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Slaves of Obsession. Anne Perry. 2000. 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "We are invited to dine with Mr. and Mrs. Alberton," Hester said in reply to Monk's questioning gaze across the breakfast table.

Premise/plot: William and Hester Monk attend a dinner, and, soon most of the guests will be caught up in a murder case. The victim--one of several--is Mr. Alberton. And it looks like he's been killed by someone he knew, someone he entertained in his own home. Monk isn't directly on the murder case, so to speak, but he's hired by Mrs. Alberton to find her missing daughter and bring her back home, no matter what. And the number one suspect in the case is the daughter's love-interest. So chances are, if you find one you may find the other. So Hester and Monk have their hands full in this one. It takes place on TWO continents. (The daughter has fled to the United States....)

My thoughts: I really am enjoying this series again. I really like seeing Hester and William settle down into married life. I really love seeing these two love and respect and cherish one another! Yet the romance in the book is never in-your-face or time-consuming. Instead it is in the background, subtle. The issue in this book is "slavery" and whether it's right or wrong to sell guns to the South. Does someone who sells guns for a living have a moral obligation to sell guns only to people whom he agrees 100% with? Does he have the right to refuse to sell guns to interested buyers because he finds their cause distasteful? Who is really capable of deciding which causes are good or bad?

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Twisted Root. Anne Perry. (William Monk #10) 1998. 368 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The young man stood in the doorway, his face pale, his fingers clenched on his hat, twisting it around and around.

Premise/plot: William Monk is hired by Lucius Stourbridge to find his missing fiancée, Miriam Gardner. She disappeared during a garden party without a word. Monk, newly married, takes the case. As he begins work on the case, he stumbles onto a murder case that might just prove relevant to his missing person case. Sergeant Robb has found the body of a coachman. Robb soon is eager to find Miriam too, her probably being the last to see him alive. Meanwhile Hester is not staying at home doing nothing. She is fighting for reform and change in the hospital community. She has noticed that someone has been stealing medicine from the hospital where she volunteers. It turns out the thief has a heart of gold and is a kindred spirit when it comes to caring and nursing veterans.

As so often is the case in Perry's novels, Monk, Hester, and Rathbone's paths and stories all cross. This one definitely has a twist ending.

My thoughts: I really am liking the series again. Silent Cry seems to have been the low point for me. I am glad that Monk and Hester have wed, and equally glad that not any time is devoted to their physical intimacy in the bedroom. I was very, very happy to get one scene between Rathbone and his dad!

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Cornish Coast Murder. John Bude. 1935. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The Reverend Dodd, Vicar of St. Micahel's-on-the-Cliff, stood at the window of his comfortable bachelor study looking out into the night.

Premise/plot: This vintage mystery stars several amateur detectives (a vicar and a doctor) and several professional detectives (police inspectors). The novel was easy to follow, but, is proving hard to remember--in terms of character names. The murder happens early in the novel. A stormy night is JUST what this murderer has been waiting for. He--or SHE--is able to fire THREE shots with hardly anyone being the wiser for it. There seem to be THOUSANDS of clues, but, contradictory, almost absurd or outlandish clues that instead of leading to a cohesive story lead to a dozen "maybe" stories. Who will be the first to solve this one?

My thoughts: I liked this one. Would I have loved it if I'd read it in two or three days instead of two or three weeks? Maybe. Maybe not. If this one has a weakness, it is that the solution isn't one that readers are ever, ever, ever going to be able to piece together on their own. I'm not sure that qualifies as a weakness. It's just that with so many suspects, so many clues, so many motives...the actual murderer seems to come out of nowhere. I personally like to be able to say, OH, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Breach of Promise. (William Monk #9) Anne Perry. 1999. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Oliver Rathbone leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

Premise/plot: A Breach of Promise is the ninth book in the William Monk mystery series by Anne Perry. In this one, Oliver Rathbone takes up a difficult, near-impossible-to-win case. His client, Killian Melville, is being sued for breach of promise. His friendship with Zillah Lambert was taken--by her family--as a romantic relationship. A whole wedding was PLANNED without him ever having said "I love you" or "Will you marry me?" Everything was assumed by Zillah's parents. Melville was late to catch on that he was "trapped." The case goes to trial, and, Rathbone calls on Monk to help him find something--anything--to help his client. Surely there is some reason why Melville refuses to marry her and claims that he CANNOT ever marry. Hester Latterly is nursing a patient that surprisingly enough is not directly connected in any way with the crime!!! But both Rathbone and Monk are depending on her to help them "make sense" of this case.

