Killer In Control

Dorothy Francis

Published by Five Star, an imprint of Gale/Cengage Learning.

ISBN-978-1-43282-502-7

273 pages

$25.95 Hardcover

Reviewed by Laura Hartman

Dorothy Francis, author of over 70 books has another winner! Her latest Key West mystery, Killer in Control, is filled with quirky characters and fun facts about the Florida Keys. Kitt Morgan, a suspended police officer from Iowa, travels to her sister and brother-in-law’s B & B, The Poinsettia in Key West only to find one of their guests has been murdered.

Everyone associated with The Poinsettia is suspect and Kitt’s distraught sister asks her to help the local police find the killer. The list of possible murderers includes Kitt’s sister Janell, brother-in-law Rex and their permanent resident Hella Flusher who happens to be a psychic. Phud Ashby, the gardener, musicians Teach and Ace and bossy Mama G who doles out sandwiches and headaches with equal enthusiasm all have iffy alibis and reasons to want the victim dead.

It is especially fun to read a cozy mystery set in a summer paradise, written by an author who really knows and loves the location. After reading this book, I have a list of places to see and things to do when I visit the Keys. I read a lot of mysteries, and wasn’t able to figure out who the murderer was until the final pages. Get this book and pretend you are at the beach or better yet, take it to the beach for a great summertime (or anytime) read.

Copyright © 2011 Laura Hartman

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King’s Daughter

Simon Brett

Publisher: Felony & Mayhem

ISBN: 978-1934609699

Price: 14.95

Pages Count: 224

Reviewed by Kerri Worley

In reading my first cozy mystery, I was surprised to find the extensive descriptive verbiage for a seemingly simple plot. The story begins and ends in the countryside of England with a seemingly important family. I say seemingly important because they’re actually from a long line of Dukes that have somehow lost their luster over the years. The family, however, has managed to retain their important airs and have the entire countryside convinced of their importance. The author gives an exquisite background which is almost at odds with the predictable storyline. This book presents a challenge to one’s vocabulary although the characters and story have a steampunk flair which is fun and refreshing.

The somewhat daft Blotto and his bright sister, Twinks, pair up to solve a murder that took place while their family was entertaining guests in their countryside home, Tawcester Towers. The investigation leads them to the discovery of a much larger and more sinister scheme. They tackle the mystery with great energy and follow the clues with the zeal of a Hardy Boys fan club member. The sibling cajoling is tolerable for a while but the same tired metaphors and English colloquialisms quickly become unbearable. I sometimes found myself skimming over the inconsequential conversations in order to get to the real purpose of the book.

All in all this was a semi-enjoyable book but I doubt if I would be tempted to read their next adventure.

Copyright ⓒ2011, Kerri Worley

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION

I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Journey to Die For

A “Something to Die For” Mystery

Radine Trees Nehring

ISBN 978-1-60364-020-6

Wolfmont Press

290 pages, trade paperback

$16.00

Reviewed by Marlene Pyle

Retired police officer Henry King and his new wife, Carrie, aren’t your usual sleuths. For one thing, they don’t live in a big city where crime is commonplace and murders happen every day. The Kings live in Arkansas, not usually considered a hot bed of criminal activity. The other thing that sets them apart from most crime novel’s main characters is that Henry and Carrie are senior citizens. It’s not often the over-sixty age group is represented in mainstream fiction. But this pair could teach all of us young whippersnappers a few things. They’re not sitting around doing jigsaw puzzles and knitting socks. When Carrie discovers a dead body, Henry’s first instinct is to stay out of the situation, but it soon becomes obvious that is not an option. Henry is reluctantly dragged into the investigation, and the two quickly become even more entangled.

The book (the sixth in the “Something to Die For” series) is well-researched and rich in historical detail, but even more important, the characters are well-drawn. In many cozy mysteries, the fast pace precludes much character description, but Nehring manages to combine an action-filled plot with insight into the hero and heroine, their backgrounds, motivations and fears. During his career in law enforcement, Henry was forced to kill in the line of duty, and the memory of that incident haunts him still. He knows he did what he had to, but has yet to reconcile himself with taking a life. Carrie comes to realize how much this weighs on Henry, and gains a deeper understanding of the man she married.

The affection between Carrie and Henry, while not graphic, (this is not, after all, a smut novel) is made clear. The two are very much in love. How refreshing to show that romance can be enjoyed by people who are members of AARP!

