Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

 Hannah Swenson is busy whipping up treats for the county fair when she is asked to be a judge in the baked goods competition. She enjoys the challenge, but then one of the other judges ends up getting murdered.  Hannah can't resist getting involved in the investigation, even when her handsome police officer friend warns her away.  Her attentive dentist friend has fewer qualms and together with her sisters and mother, they try to discover the culprit. 

After reading the last Vampire Book Club I wanted to read book from the same genre that was better written.  The Hannah Swenson cozy mysteries are not great literature but they are certainly better than the Vampire Book Club series. There are actual clues and suspects that Hannah investigates with the help of family and friends. Of course, the final scene finds Hannah in mortal danger from which she is saved by one of her boyfriends. It is formulaic, but a fun read. (384 p. 2011)

In Want of a Knife by Nancy Warren

 In this fifth installment of the Vampire Book Club series, a movie producer has come to Ballydehag wanting to make a porno version of Pride and Prejudice. At the same time Jane Austen, now one of the undead, shows up in town and asks for help to stop the production. Quinn Callahan is at first start-struck by meeting her favorite author and determined to help her any way she can, but when the producer of the film turns up dead, can she be sure that her literary idol was not the killer?  Of course there are other suspects and motives, and it takes all Quinn's supernatural friend's help to discover the truth.

I keep reading these, and they just aren't very good. I knew who the killer was going to be in the first chapter, but the author didn't have Quinn even consider the true culprit until the last two chapters.  It was an entire book of red herrings. The only redeeming quality about books in this series is that listening to them takes absolutely not emotional or intellectual effort on my part. It is about as engaging as elevator music in a department store.  Still, sometimes that is exactly what I am looking for in a book, so I will probably read more. (226 p. 2023)

A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber

 This is the fourth in the Lady Darby Mystery series. Lady Kiera Darby is preparing for her upcoming marriage to inspector Sebastian Gage. The wedding preparations are stressful, as is her commission to paint a portrait of Lady Drummond. She suspects that Lady Drummond is the victim of spouse abuse, but doesn't know what she can do about it. Then Lady Drummond is found dead in her home. The physician rules her death as natural, but Lady Darby suspects that she was murder. Her husband's family is not pleased as she jumps into the case, trying to find justice for her fallen friend. When the number of possible suspects grows, so does the tension between herself and Sebastian. Is she willing to pursue the case to the end, even if it costs her own future happiness?

This is another well crafted mystery by Ms. Huber.  She is good at creating both clues and red herrings so that the final solution is not obvious.  The relationship between Kiera and Sebastian vacillates between being steamy and cold.  I guess the author has to write it this way to maintain a dramatic tension, but it made me feel a little frustrated. If they can't even get along while they are engaged and still enjoying the first flower of their amore, how will they ever survive marriage?  Still, it was entertaining enough that I finished it, even though I was reading it instead of just listening to it (I checked out the print version to take on a vacation.)  (336 p. 2015)

Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes

 Mercy Windsor has fled Hollywood because of a scandal not of her making and runs to the only place she felt she might belong. She knows her best friend doesn't live there anymore, having suffered a tragic early death, but she still hopes the secluded Colorado mining town will still give her needed seclusion. When her friend, Rusty Bright, was still alive, they had sworn to each other that together they would try to find a lost treasure rumored to be in the hills surrounding the town.  Mercy is determined to fulfill their dream and use the money to help the struggling town that Rusty had loved so much. Mercy doesn't expect the warm welcome and support of the townspeople that help her discover something more valuable than any hidden treasure.

Since I enjoyed the book All the Lost Places by the same author, I decided to try another. I ended up liking this as well, so I have added Ms Dykes to my illustrious "Clean Romance Writers" list. The book has plenty of heart break but it primarily hopeful. I guess I wouldn't call it a romance, since the primary relationship is between the two friends, but there is a nice secondary romance that adds a dollop of sweetness.  Like the Lost Places book, this book jumps back and forth between time periods, the past  being primarily represented by excerpts between the pen pal letters written between Rusty and Mercy. Rusty has an indominable personality that is fun to read.  Another fun thing about the book is that we get to see a cameo of Victoria and Daniel from the Lost Places book. They don't play a role in the plot, but just step in and take a brief bow.  (384 p. 2024)

A Spelling Mistake by Nancy Warren

In this third installment of the Vampire Book Club, Quinn has agreed to host the launch of newly undead author, Bartholomew Branson's last book. On the day of the launch, a woman claiming to be Branson's wife shows up and tries to steal the spotlight. Then she ends up dead.  Was it Branson, who had been estranged from his wife for 10 years, a rival publisher, agent or someone else.  Quinn and her vampire friends jump into action to try to discover the truth and save the town's reputation. 

