Semester of our Discontent, Witches of Mystic Springs

How's your summer going? I just got back, earlier this week, from a trip to Destin Florida. Met family there. We had a great time eating, laying on the beach, eating, shopping and eating. lol Quite relaxing. Ate lots of seafood. I had a lobster roll for the first time. After reading a Lobster Shack Mystery, that was top on my list. I enjoyed all of the seafood.

I did read a couple of books; one on the trip there and one on the way back. They are both cozies. 

First I read Summer of our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn for the House of Clues FB book club. I had actually acquired the book awhile ago so when it came up as the book of the month, I was happy for the prompt to read it. 

Summer of our Discontent is the Lila Maclean Academic Mystery #1.

"English professor Lila Maclean is thrilled about her new job at prestigious Stonedale University until she finds one of her colleagues dead. She soon learns that everyone, from the chancellor to the detective working the case, believes Lila—or someone she is protecting—may be responsible for the horrific event, so she assigns herself the task of identifying the killer.

More attacks on professors follow, the only connection a curious symbol found at each of the crime scenes. Putting her scholarly skills to the test, Lila gathers evidence, but her search is complicated by an unexpected nemesis, a suspicious investigator, and an ominous secret society. Rather than earning an “A” for effort, she receives a threat featuring the mysterious emblem and must act quickly to avoid failing her assignment…and becoming the next victim."

Talk about a bad first day on the job. I liked it. Since Lila found her boss murdered, all eyes are on her. But nobody liked Roland, so there are lots of viable suspects. The suspense builds and escalates toward the end when Lila uncovers a possible secret society. That does not go over too big.

There are three more books in the series. I have the second one also and plan on reading it.

https://cynthiakuhn.net/

Witches of Mystic Springs by Mona Marple is book five in the Mystic Springs Paranormal Cozy Mystery series. 

"Welcome to St Winifred's, a magic school with an unpopular headmaster who won't survive the night. 

With a storm raging over the choppy waters, and the Magick Squad too worried about Health & Safety to come out and investigate, it's down to the guest of honour to investigate the murder.

Violet Warren has no idea that the evening is a celebration of her achievements. Not that it matters, since a dead body takes centre stage before she's given her award.

She and Ellie Bean form an unlikely amateur sleuth duo, with three clues to help them solve the case... or not.

One of their fellow guests is a murderer, and it's down to them to find out who in this closed room cozy mystery.

The Witches of Mystic Springs is book five in the Mystic Springs paranormal cozy mystery series. These titles can be read in any order and this book especially is an ideal place to start the series. Mystic Springs books are clean, fun and safe from swearing, sexual scenes, and violence. Play detective alongside the characters and see if you can work out whodunnit."

As the description says, this is a closed room mystery, but with a magical twist. There are rumors that the school is being turned into an Academy under other ownership. The characters all have their own "gifts". Someone is murdered and Ellie and Violet decide they will cover the investigation. The school is on an island. There is a storm. No one can leave. We go through their questioning of everyone in attendance. Everyone is a suspect. There are several people that have appear to have a motive. The ladies use their magic sometimes to assist with their solving of the mystery. While there is the paranormal twist, it is not the focus of the story. The main characters have successful businesses, are self sufficient, independent women. The attendees at the reunion are quirky and there are some funny moments. 

You might think you have heard some of this before, but it is different. This is a short book, perfect for a trip.

Mona also writes The Waterfall Tweed series. 

I received an advanced reader copy and voluntarily provided this review.

https://monamarple.com/

Our Mystery Book Club meets next week and I should have that list of Award Winning Books that the members read. We are also reading Need to Know by Karen Cleveland. I will tell you about that also.

Slow Train by Jack Benton (Chris Ward writing as)

If you follow my posts, you will know that the Slim Hardy series is one of my favorites. I just finished Slow Train, Slim Hardy Mystery Series #4.




About: "On the evening of Saturday, January 15th, 1977, a local commuter train is delayed at a small village station by a freak blizzard. Young nurse Jennifer Evans, keen to get back to her family, plans to walk the last couple of miles to her home in a neighbouring village. She phones her daughter to confirm that she’s on her way, but she never arrives home.

