mystery

Book Review: A Noble Scheme

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A Noble Scheme
The Imposters #2
by Roseanna M. White

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical mystery

Gemma Parks keeps to the shadows in her capacity as newspaper columnist writing about high-society functions, which is also useful for the investigative team she’s part of, the Imposters. The Imposters normally work for the wealthy, charging a lot of money for their services, but when a working man begs their help to find his kidnapped son, they can’t refuse. Unfortunately, this case puts Gemma in close proximity with Graham Wharton, one of the other Imposters, with whom she used to have a relationship before something went terribly wrong, and she’s been avoiding for almost a year since. Graham, for his part, hopes that this case will end both with a return of the boy to his parents and a return of Gemma to his side.

I loved this second book as much as the first, with the focus turning from Marigold and Merritt to Graham and Gemma. Marigold’s brother Yates, leader of the Imposters, again provides the third POV for the book, and I was happy to continue seeing his side of things. In the first book, we’re given allusions to something causing a rift between Graham and Gemma, but no details. I knew that would be brought out in this book, then, and I was a little annoyed when the “why” was danced around for over 1/4 of the book. Little hints were dropped, maybe even big ones, but I definitely missed the big picture until it was plainly stated (actually, I was spoiled by a review on Goodreads, so be careful what you read). When I did realize the full story, I understood completely why it was held back for so long. It broke my heart and made the journey for these two so much more than I imagined (I suppose what I imagined was an almost humorous tiff that just needed a quiet moment together to put to rights). The progression of their story brought tears to my eyes more than once, and I love the way their views of God were just as big a part of it as were their feelings for each other. Rather than a twisted idea that Graham’s reunion with God was somehow dependent on him (re)gaining the love of a good woman, which I’ve sadly seen in other Christian books, I felt this book had its priorities straight. That’s all the more I’ll say on this subject to avoid spoilers.

Like in the previous book, the case the Imposters work on isn’t a huge mystery, at least in regards to the culprit(s) involved. However, there were certainly facets to the villainy that were kept back and revealed at moments that allowed for suspense and even more emotion. The climax maybe got a little over-dramatic for my taste, but not even enough for me to lower my rating, because of how much I loved the book as a whole. I’m excited to see the next book in the series has already been announced; I love the synopsis so much, and I think that giving us little glimpses of Yates on the way to “his” book really heightens the anticipation of that third book. I highly recommend this book for fans of Christian historical mystery (this is set during the Edwardian era in London).

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

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Book Review: Into the Gauntlet

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Into the Gauntlet
The 39 Clues #10
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s mystery, adventure

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

The Cahill family has been split for many generations, and now it’s up to Amy and Dan to reunite them. But the fighting only intensifies as all five branches race toward the final clue.

The finale was both as exciting and as messy as the rest of the series. Taken on its own, I probably would have actually rated this book 3-3.5 stars, but I really enjoyed the series overall, so I’m leaving it at 4. But the finale just didn’t seem as smooth and well thought-out as I’d hoped for from this set-up. That might be an issue with having mostly different authors throughout, or more specifically with bringing in an author for the final book that wasn’t part of the rest of it at all.

One thing in particular that made me scratch my head is the inclusion of a team that has been out of the hunt since the very first book. If it was planned all along to bring them back at the end, I would have appreciated a reminder of them here and there throughout the series, because my aging brain had a very difficult time remembering that they ever existed when they suddenly showed back up. If it was not planned all along to bring them back…why do it? Their branch is already well-represented by someone who’s been a pretty big part of the series all along. Having him and this returning team part of the final showdown sort of bloats it in a way I don’t understand.

In the end, the finale isn’t a whole lot different than I expected, and it’s a bit saccharine, but I do think the author does a decent job of building on the minor changes in mindset in some of these characters in the latter books to culminate in an ending that doesn’t just come out of nowhere. If one can look past the characterization or continuity issues caused by multiple authors, this series is a lot of fun. And those in the age range it’s meant for, around 10-14, who like adventure and mystery will probably enjoy the series.

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Book Review: Storm Warning

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Storm Warning
The 39 Clues #9
by Linda Sue Park

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s mystery, adventure

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

On the trail of pirates, someone else is on the trail of Amy and Dan Cahill, but then, what else is new? But now they’re learning that the threat may have been closer than they knew all along.

We’re nearing the end of the main series now, and the story is ramping up appropriately; this book dives right in with Amy and Dan confronting Nellie about her deception. Personally, I’ve figured Nellie was more involved than she claimed from the beginning, when her snake nose ring was described, but that seemed to be a red herring, since it wasn’t brought up again in 9 books. The real truth about what Nellie has been keeping from Amy and Dan isn’t exactly earth-shattering or completely unexpected, but it’s nice to start getting things out into the open. The Madrigal involvement in the clue hunt is close to what I suspected partway through the book, but there are still some surprises.

In this book, Amy is awkward and stumbles over words when she’s with her family, but later, she doesn’t seem to struggle at all talking to people she doesn’t know, even in stressful situations. This might not have been something I’d have pointed out, except that it seems likely it’s due to this book being written by an author who’s new to the series. Though overall, I’ve really enjoyed the journey, I do sometimes feel that the one-off authors could have had more of an understanding of the characters before writing their contribution. Or that there should have been an editor who read all of stories with an eye toward fixing any characterization issues. Though the final book in the main series is written by yet another new author, I’m still looking forward to seeing how all of this ends. I’ve already strongly recommend this series to my 13-year-old daughter who has just recently gotten into reading more heavily, and I think kids as young as 10 would enjoy this series as well.

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Book Review: Good Girl, Bad Blood

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Good Girl, Bad Blood
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #2
by Holly Jackson

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: YA mystery, suspense

After solving the mystery of Andie Bell’s and Sal Singh’s deaths, Pip and Ravi create a limited-run podcast to share their discoveries. Due to the podcast’s success, when Jamie Reynolds, the brother of one of Pip’s close friends, goes missing, his family asks her to use her audience to try to find him. Pip is resistant at first, not wanting to get caught up in another investigation, given how damaging the last one had been for her and those around her, but since the police don’t consider the disappearance a priority, Pip knows she can’t leave her friend and his family without answers.

I liked this book a tad more than the previous, I think because it felt a little more focused than the first one, with so many paths Pip went down to get to the real truth. I liked the merger of the updates from the previous investigation with the new case at hand. I have to admit that I pegged the main bad guy really early in the book, which is not normal to me, but I honestly don’t know if it was majorly telegraphed or if I just took a guess based on tropes of the genre. I think there was at least one thing that happened that wasn’t explained, which I wish had been. And the reader is definitely not given a chance to figure out the motive in advance, but then again, this isn’t exactly a cozy mystery, so I think that’s okay.

I still get serious Veronica Mars vibes from this series (in a good way). I take issue with some of the ethical and legal lines Pip is willing to cross in this book, with no consequences, though they may come about in the next book. For those who want to know about content, there is some language and references to drug use and rape, though nothing explicit. If you’re concerned, I’d definitely recommend reading it before your teen does (especially a younger teen). I’ve enjoyed this series thus far and look forward to the conclusion.

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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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