Ruby Red Herring - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Ruby Red Herring (An Avery Ayers Antiques Mystery #1) by Tracy Gardner

Rating:  Liked It
Source: Publisher

Description:  After their parents' deaths, Avery Ayers and her teenaged sister, Tilly, take over the family business, Antiquities & Artifacts Appraised. Life in Lilac Grove is filled with jewels, tapestries, paintings...and the antics of eccentric Aunt Midge. But their world is rocked when they learn that the theft of a priceless ruby may be connected to their parents' demise.
The trouble starts when the Museum of Antiquities hires Avery to appraise a rare, resplendent ruby. It bears a striking similarity to a stone in the museum's bejeweled dragon's-head medallion. One of the dragon's ruby eyes was stolen long ago--replaced with a fake. Now, Avery's colleagues--pompous Sir Robert Lane and fatherly Micah Abbott--suspect they may have the missing gem. But facets of the case remain cloudy. Detective Art Smith is snooping around. Another body turns up. And Avery finds mysterious notes that, impossibly, seem to be written by her father.
Accompanied by her Afghan hound, Avery enlists Art's help in cutting the list of suspects who might have polished off her parents and swiped the jewel. Was it art collector Oliver Renell? Curator Nate Brennan? Actor Tyler Chadwick? Or was the theft an inside job, perpetrated by someone all too close to Avery? If she can't find the culprit, Lilac Grove may be the setting for Avery's own death.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I can never resist a new cozy series and I love books about antiques and rare jewels so this one was calling my name.

My Impression: This is a fun start to the series.  At the beginning of the story Avery is starting to gain her footing at her parents' appraisal firm following their tragic death over a year ago.  Between herself and her glamorous Aunt Midge they are keeping Avery's younger sister, Tilly, focused on finishing up her senior year of high school and getting ready for college.  This hasn't been an easy transition for anyone and the trauma is still present but the family is starting to move on.  And just a sense of normalcy is returning a disturbing message arrives at the door warning Avery off a new job assessing a ruby that has connections to the last piece her parents worked on.  

What follows is quite an intriguing tale of collectors, rare jewels, mysterious keys, and things are not always what they seem.  Watching it all unfold was quite an adventure.  I always enjoy a mystery that isn't just a straightforward murder and this was definitely one of those.  It's definitely a first book with a lot of setup but that didn't bother me.  What kept this from being a 4 or 5 star book for me was that there is a lot more telling then showing which made for a slow start but once the story started gaining traction I was definitely pulled in.  I'm really curious to see where the series goes and to spend more time with the Ayers family.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  While this wasn't my favorite mystery of the month it is an intriguing start to a series.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries and books involving antiques I think you'd enjoy this mystery.

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

Life with Leukemia (And Some Reading) - June 6

 It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

This week has been okay.  Will was on steroids last week and it actually went pretty well though steroids are always tough.  He's started having some pain and weakness which unfortunately is normal for this treatment and thankfully pretty mild for now.  We have a great physical therapist at the St Jude affiliate here and she's been really working with us on preventing things from getting worse and getting things better so we have a few treatment plans going there.  We are hoping my dad's pool will warm up enough soon so we can start using the pool which is great therapy and fun too.  

Other then that nothing too exciting.  We've been trying to tackle some of the projects that got neglected around the house.  I've been reading some but think I might need a genre shakeup so I might throw something a little different into the mix soon to shake things up.  I'm getting my hair cut this week after a year!  I'm not going to do anything massively different but I am excited.  

Currently:

Reading:  The Princess Spy by Larry Loftis and Death on the Night of Lost Lizards by Julia Buckley

Listening:  Death Brings a Shadow by Rosemary Simpson

Watching:  Just YouTube.  I found a true crime channel I'm really liking called That Chapter and I've been especially been enjoying an old favorite - The Try Channel where Irish people try all kinds of crazy food or drinks.

Have a great week and happy reading!

May 2021 Reading Recap

 

Number of Books Read:  18 (This surprised me - it had kind of felt like a slow reading month)

Bookish Breakdown:

Mystery: 15
Romance: 1
Middle Grade: 1

Fiction: 1

Reread: 4

Print:  8
Ebook:  5

Audio: 5

Favorite Book of the Month

A Pretty Deceit by Anna Lee Huber -  Despite getting quite a number of books read this month I pretty much enjoyed all the books I read equally but the glamour of the characters made this post-World War 1 adventure stand out in my memory.  

Least Favorite Book of the Month: 

The $64: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden by William Alexander - I had such high hopes for this one and was so disappointed I ended up DNFing it  I think everyone who has ever grown tomatoes can relate to the title but the author came off as more then a bit pompous and after awhile I just couldn't care that he could see the faucets from his professionally installed irrigation system raising out of the professionally built raised beds in his professionally landscaped yard.

How was your May reading? 

Friday Fives - June TBR

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  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.  Since this is the first Friday in June I'm looking at five books I plan on reading this month.

1.  A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman - I've been enjoying reading the Mrs. Pollifax books and since it's been awhile since I read the last one I definitely need to pick this one up!

2.  Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan - I don't know all that much about this one other then some of it takes place in the late 1970s and it involves a famous family and a disappearance.  

3.  Antiques Fire Sale by Barbara Allan - I don't know much about this series but it's a cozy mystery featuring antiques so I really must give a try.

4.  A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn - I love this series and it is one I'm working on getting caught up on.  And once I've read this one I'll be fully caught up!

