What You Don’t See by Tracy Clark

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Cass Raines is back in a case that quickly becomes personal. She joins her former partner, Ben Mickerson, as a bodyguard for a female media mogul who’s receiving death threats, only to be dragged into an investigation when Ben gets attacked. Complicating matters are the reappearance of her estranged father who’s moving back to Chicago with his new family, and her new relationship with Eli. Cass is a smart tough PI who will go to great lengths to protect her family. Great storytelling and characters.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for access to a digital ARC.



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The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It’s not often that I find a new approach to murder mysteries, but The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne was a definitely unique offering. Set in London in 1703, the book centers on the untimely death of a renowned collector. In perhaps the forerunner of “citizen science,” the collectors accumulated and cataloged specimens from around the world in curiosity cabinets. Lady Cecily Kay, a woman possessed of a most “unfeminine” interest in questions, has been sent home from Smyrna after expressing too much interest in her husband’s business affairs; she has traveled to Sir Barnaby’s home to identify her plant samples and is on the scene when he is murdered shortly after leading a tour of his collection.

Lady Kay joins forces with a childhood friend–a gifted illustrator who happens to also be staying at Sir Barnaby’s–and the two women track down lead after lead in an attempt to save an innocent man from the gallows. This is a nice addition to the historical mystery genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for access to a digital ARC.



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The Secrets of Bones

The Secrets of Bones by Kylie Logan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Secrets of Bones is book two in the Jazz Ramsey series. Though Jazz moonlights as a cadaver (or HRD) dog trainer and a dog is featured prominently on the cover, this book isn’t really about the dog (unlike the K-9 mysteries by Paula Munier, Margaret Mizushima, and Susan Furlong). Jazz and Wally, her HRD dog in training, are last minute substitutes on career day at the Catholic girls school where Jazz works, and of course they uncover some remains! Jazz is a change of pace as a protagonist, neither embittered nor on a mission, and I enjoyed reading about her exploits. I was able to figure out the key to mystery a few chapters from the end, so there aren’t any big surprises in store, but it is an enjoyable read. Though it was the second in a series, I had no difficulty getting into the story. I plan to pick up the first book, and don’t think there will be any letdown in reading the books out of order.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.



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