I hope everyone is having a wonderful Halloween! Halloween is a wonderful holiday for kids who get to dress up and be someone else for a night and get candy on top of it! For adults, some do still dress up for costume parties or even to give out candy. If you haven't had the chance to wear a costume, you can still get away from real life and get lost in a book.
If you're looking for a mystery, there are a few good Halloween-themed mysteries. Here are a few good ones you could try:
Halloween Party by Agatha Christie
Murder She Wrote: Trick or Treachery by Jessica Fletcher/Donald Bain
All Hallows' Evil by Valerie Wolzien
Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier
The Seventh Witch by Shirley Damsgaard (Technically not a Halloween mystery, but there are plenty of witches. Very suspenseful.)
If you're looking for something a bit more scary to get in the "spirit", here are a few of the scariest books I've read that are well-suited for Halloween.
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
It by Stephen King
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
The Exorcist byWilliam Peter Blatty
The Shining by Stephen King
Hope this gives you some ideas for a new book to try. Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Marcia Muller's latest Sharon McCone mystery
I have been ready Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series for several years. I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of her lastest book in the series:
City Of Whispers
Marcia Muller
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-446-57333-7
Rating: 4 Stars
It has been one year since San Francisco Private Investigator Sharon McCone was hospitalized in a near coma, and she is slowly getting her stamina back and learning to live with the after effects. Sharon receives a cryptic E-mail from her troubled half-brother Darcy Blackhawk asking for help, but Sharon doesn’t know how to reach him. While searching for Darcy, Sharon finds a dead body at a location her brother has been seen, but there is no sign of Darcy. It’s murder and this case seems to be connected to an unresolved murder of a young heiress, but what Sharon really wants to know is do either of these cases have anything to do with Darcy and where is he?
“City of Whispers” is the latest installment in the long-running Sharon McCone series. Sometimes an ongoing series like this one can get stale, but this book shows there are still interesting tales left to tell about Sharon’s adventures. The story is told from alternating points of view: Sharon, Sharon’s nephew Mick Savage, and Darcy. This keeps the story moving, builds suspense, and keeps the reader interested in what is going to happen next. I was intrigued about what was really going on with Darcy and the two murder cases.
Sharon’s point of view of the investigation makes up the backbone of the book. Sharon is the main character, so it is always interesting to see the case through her eyes. Sharon is a complex character. She is independent, but is learning to deal with her new health-related limitations. She can be prickly, but is a caring person and continues with her search for Darcy, who she doesn’t necessarily like, but keeps looking because he’s family and it’s the right thing to do.
Having a number of the chapters told form Mick’s point of view works well. Mick is impulsive, smart, and likeable and adds some needed fun into the series. He and Sharon have a bit of a role-reversal in this book with Sharon doing some of the computer research and Mick investigating in the field. They seem to gain a new appreciation of what the other one contributes to the agency, and the reader gets to see them in new situations.
The few chapters told by Darcy are helpful in the overall story since the reader gets to experience what he is thinking and feeling. However, because Darcy is so disoriented, either from drugs or mental illness, his chapters are confusing and sad. While these chapters play an important part in the book, they are often challenging to understand, and a bit frustrating.
Many of the important supporting characters from prior books are included, but aren’t present throughout the entire book. Sharon’s friend, former assistant, and now sister-in-law Rae is a favorite character of mine due to her intelligence and outspoken manner. She shows her usual spunk, but makes too brief of an appearance in the book. Rae’s housekeeper Mrs. Wellcome makes some very insightful and helpful observations about some of the people involved in the investigation. Her curiosity, along with her eavesdropping skills, would make her an interesting addition to future investigations. Fan’s of Sharon’s husband Hy Ripinsky may be disappointed to see he isn’t involved a lot at the beginning of the story, but will be glad to see he plays an important role toward the end.
There are a few political comments in the book, and some come across better than others. Opinions in reference to 9-11 flow smoothly and fit in with the subject being discussed. Others, such as criticism of a specific TV network, seem random and don’t add to the story.
In spite of this, I enjoyed this installment and look forward to upcoming books in this series. I have followed the series for several years, but new readers would also be able to enjoy the book. However much of Sharon‘s back story and details about the many wonderful supporting characters aren‘t included in this book and require reading some of the earlier books in the series. If you aren’t familiar with Marcia Muller, but enjoy Sara Paretsky or Sue Grafton, then you will want to add “City of Whispers” to your reading list.
