The Eve of the Wedding

 The Eve of the Wedding (1980) by Lionel Black (Dudley Barker)

Kate and Henry Theobold have just met the Shoeburys--Americans Dick and Felicity-Ann. Dick Shoebury's and Henry's clubs are corresponding clubs, so Dick has temporary membership while in London for his daughter's wedding. The two men hit it off immediately and invites Dick and his wife for dinner. The Shoeburys reciprocate by inviting the Theobolds to a good old-fashioned German Polterabend--a noisy prenuptial party on the evening before the wedding which includes a mock abduction of the bride and a scavenger hunt by the groom to find his intended. Dick thought this would be a great idea--better than separate a separate bachelor and hen party. Is either family German. Not that anybody mentions. Are any of the family members particularly excited about the idea. Not that you'd notice. Is there any reason on earth why a couple of newly-met "friends" would want to crash such a pre-wedding party? Not that I can think of on the face of it.

But...Kate is a newspaper reporter. And when Dick mentions that the German marriage custom has loose ties to the idea of poltergeists...and that the groom's family home has its very own poltergeist, Kate is intrigued. And determined to get a story out of it if she can. Little does she realize that she's going to have an even bigger story by the end of the party. As the back cover says, "By the time this party's over, it has ended in tragedy: a bride in hysteria, a groom with murder in his heart, and a corpse in the study." Philip Leatheridge is the groom...and his brother Gregory is the corpse.

The Leatheridge family home is full of oddities--from the patriarch, Grandfather James, and Auntie Sybil & Uncle Rupert, who all seem to have stepped out of late-Victorian times, to Gregory, the grandson who has somehow seized control of the family business, and his down-trodden wife Cynthia to Julia, the great-granddaughter who is just the right age to encourage poltergeists to the faithful servants Mr. & Mrs. Budd. Mr. Budd looks like he might have been a burglar in another life...and probably was. And, of course, there's the poltergeist--who has shoved Dick Shoebury in the back when no one else was around and broken mirrors and tossed a bit of furniture about. When Gregory is found stabbed in the study, Auntie Sybil insists that the poltergeist has taken up dagger-throwing as its newest trick. But Kate and Henry--and their old friend Inspector Comfort--don't believe it for a minute. There are plenty of very real motives to be had without adding a supernatural element. It's obvious that Cynthia hated her husband--had she finally decided to get rid of him for good? And what juicy secret did Gregory know about his grandfather that would cause the old man to sign over the business? And then there's the hysterical bride--made so by the actions of Gregory. Was his brother furious enough over it to kill him? 

 Once again, Kate goes snooping all over the house and nearly finds herself added to the victim list. She definitely falls into the "where angels fear to tread" category and you'd think by now she'd realize that she shouldn't go off by herself. Of course, being one half of the amateur detective duo, we all know that she won't really be dropped out the window in an "accidental" fall, but still. The murder plot is a fairly good one, though I must say it has a bit of a creep factor that isn't chalked up to a supernatural entity. There's a couple of Leatheridge family members who seem to have a few screws loose. A solid, middle-of-the-road mystery. ★★★

First line: Kate left them in the living-room, where Henry was busily stirring dry martini for their guests, and went through to the kitchen to get the soup bowls of cold consomme out of the fridge.

Last lines: The pair of them were quite calm again now. Civilized.
*******************

Deaths =  2 (one auto accident; one stabbed)

A Conspiracy of Poisons

 A Conspiracy of Poisons (1977) by J. G. Jeffreys (Ben Healey)

Synopsis (from book flap): The ace of Bow Street Runners, rollicking, resourceful, womanizing Jeremy Sturrock, and his dreadful clerk Master Maggsy, are back again, this time called on to investigate a Napoleonic plot which may threaten the safety of Britain in an ingenious and carefully worked-out mystery.

The year is 1804, and the trail leads from a beautiful but mysteriously poisoned prostitute to the grisly digging up of a still more mysterious corpse, back to the salons of a fashionable brothel, and on to a headlong ride to the wilds of Savernake Forest.

Once upon a time, a young Bev read A Wicked Way to Die (the second book in the Jeremy Sturrock series) and pronounced it good enough to put Jeffreys on the TBF (To Be Found) list. This resulted in my picking up both the current read (book #4) and Suicide Most Foul (book #5) along the way. I've not come across the first or third in my book hunts. And now, having finished, A Conspiracy of Poisons, I'm left wondering just what the heck young Bev was thinking. Sturrock has a fine head on his shoulders for detective work in these early days of the Bow Street Runners, I will give him that. But you'd need to do a hefty bit of detective work yourself to find a more unsavory cast of characters (every single one of them, from the "good" guys to the bad guys) in a piece of historical detective fiction. 

With the language of the book (which does its best to give us early 19th Century speech and writing patterns), it's a bit of a slog to make one's way through to the essential details. And with several characters running around under more than one name, it's a bit difficult to keep up with the players (with or without a scorecard)--especially keeping track of which ones might be minions of the chief villain. That's the good news. Once the chief villain is introduced, there's no problem remembering who they are. Unless you were looking for a good old-fashioned whodunnit and wanted to try and figure out the villain from clues. Then it's bad news, I suppose. 

We've also got a run of pretty senseless murders. The first one makes the most sense--we're afraid the woman is going to give away the whole plot against the British crown. But one is pure mistake and another is for reasons I still haven't gotten clear (and I read that bit twice). All in all, a fairly disappointing read. I can only suppose that either A Wicked Way to Die was a much better mystery or that young Bev wasn't nearly as jaded as she is now. I'll probably go ahead and read the last Jeffreys book I own--but unless it's much better than the ★★ outing I've just had, I won't be seeking out any more. 

First line: "Pray, Mr. Sturrock," said my publisher, tapping his fingers on the desk, "pray," says he, "let us have a work of more weighty matter."

Last line: I cheered as loud as Master Maggsy when His Majesty emerged from the sea.
*****************

Deaths = 6 (four poisoned; one stabbed; one shot)

Murder in the Mystery Suite

 Murder in the Mystery Suite (2014) by Ellery Adams

This is the first in a series of  "Book Retreat Mysteries" set at Storyton Hall in the hills of western Virginia. Storyton Hall and the town which has grown up around it is a retreat for book lovers. The Hall is full of books and quiet nooks where those who love to read can come for a nice restful vacation with the printed page. There's a bookstore in town, a lovely little cafe, and, for those who want a bit of outdoorsy adventure as well, a place to rent horses. Which brings us to our first death--a beautiful young woman (whom nobody knows), comes careening through town on a runaway horse. A handsome young man, brother of our heroine Jane Steward's best friend, follows in a mad attempt to stop the horse. He manages to do so, but the young woman falls off--dead. Mystery number one--who is she? Why did she come to Storyton? Who shot the arrow that spooked the horse? And why did she did? The police can find no answers.

Meanwhile, Jane, who has taken over the management of Storyton Hall from her late husband's Aunt Octavia and Uncle Aloysius, is planning the first-ever themed event in an effort to boost the Hall's financial situation. It will be a Mystery & Mayhem Week for mystery fans to gather for role-playing, scavenger hunts, mystery plays, and fantasy crime-solving. The big prize will be a first edition by the late Adela Dundee, creator of the great Italian detective Umberto Ferrari. Little does Jane know that there will be some real-life Murder & Mayhem, the loss of a far more valuable Dundee first-edition, and the discovery that her husband's family have even more valuable treasures at risk...and a number of people at Storyton Hall are not exactly what they appear to be. She will need to sharpen her own detective skills to find a killer, prevent more deaths, and return the missing book to its rightful place....

