Reviews from MICHELLE CONNELL
JANUARY - FEBRUARY REVIEWS
THE
BOOK OF OLD HOUSES
A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery
SARAH GRAVES
Bantam Books January, 2008
While
renovating her almost two-hundred-year-old house, Jacobia "Jake"
Tiptree discovers an old book with her name written in blood inside.
A little spooky, yes. She
sends the book off to an expert in ancient manuscripts to find out what he can
tell her. He is later murdered and
the book goes missing. What on earth
is going on? Is Jake in danger? Then,
shortly after Horace is murdered, a stranger comes to town saying he is an old
friend of his. How does anybody know
he didn't kill Horace and is now looking for the book?
Who can Jake trust? Jake has
other matters to attend to while trying to solve this mystery.
She has to get her recently demolished bathroom in somewhat running order
before she hosts a teacher's fiftieth anniversary party at her house.
Why did she ever volunteer to host it?
If that isn't enough, Jake's father wants to marry Bella, Jake's
housekeeper. Bella says no way, she
likes her life and it's too late to start over.
What will Jake do? Will Jake
be able to solve all these problems before losing her mind or her life?
This is a good story with likeable characters and readers will want to
read
Graves
' earlier books.
- Michelle Connell
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NOVEMBER - DECEMBER REVIEWS
PEPPERMINT
TWISTED
A Candy Shop
Mystery
SAMMI CARTER
Berkley
Prime Crime PBO 12/07
Paradise,
Colorado, is home to Abby Shaw and her
candy store, Divinity. Abby
inherited the store from her Aunt Grace and is trying to keep it in the black.
Abby is on the committee for the local annual arts festival, but trouble
starts when Felicity Asbury, a wealthy resident, appoints herself as the
director for the last three weeks of planning.
Everyone threatens to quit the festival, and Abby and her friend Rachel
try to smooth ruffled feathers to keep the festival going.
When Felicity is found murdered in the parking lot of Divinity, Abby has
her work cut out for her. Apparently
Felicity had projects of her own going on in town, to the dismay of many who
live there. Was that the reason she
was killed? And why in front of
Abby's candy store? When the mayor
almost calls off the festival, it's time for Abby and Rachel to do some
sleuthing on their own. Can they
find the killer in time? A
delightful read in a small Colorado
town with likeable characters. HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED.
-
Michelle Connell
DEAD
MEN DON’T GET THE MUNCHIES
A Cooking Class
Mystery
MIRANDA BLISS
Berkley
Prime Crime PBO 12/07
Annie
Capshaw works as a bank teller by day and a business manager of Bellywasher's
Pub and Restaurant by night. One
night a week, a cooking class takes place in the popular D.C. establishment.
Annie helps her boyfriend and the pub owner, Jim, with the classes.
One of the session students, Brad Peterson, seems to have several enemies
wherever he shows up. Bellywasher's
is no exception. When Eve, the
restaurant's hostess, finds out Brad is a student, she swears she'll kill him.
When he does wind up dead, Eve is the first suspect on the list.
The whole cooking class heard her threat.
Annie knows Eve could never kill anyone and she tries to find the real
killer. Brad left a whole list of
suspects in his wake and it's no easy task to sort through them.
Eve and many other women were hurt in their careers by Brad's behavior.
Would one of them seek revenge by killing him?
Annie puts her investigative skills to work and tries to find the real
killer. An interesting story with
recipes included.
-
Michelle Connell
TURKEY
FLAMBÉ
A Culinary Mystery
with Recipes
NANCY FAIRBANKS
Berkley
Prime Crime PBO 11/07
Carolyn
Blue, a food writer, is asked to show her turkey flambé recipe at a book launch
in
New York City. When her turkeys catch fire
instead of browning, Carolyn knows something was tampered with to cause the
fire. Can she find the reason and
the perpetrator? Her husband, Jason,
was unable to attend the book launch, so her friend, ex-cop Luz, accompanies
her. Since many of the authors work
for the same agent and publishing company, Carolyn's list is of possible
suspects is long. Through the snowy New York
streets, subways, and ethnic meals, Luz and Carolyn find clues to help fry the
correct suspect.
-
Michelle Connell
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