The Year of the Series - A Dangerous Collaboration + Irish Stewed

 

After the calamity that was 2020 I didn't want to give myself serious reading goals but I did want to do something to help my book stacks get a little more under control.  I've tried getting rid of the ones I want to read but unfortunately I want to read all the books I own.  So I decided to focus on series.  There are so many I have that I abandoned halfway through or came in halfway and never read the first few.  I made a list of ten series and the next book I had to read in them and will be rolling in new books and series as I go along and catch up.  Here are two reviews from that list that I've read recently.

Goodreads:  A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell Mystery #4) by Deanna Raybourn

My Thoughts:  When an unresolved tension about their relationship develops between Veronica and Stoker, Veronica jumps at an offer from Stoker's brother, Tiberius, to collect a rare butterfly specimen at the home of Lord Malcom Romilly, an old school friend in Cornwall.  The catch is that Veronica must pose as Tiberius's fiancé AND three years ago Malcom's bride disappeared on the day of their wedding never to be seen again.  What follows is an intriguing mystery as Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius must separate myth from truth as they interview the residents of the island and the castle.  A small island in Cornwall complete with a castle riddled with secret passages and priest holes is the perfect atmosphere and kept me riveted.  I really enjoyed getting to know Tiberius more and seeing behind the mask.  As well, the evolution of the relationship between Veronica and Stoker was interesting but didn't take over the book which I enjoyed.  I really think this may be my favorite entry into this really solid and entertaining series!  My Rating: Really Liked It

Goodreads:  Irish Stewed (An Ethnic Eats Mystery #1) by Kylie Logan

My Thoughts:  When Laurel Inwood loses her posh job as the personal chef of a Hollywood star she comes to Hubbard, Ohio to run her Aunt Sophie's restaurant while Sophie is having knee surgery.  But instead of the fine dining restaurant her aunt had been describing for years she finds a greasy spoon dive cafe and a dead body in the dining room.  I really didn't think I was going to like this one.  Laurel is a snob and I was not her biggest fan for quite sometime. Throughout the book I began to understand her and sympathize with her.  As well I enjoyed getting to know Declan and his family and seeing Sophie's Terminal at the Tracks find new life.  The mystery was quite good and I enjoyed Laurel's investigation.  She's a total outsider which gives her a bit of a unique perspective and she has no problem diving head first into investigating.  The reveal was fantastic and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.  My Rating: Really Liked It