My thoughts: I loved this one. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. It ends with Monk decisively choosing to ask Hester something BIG. Now, have I been wanting these two together for many books? Yes and no. No, in that I personally *like* Rathbone better. And I think Oliver was just as much in love with Hester as Monk was/is. Also, I really ADORE Oliver's dad. And the thought of Hester being in that family and getting MORE of both Oliver and his Dad would have made me quite happy. That being said, it was obvious for several books now that Hester for whatever reason loves Monk. I don't know why she prefers Monk to Rathbone. I don't. But she does. So yes, I am glad that Monk stopped being stupid and argumentative enough to pop the question. If the two are destined to be together, I'd rather it be settled sooner rather than later.

Now, for the case itself. It was a twist upon twist. And I forbid myself to cheat even a little. So that helped. I think the series is guilty a bit of having modern opinions taken up by the historical characters and proclaimed a bit smugly. At times. But overall, I really found myself enjoying this one cover to cover.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Silent Cry. Anne Perry. 1998. 368 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: John Evan stood shivering as the January wind whipped down the alley.

Premise/plot: The Silent Cry is the eighth book in the William Monk mystery series by Anne Perry. (Perry has two ongoing Victorian mystery series.) While some books in the series have been disturbing and violent, this one seems even more so. Think of it as historical Law and Order SVU.

My thoughts: What can I say about the crime(s)? Honestly, I hated that aspect of this one. I will just add that it's best you don't accidentally--or purposefully--sneak a peek at the ending. In the case of this book, if you do it will ruin the entire book for you (like it did for me) and you will spend the entire book SCREAMING at the characters. That is if you keep the book in hand at all. In fact, it took me months to pick this one back up. I had been obsessively reading through one or two of Perry's books a month. Until this one. And I found myself not wanting to go on. I wanted to start the next book in the series. Part of me, was, WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK TO MOVE THE HESTER/MONK STORY LINE FORWARD? WHAT IF SOMETHING IMPORTANT HAPPENS IN ONE OF THE KEY RELATIONSHIPS OF THE SERIES. Rathbone and Hester, Hester and Monk, Monk and Rathbone. What if Monk gets a few new memories back and I miss it? So I *made* myself push forward into uncomfortable territory.

I will say this. I think it probably would have been safe to skip this one after all. WITH the exception that we do get one or two lovely scenes between Hester and Rathbone!!!

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Weighed in the Balance. Anne Perry. 1996. 373 pages. [Source: Library]

Out of all the William Monk mysteries that I've read so far, Weighed in the Balance was the one that has proved the hardest going. In other words, I found it dragging from almost start to finish. I'm not sure if it was my mood, or, if possibly it was the case, or perhaps even a bit of both.

Sir Oliver Rathbone has accepted a new case, for better or worse, and it's a matter of slander. He's defending a woman, a foreigner, Countess Zorah Rostova on a slander change. She has accused someone (Princess Gisela) of murder, and, won't back down even though there isn't a bit of evidence against the woman. Not that anyone looks until Rathbone hires William Monk to investigate. But still.
The case is frustrating and loathsome to him. Even after the trial starts, he is clueless as to what to say in her defense. He can't possibly win this case. It's a matter of how big a fool he wants to appear. Should he try to build a case that it is murder, or was murder, but that his client was mistaken in WHO did the crime? Or should he try to hush up the murder-aspect of it? Does he himself believe there was a crime committed? Can he work up a believable motive?

One character I appreciated more than the others in this one: Hester Latterly. I didn't have to yell at her even once while reading this one. I did, I must mention, have to yell at William Monk more than once. Rathbone, well, he always does the honorable thing, and rarely needs yelling at.

Hester has nursing duties in this book. She's tending a young man after an injury, and, he'll likely never walk again. She brings a young woman into his life, a woman first introduced in A Sudden Fearful Death. I do enjoy how the series works. It's a whole world the author has created, and, characters are always reappearing as they carry on their lives. It's nice to see. And it's not something you often see in a mystery series.


© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Mystery in White. J. Jefferson Farjeon. 1937/2014. 211 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The Great Snow began on the evening of December 19th. Shoppers smiled as they hurried home, speculating on the chance of a white Christmas.

Premise/plot: Mystery in White may start out on a train, but, it soon turns into a country house murder mystery with hints of ghosts of Christmas past. A handful of strangers sharing a compartment in a train decide to see if they can walk to the next station instead of waiting out the storm on board the train. Two of these strangers are related--a brother and sister, David and Lydia. Not everyone thinks it's a good idea--in fact some think it's horribly foolish. But soon the company finds themselves seeking shelter at a seemingly abandoned house. The tea is hot, there is evidence that someone was there just minutes before, but now no one. The strength of the storm leaves them with little choice but to stay there for the duration. One of their company has already fallen sick--a fever--and a second has injured an ankle.

My thoughts: The book is a very atmospheric mystery. It is just a satisfying read from beginning to end. The characters are interesting and flawed but a delight to spend time with.

