Digging Up History

Digging up history A Museum Mystery #8 by Sheila Connolly

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I wasn’t sure what to expect, having never read any of the Museum Mysteries (or any book by Sheila Connolly) before. It took a few chapters waiting for the murder of one of the characters before I realized that it wasn’t that type of mystery! The story centers around a forgotten cemetery in Philadelphia and a decades-old memory of finding a body in the basement of an abandoned house. Nell and her associates from the Society for the Preservation of Pennsylvania Antiquities investigate this historical murder, drawing on the archives in the Society, and the FBI. An easy and enjoyable read that should appeal to cozy mystery aficionados.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.



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A Murder on Jane Street

A Murder on Jane Street by Cathy Cash Spellman is a murder story that encompasses conspiracies, cabals, and characters. After retired NYPD cop Fitz Donovan gets a call from his elderly neighbor, he arrives to find her brutally murdered and her apartment ransacked. She did manage to leave him three journals; since they were on his side of the property line, the crime scene investigators let Fitz take the books. With his daughters (one’s a psychic), granddaughter, a orphaned rich doctor, an Irish billionaire, a ballsy rich Texan woman, and an underground team of hackers, Fitz undertakes to determine who killed the old woman and why.

While the book was well-written enough, I found the story to be somewhat fantastical and populated with an over-abundance of larger-than-life characters. I prefer my mysteries to be more realistic, and while a quirky character or two is fine, this book seemed to have too many. If you don’t mind suspending belief as you read, and enjoy books like The Da Vinci Code, then you might enjoy this.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.

This book will be published on 16 July.

In the Darkness

In the Darkness by Mike Omer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In the Darkness is the second book in the Zoe Bentley thriller series. Dr. Zoe Bentley is a civilian consultant with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. Her forte is serial killers, kindled by an encounter with one when she was 14. Zoe is extremely focused and tends to say what she thinks, a trait that doesn’t win her many friends. Her biggest asset–and weakness–is her imagination. It’s an asset when it allows her insight into the killer’s mind but is detrimental when her ability to empathize with victims threatens to overwhelm her.

This book has two plots. The first is the hunt for the Schrodinger Killer which comprises the self-contained story within the book. The second is part of a story arc that began in the first book–Zoe’s hunt for the serial killer from her childhood. That cat-and-mouse game continues here.

The book alternates between present-day from multiple points of view, and flashbacks from the unknown killer’s point of view. In the first half of the book, I thought the flashbacks broke the continuity of the story. Even with that caveat, this is book worth reading.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.

#InTheDarkness #NetGalley

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The Body in the Wake

The Body in the Wake: A Faith Fairchild Mystery by Katherine Hall Page

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Faith Fairchild is back in book number 25, and bodies keep falling in her way. Despite her best intentions to enjoy the peace of Sanpere Island, Faith is quickly caught up in a murder investigatio…all while distracting her friends (Pix and Sophie) from their worries, preparing to cater the wedding of Pix’s daughter, and supporting daughter Amy in her first summer job as a chef-in-training. While it doesn’t make for a relaxing vacation, it does make an enjoyable book.

When an author has written a character for as long as Katherine Hall Page has penned Faith, you might expect the series to grow stale. Fortunately for us, Faith isn’t trapped in a time warp and has been allowed to age and watch her children grow. These changes make sure that each book remains fresh and interesting. This book is perfect for a summer afternoon in a hammock.

I received a copy via LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers.



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Counterfeit

Counterfeit by Guillermo Valcárcel

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Counterfeit is a Spanish thriller that has been translated and published by Amazon Crossing. I’ve had good luck discovering new international authors via Amazon Crossing (because, unfortunately, I only speak English) and found the the premise of Counterfeit intriguing. An antique hunter and counterfeiter is commissioned to find an old clock; his hunt through the markets in Madrid leads to old partners and enemies. The story was slow to engage me, moving along at what I found to be ponderous pace. I made it about 25% of the way through and I’m still confused by the storyline. Jota’s past is hinted at, but never clearly revealed, and I’m unsure how everyone relates to each other. At this point, I don’t think I will finish the book; perhaps I’ll pick it up again at some point, but right now it’s not something that I’d recommend.

I received a digital ARC via a goodreads giveaway.




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