Tag: mysteries
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Book review: Death in Focus by Anne Perry
Death in Focus by Anne Perry My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve been a fan of Anne Perry’s for a long time, and I was delighted to see that she had a new series. This is the debut novel of the Elena Standish mystery series. And while the book is a debut novel of…
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Book review: The Innocents by C.A. Asbrey
The Innocents by C.A. Asbrey My rating: 4 of 5 stars This isn’t the normal setting for my preferred historical mystery books as the book takes place in the U.S. in the late 1860s, but I couldn’t resist the premise of a female Pinkerton detective. Abigail McKay is one of the few female detectives working…
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Book review: The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas
The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the 4th in the Lady Sherlock series, a clever re-imagining of the Sherlock Holmes character as a woman, with all of the societal constraints implied therein. Each book in the series has been excellent, and this one is no exception.…
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Book review: The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie King
The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is the 14th in the series of Mary Russell (wife of Sherlock Holmes). This installment is particularly enchanting as it deals with Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock Holmes’s famous landlady. It turns out that Mrs. Hudson has a backstory and…
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Book review: Deadly Engagement by Lucinda Brant
Deadly Engagement by Lucinda Brant My rating: 4 of 5 stars In this current period of “social distancing,” it’s best to have large amounts of reading material on hand. (Not that my to-be-read pile has done anything but grow over the years.) Enter a Georgian historical mystery series!This is the first in a series featuring…
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Book review: The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner
The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is the first in a historical mystery series. The protagonist is a veteran of the Napoleonic wars and has returned to England with no money, no prospects, and PTSD. This is no light-hearted and frothy mystery but, rather, a gritty…
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Book review: Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne
Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne My rating: 3 of 5 stars Historical mysteries are a tricky balancing act. On one hand, the author should paint a realistic portrait of the period and needs to include the necessary details to describe the setting in which the mystery takes place. On the other hand, the author…
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Book review: Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien
Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is a perfect beach read, especially if you are Asian-American. The main character, Lana Lee, grew up helping out with her parents’ restaurant. Life goes a bit sideways on her, and she’s returned to work there while sorting out her life, putting…
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Book review: Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer
Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars actual rating I adore Georgette Heyer Regency romances, and I am very fond of her mysteries as well. This particular one is completely representative of Heyer mysteries. There is a large quantity of witty dialogue, acute and funny commentary on…
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Book review: A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas
A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the second book in Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series, and I think it is even better than the first. Or, rather, the mystery is even better. The first book suffered (relatively speaking, as it was excellent) from having to set…