The White Cottage Mystery by Margery Allingham

Jerry Challoner picks up a girl at the bus station with a blister on her heel and drops her off at a giant house where she seems apprehensive about going. He pauses to let a storm go past and hears a gunshot coming from that same house. A truly evil man has been murdered and the local police are bewildered about how to go on. Luckily, Jerry is the son of Detective Chief Inspector W. T. Challoner so he knows who can help.
At first, the answer seems obvious, but that is so rarely the truth in these stories. So, of course, we get to trace many of the suspects as they move through the story. Short, fast, good read.
Three and a half stars

A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde

Life hasn't been particularly kind to Rosalind Thorne in the last five years. She came home from a ball on cloud nine from a ball, certain that she was about to be engaged. To a second son, but she loves him. Or could. But her world collapses when she learns that her father has lost their family's money and is running away in shame, taking only Rosalind's older sister. Over time, her mother died and Rosalind was given a home by her godmother. Rosalind has also managed to make a little place for herself in the society that has shunned her by helping others who are in an untenable situation. One of those women is Honoria Aimesworth. And Honoria's mother is asking for help again. But this time, Honoria is about to be engaged to a duke, Rosalind's former love. Rosalind turns them down but when Honoria's brother turns up dead in the hallowed halls of Almack's and Rosalind is the one to find him, she finds herself drawn into the mystery.
I really liked this story and hope that somebody does some really good line editing before it goes into print (lots of sighs, a countess addressed as "Your Grace," and some interesting comma placements). This is very much like a Maisie Dobbs but set in an earlier time. I do like the fact that Rosalind seems to be fallible with several characters mentioning that she often misplaces her loyalties (although did it need to be mentioned quite so much?)
It was a fast read and I'll definitely put the second book on my "watch for" list.
This book comes out today
Three and a half stars

Troublemaker by Linda Howard

I know I have a bit of a pet-peeve with condom use but, c'mon, Ms. Howard is a veteran romance writer. There are more reasons than pregnancy to use a condom. At the very least she could sit down and have the characters talk about being tested. More than just "It's okay, I'm on the pill." Blergh. It always takes me out of the story. 
There is a special brand of Howard WTFery that I look forward to in her books. And in this book, while it was a good book, that craziness was way toned down. I mean, the books I think of when I think Linda Howard have agents whose memories have been imperfectly wiped, bear stalkings (again, black bears don't do that), the only road into a small town being shut down so a team of bad guys can retrieve a microfilm, etc. This, this was strangely devoid of any of that-- but still a good book. And what Howard does nicely is depicts small town life. There's a line in her book that even pokes gentle fun saying that people in big cities always expect small-town folks to all know one another but they don't -- one of my major major pet-peeves (see here Fool's Gold, a town of 125,000 where they somehow not only ALL know each other but everyone's extended history).
Anyway, Morgan Yancy is a super-duper, undercover agent who's had a hit taken out on him that was nearly successful. In order to figure out what's going on, his team leader, Axel, sends him to recuperate in West Virginia. The specific person Morgan is being sent to is Isabeau "Bo" Maran, Axel's ex-step-sister. It seems the two had a contentious relationship when their parents were married for eight months and Axel has never quite gotten over it. 
Bo is the chief of police in a small town but her position is supposed to be more clerical than anything, taking care of the paperwork so that her deputies can do the on-the-streets work that they feel more comfortable with. There were some plot points and character issues I had with Bo and this job (she has, like, three) but, again, used to WAY more craziness from Howard so these were minor.
Then there is the plot moppet, Bo's golden retriever, Tricks. I am a huge Goldie nerd and Tricks sounded about right for that breed of dog but, dang, half the book was an ode to the dog. I would have loved to see a little bit more about what was going on in the discovery of who was trying to kill Morgan (view spoiler) or more about their relationship development. Although, I do have to admire the deft touch of covering major swathes of time with a deft touch. It cured the book of insta-love/lust.
Overall, a nice addition to the Howard canon and I think that regular readers will really enjoy the book. I personally missed the crazy (it's the reason I requested the ARC) but others may not even notice it's gone.

