Five Golden Wings - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Five Golden Wings (Meg Langslow #38) by Donna Andrews

Rating: Really Liked It
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Two of Meg’s cousins, members of Mother’s vast Hollingsworth clan, are getting married, and both have chosen Caerphilly for their Christmas destination wedding . . on the same day, in the same venues. But while they’re cousins they’re also lifelong enemies. Mother’s efforts to keep the peace are wearing her down, and the battling brides (and their mothers) are making the holiday season miserable for everyone. So Meg steps in to keep the peace. And it was going badly even before she stumbles over the murdered body of the wedding photographer.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of suspects. The photographer has been hitting on many of the guests, bridesmaids . . . possibly even one or both of the brides. He’s also been slinking about and taking candid shots that are unflattering, embarrassing . . . occasionally even incriminating.

Can Meg help the local police nab the killer in time for the weddings to go on as planned? Unless, of course, the killer was one of the brides or grooms, in which case she needs to identify the killer in time to reveal their identity when she hears those fateful words, “If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else forever hold your peace.”

Genre: Fiction - Cozy 

Why I Picked This Book:  I love this series and the Christmas books are typically the most fun.  

My Impression:  If I was Meg, as soon as November 1st came around, I would book a holiday in a place that is hard to get to and has very poor cell service.  Between family and dogs and crime her holidays are frequently chaotic and this year may just be the most chaotic yet.   

Weddings are already a perfect setting for a hjinks and chaos and in this book we have two weddings - that are on the same day.  And if that isn't enough both brides and bridal parties hate each other and most of them are just pretty dreadful people.  That would only be a mild issue but the brides are cousins of Meg's and half the bridal party is staying at her house.  Oh and Meg's mother has become DeFacto wedding planner which is causing frequent migraines and pulling Meg even more into the muddle.

While the bridal party is pretty bad the wedding photographer makes them all look like saints.  There isn't much he hasn't tried both with this wedding and previous clients so when he ends up dead no one is surprised.

The mystery is a fun one with lots of hijinks that I'm so glad I wasn't part of though I did enjoy reading it.  I loved seeing all the different characters as usual and it was fun seeing Meg's mother out of her element.  This is a very long running series with lots of characters and different relationships.  While it isn't a series that needs to be read in order to enjoy it is one that the more you get to know the characters the more you enjoy the story so do with that what you will.  I always enjoy visiting with Meg and family and this book did not let me down.  It's a great bit of fun with engaging characters and a fun mystery.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  This is one of my favorite cozy series and I always enjoy the newest mystery as well as the earlier ones as I catch up on the series.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you like cozy mysteries this series a good one and it is one that gets stronger as it goes along.  

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

The Secret Christmas Library - Fiction Review

Goodreads:  The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan

Rating: 4 Stas (Really Liked It)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Mirren Sutherland stumbled into a career as an antiquarian book hunter after finding a priceless antique book in her great aunt’s attic. Now, as Christmas approaches, she’s been hired by Jamie McPherson, the surprisingly young and handsome laird of a Highland clan whose ancestral holdings include a vast crumbling castle. Family lore suggests that the McPherson family’s collection includes a rare book so valuable that it could save the entire estate—if they only knew where it was. Jamie needs Mirren to help him track down this treasure, which he believes is hidden in his own home.

But on the train to the Highlands, Mirren runs into rival book hunter Theo Palliser, and instantly knows that it’s not a chance meeting. She’s all too familiar with Theo’s good looks and smooth talk, and his uncanny ability to appear whenever there’s a treasure that needs locating.

Almost as soon as Mirren and Theo arrive at the castle, a deep snow blankets the Highlands, cutting off the outside world. Stuck inside, the three of them plot their search as the wind whistles outside. Mirren knows that Jamie’s grandfather, the castle’s most recent laird, had been a book collector, a hoarder, and a great lover of treasure hunts. Now they must unpuzzle his clues, discovering the secrets of the house—forming and breaking alliances in a race against time.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I have really enjoyed a number of this author's books so how could I resist that cover?

My Impression: The book starts off with a private train car journey which is something I didn't know I wanted and the journey ends at a crumbling (literally in some areas) Scottish castle.  Oh and all through it there's a book hunt for a valuable book in a hoard of books.  And this all takes place during the Christmas season.  What's not to love?

Mirren is just coming off the high of last Christmas's book hunt and is feeling a bit sad and alone - especially since she was ghosted by someone she thought was a potential love interested, Theo Palliser.  I did like that Theo's reasons for ghosting made sense and I could definitely see his side of things.  The bookish element was really fun and I loved the imagery of the castle.  While I wouldn't say this was slow paced, it did take me a bit to really connect with the characters and the story so I didn't immediately have the warm cozy for the first quarter or so of the book.  