This compelling mystery is now back in print. I definitely recommend it!


© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd. (Flavia de Luce #8) 2016. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The winter rain slashes at my face like icy razor blades, but I don't care. I dig my chin deep into the collar of my mackintosh, put my head down, and push on against the buffeting of the furious wind.

Premise/plot: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd is the EIGHTH novel in the Flavia de Luce mystery series by Alan Bradley. If you're not hooked to the series by now, chances are my review won't persuade you to pick this one up. Do you have to read the books in order? Yes and no. I'd say that it's always best to read the first book first. But perhaps after that if you've missed one or two then it would still be okay to pick up this newest one and treat yourself.

So, what is it about? Flavia de Luce is home from Canada--it's almost Christmas--and things are not the same at home. Her father is sick and in the hospital. Which means almost everyone is acting differently. And every day there is the question: will the hospital allow visitors today?!?! For too many days in a row the answer has been NO. One thing that is the same? There is a mystery to be solved. While doing an errand for Cynthia, I believe, she comes across a dead body--Mr. Sambridge, a local woodcarver.

My thoughts: The mystery in this one is very interesting in my opinion. While I've enjoyed the past few books in the series okay, I think this one is my favorite by far. It is COMPELLING and EMOTIONAL. And oh the ending....it revealed how much I do CARE about the characters and it made me want to yell at the author.

There are times when even family can be of no use: when talking to your own blood fails to have meaning.

As anybody with two older sisters can tell you, a closed door is like a red rag to a bull. It cannot go unchallenged.

Playing the clown is not an easy task. Clowns, I have come to believe, are placed upon the earth solely to fill the needs of others, while running perilously close to "Empty" themselves.

You can learn from a glance at anyone's library, not what they are, but what they wish to be.

Giving someone the benefit of the doubt is not so simple as it sounds. What it means, in fact, is being charitable--which, as the vicar is fond of pointing out, is the most difficult of the graces to master. Faith and hope are a piece of cake but charity is a Pandora's box: the monster in the cistern which, when the lid is opened, comes swarming out to seize you by the throat.

The world can be an interesting place to a girl who keeps her ears open.

Authors are known to have fiendishly clever minds, and the authors of children's books are more fiendishly clever than most.

Some sleeps are washed with gold, and some with silver. Mine was molten lead. 

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Cain His Brother. Anne Perry. 1995. 404 pages. [Source: Library]

I found Cain His Brother a bit of a disappointment after The Sins of the Wolf. Especially in the beginning. Readers be warned, you may spend a lot of time YELLING at William Monk. Especially in the first half of this one. William Monk has been somewhat sympathetic even if flawed in earlier books, but, in this one, well, the way he speaks to Hester is just ALL KINDS OF WRONG. I think it stood out more in this one because of how Sins of the Wolf ended. And it wasn't just that. Also he seems to be completely stupid and gullible sometimes where women are concerned. When Druscilla's character was introduced, for example, I started shouting warnings to Monk. He didn't listen. No matter how many times I tried to warn him. I ended up liking this story after all, but, only because Hester COMPLETELY redeems the situation and saves the day. Does he know it?! Of course not. And if he did, he'd probably just yell at Hester and dig a deeper hole for himself as far as I'm concerned. But still I enjoyed this one overall for how Hester, Monk, and Rathbone work together for justice. And the case they're working on is INTERESTING.

Angus Stonefield has been murdered--presumably--by his "evil" twin brother, Caleb Stone. There is no body, just bloody clothes and a missing person case. Some might argue, well, he tired of his wife, he decided to abandon his family, his job, and begin a new life somewhere else. And his clothes might have anyone's blood on them. The widow, Mrs. Stonefield, comes to William Monk desperate. She needs him to find enough proof that he can be declared dead. Sure she'd love justice, but, is realistic about the situation.

Hester and Lady Callandra, meanwhile, are busy nursing typhoid patients on the wrong side of town. The book is very much focused on poverty and the horrible living conditions in 1850s London.

There is plenty of detecting in this one, and, I think this one probably has the biggest twist so far in the series.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Murder in the Museum. John Rowland. 1938. Poisoned Pen Press. 250 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I really loved reading John Rowland's Murder in the Museum. It was a quick, entertaining read with filled with characters that you can't help wanting to spend time with.

The book opens with Henry Fairhurst happening upon a dead body at the British Museum--in the reading room. He speaks, of course, to the police inspectors--Inspector Shelley and (Constable) Cunningham--and they let slip that it was murder--poison, cyanide. While a bit shocked, perhaps, by the discovery, he's a bit thrilled underneath it all. Nothing like this has ever happened to him before--and the excitement of it, well, he doesn't want to let it go. He wants to help solve the case. They don't agree to this, not right away, of course. But as his volunteered tips prove useful on more than one occasion, soon, he's unofficially taking part.

