A Stitch in Crime

 A Stitch in Crime (2015) by Ann Yost

Synopsis (from book flap): When the coveted title of Saint Lucy goes to outsider Liisa Pelonen, folks in the close-knit town of Red Jacket are riled, but on one anticipates violence, especially not temporary police chief Hattie Lehtinen. So it is a distinct shock when Liisa's lifeless body turns up in the sauna of Arvo Maki's funeral home, the evening before the Christmas Festival.

Hatti, owner of the fishing/knitting supplies shop Bait & Stitch, took on the top cop job in the believe that it would consist of emptying the parking meters on MainStreet. She's no Finnish Columbo and she knows she's not qualified to investigate a suspicious death. But she succumbs to pressure from Maki who is worried about the murder's likely effect on the town's major tourist event.

Hatti has known the people of Red Jacket all her life and can't see any of them as a murderer, but she accepts the challenge, confident that she can count on help from her friends, the members of the Keweenawesome Knitting Circle. She has not counted on the deal she'll have to make with the devil, aka Jace Night Wind, her almost ex-husband.

There are several suspects from Liisa's "foster" parents, Arvo & Pauline Maki,  to Ronja Laplander, mother who is furious that an outsider has stolen the St. Lucy title from her own daughter, to Mattie Murso who loved Liisa and may have been upset when he found out she was pregnant, to Liisa's father to Reid Night Wing...Hatti's brother-in-law. Reid and Liisa were secretly married...and it's just been discovered that she was worth a couple of cool millions. When a second murder occurs, it eliminates one of the suspects and it becomes abundantly clear that someone near Hatti must be responsible. But who?

Color me baffled. How on earth does Hatti get to be "acting police chief" just because her dad is police chief but he's out of commission due to a "hit-and-run snowmobile accident"? And, if we swallow that set-up, how on earth does Hatti grow up in and now (again) live in a house with a policeman, read a ton of detective novels, and start a law degree without having a single clue about how to run a murder investigation once she's saddled with one? One of the suspects has to remind her that she ought to be interviewing them and taking notes. She forgets to secure the site of the murder or the victim's room...or really anything of importance.

Speaking of the ton of detective novels, this quote is one of the best things about the whole book: I sighed, plopped down into Pops's easy chair and stared at the books lined up on the shelves. My eye was caught by the titles by Margery Allingham, Patricia Wentworth, Ngaio Marsh, P. D. James, and, of course, Agatha Christie. I'd read them all at one time. I wished, fancifully, for the wisdom of those fictional detectives and their clever authors like Dorothy L. Sayers and her Lord Peter Wimsey.

So many things bothered me about this mystery. It seems like we were going for the cutesy/cozy themed mystery set-up. We've got the title--A Stitch in Crime--which is a total play on the fact that Hatti owns a shop called Bait & Stitch (a combo fishing/knitting supply store, what the heck?). And yet--we spend almost no time at the shop or doing anything that has to do with knitting. We also have mention in the blurb of the knitting circle, but does Hatti actually spend much time meeting up with them. No. There's a tiny little bit about ice fishing, but, again, virtually no time spent at the store. It's just there to provide a useful title and the occasional joke about how can Hatti possibly have a store that sells live bait when she is so anti-creepy-crawlies. 

And then there's her "soon-to-be-ex" Jace. Who told her that their marriage was over after a mere six months with absolutely no explanation. And who has now popped up in Red Jacket supposedly (we learn at the end of the book) because he missed her so much and wants to apologize and make things right...BUT who every time there's an open opportunity to talk to her absolutely does not. She has to goad him into finally explaining.

"You have some nerve, Jace Night Wind. You dump me without explanation, ignore me for a year, then insult me when we bump into each other.
"It's not a bump into. I came out here on purpose to talk to you."
I decided to ignore the untruth in that statement. I gazed at him steadily. "Then talk."

