Let’s start with a very ‘chick’ book that’s second in a series, then on to two Urban Fantasy series entries.
Grace Under Pressure isn’t my first Melissa Schroeder book, but it was a surprise as it was far more gentle and sweet than I was expecting. This is something like a romance with a mystery cozy – not quite true romantic suspense, like Anne Stuart or Rozanne St Claire, but more like Denise Swanson’s Scrumble River meets contemporary romance. Published by Samhain with a sexy cover, it does contain a few hot sex scenes, it is most definitely NOT erotic romance. (more…)
Here we go with a bunch more reviews, mostly ebooks – novellas, short novels, and full novels.
This romantic mystery by new author Brit Ryan had a terrific start and initially I liked Lily MacInnes. Unfortunately, the story got choppy and nearly unintelligible at points and Lily behaved like an idiot in a ‘too-stupid-too-live’ chick-lit book. The worst was when they suspected she’d been slipped a ‘roofie’ and her new police superintendent boyfriend, Paul Mascara, insisted on a blood test and she threw a tantrum that would have annoyed me in an eight year old. On top of that, the moron who drugged her may end up partner in her (more…)
I read Jana DeLeon’s first two books, Unlucky and Rumble in the Bayou, and enjoyed them, so when Trouble in Mudbug came out I bought it. I’m glad I did. Published by LoveSpell as a Romantic Mystery, the romantic part takes a back seat to the mystery. In fact, through most of the first half or more of the book, Maryse Robicheaux, (A nod to mystery’s grand master James Lee Burke’s famous bayou detective Dave Robicheaux?) barely even sees Luc LeJeune, so calling it a ‘romance’ is kind of a stretch. The ghost of Maryse’s late mother-in-law, Helene, has a bigger role than Luc, so I consider it more a paranormal cozy mystery. Regardless of what you call it, it’s a good read. Trouble in Mudbug is first in a series of Mudbug Ghost-in-law series.
Maryse Robicheaux and her best friend Sabine are in church for the funeral of Maryse’s mother-in-law from hell, Helene Henry, the richest woman in Mudbug but not its most loved. Suddenly, Helene sits up in her casket and starts complaining – but no one seems to notice. Maryse does her level best to pretend she doesn’t see her waving and yelling at people as she walks down the aisle, then faints when Helene does it to her. That night, after assuring her friends Sabine and Mildred she’s really fine, Maryse makes a quick stop at the office. A drop dead gorgeous stranger is sitting at HER desk! Seems Luc LeJeune is a state zoologist on temporary assignment and will be working from the same office space. Nosy man was trying to get into her computer ostensibly for business. Hrumph! She makes him feel unwelcome and leaves – being sure to close her computer down. Damn it’s been a long day.
Marsey heads to her boat access only house out in the bayou to think about next day’s reading of Helena’s will. Helene not exactly fond of Maryse. For the last two years she’d been paying Helene back for the loan she needed to pay off the debtors her son Hank ran out on when he fled. Would Helene leave her another bill? Marsey is convinced the world’s goes mad when she sees Helene’s ghost walking on water to reach her house. Helene claims she’s been murdered. It’s obvious even to Mayse that Helene knows a lot more than she’s saying, but Marsey is stuck. She wants Helene’s help finding her worthless son Hank so Maryse can finalize her damn divorce from the bum. State law requires he be served. Helene can’t move on till she figures out who murdered her and Maryse is the only one who sees her. Neither is happy, but for the moment, they just might need each other. (more…)
I finally decided to take a break from my attempts to get into Dead Silence by Randy Wayne White and went for something much lighter, a romantic mystery by Christie Craig – Weddings Can Be Murder. I haven’t read any of her work before, but this looked interesting so, what the heck. This is a Lovespell Contemporary Romance, but honestly, it really is a romantic mystery.
First of all, let me just say that despite some reviewer comments, Craig did not have the same feel as Evanovich. Yes, it has humor to it, but not the kind of ‘screwball’ edge that Evanovich always has, even early on in the Plum series. Plus, this isn’t part of series, but a standalone that seems to follow Craig’s formula of ‘innocent female bystander caught up in a crime’ and ‘hunky detective’. As formulas go, not new, but not bad and the success can be measured by how involved you get with the characters.
Someone is killing the clients of wedding planner Tabitha Jones. She contacts Carl Hades, ex-cop turned PI, for help when the police just blow off her reports of missing brides. Sunday afternoon finds him off to see Tabitha when he’d rather not. Katie Ray is an art gallery owner who is a client of Tabitha’s, not so much by choice, but because Tabitha is a good customer and a bad woman to cross. Unfortunately, Katie spent the morning throwing up and dealing with trying to convince herself and her best friend Leslie Grayson that she really did want to marry Joe Lyon. She wasn’t getting married so she wouldn’t feel so alone after the accident that took both parents and her brother Mike – Les’s fiancée. It wasn’t nerves causing the problem. Really! Right up to where she accidentally flushed her $8,000 diamond engagement ring. Les may have moved away after the accident, but she’s been best friends with Katie since they were kids and she’s convinced the marriage is a big mistake. Engagement rings don’t get ‘accidentally’ flushed. Meanwhile, Joe is getting fitted for his tux when he realizes he has doubts of his own. (more…)
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