The victim is a professor of Elizabethan literature, named Julius Arnell. His love of almonds--sugared almonds, I believe--did him in. That is where the poison was.

As I said I loved this one. I loved the mystery of it, the unfolding of clues and suspects. It was also a tension-filled read in many ways. There is more than one crime, for one thing, and readers see one crime in progress. It's a suspenseful read to be sure!!!

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Death in the Tunnel. Miles Burton. 1936/2016. Poisoned Pen Press. 232 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Though I may not have loved, loved, loved Death in the Tunnel by Miles Burton, I did find it a thoroughly enjoyable read. The murder in this murder mystery happens early on--in the first few page. And this murder occurs on a train--in a train tunnel. Two men set about solving this mystery, Desmond Merrion (who has his own series, this is #13) and Inspector Arnold (from Scotland Yard). The victim is a businessman, Sir Wilfred Saxonby. The murder was made to look like a suicide--a gun with the victim's initials are found in his compartment. Nothing was stolen from his body, from his wallet. His compartment was locked. But there are several reasons why this suicide theory doesn't sit right with Merrion and Arnold. Can they sift through the dozens of clues to find the murderer? Can they agree upon a believable motive for the crime?

Death in the Tunnel is certainly not a character-driven novel. I would say that character development is kept to a bare minimum. But the abundance of clues and the way that they are shared with readers, keeps one reading to see who did it.

The novel was first published in 1936. It has recently been republished. I am glad to see more golden-age mystery novels being brought back into print. This is one of my favorite genres.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Sins of the Wolf (William Monk #5). Anne Perry. 1995. 436 pages. [Source: Library]

Sins of the Wolf may just be my favorite of the series so far. It is the fifth book in this mystery series.

The novel opens with Hester Latterly, our heroine, on her way to a new job. She's been hired as a private nurse to accompany Mrs. Mary Farraline on a trip to London and back (from Edinburgh). She's never been to Scotland, and, it sounds like an interesting way to spend a week or two. She takes the night train to Edinburgh, meets the family, departs that evening on the train with Mrs. Farraline, who has a heart condition. The start of the trip proves delightful. They talk. They laugh. They share. Hester gives Mrs. Farraline her medicine for the night. Hester settles down to sleep peacefully. That's the last peaceful sleep she'll get unfortunately! The next morning when they arrive in London, Hester sees that Mrs. Farraline has died. That would be sad, of course, but hardly life-changing. Expect that later that day Hester discovers one of Mrs. Farraline's belongings--a piece of jewelry--in her own bag. Fearing the worst she goes to the men she knows best: William Monk and Oliver Rathbone. The advice they give is good, but, too late. She returns to Lady Callandra's home to discover the police are there looking for her. She's arrested, YES, ARRESTED. And William Monk and Oliver Rathbone may never be the same again!!!

Hester is accused of stealing, but, also MURDER. Can William Monk and Oliver Rathbone find the real murderer before Hester is convicted in a Scottish court and hanged?!?!

What a dysfunctional family we meet in this mystery... I hardly have to say this one is compelling from cover to cover. I loved plenty about it!
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Sudden, Fearful Death. Anne Perry. 1993. 464 pages. [Source: Library]

A Sudden, Fearful Death is the fourth book in Anne Perry's William Monk mystery series. I am definitely settling into the series and enjoying it very much! To catch up readers:

William Monk, our detective-hero, has lost his memory. Occasionally, he'll get a flash of something resembling a memory. But for the most part, he's always got one case on the back of his mind: his own. He's piecing together who he was. What he's learned so far is that he was an absolutely horrible jerk that most everyone hated. He does NOT want to be that guy anymore.

Hester Latterly, our heroine, was one of the "Florence Nightingale" nurses during the Crimean war. Her employment since coming home is irregular but somewhat steady. Usually, she's a private nurse. In this book, however, she's going undercover at a hospital...

Oliver Rathbone is a lawyer--a barrister--on "friendly" terms with both William Monk and Hester Latterly. He's even invited Hester to meet his dad, Henry! I've come to greatly appreciate him. He has at various times hired William Monk to do detective work for him.

Lady Callandra Daviot is a saint--nearly. She helps William Monk find work as a private investigator. When he's in-between cases, she makes sure he has enough to see him through. She takes an interest in some of his more interesting cases. She is very good friends with Hester. At times she's helped Hester find suitable employment as well.

These four are our "main characters" that we spend a lot of time with in each book in the series.

The opening of A Sudden, Fearful Death reminded me of some of Wilkie Collins' books--in a good way. I was absolutely hooked though a bit confused since I didn't see how these opening chapters could connect with the book's description on the back cover. The chapters serve as a compelling prologue of sorts--an overture.