This book was provided to me by NetGalley, courtesy of Grand Central Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.
City Of Whispers
Marcia Muller
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-446-57333-7
Rating: 4 Stars
It has been one year since San Francisco Private Investigator Sharon McCone was hospitalized in a near coma, and she is slowly getting her stamina back and learning to live with the after effects. Sharon receives a cryptic E-mail from her troubled half-brother Darcy Blackhawk asking for help, but Sharon doesn’t know how to reach him. While searching for Darcy, Sharon finds a dead body at a location her brother has been seen, but there is no sign of Darcy. It’s murder and this case seems to be connected to an unresolved murder of a young heiress, but what Sharon really wants to know is do either of these cases have anything to do with Darcy and where is he?
“City of Whispers” is the latest installment in the long-running Sharon McCone series. Sometimes an ongoing series like this one can get stale, but this book shows there are still interesting tales left to tell about Sharon’s adventures. The story is told from alternating points of view: Sharon, Sharon’s nephew Mick Savage, and Darcy. This keeps the story moving, builds suspense, and keeps the reader interested in what is going to happen next. I was intrigued about what was really going on with Darcy and the two murder cases.
Sharon’s point of view of the investigation makes up the backbone of the book. Sharon is the main character, so it is always interesting to see the case through her eyes. Sharon is a complex character. She is independent, but is learning to deal with her new health-related limitations. She can be prickly, but is a caring person and continues with her search for Darcy, who she doesn’t necessarily like, but keeps looking because he’s family and it’s the right thing to do.
Having a number of the chapters told form Mick’s point of view works well. Mick is impulsive, smart, and likeable and adds some needed fun into the series. He and Sharon have a bit of a role-reversal in this book with Sharon doing some of the computer research and Mick investigating in the field. They seem to gain a new appreciation of what the other one contributes to the agency, and the reader gets to see them in new situations.
The few chapters told by Darcy are helpful in the overall story since the reader gets to experience what he is thinking and feeling. However, because Darcy is so disoriented, either from drugs or mental illness, his chapters are confusing and sad. While these chapters play an important part in the book, they are often challenging to understand, and a bit frustrating.
Many of the important supporting characters from prior books are included, but aren’t present throughout the entire book. Sharon’s friend, former assistant, and now sister-in-law Rae is a favorite character of mine due to her intelligence and outspoken manner. She shows her usual spunk, but makes too brief of an appearance in the book. Rae’s housekeeper Mrs. Wellcome makes some very insightful and helpful observations about some of the people involved in the investigation. Her curiosity, along with her eavesdropping skills, would make her an interesting addition to future investigations. Fan’s of Sharon’s husband Hy Ripinsky may be disappointed to see he isn’t involved a lot at the beginning of the story, but will be glad to see he plays an important role toward the end.
There are a few political comments in the book, and some come across better than others. Opinions in reference to 9-11 flow smoothly and fit in with the subject being discussed. Others, such as criticism of a specific TV network, seem random and don’t add to the story.
In spite of this, I enjoyed this installment and look forward to upcoming books in this series. I have followed the series for several years, but new readers would also be able to enjoy the book. However much of Sharon‘s back story and details about the many wonderful supporting characters aren‘t included in this book and require reading some of the earlier books in the series. If you aren’t familiar with Marcia Muller, but enjoy Sara Paretsky or Sue Grafton, then you will want to add “City of Whispers” to your reading list.
This book was provided to me by NetGalley, courtesy of Grand Central Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Mary Daheim's Latest Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery
"All The Pretty Hearses" by Mary Daheim
2011 HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-06-135158-7
Rating: 4 Stars
Mary Daheim is the author of two popular long-running series. My favorite is the Alpine series featuring the owner of the town’s newspaper Emma Lord. Emma is intelligent, witty, a fair boss, and considerate friend. Judith McMonigle Flynn, the main character of the Bed-and-Breakfast mystery series shares some traits with Emma, but her wit can come off as more sarcastic and negative than Emma’s. Although I prefer the Alpine series, I recently read “All The Pretty Hearses”, the latest installment in the Bed-and-Breakfast series. I was pleased to see that Judith’s sarcasm had been tuned down a little and the conversations she had with her cousin Renie were amusing and not annoying the way they have been in some of the previous books in this series.