Spoilers Ahead!!!

Cannot fully discuss without letting a few cats out of bags.

So...first off. This is just plain fun for someone who loves books and mysteries. A resort devoted to books? A retreat where you can read to your heart's content, surrounded by books and by other people who love books? Sign me up! Having the owners devote a whole week to mysteries with a mystery-related scavenger hunt, amateur productions of mystery plays, a costume ball to dress up as your favorite detective? Yes, please. A good mystery plot that revolves around a deceased mystery writer's secret and a special edition of a book? Even better. Interesting characters? You betcha. 

And now...we get to the cats escaping from bags. So....we have a family of book guardians plopped down in the hills of Virginia in a transplanted English country house and they have a bunch of ninja/special agent/what-have-yous on staff to help them protect the secret stash of incredibly valuable and unknown works by famous authors. Okay. Fine. I can go with that. Maybe. But....you're telling me that Aunt Octavia, one of the guardians, would leave a valuable first edition with a top-secret letter from the author (so top-secret that it's been left sealed and no one has read it) stashed in the dust jacket just lying about where it could get mixed up with an almost identical, not-so-valuable first edition? That we wouldn't stash that in the hidden vault with all the other treasures?? Seriously? I mean, I realize that we lose a chunk of the plot if we're not playing hunt-the-missing book for 2/3 of the story and we might not have as many murders (or any at all), but after the crash-course in book guardianship that Jane Steward, our newest guardian, gets which drills home the idea that we have to protect the books at all costs...well, you'd think Aunt Octavia would have been a bit more cautious.

But...putting that quibble aside. This is a delightful new series debut. I can't wait to see where things go with Jane and her new duties in the next book (though I must say if we're going to have an endless parade of murders--there's nine books in the series that I see online--then I'd think folks would get a bit leery of staying at Storyton Hall). ★★★★

First line: There were books everywhere.

Last line: "My next chapter has just begun."
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Deaths = three poisoned

A Particular Eye for Villainy

 A Particular Eye for Villainy (2012) by Ann Granger

Mr. Thomas Tapley, an eccentric, scholarly, older man is found bludgeoned to death in his sitting room in the lodgings he rents from a Quaker lady. Fortunately, Inspector Benjamin Ross of Scotland Yard is a nearby neighbor and is quickly on the scene. But it's difficult to discover a motive or even a suspect for the death of a man with no apparent connections or past. But then Mr. Jonathan Tapley, QC, hears of the death and comes to identify him. It seems that Thomas Tapley had left England for France in the wake of scandal that threatened his family's good name. But what brought him back to England now? And who knew he was here and might have wanted to kill him? 

Coincidentally, Ben's wife Lizzie had seen Thomas earlier that day--and is convinced that a man dressed as a clown was following him. She also learns that he had a mysterious visitor a few days before his death. There's also the foreign couple who showed a great deal of interest in Tapley's country property. The list of suspects slowly begins to mount and when Ben realizes that the killer must have run off with Thomas's latch key, he knows that he will have a way to tie the culprit to the crime...if he can find him. And if the killer holds on to the key.

I seem to have jumped into the Inspector Ross series mid-stream, but that didn't affect my reading pleasure one bit. Granger doesn't seem to have a long story-arc going on as seems to be popular with so many series, so while it might be nice to see Lizzie and Ben meet for the first time and then settle into married life, nothing is spoiled in their life story by starting with book four. 

I quite liked the set-up: reclusive scholarly man who loves his books (and apparently spends what money he has left after lodging costs on the written word). The man has a mysterious past, no visitors (generally speaking), and there's no apparent reason for anyone to wish him dead. It's interesting to watch Ben and Lizzie each dig in their own ways to find out more about their mysterious neighbor. Granger also does a good job with the historical details and I enjoyed my visit to her version of the Victorian period. Once we learn certain details about Thomas's past, it's not difficult to figure out who killed him, but it makes for an interesting story nonetheless. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: A fine spring day in London isn't to be compared with spring in the countryside but the city does its best.

Biddle now turned even redder and I feared his head would burst into flames in the only case I'd ever seen or was likely to see of spontaneous combustion. (p. 55)

Maidservants operate a sort of telegraph system of their own by which anything like that [gossip] runs round like like wildfire. (p. 69)

"You always had a funny sort of interest in corpses. Ladies do have hobbies, I know. Only generally it's painting flowers or bothering the poor with their good works. But your pa was a sawbones, I recollect you telling me. So I suppose it runs in the family. You certainly have a particular eye for murder." (Mr. Slater; p. 86)

Last lines: "Then she'll be truly happy..." Lizzie reached out and took my hand..."like you and me."
*****************

Deaths = 2 (one hit on head; one natural)

[Finished on 6/17/26--just got the review done.]

The Case of Cabin 13

 The Case of Cabin 13 (1999) by Sam McCarver

Synopsis (from the back of the book): Passengers are dying on the White Star Lines transatlantic ocean liners. Three mysterious suicides, on three different ships--all in first-class cabins numbered 13. And with the maiden voyage of their newest ship imminent--an incomparably lavis vessel called the Titanic--the cruise line can't afford a fourth. With the police stumped, Professor John Darnell, the world's first and only "paranormal detective," may be their last hope of debunking rumors of a murderous ghost. Soon the famed skeptic has agreed to be the next occupant of cabin 13--and he's sure it's no spirit he's after.

As the world's largest and purportedly safest ship sets sail, neither Darnell's sixth sense nor his investigative skills can protect him from the twin perils he is about to face. Can the American-born Englishman possibly survive the deadly forces of both nature and man? Because somewhere on the icy sea, a killer is lurking...

Okay...I've got to get a couple of things off my chest at the outset. First there's our hero, the "first and only 'paranormal detective.'" Really? I believe (if we're sticking to fictional characters) that Sheridan Le Fanu's Dr. Martin Hesselius (from the 1870s) and William Hope Hodgson's Thomas Carnacki (first written of in 1910) would like a word. And then, like the historical mysteries that are littered with strong-minded women and the men who love and encourage them, the Titanic seems to be bursting with fictional detectives who are hot on the trail of murderers and who manage to find one of the limited spots on a lifeboat to live to tell the tale. As I said in my review of the Holmes pastiche which finds Holmes and Watson onboard the ill-fated ship:

...if all the fictional people who have sailed on the Titanic and lived to tell the tale had actually been there and done that....well, none of the real, live people who survived the tragedy could actually have made it. There wouldn't be room on the survivor roll call. 

Now that we've got those two quibbles out of the way...I am enthusiastic about this take on a mystery set on the Titanic as well as the mystery itself. The plot has a few flaws (like Darnell not actually deducing who the killer is and only finding out when the culprit sneaks into his cabin to see if the poison in his sherry had done the job), but Darnell is a charming character with a lot of promise and potential. The motive for the crimes make sense and could have been deduced, so there's a definite attempt at fair play here. It was interesting to see that McCarver gave some of the reported actions of Lightoller and Ismay to Darnell and the killer respectively, but it was done in good faith to service the fictional murder plot. This is a good debut to a series that has five more entries. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Professor John Darnell smiled as he poked his way along through the clammy opaqueness of the thick, moist fog, using his black umbrella as a walking stick.

