Two Mini Reviews - The Rhyme of the Magpie + With Vics You Get Eggroll

 

Goodreads:  The Rhyme of the Magpie (Birds of a Feather #1) Marty Wingate

Blurb:  With her personal life in disarray, Julia Lanchester feels she has no option but to quit her job on her father’s hit BBC Two nature show, A Bird in the Hand. Accepting a tourist management position in Smeaton-under-Lyme, a quaint village in the English countryside, Julia throws herself into her new life, delighting sightseers (and a local member of the gentry) with tales of ancient Romans and pillaging Vikings.
But the past is front and center when her father, Rupert, tracks her down in a moment of desperation. Julia refuses to hear him out; his quick remarriage after her mother’s death was one of the reasons Julia flew the coop. But later she gets a distressed call from her new stepmum: Rupert has gone missing. Julia decides to investigate—she owes him that much, at least—and her father’s new assistant, the infuriatingly dapper Michael Sedgwick, offers to help. Little does the unlikely pair realize that awaiting them is a tightly woven nest of lies and murder.

My Thoughts:  I have really enjoyed other books by this author and I love the idea of birdwatching so I was intrigued by this series.  I enjoyed this book.  The mystery was interesting and I really wasn't sure how it would wrap up until the end.  My only real issue was Julia herself.  Julia is in her 30s and is supposed to be a competent adult but at times I found her irritatingly immature.  I didn't really blame her for having issues with her father's remarriage but her reaction to so many other things felt really over the top.  I will continue with this series but it is not at the top of my list. My Rating: Liked It

Goodreads:  With Vics You Get Eggrolls (Mad for Mod Mystery #3) by Diane Vallere

Blurb:  Interior Decorator Madison Night has her hands full with a demanding client and a product endorsement, but when the news shifts from reports of recently abducted women to the discovery of a dead body, she can’t deny the danger. Evidence from the scene links the flirtatious Lt. Tex Allen to the crime, putting him off the case. As more abductees are either released or killed, he struggles with his suspension, on the brink of turning vigilante. Madison’s own life is complicated by the return of her hunky handyman, Hudson James. When seemingly unrelated events lead back to the abductions, she exposes a secondary agenda, a copycat crime, and a vengeful plot to destroy someone she loves.

My Thoughts:  I love Diane Vallere's quirky style of mystery and this series is fun though it's probably not my favorite of hers.  I love the decorating and mod style references but the pace can be a bit inconsistent and Madison can drive me crazy with her decisions for her personal life.  The mystery was interesting with a series of kidnappings happening in the Dallas area and Madison's friend/kind of love interest being framed for them.  Madison gets pulled into the investigation to protect her friend and because she can't resist.  This is definitely a series that you really do need to start at the beginning for as there is a lot of background information that have far reaching consequences.  My Rating: Liked It