River City Dead by Nancy G. West, A Fatal Folly by Jeanette de Beauvoir

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are the two books I read in the past couple of weeks.

River City Dead is the 4th book in the Aggie Mundeen series.

About: "Advice columnist Aggie Mundeen and SAPD Detective Sam Vanderhoven plan their first rendezvous at a San Antonio River Walk hotel during Fiesta Week—sumptuous sights, sounds, and festivities in the middle of America’s Venice. A vacation from crime and a reset for their tumultuous relationship. But murder descends on the Casa Prima Hotel. Disturbing revelations surface about the Fabulous Femmes, Aggie’s new friends holding a convention. Evil emerges at parties in La Villita. Calamity plagues Aggie’s debut dance performance at the Arneson River Theater, the celebration skewed by carousing, crazies, and corpses. Even in idyllic River City, crime complicates relationships."

This book appealed to me since I have been to the River Walk many times. I really enjoyed this mystery. Aggie goes off on her own, (like all good amateur detectives) searching for the killer. She knew the person that was murdered, after all. Despite Sam warning her and telling her to go home, that they will reschedule their weekend, Aggie just does what she thinks she should anyway. She really is thorough in her research (which is interesting) and her information does help Sam. We also learn a lot about Fiesta and the military history of San Antonio. Lots to like in this book.

I read this with the House of Clues Facebook group. They announce the book they are sponsoring about a month ahead of time. Then the author hosts an informal discussion throughout the scheduled day. It is fun and there are usually a couple of prizes.

I also read A Fatal Folly: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series Book 5). This is a new author and new series to me. I read it as a read and review for The Cozy Mystery Review Crew.

About: "Holly Folly is approaching, and Sydney Riley is feeling far from festive. She hasn’t heard from her boyfriend in weeks, a mysterious stranger has crashed into her beloved “little green car,” and, in a moment of temporary insanity, she’s invited her parents for the holidays. She’s convinced things could not possibly get worse—until she stumbles over a body at the lighting of the lobster pot Christmas tree.

As if this is not enough, when a gold coin and nameplate of a missing fishing boat are discovered, she’s asked to investigate the unsolved mystery of a murdered fisherman. While Provincetown is aglow with holiday lights and events, Sydney, Provincetown’s unofficial sleuth, is in the dark but determined to uncover the motive for both murders."

Good story line that held my interest. Different setting and plot for me; set on a small town, east coast, trying to solve a murder from several years ago. A local man, Tony, was found shot, and his wife and two daughters and their boat, disappeared. Now a piece if the boat has washed up. Sydney meets Guy, who is in town to search for a French sloop, The Mignonette, that was sunk in 1716. He is trying to beat another underwater archaeological explorer. Thing is, it isn't really the time of year to be diving. Sydney, being known in town as an amateur detective, is asked to investigate the death of Tony, by his sister. Does Guy have something to do with this? Meanwhile, Sydney's boyfriend, Ali is undercover on the west coast. It has been so long since she heard from him, that she is pretty sure something has happened to him. And if all that isn't bad enough, Sydney's parents managed to get her to invite them for Christmas. Peppered with humor, and an exciting conclusion, this is a good holiday read. Lots of interesting history too.

I received a free copy.

Last but not least, I watched a movie on TCM that is related to Thanksgiving. While it was a Hollywood production, when I then looked up the same information on Wiki, it appears that the basic story line stays pretty true to what they know about the journey. They through in some romances and a story about a young boy that isn't in the accounts of the journey, but the characters and one of the characters tragic ending is true. Although what happened to her was never determined. 

Plymouth Adventure: 1952 starring Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney and Van Johnson.

About: "The film tells a fictionalized version of the Pilgrims' voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to North America aboard the Mayflower." 

Next week, our Mystery Boo Club is having our end of year holiday gathering and will be sharing our best of 2019. I will report back with a list of our favorites.