Last line: "I think you know," he said, smiling into her eyes, "which cabin we won't take."
****************

Deaths = 18 (two overboard; one poisoned one shot; one natural; thirteen drowned)

How to Solve Your Own Murder

 How to Solve Your Own Murder (2024) by Kristen Perrin

Synopsis (from book flap): It's 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances's life takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn't happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously. Until, that is, nearly sixty years later when Frances is found murdered. 

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances's lifelong habit of digging up secrets, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder.

Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer? As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closter to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her great aunt's fate instead of her fortune.

My take--the short and sweet version: not nearly as captivating as anticipated. 

The premise was really good. Here we have the village busybody keeping track of everyone and their doings for a completely new reason. They're not just doing it to be nosy. They're not feeling holier-than-thou and wanting to point out everybody's "sins." They're not the village blackmailer. No--they just want every little fact they can get their hands on to try and figure out who might want to kill them and why. But, honestly, I wasn't all that taken with Frances. I definitely didn't care for her "friends." And Annie wasn't all that appealing either. Neither the diary entries from 1966 nor the current-day chapters featuring Annie felt authentic. The portions supposedly written by teenage Frances feel more mature than the bits with Annie, who has graduated from a London arts college and, I assume, is older. 

Of the two mysteries (there's a disappearance in the 1960s that is never explained until Frances is killed), I actually found the missing girl more interesting. While there was a definite effort at red herrings and false clues in the matter of Frances's death (and I did appreciate the attempt to create a classic crime novel), it didn't pay off. The culprit was obvious to me fairly soon after Annie started trying to piece things together.

It appears that there's a series of these books where Frances keeps getting involved in murders and whatnot and somehow those murders mirror or are connected to modern-day mysteries in Annie's life. Really? I'm thinking you can only take duality so far...and the first book seemed to me to reach that limit. ★★

First line: "Your future contains dry bones."

Last line: Putting pen to blank paper, I started writing.
*********************

Deaths = 3 (one poisoned; one shot; one natural)

The Anatomist's Apprentice

 The Anatomist's Apprentice (2011) by Tessa Harris

Synopsis [from the book flap]: In the first in a new mystery series set in eighteenth-century England, Tessa Harris introduces Dr. Thomas Silkstone, anatomist and pioneering forensic detective...The death of Sir Edward Crick has unleashed a torrent of gossip through the seedy taverns and elegant ballrooms of Oxfordshire. Few mourn the dissolute young man--except  his sister, the beautiful Lady Lydia Farrell. When her husband comes under suspicion of murder, she seeks expert help from Dr. Thomas Silkstone, a young anatomist from Philadelphia.

Thomas arrived in England to study under its foremost surgeon, where his unconventional methods only add to his outsider status. Against his better judgment he agrees to examine Sir Edward's corpse. but it is not only the dead, but also the living to whom he must apply the keen blade of his intellect. And the deeper the doctor's investigations go, the greater the risk that he will be consigned to the ranks of the corpses he studies....

One of the blurbs on Goodreads I saw said that if you like The Anatomist's Apprentice, then you'd like the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries. As a firm fan of the Sebastian St. Cyr, Lord Devlin mysteries, let me say that once you read those, you'll be spoiled and might not want to come back to Dr. Thomas Silkstone. The quality of writing and historical research in the C. S. Harris books are superior. The characters are far more compelling and the mysteries better plotted. Each series (basing the Silkstone series on this one only) have their gruesome moments, but Silkstone's autopsies outdo Devlin's high body count--not in a good way.

The mystery itself had a good premise, but there were too few suspects and I spotted at least part of the solution pretty quickly. There is a nice added twist at the end, but even that is telegraphed a bit ahead of time. Now...this doesn't mean I won't give Silkstone another chance. Though I was immediately hooked on the Devlin books, I have to say that they don't hit their stride until the third book or so. I like the time period and I'm willing to see if the books improve after a slightly rough beginning. ★★ and 1/2

First line (Prologue): Time, they say, is a great physician.

First line (1st chapter): A stifled scream came first, shattering the oppressive silence.

Last line: No doctor had ever devised a remedy to ease lovesickness, but during the cold and unforgiving season that lay ahead without his beloved, the token, he told himself would help warm his aching heart.
******************

Deaths = 8 (one natural; two poisoned; one drowned; two strangled; two beaten)

Murder Mayhem Short Stories

Murder Mayhem Short Stories (2016) by Christopher Semtner (Foreword)

A mammoth short story collection with murder and mayhem aplenty--but quite a few with a horror/fantasy bent to them. We have everything from supernatural creatures (like the Wendigo of the first story to a harpy-like monster later in the book) to killer teddy bears to unnatural children. There are a few more straight-forward murder mysteries, but in most of these the killer doesn't have to surrender to justice (at least not within the pages of the story). While the stories are, for the most part, well-written, I do prefer murderers to get their just desserts. Stories that just didn't do much for me: "Funeral," "Into the Blue," "Mr. Happy Head," and "The Dualists." The last of these seemed to be gruesome just for the sake of being gruesome. A few I've read before, so while good, they did not have quite the impact of first reading: "Dr. Hyde, Detective, & the White Pillars Murder," "The Traveller's Story of a Terribly Strange Bed," and "The Trial for Murder." The best of the bunch: "The Rector of Veilbye," "The Thing Invisible," "Pigeons from Hell," and "In the Dark." I also really like Oscar Wilde's tale of Lord Arthur Savile's attempts at murder (because I adore Oscar Wilde) and Wilde's send-up of the murder story. In true Wilde fashion he turns everything on its head. ★★★ and 1/2 for the collection.

Just a small personal rant...why on earth can we not name all of our characters? Some of these stories had plenty of corpses and the author either gave names to some but not all or gave none of them names. Help a girl out here--we need those names for the Medical Examiner's Challenge.

"The Wendigo Goes Home" by Sara Dobie Bauer:  The Wendigo (disguised as one Cleve Packer) hasn't dined on flesh for a while. This one only eats people who are close to death anyway. He always knows who...he can smell death upon them. (one devoured by the Wendigo)

"The Death of Halpin Frayser" by Ambrose Bierce: A story of madness, murder, and maybe a ghost out in the wilds of California. (one throat cut; one strangled)

"The Moonlit Road" by Ambrose Bierce: Another story of madness & murder....and a solution given through the transcription of a medium. And a depressing solution it is. (one strangled)

"The Rector of Veilbye" by Steen Steensen Blicher: Based on a real 17th C murder case--a rector is accused and convicted of murdering his servant, but the story is a little more complicated than that. (one hanged; one beheaded; one of a stroke)

"Funeral" by Michael Cebula: A revenge story, pure and simple. And definitely not my cup of tea. (And nobody has a name, so none of the deaths count.)

