Apple Turnover Murder
Joanne Fluke
Kensington, Feb 23 2010, $24.00
ISBN: 9780758234896
In Lake Eden, Minnesota, Hannah Swensen’s business The Cookie Jar is booming with orders as June is busting out with weddings and other events. When Mayor Bascomb and his wife Stephanie order one thousand and one hundred apple turnovers to sell at the Lake Eden Combined Charities Drive, Hannah is elastic but wonders of there is time to make that amount in addition to their other orders. Her partner Lisa’s enthusiasm plus other bakers all chip in to fulfill the order.
The only real issue Hannah has with the gala is the emcee is community college professor Brad Ramsey; whom Hannah and her younger sister Michelle had relationships with at different times when the sisters were attending school. Ramsey has made a lot of enemies especially breaking the hearts of many coeds, but Hannah never expected someone to kill him when she finds his murdered body backstage holding a turnover. Hannah investigates hoping to identify the culprit without the police especially her other boyfriend deputy Mike Kingston, who leads the official inquiry, knowing that the Swensen siblings were part of Brad’s conquests. She is also worried about her second boyfriend Norman acting peculiarly and out of character, as he left home warm and loving but has come back to the nest cold and aloof
Although the Swenson brood seem to find murdered corpses all over Lake Eden (see Lemon Meringue Pie for instance)that should run them out of town as jinxes, fans will fully enjoy Apple Turnover Murder as this is probably the best baked amateur sleuth of the series. Hannah has two mysteries to solve; first the whodunit and second what is wrong with Norman. Thus the heroine is at her best as she works the homicide trying to conceal from the town knowing her and Michelle were on the professor of love’s hot list. Besides an entertaining mystery and a dozen recipes, readers will learn much more about how the heroine feels re her two beaus and a look at the family.
Harriet Klausner
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Plaster and Poison-Jennie Bentley
Plaster and Poison
Jennie Bentley
Berkley, Mar 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425233450
After inheriting her great Aunt Irene’s home in Waterfield, Maine, New York designer Avery Baker decides to settle in the small-town. Her decision has a lot to do with Derek Ellis, who she has come to care about while renovating her new home; he reciprocates her deep regard. Avery joins Derek in his business Waterfield Renovation & Restoration. They are between jobs so when her best friend Kate asks her to redesign her carriage house that adjoins her B&B so she and her fiancé Wayne can reside there, Avery agrees.
Kate is also worried about her daughter Shannon; Avery and Derek understand why as they have observed her with an older man on several occasions. One day at the carriage house, they find the body of the man seen with Shannon. He turns out to be her father who came to Maine to see his daughter after learning from the newspaper she was coming into a nice inheritance. The death casts suspicion on Shannon, Kate and Wayne who is the Chief of Police. Avery investigates in hopes her new friend’s wedding can take place without a hitch. Derek’s assistant Beatrice disappears without a word to anyone. She was last seen at her place of work which also happened to be the abode of Shannon’s late father. Avery assumes the vanishing and the homicide are linked, but has no idea how.
The third Do-It-Yourself mystery (see Spackled and Spooked, and Fatal Fixer-Upper) is a delightful small-town Maine amateur sleuth with crimes that seem unrelated on the surface, but scraping at the grime leads to some interesting results. Avery is a caring person who risks herf life trying to solve the whodunit with less information available to her than the cops possess. Although her reasoning for sleuthing is shaky, her inquiry is solid and entertaining as Plaster and Poison is a pull no punches mystery.
Harriet Klausner
Jennie Bentley
Berkley, Mar 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425233450
After inheriting her great Aunt Irene’s home in Waterfield, Maine, New York designer Avery Baker decides to settle in the small-town. Her decision has a lot to do with Derek Ellis, who she has come to care about while renovating her new home; he reciprocates her deep regard. Avery joins Derek in his business Waterfield Renovation & Restoration. They are between jobs so when her best friend Kate asks her to redesign her carriage house that adjoins her B&B so she and her fiancé Wayne can reside there, Avery agrees.
