The Curious Case of the Templeton-Swifts by Benedict Brown

Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't really out to get you. Such is the case for Hugo Templeton-Swift who believes that he is being poisoned. When he is murdered, all evidence seems to point to his much younger wife. However, his three children are also visiting and have their own reasons for wanting to see Templeton-Swift dead. 

I hope we get to see more of Christopher's mother in subsequent books, she really is quite marvelous. Got to see Christopher grow a little more in this book though he still verges on tiresome at points.

Three stars
This book came out June 9, 2022

Follows The Tangled Treasure Trail

Followed by The Crimes of Clearwell Castle

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Cocoa Curses by Erin Johnson

This is a cozy mystery that has a conceit (being near Santa's workshop) and it runs with it. Of course, it assumes that there are witches that live near by and Rudie Hollybrook is one of them. She has always felt a little bit like an outsider as her magic has to do with death. And that comes into play when a woman is murdered. One who Rudie didn't particularly like, nor did the woman like her. So having her ghost around isn't exactly a fun time.

However, the way to get rid of the ghost would be to solve the murder. Rudie isn't exactly a detective so there is some bumbling. There is also the inevitable love interest, in this case a journalist.

Three stars

Follows Winter Wishes

Followed by Cherry Charms

Rudie next stars in Solstice Spirits

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Murder on Milverton Square by G.B. Ralph

I can't remember why I picked this book up but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. There wacere some parts where my suspension of disbelief was stretched a bit thin but I am definitely looking forward to the second book in the series as I really enjoyed Addison's character development. 

Addison Harper's uncle has died and left Addison something in the will. Summoned to Milverton by a rather abrupt lawyer, he at first enjoys the adventure. He's astonished to find out he'as inherited quite a large estate including Milverton Manor which looks like it hasn't been redecorated since the 60s. It's just too darn bad that the best-looking guy in town happens to be Sergeant Jake Murphy who is investigating Addison in the death of the aforementioned lawyer. 

Of course, as mysteries are wont to do, this book has the lawyer as a villainous sort who has made a number of people in town angry so the mystery is slow going in the solving department.

Four stars

This book came out November 8, 2022

Followed by Poison at Penshaw Hall

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies by Misha Popp

I had read the second book in this series and for about forty percent of this book, I wondered whether I really needed to read this one (I didn't). But then, what made me enjoy the second book finally kicked in. I really like the narrator of this story, Daisy Ellery, who kills men but does so by a certain set of rules (usually.) 

We know that she makes pies and can imbue a little bit of magic. That magic, in a similar vein to "Like Water for Chocolate", can imbue different feelings in people. It can also kill. And she is trying to rid the world of men who don't treat women well. To that end, she has set up a business, "Pies before Guys," that works solely on referrals. Daisy will take care of the men in your life who you need not to be in your life. But she has someone who is not her normal client. It is someone who is closer to her than she ever would have guessed.

For as close as some people are to her in the second book, I don't see those relationships really building in this book but it was a good intro to a series.

Three stars

This book came out May 10, 2022

Followed by A Good Day to Pie

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari

Ugh. This book introduced one of my least favorite tropes: the love triangle. Saffron Everleigh didn't really make any promises to Alexander Ashton before he headed out to the Amazon, so should she really feel guilty for kissing Dr. Michael Lee in the course of an investigation? The man who supports her in her investigation of the deaths of three women, all of whom were sent bouquets of flowers that had messages. And often caused itching and more.

This time, Detective Inspector Green actually asks for her help. And Saffron wants to help. She may be in over her head though. Going undercover in the ton, it may be that her true identity will be exposed and the way of life she has chosen for herself will be threatened.

Three stars

This book came out June 6, 2023

Follows A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

Followed by A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge

I didn't realize this book was part of a series when I picked it up based on the cover. The story was intriguing, a woman puts her DNA into an ancestry site looking for her lost family. Suddenly, she is linked as one person away from a murderer. It is her father, her son, or her brother that is killing woman and then burning their bodies. Aisling Cooley has been a single mom and is generally proud of her two boys. But what does the evidence mean when her father has been gone for decades and she has no siblings?