This was a fun read with a fantastic setting.  I really enjoyed the read though it did make me appreciate my centrally heated non-crumbling house even if it isn't a castle in Scotland full of books.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would!  While not all of this author's books work for me when they do I really love them.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're looking for a cozy read this is a fun choice.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time.

1.  Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie - I would love to read the bulk of Christie's books for the first time again but this is one of my favorites.

2.  The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery - This is a magical book with wonderful characters.  Rereads are always good but I've noticed I love it more if there's a long time between rereads so a redo for the first read would be wonderful.

3.  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - This isn't one I'd probably reread but this is a book that lives on the edges of my thoughts at times.  The writing was stunning and reading it is an experience that I'd like to do again.

4.  The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - I read this when I was 11 or 12 and I wish I could read it for the first time as an adult.  I think I'd have a different perspective on it.

5.  The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen - This was the first book that I read by this author and I remember absolutely falling in love with the magic woven through the story and the writing style that made the setting come alive. 

6.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - This book was just magical and one I'd love to experience again for the first time.

7.  The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware -This thriller has a few scenes that literally made me gasp out loud the first time I read it.  

8.  Three Fates by Nora Roberts - This was such a fun adventure with found family, a creepy bad guy, and some pretty decent romances.  It'd be fun to read it again without knowing how everything was going to play out.

9.  Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica George Day - I really enjoyed this middle grade series and would love to meet the Castle for the first time again.

10. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell - I loved every moment of this thriller.  It's not one I'd reread but I enjoyed the reading experience so much I'd love to experience that again.

O, Deadly Night - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  O, Deadly Night (A Year Round Christmas Mystery #8) by Vicki Delany

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  It’s Christmastime in Rudolph, New York, which means it’s time for the December Santa Claus parade. This year, shop owner Merry Wilkinson has decided to decorate her float as Santa’s elves' workshop and invites her landlady, Mabel D’Angelo, to help supervise the excited children playing the elves. But when Mrs. D’Angelo doesn’t show up, Merry begins to worry.

Worry quickly turns into frustration when Mrs. D’Angelo reveals she was delayed by new neighbors moving in. As the center for all things gossip, Mrs. D’Angelo is determined to introduce the new arrivals to the neighborhood. As the days pass, Mrs. D’Angelo notices strange things about the newcomers, but Merry, busier than an elf in Santa’s workshop, has little time for matters that really don’t concern her. But things turn from jolly to downright concerning when Mrs. D’Angelo disappears, and Merry is forced to admit that something might be terribly wrong.

With family and friends counting on her during this stressful holiday season, it is up to Merry to make sure this Christmas doesn’t end up wrapped in blood red.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been reading and enjoying this series since the beginning and I'm always a fan of a series that features a giant dog.

My Impression: I really liked the premise of this one.  Merry's landlady, Mabel D'Angelo, has been a somewhat annoying character throughout the entire series.  I was really glad to see her getting a bit more character development and her own story.  

The book starts out with Mrs. D'Angelo at her most annoying.  A new neighbor has moved in across the street and Mrs. D'Angelo has failed to find out anything about them or even meet them.  Merry is trying to avoid her until it becomes clear that Mrs. D'Angelo has gone missing.  Merry is too caught up in preparing for the holiday in America's Christmas town to try to get involved in the investigation but despite her best intentions she is pulled in.

I liked the story but it didn't feel like there was quite enough of it to merit the length of the book.  I'm a big fan of slice of life cozies but there were times it felt repetitive or a dragged a bit.  A number of details are repeated multiple times to multiple people and it feels like we spend a lot of time without making much progress or learning more information.  

I love the community of Rudloph and the cast of characters who are in Merry's life - with the exception of Jackie who as far as I can see has no redeemable features and is probably my least favorite side character.  The food mentions are enough to make me want to find the nearest bakery immediately and I can't help but get a bit of Christmas spirit every time I pick up a book in this series.  This was, overall, a fun read though not the fastest paced.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would!  I enjoy this author and this series so even though this wasn't my favorite I look forward to spending more time in Rudolph - or any world this author creates.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're a cozy fan I would definitely recommend this series but I would start with an earlier book so you can get to know the characters.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Towards Zero - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: Towards Zero by Agatha Christie

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  One of Agatha Christie’s own ten favorite novels, Towards Zero puts Superintendent Battle and Inspector Leach on the case as they investigate the murder of an elderly widow.

What is the connection among a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player?

To the casual observer, apparently nothing. But when a house party gathers at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of an elderly widow, earlier events come to a dramatic head. As Superintendent Battle discovers, it is all part of a carefully laid plan—for murder.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the October pick for the Read Christie 2025 Challenge.

My Impression: I really enjoy this mystery.  The 1940s was one of Christie's best writing decades and this is definitely a fun one.  The main setup involves Neville Strange staying at his godmother's house with his current wife and his ex-wife as well as an assortment of servants and family friends.  Things are a more than a bit tense with current and past underlying tensions.