Kate is also worried about her daughter Shannon; Avery and Derek understand why as they have observed her with an older man on several occasions. One day at the carriage house, they find the body of the man seen with Shannon. He turns out to be her father who came to Maine to see his daughter after learning from the newspaper she was coming into a nice inheritance. The death casts suspicion on Shannon, Kate and Wayne who is the Chief of Police. Avery investigates in hopes her new friend’s wedding can take place without a hitch. Derek’s assistant Beatrice disappears without a word to anyone. She was last seen at her place of work which also happened to be the abode of Shannon’s late father. Avery assumes the vanishing and the homicide are linked, but has no idea how.
The third Do-It-Yourself mystery (see Spackled and Spooked, and Fatal Fixer-Upper) is a delightful small-town Maine amateur sleuth with crimes that seem unrelated on the surface, but scraping at the grime leads to some interesting results. Avery is a caring person who risks herf life trying to solve the whodunit with less information available to her than the cops possess. Although her reasoning for sleuthing is shaky, her inquiry is solid and entertaining as Plaster and Poison is a pull no punches mystery.
Harriet Klausner
Monday, January 4, 2010
Antiques Bizarre-Barbara Allan
Antiques Bizarre
Barbara Allan
Kensington, Mar 2010, $22.00
ISBN: 9780758234216
After a horrible winter, the residents of the Midwest town of Serenity are rejoicing that spring has arrived. Unfortunately though the temperatures rises, the warmer weather leads to melting of ice and snow further north and the Mississippi is overflowing its banks. Serenity is flooded and as the river overflows its’ banks and certain streets remain under water. Help the flood victims are septuagenarian Vivian Bourne and her thirtyish daughter Brandy who will host an auction at the Catholic Church.
They visit wealthy Madam Petrova to ask her to donate a Faberge egg although they expect a no from her. Instead she agrees to give them the last one commissioned by the Czar. Art expert Louis Martinette authenticated it decades ago and apparently wins the bidding with a million dollar offer. However, before the gavel comes down to end the bid, people fall to the floor ill. Both Madam Petrova and Louis Martinette are dead and the egg is missing. The cause of the sickness is the Mulligan stew made by Mrs. Mulligan, who commits suicide while Father O'Brien is stabbed to death. Vivian feels responsible as the deaths are related to her auction so with Brandy at her side; she investigates who the serial killing thief is
The latest Trash ‘N’ Treasures mystery (see Antiques Flee Market) is an amusing whodunit with less of the cute asides than the previous tales as the mother and daughter team get down to investigative business almost from the onset. Off her Prozac, surrogate pregnant Brandy struggles to keep her bi-polar mom in line during their inquiry, which Brandy’s boyfriend the police chief objects to their investigation for safety reasons.. Vivian is over the top with her interrogation methods while Brandy deals with morning sickness and her madcap mother’s mayhem.
Harriet Klausner
Barbara Allan
Kensington, Mar 2010, $22.00
ISBN: 9780758234216
After a horrible winter, the residents of the Midwest town of Serenity are rejoicing that spring has arrived. Unfortunately though the temperatures rises, the warmer weather leads to melting of ice and snow further north and the Mississippi is overflowing its banks. Serenity is flooded and as the river overflows its’ banks and certain streets remain under water. Help the flood victims are septuagenarian Vivian Bourne and her thirtyish daughter Brandy who will host an auction at the Catholic Church.
They visit wealthy Madam Petrova to ask her to donate a Faberge egg although they expect a no from her. Instead she agrees to give them the last one commissioned by the Czar. Art expert Louis Martinette authenticated it decades ago and apparently wins the bidding with a million dollar offer. However, before the gavel comes down to end the bid, people fall to the floor ill. Both Madam Petrova and Louis Martinette are dead and the egg is missing. The cause of the sickness is the Mulligan stew made by Mrs. Mulligan, who commits suicide while Father O'Brien is stabbed to death. Vivian feels responsible as the deaths are related to her auction so with Brandy at her side; she investigates who the serial killing thief is
The latest Trash ‘N’ Treasures mystery (see Antiques Flee Market) is an amusing whodunit with less of the cute asides than the previous tales as the mother and daughter team get down to investigative business almost from the onset. Off her Prozac, surrogate pregnant Brandy struggles to keep her bi-polar mom in line during their inquiry, which Brandy’s boyfriend the police chief objects to their investigation for safety reasons.. Vivian is over the top with her interrogation methods while Brandy deals with morning sickness and her madcap mother’s mayhem.