This book was a little too twist and turny for me but might have been more enjoyable had I read more in the series (though I didn't feel I needed to have done so.)

Three stars

This book came out April 13, 2023

Follows Little Sister

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

A. J. Quill is well-known for the cartoons that lambaste various people in high places. The Earl of Wrexford wants to know how Quill knows so much about his life. Especially when Wrexford is implicated in the death of the Reverend Josiah Holworthy.

Charlotte Sloane has any number of secrets to hide (not all of which are revealed in this story). And there are two young boys she is trying to protect. Wrexford, and his search for Quill threatens to upend all of that. But the two will have to work together in order to figure out why Holworthy was killed and why that connection leads back to Charlotte.

I am pretty sure I started and abandoned this book once before. It is a little overwrought in places but ended up being an interesting story.

Wrexford & Sloane #1

Three stars

This book came out June 27, 2017

Followed by Murder at Half Moon Gate

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

The title and cover of this book were very intriguing. And a description that makes this sound like "Leverage" but set in the 1920s with some fantasy aspects? Yes, please.

Clara Johnson is pretty well-known around some neighborhoods in 1920s New York. She can talk to people on the other side and help make deals for those in our realm. But something strange is happening in this world. People are not quite themselves and they are disappearing. This may or may not be connected to a ring that a powerful entity would like Clara to steal. It may mean that she no longer has to carry a debt to this entity. But she is not the only person trying to get the ring and she may have to work with others, including a handsome, enhanced musician; a former circus freak; a man who wears many faces; and a man who can change memories.

I really enjoyed this story though some parts didn't quite make sense but I really look forward to Penelope's next book.

Four stars

This book came out August 9, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod

Professor Peter Shandy is fed up. His best friend's wife has been bullying him for years to take part in the campus "Illumination." But he's resisted. Until this year. This is the year he hires a company to make the most obnoxious Christmas display, complete with music. Then he locks his electricity box and leaves on a cruise. When he gets back, he expects that Jemima (the friend's wife) will cuss him out but good. What he doesn't expect -- The electricity to his house has been turned off and Jemima is dead behind his couch.

But Professor Shandy is the only one that seems to think this was anything more than an accident. So, can he solve the murder before more people get killed? No. No he can't. But it's a fun story and a great holiday read.

Three stars

This book came out in 1978

Followed by The Luck Runs out

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla 

Opinions are my own

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace

Brynn Warren was raised by her two aunts (and hypothetically an uncle though he doesn't factor into a lot of this story.) Her family has been living in their town, Evenfall, for over 400 years. In all of that time, the Warrens have been very quietly helping the town using their magic. But Brynn has a secret. Ever since her husband died, her magic hasn't been quite the same. She just doesn't know how to talk to her aunts about it. 

Right now, she's just hoping they can make it through the current guest at their B&B. Constance is a menace with a bell. Brynn's aunt Izzy seems to be doing okay but her aunt Nora is another story. In fact, Nora is discussing ways that she could kill Constance when she is discovered dead. And it ends up that Nora is now going to be a main suspect even though Constance's family has some deep levels of hatred for the woman.

This first book in the series is just as much about Brynn coming back to her heritage as it is about solving Constance's death but it was a fun listen and easy to get through.

Four stars

This book came out October 19, 2021

Followed by When the Crow's Away

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

Lana Rubicon has gotten used to running her own life as a tight ship. As a powerful real estate agent in LA, she knows that she is at the top of her game. So she's left wondering why she can't quite pick herself up off the floor. When she finds out the answer is brain tumors, she does the unthinkable... she calls her daughter Beth for help.

Almost six months later, Lana is still living with Beth and Beth's daughter Jacqueline (Jack.) This is not the kind of life that she likes to have. She feels weak, she has nothing to do, and no one seems to respect her. So when fifteen-year-old Jack finds a dead body on a kayak tour that she's guiding, Lana springs into action to ensure that the detectives don't look at her granddaughter as a suspect. Plus, it reminds her of the times that she and Beth used to tuck in and watch Columbo on their mother-daughter murder nights.

It took me a bit to get into this book as the beginning didn't quite go in line with what I thought the description had said but I got pulled in and zoomed right through.