In the ensuing police investigation, no trace of Jennifer Evans is ever found. The only evidence is a photograph taken by a fellow passenger of footprints in the snow in front of Holdergate station.

It appears someone was fleeing for their life….

Contacted by Jennifer’s daughter, at first it seems private investigator John “Slim” Hardy has no chance of solving a forty-two-year-old mystery. But as the case begins to unravel, Slim finds himself caught in the centre of a whirlwind which will send him spinning to a dramatic conclusion."

This story finds Slim personally doing better than he was. He has an office now and a secretary/assistant and some money coming in. But he is still haunted by his past and is always fighting those demons; his time as a soldier, his disgrace and the alcohol.

Slim spends a couple of weeks in the village of Holdergate, interviewing people that worked at the train station, and the police chief at the time of Jennifer's disappearance. Slim also meets a young woman who works at a pub name Lia. Her friend's great uncle was the station master at the time. Slim and Lia start spending time with each other. She seems to like him for who he is.

The story moves quickly as Slim gets more and more small pieces of information about the night of Jennifer's disappearance. There are pictures a boy with a new camera took. Sightings. Urban legends. Secrets.

Slim slowly but surely unravels what happened to Jennifer.

I like how Slim doesn't reveal to the reader what he is thinking anymore than he tells anyone else. The suspense builds as he works it out to reveal a really good ending.

I really recommend this series. If you like cold case mysteries you will like the Slim Hardy series.
I am anxious to read the next book in the series, anxious to see how Slim continues to take two steps forward and one step back,  book by book and to see if anything more develops with Lia. Despite Slim's flaws, you will find yourself rooting for him. While you wouldn't have to start with the first book, I would recommend it. They are all really good.

If you are a person that likes Audible, books one and two are available with book three coming out on audible soon.
The Man by the Sea #1
The Clockmakers Secret - #2
The Gameskeeper - #3

http://www.amillionmilesfromanywhere.net/tokyolost.html

I received an advanced reader copy and voluntarily provided a review.

Cry Wolf - Annette Dashofy, Curses Boiled Again - Shari Randall

Well....we had to cancel our Mystery Book Club for this month. Such a drag. We were going to talk about Award Winning Books given this year. And we were going to have snacks. Always so much fun to hear what everyone read and munch.

But we will pick up where we left off in July and talk about the Award Winning Books we read in addition to our July selection. I will give you that list, in July.

Meanwhile, I did read two books for the meeting; one that won an award and one nominated for an award.

Cry Wolf by Annette Dashofy was nominated this year for an Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel. 

Cry Wolf is the seventh book in the Zoe Chambers Mysteries series.

About: "Rural Pennsylvania’s Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams is down an officer and has been dealing with extra shifts as well as a pair of bickering neighbors, one of whom owns a machete and isn’t afraid to use it.

Golden Oaks Assisted Living is outside Pete’s jurisdiction, but a murder in the facility his Alzheimer’s-afflicted father calls home makes the case personal.

Paramedic and Deputy Coroner Zoe Chambers has been itching for an opportunity to take the lead in a death investigation. She gets her chance when her boss is hospitalized and not only assigns her to the Golden Oaks homicide but puts her in charge of the county coroner’s office.

As if she doesn’t have enough to handle, a long-lost, over-protective, older half-brother walks into her life threatening to drive a wedge between her and the man she loves.

A second dead body leads them to realize the case may have dark ties to a distant past…and if Zoe doesn’t untangle the web of lies, Pete will be the one to pay the ultimate price."

A really good book, I was able to pick up the story of Zoe without having read the other books. I liked the setting; rural small town, Zoe has horses, the characters are interesting and you can empathize with them. Zoe and Pete are an item. The mystery of the murders in engrossing. While Zoe investigates the murder, she also has to take care of her horses. She is trying to fix up the farm she now has, but is lacking funds and time. She wants she and Pete can move out there permanently. But Pete is a city boy. He isn't too sure about that. Luckily her newly found half brother is helping fix things up and footing the bill. Hmmm. 