I was so distracted by Hatti and Jace that I really couldn't follow the mystery properly. I was sortof on the right track, though I picked the wrong half of a duo and the wrong motive. I'm still not convinced that the culprit we're given would have been the type to start planting home-made "sticky bombs" on people's cars. ★★ Others on Goodreads seem to have enjoyed this way more than me, so your mileage may vary.

First line: The annual St. Lucy's Day parade was about to start and, at least crime-wise, all was quiet on the Northern front, which might seem like an odd thing to be grateful for, but then, I am, at the moment, the sole representative of what passes for the law in my hometown, Red Jacket, Michigan.

Last line: "Of course."
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Deaths = 3 (two poisoned; one car bomb)

Beverly Gray's Return

 Beverly Gray's Return (1939) by Clair Blank

This is the ninth book in the series by Clair Blank. Unlike the Nancy Drew series, Clair Blank was a single author who wrote all 25 books in the series. The books begin with Beverly's freshman year in college and follow her from there through various adventures, work for the government, and finally as a newspaper reporter. Her "Return" finds Beverly and company preparing to board the Susabella at Hawaii for the return trip to New York. Along the way on their cruise around the world, they have picked up a new friend in Nikki Abbott. Nikki asks for the boat to wait just a bit longer because she needs to run a last-minute errand and she asks Beverly to go with her. They set out for a perfume shop where Nikki had heard she could get a very special perfume made. The girls are asked to wait in a side room while it's being prepared but Nikki thinks it's taking a bit long and goes out of the room to check on things--closing the door behind her. When Nikki doesn't return, Beverly tries the door and finds it locked. And when she finally gets out and gets to the dock, she finds that the Susabella has left without her. Why did Nikki lock her in? How could her friends have left her? Finding out what has happened will take Beverly on an adventure that involves impersonation, royalty, stolen jewels, a kidnapping, and the beginnings of another adventure....

I've mentioned before that Beverly Gray is another heroine that I wish I had met when I was young. I would have loved reading about a detective with my own name! She's resourceful and independent and a good role model for young girls. On the one hand, she's a bit more realistic than Nancy Drew--going to work and living away from home in the big city. But then, I think she gives Nancy a run for her money in the number of close scrapes she has. She also has way more adventures than most of us do in everyday life, but the stories wouldn't be nearly as exciting without them.

This one is quite full--with mysterious princesses on the run from an evil government official from their home country, jewel thieves who are selling stolen property and replacing the real jewels with fakes, the kidnapping of one Beverly's friends when the jewel thieves thinks she's holding out on them over some of the jewels, and a new, unsolved (in this installment) mystery surrounding another girl from their school days who was in an accident and has lost her memory. Of course, the immediate mystery of why Nikki left Beverly behind in Hawaii and how (and why) she fooled Beverly's friends is explained. And the jewel thieves are caught. 

These stories are fairly simple mysteries, aimed at young readers. But they are fun and I always enjoy reading about my namesake's adventures. ★★★

First line: "Why do I have to get up at such an hour?" Lenora Whitehill grumbled as she followed Lois Mason and Beverly Gray to where other the other members of the yachting party were at breakfast.

Last line: We will leave the Alpha Delta girls and their friends at this juncture, but we shall pick up the thread of their story again in "Beverly Gray, Reporter" when they manage to involve themselves in more amazing adventures.
**********************

Deaths = two in a revolution

These Old Shades

 These Old Shades (1926) by Georgette Heyer

Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, though well-born has been known as a rake and a scoundrel...and by the name "Satanas." He'd be the first to admit that he's lived up to quite a few of the rumors. So, it's not a surprise that his friends and family find it hard to believe that he's taken in dirty boy who runs into him one night on the streets of Paris simply out of the goodness of his heart. There must be some ulterior motive. And there is. The boy, Léon, is running away from a sure beating at the hand's of his tavern-keeper brother. But boy--with copper red hair and fine-boned structure--looks nothing like his squarely-built, loutish brother. And Avon sees promise in the lad....a promise of a means to serve up a nice cold dish of revenge to his enemy, the Comte de Saint-Vire.