The premise: Prudence Barrymore, a nurse at a London hospital, is murdered. Lady Callandra herself discovers the body--in a laundry chute, I believe. Who murdered her? The police, of course, are on the case, but Lady Callandra doesn't fully trust the police to get it right. She hires William Monk to do some investigating for her, and Hester goes undercover as a nurse to see if she can help out on the case. The murderer works at the hospital most likely, and important clues could still be found by close observation. Most of this case focuses on WHY would anyone want to kill her? Several motives are suggested by those involved in the case--prosecution and defense--but, it takes some thinking outside the box to find the right motive and the murderer.

One of the themes in this one is women's rights--or lack thereof. Prudence Barrymore had ONE big dream in life, to be a doctor, but as a woman she faced huge obstacles. Everyone thought they knew what was best for her: give up her idea of doctoring, even of nursing, and MARRY quickly before someone realizes you're thirty-ish. Her family, instead of being proud of her for being so extraordinarily good at what she does, was disappointed and ashamed that she was so unnatural. Very few "understood" her and accepted her as she was.

In addition to reminding me of a Wilkie Collins' novel, this one also reminded me of the show Law and Order SVU. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about how rape and sexual assault would have been viewed in the 1850s. About how the victims would in most cases rather die than go to the police to report the crime, and the thought of pursuing justice in court--NEVER. This book deals with how rape is viewed in society, and, also abortion.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Defend and Betray. (William Monk #3) Anne Perry. 1992. 439 pages. [Source: Bought]

Defend and Betray by Anne Perry is the third book in the William Monk mystery series. This mystery series is set in Victorian England. My favorite of the three--so far--is the second. I suspect that while I will probably "like" each book in the series, there will be some that I *love* and others not quite as much. This will probably be determined in part by the mystery.

The book opens with Hester Latterly meeting a friend, Edith Sobell, in the park. Edith has surprising, sudden news to share with her friend, her older brother has died at a horrid dinner party. It was a horrid gathering BEFORE the death, both guest and host will admit. Turns out his death was no accident. You might guess that Defend and Betray is about Hester Latterly and William Monk trying to solve this mystery and discover the identity of the murderer. But. You'd be wrong. A confession comes really early in this one. His wife confesses to the crime. Few really believe the reason given for the crime: jealousy over another woman. But some choose to pretend to believe it all the same because it's easier than thinking that she had a better, more logical reason for the crime OR that someone else in the family committed the crime and she's covering it up and taking the blame.

Hester encourages the family to hire Oliver Rathbone to defend her. Oliver, once hired, hires William Monk to investigate. The mission of all three is to find out WHY she murdered her husband, so that she will have defense in court. The last third of the book, I'd say, is focused almost exclusively on the trial. Readers "hear" both the prosecution and defense make their case--calling witnesses, cross-examining, arguing, etc.

I definitely am liking the series. This particular case was not my favorite. But it is worth noting that William Monk recovers a memory or two in this one. The case brings to his mind a woman that he loved. He can see her face. He remembers feeling deeply connected to her--tenderly concerned about her. But he can't remember her name. Just that she must have been someone he met while working a case! I did miss Evans in this one. Now that William Monk is no longer with the police, we don't spend much time with Evans. Oh, I should also add that we get to meet Oliver Rathbone's father! Now that was fun!
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Dangerous Mourning (William Monk #2). Anne Perry. 1992. 344 pages. [Source: Library]

I loved, loved, loved, LOVED A Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry. Reading this second William Monk mystery made me want to read everything Perry has ever written--at least her historical mysteries. It was so good, it was near-perfect. I loved, loved, loved the characters of William Monk and Hester Latterly. I like that the first-and-second books flow into one another so smoothly. I like how characters from the first book have carried over into the second book. I like that the series seems to be so much more than just another cozy mystery series. The author seems just as determined to appeal to historical fiction fans as mystery fans.

For those that haven't read the first book, this is what you need to know:

1) William Monk is the hero, the detective.
2) After a bad accident (which occurs BEFORE the first book opens), he has NO MEMORIES of his former life.
3) He knows that he was/is a police detective. He knows that he was respected but far from liked. His boss HATES him.
4) He meets Evans, the sergeant underneath him, his partner. Evans actually seems to genuinely like him and looks up to him.
5) Monk looks for clues to his own past as he continues to work for the police department on new cases.
6) Monk meets Hester Latterly, a nurse with Crimean War experience, and the two clash for the most part. (Think Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.)
7) Hester is very SMART, very OPINIONATED, very OBSERVANT, very LIKABLE. I was thrilled to see her in the second book too.