The book opens with a few vignettes that at the time seem unrelated.  The first is a man attempting suicide and the second is Superintendent Battle's daughter getting in trouble at school.  There is also a group of solicitors talking shop about previous court cases.  

The mystery is an intriguing one and one the less you know going in the better.  Superintendent Battle is one of Christie's underrated characters and he really shines here - especially in the scene with is daughter.  His mention of Poirot also made me very happy and it's a story I would hope he would tell Poirot as I think Poirot himself would have been pleased.  

This is Christie at her most twisty and most British-ness.  I didn't love the last minute romance though I am fully rooting for an unexpected one that showed up.  I can see why it was one of Christie's favorites.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  I'm already looking forward to the November read.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would!  This is an underrated Christie and it feels so very Christie-ish it's a great introduction and just a solid read. 

Friday Fives - Five Short Reviews for Series I'm Currently Reading

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.  I'm working on catching up on series and decided to put a few reviews of them all together here.

1.  To Err is Cumin by Leslie Budewitz - I really enjoy this series.  The more books I've read the more I've come to enjoy spending time with Pepper, her dog Arf, and the whole cast of characters at Pike Place Market.  The mystery here was an unusual one as Pepper accidentally ends up with an envelope of money that seems to have come from nefarious sources - a fact that is backed up when a body is found.  This definitely kept me guessing and I enjoyed the read from start to finish.  This had caught me up on the series though another book is coming out this summer so I'm looking forward to picking that one up.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  Hot Button by Kylie Logan - Serious collectors can make for a strange cast of characters and that is definitely the case with the button convention going on in this second book in the Button Shop series.  I know nothing about buttons other than I liked playing with the ones shaped like animals and flowers in my grandmother's sewing room when I was little but this was still a fun read that I really enjoyed.  I liked Josie as the main character and her retired police detective uncle as well as her maybe boyfriend and current police detective sidekick.  There was a lot going on in this one that kept me guessing and enjoying every page.  I'm glad I already have the next book on my shelf and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

3.  Picked to Die by Sheila Connolly - This series was one of my intros to cozy mysteries at least a decade ago.  I really loved the early books but as the series has gone on the less engaged with them I've gotten.   I like Seth and his family and Meg is okay as the lead character.  I do dislike Bree quite a bit. I get her frustration at times but she's flat out rude.  The mystery in this one was okay.  The solution made sense and the story is a bit unexpected if anti-climatic.  I'm at the point in this series where I'm missing a book or two in the series and my library doesn't have the next book so I need to decide if I'm going to hunt down the next book or skip it.  Based off this book I didn't like it enough to go hunt the next book down and buy it so I skipped it but I do like the series enough to finish the books that I do own.  My Rating:  Liked It (3 Stars)

4.  A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander - This is the second book in the Lady Emily historical mystery season.  In this book Lady Emily has come to terms with her husband's death but is having some trouble fitting into society as a widow and is perpetually shocking her mother.  The mystery involved a potential claim to the French throne and a number of possibly connected thefts.  Lady Emily kind of annoyed me as I get wanting to stay true to herself but she didn't seem to fully understand the potential for consequences in a world where she has lived her entire life.  I did like the way her character is developing and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, however.  I'm looking forward to picking up the next book in the series.  My Rating: Rally Liked It (4 Stars)

5.  Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews - I love the most recent books in this very long running series and am slowly making my way through the earlier books.  This wasn't my favorite.  I do love Meg at a festival and the anachronism police made me laugh.  I also liked an early glimpse of Faulk and as usual Meg's dad makes me smile anytime he's on the page.   The mystery was a good one as usual and there were plenty of suspects and motives.  I did find Meg a bit annoying in this book.  She just seems prickly and indecisive and I didn't care for how she treated Michael.  I know this gets worked out as the series goes on but I just found some of her behavior a little jarring.  I'm looking forward to the next one in the series though and hopefully Meg is back to her familiar ways.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

Books from the Backlog - Dying to Remember

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  Dying to Remember by Karin Kaufman

Blurb:  Weary of her ordinary life in ordinary Smithwell, Maine, Kate Brewer jumps at the chance to help an elderly neighbor, Ray Landry, investigate an unsolved murder. But Ray’s memories of the killing are at odds with the official report, and most people in town would rather forget about the tragic event. When Ray’s investigation turn deadly, past and present collide and Kate must act quickly to uncover the truth.

As Kate hunts for clues, she makes a discovery that will change her life forever. It seems that Ray’s talk about fairies in the woods of Smithwell was more than just talk—and reality isn’t quite the ordinary thing Kate imagined it to be. Can she and her new sleuthing partner, a determined little fairy named Minette, solve two murder cases before a third body shows up?

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  Not only is this incredibly seasonally appropriate but it sounds really cute.  I picked this up on a whim but still haven't read it.