"Into the Blue" by Carolyn Charron: Another story that's not for me--it crosses one of my "I don't do these kind of stories" lines (and I can't tell you which one without spoiling the ending). Well-written, but not gonna be one of my favorites. (And, of course, no names, so I can't count it for the M.E. Challenge either)

"Dr. Hyde, Detective, & the White Pillars Murder" by G. K. Chesterton: The only appearance of this particular detective. Dr. Hyde and his two proteges (John Brandon & Walter Weir) are asked investigate the death of Melchior Morse. Strangely, Dr. Hyde leaves the investigation to the two fledgling detectives. There are only two physical clues--a half-footprint and a cigar stump. In the end, the star pupils discover a very surprising murderer and decide that perhaps detecting isn't for them after all. (one neck broken)

"Don't you feel by this time that it's the atmosphere of the whole place? It's not a bit like those delightful detective stories. In a detective story all the people in the house are gaping imbeciles, who can't understand anything, and in the midst stands the brilliant sleuth who understands everything. Here am I standing in the midst, a brilliant sleuth, and I believe, on my soul, I'm the only person in the house who doesn't know all about the crime." (Walter Weir)

You can build everything on the trifle except the truth. (Weir) 

We're so sure that people mean what we mean, that we can't believe they mean what they say. (Weir) 

"The Traveller's Story of a Terribly Strange Bed" by Wilkie Collins: A famous story included in many anthologies. A gambler has a night of huge winnings and much celebration.  So much celebration that he's convinced to spend the night in the gaming house rather than take his winnings out into the street in his inebriated state.  But the gaming house master doesn't intend that the gambler will leave the house at all.

"Who Killed Zebedee?" by Wilkie Collins: A young policeman has his first and last case of murder--that of a young bridegroom. His bride insists that she must have stabbed him in her sleep...but did she? (one stabbed)

"The Trial for Murder" by Charles Dickens: A supernatural story of justice served. The ghost of a murdered man appears repeatedly to the foreman of the jury deliberating over the trial of his murderer. He makes every effort to ensure a verdict of guilty will be entered. (Guess what--no names!)

"The Problem of Dead Wood Hall" by Dick Donovan: Our unnamed detective sets out to prove that two men were murdered by the same unknown poison--two years apart. I am not a huge fan of open-ended mystery stories. The detective solves the mystery (we think)--but a jury of twelve men good and true don't agree.(two poisoned)

"Mr. Happy Head" by James Dorr: Another that is not my cup of tea. We get to be all up and in the culprit's thoughts. Not a pleasant place to be. I'm not at all sure how many deaths "Mr. Happy Head" is responsible for....Nor am I certain what happens to him at the end. (No names here either...)

"The Brazilian Cat" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: A man plans to do away with the heir that stands between himself and a fortune. The plot involves a very unusual murder method--but will it succeed? [one attacked by a large cat; one natural]

"Nineteen Sixty-Five Ford Falcon" by Tim Foley: A haunted car, a supposed suicide pact...and the truth. (Two drowned)

"Mama Said" by Steven Thor Gunnin: Our narrator has to have a psychological exam to see if he's competent to stand trial. The examiner is going to regret that...briefly. (two stabbed)

"Six Aspects of Cath Baduma" by Kate Heartfield: Not really a mystery. A fantasy battle. (one stabbed--along with a score more unnamed)

"The House Among the Laurels" by William Hope Hodgson: Carnacki, the supernatural investigator, takes on the evil forces haunting the house his friend has recently inherited. At first it looks like it might truly be spirits of one sort or another...but then Carnacki develops the photographs he took...

"The Thing Invisible" by William Hope Hodgson: Carnacki investigates the case of a butler stabbed in front of witnesses. The witness are convinced that either the dagger has a mind of its own or an invisible agent has employed it. Carnacki is almost convinced that the supernatural is involved...and then he notices something odd in a photograph. (one natural)

"Freedom Is Not Free" by David M. Hoenig: What happens when the clones rise up against the "Primes"? It's not pretty...and the investigating officer finds himself in the middle in a way he could never have imagined. (two stabbed; two shot; one hit on head)

"Mademoiselle de Scuderi" by E. T. A. Hoffman: 17th C Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. The poiet Mademoiselle de Scuderi becomes entangled in a series of thefts and murders. She sets out to clear an apprentice and his daughter of suspicion. (two poisoned; two beheaded; one burned; one stabbed)

"How to Build a Mass-Murderer" by Liam Hogan: What if the building blocks for mass murder were scripted in the DNA. How would a government defend against "DNA terrorism"? A very short short story--and yet manages to be a bit confusing for over half of it.

"Pigeons from Hell" by  Robert E. Howard: When two travelers decide to spend the night in an abandoned Southern mansion, they get more than they bargained for. Death and revenge are perched in the house...just like the pigeons perched on the eaves. (four hit on head with axe; one poisoned; one shot)

"The Two-Out-of-Three Rule" by Patrick J. Hurley: Kyle and his friends are gaming nerds--the girls just don't go for them. Until Kyle finds the perfect girl. Elaina is beautiful, smart, and loves gaming. And she wants to be all his. There's just one little catch... (one eaten)

"The Well" by W. W. Jacobs: A man murders a blackmailing hanger-on who might spoil his chances at matrimonial bliss. But he learns (the hard way) that you really shouldn't hide the body on your own property. And especially not somewhere that your lady-love might lose a precious bracelet.  (two drowned)

"In the Penal Colony" by Franz Kafka: In the penal colony punishment is given a brutal twist.  (one stabbed)

"Getting Shot in the Face Still Stings" by Michelle Ann King: Gangsters really don't like it when someone snatches their takings...even if the one doing the snatching is an immortal goddess/demon who comes back every time they kill her. (one beaten to death; one stabbed)

"The Return of Imray" by Rudyard Kipling: Slightly supernatural tale of Imray, a man in British India, who goes missing. He unexpectedly returns in the most grisly manor. (one throat cut; one poisoned)

"Less Than Katherine" by Claude Lalumiere: The narrator's daughter, the Katherine of the title, discovers a stone knife while the family is on vacation. It soon takes possession of her...leaving a trail of murder in its wake. Interesting twist at the end. (eight stabbed)

"Shared Losses" by Gerri Leen: A woman takes revenge when her ex takes up with another woman and her reasons are, shall we say, a bit different.... (Yep--no names.)

"The Hound" by H. P. Lovecraft: Two friends are bored with normal life and decide to dabble in the dark arts and make a collection of strange and unwholesome items. When they uncover a cursed amulet and add it to their collection, they release a diabolical force. (one mauled to death)

"From Beyond" by H. P. Lovecraft: A mad scientist does experiments to open himself up to all the senses that he believes men used to have...he exposes his servants and his friend (though the scientist certainly doesn't treat him as such) to previously unseen terrors. (one vaporized; one apoplexy)

"Drive Safe" by K. A. Mielke: A young woman soon regrets making her boyfriend stop to help an apparently helpless woman. (one eaten; one vaporized)

"In the Dark" by Edith Nesbit:  A tale of three men. Our narrator, Winston, who is worried about his friend Haldane. Haldane is a man in distress--caused by Visger. Visger has been a tattletale who always tells the truth--even when it seems impossible for him to know it--and the other two have hated him for it ever since they were boys together. Finally, Visger tells one truth too many. (one strangled; one heart attack; one poisoned)

"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe: Poe's classic about a man who takes an extraordinary revenge for an unspecified insult. (one walled up)

"The Azure Ring" by Arthur B. Reeve: Professor Craig Kennedy is out to prove whether District Attorney Whitney is correct in his suspicion that a pair of young lovers have been murdered--even though there's no trace of violence or poison. The coroner thinks it was an accident of some sort, but there isn't even evidence of that. [three poisoned]

"Redux" by Alexandra Camille Renwick: Take Groundhog Day and add murder and what you'll get is "Redux." A nice little SF twist on repeat murder. (one shot)

"The First Seven Deaths of Mildred Orly" by Fred Senese: Mildred Orly hates the way she looks and decides she can't live looking like that. When she commits suicide she finds out she has the power to do something about the way she looks.... (two poisoned; one shot; one stabbed; one hanged; one heart failure)

"Markheim" by Robert Louis Stevenson: A petty thief turns murderer on Christmas Day and finds himself in a moral struggle when it seems a second murder may be necessary. (one stabbed)

"The Dualitists" by Bram Stoker: Two young boys are given identical knives as presents--and after learning the destructive power of identical weapons they go on a terrible rampage. (two shot; two hit on the head)

"The Burial of the Rats" by Bram Stoker: A man is trapped in the catacombs under Paris, pursued by people who live down there among the rats. 

