Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

This book is ancillary to a series but I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not having read previous books. Mrs. Blossom, Muriel, was an assistant to an investigator, but now she's about to have an investigation of her own. 

Muriel's life has turned upside down a few times recently; her husband died, the family (grandchildren) moved to Japan and left her behind, and she won the lottery. It's the last that allows her to take a fancy vacation in Europe. 

On the way, she meets Allan. He seems attracted to her and, while she's shy to believe it, she is willing to vary her journey plans to stay with him. Unfortunately, the romance doesn't last long and she's back on track for the travel plans she was given. There's a young man (forties), Danny, who is following her. But his story keeps changing as to why. 

Lippman explains that, in the previous books, she was accused of fatphobia based on how she described and treated Muriel. This book is... maybe bettter? She had sensitivity readers but I'm not sure how much she listened to their reviews. There's still a lot of focus on Muriel's frame. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out June 17, 2025

ARC kindly provided by William Morrow and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan

Mia Crawford is on an enforced vacation. She's been at her financial planning firm for five years and, as a an anniversary present, she's on a ferry to a private island in the Carribean. She tried to get the cash equivalent but was roundly dismissed. She's a little wary because she'd rather read a book than have a grand adventure. 

The resort is an interesting place. It's owned by a reclusive billionaire. It's also the site of a recent disappearance, a woman who was at the resort left the island on a day trip but never returned. Mia is connected to this woman when she picks up a book from the take a book/leave a book pile at the resort and it is filled with handwritten notes that directly relate to other guests on the island.

Though Mia is used to being on her own, she befriends the daughter of one of the other guests. She also starts spending time with the handsome bartender Jason. But both relationships may pull her into danger.

Overall a lovely story though my suspension of disbelief was pulled pretty taut several times. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out June 17, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Novel Murder by E. C. Nevin

Though the book follows various characters in third person present omniscient, we mainly stick with Jane Hepburn. She's a mystery author. Or, at least she's trying to be. Neither her agent nor her editor have gotten in touch with her lately. And, of all indignities, Jane's name isn't on the list of authors at the book festival she's attending. She ends up having to buy her own ticket in. 

Once there, she starts talking with Abi Edwards, her agent's assistant. But Abi soon runs off and Jane is left to her own devices. Somewhat out of character, she decides to sneak into the book tent so she can move all of her books into a more prominent position. It hasn't worked in the book stores she's tried so far but maybe this will help. Instead, she gets tossed into a real life murder mystery when she discovers the dead body of her agent.

Thought we never see the agent on page, we are given a lot of information like the fact that she was not well liked by any number of people so it may be hard to narrow down the suspects.

Jane finds herself in an interesting position - working with friends to solve the murder. She, in fact, actively hinders the investigation a couple of times which is not a favorite trope of mine. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out June 17, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor as well as NetGalley

Opinions are your own

Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

Elinor Carlisle has it all. Or she's going to. She's the apparent heir to her wealthy aunt and she has a fabulous fiance. But, Roddy isn't acting like he used to and Elinor knows why. It's Mary Gerrard. And Elinor's ready to commit murder. But does she?

Yes, her aunt dies suspiciously and then there's another death. Elinor's in the docket and her aunt's doctor is begging Poirot to take on the case. And this is a case that only Poirot can solve. 

Three stars

Hercule Poirot #22

This book came out March 1, 1940

Follows
Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Followed by One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

People Pleaser by Jinger Duggar Vuolo

I picked up this book because I was generally curious about what life after a cult is like. I didn't realize this was a second book until I was a good way into the book. So I kept going. Vuolo has a pleasing voice and a deft way of weaving together her life stories (in both the near and far past), biblical passages, and lessons learned. She discusses how and why we are people pleasers and when that's a good thing. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 14, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Bloodied Ivy by Robert Goldsborough with L.J. Ganser (Narrator)

Walter Willis Courtland, a balding man in his 50s, calls the house. His friend, Hale Markham, fell into a gorge. To be fair, it was nighttime and the man was in his 70s. But, by all accounts, he was a hiker and knew the terrain really well. Wolfe isn't interested. But the case piques Archie's interest. Markham was a right-wing author and professor who had a number of devoted fans but just as many enemies. So Archie goes up to investigate, against Wolfe's wishes. 

Another good addition to the Wolfe series by Mr. Goldsborough. 

Four stars

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Mysteries #3

This book came out in 1987

Follows Death on Deadline

Followed by The Last Coincidence

Borrowed as audiobook from Blackstone Audio

Opinions are my own

The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

 Love, love, love Tommy and Tuppence. This is the first of their adventures together, starting just after WWI, both Tommy and Tuppence are at loose ends and short on cash. Meeting up for lunch, they decide to start a partnership called the Young Adventurers. Even as they leave lunch, a man stops Tuppence and asks her to help out with a project. When he asks for her name, she comes up with the first name she can remember, "Jane Finn." It was a name that Tommy had overheard and mentioned. When she says the name, it sends a bolt of electricity through the man and he accuses Tuppence of playing him. This sets off a chain of events that has them meeting up with an American millionaire in search of his cousin, a woman who has been in hiding for over five years, and a group of men who are trying to overthrow the British government.

Five stars
Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries #1

This book came out in 1922

Followed by Partners in Crime

Audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own