Harriet Klausner
Sunday, January 3, 2010
On Deadly Ground-Michael Norman
On Deadly Ground
Michael Norman
Poisoned Pen, Mar 1 2010, $24.95
ISBN: 9781590586921
Kanab, Utah contains two angry camps as the environmentalists and the ranchers argue over rights. The Escalante Environmental Wilderness Alliance (EEWA) directly opposes the Citizens for a Free West (CFW) as the former believe regulation is needed to protect the land while the latter believes the government should stay out of people’s rights to use the land as they feel fit.
The debate turns ugly when the bullet-laden body of EEWA chief David Greenbrier is found hanging from a beam in a barn. Kane County Sheriff Charley Sutter asks native son J.D. Books, recently appointed as a law enforcement ranger at the Bureau of Land Management, to help with the investigation. The former Denver cop who was forced him to resign form the force finds blood on the door of Greenbrier’s SUV. Although his initial reaction is to look closely at the CFW, Books uncovers evidence that points towards an EEWA member as a suspect. Lance Clayburn was having an affair with the victim’s wife and physical proof ties him to the murder scene. However, Books’ experience in the Mile High City makes him suspect the prime suspect as the killer as Clayburn is too easily linked to the homicide; so he looks elsewhere especially to the west where coal interests in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument reside.
This is a strong police procedural that looks deeply at the issue of development vs. individual rights, and the environment as they converge in Kane County. The investigation is fast-paced while making strong cases for mining, conservation and the rights of people; leaving it to the reader to decide what should trump the others. Fans will appreciate this deep thought provoking whodunit as Michael Norman entertains the reader yet also makes a strong case these are not sound byte drill baby issues.
Harriet Klausner
Michael Norman
Poisoned Pen, Mar 1 2010, $24.95
ISBN: 9781590586921
Kanab, Utah contains two angry camps as the environmentalists and the ranchers argue over rights. The Escalante Environmental Wilderness Alliance (EEWA) directly opposes the Citizens for a Free West (CFW) as the former believe regulation is needed to protect the land while the latter believes the government should stay out of people’s rights to use the land as they feel fit.
The debate turns ugly when the bullet-laden body of EEWA chief David Greenbrier is found hanging from a beam in a barn. Kane County Sheriff Charley Sutter asks native son J.D. Books, recently appointed as a law enforcement ranger at the Bureau of Land Management, to help with the investigation. The former Denver cop who was forced him to resign form the force finds blood on the door of Greenbrier’s SUV. Although his initial reaction is to look closely at the CFW, Books uncovers evidence that points towards an EEWA member as a suspect. Lance Clayburn was having an affair with the victim’s wife and physical proof ties him to the murder scene. However, Books’ experience in the Mile High City makes him suspect the prime suspect as the killer as Clayburn is too easily linked to the homicide; so he looks elsewhere especially to the west where coal interests in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument reside.
This is a strong police procedural that looks deeply at the issue of development vs. individual rights, and the environment as they converge in Kane County. The investigation is fast-paced while making strong cases for mining, conservation and the rights of people; leaving it to the reader to decide what should trump the others. Fans will appreciate this deep thought provoking whodunit as Michael Norman entertains the reader yet also makes a strong case these are not sound byte drill baby issues.
Harriet Klausner
Gone 'til November-Wallace Stroby
Gone 'til November
Wallace Stroby
Minotaur, Jan 19 2010, $24.99
ISBN 9780312560249
In St. Charles County, Florida Deputy Sheriff Sara Cross is the first to arrive at the deserted highway where her former lover and current law enforcement partner Deputy Sheriff Billy Flynn killed a twenty-two years old black man from New Jersey. Flynn says he stopped the victim for running a stop sign. However, the badly shaken cop says the man pulled out a gun and refused to put it down so he shot him. The single mother of a child stricken with leukemia, Sara believes him not because she still wants Billy, which she does; but because the dead man had a gun in his hand and a trunk loaded with weapons.
Drug dealer Mikey-Mike sends his aging torpedo Morgan to learn why his deal in Florida has not been commenced. Suffering from cancer, Morgan sees this as an opportunity for an easy final payday before he retires. Sara investigates the apparently justified homicide while Morgan makes his own scrutiny of the situation. Soon their separate inquiries will crash.
