Book Review: Classified as Murder

Classified as Murder by Miranda James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


So I finished the first book in the series and proceeded to pick up and read, finishing the second book the same night! Yes, that is to say that I loved it!



In this second book in the series, we git to delve more into Charlie, and with the arrival on scene of his son, we find out more about how Charlie's wife's death effected him, his son, and their relationship.



The funny thing is that I found myself liking all the characters in the book this time. I like Charlie, he seems like a gentle man and a good father. Love the housekeeper, Azaela, she is a riot. I even found myself enjoying the Delacourte family.



This time, when something strange happens, a murder before lunch, the Chief Deputy comes straight to Charlie to ask for "unofficial" help in solving the case, and once again, it turns out that there are two seperate crimes going on at the same time, which confuses the case, but leads to the murder and to stolen rare books, just up Charlie's alley.



This book kept me so interested that I picked it up and finished it the same night! It was great, and I found myself actually wanting to visit Athena, to live on the quiet streets and be a part of the life I was reading about, murders aside.



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Book Review: Murder Past Due

Murder Past Due by Miranda James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Cozy Mystery - a subgenre of the mystery genre, usually defined by the atomsphere of the book, such as the coofeeshop, the bookshop, the tea shop, knitting or other craft. Of all the cozy mysteries I have read, 99% feature a woman as the lead character who is unwittingly dragged into investigating the mystery.

This book is classified as a Cozy Mystery, in that it features a Maine Coon cat as the lead character, Disel. He is a fixture in town and goes everywhere with his owner, Charlie Harris. And his owner is what makes this different than all the other cozy mysteries I have read, Charlie Harris is actually Mr. Charles Harris, that's right, a gentleman! The first ever cozy mystery that I have read with a male in the lead role.

Charlie has moved back to his old hometown, after the death of his wife from cancer, and then shortly thereafter his Aunt, from whom he inherited the house he now resides in, the housekeeper, Azeala that sorta comes with, and the habit of having boarders from the local college. Life for Charlie revolves around working three days at the college rare books department, and volunteering one day a week at the local library, after having retired from running a library in Houston before his return to Athena.

In this first book in the series, we meet Charlie and get a feel for how wounded he still is from his wife's death, and how he has surrounded himself with Disel the cat, and no one else. The murder of a local man, went off to become a big writer and returning home for some glory, brings Charlie out of his shell, and reminds him that we need people in our lives.

As you are drawn into this book, you will find two mysteries unfolding at once, one about the authorship of the books, and one about the murder, and you find Charlie in the middle of it all, asked first by his housekeeper, Azeala to help her daughter, who happens to be the chief deputy in town, without her knowing it.

It was defintely a page turner and kept me hooked until the last page! Great read for anyone who love a good mystery!



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Book Review: Town in a Lobster Stew

Town in a Lobster Stew by B.B. Haywood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A Candy Holliday Murder Mystery - Book 2



I mentioned before that I stumbled onto this series through a crosspost against another book I read and reviewed. Sometimes those can be hits and other times misses, but so far, I am liking this series.



Once again we find Candy in the middle of some unexpected events in town, including murder, trickery, rivalry and long ago affairs. This time it also includes a recipe for Lobster Stew, a locally famous recipe that has won the annual Lobster Stew Cook-off 13 years!



We find the story behind the original recipe, how it was created and for who, and why it has been placed in retirement and not been in the Cook-off for awhile, but it's claim to fame, the number of wins, still have people clamoring for it, trying to buy it, and when all else fails, stealing it, which leads to the first murder of the book.



Betrayal among thieves leads to the second murder, but isn't that the case, thieves do not make the best friends, nor the most trustworthy people to hang around with. And betrayal between them results in the most action.



This book centers around the town of Cape Wellington, things are changing in town, but it is still the same old sleepy little town, although the local insurance agent is embezzling money, which leads to some side line action, but nothing the story could do without, it makes me wonder if we won't see this in another book, because it was just barely mentioned, and yet seems like it could have a whole story around it. Hum.



Another good book, that kept me turning the pages right to the end. Now I am going to have to find the rest of this series, or at least another couple books to keep me going! Really finding that I like the people of Cape Wellington, and I want to go back in another book and see what happens to them, how they continue.



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Book Review: Town in a Blueberry Jam

Town in a Blueberry Jam by B.B. Haywood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As I was posting a review of one of the books I read in the last week or so, a list popped up to the side that gave me some other titles that people who liked the book I original read also liked, and so I wrote down a number of the titles, and got on the library website and reserved a few.



Yesterday I went by the library and picked up the books I had reserved, and a few others I found on the shelves that looked interesting, and so today I finished this book.



I found it to be a wonderfully written and cute book. We have the main character, Candy Holliday, who has seen what she thought was her perfect world fall apart after her husband loses his job, starts a small business that fails, and he decides he wants a new wife and moves across the country. Her mother passes away and her Dad persuses the dream that they had together to buy a small blueberry farm and retire, and so she moves to the blueberry farm with Dad.



