Gilded Newport

Murder at the Elms

by Alyssa Maxwell

In the latest Gilded Newport Mystery, Emma is adapting to married life but still using her maiden name professionally. She also finds that her marriage to wealthy Derrick Andrews has created a barrier between her and the working-class Newporters she grew up with; this distance is evident when she covers a strike by servants at The Elms, one of the new “cottages” in town. In one of their first social engagements as a married couple, Derrick and Emma attend a musicale at The Elms and have a front-row seat to the theft of a fabulous necklace rumored to have belonged to Marie Antoinette and the death of the only maid who didn’t strike. In her typical fashion, Alyssa Maxwell crafts an excellent period mystery with an engaging heroine and many twists and turns.

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

Science and mystery for the win!

A Generation of Vipers

by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

To paraphrase Indiana Jones, “Why did it have to be snakes?” Nell is working overtime to complete an ecological survey on time and within budget when she stumbles over a dead body. The corpse calls to mind several cold cases that are a high priority for her ex James’ team to solve. There’s no lack of potential suspects as the new employees at Neil’s firm are all behaving suspiciously. The last thing Nell wants to do is track down a murderer–the only advantage to the job was its proximity to Rav’s hospital–but she must join forces with James to winnow the pool down before the killer strikes again! Another engaging read in this series from, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, filled with realistic details about the work of ecologists.

Thanks to Embla Books for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

Faye Longchamp in Wrecked

I love the Faye Longchamp series about a smart, strong woman who’s trying to run her own business, raise her family, and protect her family home…and who just seems to end up with murders in her vicinity! In the latest, a close friend dies in a suspicious diving accident, Faye and Joe help their neighbors recover from a hurricane, and Faye navigates the tricky landscaping of raising a smart, strong daughter. Great story!

Wrecked is by Mary Anna Evans and published by Poison Pen Press.

I read a digital arc via Edelweiss+

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard: A Cajun Country Mystery by Ellen Byron

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It seemed like a good idea at the time to Maggie Crozat, but she quickly comes to regret suggesting the Spooky Past vacation packages and employing her long-lost cousin at the B&B’s spa. Not only does the Cajun equivalent of a werewolf start appearing to scare guests, her cousin turns up dead and Maggie’s the main suspect.

With all the Southern hospitality you’d expect from Ellen Byron, Murder in the Bayou Boneyard is a nice addition to the Cajun Country Mystery series.

I received access to a digital ARC from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley.



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Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery

This is the second book about Vera Kelly, a twenty-something gay woman trying to make a life in 1960’s NYC. I hadn’t read the first book–and hadn’t even realized that there was a first book– so it’s safe to say that this works as a stand-alone. In 1967, homosexuality is not accepted in mainstream society, and Vera’s outing after her girlfriend moves out costs Vera her job. She decides to fall back on the skills learned as a CIA agent and open a private investigator agency.

As might be expected, both her sex and her sexuality work against here, but Vera is undaunted. When she takes a case looking for a Dominican couple’s missing nephew, she finds a lot more than she bargained for. This is good mix-up of a missing person mystery and a spy thriller, and I was rooting for Vera all the way.

Recommended for those looking for a strong female lead in a setting that’s out of the ordinary.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher (WW Norton) via NetGalley.

Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another great addition to the Mary Russell canon. This series works well because it’s not just another Sherlock Holmes knock-off; Sherlock is present, but as a supporting character and these are Mary’s stories. Throughout the series, we’ve seen Mary grow from a 15-year-old girl struggling with the deaths of her family to become a self-assured woman of 25.

In this outing, Mary travels to the Riviera where she encounters some ex-pat Americans, including a couple named Scotty and Zelda, as well as Pablo Picasso, and Mrs. Hudson. After the adventures in the Murder of Mary Russell, Mrs Hudson has retreated to the Mediterranean.

Despite now knowing about Clarissa Hudson’s past, Mary only feels love and gratitude towards the woman who brought acceptance and warmth into her teenage years. When Mrs Hudson is accused of murder, Mary maintains her faith in the woman and continues to show Sherlock that he still doesn’t understand women as she follows the threads to the end.

Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for access to a digital ARC.



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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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Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


With Proof of Murder, I have read all 4 books in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series. While I enjoyed the first two, I admit that I found the third a bit of a slog. I’m happy to say that this fourth book has brought the series back on track. In her personal life, Addie has made a choice (and no more love triangle nonsense to deal with), and professionally her bookstore is flourishing. In this outing, Addie is confronted with a locked-room murder mystery and the disappearance of some rare Sherlock Holmes books–that she may be the only one to have seen.

Addie is quickly named as the prime suspect in the untimely death of an unlikable appraiser, and must use her sleuthing skills to clear her name and identify the real culprit. Good, engaging read; I finished it in a day and was satisfied with the outcome. Recommended for all fans of cozies.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a digital ARC.



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