Death of an Unsung Hero - Historical Mystery Review

Death of an Unsung Hero (Lady Montfort Mystery #4) by Teresa Arlen

Rating:  Very Good

Source: Publisher 

Description:  Lady Montfort and her pragmatic housekeeper Mrs. Jackson investigate a murder of a WWI officer with amnesia in the 20th-century English countryside.

Building on the success of her last three mysteries in the same series, Tessa Arlen returns us to the same universe in Death of an Unsung Hero with more secrets, intrigue, and charming descriptions of the English countryside.

In 1916, the world is at war and the energetic Lady Montfort has persuaded her husband to offer the dower house to the War Office as an auxiliary hospital for officers recovering from shell-shock with their redoubtable housekeeper Mrs. Jackson contributing to the war effort as the hospital’s quartermaster.

Despite the hospital’s success, the farming community of Haversham, led by the Monfort’s neighbor Sir Winchell Meacham, does not approve of a country-house hospital for men they consider to be cowards. When Sir Evelyn Bray, one of the patients, is found lying face down in the garden with his head bashed in, both Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson have every reason to fear that the War Office will close their hospital. Once again the two women unite their diverse talents to discover who would have reason to murder a war hero suffering from amnesia.

Genre: Mystery - Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been wanting to read this series since the first book and I've been on a huge historical mystery kick lately.

My Impression:  I do love a historical mystery and this series has landed in my To Read list.  I loved the mix of upstairs and down, the strong and intelligent main characters, and the at times heartbreaking World War 1element.

Mrs. Jackson and Lady Montfort May just be one of my favorite investing teams.  While they’re both intelligent and observant their perspectives and knowledge is very different so they are really able to work together.  As well their friendship and respect for each other feels incredibly genuine.

The mystery was very entertaining though it did have touches of tragedy as I spent more time around the officers that inhabit the hospital.   There were a number of very clever clues and red herrings.  This one kept me guessing but even better made me feel emotionally involved.

While this is the 4th book in the series I really had no trouble jumping in even from the beginning.  This was really a delightful read and has me looking forward to reading more from the series.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I’m looking forward to reading more of the series.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Definitely!  If you enjoy historical mysteries or historical fiction you’ll enjoy this book.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books that Surprised Me

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from That Artsy Reader Girl is Books That Surprised Me.  Now sometimes that surprise is a good one and sometimes not so good.  These are either books I expected to not like or be kind of meh about that I couldn't put down or books that I expected to love that just fell flat for me.  Luckily there are way more happy surprises than bad.

The Good: 

1.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer  - This was on my TBR the first time I saw the cover but honestly I didn't expect to like it.  I'm not a big fan of YA or dystopian type books and this is a bit of both by I loved how the author built the world and did the fairy tale retelling.  I liked Scarlet even more but it wasn't a surprise!

2.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - Dickens and I have a very complicated history thanks to some required reading in high school so while I loved the story in play form I didn't really expect to love it in printed form.  But I really did!

3.  Casino Royale by Ian Fleming - I had read Chitty Chitty Bang Bang before I decided to go on an Ian Fleming project.  I love his straight to the point writing style but was a little nervous about how it would work in a grown up spy novel especially given what I know about the movies.  I was pleased to discover how much I enjoyed the novels and how different they are from the movies (especially the Roger Moore ones).  As well I was very pleased to discover that why Fleming and Bond aren't winning any feminism awards the women that people the books are strong, self possessed, intelligent and frequently are the ones getting Bond out of a crisis instead of the other way around.

4.  Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick - My only real knowledge of Anna Kendrick comes from the movie Pitch Perfect which was fine but didn't make me want to go read/watch everything connected to her.  I got the audio from the library for the book strictly on a whim and absolutely fell in love with the book and her personality and ended up laughing until I cried.

5.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - I'd been seeing raves about this book for awhile but I wasn't so sure if I could really follow a story that was told almost exclusively in a letter format.  I didn't see how I'd get invested in the character but I was so wrong!  This is one of my Top 5 Favorite All Time Audio books.