Avon trains the lad on how to be his page and he sets out with him among the quality--visiting both the most elevated circles as well as the gaming houses of Paris. He particularly wants to parade him about wherever Saint Vire-might be. Léon sees Avon as his savior and will brook no disrespectful discussions of the Duke's supposed satanic habits. His temper matches his reddish hair and he's willing to fight anyone who disrespects his "Monsignor."

Even when Georgette Heyer was starting out as a historical romance author, she loved to mix romance with mystery. And, when she wrote novels that were clearly designated as mysteries, she loved to throw a bit of romance in there. The two genres seem to be inextricably linked  for her. And there are all kinds of mysteries to be solved here in one of her earliest regency-based books--from why the Duke of Avon and Comte de Saint-Vire have such an enmity between them to who Léon really is to how and when Avon will serve up justice to his "very dear friend," Saint-Vire to whether or not anyone will be murdered.

Avon realized quite soon that Léon is not quite what "he" seems and exchanges his page Léon for a beautiful ward by the name of Léonie. This upsets Saint-Vire even more than seeing the copper-headed page all over Paris and it leads to kidnapping, fired shots, and...eventually death and scandal among the nobility.

Such a fun early book by Heyer! It is especially good once the transformation to Léonie is complete. And the action really picks up once Saint-Vire makes his attempt at kidnapping. Léonie and Lord Rupert (Avon's younger brother) make an excellent team in outwitting and making the escape from the Comte. And Avon's methods in bringing about Sain-Vire's downfall is really quite satisfying. What keeps this from a five-star rating is Léon/Léonie's irritating habit of weeping over Avon and coming to his defense (like this Duke really needs it...), the Duke's need to constantly refer to her as "infant" (she's 19!), and the huge (20-some years) age difference. On the plus side, The characters are witty, charismatic, and interesting. Even the side characters are terrific (mostly)--from Lord Rupert to Lady Fanny Marling (Avon's sister) to Hugh Davenant (Avon's friend). Rupert is particularly hilarious in every conversation. The mystery behind it all really isn't well-hidden. I got it from the beginning but it was interesting waiting to see how and when Avon would spring his trap against Saint-Vire. The one mystery that isn't solved--just what it was that happened between the two men that caused Avon to look so hard and long for the perfect revenge. ★★★★

*May I just say the person on the cover of my edition looks nothing like what I imagine Léon/Léonie to look like. Where are the short copper curls?

First line: A gentleman was strolling down a side street in Paris, on his way back from the house of one Madame de Verchoureux

Last line: "Ah, bah!" said the Duchess of Avon.
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Deaths = 3 (two in the plague; one shot)

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Death of a Harvard Freshman

 Death of a Harvard Freshman (1984) by Victoria Silver

Lauren Adler has spent most of her time in her freshman Russian Revolution seminar at Harvard looking at Russell Bernard. Russell is a very handsome, very brilliant young black man who has just about everyone interested in him. Lauren wonders if she'd ever have a chance with him...and then, after a seminar session in which classmate Melissa Wu describes the rather brutal death of Rasputin, she finds herself scheduled for a coffee date with the dreamy man. She can hardly believe her luck.

But...she waits at the coffee shop for an hour past the appointed time and still no Russell. She can't believe she's been stood up and she goes back to the dorm hoping for a phone call with an explanation. What she gets is her roommate Carol, a staffer on Harvard's Crimson newspaper, coming home late to tell her that Russell has been murdered. And the method of his murder seems to mirror that of Rasputin in some ways. When Lauren talks with the police and tells them about the seminar session and how, like Rasputin, multiple methods of murder were used on Russell (a bash on the head, gunshots, and the body thrown in the river), the police seem totally uninterested. They're sure that it was some thug along the river...the river's not a safe place be at night, you know.

