A Small Town Mystery

Leah, the only detective in the small town of Alvin, Alabama, is raising her two children, Abe and Carry, by herself. When Carry asks for a visit to a psychic for her Christmas present, the whole family goes. Before doing Carry's reading, the psychic focuses on Leah giving her clues to a murder that is about to occur.

Leah doesn't quite believe what she's been told, but when the body of a woman turns up in a local lake and the clues match the psychic's cryptic description, she wonders if there is a connection.

I had several problems with this book. The characters, particularly Abe and his friend Dewey, are engaging. However, the dialog imitates the speech patterns of the characters in this southern Alabama town making if difficult to read. It also makes the characters, including Leah, sound uneducated.

The mystery is much too easy to figure out. The author gives it away in the preface. Once you read the introduction every clue is obvious. I think it would have been a better mystery without the preface. The police procedures are also poorly done. This is a small town police station, but even so, putting the picture of a maimed victim on the front page of the newspaper seems out of line.

The author tries to give a humerus twist to some of the action, particularly the scenes between Abe and Dewey, but

even this pales because the dialog is so poorly done.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.  

Ship Wreckers on the Cornish Coast, an Unlikely Romance, and a Mysterious Medalion

Lady Morwenna Penvenan is struggling to rebuild her murdered husband's Cornish estate for her infant son. The mines that could provide the necessary capital are flooded, and she's unable to find investors. Because of her poverty and her desire to rebuild the estate, people believe that she is involved with the wreckers who lure ships to the coast where they founder on the rocks. Then the wreckers strip the ship of its cargo.

Morwenna hates being suspected of this crime. She feels that people think the worst of her because of her wild past. After one of the wrecks, she is walking the beach looking for clues when she finds an unconscious man. Around his neck is a medal with the Trelawny crest, her grandparents' crest. Hoping that if he lives he can give her some insight into the wreck, she takes him to her house to try to bring him back to health.

David Chastain is a boat builder. He was on his way to Fallmouth to try to find out what happened to his dead father. His father, also a boat builder, took all the money from their account and went to Fallmouth. David wants to know the reason. After his death, David was given the medal he was carrying. When he regains consciousness, he realizes that he has landed close to the origin of the mysterious medal, and he wonders how much Morwenna knows about the wreck and his father's death.

The Cornish coast in the nineteenth century is a wild background for a romantic tale. The author uses the attributes of the coast, the rain, winds, and tides, to weave a spell around the romance of David and Morwenna. The plot focuses on their distrust of each other and their growing attraction

.

I enjoyed the story, David's father's death adds an element of mystery that enhances the romantic tale. David is a character you can't help but love. He's a member of the lower classes thrown into a nobleman's house, and he holds his own very well. I enjoyed Morwenna, but her thoughts about doubting herself because of her past became rather tedious.

If you enjoy romance with a hint of mystery, you may enjoy this book.

I reviewed this book for BookLook Blogger.

Well Researched Historical Mystery in Victorian Era Brooklyn

As a child, Mary Hendley saw a murder. Ever since, she has wanted to be a detective. Unfortunately for Mary, detective jobs for women are non-existent in the 1800s. Instead of living her dream, Mary works in a sweatshop making hats.

Because of the political climate, Chief Campbell, head of the Brooklyn police, is forced to hire a woman to investigate the murder of W. W. Goodrich's brother. Goodrich worked for Edison as a bookkeeper and was privy to the competition between Edison and Tesla. J. P. Morgan also figures in the story as Edison's backer.

Due to a series of misadventures, Mary happens to be in Campbell's office. She appears to know something of criminology, and he offers her the chance to head the investigation.  

Mary's new role is not an easy one. The police are unhappy that a woman got this plum assignment. In addition, Mary's best friend Kate was engaged to Goodrich and is understandably depressed by his murder. Although there are many difficulties, Mary revels in her new job and vows to find the murderer.

For me, the best part of the book was the attention to historical detail. The information about the rivalry between Edison and Tesla is not generally known and paints Edison is a less flattering light than usual. The way Mary is treated by the police and the role played by the women demonstrating to give women a chance to have jobs with the police are very well done.

The first third of the book has too much backstory for my taste. It turns out to be relevant, but it took a long time for the murder to occur. Because so much is backstory, the author does more telling the story than showing Mary's reactions. Improving this technique would involve the reader more.

The plot is good once Mary starts hunting for the murderer. There are plenty of twists and false leads that keep you guessing. If you like historical mysteries, this is a good one.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

A Detective Story with Many Angles

Leonid McGill is having a bad day. On the train from Philly to New York, a beautiful woman sits next to him. They connect, but there's a catch. She's being followed by a man sent by her ex-fiance. In the the elevator leaving Penn station, McGill is forced to save her almost killing the man. For that he connects $1500 and a date with the beautiful woman.

