Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett

In this third installment of the Booktown mysteries, Tricia Miles, the owner of the Haven't Got a Clue Mystery Bookstore, asks her college roommate, Pammy, after she wears out her welcome by stealing and forging a check as well as taking up more space than Tricia has to share.  Unfortunately,  at the end of the day Tricia finds Pammy dead and herself a prime suspect.  However, rather than the sheriff from Hell who dislikes Tricia because of her tendency to get involved in police matters, the investigation this time has a hunky Capt. Grant Baker in charge.

It was fun to see Tricia and her staff interact and the characters themselves evolve.

 ★★★½

GENRE: Cozy Mystery
SUBJECT: blackmail, Freegan, Food Bank
Setting: Stoneham, NH
CHARACTERS: Tricia Miles, Grant Baker, Pammy Fredericks, Libby Hirt
DATE READ: September 6 - September 8
NO. OF PAGES: 227
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, MYSTERYCAT
SOURCE: NOOK stockpile

Bookmarked For Death by Lorna Barrett

Tricia Miles, proprietor of the Mystery bookstore Haven't Got a Clue, invites the local writer to her shop for a book signing, but things go terribly wrong when she finds the writer dead in her restroom.  Since the local sheriff is not her greatest fan, Tricia has her shop shut down for nearly a week, so she uses the time to try to find the murderer.

Love the character interactions and will be reading the next one soon for Bibliophile month.


 ★★★½

GENRE: Cozy Mystery
SUBJECT: Literary thievery
Setting: Stoneham, NH  Booktown
CHARACTERS: Taricia Miles, Angelica Miles, Zoe Carter, Kimberley Peters, Nikki Brimfield, Steve Fenton, Artemus Hamilton
DATE READ: September 1 - September 2
NO. OF PAGES: 228
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, MYSTERYCAT
SOURCE: NOOK stockpile

A Sunless Sea by Anne Perry

Monk is brought to a sight along the river edge by screams and what he sees is a woman who has been hacked to pieces.  After identifying the body, his investigation leads him to a Doctor who had been investigating the effects of Opium.  When Monk finds that the doctor committed suicide several months earlier, he becomes suspicious of that and finds that the Doctor's widow is his prime suspect in the woman's murder.  Everything points to her as the murderer but Monk still solicits Oliver Rathbone to defend her while he still hunts for more evidence to clear her.

This book really centered more in the court room but the mystery was well developed and the recurring characters continue to grow as real people with real problems.


 ★★★½

GENRE: Historical Mystery
SUBJECT: Opium addictions
Setting: London England
CHARACTERS: William Monk, Sir Oliver Rathbone,Zenia Gadney, Joel Lambourn, Dinah Lambourn
DATE READ: August 27 - August 31
NO. OF PAGES: 400
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, MYSTERYCAT
SOURCE: audio stockpile

Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason

★★★½

GENRE: Mystery
SUBJECT: Spousal abuse, deserted grave
Setting: Reykjavik, Iceland
CHARACTERS: DI Erlendur Sveinsson, Eva Lind, Elinborg, Sigurdur Oli, Grimur, Simon, Mikkelina, Benjamin Knudsen
DATE READ: April 25 - April 30
NO. OF PAGES: 293
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , MYSTERYCAT
SOURCE: MCL Library

PLOT:....................................................................4.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................4.00
STYLE:..................................................................3.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.00
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................4.00
Average..............................................................................................3.50

A skeleton is discovered on the site of new building construction and the police have to first determine who the victim is, how long it's been buried, and then the cause of death.  At the same time as the body excavation is taking place DI Erlendur and his team are trying to find out who may have lived in the old housing projects that once stood on the site.

Erlendur is distracted, however, because his drug addict daughter is in a coma and he can't stop blaming himself.

Each time that I've sat down with this series, I have a hard time because the names of the characters are so different from what I'm used to.  But each time, I've been very glad that I read the book.  The writing, style and plotting are excellent.

The 39 Clues: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

 ★★★½
AUTHOR:
GENRE: Children's, Young Adult
SUBJECT: good vs. evil, family secrets, codes, inheritance
Setting: Boston, MA; Paris France
CHARACTERS: Dan Cahill, Amy Cahill, Allister Oh, Jonah Wizard, Holt Family, Irina Spasky
DATE READ: March 6 - March 7
NO. OF PAGES: 220
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, RandomCAT, MysteryCAT 
SOURCE: audio from library

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.00
STYLE:..................................................................3.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.00
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................3.00
Average..............................................................................................3.00 

Dan and Amy Cahill are saddened when their grandmother dies, but when her will is read, they along with other members of their extended family are presented with an option - $1Million dollars each or a quest that could garner them a power beyond imagining. Seeking the adventure they start on the quest of 39 clues endangering themselves while trying to make their grandmother proud.

Interesting that this series is written by multiple authors. I'm curious to see how the story progresses over time with the different writers.