5.  The Princess Spy by Larry Loftis - I read Aline Griffith's book, The Spy Wore Red, at least 10 times years and years ago and loved it so I can't wait to get a more in depth look at what happened.  

What books are you hoping to read in June?

Books from the Backlog - A Magical Match

 

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:  A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell

Blurb:  Lily Ivory and her friends are planning a 1950s-themed brunch to benefit the local women's shelter. When a figure from her past shows up unannounced, threatening her unless she returns something that belonged to him, Lily's fiancé, Sailor, steps in to defend her. After the same man is found dead later that day, Sailor is the primary suspect. He swears he's innocent, but multiple witnesses ID him as the perpetrator of the assault. Lily vows to clear his name...only she's not sure where to start with the mounting evidence against him.

When she sees Sailor in the neighborhood despite knowing he's in jail, Lily starts to wonder if there could be a doppelganger in San Francisco. When she's not busy helping customers find matching outfits for the upcoming event, searching for a vintage wedding dress for her own nuptials, and dealing with an ill-timed magical cold, Lily begins to suspect one of her magical foes is targeting her loved ones in an attempt to weaken her.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I really love other series by this author and I want to decide if I want to dive into this series.  I read the first one years and years ago and thought it was too paranormal for me but my tastes have changed a bit so I feel like it's worth trying again.

Murphy's Slaw - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Murphy's Slaw (An Alaskan Diner Mystery #3) by Elizabeth Logan

Rating: Liked It
Source: Publisher

Description: When a local prize-winning farmer is murdered at the state fair, Charlie Cook gets called in to help investigate, but she’s shocked to learn the victim is a friend in this latest installment in the Alaskan Diner Mysteries.

Charlie Cooke loves many things, like the Bear Claw Diner, the heated steering wheel of her car, and her orange tabby cat Eggs Benedict. Something she has never loved is the state fair. So when her best friend Annie Jensen begs her for a fair day, she’s reluctant. But Annie isn’t the only one who wants her to spend a day among farm animals and deep fried food. A vendor has been murdered, and Trooper Graham needs his favorite part-time sleuth to dig up the truth, and Charlie is happy to oblige.

The case grows personal when Charlie learns the victim is Kelly Carson, whom she and Annie were friends with in high school. If Charlie wants to find justice for Kelly, she and Annie will have to work together to weed out the killer.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been reading this series since the beginning so I had to pick this newest book up!

My Impression:  This series is a fun one with lots of elements that I always enjoy.  I love that the setting isn't just window dressing and life in non-Anchorage Alaska gets discussed.  I really enjoy the team investigation aspect from Trooper who is actually law enforcement and then Charlie, her friend the local innkeeper Annie, and reporter Chris.  They each bring a different perspective to the investigation which I really enjoy.  I also really enjoy the dynamics of the diner with customers and staff and all the food talk.

The mystery is an interesting one though emotionally a bit harder for Charlie as the victim is an old friend.  There's a mix of guilt and obligation fueling Charlie and Annie in their investigation and bunches of clues though no real obvious motive - at least not at first.  I really enjoy the mystery and the read in general and always like spending time in Alaska!

I have a couple of very minor issues with the book.  Charlie is obsessed with her cat Benny who does seem like a pretty great cat but she's always checking in on him through the camera.  Or sharing stories of his antics. Or reading stories to him or buying treats for him or whatever else.  To me, it felt like it slowed down the pacing a bit.  That said, this series is quickly turning into a reliably entertaining series with a great cast and an interesting setting.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  I'll be keeping an eye out for the next book in this series - or any book by this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a great series that I think most mystery fans would enjoy.

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

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Things I've Learned From Cozy Mysteries

 

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 a freebie and since I've read a LOT of cozy mysteries this year I'm talking about 10 things I've learned from cozy mysteries.

1.  If you inherit any piece of property sell it sight unseen and as is - especially if you've never been inside or haven't for years.  Granted someone else will stumble over the body that's hiding in the wall or attic or flower bed but it won't be your problem.

2.  On a similar note never ever buy anything that closes like a trunk or a wardrobe without doing a thorough inspection at the location you're buying it.  Better yet have the seller do the inspection so you're not the one with that image in your head!

3.  Always keep your phone charged.  If you let your phone die bad things will happen.

4.  If you ever have an argument in public with someone make sure that you are always with multiple people until someone else is in a public argument with that same person because they will be murdered and you will need an alibi.

5.  Opening a business in a small town is not only somewhat dangerously financially but it is also incredibly dangerous to your life.  You will most likely be murdered, a murderer, or falsely accused.

6.  Only walk your dog in dog parks or cleared areas where you can clearly see all the land around you because if they start sniffing at a bush or what not you are about to discover a body and you don't want that image in your head.

7.  Never meet someone that you have either had a contentious relationship OR are in the middle of a tense business transaction with alone.  They will be dead and you will be a suspect and that will be inconvenient.

8.  Grandmothers are not to be trusted.  Best case scenario they're going to try to fix you up with a neighbor or insist on doing some kind of spiritual cleanse in your house/small business after a body is discovered.  Worst case you're about to be tricked into running a haunted bookstore or inn with them.  Either way at some point they're going to be suspected of murder and you're going to be suspected of murder and you're each going to find dead bodies and things are just going to get crazy.

9.  Mothers are also not to be trusted.  They're not as bad as grandmothers but they're a close second.

10.  While life in a cozy mystery seems chaotic and pretty stressful they typically have pretty good snacks and usually an adorable pet or two and a decent supply of books/crafting supplies so I think those make everything equal out okay.

If you read cozy mysteries what have you learned from them?