"Mister Ted" by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt: Mister Ted is a stuffed bear. And he will do anything for his little girl Sophie. Anything. (one suffocated; two stabbed)

"Cheese" by Ethel Lina White: A young woman fresh up from the country is set as bait to catch a nasty killer. If she survives, she'll earn a 500 pound reward....(one strangled)

"Corpses Removed, No Questions Asked" by Dean H. Wild: When a woman uses a Lil Slugger bat in a fit of rage and kills her errant husband, she wonders, "Now what do I do with him." She finds out the answer when the doorbell rings. (four hit on head)

"Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: A Study of Duty" by Oscar Wilde: Lord Arthur Savile attends a party where a man reads palms as a party trick. When he looks at Lord Arthur's hand, he turns pale and only reveals what he sees when the gentleman insists. Murder--Lord Arthur will commit murder. And--seeing as Lord Arthur is engaged to marry, it is, of course, his duty to get the distasteful event out of the way before the nuptials. Never did a man find it so difficult to commit one simple murder. (one natural; one drowned)

"Fragments of Me" by Nemma Wollenfang: A young woman with multiple personality disorder has one particularly nasty personality struggling to be primary. (one strangled)

First line (1st story: Cleve Packer prided himself on eating only people who were about to die.

Last lines (last story): Today I am Billy, but tomorrow who knows? It could be one of seven fragments of me.

When the Wolves Are Silent

 When the Wolves Are Silent (2026) ~C. S. Harris (Candice Procter)

London, 1816: We open with Sebastian St. Cyr, Lord Devlin's nephew Bayard Wilcox awakening from a drunken stupor to find his friend Marcus Toole's body burning up in the bonfire they had built as part of a raucous night. Despite the rift between his uncle and his mother, his first thought is to run to Devlin for help. Bayard claims that he and Marcus got rip-roaring drunk (as they are wont to do--usually with a larger group of friends) and thought it would be hilarious to build a bonfire up on Primrose Hill where people who believe in the druidic practices like to hold little get-togethers. He wandered off into the woods to relieve himself and the next thing he knew he was waking up to a strange smell coming from the clearing where he'd left Marcus and the fire. 

While Devlin is waiting for Sir Henry Lovejoy and his Bow Street Runners to arrive, he searches the area and finds a wooden carving shaped like a wolf--on each flank is a Celtic knot. Was this part of some Celtic rite gone wrong? Or is there more to it? When Devlin learns that another of Bayard's friends was recently killed--stabbed and thrown into the river--he has to wonder if the men themselves hold the reason for the killings. In fact, he has to wonder if Bayard is telling him the whole truth or might be responsible himself. His investigation shows him that Bayard and his friends were not nice men. They picked fights, harassed, and destroyed the property of the powerless. All of the men were privileged sons of the wealthy and were never properly brought to account for their actions. Has someone decided to take justice into their own hands? 

More deaths follow--including two of the groups victims--and one of the original six men has disappeared altogether. Now Devlin has to wonder if there is more than one killer at work. The crown (for which read Jarvis, the real power behind the throne) wants someone, anyone arrested and hung for the murders NOW. Preferably one of the riff-raff who are protesting the government. Devlin will have to work quickly if he doesn't want to see an innocent man (or men) hang.

I don't know why I do this to myself. I get the latest Sebastian St. Cyr mystery as soon as I possibly can, read it in a day, and then look around and bemoan the fact that I have to wait a whole year for the next one. You'd think I'd learn--to take my time, to savor the experience, to let it last as long as possible. But, no. These stories are so good. I just can't help gobbling them up. Harris writes an incredible story using her skills as a scholar to research the period, sprinkle interesting facts throughout the narrative (without boring us silly with minute details), and peopling the plot with both real personalities of the time as well as fictional characters with depth.

Devlin's wife Hero has played a role in his detective work occasionally throughout the series and it was nice to see her more involved in this latest case as well. Her contacts in the scholarly realm helped Devlin discover the meaning behind various Celtic and druidic symbols which cropped up along the way. Tom, his tiger, and Calhoun also had their moments to shine--tracking down important witnesses and bits of information that Devlin needed to unravel the case.

I will say that this is quite the complicated plot--far more than I realized while reading it. I can't say much without giving things away, but there are a number of threads to keep track of and I didn't manage keep hold of all of them. The ending was a surprise...but a satisfying surprise.  I was a bit disappointed that we still haven't made any progress on finding out more about Devlin's heritage nor has there been a follow-through on a dangling issue from Hero's side of the family tree. Added to that, we now have to wonder about Sebastian's sister Amanda and if what he predicted for her future will come true. Her son Bayard may have been a nasty piece of work, but she's not far behind....I'm hoping that the next installment will bring some closure on at least one of these issues. ★★★★ and 1/2

First line: Where the bloody hell am I?

"It never ceases to amaze me how otherwise intelligent, reasonable men can have such faulty, antiquated notions about the true nature of fully one half the human race." (Hero, Lady Devlin; p. 49)

Last line: "They got away!"
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Deaths = 19 (two drowned; two stabbed; one burned to death; three strangled; three natural; two in war; one beaten to death; five shot)

Murder on Eaton Square

 Murder on Eaton Square (2019) by Lee Strauss

Basil and Ginger Reed are invited to a charity event at the Eaton Square home of Mr. Reginald Peck. There is obvious tension between Peck and his wife, Peck and his children, and even Peck and his solicitor. Peck is an invalid whose demeanor may be affected by his health and that's what the Reeds chalk it all up to. But the next day Basil is called back to the Peck home--this time as a Scotland Yard inspector. Reginald Peck has been found dead and while it is assumed that the death is natural, it soon proves to be murder by poisoning. And questioning soon proves that Peck's family had good cause to wish him dead. He wasn't a pleasant family man and they all could use an inheritance. Even his son-in-law who poses as an Indian guru and claims no interest in sordid material matters. It's just a matter of deciding whose motive was biggest and who had the best opportunity. And then Mrs. Peck dies from poisoning as well...Ginger and Basil will need to sift through motives and opportunity to discover whose behind the poisonings. 

Meanwhile, Basil's parents come for a visit and, though they themselves are fairly unconventional, they take great exception Basil & Ginger's plan to adopt Scout, Ginger's ward. Heaven forbid that their heir be a former street urchin! And they threaten to disinherit Basil if the adoption goes through. Considering how much the elder Reeds go against convention--flitting off on trips to South Africa and India and adopting a South African child (who had since been murdered), you'd think they'd be a little more flexible.

This was another solid entry in the Ginger Gold mystery series and it serves up a very interesting solution that I didn't see coming--at least I didn't see one half of the solution coming. I did figure out the other half. I like the way Ginger and Basil's teamwork plays out--Basil is the official arm of the law and Ginger plies the suspects with charm and disarming conversation. Very nicely done. A quick read with a pleasant mystery that makes for a comfortable read. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Mrs. Ginger Reed, alias Lady Gold, had reserved a box at the London Playhouse Theatre for her family, who now mingling with anticipation and glasses of champagne in hand, waited for the signal that the production of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet was about to begin.