The mystery of the second book: Sir Basil's married/widowed daughter, Octavia Haslett, was murdered in her bedroom one night. Monk is assigned to the case. Everyone is assuming/presuming that an outsider, a burglar, broke into the house and killed her. But Monk finds no proof that it was an outside job, instead, all the evidence is showing him that someone IN the house committed the crime. Readers get to know the family (quite dysfunctional) and the servants (upstairs and downstairs servants) as the mystery continues....

I loved this book. I did. I definitely loved the first book too. But this one I loved even more. This one I found to be completely gush-worthy.
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Death on the Riviera. John Bude. 1952/2016. Poisoned Pen Press. 250 pages. [Source: Review copy]
 
Did I enjoy reading John Bude's Death on the Riviera?! Yes! I might even go so far as to call it a gush-worthy read? Why? Purely because I found it hard to put down, and, just overall satisfying to read. Is it the best ever mystery novel? Probably not. But was it a joy to spend time with? Yes, very much.

Inspector Meredith (C.I.D) and Acting-Sergeant Freddy Strang head to Southern France in this mystery novel. They are teaming up with the local police to stop a gang of criminals from printing counterfeit money and introducing it into the currency. The prime suspect--the leader of the gang--is English. But though it is late in coming--very, very late in coming--this one is a murder mystery as well. So there are at least two 'big' stories going on in this delightful golden-age detective novel.

Why did I find it so delightful? Probably for me, the number one reason is the characters and characterization as shown off so well in the dialogue. I really, really enjoyed Freddy Strang's presence in this one. And his attempted romance was just cute and sweet in all the right ways. It was never the focus of the book, but, it was like the chocolate bits in a trail mix. I also enjoyed the setting and the plot and the solution.

The book was originally published in 1952, and it has been republished in 2016.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Face of a Stranger. (William Monk #1) Anne Perry. 1990. 352 pages. [Source: Library]

The Face of a Stranger is a great little mystery, and a fine start to a series, a series that I now want to read more of!

The hero of The Face of a Stranger is William Monk. Readers are just as clueless as to who he is as he is himself. Monk wakes up from an accident with amnesia. He doesn't remember his name, his face, what he does, where he lives. He's clueless. He finds out from others that his name is William Monk and that he's a police detective. Within a few weeks of his release, he's back at work and back to detecting. Just as important to him as getting back to working on cases is solving the mystery of who he is, what kind of man he is. The clues are leading him to suspect that he hasn't been a very nice or kind man. That he's treated others--including his own sister--poorly. He's woken up with a conscience or a change of heart, you might say. His morals have been reset, if you will! He realizes that not many people--if any--actually like him. And that's hard to take, but, he does it well, for the most part. He is not willing to tell everyone that he's clueless, that he has no clue as to his own past. One thing is clear: he's good at noticing details, of finding clues, of putting together theories based on those clues. So along with his own private agenda of finding out WHO he is, he's on an official case with a partner (Evans, I believe). Somebody murdered Major Joscelin Grey. The murder coincidentally enough happened around the same time as his own accident that landed him in the hospital.

Can he solve the murder case? Will he allow pressure from others to influence him into making a quick arrest?

I enjoyed this one oh-so-much!!!!

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Silent Nights. Edited by Martin Edwards. 2015. Poisoned Pen Press. 298 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Love mystery and detective stories? Love British mystery and detective stories? Treat yourself to this collection of SHORT STORIES edited by Martin Edwards. Each mystery is set during the holidays. So many authors are included in this collection, you're almost sure to find your favorite author. But what I loved even more than finding "favorite authors" was finding new-to-me authors. Edwards introduces each story by providing readers with a little information about the author and the story included. Some of these stories are rare and almost forgotten. All are "vintage" or "classic" stories. I think the most recent being from the 1940s.

The book includes:

• The Blue Carbuncle by Arthur Conan Doyle
• Parlour Tricks by Ralph Plummer
• A Happy Solution by Raymund Allen
• The Flying Stars by G.K. Chesterton
• Stuffing by Edgar Wallace
• The Unknown Murderer by H.C. Bailey
• The Absconding Treasurer by J. Jefferson Farjeon
• The Necklace of Pearls by Dorothy L. Sayers
• The Case Is Altered by Margery Allingham
• Waxworks by Ethel Lina White
• Cambric Tea by Marjorie Bowen
• The Chinese Apple by Joseph Shearing
• A Problem in White by Nicholas Black
• The Name on the Window by Edmund Crispin
• Beef for Christmas by Leo Bruce

Probably my favorite short story was Waxworks by Ethel Lina White. I also enjoyed Cambric Tea by Marjorie Bowen.

Short stories aren't my favorite thing to read. But I do love a good mystery. I thought this one was worth reading because it introduced me to some new-to-me authors. And it talked about what else they'd written--including novels. The book gives readers a taste of various authors and their detectives.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Tale of Hill Top Farm. Susan Wittig Albert. 2004. 286 pages. [Source: Bought]

Did I enjoy reading Susan Wittig Albert's The Tale of Hill Top Farm? Yes. It is one of the reasons I decided to host the Edwardian Reading Challenge. (Not the only reason, mind you, but one reason.) What did I love about it? There were quite a few things that I actually really loved about it.