Lauren is convinced that she's right--someone from the seminar has killed Russell. But who--and why? Was it Scott Duchaine or Brian O'Donnell...two Southerners who may have a racist streak in them? Or maybe it's Katherine Butler, a militant revolutionary who didn't think Russell was black enough. She believes in violent revolution for racial equality and thought Russell and others like him were too soft in their black protests. Others from the seminar may also have had a reason to kill Russell--like Sandy Grayson whose jealousy may have driven her to murder. Or Tracy Nicholson who carries a gun and may not have accepted that her affair with Russell was over even though she has taken up with Bert Rosen. And maybe Bert Rosen, the blond surfer boy from California, doesn't like playing second fiddle to the brilliant black man. Or Melissa Wu who may have taken the story of Rasputin too literally. Or Andrew Stein who is very unbalanced and seems very fixated on murder of any sort. Parker Kendall runs at night...very often down by the river. He could be the murderer for reasons unknown.

Lauren and her best friend, Michael Hunt, decide to team up as amateur sleuths to see if they can solve the mystery that seems to be too much for the local police. But they need to be careful. Someone has killed once...and will soon kill again. They don't want to find themselves next on the killer's to-do list.

A fairly straight-forward amateur sleuth mystery. It has a nice, classic mystery tone--with a closed circle of suspects and plenty of red herrings to follow up. And I didn't catch on to whodunnit until a certain sentence is spoken in the final chapters. I'm just pleased I realized its importance before Lauren did. The big drawback is that Lauren and Michael spend way too many late-night sessions rehashing everybody's motives and coming to the conclusion that pretty much any of them could have done it. Since these two aren't professional detectives, they can't really do much except talk and talk and talk to the suspects. I'm surprised that those who didn't do it don't get a little fed up with all the questions and accusations....

I do really like Lauren and Michael though. They have a good solid friendship and it's nice to see how their circle builds over the course of the story. And Silver provides us with a nice tense denouement.
★★★ and 1/2  

First line: Melissa Wu was just finishing her presentation on Rasputin.

Last line: "I feel an inexplicable but all too familiar craving for vanilla ice cream and hot fudge."
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Deaths = 3 (one poisoned; two shot)

A Matter of Accent

 A Matter of Accent (1943) by David Keith (Francis Steegmuller)

Ted Weaver is an art gallery owner who is semi-confined to a wheelchair after a car accident which claimed the lives of his wife and daughter. It was not so much the accident itself, but the trauma which exacerbated his polio symptoms. He can get around with leg braces and crutches when necessary, but only with great effort. At the beginning of the story, Ted is approached by his old friend Gail Morris--now Mrs. Dumont) who has been a fashion editor at the French magazine Mode and now heads up a French section of a new governmental radio broadcast unit. She knows that Ted has exemplary skills in French and has come to ask him to take over as their broadcaster. Ted, who realizes with his physical limitations that he will not be allowed to fight if the U.S. should join the war, is eager to help. 

But he has barely begun to research the next broadcast material when he begins receiving threatening letters--letters that tell him to abandon the job before it really beings. Who knows about the job and why has he been threatened when the previous broadcaster was not? And...when Ted ignores the warnings and begins broadcasting anyway...who tries to kill him (twice)? After a second attempt (through poison), Ted is urged to give up the position (and, in fact, Gail essentially fires him). But it is only then that Mademoiselle Maupoussin (the previous broadcaster) is shot and killed? Why now?

In addition to Ted, Gail, and Mlle. Maupoussin, we have other supporting characters: Roland Dumont, Gail’s husband, a likeable, native-born Frenchman who had also had a gallery (in France). He is befriended by Ted and permitted to sell some of his stock from 2 Ted’s gallery. Mrs. Belwood, Ted Weaver’s unctuous and modestly skilled secretary, infatuated with all things French, particularly French nobility. The Marquise de Verdurin, seemingly a “noble dame,” living near Park Avenue and who runs a salon in the style of Paris.  Pierre, originally from Paris, now in New York; Ted’s cook, valet, chauffeur, friend, all around personal aid, and--when necessary--body guard. Other characters include Inspector Johnson who serves the broadcasting unit and who seems to have broad powers; private detective Hacker, who is hired by Roland Dumont, to find his missing artwork; Professor Haley, a linguist who gives approval to all of the broadcasting unit's radio announcers, "Goldstein," a German picture peddler, Pierre’s friend André who works in the Marquise's salon, and the waiter Hummel who often brings Ted his lunch at the art gallery.

