Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian

Five years ago, Tempest's mother disappeared during a magical illusion involving water. Their family's magic tricks usually involve water and it has been true that, for the last five generations, the oldest child has died under mysterious circumstances. It is known as the Raj family curse. Lately her life hasn't been so good because her last magic trick went wrong and now life is even worse because her body double (don't call her an assistant), Cassidy, has been found dead, hidden behind a wall in the house her father's construction crew is managing. 

There is a lot going on this story and I really liked the writing but the mystery just got a little too convoluted for me. 

Three and a half stars

This book come out March 22nd, 2022

Follows the The Raven Thief

ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse

Edwin, the less-than-helpful Boy Scout, makes another appearance in this book as Bertie and Jeeves are in Steeple Bumpleigh. Jeeves has finally won his bid to be able to go fishing on his break. Bertie is supposed to stay in a separate home but it is burned down on his first day there through Edwin's actions. This is not great as Lord Worplesdon (Edwin's father, also father to the fearsome Florence Craye who once tried to marry and "improve" Bertie) needed that cottage to make some super secret side deal that he doesn't want anyone, ANYONE, to know about. 

More engagement confusion as Florence is affianced to the local police constable who definitely does not look kindly on her former fiance. Also, there is also Xenobia "Nobby" Hopwood who wants to marry a friend of Bertie's before he goes off to write scripts for Hollywood but her uncle (Lord Worpledon) doesn't trust writers.

A mass of confusing stories as usual but still a fun read.

Three stars

This book came out in 1947

Follows The Code of the Woosters

Followed by Jeeves and the Mating Season

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Opinion are my own

The Last Eligible Billionaire by Pippa Grant

Begonia is definitely the sunshine character in this book. She is also bordering on manic pixie dream girl as the first time she meets the hero of our book, she is basically naked in his house having fallen for a fake-AirBnB-type scheme.

Hayes is sometimes a little overly grumpy and hard to get to like in this book. He is the reluctant savior of his family's Disney-type film company. His brother, a well-known actor, has always been the golden boy so he can't step in when Hayes's cousin dies leaving a seat open as heir to the throne of the business side of things. He is not at all delighted to find an intruder in his house. Especially one with a dog that he is direly allergic to. But he needs Begonia. His mother keeps throwing women at him, women that he's not particularly interested in, and having Begonia as his fake girlfriend will throw her off. 

I do enjoy Pippa Grant but this particular book was a little too silly with too much time spent on shenanigans and not enough time building a believable relationship between two such opposite characters.

Three stars

This book came out March 3, 2022

Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Reread January 2025 as Kindle Unlimited 

The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer

TW: Casual racism

I enjoyed some of the later Hildegarde Withers books and though I might as well start at the beginning. While she is sort of scattershot in figuring out who the killer is,  Ms. Withers does eventually win out in the end. And the final solve is also a little convoluted but it was an okay book to listen to while I drove to and from town.

Miss Withers is a teacher who has moved from Iowa to New York City. She has her class on a trip to the aquarium when a man is killed. With her hat pin, no less. For a spinster teacher, this is more than a little excitement. The police are quick to arrest the man's wife's lover. The wife remains free but is under heavy suspicion. Miss Withers is determined to find the murderer and the inspector on the case is surprisingly willing to let her.

Three stars

This book came out in 1931

Followed by Murder on Wheels

Listened to audibook I bought on Audible

Opinions are my own

Moonlighter by Sarina Bowen

The last time Alex and Eric met each other, she didn't even recognize him as her childhood playmate. To be fair, he's filled out a little bit and a professional hockey player doesn't often look like an eleven-year-old boy. 

Now, he's been asked by his brother to provide some extra protection for her in the off-season, posing as her fake boyfriend. See, Alex is the head of this huge tech firm and she HAS to attend a conference to schmooze and find a provider for an important part but her ex is also going to be there. The ex that she is currently pregnant by.

Eric reluctantly agrees but finds himself attracted to Alex and reluctant to let her go. Even when matters get more complicated (i.e. a certain foreign power trying to make sure they are the ones providing her parts). 

This was an interesting story but parts were just too much over the top for me.

Three stars

This book came out October 22, 2019

Follows Superfan

Followed by Sure Shot, Loverboy

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Murder at the Summer Fete by Victoria Walters

Nancy, her grandmother Jane, and her friend Jonathon have a new mystery to solve. Nancy is hosting author Thomas Green but someone has been defacing his promotional posters. Who has a grudge against Green? Well, it turns out that several people might. And it will be up to the mystery-solving triad to work together and figure it out.

I don't love that Nancy's ex is still hanging around. Love triangles are one of my least favorite tropes in a cozy mystery. This book was also a little predictable but that can happen in this genre. 

Three stars

This book comes out March 17, 2022

Followed by Murder at the House on the Hill 

ARC kindly provided by Hera Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

As if she didn't have enough fires to put out, Robyn Caldwell is now dealing with the latest of her ex-husband's little peccadilloes. It's not like he's actually her problem to deal with but the things he does do still reflect on her children. Not that her children will notice as they are both dealing with their own lives... sort of. Not in ways that Robyn would expect anyway. But it's Cord's latest decision that has her accepting an invitation from her great-aunt Lillian to get out of town for a bit. Lillian is getting ready for her eventual demise and wants Robyn to come for a visit to finalize her last wishes. Also at the amazing house that Lillian lives in? Mason who will inherit the actual building. He is a good guy and manages to be both manly and respectful which is awesome in a contemporary hero. 

And he mostly deals well with all of the people who follow Robyn out to California from Florida including her eighteen-year-old son who has a plan but refuses to tell her, her twenty-two-year-old daughter who is engaged but Robyn fears it may be too fast, her boss who is embarking on an affair that Robyn is discouraging her from, her ex-husband and his girlfriend, and her daughter's fiance.

The boss storyline didn't need to be in there and the daughter and her fiance's storyline was a little overwrought, otherwise, this is Mallery at her best. 

Four stars

This book come out March 15, 2022

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own