6.  The Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart - I've been reading Mariah Stewart for years and her Chesapeake Bay series is one I always read but am not really sure why I do.  It's been hit or miss and even when it's a hit it's always more like than love.  My expectations weren't super high when I started this book but I loved it and it reminded me why I still read Stewart's book.

7.  Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - I had no interest in reading this one.  I don't like crisis stories and I'm not a big fan of anything where children are involved.  There were even times when I was reading it that I just wasn't sure how I felt about it but as the story went on the more pulled in I was.  It ended up being a book I really enjoyed!

The Bad:

1.  The Lying Game by Ruth Ware - I love Ruth Ware.  Her two previous books were two of my favorite audio books ever so I was super excited about this one.  And then I wasn't.  There was just so much secret keeping and it felt like the narrator was keeping secrets from the reader for far too long.  I kind of felt like she had an excellent novella but had to turn it into a full length novel on a very tight deadline.

2.  Ghostland by Colin Dickey - I just knew I would love this book.  It's all about ghosts and the actual history surrounding the story.  I love ghosts and I love history so I thought this was a no fail purchase.  In fact I was so confident that I preordered it new - in hardcover.  I made it a 100 pages before I had to put it down.  I found the style rambling to the point of incoherent and was bored to the point of reading slump.

3.  Everything, Everything by Nicole Yoon - This is strictly a - it's not you, it's me - reading experience.  I recognize that there was a lot that was really good with this book and while I could appreciate that I really didn't enjoy it.  I think this was the book that made me realize that the genre itself just isn't for me.  

Dead Cold Brew - Cozy Mystery Review

Dead Cold Brew (A Coffeehouse Mystery #16) by Cleo Coyle

Rating: Very Good

Source: Publisher 

Description:  Coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi sheds tears of joy when her NYPD detective boyfriend surprises her with an engagement ring. But her bridal bliss is put on hold when a chilling mystery brings a wave of deadly danger to those she holds dear...

After everything Clare and Mike have been through, they deserve a little bit of happily ever after. So when Mike decides to put a ring on Clare's finger, Clare's eccentric octogenarian employer is there to help. She donates the perfect coffee-colored diamonds to include in the setting and the name of a world-famous jeweler who happens to be an old family friend. But while the engagement is steeped in perfection, the celebration is not long lived.

First, a grim-faced attorney interrupts their party with a mysterious letter bequeathing a strange, hidden treasure to Clare's daughter. Next, the renowned jeweler who designed Clare's ring is found poisoned in his shop. Both events appear to be connected to a cold case murder involving a sunken ship, an Italian curse, a suspiciously charming jewel thief, and a shocking family secret. With deadly trouble brewing, Clare must track down clues in some of New York's most secret places before an old vendetta starts producing fresh corpses.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed previous books in this series and I can never resist a jewel thief!

My Impression:  The blurb is a little misleading.  While the old family mystery and secrets involving a jewel thief do factor into the book they don't really show up until at least 100 pages in and that plot is frequently overshadowed by what feels like the main mystery - just who is shooting NYPD police officers.  Clare ends up involved because her boyfriend, Mike Quinn just happens to be an NYPD officer and a shooting occurs right outside her coffee shop.This wasn't really a problem as I found both mysteries very compelling and felt invested in finding out how both ended. 

The cast of characters made this an enjoyable read.  I loved Clare's relationship with Mike and I felt like it was progressing in authentic manner.  While normally I'm a scorched earth person when it comes to ended relationships I do enjoy her relationship with her ex-husband, Matt and his mother who is also her boss.  I love that Clare calls her Madame and how supportive they are of each other.  As well, Clare and Matt's relationship is hardly unicorns and rainbows though for the most part they do get along.  I liked learning a little bit more about his family and especially enjoyed the flashbacks of his parents in the early days of their marriage.

This is fairly long for a cozy mystery coming in at just shy of 400 pages but Coyle's writing style has such an easy conversational feel I never felt like it was dragging.  Plus, the recipes at the end are mouthwatering!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I have a number of books in this series to catch up on and am already looking forward to the next book.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would - especially if you enjoy a cozy mystery though it may have you wishing that you really could run up to the Village Blend for some of Clare's delicious and unique coffee blends.