There is much underhanded dealings (the peddling of stolen artwork, a gambling house, etc), several spies and French collaborators, and--of course--murder! This is also one of the few mysteries set in wartime that actually mentions the outbreak of war in America. A whole section devoted to the announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the immediate aftermath. If I have one complaint about this one, it's how long it takes to pick up steam. Once we get to the murder of Mlle. the book finally gets going, but it's a long time coming. There is such a long build-up. But the grand finale is totally worth it and I absolutely did not see a particular wrinkle coming. So good surprise ending to balance the slow start. ★★★

1st line: I was filled with surprise and pleasure late that afternoon a few weeks before Pearl Harbor when Gail Morris, dressed like the fashion editor she was, suddenly walked into my gallery.

Last line: Maybe I'll be getting a letter from Washington one of these days: who knows?

Deaths = 5 (two car accident; three shot)

Murder, Murder, Little Star

 Murder, Murder, Little Star (1977) by Marian Babson

Twinkle is a child star--ten years old going on a very b---- forty. She wears dark glasses, a sable coat, and an attitude that alienates everyone she comes in contact with. But onscreen, she's a dream and her public adores her. And she sells. And that's all the producer and the director of her newest movie care about. It'll be worth it to put up with the child tyrant if they can make a huge profit on the movie. But--as filming begins, it becomes apparent that someone has tired of putting up with Twinkle. First her morning milk is poisoned with near fatal results for the crewmember who has been secretly drinking the milk for her (Twinkle hates her morning milk). Then the scriptwriter falls to his death while trying to prove that tap-dancing on a very high roof while wearing a safety harness is absolutely safe--so of course Twinkle can do it. Twinkle was sure it was not...and she was right.

Who has it in for Twinkle? Could it be her mother who had to sacrifice her own career for her daughter's stardom? Or perhaps her bother's beau who wants mummy to be free from encumbrances? Maybe it's the produce or director--after all they have heavily ensured their little star and perhaps they'd rather have insurance money than to have to wait for box office proceeds. Or could it be one of her co-stars--she has managed to offend, insult, and generally make herself obnoxious to all of them. Has anything rankled so deeply that it has resulted in attempted murder? 

Frances Armitage has been hired as chaperone for the young star. She sees beyond the makeup and trappings of fame--and sees a young girl afraid of getting too old for child parts and losing her star power. She sees a lonely girl in need of a friend. And she sees a girl who is truly afraid. Frances vows to protect her young charge and tries to discover what is going on behind the scenes. But it all boils down to a killer who can't keep out the spotlight giving a confessional monologue.

A decent mystery spoiled by little actual detection and the confessional wrap-up. The killer doesn't even need any prodding to to start boasting about the plot to severely injure Twinkle or outright murder her--take your pick. I enjoyed Marian Babson books very much when I first read some in the 80s/90s, but I'm not sure she's what I'm looking for in the 2020s. The best part of the book for me wasn't the mystery--it was Frances and her relationship with Twinkle and her relationship with her son and daughter-in-law. I love how she's trying to get her independence while DIL seems intent on running her life. Good on Frances for sticking up for herself. ★★ and 1/2

First line: There was really, Frances Armitage thought complacently, a lot of nonsense talked about the difficulty of re-entering the employment market.

Last line: "I've just been called on a new assignment...."
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Deaths = 3 (two in explosions; one fell from height)

Murder & Sullivan

 Murder & Sullivan (1998) by Sara Hoskinson Frommer

Oliver, Indiana is hit by a tornado which leaves a path of destruction in its wake. Joan Spencer--director of Oliver's Senior Citizen Center, musician, and sometimes amateur sleuth--has to take shelter in a ditch, protecting a young girl who had wandered away from her family. The family belongs to Judge David Putnam. Near-tragedy is followed by tragedy when David is killed while performing in a local production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore.