This is just like the others in the series.  Its formulaic and the plot isn't very sophisticated. The writing and characterizations are fine. I think the Vampire Knitting Club series by the same author is better, but I always have to put those on hold.  I guess the reasons these are available is because they are solidly B quality.  Still, when I finish one book and the ones I want are still on hold, what is a girl to do? (232 p. 2020)

Accused by Clair Poulson

 Private Investigator, Rudy Quigley, often works as a contracted help for a lawyer, Jimmy Jones, doing the footwork needed for the lawyer to build his cases. He usually takes the jobs Jimmy offers because Rudy has a sweet spot of Jimmy's secretary, Natalie. When a brash and unsophisticated woman comes to Jimmy's office wanting him to help her avoid a murder conviction, Rudy is not very excited to help with the case.  She seems like the perfect suspect.  As the investigation progresses, though, he discovers that Daisy Kane is not who she seems. Things get more complicated when  his case and an FBI search collide and the bad guys target Natalie as a way to intimidate Rudy. It will take a lot of old-fashion detective work and more than a little courage to save innocent people, especially the girl he is suspecting he loves.

It has been a while since I read a Clair Poulson novel. They, like the other genres I read regularly, are predictable and are written on a solid "B" (or even B-) level.  Poulson's novels are almost all set in my home state, so it if fun to have places and landmarks mentioned that are familiar. Poulson also understands that working a real investigation takes a lot of time and sometimes tedious foot work, and he includes that in his novels. His characters are pretty flat, and the dialog is stilted, but it is what it is. I know what I am getting from the first sentence on page one and that is what I want. (232 p. 2023)

Lace and Lies by Nancy Warren

 Cardinal Woolsey's Yarn shop has been chosen to be the site of a TV show featuring a celebrity knitter.  In the show Teddy Lamont will teach six knitters how to do his knitted lace patterns.  As the participants arrive, it is obvious to Lucy that there will be some issues.  One, in particular, is making the whole experience miserable for the rest of them.  Then she is found dead in Lucy's shop. Did any of the other participants have a reason to kill her, besides the fact that she was really annoying? Or maybe it was Teddy Lamont, or his stressed out producer.  Lucy and her vampire support crew are on the case.

I was tempted to not even blog about this book.  It really is just like all the other Vampire Knitting Club books (except the relation with Raef heats up a little). I once went to a class about how to construct an escape room game by starting with the solution and working backwards, adding clues and red herrings. I think that is what Ms Warren does.  She has a formula that she follows, that works well enough that I keep putting the next book on hold.  I promise, the next book I read will be more interesting. (214 p. 2019)

(note: I read and wrote this before the Madison biography but forgot to push the publish button.  That is why  in the Madison review I said I had promised to read something more interesting. )

The Vampire Book Club 1 & 2 by Nancy Warren

 In the first book we meet Quinn Callahan who is a middle-aged divorced witch from Seattle. When she misuses her magic, the Witch Council forces her to move from Seattle to a small town in Ireland.  There she takes over the home and bookshop of another witch, Lucinda, who has also left due to the wishes of the Council. Quinn is looking forward to a fresh start and has decided to keep her witch skills on the down low when she walks into her book shop for the first time and finds a dead body. The dead man's aura hangs around the shop and she feels compelled to try to solve his murder. As she begins to investigate she is surprised to find out that a group of Vampires meet in her shop once a week in the middle of the night to have a bookclub.  Frightened at first, she quickly warms to them and enlists them to help her investigation. (2020, 246 p)

In the second book Quinn is attending her first Irish wake for a man she barely knew.  The deceased's daughter begs her to help her dispose of her father's jumble of possessions by taking all the books he left behind. As Quinn goes through the books, she finds and old grimoire written in Gaelic. While reading through it whe accidentally releases a long-dead dark witch who used to live on the dead man's property. When there is another death, Quinn is once again thrown into a murder investigation, while simultaneously trying to decide what to do with the dark witch who seems determined to haunt her. Once again she rallies the help of the book-loving vampires to solve the mystery. (2020, 230 p.)