First, it's a cozy mystery.

Second, it's a cozy mystery set in England, at the turn of the century. It opens circa 1905.

Third, it stars Beatrix Potter, and, is very loosely based on her time in the country. (Not that I would ever mistake it for nonfiction. It is clearly fiction!)I like the rural village setting. I like the community focus. Plenty of quirky characters.

Fourth, it's a happy-cozy blend of human and animal narration. Readers meet animals of all sorts--big and small. Cats. Dogs. Sheep. Badgers. Guinea pigs. Mice. Rabbits.

The fifth reason? Do I really need a fifth reason to convince you to give it a try? Perhaps not, but I've got one anyway! I like multiple mysteries per book. Not every "mystery" is a murder mystery.

I would definitely recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading on in the series.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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All Things Murder. Jeanne Quigley. 2014. 411 pages. [Source: Library]


Did I enjoy Jeanne Quigley's All Things Murder? Yes, for the most part!

Veronica Walsh is the heroine and amateur-detective in All Things Murder. Before Walsh lost her job--on a soap opera, the soap was CANCELED and replaced with a talk show about FOOD--she was happy and successful and doing exactly what she wanted. Life was GOOD. Everything was just-right. True, she never found 'true love' and married. But her character had SIX HUSBANDS. So she never really felt she was missing out all that much. Between her character, Rachel, and herself, she'd pretty much experienced all that life has to offer--good and bad. But she begins to feel lost AND OLD within a few weeks of being out of work. So she heads to her hometown, and considers restarting her life there.

What she finds is that she did NOT leave the drama behind. For soon after her arrival in town, her next-door neighbor is murdered. And she is the one who finds the body. She didn't know her well, but, just in the few days before her neighbor's murder (Anna is the victim's name), Veronica witnessed PLENTY of drama. Without anyone spilling anymore gossip, Veronica already has a handful of suspects: people with motive and/or opportunity to have killed Anna...

Like many cozy mysteries, this one mixes in a little bit of romance. (The romance didn't overshadow the mystery, in my opinion.)

I like this one. It is a light read, not that heavy or complex. It was fun too. I liked meeting all the people who lived in the town. Some characters were quite interesting, and, I'd like to see more of them in the future.

Overall, I liked this one. If the second one was available, I'd want to read it!

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Notting Hill Mystery. Charles Warren Adams. 1862/2015. Poisoned Pen Press. 284 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Dare I say that I enjoyed The Notting Hill Mystery at least as much as Wilkie Collin's A Woman in White? What if I say I liked it even more?! Granted, it has been a few years since I've read A Woman in White. But Notting Hill was such a surprisingly wonderfully old-fashioned mystery, and, with good reason, I suppose, since it was published in the 1860s!

If you enjoy sensational Victorian novels, this one proves a satisfying treat. The "hero" of the novel has collected all the evidence he can about a certain case. He's not positively sure it's a murder case, because if it is murder, it's far from straight-forward. The less you know, the better the novel will read, in my opinion. But it involves TWINS and mesmerism and poison.

At first, I thought this one would be a slow read, since the evidence consists of letters, diaries, interviews, etc. But I found it an entertaining and satisfying read.

It is easy for me to recommend this one. I think mystery lovers will appreciate it. And if you have a love for all things Victorian, then you may really, really LOVE it, just as I did.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Test of Wills (Ian Rutledge #1) Charles Todd. 1994/2006. Harper Collins. 305 pages. [Source: Library]

A Test of Wills is the first book in Charles Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery series. He has returned home from war--the first world war--and is on his first case. It will prove challenging in more ways than one. First, the war has left him changed--broken, confused, uncertain. Second, the case itself is tricky. One of the suspects is super-friendly with royalty, and there is pressure to solve the case, but, solve it in such a way that there isn't a scandal. He is arriving on the scene several days after the crime, the murder, and he doesn't even see the crime scene or the body. His work mainly has him interviewing anyone and everyone that might have seen something--or heard something. But there aren't many leads that are fruitful. He has a handful of clues, but, the clues lead him to no one person. There's always something off. For example, the person with the best motive, has an alibi that is solid. The people with opportunity have no motive, etc. So can he do it? can he solve the case?