Four stars

This book came out September 5, 2023

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Miss Morton And The Spirits Of The Underworld by Catherine Lloyd

Lady Caroline is happy to have left her family behind and work with her employer, Mrs. Frogerton and her daughter Dorothy, in London. She is, however, worried that Mrs. Frogerton is taking her to see a medium. Lady Caroline does NOT believe in psychics. However, this one is different. And she gives Caroline a note that speaks to Caroline's past. But before she can talk to Madam Lavinia, the woman is murdered.

Once again, Dr. Harris is involved. This time, the police are accusing him of murder. Caroline and Mrs. Frogerton are going to help prove his innocence but they have to figure out first why the psychic was killed.

This was a fun little mystery, a lot of fluff and some time that calls for believe suspension but an enjoyable listen.

Three stars

This book came out August 22, 2023

Miss Morton #2

Follows Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder

Followed by Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Spotlight Scandal by Stella Bixby

Ellie is settling into her new town. Not everything is going smoothly but she is happy in Cliff Haven. She's even going to have the last line in the Christmas play! If she can manage to get it out, that is. And if the curse doesn't strike. There was a young lady who died (or was murdered, depending on who you talk to) during a play years ago. And there's one that dies in this one as well. 

With star frenemies in town, there is a lot going on. Not all of it made sense but it was an enjoyable book as Ellie tries to figure out who killed one Hollywood starlet and framed another. This is while dealing with discovering a magical cousin and trying to figure out how to use her magical powers.

Three stars

This book came out May 11, 2021

Follows Bowling Blunder

Followed by Tango Trouble

Ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief by Dorothy Gilman

The book opens with Mrs Pollifax standing in the rain at a funeral. She's been asked to take pictures by her old friend Farrell. The same Farrell who's sent out an SOS asking her and Curtis to come to Sicily. Curtis can't make it but Mrs Pollifax is up for the challenge.

She meets not only Farrell there, but also a young CIA agent named Kate. Kate and her aunt are the ones to hide Mrs. Pollifax and Farrell when they are followed from their meeting spot. There is something interesting going on with Kate's aunt and the village that she supports with her art. Somehow it overlaps with the work that Farrell has been doing, trying to retrieve a supposed signature of Julius Caesar. Oh, and old enemy rears his head once again.

Oh, these books are dated. Terms that were maybe acceptable in the early 80s now cause a twinge. Is this book believable? No. Does it need to be? Also no.

Three stars

This book came out in 1993

Follows Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish

Followed by Mrs. Pollifax Pursued 

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Murder in an Irish Pub by Carlene O'Connor

Siobhan O'Sullivan is working with the rest of the Garda to make sure the town stays safe while a major poker game is going on. There are some very famous players coming in including The Octopus, Eamon Foley (anyone's guess as to whether his nickname refers to his good poker hands or how he acts around women), Clementine Heart, and Shane Ross. 

During the first game, Eamon is dealt the Dead Man's hand. Major foreshadowing there as he later ends up dead but not before he's accused of cheating to win the hand. There was a lot going on with accusations that his wife was carrying a child that wasn't Eamon's, a bet involving a valuable racehorse, and longstanding rivalries. 

The actual answer comes somewhat out of left field. An interesting story and you don't need to have read the rest of the series to understand what it going on.

Three stars

This book came out February 26, 2019

Follows Murder in an Irish Churchyard

Followed by Murder in an Irish Cottage

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

The Pantomime Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith

Clara Vale is asked to look into the sudden disappearance of Sybil Langford. The woman is legendary in pantomime circles and her professionalism is well-known. For her to leave so quickly and in the middle of the season worries her young friend Peggy. Even as Clara is looking into the information, another person dies. 

At the same time, she is hired to help figure out why a local department store is losing so much merchandise. The man who hires for the department store is a familiar name, Jack Danskin. He is eventually brought into the mystery a little bit more and he may become a bigger part of the series as we go on. 