I have been enjoying the Vampire Knitting Club series, but end up waiting for weeks for the next of the series to become available on Libby. I decided to try this series by the same author.  It exists in the same world as the Vampire Knitting Club, and Raef even makes a cameo appearance in the first book. It is very much like the other series.  The main difference is that Quinn is a more experienced witch, so she is not struggling to learn her witchcraft like Lucy is. Still, like in the first series, there is a wealthy vampire that becomes someone of romantic interest to Quinn, just as Raef is to Lucy. Also, there is some tension between Quinn and the local coven due to Quinn's earlier indiscretion. The plot of the first book was a little weak with an all-too-convenient confession in the end. I thought the second plot was a little better, but really, these books are not enjoyable because of the clever mystery plots, but because of the cozy world building.  

Spy School Revolution by Stuart Gibbs

 In this 8th installment in the Spy School series, Ben is back in Washington DC, at the headquarters of the CIA when a grenade launcher hits the room next to him.  Someone is trying to kill him, and Zoey believes it is Erica Hale. All the Spy School friends get sucked into a quest to discover the truth about a historical supervillain organization called Croatoan.  Was it really behind all the major upheaval in the U.S. since the time of the Revolution?  Does it still exist? Can they stop it from destroying America as we know it?

Here's another Spy School mystery.  It is much like the others, i.e. fast paced, fun and full of interesting facts. This one explores Ben's conflicting emotions about Zoey and Erica, and their feeling about him, so that is an added bonus. These are always fun, and I would recommend them or any of Stuart Gibb's series to middle grade readers who like action/adventure. (352 p. 2020)

Fair Isle and Fortunes by Nancy Warren

 In this sixth of the Vampire Knitting Club series, Lucy's cousin, Violet, has volunteered to play the part of a fortune teller at a village fair.  When one of her fortunes turns out to be "dead" accurate, local fear and distrust of witches spikes.  Lucy decides she must solve the murder to diffuse the tension between the townsfolks and her cousin's coven. With the aid of the vampires, particularly Rafe, she digs deep into the past when another murder had rocked the community.  Could the two murders be related?

Here is another in one of my fluff-and-fun series. This one is much like most of the others and doesn't really advance the overarching plot very much.  Still, it has the delightful characters and quirky setting that draws people to the series and keeps them reading more. The mysteries in this series all have the same shape, but Warren does a good job of not making the solution too obvious. (232 p. 2019)

Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer

 Enola is at the funeral of one of her friends when she hears a bell ringing.  She follows the sound to its origins, and discovers that a young woman has been buried alive. Enola and her companions exhume and revive the woman, but she can't remember who she is and why someone would try to kill her. Of course, Enola is on the case, but as she starts to dig into the woman's past, she finds she is wading into very deep criminal waters. Soon, protecting her new young friend become a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Nancy Springer wrote her first six Enola Holmes books in the early 2000's and then waited more than 10 years to write the most recent four.  I think her return to the character is probably because of her success with the Enola Holmes series on Netflix. Or it might be because the Sir Arthur Conon Doyle family trust sewed Springer and others for copywrite infringement in 2020, but the suit was dismissed. Anyway, whatever the reason, we are glad she started writing more novels.  This one is as good as all her others.  Enola is such a fun character, with equal quantities of courage and insecurities.  (Spoiler) I thought it was brave of Springer to take on writing about Holme's arch enemy, but she used a creative angle and handled it well.  I wonder if her taking on "the man who must not be named" in this book means that it will be her last. (336p. 2026) 

Purls and Potions by Nancy Warren

 Alice works in a book shop up the street from Lucy's knitting shop. She is in love with her boss, Charlie, but he hardly notices her. Violet, Lucy's cousin and employee, feels sorry for Alice and decides that Lucy should make a love potion for her, not only to help Alice, but as a training exercise for Lucy. Meanwhile, one of the vampires that lives in the catacombs beneath Lucy's shop decides to volunteer to make sets for the local college's production of Midsummer Night's dream. Alice is also in the play and when some of the actors, horsing around, grab and drink some of her potion, all manner of romantic mix-up's occur. It is all rather humorous until one of the actors ends up dead, and Charlie is the prime suspect. Lucy feels duty bound to discover who the real murderer is before anyone else's lives' are destroyed.

It was kind of fun to read this just a few weeks before Valentine's day. The mixed-up relationships between the actors cleverly match the story of Shakespeare's classic comedy. Warren does a good job dropping clues, but the resolution scene is a little cliche. Still, I enjoy these books and will keep putting the next one on hold. Apparently I am not the only one who likes them because the wait time is always several months. (2019, 252 p)

A Heart Worth Stealing by Joanna Barker

 Genevieve Wild is still grieving the death of her father, while trying to prove to a male dominated society that she can manage on her own. When her beloved father's pocket watch is stolen, she finds that the local constabulary is no help, so she hires a private "thief-taker" to try to find it.  Jack Travers used to work for the Bow Street Runners, but was discharged when a case went array.  The illegitimate son of an earl, he was raised for society, but dependent on his own wits to earn his bread.  As he starts working with Miss Wild to find her father's watch, more threats to her family keep happening and they both begin to realize that there is more going on than a common robbery. They also start to suspect that, even though not suited in station, their hearts were made for each other. 