Last line: "I meant the four of us, Bossy."
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Deaths = 3 (two poisoned; one accident)

The Murder Wheel

 The Murder Wheel (2023) by Tom Mead

Edmund Ibbs is a young, idealistic lawyer working for the defense in what looks like a hopeless case. Dominic Dean, bank manager, and his wife Carla took a ride on the Ferris wheel at the local fair. But only one of them survived the ride. When their carriage reached the top, there was a shot and Dean was dead before he could receive medical attention. Carla swears that she's innocent and Ibbs wants to find a way to make a jury think she could be. He hears about a mysterious "limping man" who had been following Dean and was seen leaving the fair after the shot by the man who operated the Ferris wheel. He starts looking for answers--interviewing workers at the bank and learning that there had been a robbery at the bank not long before. Is there a connection?

Ibbs is also an amateur magician and decides to take in a show featuring Professor Paolini. During one of the illusions, a dead man falls out when a locked crate is opened....and it is Varga, the operator of the Ferris wheel. When another impossible crime happens in the theater, Ibbs finds himself the prime suspect. But fortunately, Joseph Spector, the expert on impossible crimes is on hand to investigate and between the two of them, they will discover who is responsible for each murder. Do they all tie in with the robbery? And if so, does that mean that Titus Pilgrim, an underworld crime boss, is at the back of it? Or are there different culprits with different motives? We will have to wait and find out.

Tom Mead is carrying on the tradition of John Dickson Carr and other locked room/impossible crime experts from the Golden Age...and doing it well. Using the magician's stocks-in-trade (the art of distraction and sleight-of-hand), he makes it difficult to keep your eye on the ball and figure out which cup it's really under. I absolutely fell for one of the red herrings and was busy trying to tie it to one of the suspects. This kept me from spotting the clues that Mead obligingly sprinkled through the text (and which he helpfully footnotes during Spector's wrap-up scene). I'm still not sure I completely understand how the body got in the crate--even with the delightful little map/diagram that we're given. But I'm trusting that it really does make sense to those more able to decipher the layout. 

Just as with a good magic show, I thoroughly enjoyed being mystified and I really liked the opening mystery with the Ferris wheel. It was also satisfying that we came full circle and had a second helping of attempted murder on the wheel, creating an exciting finish for our hero. This second adventure in the Joseph Spector series is nearly as good as the first and it is another terrific effort at recapturing the spirit of the Golden Age of Detection. ★★★★

First lines: It began with the book. If not for the book, the rest of it would not have happened.

Last lines: Ibbs looked back at the old man. Spector's pale eyes gleamed.
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Deaths = 12 ( four natural; four shot; one beaten to death; one broken neck; one fell from height; one hanged)

Consequences of Sin

 Consequences of Sin (2007) by Clare Langley-Hawthorne

1910 England (mostly). Ursula Marlowe--heiress, Oxford-educated, wanna-be journalist (but NOT a women's fashion/gossip/society writer), and suffragette--receives a phone call that plunges her into murder and a mystery linked to a South American expedition from twenty years ago. Winifred Stanford-Jones, a friend and fellow suffragette, asks for Ursula's help when her (Freddie's) lover is killed in compromising circumstances. Freddie is arrested--after all, what are the police supposed to think when Laura Radcliffe is stabbed to death in Freddie's own bed? 

But then Laura's father commits suicide and Ursula finds links to an expedition that her own father, as well as Colonel Radcliffe and other prominent men had sponsored. When another sponsor's daughter is killed, it begins to look like someone has a vendetta against those who backed the trip to South America. But Colonel Radcliffe was the only survivor of that doomed expedition...or was he? Ursula tries to get her father and their legal advisor, Lord Wrotham, to give her information that will help find the real killer and set her friend free, but they insist that she stay out of it. But Ursula can't do that...she'll  get to the bottom of this--with or without their help. But will she survive long enough to share what she learns?

Here we go again...strong-willed woman meets supportive man (yes, Lord Wrotham is a young legal advisor and, though he seems to through obstacles in her way, he actually admires her intelligence and courage). It's a little bit more believable this time around because we're in the middle of the "votes for women" era. So in the middle of the story, Ursula--who has never been anywhere outside of England--suddenly decides to go traipsing off to South America where a massacre took place during an expedition her father and other backers funded to see if the man she (and the backers) think may be running amok and killing people right and left is still in the jungle or not. And she manages to disguise herself as a man and successful navigate booking passage so she can travel alone on the boat. And then she goes off by herself to find the man in the back of beyond. I'm sure that could happen. And why on earth did she suddenly abandon her male disguise in the middle of it all? That was baffling.

I wanted to like this more than I did. It had an interesting opening and the premise for the murders actually worked well. But the story dragged a bit up till the point that Ursula goes running off to South America. Lots of action from that point on, but her trip wasn't quite plausible enough. It would have worked better if she'd been given at least a bit of experience as a traveler. The other quibble I have is how rapid things turned to romance. Even faster than usual in these romantic historical mysteries. I'm giving all of the star value to Ursual, whom I really do like as a character, and the mystery itself. ★★★

First line: When the telephone rang downstairs so early that Saturday morning, Ursula Marlow knew it could only be bad news.

Last line: "Always."
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Deaths = 7 (three natural; one accident; one stabbed; one shot; one strangled)

An Affair to Remember

 An Affair to Remember: The Remarkable Love Story of Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy (1996) by Christopher Andersen

(From the dust jacket): She was a living legend, a symbol of fierce independence who defied convention to live life on her own terms. He was the greatest screen actor of all time, the personification of the rock-solid American male. During their twenty-six years together, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy mesmerized the world with their famous on-screen chemistry like no other couple. Yet their private love affair--which ended only with Tracy's death in 1967--remained shrouded in secrecy. Now, as Hepburn turns ninety, international best-selling author Christopher Andersen draws on his own extensive conversations with Kate--as well as those who knew the legendary duo intimately--to paint the first full, inspiring portrait of these beloved American icons and the life they shared. As Andersen did in Jack and Jackie, in An Affair to Remember he reveals the strength, wit, and dignity that characterized that historic partnership--and offers new revelations, including: 

New information about Hepburn's pre-Tracy affairs with Howard Hughes and others./The five family suicides that haunted Kate her entire life--and ultimately shaped her approach to the man she loved./Tracy's Other Women--from Joan Crawford to Loretta Young to Gene Tierney and Grace Kelly; why Kate never forgave Ingrid Bergman for having a secret romance with Spencer./The true, shocking extent of Tracy's alcoholism and undiagnosed depression; his erratic, often violent behavior, and how Kate bravely tried to tame the demons that drove him./How J. Edgar Hoover came close to destroying their careers./Never-before-told details of their physical relationship--including how Kate helped him to overcome impotency./The real reason why Tracy would not divorce his wife Louise, and marry Kate--and what Kate would have said had he asked her.

An Affair to Remember is, first and foremost, a poignant love story--the often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, always captivating portrait of a Great American Romance.

My take: While I learned a great deal about Spencer Tracy and a little bit about Katharine Hepburn (I've read two previous biographies about Kate)--and those things were very interesting, I didn't feel like the book lived up to its billing. Nearly the entire first half is spent giving us the biographies of these two fascinating people. Then the real focus on the on the relationship begins. But even then, a fair number of the remaining pages are devoted to them separately (Kate off on the East Coast working in Shakespeare or in the Congo filming The African Queen; Spencer fretting away on the West Coast or working on his separate projects...or more often off on a drunken bender). 