I liked this one well enough. Ian Rutledge is so very, very different from Bess Crawford. (I've read two or three of the Bess Crawford mystery series also by Charles Todd). Both show the effect of the war certainly. Bess Crawford mainly does this through her other characters: Bess is nursing men who have been wounded--sometimes severely--and/or are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. The soldiers we meet in the Crawford mystery series certainly showcase the effect of war. But with the Ian Rutledge series it is completely different. It's an inside-out look, for better or worse. Ian is very broken, very disturbed, and we're in his head for the most part. It was an interesting aspect and added a new level to the mystery.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Bitter Truth. Charles Todd. 2011. HarperCollins. 352 pages. [Source: Library]

I am continuing to love the Bess Crawford mystery series by Charles Todd. Bitter Truth is the third book in the Bess Crawford series. The book opens with Bess on leave--once again. Bess takes pity on a woman, a stranger, named Lydia. She's distraught and she's clearly been beaten. For better or worse, Bess becomes very involved in a family matter. Good will come out of it perhaps, but, not without sacrifice and risk. For Bess says yes to Lydia's pleas to come home with her, and agrees to pretend to be her long-time friend in front of Lydia's family including her husband, Roger. How will Lydia's in-laws react to her bringing someone home? Surely Roger will mind the interference, right?

The family Bess meets is a strange one in many ways--dysfunctional certainly. But is anyone in the family capable of murder? For that is what we all know it will come down to...a mystery is almost always a murder mystery.

I felt Bess's discomfort throughout the novel. She's witness to some very awkward family scenes. And strangers are confiding in her things that are very personal, almost intimate. Every time Bess tries to leave the family--something happens to prevent it. Though of course, eventually, she does HAVE to leave because she's a nurse stationed in France. Still the family haunts her a bit...

A Bitter Truth is a well-written historical mystery. It wasn't one that I "enjoyed" particularly because enjoy is the wrong word. There was nothing "fun" or "light-hearted" about it. But it was certainly compelling and intense.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Murder at Longbourn. (Elizabeth Parker #1) Tracy Kiely. 2009. St. Martin's Press. 320 pages. [Source: Library]

I enjoyed reading Tracy Kiely's Murder at Longbourn. It is first and foremost a cozy mystery. It is not a retelling or adaptation of any particular Austen novel. So don't expect that, and you won't be disappointed, or as disappointed.

As I said, I enjoyed this holiday-themed mystery novel. Elizabeth Parker, the heroine, goes to visit her great-aunt for New Year's Eve/Day. There is a party hosted at her great-aunt's bed and breakfast. It is a themed party--there will be a "murder" at the party. She meets plenty of new people at her great-aunt's bed and breakfast. Some of them being guests staying at the b&b. Some being guests (from the town) invited to the New Year's party. But one person is not a new acquaintance at all, but, an old "nemesis" named Peter. The two knew each other as children, and, as far as Elizabeth is concerned, there's nothing but hate between them: past, present, and future.

The party goes horribly, of course, and a real murder is committed. Elizabeth is convinced that there is a lot of framing going on--and her aunt may suffer for it--but can she with a tiny bit of help from Peter--find the real murderer in time?

I liked Elizabeth well enough. I didn't love everything about her. There were times she came across as not too bright. And I did find quite a few things about this one to be predictable. But. In the moment, as I was reading it, I cared more than I didn't. I wanted to keep reading it. I wasn't annoyed or frustrated or disgusted or disappointed. It was a very pleasant read. Now, a week after finishing it, the in-the-moment pleasure of it all has faded a bit.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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An Impartial Witness. Charles Todd. 2010. HarperCollins. 352 pages. [Source: Library]

An Impartial Witness is the second book in the Bess Crawford mystery series by Charles Todd. I love that the series is set during World War I; An Impartial Witness is set in 1917. Bess Crawford is a nurse, and, she's nursing wounded soldiers both abroad and at home. (Bess spends a good amount of time in this novel in France, very close to the front.)

The book opens with Bess arriving in London on leave for thirty-six hours. She's just spent time on a convoy with a wounded soldier--a pilot with severe burns. He keeps holding on because he loves his wife. Her photograph is something he always has close by. She would recognize his wife anywhere she's seen it so often the past few days. But she didn't really expect to see her--this wife--at the train station seeing another soldier off. The scene was VERY emotional, and quite inappropriate if she's the wife of another man. The scene haunts her.

And with good reason, it turns out! For she soon learns that this woman--this wife--is found murdered that evening. She tells what she saw at the train station--several hours before the crime. She describes the man--the soldier--with her. That might have been all...except that she can't stop thinking of the case, of the tragedy of it, and she keeps talking with Scotland Yard about what she learns...

A man is arrested. But is he guilty? She doesn't think so. She really, really doesn't think so. For could she be falling in love with him?! Michael Hart isn't capable of murdering the woman he was supposedly in love with for years, is he?

Can Bess find the real murderer?!

I love, love, love this series. I love the characterization. I love the historical setting. I love the mystery itself. It's just a fabulous read.
© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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