This is the third book I have listened to by Ms Barker.  Out of curiosity I went back and read my earlier reviews.  It seems that this book is much like the others, stereotypical and predictable, which isn't necessarily bad. I read these romantic historical novels when I want "predictable". The difference is that this one felt like it dragged in the middle.  I kept looking at my app to see how much was left.  I think it lacked editing. The author had two dramatic "endings" that she should have combined into one. I won't elaborate because it would be to much of a spoiler, but I can imagine several ways it could have been done. I think I might wait a while before I read another by Ms Barker. (288 p. 2023)

The Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen

In this sequel to My Fair Gentleman, Jack's sister, Sophia, has fallen for his best friend, Anthony Blake.  He is in love with her, too, but on the very day he wants to ask permission to formally court her he is forced to go back undercover as a spy to recover a lost document that could put Sophia and all his friends and relatives at risk.  Fast forward two years, Sophia, still heartbroken by Anthony's abrupt exit from her life, decides she needs to get away from London and go on a grand adventure.  She ends up in India, sponsored by a kind and wealthy English couple who are bent on finding a match for her. Anthony, who is still seeking for the document, finds himself in India as well, staying with the same family as Sophia. Anthony knows he should uphold his spy persona as a flirtatious rake, but he wants so much to mend his relationship with Sophia. Then there is a murder. Both he and Sophia are pulled into the investigation to find the killer, but the more time they spend together the more painful it is for both of them to pretend they are not in love with each other. 

The first in this series was a variation on the My Fair Lady story, but, as far as I can tell, this book doesn't have any cultural reference. It is just your standard murder -mystery-historical-romance like the books of Anna Lee Huber and Kristi Ann Hunter.  I enjoyed the book. The setting was rich and interesting, and the romantic tension between Anthony and Sophia was handled well. I wonder how someone from India would feel about the portrayal of their mother country.  One element of the story revolves around an ancient practice called Sati, in which a wife would be burned on their husband's funerial pyre. It was a real practice, but I would hate to have one of my country's worst historical practices be a main plot point for a story written by a foreigner.  Despite the possible cultural insensitivity, it is a good book and I will happily read more by this author. (320 p. 2017)

Pecan Pies and Homicides by Ellery Adams

 Ella Mae is in a funk ever since her mother became the Lady of the Grove. Her bad mood has rubbed off on her customers and her pie shop is struggling. When a magic grove in another small community is burned down, magical refugees start showing up in Havenwood, and helping them find work and a place to live brings purpose back into Ella Mae's life. Her business starts to boom and her relationship with Hugh Dillan, that had started to go cold, heats up once more.  Then tragedy strikes and one of the refugees is found frozen to death just outside the Havenwood grove. As Ella Mae and her aunts start to look into the murder, people who seems so harmless suddenly feel menacing, even those closest to Ella Mae. Can Ella Mae protect her people, her magic grove, and most importantly, her mother?

After reading Theo of Golden, I knew I had to read something in a totally different genre. This one fit the bill and I enjoyed it well enough.  Adam's magic system is pretty good and her characters are well drawn and have interesting and complicated interrelationships. In this episode Ella Mae's and Hugh's relationship switches from PG to PG13, but all related "activity" occurs off stage. One thing I like about the series is that the narrator, C.S.E Cooney, does a good job of making the large cast of characters sound distinct. I will probably listen to the next one sometime when I am in the mood for a light fantasy mystery. (2014, 304 p)

Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer

 Enola Holmes is settles in the women's club and at peace with her two older brothers.  When an up-and-coming author, Rudyard Kipling, asks Enola's imaginary employer to find his missing friend, an American, Wolcott Balestier, Enola is happy to take on the case. Kipling, however, is not willing to let a mere woman assist him, and turns, instead to Sherlock for help. Head to head again, the two brilliant siblings dive into the mystery.  Sherlock suspects that international book pirates are behind the deed, but Enola begins to suspect the culprits are much more local, and deadly.