The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson

 ★★★½

GENRE: Cozy Mystery
SUBJECT: paternity, blackmail
Setting: Aspen Meadow, CO
CHARACTERS: Goldy Shulz, Tom Shulz, Arch Korman, Marla Korman, Holly Ingleby, Julian Teller, Neal Unger, Father Pete, Bob Rushwood
DATE READ: February 21 - February 26
NO. OF PAGES: 384
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, MysteryCAT
SOURCE: Public library

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.50
STYLE:..................................................................3.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.00
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................3.00
Average..............................................................................................3.25

Goldy and her best friend Marla are hosting a birthday party for Goldy's son and his friend Drew.  Drew's mother collapses on Marla's driveway after the party and dies because of food poisoning.  While Goldy searches for answers, another murder and Goldy's has a suspicious accident which leads Tom to assign protective escorts.

Snooping as only Goldy and Marla can, the reader is lead through a maze of characters leading us to an interesting ending with an unusual epilogue.

A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton

 ★★★

GENRE: Cozy Mystery
SUBJECT: estate auctions, historical documents
Setting: Queensville, MI
CHARACTERS: Jaymie leighton, Joel Anderson, Daniel Collins, Trev Standish, Ted Abernathy, Lynn Foster, Nathan Foster
DATE READ: February 19 - February 23
NO. OF PAGES: 252
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, MysteryCAT
SOURCE: NOOK stockpile

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.00
STYLE:..................................................................2.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................3.00
Average..............................................................................................3.00 

Jaymie Leighton is a homebody that loves everything Vintage for her home so when she sees an old-fashioned Hoosier cabinet from the late 20's at an estate auction, she bids on it, not knowing the trouble that comes with it.

The night she brings home her precious Hoosier, she is awaken by Hoppy her dog barking and she discovers a dead body by the cabinet.  Through numerous break-ins and attacks, Jaymie works to figure out why someone was killed her house and the prize that is driving the violence in her backyard.

There were a few too many characters (possibly caused by the new series introductions) but it seemed too crowded for this reader.  Hoping the next is better.

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

★★★★★

GENRE: Mystery
SUBJECT: police corruption
Setting: Quebec, Canada
CHARACTERS: Armand Gamache, Sylvain Francouer, Myrna Landers, Oullette Quints, Therese Brunel, Jerome Brunel, Jean Guy Beauvois
DATE READ: February 15 - February 19
NO. OF PAGES: 675
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, MysteryCAT
SOURCE: NOOK stockpile

PLOT:....................................................................5.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................5.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................5.00
STYLE:..................................................................4.75
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................4.75
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................4.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................5.00
Threshold Quality.................................................5.00
Average..............................................................................................4.88 

This most recent installment of this tremendous series, is IMHO the best so far.  Readers sometimes wonder how a writer can continue to improve, I don't know, but Miss Penny somehow does it. 

Regular readers were most probably concerned at the end of the previous book believing that Armand Gamache was on his way out when we look at the devastation to his team, his family in trouble, not to mention that his reputation was shredding.  Armand questions his own unit as well as his abilities.

At the beginning we see Gamache at odds with his team members except for Isabelle LaCoste, and then the apparent hatred by Jean Guy Beauvoir.  Throughout Gamache manages to remain the character that we  have grown to love. 

Myrna Landers calls Gamache from Three Pines worrying about a friend who has not shown up in the little village. Through the investigation, Gamache finds the true identity of the victim as well as a location to protect those who are his support  against the mystery that has been building at the Sureté.

The friends that we've made over the first 8 books from the village of Three Pines are front and center helping not only in the search for the murderer of Myrna's friend, but also aiding Gamache in his fight against corruption. 

It is hard to believe that the corruption that is exposed has been hiding and building throughout the series.  Fans of Armand Gamache can only hope that he will remain our hero in the future.  Can't wait for the next book!

Home of the Braised by Julie Hyzy

 ★★★★ ¾

GENRE: Cozy Mystery
SUBJECT:
Setting: Washington, DC
CHARACTERS: Olivia Parras, Leonard Gavin, Peter Sargaent, Virgil Ballantine
DATE READ: February 1 - February 2
NO. OF PAGES: 304
Challenges: TIOLI, CATEGORY, MYSTERYCAT, GASTROCAT, ALPHACAT
SOURCE: My Nook

PLOT:....................................................................4.50
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................4.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................4.50
STYLE:..................................................................5.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................4.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................5.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................5.00
Threshold Quality.................................................5.00
Average..............................................................................................4.75  

Ollie and Gav have finally decided to get marry but in the meantime Ollie is also in the midst of planning a major State Dinner for representatives from a nation that the US has been at odds with for 50 years.  Trouble seems to gravitate toward Ollie and throughout she is trying to avoid international or political problems.  But Ollie being Ollie, she finds the problems that are reverberating  and saves the day!

Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stott

 ★★★

GENRE: Mystery
SUBJECT: patricide, accidental murder
Setting: New York
CHARACTERS: Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin, Peter Barstow, Sarah Barstow, Corbett Kimball, Manuel Kimball
DATE READ: January 2 - January 25
NO. OF PAGES: 285
Challenges: TIOLI, CATEGORY, MYSTERYCAT
SOURCE: Public Library

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.00
STYLE:..................................................................3.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.00
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................3.00
Average..............................................................................................3.00

This mystery was written in the early 20th century.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  The plot was okay, the characters were a bit stereotypical.  The solution predictable