Putnam plays one of the "ghosts"--the family portraits on the leading characters wall. During the second act, the portraits come to life. Except for Sir Roderick (David's character). David is found stabbed through the heart. Joan was playing in the orchestra and her beau, police lieutenant Fred Lundquist, was in the audience--neither of them saw anything suspicious until David's body fell to the stage. Investigation seems to prove that only those playing the parts of the ghosts could have had the opportunity, but who had motive. David was well-liked--or so it seemed.

Further digging reveals that several of the cast members had been involved in court cases that had come before the judge...not always with the results they would have liked. Dr. Robert Cutts--malpractice suit. Christopher Eads and his wife Liz MacDonald--divorce case. Virgil Shoals--builder, over a house he had built (but settled out of court). They also find out that Chris Eads blamed David more directly for his divorce than for just the ruling. Liz has carried a torch for David for years and seems to have added fuel to the flames recently. Chris thinks they were carrying on an affair, but he still wants Liz back--is that enough to kill over? Fred and Joan keep asking questions and looking for answers. Until somebody thinks Joan is getting a little to close for comfort.

Another solid entry (#3) in the series. Good plot with plenty of red herring suspects--my only quibble is not enough time is spent investigating the possibilities of these suspects. A little more muddying of the waters would have gone a long way. Once we learned the nature of the weapon I quickly spotted the culprit. But I enjoy Joan and Frommer's portrayal of southern Indiana (being a resident of the fictional Oliver's near-neighbor, Bloomington). I look forward to the next installment sitting on my TBR shelves (Witness in Bishop Hill). ★★★

First line: Joan Spencer was on foot when the siren went off.

Last line: "I have every intention of messing with your mom for a long time."
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Deaths = one stabbed

The Charteris Mystery

 The Charteris Mystery (1925) by A. E. Fielding

Rose Charteris, daughter of Professor Charteris (more on him in a moment), is found dead from a broken neck at the bottom of a sand pit on the estate of Colonel Scarlett. Scarlett has given over one wing of his home to the Charteris family to use whenever they are in England. The professor is off in Italy somewhere in pursuit of backers for his latest project (synthetic emeralds). Rose was engaged to Count di Monti, an Italian with fascist ties. Also on hand is Scarlett's daughter Sibella (who seems jealous of Rose); his housekeeper, Mrs. Lane; Mr. Thornton, a writer and family friend; and Arthur Bond & John Cockburn, who seem to come as a set and are apparently hooked up to the Foreign Office. There's some mystery over a letter Rose received from her father with an enclosure that has disappeared. And, while the local police and doctor seem to think Rose's death an accident, Thornton feels that there's something not quite right about the scene in the sand pit and calls up Scotland Yard off his own bat.

Enter Chief Inspector Pointer. The Yard can't come unless the locals request it (they haven't), but Pointer is currently on leave and can do whatever he likes on his holiday. So, he decides to come down under the name of Brown, posing as a man in the book business so his connection to Thornton won't be questioned. He immediately finds signs that indicate murder. Now all he has to do is figure out who did it and why? Was di Monti jealous of Rose's sittings for a local artist? Was Sibella so jealous of Rose that she'd do away with her? And why was Mrs. Lane behaving so oddly the night of murder--cloaking herself in veils and driving off late into the night? And who was the man who slept in an empty room and left traces in the summer house--and where did he go? Then someone searches Rose's room as well as her father's London apartment. All correspondence from the professor goes missing. Was Rose killed for possession of the professor's enclosure? And what connection is there fascists and the Russians?

