Tag: Fiction
Gingerbread Cookie Murder II
“Christmas with my parents is always a mixed bag.” Oh, dear. With an opening line like this, where are we headed? Moving to a retirement community doesn’t necessarily benefit one’s health, at least for one individual in Laura Levine’s novella, “The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies.” Fans of Janet Evanovich might very well enjoy this taste of… Read More ›
Gingerbread Cookie Murder I
Ever had to put up with a neighbor’s noise pollution? That’s what Hannah Swensen is faced with early on in “Gingerbread Cookie Murder.” The last in my “A Taste of Murder” discussion series, Gingerbread Cookie Murder features the talents of three authors: Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier each of whom contribute a novella-length mystery to… Read More ›
Trolls
With the recent release of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim—an awesome game by the way—which is set in the homeland of the Nords, I’m reminded of one of my first forays into Norse Mythology. As a kid, I discovered The Troll Book at my local library and checked out—more than once—this informative look at the lore of Trolls…. Read More ›
Unusual Sleuths
Early mystery genre detectives certainly had their foibles and idiosyncrasies. Dupin had his aversion to sunlight, Holmes’s habits—good and bad—included the violin, mood swings, and opium, Lecoq communed with a portrait of his wife, and Poirot was fastidious to the extreme. These character traits have served to create unique and memorable characters that have become… Read More ›
Sweet Revenge
Remember the old adage? Revenge is a dish best served cold. In this 14th culinary mystery featuring caterer/sleuth Goldy Schulz, that saying would be well suited. Former district attorney Drew Wellington has made his fair share of enemies, and Goldy’s on the scene when Drew is drugged, poisoned, stabbed, and left for dead in the… Read More ›
The 10th Kingdom
It opens with a song… I’m wishing on a star To follow where you are I’m wishing on a dream To follow what it means And I’ll wish on all the rainbows that I see I wish for all the people who dream a dream Once upon a time, an evil queen cursed a prince—transforming… Read More ›
The Chocolate Cat Caper
The first in the Chocoholic mystery series takes Shakespeare’s adage, “first kill all the lawyers,” to heart. Clementine Ripley, a high-profile defense attorney, takes a fatal bite of chocolate and then promptly falls over a balcony landing at Lee McKinney’s feet. In her first full-length appearance (see this entry about the short story), Lee McKinney has once again… Read More ›
The Chocoholic Mysteries
With Halloween approaching, October is the perfect month to read a book featuring chocolate, and JoAnna Carl’s Chocoholic Mysteries are a perfect choice. For my “A Taste of Murder” discussion series, I ended up reading two selections. I picked up a copy of Crime de Cocoa, which includes the first three Chocoholic Mysteries and a… Read More ›
Dark Shadows
In 1991, a show premiered on NBC that captured my imagination. It opened with a governess on a train… “My name is Victoria Winters. My journey is just beginning—a journey that I am hoping will somehow begin to reveal the mysteries of my past. It is a journey that will bring me to a strange… Read More ›
The Gracie Allen Murder Case II
Philo Vance is a noted detective in mystery fiction. However, modern readers might find his affected speech irritating. His tendency to use complex words, references to classical mythology, and dropping the ‘g’ off of words ending in ‘ing’ are a tad annoying, perhaps. As I mentioned previously, having a dictionary handy is a good idea…. Read More ›
The Poisoned Martini 