Killer Cocktail by Tracy Kiely

Nicole "Nic" and Nigel Martini, like the second "Thin Man" movie, have returned home to California. The book opens with them on the Oscars' red carpet with their Bull Mastiff, Skippy. He is handed off to their assistant DeDee. Later that night, DeDee is attacked, beaten nearly to death. Could the intruder have been after the home movies that Nic and Nigel found in their attic? The behind-the-scenes films done by the producer's daughter seem to have stirred up a hornet's nest. <i>A Winter's Night</i> was a movie that captured the hearts of a generation, not especially because former child star Melanie Summers died while filming the movie. It also launched several stars and set up the producer and director as major Hollywood players.
Rumors have always swirled around the movie. Could it be that these tapes haves something to do with Melanie's death?
Just a teensy bit below the first book in this series (story is a bit slim, WAY too many people to keep track of) but still a fun story.

Three and a half stars.
Follows Murder with a Twist
Followed by A Perfect Manhattan Murder
Comes out May 8, 2016

Hot in Hellcat Canyon by Julie Anne Long

Was it fate that had megastar John Tennessee (JT) McCord's truck dying in Hellcat Canyon? It sure seems like it when he lays eyes on the waitress at the Misty Cat. He's attracted to to her and that attraction sky rockets when she starts casually dropping words like "enigmatic."
Some might say that Britt Langley's decision to stay in Hellcat Canyon is hiding out. But she feels safe where she is. And the fact that JT isn't going to be in town long? That goes right on to the "pro" side of her decision of whether or not to sleep with him.
A very cute story and I'm desperately hoping that JT's frenemy Franco Francone gets his own HEA. The Big Misunderstanding dragged on a bit at the end and I wish there had been better condom use but this book generally has me walking away with warm fuzzies.
Four stars
This book comes out May 31
Followed by Wild at Whiskey Creek 

The Yoga Lifestyle by Doron Hanoch

This is a very earnest book. The author definitely put a lot of thought into how he would lay out his process to living a yogic life.
Is it very different from other yoga books? Not really. There is definitely that very typical "yoga tone" that comes through in the writing. And it includes most of the same poses that you'll see in other yoga books. This book is nice in that some of the modifications actually get their own pictures, though none of the standing poses do. There is the addition of the doshas which is nice, but the discussion of them is super basic. This book does also include meditation and eating techniques so it really does encompass the whole idea of a Yoga Lifestyle.
Will non-yoga-practioners benefit from this book? Maybe. But I think a basic understanding of yoga (all the branches, not just asana (movement)) will be more helpful. The pictures are as helpful as possible but nothing beats going to a live class with a good teacher (a point that Hanoch does make)
Could you get the basic gist of the book just by reading the bullet points at the end of each section? Pretty much.
Overall an okay book. It's not really geared toward a yoga neophyte but there are some helpful hints such as recipes. There are quite a few yoga techniques that are renamed as being "Doron" techniques but they're not new or specific to this author.

A Killer Ball at Honeychurch Hall Hannah Dennison

This book starts soon after a bang. To be specific, the bang was an Edwardian ceiling falling in at Honeychurch Hall after a pipe burst in an unused part of the manor. Kat has been asked to come and evaluate some paintings in the hope that they might get enough at auction to pay for the damage. While examining one of the possibilities, Kat discovers a secret room. In fact, two secret rooms. The second one being more of a cellar. Unfortunately, the second secret room holds a body, that of American heiress Pandora who disappeared in 1958. Unfortunately, one of the long-held memories of the village is that Kat's mother was one of the last people seen with Pandora and they were arguing.
Add in some missing treasure, long-lost loves, and the rearing ugly head of Kat's ex and this is a perfectly delightful addition to the Honeychurch series.
Four stars
This book comes out May 3

Follows Deadly Desires at Honeychurch Hall
Followed by Murderous Mayhem at Honeychurch Hall