The key to this fast-paced police procedural thriller is real people make real choices; often real bad ones. Sara and Morgan are super leads holding their respective subplot together until they converge into a terrific story line. The support cast in Jersey and Florida enhance the powerful tale as Wallace Stroby makes a profound case that being human means frequently making poor decisions even at times knowing the consequential outcome, but unwisely doing so anyway.
Harriet Klausner
Wallace Stroby
Minotaur, Jan 19 2010, $24.99
ISBN 9780312560249
In St. Charles County, Florida Deputy Sheriff Sara Cross is the first to arrive at the deserted highway where her former lover and current law enforcement partner Deputy Sheriff Billy Flynn killed a twenty-two years old black man from New Jersey. Flynn says he stopped the victim for running a stop sign. However, the badly shaken cop says the man pulled out a gun and refused to put it down so he shot him. The single mother of a child stricken with leukemia, Sara believes him not because she still wants Billy, which she does; but because the dead man had a gun in his hand and a trunk loaded with weapons.
Drug dealer Mikey-Mike sends his aging torpedo Morgan to learn why his deal in Florida has not been commenced. Suffering from cancer, Morgan sees this as an opportunity for an easy final payday before he retires. Sara investigates the apparently justified homicide while Morgan makes his own scrutiny of the situation. Soon their separate inquiries will crash.
The key to this fast-paced police procedural thriller is real people make real choices; often real bad ones. Sara and Morgan are super leads holding their respective subplot together until they converge into a terrific story line. The support cast in Jersey and Florida enhance the powerful tale as Wallace Stroby makes a profound case that being human means frequently making poor decisions even at times knowing the consequential outcome, but unwisely doing so anyway.
Harriet Klausner
Think Twice-Lisa Scottoline
Think Twice
Lisa Scottoline
St. Martin’s, Mar 16 2010, $26.99
ISBN: 9780312380755
They are identical twins separated at birth as their mom could not afford even one of them, but kept Bennie Rosato and gave up Alice Connolly for adoption. They met as adults (see dead Ringer) and now Bennie is at Alice’s new rental home having dinner. Alice tells Bennie she quit her job as a paralegal at the Public Law Group in Philadelphia and asks her twin for a job at Rosato & Associates. Suddenly Bennie complains about a headache while hearing her sister mumble “Give it up. It’s over.”
Bennie awakens to find herself inside a box with a bleeding knee and no food, water, or air hole. Unbeknownst to Bennie, Alice had not rented the house, but instead knew the owner Ms. Sally Cavanaugh was in the Pocono’s so she took it over to serve her sister wine with Rophynol. Alice had to vanish because she cheated on her drug dealing boyfriend Q who will kill her so she became Bennie but could not murder her sister as the thought of looking at her own face on a corpse was nauseating so she buried her alive. Now she acts as Bennie to access her sister’s wealth and Bennie’s former boyfriend Grady. However, Bennie is coming with vengeance in her heart.
In spite of wondering why Bennie failed to learn her lesson re Alice after Dead Ringer, fans will enjoy her latest adventures from the moment she realizes where she is trapped as Lisa Scottoline explores nurturing vs. naturing with the separated at birth twins. This fast-paced thriller has the audience wondering what will happen when benevolent Bennie catches up to malevolent Alice. Although the premise of a twin killing and taking over the identity of her sibling has been used before (see Bette Davis’ movie Dead Ringer) and the escape from the coffin is exhilarating over the top of the Pocono’s, Think Twice is a terrific character driven tale.
Harriet Klausner
Lisa Scottoline
St. Martin’s, Mar 16 2010, $26.99
ISBN: 9780312380755
They are identical twins separated at birth as their mom could not afford even one of them, but kept Bennie Rosato and gave up Alice Connolly for adoption. They met as adults (see dead Ringer) and now Bennie is at Alice’s new rental home having dinner. Alice tells Bennie she quit her job as a paralegal at the Public Law Group in Philadelphia and asks her twin for a job at Rosato & Associates. Suddenly Bennie complains about a headache while hearing her sister mumble “Give it up. It’s over.”