I like this book better than the first ones as we are getting to know the characters more and the mystery came together a bit more smoothly. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 28, 2023

Follows The Picture House Murders

ARC kindly provided by Embla Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Peg and Rose Solve a Murder by Laurien Berenson

I assume that both Peg and Rose have appeared in Berenson's other series as there are references to both of them having helped solve other mysteries. But in this book, the two are working together, maybe for the first time in decades. Rose wasn't sure about Peg when she married Rose's brother and she made a scene that ensured the two wouldn't have a good relationship. Years later, her brother is dead and Rose is feeling penitent so she invites Peg to a bridge club. We get to meet all of the the other members along with Peg and Rose. It is one of their bridge club that gets murdered in this book. While the police (including a detective that Peg knows and trusts) are investigating, Peg is still going to poke her nose in. That leads to some danger for them both and Peg may not be able to stick around to take care of her prized poodles.

Four stars

This book came out August 20, 2022

Followed by Peg and Rose Stir up Trouble

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Bowling Blunder by Stella Bixby

Ellie didn't grow up with a lot of friends but she is slowly building a community in her new town. She's got her group of older ladies that run and take her yoga classes. She's also got Bex who she works with at the diner. Slowly but surely, she is making a place for herself. Yes, there are still people who accuse her of being a witch (her hair changes color/style with her emotions) but she knows that she wants to stay. It's just too bad that there's been another murder. This time at the local bowling alley. 

Ellie's ex-boyfriend's fiancee (yep), Samantha, is still in town and trying to argue that his property should go to her instead of the man's mother (he died in the previous book in this series.) Samantha is also a part of a bachelorette weekend that is somehow also in this same small town. It is one of the bridesmaids who gets murdered.

Is the mystery solution a little convoluted? Yes. Is the magic starting to get a little wild (we meet Xander, a warlock, in this book)? Yes. Am I going to keep reading this series? Heck yes. I want to see where it goes.

Three stars

This book came out March 16, 2021

Follows Downward Death

Followed by Spotlight Scandal

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Murder at the Manor by Catherine Coles

Evelyn and Tommy very much remind me of Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence: young, adventurous, newly married. This Tommy is the nephew of an earl and they are visiting the family to pay their respects and figure out their next steps. A big hitch in their plans occurs when the earl dies. Having been a police detective (Tommy) and worked for the police force (Evelyn), the two realize that the men assigned to this case are not doing their job well. So they decide to investigate.

If you like stories that are fairly clued, this is not going to be a book you enjoy but it is a quick and fun read and sets up these two characters nicely.

Four stars

This book came out July 31, 2020

Followed by Murder at the Village Fete

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

Murder at Everham Hall by Benedict Brown

Marius Quin is a bestselling author. He is now working on "Glimpse of a Blood Moon." Well, he's trying to work on it. The first chapter has been written but he's now struggling with a massive case of writer's block. His publisher won't advance him any more money (he has to be guaranteed of a product, after all) but has invited Marius to a Boxing Day party. 

Outside the office, Marius slips and falls. It is then that his childhood sweetheart, Lady Isabella "Bella" Montague shows up. He falls again - instantly back into love. It's been ten years since they've seen each other. In that time, Marius's father has gone missing, the war happened, and he has slipped into some financial distress. 

With some surprise, he accepts an invitation from her to a party at Everham Hall, where a friend of hers, Cecil Sinclair, a famous actor, is throwing a party on New Year's Eve. He goes and takes his basset hound, Percy, with him. 

Marius realizes almost instantly that this party will be as awkward as all heck. It seems that this Cecil is a diva of the first order becoming childish and petulant when drunk.  His paramour, Poppy, is someone that no one likes.  There is a film director, Anton, and his wife, an actress called Alma. There is also Bella's beau, Gilbert, whom Marius instantly dislikes. Cecil's father, Ross, and Edith, who Marius pegs as Ross's innamorata. 

Marius pulls Bella aside to ask why she invited him to this house. He had hoped to reignite their romance; she says that she wanted to help reignite his imagination. She is more successful than he is at the end. 

Of course, there is a murder and, since the police can't get there, Marius is elected to solve teh crime. As a mystery writer, he is (according to the other characters), the most likely to be able to solve the crime.

I haven't made it to that book yet but it appears that Marius has crossed paths with Lord Edgington, another of Brown's mystery series. If you like that series, I believe that this one will be enjoyable as well. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 3, 2023

Followed by The Hurtwood Village Murders

ARC kindly provided by Storm Publishing

Opinions are my own