This is the most recent of the Enola Holmes series, though another is due to come out in 2026.  I have very much enjoyed reading through the whole series. This one is much like the others, though Springer included some interesting cameos in this one: Kipling and Balestier, and also Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister. None their actions in the story are very historically accurate, but they are all based on real people. Once again, the interaction between Sherlock and Enola is charming. I look forward for the release of the next in the series.  (2023, 304 p)

A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber

 In this third in the Lady Darby Mysteries, Lady Darby is back at her childhood home to celebrate their family's traditional Hogmanay (New Year's) Ball. But tragedy hits when a caretaker is murdered, and a body exhumed and stolen. Her family begs her to ask Sebastian Gage to investigate the matter, but having him in her life stirs up a host of emotions that are complicated and confusing. As they investigate the theft and other related crimes together, their relationship travels a rocky road toward an, as yet, unknown destination.

I am glad I revisited this series.  It really is a fun, semi-gothic, mystery/romance series.  Both Lady Darby and Lord Gage are interesting and complex characters, and Huber does a good job with their  relationship.  She is also good with setting and includes bits of actual history in each of these novels related to the long-standing conflicts along the English, Scottish border. Huber presents a wide range of clues to the mystery, some important and others not so, but I thought the solution to this mystery was a little anticlimactic. Still, I enjoyed it and will most likely continue on in the series. (2014, 433 p)

Stockings and Spells by Nancy Warren

 It is Christmas time in Oxford and the Vampire Knitting Club has decided to do a booth at the local holiday market to raise money for charity. Lucy makes friends with another booth clerk, and then is horrified when she finds the woman partially strangled with one of the Knitting Club's long Christmas stockings.  Lucy is determined to find the culprit and her search leads to the dark underbelly of the publishing industry. It is a good thing she has several vampires, an ancient Egyptian witch, and her own burgeoning magical powers to call upon for help.

I am guessing I am not the only one that likes to read Christmas themed books at Christmas time.  This one isn't particularly Christmas-y. There is no warm, fuzzy, holiday cheer moment at the end or anything.  In reality, it is much like the others in the series.  It doesn't really further the overarching plot of the series and could be read out of order without much being lost (in case you want to save it to read at Christmas).  Still, it is a good mystery with fun characters and a decent twist at the end. All the books in this series are reliable cozy mysteries that are good for when I don't want any added angst in my life. (2018, 238 p)

The JFK Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch

 Between the time that J.F. Kennedy was elected, and when he took office, a unhinged anti-Catholic extremist plotted a suicide bombing of the president elect. This sensationalized account reconstructs the plot and also goes into depth about Kennedy's life, his relationship with Jackie Kennedy, and what made Kennedy so successful and controversial. 

Here is another Brad Meltzer/Josh Mensch pseudo history. I think I liked it a little bit more than the Lincoln book, mostly because it was better edited. Although this one had some of the same kind of problem rehashing the same facts over and over, it was much better than the Lincoln one, as the page count suggests.  In modern society JFK is generally revered as one of the great presidents, but in this book Meltzer and Mensch portray him as a thoughtless womanizer who just happened to have a lot of charisma. They focus a lot on Jackie Kennedy and highlight JFK's neglect of her needs and feelings. In full disclosure, I accidentally returned it to Libby with 45 minutes left on the recording so they may have ended the book with a more upbeat assessment of JFK.  I am debating with myself whether I am going to put it on hold again just to listen to the last 45 minutes.  Maybe not. (2025, 304 p)

Confessions of a Junior Spy by Rosaria Munda

 Bea has lived her whole life in a sanctuary hotel for a spy organization call the Pangean. Her father is a cook there, but her mother is one of their top spies. Bea idolizes her mother and wants to be just like her, but her mother is determined to keep Bea out of the dangerous and violent spy lifestyle. When Bea's mother decides that Bea will go to boarding school, Bea and her new friend, Chantal, come up with strategies to both avoid school and get Bea the training she needs to fulfill her dream to become a top spy. Then a shadowy figure from Chantal's past forces Bea to discover what the life of a spy is really like, and why her own mother is often so distant.  Does Bea really want to hold onto her dream? 

I was a little wary about reading another mystery/spy book after reading several Enola Holmes books.  I mean, who can compete with Nancy Springer?  Still, I ended up liking this one. Unlike the Enola Holmes series, this one really is aimed at middle grade, but that doesn't mean that the conflicts that Bea is dealing with are not complex. Munda does a good job of exploring her relationships with both her parents, and with her friends. I admired that Munda didn't shy away from  difficult ethical questions, like, when, if ever, is it okay to use weapons to threaten or kill someone. Some of Bea's decision made me, as an adult reader, cringe, but bring up important ideas for kids to explore. Munda left the door open for a sequel, and I plan to keep my eye out for it. (2025, 224 p)