When he get to the office, a man is waiting to see him. Hiram Stent is a vagrant, but he has been offered a cut in the million dollar inheritance if he can locate the missing woman who is to receive the money. Leonid refuses to take the case, and the man is murdered. Now McGill feels honor bound to take the case to get justice for Stent.

These are not his only problems. His wife is in a sanitarium after a suicide attempt. His son, Twill, is out of the office working on a dangerous case of his own. The women in his life all have their own problems.

Mosley has created a compelling character in Leonid McGill. A man with a horrific past, family problems, and love affairs who is able to think about himself and his circumstances with insight and candor. His ruminations were some of the best parts of the book.

The book has several subplots, but it's easy to keep them apart and each adds to the overall story. The background is well described from the seedy sections of New York to the elaborate residences of the rich.

If you're a fan of Chandler and Marlowe, you'll find much to like in Mosley's latest book.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

The Search for a Missing Girl Takes Marston to Barcelona

Hugo Marston, security chief at the American Embassy in Paris, is supposed to meet Amy Dreiss, a girl he considers almost a daughter, for breakfast at his favorite American restaurant. When Amy doesn't show up, he's concerned. He becomes even more concerned when no one as seen her for several days, and it appears that she has gone to Barcelona with a man she hardly knows.

At the urging of Amy's father, Hugo and his CIA pal, Tom, head for Barcelona. Once there they become entangled in the murder of the man Amy went to Barcelona with. Now the hunt for Amy takes on a new dimension as they hope to find her alive.

For me, the Barcelona setting was the best part of the novel. I enjoyed the description of the small streets leading into open piazzas where parents enjoy the cafes while the children play.

Hugo is a likable character. He's dragged into the police investigation of the murder because of his FBI background, and he does a creditable job of dealing with a foreign police force. Tom is another story. His alcoholism and juvenile antics alienate the Barcelona police and seem designed to make him appear to be a totally unlikable character.

Marston and the Barcelona police follow up on clues and do a credible amount of police work. I like that. I don't enjoy books where coincidence piles on coincidence, and the police are not forced to do any investigating.

I recommend this book if you like a good mystery, just take Tom's antics with a grain of salt – Hugo does.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

Solving an Eighteen-Year-Old Kidnapping

Eighteen years ago, Evelyn's best friend Cassie, was kidnapped from her bedroom. The killer, dubbed the Nursery Rhyme killer, left notes based on nursery rhymes. In Cassie's note, it indicated that he also planned to take Evelyn, but something prevented him. It has haunted Evelyn ever since.

Now Evelyn is a profiler working for the FBI. When more killings start in Rose Bay, her hometown, she grabs the chance to work on the case. Her boss thinks she's too emotionally involved to work the case well, but Evelyn insists and is assigned.

After reading this book, I had to agree with Evelyn's boss. She was much too emotionally involved to do well on the case. Although she is supposed to be their best profiler, she misses the most obvious clues. Her profile is the basic profile used for any serial killer. Her emotions are on the ragged edge, and she makes errors in judgement that get her into trouble. We constantly hear about how Cassie is her inspiration, but Evelyn can't seem to get her professional act together. She is so emotionally upset that she is usually crying, fainting or being sick on the floor. I found her a less than desirable character.

Evelyn is billed as a strong woman playing in a man's game and winning. However, in this book she is always being rescued, usually by Kyle, another agent. He is a great character, but too good to be true.

The plot is interesting, but the profiler missing clues keeps the book going on much too long. If there had been less of Evelyn emoting, it would have been a better book.

I can only recommend this book if you like romantic suspense.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

A Gilded Age Murder in Newport

Emma Cross, although a relation of the Vanderbilts, is not wealthy. She lives in Gull Manor in Newport because she inherited it from her Aunt Sadie. Emma is the society editor for the local Newport newspaper and uses her modest fortune to help those in trouble.

In the summer of 1897, she is unsure about her romantic life. Last summer she turned down a marriage proposal from Derrick Andrews, but wonders if she did the right thing. Jesse Whyte, a detective she grew up with, is also interested in her, but she sees Jesse as her partner in solving crimes.

When a baby is left on her doorstop, the summer focuses on finding the mother of the baby. There's something mysterious and dangerous about it, because the man who most probably left the baby there was murdered on the way out of town. A lethal accident in a yacht race increases the tension, and Emma finds herself in midst of a society dilemma.

The best part of this book is the realistic description of the members of the Gilded Age like the Astors and the Vanderbilts and their magnificent summer “cottages.” The author weaves the plot around real events which gives a good view of how the upper class families lived.

Emma, in trying to solve the mystery, rushes headlong into situations that put her in danger requiring rescue, usually by Jesse. Although she seems a bit silly, she also seems to be a realistic product of her time.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it if you like historical mysteries with a dollop of romance.

I reviewed this book for Net Galley.