Pointer takes off for Italy in a search for the Professor...and hopefully some answers. But the trail leads him into fascist territory and straight to a couple more bodies. And what starts out as a simple whodunit rapidly takes a leap into political intrigue and the spy/thriller adventure story. Our Scotland Yard detective is apparently a James Bond in disguise (who is adept at actually disguise, by the way) with a Q of his own in the background to supply him with all sorts of nifty gadgets to use when in tight spots:

Leisurely he extracted his cigar case. A thick podgy case, looking none too well made. He touched a spot with his thumb and lifted out a shallow tray...Inside was a flat glass bottle, a file not much longer than a nail-file, but of the stoutest steel, a skeleton key, and a few other interesting and equally useful oddments.

Chief Inspector Pointer has everything he needs for a quick jail-break from the evil fascist's dungeon of doom. The only question is...Is the evil fascist responsible for the deaths in the story?

Despite the fact that this plot takes a sharp turn from traditional mystery to spy/thriller with a detective who behaves more like a secret agent or a Sexton Blake hero and I find it rather unbelievable that Pointer has an endless supply of cash to hire as many private detectives as needed to watch all the suspects and to take a tour of Europe and pay off all sorts of people to tell him what he needs to know....despite all that, I found this to be a quite enjoyable read. It's my first mystery by Fielding and I look forward to reading the other title I have waiting on the TBR shelves here on the Block. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: The conversation, judging by what he heard of it as he sauntered to the east lounge, did not threaten any great demands on his brain.

Last lines: "When he discovers the truth, I shouldn't wonder if there was quite a storm scene." And there was.
*********************

Deaths = 5 (one broken neck; one stabbed; one hit by car; one poisoned; one plane crash)

The Agathas

 The Agathas (2022) by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson

Synopses (from book flap): Last summer, Alice Ogilvie's basketball-star boyfriend, Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She's not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it was, at least. Because now, another one of Steve's girlfriends has vanished, Brooke Donovan. Alice's ex-best friend. And it doesn't look like Brooke will be coming back...

Enter Iris Adams, Alice's tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn't have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke's grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter's whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn't so sure, and with Iris on her side, she might be able to prove her theory.

In order to get the reward and prove Steve's innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need--the complete works of Agatha Christie. If there's anyone who can teach the girls  how to solve a mystery it's the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they're about to walk into.

So...if you've read one (or more of the blurbs) and believe this to be a really Christie-driven narrative. Yeah, no. There are superficial Agatha Christie connections--like the title. Is there any real reason to give it this title? No. Did anyone at any point in the book every refer to Alice and Iris as "the Agathas"? Again, no--at least not that I noticed. Beyond the fact that Alice throws in a reference to Christie and/or her detective Hercule Poirot (and his little grey cells) periodically, the girls don't really follow any of the fictional detective's particular methods. They talk about the psychology of the crime, but is it figuring out the psychology that leads them to the murderer? No. They talk about "order & method" and go so far as to draw up a list of the suspects and motives and whatnot, but that's about as orderly as they get. The only other connection (and a somewhat tenuous one) is Alice's disappearance. It gives echoes of Christie's own disappearance when she found out her husband was cheating on her.

Full disclosure--I don't read a lot of Young Adult novels. They're just not my thing, but I needed one for a challenge. I chose this one because it was a mystery and it looked like having a nice Christie connection (Golden Age mysteries are more my thing). Now, it's perfectly possible that I might have rated this one higher if my expectations for better Christie connections either hadn't been there in the first place or had been met. But they were there and they weren't met in a satisfying way. The mystery is decent and it was a quick read. I enjoyed watching Alice learn what real friends are like once she gets involved with Iris and Iris's friends (who remind me of the gang from Mystery Inc). We had a multi-layer ending and just when I thought we'd hit the final layer, we went for one more. 

If Young Adult is your genre and/or you go into this with lower Christie connection expectations than me, then you may find yourself giving this one four stars (the most popular rating on Goodreads). As for me... ★★★

First line: ALICE OGILVE IS CRAZY.

