The Snows of Weston Moor by Benedict Brown

Christopher and his grandfather are off on another adventure. After a successful Christmas program, the whole family is taking off to visit his brother's girlfriend's family. However, on the way Christopher and his grandfather get stuck in the snow and end up at Weston Manor. 

It has recently been bought by a producer who is on his second wife, the beautiful Georgiana. She is known not only for being an amazing actress but also for having been in a scandal with a high ranking politician and for being in a relationship with a man who was murdered. It is that last that encourages Christopher to tell his grandfather to remain incognito.

They are not the only travelers to take shelter in the manor. A shady character calling himself Mr. Black also joins the party. While he is on the phone, the rest of the group begins a game of hide and seek which begins in the dark. It is while the lights are off that a gun goes off and someone is dead.

Four stars

Lord Edgington Investigates #8

This book came out November 16, 2022

Follows The Crimes of Clearwell Castle

Followed by What the Vicar Saw

Borrowed as Audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Reckoning at the Riviera Royale by P.J. Fitzsimmons

Anty has been summoned by his mother to join her on the Riviera. Since her two sentence missive has more emotion than he's ever seen from the woman, he immediately sets out. It's there that he learns of the death of Malandrino the Magnificent. He was the main draw of a small circus but it seems hew was killed by the elephant, Thumpy. Now the circus owner is going to try and make money by executing the elephant. Anty is not in love with the idea. 

While there, Anty also meets the wife of his mother's brother and her amazingly beautiful daughter, Chadwick. He is immediately in love with her and proposes marriage. He also encounters any number of suspects, both in the circus (including the man's brother and the circus owner) and out (two women who were in love with the charismatic murder victim for many years) and even Anty's own mother who was seen with the victim.

Anty is more Bertie Wooster than ever in this story. While this mystery may not have been as well put together as previous stories (and we still don't know what happened to his father), it was still an enjoyable story.

Three and a half stars

Anty Boisjoly #5

This book came out November 29, 2022

Follows The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse

The Case of the case of Kilcladdich

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen

This is a Skink book but there isn't a lot of Skink in it. Instead, we have the story of Twilly Spree. Young and wealthy enough not to have to work, Twilly loved the large expanses of undisturbed Florida in his youth. Too bad his father was one of the developer's that took that all away. It turned young Twilly against all people that he thought were encroaching on Nature. Including the man who, at the beginning of the story, litters. Twilly dumps a load of garbage in the man's car but that still doesn't stop the man. So Twilly steps up his game.

Hiaasen hijinks. If you like the author, you'll like this addition to the series.

Three stars

Skink #4

This book came out in 2000

Follows Stormy Weather

Followed by Skinny Dip

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Murder on Thames by Matthew Costello, Neil Richards

This was more of a novella-length audiobook than a full book set in the Cotswolds. It opens with a woman out walking with a dog when they discover a body. It's a woman' who used to live in the village but she hasn't for a long time making her something of an outsider. 

Sarah Edwards grew up in the village but left for fifteen years. After her divorce, she returned with her two children. She used to be local but is also still not quite a local.

Jack Brennan is definitely an outsider. The former NYPD detective moved to Cherringham after the death of his wife. He doesn't want to get caught up in this death but he isn't as sure as the local police that Sammi's death was an accident. 

The two work together to find out what happened to Sammi.

Because this is a shorter story, it is hard to get into the story but it was good enough and I enjoy getting to listen to Neil Dudgeon whose voice is perfect for a murder series.

Three stars

This book came out December 19, 2013

Cherringham #1

Followed by Mystery at the Manor

Audible novella

Opinions are my own

Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen

Natural disasters bring out the best and the worst in people. Bonnie is learning that about her new husband Max when a hurricane rips through Florida during their honeymoon. He even drags her away from the Magic Kingdom to see the effects of the storm. While he is gleefully taping the aftermath, he is bitten by a monkey and then kidnapped by a crazy man. Bonnie can't get anyone to listen to her until she meets Augustine who is dealing with his own problems after his uncles exotic animals have all escaped and are running loose. Finally, state trooper Jim Tile joins them; he is warily confident he knows just who the kidnapper is and how to find Bonnie's husband. 

Their story is interwoven and then combined with two people, Edie and Snapper, who have come down to try and con some insurance money out of the destruction.

Three stars

Skink #3

This book came out August 15, 1995

Follows Native Tongue

Followed by Sick Puppy

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick

How nice to get a Quick novel along the lines of what she wrote before the Arcane series. I love the books but it's nice to get a palate cleanser. It's not exactly like Quick's previous books (lots of modern ideals inserted: solar power, condoms, criminal profiling) but I really did enjoy this book.

Miss Amity Doncaster suffered a heartbreak at age nineteen. She took her pain and became a world traveler, selling articles about her experiences. Her book is just about to come out. If her recent scandals don't scare off her publisher, that is.

On her last adventure before returning to London, Amity stumbles across a man who has been left for dead. Benedict Stanbridge feels incredibly lucky to have encountered a female who is not only not flighty, she is pragmatic enough to get him back to his ship. And even has the skills (learned from her doctor father) to help nurse him back to health. The more he spends time with her, the more interested he becomes. But when they get to New York, he is not going on to London but rather to California.

A month later, there are rumors circulating about just what the two of them got up to while on board. And to make matters worse, she's been kidnapped by the crazed serial murderer dubbed the Bridegroom by the press. Luckily, she has her steel-tipped fan and can get herself away but the story just makes her even more notorious. And of course, just as the story is reaching it's height, Benedict decides to show up. After not sending word for over a month. 

They will have to work together, and with others like Amity's sister and an inspector from Scotland Yard in order to stop not only a crazed madman but also some diabolical Russian spies.

The group melds together rather quickly, the ending does drag on a bit, and there are rather a lot of people to keep track of, but I really enjoyed this story and hope to get more from AQ.

Three stars
This book came out April 22, 2014

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen

Francis X. Kingsbury just wants his "Amazing Kingdom of Thrills" to make as much money as that other theme park in Florida. His PR man, Joe Winder is skeptical of how they are trying to do that, including advertising that the park is advertising that they will be saving the blue-tongued mango voles. Or they would be, if someone hadn't stolen the last mating pair. 

Well, it was two some ones and they immediately lost the little voles. Or threw one out the van window. But who knew it would be at the behest of a little old lady? Yes, she's the leader of a local wildlife group. But who knew she'd shoot both of them?

This book brings the trademark Hiaasen crazy that blends a bit of ecoterrorism. This includes the beloved former governor, Skink.

Three stars

Skink #2

This book came out in 1991

Follows Double Whammy

Followed by Stormy Weather

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own