As all good amateur sleuths, getting too involved, Zoe really gets in the middle of things. A very exciting ending and a really good cliff hanger. I kept flipping the page or rather swiping the screen not believing that was the end. On to the next book in the series...Fair Game.

Curses Boiled Again by Shari Randall won an Agatha for New Best Novel. 

About: "Welcome to the seaside hamlet of Mystic Bay, where the fish is always fresh, the folks are ever-friendly, and murder is on a roll. . .

Allie Larkin was living her dream as a ballet dancer when a bad fall put her out of business. Now she’s back home in Mystic Bay to heal a broken ankle while also helping her dear Aunt Gully get her Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack off the ground. Nothing would help Gully more than winning the local food festival’s Best Lobster Roll contest. The competition is sure to be killer―especially after one of the contest judges dies after eating a roll from one of Gully’s biggest rivals.

Soon, all eyes fall on Gully as the prime suspect. Allie may only have one good leg to stand on, but she’s not going to let her aunt go down for a crime she never could have cooked up. Can Allie, along with her devoted crew of friends, family, and customers, find a way to trap the killer and claw herself out of this hard-boiled murder case?" 

I really enjoyed this book. It is engaging from the beginning. The setting is new and different. As a person who likes to watch food contests on t.v., I thought this was a great scenario - a lobster roll contest where several contestants are poisoned. In addition to the who did the poisoning, there are some side mysteries; what is going on with Megan (a contestant along with her husband) and another man, Chick. What is the story behind Juliet and Contessa, the aging sisters who live in the big house in town. Contessa was movie star in her youth, and Juliet is "crazy". Part Murder She Wrote with a twist of Baby Jane, there is a really good twist at the end. And you will really start craving Lobster Rolls or Chowder. Neither of which I have ever had. But they sound delicious.

I did win my copy of Curses Boiled Again and voluntarily provided this review. I want to read the next two in the series too.



Hallmark Mystery Movies and Masterpiece

😅😅😅Time to check in of what's coming up this summer on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries and Masterpiece.

https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/


Hallmark Movies and Mysteries: These are only the Sunday night 8 p.m. central movies. This is the time they show their new movies, of which it looks like there is only one new movie in June. Their calendar doesn't show the last week of June yet.

Mystery 101 June 2, 2019 8 p.m. central.
If you missed this in the winter, it is worth watching.

About: "When a college student is found dead, English professor Amy uses her crime fiction expertise to unravel the case faster than detective Travis, who ends up working with Amy to catch the killer. Stars Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha."

Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery June 9, 2019 8 p.m. central

This is also a repeat, but the Aurora Teagarden movies are very good.

About: When Aurora pitches in to help her busy real estate mother, Aida, she quickly realizes she has again walked into a life or death situation. When a body is discovered at her first house showing and a second body is found in another house for sale, it becomes obvious that there is a very cool killer at large. Stars Candace Cameron Bure, Marilu Henner and Yannick Bisson.

Picture Perfect Mysteries: Newlywed and Dead premiers June 16, 2019, 8 p.m. central.

About: Small-town New England professional wedding photographer Allie Adams (Alexa PenaVega) finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery when the groom is suddenly shot and killed during the ceremonial first dance. Suspicion immediately turns towards Allie’s big brother Greg (Jon Cor, “Love on Safari”), the ex-boyfriend of the bride. Allie begins her own amateur investigation to clear Greg’s name, teaming up with Sam (Carlos PenaVega), the newest detective on the force."


Masterpiece Mystery Theatre

Endeavor season 6: June 16, 2019 8 p.m. central
"Endeavour launches four riveting new mysteries in all-new season on Sunday, June 16! But that’s just the tip of the newness iceberg in a season where so much has changed for Endeavour Morse and the old Cowley team."