Last line: We might as well make some trouble together.
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Deaths = 3 (two hit on head; one natural)

Dandy Gilver & an Unsuitable Day for Murder

 Dandy Gilver & an Unsuitable Day for Murder (2010) by Catriona McPherson

Synopsis from Publisher's Weekly: When Mirren Aitken, a department store heiress goes missing, Mirren's mother asks well-to-do sleuth Dandy to track her down. Aitkens' Emporium ("Tailors, Mantle Makers, Silk Merchants, Domestic Bazaar") is in bitter competition with another store in the town of Dunfermline, House of Hepburn ("Hosiers, Glovers, Clothiers, and Milliners"). The Aitkens fear that Mirren has eloped with Dugald Hepburn, a scion of the rival family. Before long, Dandy must tackle a related homicide, only to become a suspect herself.

Actually...Mirren is found during the Emporium's fifty anniversary party. And she hasn't eloped. In fact, she's not going anywhere except to a resting place six feet deep. And her intended, Dugald, isn't far behind. And, while Dandy does spend an uncomfortable few hours in the police station answering questions, I can't say she's every seriously suspected. But Dandy does tackle the investigation and, finally--after quite a tangled trail--discovers the truth of the matter.

Count me baffled. I'm baffled about the ending. It has got to be one of the most complicated solutions to a mystery out of all the mysteries I've read. I read the ending a second time because I couldn't wrap my head around it the first time. I'm still not sure I understand all of the family connections going on here. I'm also baffled as to why on earth this won an Agatha award for Best Historical Mystery. I'm baffled about why Dandy is described in a blurb as "an enthralling heroine; part Dorothy Parker (in her dreams), part Miss Marple (Christie's elderly sleuth is about 100 times sharper)" and why we would mention any of this in the same breath as Agatha Christie.

I thought the debut novel (After the Armistice Ball) was a decent first book in the series. And, despite a few misgivings, I thought the third novel (Dandy Gilver & the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains) was a fun book and did the historical side of things well with bonus interesting premise. Unfortunately this one has none of those good points. In fact, the longer I think about it, the more I wonder if the ★★ that I'm assigning isn't a bit generous....

First line: Whatever I was expecting when I decided to take a turn around Dunfermline--I was early for my appointment and it was a particularly pleasant day--it was not this air of jubilance.

Last line: I was very glad indeed that out of everyone around, I was me.
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Deaths = 2 (one shot; one fell from height)

Strong Poison

Strong Poison (1930) by Dorothy L. Sayers (read by Ian Carmichael)

As I mention in my previous reviews of the audio version of the first of Sayers's books to feature Harriet Vane, this is a perennial favorite. I love listening to Ian Carmichael read the story. I love going back to the beginning of his romance with Harriet and the beginnings of the changes and growth in his character. If you would like to see what I have thought about the book previously, please see my other reviews (linked on the Revies by Author tab above).

What I like so much about Sayers is that I can reread (relisten to) the stories repeatedly and never get tired of them. I enjoy Sayers' writing and the characters--the way Lord Peter piffles and uses quotation. This time I particularly enjoyed Bunter playing the Don Juan with the cook and the parlor maid and finding out important bits of information to help the investigation along as well as Miss Climpson's "storming the citadel" to get evidence of a certain person's motive.

One thing I did notice this time that managed to escape me on the countless previous readings was a tiny little discrepancy. Miss Climpson (who is one of my favorite characters, by the way) is having a little crisis of moral regret for how she has used spiritualism to get a look at a certain elderly lady's will. She ponders whether the Almighty will forgive her actions--especially as she's doing it to help somebody "I've never even seen" Well...she's doing the job for Lord Peter (whom she most definitely seen) and in turn this bit of deception is to help prove Harriet Vane innocent. And, again, having served on the jury in Harriet's first trial...and having been the main reason it was a hung jury and a new trial had to be called, Miss Climpson most certainly has seen Harriet as well. There isn't anybody else this could be in reference to. 

 Full marks for a grand performance of a much loved detective novel. ★★★★★

First line: There were crimson roses on the bench; they looked like splashes of blood.

Last line: "If she'll have me," said Lord Peter Wimsey.

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Deaths = one poisoned