I'm not sorry I read this--as I mentioned I learned a lot about Spencer Tracy that I didn't know and I did learn more about their relationship than I already knew. But...it's not quite the book as advertised. I expected more of a spotlight on the love affair than we got. Spencer and Kate have quite an interesting dynamic--and looking back on the relationship from 2026, there are many aspects that are troubling. Particularly when you consider what an independent woman Kate was in all other aspects. Quite an interesting book for those who are fans of either (or both) star or who are interested in the golden age of movie making. Just know that the love affair does not really get top billing, despite the credits. ★★★

First line: Lying on the floor, her head resting on the down pillow she had brought in from her bedroom, Katharine Hepburn pulled the blind back, slid the patio door open a crack, and breathed in the California night air.

Last line: Theirs was an affair to remember.

A Death for a Double

 A Death for a Double (1990) by E. X. Giroux

Buford "Buffy" Sanderson, young friend of London barrister Robert Forsythe, asks the sometime amateur sleuth to look into the goings-on at the Dower House. The Dower House near the village of Safrone has been bought by Anthony Funicelli a wealthy Italian-American businessman whom Sanderson stayed with during an exchange year in the States. Apparently, Funicelli has been receiving death threats and, in the words of a movie, "the call is coming from inside the house." Once Fortsythe is established in the house, he learns from Funicelli that the threats are coming on his personal notepaper and make references that only those who live at the Dower House would know.

And who's at the Dower House, you might ask? The businessman's much younger, beautiful wife, Lucia--who is recently pregnant. Funicelli's strong-willed mother, Mama Rosa--who's on hand to make sure her daughter-in-law has a safe and healthy pregnancy. Hansel and Gretchen--Funicelli's adult children from a previous marriage. Funicelli's cousin, Fredo Clemenza--a poor relation and a near identical double for his rich cousin. There's also Tip, the houseman--brought from Mexico and indebted to his master (or is that indentured?); Mrs. Flower, the cook, and her son Jacob, who tends the gardens and nurses hate, and her other son Noah, a gentle soul with the mind and emotions of a six-year-old. 

Most of the household have reason to hate the master of the house from Hansel and Gretchen, who believe Funicelli to be responsible for their mother's death, to Fredo, who is completely dependent on his cousin, to the Flowers who believe Funicelli to be responsible for the deflowering of the daughter of the house, to Tip, who says Funicelli keeps him working for him by threatening his (Tip's) family's security in the States. But when murder rears its ugly head, it isn't Anthony who is shot and killed in his personal elevator...it's his double Fredo. Did the killer miss his mark or was Fredo the target all along. Forsythe will have to sift through the red herrings to find the answer.

Three stars seem to be the standard for the Giroux series. Each one is perfectly fine--with a decent mystery and mostly interesting characters, but just lacks a certain something that would boost the rating. For this one, I miss Forsythe's secretary, Sandy. She doesn't make an appearance until the very end and then it's she who poses the really vital questions that turn the solution slightly on its head. The other thing that nags me a bit in this outing is the final death (which a good armchair detective will catch if they read every bit of this review)--I had a bit of a difficulty with that one (as did Forsythe--it really made him angry). The surprise for me wasn't in the final twist (I thought that was the complete solution)--it was the bit just before that I didn't see coming. Forsythe seems to think that justice will be served in the end, but it's not quite as satisfying to think that Mama Rosa will be dishing it out instead of the courts. ★★★

First Line: Robert Forsythe decided he might qualify for the Guiness Book of World Records as the only person in London who had never entered any of the outlets of a world-famous chain of hamburger restaurants.

Last Line: "Because of a child named Noah, Sandy, and a little dog he called Blackie."
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Deaths = 5 (one trampled by horse; one natural; two car accident; one shot)

Death on the Slopes

 Death on the Slopes (1978) by Norma Schier

Jason Ryder has been trying to recover from the death of his wife in a tragic car accident when two things happen. Valerie Mayne, a woman who says she was friend of his wife in college, shows up at his door and attaches herself, limpet-like, to him. He just can't seem to get her to get a job and an apartment and out of his hair. And he receives a letter from his cousin asking if he'd like a change from the high-powered world of New York publishing to the mountain slopes of Colorado. His cousin, who teaches at a small college in Aspen, is going to Italy to teach and there's an open position. Jason decides the change is just what he needs...and it's a chance to get rid of Valerie gracefully.

Except...

"But Jason, that's too good to be true! I'm dying to go to Aspen!"

And the limpet tags right along to Colorado. Where she immediately stirs up trouble, making everyone think that Jason has a live-in girlfriend. So...when Valerie winds up stabbed with a ski pole and Jason was last person known to be her...well what is the detective in charge of the case to think?

But...Aspen's newest female D.A., Kay Barth, doesn't think the police have enough evidence to make a charge stick and demands that the officers dig a little deeper into Valerie's past. Except...it's evident that's going to be a challenge. Despite making the national news and calls for information, no one comes forward as family or friends to help the police or claim the body. Could there be something in Valerie's past that finally caught up with her on the ski slopes? New evidence is found that there were other men in Valerie's life and that she had history of using what she knew about people to get what she wanted. Whose position did she threaten the most?

This is one of the better mysteries in the Zebra Puzzler series, though one could have hoped for more clues to the motive. On the plus side, there are plenty of suspects to choose from and there are several clues that could point more than one way. So the book is true to the series name--providing a puzzle for the reader. With the set-up, one did know that Jason would be cleared even though it looked quite black for him even at moments towards the end. And this series just isn't the type to turn things absolutely on its head by making the apparently guilty from the beginning suspect the actual villain after all. A fun, quick read that I enjoyed. ★★★★

First line: Margaret Watterson was new to skiing.

Last lines: "You can keep the scotch," she called out. The front door slammed behind her.
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Deaths = 4 (one auto accident; one stabbed; two airplane crash)

A Vow of Fidelity

 A Vow of Fidelity (1995) by Veronica Black (Maureen Peters)

Sister Joan is one of ten art school students who promised each other to meet up in twenty years time for a reunion. Since entering the convent and becoming a nun, Sister Joan had long forgotten the promise until a photograph of the class of ten arrives anonymously--no note, no return address. The proposed reunion date, September 15th, is fast approaching and Sister Joan doesn't plan to go. But Mother Dorothy has just proposed a new venture to help the convent raise funds to cover expenses--offering retreats for those outside the community, a time of rest and rejuvenation. And she thinks that this reunion would be a great time for Sister Joan to do a bit of advertising.

When the time comes, only six of the other nine former classmates arrive and Sister Joan learns that two have died--one in a fall from a car park, in what seems to have been an accident, and the other killed by a hit and run driver. The group is sure that Serge, the third of the missing, must have forgotten--he never was very good  about remembering social engagements. The others decide to make a night of it--have dinner and maybe see a show, but Sister Joan needs to get back to the convent. She volunteers to stop by Serge's apartment and see if he wants to join the others  for the night. She finds that Serge had a really good reason for not appearing at the reunion...he too is dead from an apparent drug overdose. 