“All the Pretty Hearses” begins with Judith hosting the aptly named “Paine” family to a donated stay at the bed and breakfast. Then, her beloved husband Joe’s latest case comes to an abrupt end when the target of his investigation is murdered. Even worse, a rookie policeman is convinced Joe is guilty of the murder, and it’s up to Judith to find the real killer. Although the book is part of a long-running series, the author cleverly works background information about the characters into the story in the first few chapters of the book.
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very entertaining. Paine family dinner debacle that Judith hosts to fulfill her donation to a local school’s fundraising event is both funny and related to the main plot. There were several “laugh out loud” moments during these scenes.
In some of the prior books in this series, Judith and her cousin Renie’s friendly bickering can become irritating. However, maybe because Judith really needs her cousin’s help this time to prove Joe’s innocence, but Renie is less abrasive this time around. Judith and Renie work together to investigate the murder, and their scenes are amusing instead of annoying.
On the other hand, I find Judith’s mother Gertrude to be as unlikable as ever in this book. She’s always a challenge for Judith to get along with, but she hits an all-time low this time claiming that seeing Joe arrested was the most fun she has had since the funeral of Judith’s first husband Dan. Maybe this is supposed to be humorous, but I find it bordering on cruel.
The book moves fast, due to the many characters and plot turns. In fact, it started to get a little confusing, but things are wrapped up and explained at the end. The book ends perfectly with a recipe for Renie’s infamous Shrimp Dump.
I received this book free from Amazon in return for an honest review.
2011 HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-06-135158-7
Rating: 4 Stars
Mary Daheim is the author of two popular long-running series. My favorite is the Alpine series featuring the owner of the town’s newspaper Emma Lord. Emma is intelligent, witty, a fair boss, and considerate friend. Judith McMonigle Flynn, the main character of the Bed-and-Breakfast mystery series shares some traits with Emma, but her wit can come off as more sarcastic and negative than Emma’s. Although I prefer the Alpine series, I recently read “All The Pretty Hearses”, the latest installment in the Bed-and-Breakfast series. I was pleased to see that Judith’s sarcasm had been tuned down a little and the conversations she had with her cousin Renie were amusing and not annoying the way they have been in some of the previous books in this series.
“All the Pretty Hearses” begins with Judith hosting the aptly named “Paine” family to a donated stay at the bed and breakfast. Then, her beloved husband Joe’s latest case comes to an abrupt end when the target of his investigation is murdered. Even worse, a rookie policeman is convinced Joe is guilty of the murder, and it’s up to Judith to find the real killer. Although the book is part of a long-running series, the author cleverly works background information about the characters into the story in the first few chapters of the book.
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very entertaining. Paine family dinner debacle that Judith hosts to fulfill her donation to a local school’s fundraising event is both funny and related to the main plot. There were several “laugh out loud” moments during these scenes.
In some of the prior books in this series, Judith and her cousin Renie’s friendly bickering can become irritating. However, maybe because Judith really needs her cousin’s help this time to prove Joe’s innocence, but Renie is less abrasive this time around. Judith and Renie work together to investigate the murder, and their scenes are amusing instead of annoying.
On the other hand, I find Judith’s mother Gertrude to be as unlikable as ever in this book. She’s always a challenge for Judith to get along with, but she hits an all-time low this time claiming that seeing Joe arrested was the most fun she has had since the funeral of Judith’s first husband Dan. Maybe this is supposed to be humorous, but I find it bordering on cruel.
The book moves fast, due to the many characters and plot turns. In fact, it started to get a little confusing, but things are wrapped up and explained at the end. The book ends perfectly with a recipe for Renie’s infamous Shrimp Dump.
I received this book free from Amazon in return for an honest review.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Hello!
I am just getting started with this blog, so please excuse the lack of content! I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts about books, especially mysteries.
I started by reviewing a few books on Amazon and am now a top reviewer. The rankings change all the time, but I'm currently in the top 2,100. After getting experience on Amazon, I was able to start reviewing books for Beverley Kendall and www.theseasonforromance.com. So until I get this blog up and running, feel free to check out my review's on Bev's site, along with the other wonderful reviewers on The Season E-Zine.
I started by reviewing a few books on Amazon and am now a top reviewer. The rankings change all the time, but I'm currently in the top 2,100. After getting experience on Amazon, I was able to start reviewing books for Beverley Kendall and www.theseasonforromance.com. So until I get this blog up and running, feel free to check out my review's on Bev's site, along with the other wonderful reviewers on The Season E-Zine.
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