This Week in Reading - March 11

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

What I Got:

The Sugarhouse Blues by Mariah Stewart - The first book in the Hudson Sisters trilogy was one of my favorite reads of 2017 so I'm super excited about this one! (NetGalley)

Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert - I loved the first book in the cozy mystery series involving a librarian in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I was especially excited because the mystery was a combination of old and new and this second book seems to be continuing the trend. (NetGalley)

Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron - I love this series set in Louisiana and this newest entry sounds really fun!  (NetGalley)

Lighthouse Beach by Shelley Noble - I really don't know that much about this one but I read an early book by Noble and enjoyed it and the cover is wonderfully beachy.  (Edelweiss)

The Good Luck Sister by Jill Shalvis - I'm super excited about getting this one from this new Shalvis series.  I just got the first one to read and then I can get to this one.  (Edelweiss)

Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis - Another Jill Shalvis!  There may have been a bit of a happy dance with this one arrived.  I'm super excited to get started on this series though I'm going to read the first book before I get started. (Edelweiss)

Currently:

Reading:  I just started A Brush with Shadows by Anna Lee Huber and am about halfway through with The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell.

Listening:  Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery

Watching:  We just started the 2nd season of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.  I recorded it back in October than promptly forgot all about it.  So far it's okay but not as good as the first season.  We're also watching The Alienist.  I read the book when it first came out and remember almost nothing about it.  I'm curious to see how it all plays out.

Off the Blog:

We have internet again!  It was a huge relief to all of us though it was kind of fun to be unplugged for a weekend even though it might not have been by choice.  Things seem to be starting to bloom here so allergies are starting to go nuts.  Mine have been okay thanks to shots and my standard medicine routine but the poor Tornado is struggling.  It seems the only thing that really works for him is Benadryl which doesn't last as long as some of the other medicines.  Luckily it doesn't seem to make him too sleepy.

Next week is Book Fair at his school so that'll be most of my week.  After that we've got Spring Break coming up which will be nice.  We're just heading down to visit my grandparents for a few days and maybe take a day trip to Natchez, Mississippi.  It'll be low-key and I think we're all looking forward to it.  Other than that I'm trying to get summer traveling and daycamps for the Tornado lined up.  He's doing Space Camp again but I'm not sure how many or what else.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  Reviews from the Children's Section - The Wishing Spell
Tuesday:  What's Getting Me Through the Winter (non-bookish edition)
Wednesday:  Plum Tea Crazy - Cozy Mystery Review
Thursday:  Accidentally on Purpose - Contemporary Romance Review
Friday:  Friday Linkups - Cold Dead Brew
Saturday:  Deja Moo - Cozy Mystery Review

What's Coming Up:

Monday:  Cold Dead Brew - Cozy Mystery Review

Tuesday:  Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books that Surprised Me

Wednesday:  Death of an Unsung Hero - Historical Mystery Review

Thursday: The Silent Companions - Mystery Review

Friday:  Friday Linkups - Current Book

Saturday:  TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

Deja Moo - Cozy Mystery Review

Deja Moo (A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery #3) by Kirsten Weiss

Rating: Very Good

Source: NetGalley

Description:  Maddie Kosloski is no fan of San Benedetto's Christmas Cow, a thirty-foot straw bovine that graces the town square every December. For one thing, the cow displaces her paranormal museum as the number one tourist attraction. Plus, every year, despite around-the-clock surveillance, the cow goes up in flames.

But this year, there's more than just a fire blazing in Maddie's wine-country hometown. One of the Christmas Cow guards has been found with an arrow in his chest, and Maddie's new haunted cowbell exhibit is fueling a panic. Are the spirits in her museum getting too hot to handle? If Maddie can't stop the hysteria—and the murderous archer—her holiday plans might not be the only thing full of holes.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed the previous books in the series and there was no way I could resist this one with that title!

My Impression:  This series is completely bonkers in the best possible of ways.  I mean for starters the setting is just amazing and I really enjoyed the running argument on whether or not the cow bells were actually cursed.  I've heard a lot about the Christmas Cow and it's annual destruction in the previous two books so I was excited to see it front and center.  And the destruction was definitely on the epic side with flaming arrows shot by lovable Christmas characters.

