The Man Who Died Twice (2021) (TMC #2) by Richard Osman. The Murder Club is back in action when Elizabeth gets a letter from a man who has been dead The Man Who Died Twice (2021) (TMC #2) by Richard Osman. The Murder Club is back in action when Elizabeth gets a letter from a man who has been dead for a very long time. He invites her to his residence in the retirement village for a glass of wine and talk. Intrigued, she accepts and meets him the next day only to discover a major surprise. The man is not who he said he was, but someone who was deeply connected to Elizabeth in the past. When there is an assassination attempt on the mas, the entire club gets involved in a diabolical plot that includes stolen diamonds at its heart, the Mafia. an illegal banker, Ron’s grandson, an assault on Ibrahim that the club has to set to rights, and a love affair for DCI Chris Hudson. There is a killer on the loose, diamonds valued at 20 million pounds, and duplicity between old friends and lovers. Chock-a-block full of the fun and wit of the original, with a greater depth given to each of the septuagenarians, this is more than an adequate follow on to the original novel. Mr. Osman manages to not have a sophomore slump with this book but rather inflates everything and everyone involved with a greater sense of meaning and purpose. And did I say this was an extremely fun read, as good as or better than the original? If I didn’t I’m saying it now. ...more
The Christie Curse (2013) (Book Coll #1) by Victoria Abbott. This mother/daughter writing duo now have several mysteries out, but this is the first a The Christie Curse (2013) (Book Coll #1) by Victoria Abbott. This mother/daughter writing duo now have several mysteries out, but this is the first and the only one I have read. I was slightly disappointed in that the book had very little to do with Agatha Christie or the mystery surrounding her disappearance for more than a week. Once I got past that I let myself enjoy what turned out to be a nice mystery that introduced what seem to be a rather large cast on on-going characters. Jordan Bingham has tentatively secured herself a position working for the richest, and most hated, woman in town. Jordan is to continue the search for a rumored play that Miss Christie may have written during her “missing” time. The play would be worth a fortune, enough to kill someone over, which is what happened to the young man who was Jordan’s predecessor. We get introduced to Jordan’s Irish clan of uncles, five or six of them, possibly more in the future, who are on the shady side of the law in their upstate New York town. Miss Van Alst, her new employer, is a picture of the angry spinster, now confined to a wheelchair after a horrible accident. There are a couple of police officers added in to either act as angel or demon to Jordan, but which is which is left to the reader for most of the book. A small crop of temporary participants fill out the cast, adding interest and insight, and a body or two to be attacked, to give the story more oomph. But the real treat is Jordan herself. Smart, funny, inventive and fearless/reckless enough to get into major trouble and almost always to get herself back out. Think Stephanie Plum but with more reliance on the brains it took to get her degree and less on her cuteness to get help from the men who throw themselves at her. And in this book the men don’t yet act like puppy dogs vying for a piece of meat. This is a good start to what might be a great series. It is a bit of a shame that the plot veered away from Christie so quickly leaving us with a sort of standard “cute girl” detective story like so many cozy mysteries. Standard, but well written.
Die Like An Eagle (2016) by Donna Andrews. Meg Langslow, star of this 20th addition to the series written by Ms. Andrews, is the kind of woman people Die Like An Eagle (2016) by Donna Andrews. Meg Langslow, star of this 20th addition to the series written by Ms. Andrews, is the kind of woman people love to hate. Every small town needs at least one “Alpha” female to take charge of just about everything just to make sure anything gets done. And she is just an ideal small town sleuth who butts into everyone’s troubles especially when there is a murder involved. Caerphilly has a lot of murders, so many that it makes me wonder why any one would want to live there. I suppose many people don’t want to but are to lazy to move away. Anyway, a murdered man is found stuffed in a portable toilet at the little kids baseball diamond. While not a nice man in life, Meg suspects it was his brother Biff who was the real target. A whole bunch of snooping ensues, some veiled threats are made. Meg pries into yet more small town seediness, and her husband happily tends to their flock of children. This is a nice read, nothing too thrilling or dangerous happens, and of course Meg solves the crime. Why Caerphilly even needs police is beyond me....more
Presumed Puzzled (2015) (Puzzle Lady #17) by Parnell Hall. Seventeen murders in the small town of Bakerhaven and all have crossword puzzles deeply in Presumed Puzzled (2015) (Puzzle Lady #17) by Parnell Hall. Seventeen murders in the small town of Bakerhaven and all have crossword puzzles deeply involved. Really? Perhaps it is time for the author to rethink his choice of clues or perhaps move onto his other series. It beggars belief that something like this could happen so often in such a small location. Then again, that is the problem with almost all amateur sleuth stories. Anyway, Cora (The Puzzle Lady) and the Chief of Police trip on over to Pam Martingale’s house because her missing husband is supposed to be heading home. When they get there Pam is standing over her dead husband, bloody knife in hand. Complications ensue, twists that stretch the bounds of believability, and soon it is Cora who is the leading suspect. The puzzles that are included are great, in fact, for me they were the most interesting part of the book. But the story is too contrived for my taste, the plot twists beyond belief, and the thought that people would actually behave in this fashion is beyond my comprehension. But if you like this series, you’ll like this one also....more
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