I like this series a lot.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/endeavour-s6-everything-you-need-to-know/

Grantchester season 4: July 16, 2019 8 p.m. central
"Grantchester returns to MASTERPIECE with a new vicar: Tom Brittney (Outlander, Call the Midwife) who joins the cast of Season 4 as Reverend Will Davenport — man of the people and crime-solving partner to Robson Green’s Geordie Keating in 1950s Grantchester.  James Norton, who plays the charismatic, jazz-loving clergyman Sidney Chambers, makes his final appearance during the series.
Confident, caring and self-assured, Grantchester’s new young parish priest channels his boundless energy into a quest for social justice. He is a man of God, but with the devil inside of him. As Geordie draws him into righting the wrongs of criminal Cambridge, Will’s own troubled past is unearthed.
Says writer Daisy Coulam. “This series, change itself is our theme: the evolution of our country and with it, our characters. Some, like Geordie, will resist the unstoppable momentum of a world he feels is leaving him behind. Others will embrace the excitement – none more so than our new vicar – Will Davenport.”
About his character, Brittney says, “Will has a very strong moral compass with a thirst to change things, but underneath, there is a dark and troubled past that drives him in what he does.”
 In addition to Norton and Green, returning members of the acclaimed ensemble include Tessa Peake-Jones, Kacey Ainsworth, and Al Weaver."

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/shows/grantchester/

I have watched this series since the beginning and it is a favorite. I am not happy that James Norton is leaving the series. I will have to see what I think about it with a new vicar.

Set up your DVR's and take a break from the heat on it's way for us in Texas.



 

Look What I Got or Gifts and Giveaways

I wanted to share a couple of books I got for Mother's Day with you and some giveaways I won.

First, I got a 1937 printed edition of Gone With the Wind. GWTW was first published in 1936. This is my most favorite book and movie. I have read the book a few times and have seen the movie many, many times.

I also got an "unauthorized biography" of Garrison Keillor. He is my favorite contemporary humorist. I used to listen to his radio show on Public Radio every weekend. I have several of his books.

I won the books in the last picture from two different Facebook book groups. Curses Boiled Again by Shari Randall, tied for an Agatha for Best First Novel this year at Malice Domestic. Congratulations Shari!

The box set is the Faire Apothecary Mysteries by Astoria Wright. I like books with a magical twist. Looks like a fun summer read. Thanks Astoria.

I will let know you how they are, once I read them.

Next week I will have the  Mystery Book Club's list of this years Award Winners to share.

A Murderous Malady by Christine Trent

I listened to this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is the second book in the Florence Nightingale series. I had read the first book in the series, No Cure for the Dead, when it was lent to me by our Mystery Book Club leader, Kay. I really liked that book also. I was on a FB book club site a few weeks ago, and Christine Trent was the featured author one day. Once I realized there was a second book in the Florence Nightingale series, I picked if for my Audible choice for the month. 

holera has broken out in London, but Florence Nightingale has bigger problems when people begin dying of a far more intentional cause—murder.

The London summer of 1854 is drawing to a close when a deadly outbreak of cholera grips the city. Florence Nightingale is back on the scene marshaling her nurses to help treat countless suffering patients at Middlesex Hospital as the disease tears through the Soho slums. But beyond the dangers of the disease, something even more evil is seeping through the ailing streets of London.

It begins with an attack on the carriage of Florence’s friend, Elizabeth Herbert, wife to Secretary at War Sidney Herbert. Florence survives, but her coachman does not. Within hours, Sidney’s valet stumbles into the hospital, mutters a few cryptic words about the attack, and promptly dies from cholera. Frantic that an assassin is stalking his wife, Sidney enlists Florence’s help, who accepts but has little to go on save for the valet’s last words and a curious set of dice in his jacket pocket. Soon, the suspects are piling up faster than cholera victims, as there seems to be no end to the number of people who bear a grudge against the Herbert household.

Now, Florence is in a race against time—not only to save the victims of a lethal disease, but to foil a murderer with a disturbingly sinister goal—in A Murderous Malady.

About: 
"Cholera has broken out in London, but Florence Nightingale has bigger problems when people begin dying of a far more intentional cause—murder.

The London summer of 1854 is drawing to a close when a deadly outbreak of cholera grips the city. Florence Nightingale is back on the scene marshaling her nurses to help treat countless suffering patients at Middlesex Hospital as the disease tears through the Soho slums. But beyond the dangers of the disease, something even more evil is seeping through the ailing streets of London.