The realistic quality of Nehring’s Henry and Carrie bring the story to life and keeps the reader engaged throughout the novel, assuring that we will look forward to this couple’s next adventure.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION:  I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep in consideration for preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Copyright Ⓒ 2010 Marlene Pyle

Death on the Aegean Queen

A Dotsy Lamb Travel Mystery

Maria Hudgins

Star/Cengage, May 2010

ISBN: 978-1-59414-862-0

Hardcover, 274 pages

$25.95

Reviewed by Sue Ann Connaughton
History professor, Dotsy Lamb is cruising the Greek Islands on the Aegean Queen with fellow Virginians, Lettie and Ollie Osgood and Marco Quattrocchi, an Italian military policeman she met on a previous vacation to Italy. Dotsy intends to explore ancient history sites and perhaps romance with Marco.

Shortly after the cruise begins, Ollie teams up with another American, George Gaskill, for some late night gambling with two Europeans: Malcolm Stone, an antiques dealer and Willem Leclercq, a designer. George wins $9000 and disappears. Dotsy discovers George’s fresh blood on deck and a quest begins to determine how he met his demise. Just as the reader settles in to expect a locked ship mystery, the ship’s photographer is murdered on Mykonos Island. Meanwhile, Dotsy discovers two pieces of potentially relevant information: George is a convicted sex offender and priceless antiquities displayed on the Aegean Queen are stolen, possibly through a notorious smuggling operation. Dotsy sets out to establish a link between George and the photographer and determine if there is a connection to the stolen antiquities. The author sprinkles enough red herrings to plant suspicions about several persons in the large cast of characters. It’s surprisingly easy to keep track of the 22 characters because each exhibits distinctive traits. The author doesn’t leave this to chance though; an annotated list of characters precedes the first chapter.

Death on the Aegean Queen is an enjoyable who and whydunit. All the characters—from the endearing Dotsy to the suavely continental Marcos to the pathetic George—are believable, the sort of people you might actually meet on a cruise. The story skips along nicely, maintaining a pace that moves quickly, yet still allows the reader to keep track of plotting details. Although a couple of loose ends are never entirely tied up, the pieces of the puzzle fit together well enough to provide a suspense-filled journey with a satisfying conclusion. Death on the Aegean Queen is the perfect novel to tuck into a suitcase for a vacation, especially a cruise.

Copyright 2010 Sue Ann Connaughton

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION
I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy

J. Michael Orenduff

Oak Tree Press, Taylorville, IL, 2010  

Trade Paperback - 233 pp.

ISBN 978-892343-79-6

$14.95

Reviewed by Allan Leverone

Hubert Schuze is a thief, arguably, and argue the point he does with his best friend and sometimes drinking buddy Susannah. In this, the second “Pot Thief” mystery, anthropologist Schuze, a potter not above using his extraordinary skills to create exquisite fakes of ancient Native American clay pots to supplement his income, finds himself smack in the middle of a murder investigation, accused of a killing only he knows he didn’t commit.

Schuze is convinced by the mysterious residents of San Roque, a New Mexico pueblo, to recover a series of sacred pots stolen from them years before. Sensing the irresistable opportunity to right a wrong - and maybe make a little cash along the way - Schuze happily agrees. Before long, he encounters a beautiful news reporter, a flamboyant department head and amateur art dealer from the very college from which Schuze was expelled years before, baseball-bat wielding thugs, a police detective who’s not exactly dirty but not totally clean, either, and assorted other characters, including a dead body which turns up in the very apartment the “Pot Thief” is attempting to burgle. 

Driven by snappy dialogue at times reminiscent of Lawrence Block, Orenduff has crafted a likable rogue as his protagonist, a deep-thinking philosopher equally comfortable comparing Ptolemy to Kepler as he is debating the merits of drinking margaritas with and without salt. The book is at its best when Schuze and Susannah bounce ideas and theories off each other and Orenduff is able to unleash his talent for creating consistently witty and occasionally hilarious dialogue.

THE POT THIEF is a quick read, offering a satisfying mystery and a glimpse into life in the American Southwest. The resolution to the whodunit, in which Schuze must prove his innocence of the murder charge by sniffing out the real killer, seems a bit forced, but that’s a minor quibble in what is otherwise a very enjoyable book. The third “Pot Thief” adventure is scheduled for release in the fall of 2010.

I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.