I really liked seeing more of Maddie's mother and their dynamic and I did like more of a focus on GD Cat.  There was a lot going on with murder, cow destruction, misbehaving cats, cursed cow bells, and a bit of Maddie's personal life.  It all wrapped up nicely and while there is a note of chaos it really worked with the bright bubbly slightly crazy style of the book itself.

This is a fun quirky mystery series that doesn't stray into slapstick as some quirky mysteries do.  I like that Maddie is intelligent and self aware and I think that give the series a little bit of balance.  And how can I not love a book with this title?

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I'm already looking forward to book #4!

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy a good cozy or are looking for a light read that's different from anything else you've read this is a good choice.  If you're new to the series you should be able to jump in here with no problem though the previous two books are also a lot of fun.

Friday Linkups - Cold Dead Brew

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:

Do you enjoy retellings of or "sequels" to classic novels?  Why or why not?

My Answer:

While I do like fairy tale retellings I haven't had good luck with retellings or sequels of actual classic novels.  I am open for recommendations though!

This week's book is Dead Cold Brew by Cleo Coyle.  This is a long running cozy mystery series set around a coffee shop.  I read the first one years and years ago and then I read one of the newer ones a year or two ago and enjoyed both.  Today I'm reading the newest paperback release and am really enjoying it.

The Beginning:

He was red-faced again, too much wine at dinner.

My Thoughts:

This sounds like a reoccurring thing with this character!

The 56:

"I'm sorry, Godfather..." he said, shifting uneasily.  "I know you don't like to talk about the shipwreck, but - "

My Thoughts:

If you know about a shipwreck you should talk about a shipwreck!  I think that should be a rule somewhere.

So what do you think?  Keep reading?

Accidentally on Purpose - Contemporary Romance Review

Accidentally on Purpose (Heartbreaker Bay #3) by Jill Shalvis

Rating: Very Good

Source: Library

Description:  There’s no such thing as a little in love…

Elle Wheaten’s priorities: friends, career, and kick-ass shoes. Then there’s the muscular wall of stubbornness that’s security expert Archer Hunt—who comes before everything else. No point in telling Mr. “Feels-Free Zone” that, though. Elle will just see other men until she gets over Archer . . . which should only take a lifetime . . .

There’s no such thing as a little in lust…

Archer’s wanted the best for Elle ever since he sacrificed his law-enforcement career to save her. But now that she’s earned happiness and success, Archer just wants Elle 24/7. Their chemistry could start the next San Francisco Earthquake, and Archer doesn’t want to be responsible for the damage. The alternative? Watch her go out with guys who aren’t him . . .

There is such a thing as…

As far as Archer’s concerned, nobody is good enough for Elle. But when he sets out to prove it by sabotaging her dates, she gets mad—and things get hot as hell. Now Archer has a new mission: prove to Elle that her perfect man has been here all along…


Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  I love Jill Shalvis and saw this book on the shelf at the library and I couldn't just leave it there!

My Impression:   I adore Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series but her last few books just didn't grab me the same way.  I liked the sound of the Heartbreaker Bay series and meant to start from the beginning but I just couldn't resist this one when I saw it at the library and I was absolutely not disappointed!  Shalvis did an amazing job of keeping factors from Lucky Harbor that I loved all while making the community and feel of the book completely different.  What I love are the friendships.  I mean yeah I'm reading the book for the romance but what really makes these books stand out are the relationships between the rest of the characters.  Even coming in on book #3 I could tell these characters were friends.  This was a group of friends that was really more like a family and watching them interact was really a joy.  

Sometimes in books with big friend groups the romance suffers a bit but that wasn't the case here.  I loved that Elle and Archer have a history contentious and complicated though it is.  I could understand Elle's feel of being a duty to him and not wanting to mix emotions with that.  Both Elle and Archer are tough nuts to crack.  They have more than their share of baggage and are used to hiding behind their armor.  I loved watching them deal with their feelings for each other and their friends' reactions was an extra bit of fun.  This book really reminded me just why Jill Shalvis is one of my favorite romance authors and I can't wait for my next visit to Heartbreaker Bay.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I'm glad I have a few books to catch up on while I wait for the next one.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy contemporary romance you need to be reading this series!