Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Meg's nephew Kevin has started a true crime podcast with his friend Casey. Everything is going well, their audience is growing, but when Casey is nearly run over, they suspect that they may have stirred up a hornet's nest. They are able to narrow down the episodes most likely to have caused some problems to three. One is a rumor about cheating at the Caerphilly College Business School twenty years ago, a young woman who disappeared, and a man who was possibly wrongly convicted in Clay County. The last, Meg decides to leave to the regular police. After talking to the man, Lucas, Vern Shiffley is also wondering whether he got a fair shake. 

But that leaves two cases for Meg to chase down. 

Four stars

This book comes out August 2, 2022

Follows The Twelve Jays of Christmas 

Followed by Dashing Through the Snowbirds

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread as Audible book January 2025

Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas

A friend recommended this book to me and, while it took me a long time to finish the book, I overall enjoyed the start of this series very much though I can very much say that the villain was not at all fairly clued. 

Thomas Llewelyn is very much down on his luck (just got out of prison, kicked out of school, wife has died) when he reads an advertisement for a position with Cyrus Barker. The position has "some danger involved" and Llewelyn finds out very quickly how true that is. He is introduced to parts of London that he didn't know and ethnic groups that are outside his norm. 

The case that Barker has recently been called upon to help with is that of a rabbinical student who looked a lot like a 19th century version of Jesus. The man was murdered with an anti-semitic comment left nearby. But was that really the reason the man was murdered?

Four stars

This book came out March 8, 2005

Followed by To Kingdom Come

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

A Dead Liberty by Catherine Aird

Kenneth Carline is dead. It seems obvious that Lucy Durmast killed him. She is the daughter of his boss; seems like he should have been romancing her but, instead, he was about to announce his engagement to someone else. So she poisons him using chili con carne to disguise the poison. But she's not speaking. At all. In court, in prison, when questioned by the police. She's quiet.

The original policeman on her case pretty much thought it was an open and shut case. But he is out o the picture so now Inspector Sloan is on the case. He also thinks it is perfectly obvious but the fact that Lucy isn't speaking gives him pause so he decides to work through the case again and sets the cat among the pigeons.

A lovely story that was easy to pick out but a neat case where the main suspect speaks only two words throughout the entire story.

Four stars

This book came out August 31, 1987

Follows Harm's Way

Followed by The Body Politic

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

Sleight of Mouth by Robert B. Dilts

I can't remember why I added this book to my TBR list but I can't believe I actually finished it. After the fifth spelling error (all within the first third of the book), I pondered whether I really wanted to read it.
After the first instance of a completely unscientific example used to prove one of the author's points, I pondered even harder. Then, an instance of pseudoscience. Strapping myself in, I decided to enjoy the ride.

There are some valid studies in this book but overall I am disappointed I left this on my TBR shelf for too long. 

Two stars

This book came out November 5, 2001

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Walking in a Witchy Wonderland by Juliette Cross

Short stories in between the books published so far in the Stay a Spell series. If you haven't read the books in the series, I would start with them first. 

Bewitch You A Merry Christmas

Evie is trying to help a man who has been hexed by a witch with a sense of humor but Matteo and Alpha are resenting the time she's spending "not with them." 

Rockin’ Around The Hexmas Tree

The sisters and their beaus are doing a Yankee Swap for Christmas but Isabel and Devraj end up with an ornament that is more than it appears. 

Jingle Bell Jock

JJ and Charlie are friends. Nothing more. But when it looks like Charlie is hooking up with another man, JJ finally makes his move. 

You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grim

Lavinia meets Gareth, a Grim. They inspire strong feelings in each other that will be resolved in the next book of the series.

Jingle Spells

Nico and Violet sit for Evie and Matteo's triplets. Getting through the night may just prove to them they are ready for some pups of their own.

Three stars

This book came out October 5, 2021

Follows Witches Get Stitches

Followed by Always Practice Safe Hex

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Rocket to the Morgue by Anthony Boucher

A take on the science fiction writers of the time (1941), this book has many thinly veiled references to writers in that genre. They are all working hard to make money by writing as many words as possible and all of them have a great dislike for Hilary Foulkes. Hilary isn't even a writer, he's just the executor of his father's estate. But that estate is vast and Hilary has the power to stop many projects. So it's not, perhaps, surprising to mystery readers that he is getting threats against his life. But Inspector Marshall is not amused as the clues seem to be pointing to his friend, Matt Duncan.

I had heard about this book on the Classic Mysteries podcast. The author was more complimentary than I was but he also knows more about the authors of that time.

Three stars

This book came out 1942

Follows Nine Times Nine

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie by Anthony Del Col, Werther Dell'edera

This was... dark. Especially for anyone who grew up with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys (and their parents) being beacons of good in the world. This series upends a lot of things you would've read while retaining some spirit of the original creations.

The Hardy Boys are at odds with each other. It seems that their father is a dirty cop. But now he's dead and can't defend himself. And Frank and Joe are turning against each other. There's someone that is willing to help them out though, an old friend. She's even willing to help when the evidence looks like her own father might be involved in something shady.

Three stars

This book came out November 28, 2017

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own