She seems to be just exsisting in life, not really sure what she is doing and not entirely happy, but comfortable, when two local legends in town are murdered within days of each other, the local handyman, a sweet and innocent, almost childlike man named Ray is arrested for the murder and Candy knows, along with the rest of the town that there is no way Ray did it, but the police are sure it was him, so Candy takes it upon herself to do a little snooping.



As the book works its way through, Candy and her friend Maggie develop an even closer bond, she lands a writing job for the local newspaper and well as baking blueberry pies as a side job, and finds her friendship with the local baker, Herr Georg tested and proven. She also finds that she wants nothing more in life than to be right where she is, Cape Wellington Maine, on a blueberry farm with her father and the friends she has come to know and love.



It fits in that "cozy mystery" genre that has sprung up, but yet it is different than most of those I have seen. More set on the town and the main character than the place or craft.



If you love a good mystery, then this is your thing. As a bonus, there are some great blueberry receipes in the back of the book.



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Book Review: Wait Until Midnight

Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I must confess upfront that I love Amanda Quick, which is the pen name for Jayne Ann Krentz, that she uses for all her historical novels. I don't think I have ever read an Amanda Quick novel that I didn't like.



This one is a typical historical novel, with the bad-boy of society, Adam Hardesty; and the uncoventional woman trying to live in society, Caroline. Of course we have twists and turns, along with some murder and intrigue.



It is well-written and keeps you guessing up to the last chapter who the real villian or villians are in the book, and what happens with our led characters.



This book also has a slight touch of the paranormal, in that it introduces the concept in the idea of mediums, albeit fake ones, but it touchs on the concept, which leads to the Jayne Castle books, which is another pen name for Jayne Ann Krentz, that she uses for her paranormal novels. I happen to really like those novels also.



This is a good read, excellent for this hot summer to relax inside and read. Although if it is a little cooler in your area, a great book to take to the pool with you.



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Book Review: Deadly Housewives

Deadly Housewives by Christine Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I picked this book up on a whim at the library the other day, and i have to say that I was surprised.

it is a collection of short stories, of housewives who find themselves in situtations that they fell can only be solved by murder. Each story is pretty short and they are funny as well as well-written.

My favorite was the mother-in-law who was forced to move into the garage apartment and the daughter-in-law intentional poisoned her cat, so the mother-in-law got back at her, and the neighborhood by allowing the kids to play in the streets.

It was just a great read, and I found myself having trouble putting it down, although none of the stories connected, when i finished one I found myself wanting to read the next and the next. They were great and it was enjoyable. If you like to watch crime hows on tv, you'll love this book.



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Book review: Stollen Innocence

Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs by Elissa Wall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was an amazing read. I am blown away by the courage of Elissa to not only leave the FLDS, but to be part of the lawsuit against Warren Jeffs in regards to the abuse she suffered.



i enjoyed reading how the sect changed under the rule of Jeffs and why it was so hard to leave or to even question the rulings of Jeffs. In fact i had a discussion with my oldest daughter about that. we talked about how if she had a question the pastor of our church would welcome her question and help her to find answers. In the FDLS, there were no questions allowed.



I am amazed also that the experiences growing up under this rigid rule did not turn Elissa away from God, that she still has faith in God, and understands the real god more now.



Her strength to go ahead with the lawsuit is wonderful. It is not about the FDlS, although you need to understand the culture of the FdLS to understand why she couldn't leave or refuse the marriage and why the abuses continued so long. But the whole problem, the reason for the lawsuit was the forced marriage at the tender age of 14, and the abuses she suffered at the hands of her "husband" during that time.



This is a good read, and if nothing more, to read the story of an amazing, strong and wonderful woman and her courage to do the right thing, even in the face of terrible pressure to fade away and not say anything.



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Book Review: Polished Off

Polished Off by Lila Dare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In the second book of the Southern Beauty Shop Mystery series we travel back to St. Elizabeth for an area beauty pageant.

We find Violetts's the same as always, and Grace thinking about changes, maybe buying a house, when the chance to style the contestants in the beauty pageant presents itself and the extra money is a big draw for Grace with the thoughts of a house in her mind.

This time neither Violetta or Grace are the suspects in a murder, but it turns out Stella, their manicurist and her husband are, and of course Grace can't just sit back and let Agent Dillon do his job, she has to meddle and try to figure it out herself.

We get to experience a beauty pageant, protestors against the pageant, extra-material affairs, greed, jealousy and so much more. There are twists and turns and it turns out that the murderer is not the one you think. I loved the complex nature of the mystery, which kept me guessing till the very end.

I also really enjoyed meeting all the characters again. We get to know a little more about each person, all the favorites from the first book are there, including Marty the reporter and Agent Dillon, the only person we see very little of is Hank, and that is probably a good thing.

It is really a good, quick read, something to relax you for a bit and fun. I loved it and am looking forward to another book in the series.



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Hectic life

You know, I haven't been blogging lately, and not because i don't have a lot of things in my mind to write about and get off you chest, but because i don't have time.

Things have been so busy around here that I barely have time to even talk to my own husband! i have been running here and there with the kids and my dad, and I haven't taken a second for myself.

so this i short but sweet. I just wanted to tell everyone that i was still here and still working on blogging, but just hectic.

One day i will get it all together and be able to do what I want and write and get everything on my list done too!