The coroner's court determined it was a suicide, but Sister Joan meets a Patricia, a current friend of Serge's, who says he didn't do drugs and would never have committed suicide. This is what Sister Joan thinks too. The Serge she remembered loved life too much to mess with drugs or take his own life, even when depressed. But did she ever really know Serge? Or any of her classmates, for that matter. No one seems to be anything like what she remembered. The next thing she learns is that Patricia has been murdered--no question this time, her throat was cut from behind. Sister Joan tells the entire story to her friend Detective Sergeant Mills, but after checking on details about the deaths he tells her it looks like coincidence. But just in case--Sister Joan should be extra careful.

Then all six of Sister Joan's former classmates decide that a retreat is just what they need and they all descend upon the convent. Our dear sister is not sure that is going to be the great idea Mother Dorothy thinks it is. And she's right.  A few more deaths break up the peaceful retreat and Sister Joan finds herself next on the killer's list....

As with my previous read of a Sister Joan book, I found this to be an entertaining mystery with a bit more darkness than the usual cozy. This one is even darker (for me) than A Vow of Penance because of a particular thread that involves a subject I have difficulty with. The culprit wasn't quite as easy to spot this time, but even if I had, I definitely wouldn't have come up with the motive. There really weren't any clues that I noticed that would have given that away. ★★ and 3/4

First line: Sister Joan of the Order of the Daughters of Compassion sat demurely on the only hardbacked chair in the studio, sipping bitter lemon, watching the others gyrate in the center of the room, legs flashing, arms windmilling.

Last line: Later, she would talk to the others, do what she could to help [redacted], but for the moment she must go where her first fidelity was housed.
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Deaths = 7 (one fell from height; one hit by car; two poisoned; three throat cut)

Dropped Dead

 Dropped Dead (1984) by Jonathan Ross (John Rossiter)

Detective Superintendent George Rogers is called away from his golf game to view the body of a soman sprawled awkwardly beneath a huge tree on remote hillside. The body seems to have fallen from the tree, but when Rogers climbs up the tree in search of clues he finds evidence that the body fell from an even greater height. Perhaps from a plane? There are two flying clubs in the neighborhood and Rogers' investigation leads him to the Plattsburgh Aero Club. The description of the woman seems to fit Kirstin Mahir. Kirstin supposedly flew to France with one of the members--apparently she didn't make it that far. Did the pilot push her out of the plane? Is the answer that simple?

Of course not. The further Rogers digs, the more he learns about Kirsten's extracurricular activities. Her interests were in the pilots and not in their planes. There are ex-lovers who may have wanted Kirsten dead,; there's her husband who may have had enough of her philandering; and there are spouses and loved ones who may have resent her involvement with their men. It all comes down to who had sufficient motive and could pilot a plane at night.

The mystery is a good one and I enjoyed following Rogers through his interviews with suspects as well as his interactions with his right-hand man, the elegant Inspector Lingard. There are a few really good character studies-Kirsten's husband, Lisa Fromme--the lone female pilot in the club, and Wing-Commander Corbersley who runs the club, as well as a few others. But several of the club members receive short shrift in the character development department. It would have made for a much more satisfying read overall and would have made the suspect pool seem a little bit bigger. 

Overall, a solid police procedural (as one would expect from a former policeman like Rossiter) and an interesting plot. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Were there to exist entities called Guardian Angels, then the one detailed for attendance on the dead woman had been unforgivably neglectful.

Last line: Late as it was, he couldn't believe that the door would remain closed against the urgent knocking of a goat-legged and horned George Rogers, private citizen, plausibly intent only on his need for a midnight cup of Lapsang Souchong tea and a discussion on the flight characteristics of a Tiger Moth biplane.
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Deaths = 3 (one asphyxiated; two plane crash)

It Can't Be My Grave

 It Can't Be My Grave (1984) by S. F. X. Dean

Professor Neil Kelly is back in England. He's just written a spectacular scholarly book on John Donne (which has even sold movie rights!*) and his British publisher wants him to make a big splash in the London literary world as well. They want to throw huge parties and book him on the William Wisdom show (only the most-watched face on British TV). Neil really doesn't want any of it--though it would be nice if his book would do as well here as in the States. In the process he meets eccentric business tycoon Sir Gordon Fairly (who incidentally owns his publisher).

Sir Gordon is convinced that an anonymously attributed sixteenth-century tragedy was really penned by his ancestor, an obscure writer named Lucy Goodman. He plans on funding a production of the play, putting Neil's friend actor Hugh James in charge and featuring Hugh's wife, actress Sheila. All he wants from Neil is for him to prove Fairly's theories about authorship correct. Oh, and one other thing, maybe even prove that Shakespeare murdered Lucy while he's at it. Neil is skeptical about the first part and very certain there's no chance of proving the second. 

Neil finds himself liking Gordon and is willing to listen to more of his "proofs." In very short order, he spends a lot of time with this man he just met. He even gets invited for a ride in the the businessman's Daimler limousine--eccentrically decked out like drawing room with tapestry-upholstered antique armchair, Aubusson carpet, artwork, and fancy gold drapes. Sir Gordon also arranges to have his daily mail delivered straight to the Daimler via private courier. Scholarly mysteries turn into a murder case when a letter bomb (or three) is later delivered to Sir Gordon with fatal results.

It's hardly surprising that Sir Gordon has collected a fair amount of enemies (including within his own family) on his way to the top--single-minded men (and women) often don't mind who they tick off while they get on with their objectives. Neil is a little surprised to find that Scotland Yard seems to think he might be included on that list. But after all, it is a little suspicious how much time he spent in Fairly's company given that he says he just met the man...Neil even has his own personal shadow, Detective Inspector Thomas Bowie. The question is will Neil or Bowie discover the murderer first?

So...this book should be right up my alley. Professor as amateur detective? Check. Throw in an interesting literary mystery on top of the murder plot? Check. Set it in England? Check. Witty dialogue? Check. But. Other than the professor how many of these characters are interesting? Not many. Bowie is good and makes for really good dialogue when he's talking with Neil. Does Neil Kelly actually do much of anything in the amateur detective line? Not really. All the suspects (for no reason that makes any real sense) come and talk with him and clues get thrown at him, but does he actually put two and two together? Nope. We got Bowie for that--and kudos to Bowie! I hope Sinjin (his boss) gives him the appropriate accolades. Neil Kelly's sole purpose (as far as I can tell) is to receive confidences and serve as a sounding board for Bowie to bounce things off of. And Neil is the recurring character here, folks. The book blurb makes it sound like our dear professor is hot the trail and coming up with "brilliant solutions" but I'm afraid it just ain't so. One other minor complaint while I'm at it...what's with that title? If anyone can read this book and tell what the title has to do with the plot, then I'd be very grateful. It sounds spiffy. It sounds like a quote from something (if so, Google couldn't tell me what). But I just don't see the connection...

The plot is decent and I did like the the set-up of not one....not two...but three letter bombs being used. The consternation it caused among the lab boys and Bowie's description thereof was worth the price of admission. But I'd like to see our recurring amateur sleuth do a bit more detecting if I pick up another of this series. Especially since, when Scotland Yard does a bit of check-up on him, they find that his hometown police chief calls him "a goddam super-sleuth" and that he's been hobnobbing with the London Metropolitan  Police force and the Devon constabulary in previous cases. Surely to goodness he does more than just act as a conduit for suspects' conversations... Had high hopes for this one, but in the end it's just a middle-of-the road read for me.★★★

*This is how we know this is fiction. How often does that happen?!) 

First line: After more than a year away from it, London felt good.

Last line: She still wasn't smoking, and she was starting to enjoy it.
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Deaths = 5 (one natural; one letter bomb; two car accident; one gunshot)