no expertise in the matters they discussed most of the time), but most often bringing it back to herself with thoughts about how she would feel in that situation, how that situation reminded her of something that once happened to her, etc.

On top of all of that, Misty’s reactions to finding out the deceased man had actually been murdered, and later similar reactions to seeing a potential key piece of evidence, are over-the-top dramatic and not really what I look for in the MC of a mystery series. Finally, there were a few 1-page chapters scattered throughout the book that were from the POV of Misty’s cat Yeti. When the first of these chapters came up, it took me several minutes to understand that it was a cat’s head into which we’d just jumped, though that was probably my own fault. I thought at first that the cat’s POV would give us, the readers, some clues that would help us solve the case for ourselves, but in the end, the cat chapters provided absolutely nothing. I’m a cat person through and through, but this was unnecessary to me.

Add to that some personal preference issues, like the immediate assumption that a stranger is dangerous and could resort to violence at any moment simply because he has a gun on his hip; and the fact that the MC and her ex-husband were divorced simply because the “romance had wanted” (though he did try to romance her with a bottle of wine during this story…just saying) and they wanted different things from life. I’m really not a fan of cavalier divorce, much less celebrating it as a good thing. And I noted one glaring mistake involving characters returning from skiing twice in one day (and no, they did not leave to go skiing again in between). In the end, though I’m sure that there is an audience for this kind of cozy mystery, I am not that audience. If you think you might be, please do check out other reviews at the link below.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: October 24, 2023

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