Bennie awakens to find herself inside a box with a bleeding knee and no food, water, or air hole. Unbeknownst to Bennie, Alice had not rented the house, but instead knew the owner Ms. Sally Cavanaugh was in the Pocono’s so she took it over to serve her sister wine with Rophynol. Alice had to vanish because she cheated on her drug dealing boyfriend Q who will kill her so she became Bennie but could not murder her sister as the thought of looking at her own face on a corpse was nauseating so she buried her alive. Now she acts as Bennie to access her sister’s wealth and Bennie’s former boyfriend Grady. However, Bennie is coming with vengeance in her heart.
In spite of wondering why Bennie failed to learn her lesson re Alice after Dead Ringer, fans will enjoy her latest adventures from the moment she realizes where she is trapped as Lisa Scottoline explores nurturing vs. naturing with the separated at birth twins. This fast-paced thriller has the audience wondering what will happen when benevolent Bennie catches up to malevolent Alice. Although the premise of a twin killing and taking over the identity of her sibling has been used before (see Bette Davis’ movie Dead Ringer) and the escape from the coffin is exhilarating over the top of the Pocono’s, Think Twice is a terrific character driven tale.
Harriet Klausner
Cook the Books-Jessica Conant-Parks and Susan Conant
Cook the Books
Jessica Conant-Parks and Susan Conant
Berkley, Mar 2010, $23.95
ISBN: 9780425232460
In Boston Chloe Carter insures herself she is over the dumping by her former boyfriend Josh who left her and the restaurant scene to become a personal chef to an affluent couple in Hawaii. Chloe remains busy with her schooling as she works on obtaining a Masters in social work while spending time and a fortune on her godson Patrick. To pay her bills, she obtains a position of assistant to cookbook writer Kyle Boucher and his renowned chef of a father.
They plan to write a series of cookbooks with recipes given to them from lesser known chefs. Chloe plans to introduce them to her friend Digger, but a fire in his apartment left him dead. Several people insist the blaze was not an accident especially those who knew him well who insists Dihher kept his kitchen pristine clean; and Chloe agrees as she has a hard time accepting an experienced chef like Digger would cause an out of control fire. Working with Kyle proves difficult as he keeps sloppy records and cannot delineate the good from the bad. Josh returns home for his friend’s funeral and to find his killer, as well as see Chloe who he misses.
The fifth Gourmet Girl amateur sleuth is a truly scrumptious mystery that gives readers a glimpse at the dark side of the restaurant business with its bang –bang cutthroat competition as Chloe finds a horde of suspects with strong motives. Readers will admire her for putting friends first as she genuinely cares about people while also empathizing with her as she still loves Josh and his leaving does not Simmer Down her feelings and his returning to Turn Up the Heat complicates her need to move on.
Harriet Klausner
Jessica Conant-Parks and Susan Conant
Berkley, Mar 2010, $23.95
ISBN: 9780425232460
In Boston Chloe Carter insures herself she is over the dumping by her former boyfriend Josh who left her and the restaurant scene to become a personal chef to an affluent couple in Hawaii. Chloe remains busy with her schooling as she works on obtaining a Masters in social work while spending time and a fortune on her godson Patrick. To pay her bills, she obtains a position of assistant to cookbook writer Kyle Boucher and his renowned chef of a father.
They plan to write a series of cookbooks with recipes given to them from lesser known chefs. Chloe plans to introduce them to her friend Digger, but a fire in his apartment left him dead. Several people insist the blaze was not an accident especially those who knew him well who insists Dihher kept his kitchen pristine clean; and Chloe agrees as she has a hard time accepting an experienced chef like Digger would cause an out of control fire. Working with Kyle proves difficult as he keeps sloppy records and cannot delineate the good from the bad. Josh returns home for his friend’s funeral and to find his killer, as well as see Chloe who he misses.
The fifth Gourmet Girl amateur sleuth is a truly scrumptious mystery that gives readers a glimpse at the dark side of the restaurant business with its bang –bang cutthroat competition as Chloe finds a horde of suspects with strong motives. Readers will admire her for putting friends first as she genuinely cares about people while also empathizing with her as she still loves Josh and his leaving does not Simmer Down her feelings and his returning to Turn Up the Heat complicates her need to move on.
Harriet Klausner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)