It begins with an attack on the carriage of Florence’s friend, Elizabeth Herbert, wife to Secretary at War Sidney Herbert. Florence survives, but her coachman does not. Within hours, Sidney’s valet stumbles into the hospital, mutters a few cryptic words about the attack, and promptly dies from cholera. Frantic that an assassin is stalking his wife, Sidney enlists Florence’s help, who accepts but has little to go on save for the valet’s last words and a curious set of dice in his jacket pocket. Soon, the suspects are piling up faster than cholera victims, as there seems to be no end to the number of people who bear a grudge against the Herbert household.

Now, Florence is in a race against time—not only to save the victims of a lethal disease, but to foil a murderer with a disturbingly sinister goal—in A Murderous Malady."

 There are really two mysteries to this story; who attacked Elizabeth and why are so many people coming down with cholera. Florence is determined to solve both mysteries. We get to see not only the caring, nurturing and hardworking side of Florence the nurse, but also her determination, courage and ability to stand up to people as Florence the detective. This book has many factual instances and most of the characters were real people.

I like this series so much for a few reasons. I am a nurse and know all about Florence Nightingale. I think I even read her autobiography when I was young. Nurse's week was the week of May 6th, ending on May 12th, Florence's birthday. I listened to it during that time. I had read about the cholera epidemic in London before and knew much of what Christine writes about is true to what was happening. When cholera was a story line in the series Victoria, this year, I had to go read about it. Florence is asked to help get Middlesex Hospital up to par and assist in caring for all the people coming in with cholera. I have relatives that live in the Middlesex area so of course that interested me.  As I mentioned, many of the characters in the book were also people that Florence knew and many of the circumstances have some truth to them. The author has very cleverly written an intriguing story incorporating all of these people that really lived, and were friends and acquaintances of Florence. The audible book shares this history at the end and I presume the book does also. I found the book very intriguing and interesting. The book ends with what I hope is an opening for the next book.

Check out Christine's website. She writes of historical fiction too.

https://christinetrent.com/

Deception Bay by Chris Patchell

Recently read another great thriller by Chris Patchell.

Deception Bay

About: 

"She’s armed. He’s dangerous. Together, can they stop a killer from tearing a small island community apart?

When wise-cracking cozy mystery author, Austin Martell, left his hometown on Whidbey Island for the bright lights of New York, he vowed he would never go back. But some promises are impossible to keep, and when Austin discovers that his mother has suffered a serious accident, he has no choice but to return. Austin soon learns that her accident may be no accident at all, and secrets that were laid to rest after his brother’s tragic death off the coast of Deception Bay, have now begun to surface.

Austin finds himself in the center of a real-life murder mystery, when Police Chief Ellie Sharpe uncovers a curious connection between the author and the death of a local businessman. Born and raised on Whidbey and trained as a New York cop, Ellie is smart, and tough, and determined to solve the mystery behind the killing before more people die. Sparks fly as the two pair up to figure out who is responsible for the murder. The closer they come to discovering truth, the more desperate someone is to keep the sins of the past from coming to light.

Someone close to Austin harbors a deadly truth. Can Ellie unmask a killer before Austin becomes one more secret buried beneath the waves of Deception Bay?"

 Although Austin and his mother have a strained relationship since the boat accident that took his brother, he wants to find out what happened to her, get the house cleaned up while he stays there, so something about her crazy cat, get his mother set up with help at home  and get back to New York as soon as possible.Easier said than done. His publisher is calling him nonstop about a book signing and getting started on his next book. Women he knew in high school, are throwing themselves at him.  Someone breaks into the house and seems to be searching for something. And now someone is after him. It seems there is more to his mother's accident than a fall, and perhaps something more to his brother's accident. 

I really liked this book. I have read one other of Chris's books but have two others in my TBR list. :/ Like "In the Dark", this book is "can't put it down" book. It reads pretty fast.  There are plenty of suspects from Austin's past, a little romance and lots of suspense.

Check out Chris's website. If you like thrillers and suspense, I recommend any of her books.

https://www.chrispatchell.com/

I received a free book and voluntarily provided this review.