A Wytch's Book Review Blog

A Wee Homicide in the Hotel (ScotShop Mystery #3) by Fran Stewart

Hamelin is overflowing with tourists enjoying the Scottish-themed games—and most of them are donning tartans from Peggy Winn’s ScotShop. And her fourteenth-century ghostly companion, Dirk, has been indispensable, keeping an eye out for shoplifters and matching customer’s family names to their clan plaid.

Adding to the chaos is Big Willie, a longtime champion of the games, but not everyone is happy to have him in town. So when he misses the first event of the weekend, Peggy senses something is awry. After Willie is discovered dead in his hotel room, the victim of a bagpipe-related crime, Peggy decides it’s up to her and Dirk to suss out a murderer—because another death would really blow...

It is the annual Scottish games in Hamelin and the ScotShop is busy, very busy! Luckily Peggy has Gilda to be back up in the shop and Dirk to keep an eye out (it is still hard not to have a conversation with him when others are around mind you! But that is the problem with having your own ghost around). For the first time in 4 years a previous competitor is back, Big Willie spent time mourning the death of his wife but a young Scottie dog he saved from a Puppy Mill (he named her Drusilla or Silla for short) has helped him through this.  Peggy has agreed to look after the young dog whilst he is competing and so she heads off to the grounds ... but there is no Big Willie and no Silla, and then Silla arrives at the shop and things don't look good.

Death in the Quadrangle by Eilís Dillon

Since his retirement from King’s University, life has been rather quiet for Professor Daly…

In fact, a peaceful retirement, even when that retirement has been punctuated by helping the police to solve the odd crime, may be slightly over-rated: at least in Daly’s opinion.

So when he is invited back to King’s University to deliver a series of prestigious lectures, his heart leaps.

But on arrival he discovers that he has not been called back to the university on account of his literary knowledge…

On the contrary, he has been called upon purely because the retired professor has experience of solving crime.

And somebody has been sending the president of King’s threatening letters. Somebody within the university, it seems, wants him dead.

Perhaps aware of his own arrogant, materialistic and bullying nature and the effects it may produce, President Bradley seems genuinely worried for his safety.

And so Daly, assisted by Inspector Mike Kenny, sets about finding the author of the poison pen letters.

Until Bradley dies. Poisoned.

At which point, Daly and Kenny find themselves seeking a murderer among the university’s population.

And what a strange and mixed population it is; every single member seems to have their idiosyncrasies, and at least one kleptomaniac and one rat-obsessive are included in their ranks.

Virtually all, however, are united in their hatred of Bradley.

But who killed him, and why?

Professor John Daly has been invited back to King's University to give a prestigious series of lectures, but it turns out that it is not for his academic prowess but rather his crime solving that was the reason for the invitation.  The current President of the University has been sent a series of threatening letters and after the first few President Bradley has started to get worried and take it seriously.  Professor Daly has just managed to get his friend Inspector Kenny in to the University incognito (although Bradley recognised him) when the worst possible outcome happens and Bradley is found dead.

The problem is that there is no shortage of suspects as practically everyone disliked him - so academia and the Gardai will need to work together and quickly to find the solution!

The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble

In a cottage high atop Llanfair Mountain, sixteen-year-old Clara lives with her sister, Maren, and guardian Auntie. By day, they gather herbs for Auntie’s healing potions. By night, Auntie spins tales of faraway lands and wicked fairies. Clara’s favorite story tells of three orphan infants—Clara, who was brought to Auntie by a stork; Maren, who arrived in a seashell; and their best friend, O’Neill, who was found beneath an apple tree.

One day, Clara discovers shimmering scales just beneath her sister’s skin. She realizes that Maren is becoming a mermaid—and knows that no mermaid can survive on land. Desperate to save her, Clara and O’Neill place the mermaid-girl in their gypsy wagon and set out for the sea. But no road is straight, and the trio encounters trouble around every bend. Ensnared by an evil troupe of traveling performers, Clara and O’Neill must find a way to save themselves and the ever-weakening mermaid.

And always, in the back of her mind, Clara wonders, if my sister is a mermaid, then what am I?

Clara and her sister Maren live a fairly perfect life, they have been brought up by a half-fae lady Verity, and a pet Wyvern (Osbert) they have great friends in the form of the peddlers Scarff and his assistant/adopted son O'Neill. As they reach the age of 16 Maren starts to develop webs between her toes and fingers, and then scales start forming.  They realise that the girl who arrived in a Conch Shell is turning into a mermaid and as soon as Scarff and O'Neill arrive they will need to head to the sea so she can survive.  It ends up being Clara and O'Neill who take her but about half way through the journey the peddler's wagon is set on fire and the three of them end up being taken in by a travelling show - who want Maren as part of the freak show and O'Neill and Clara as servants.

Clara and O'Neill will need to escape and taken Maren with them before the Mermaid dies.

A Case of Blackmail in Belgravia (Freddy Pilkington-Soames Adventure #1) by Clara Benson

It's 1929, and Ticky Maltravers is the toast of London high society, adored by everyone—or so it seems, until somebody poisons him over dinner. Now it turns out that numerous people with secrets to hide had every reason to wish him dead. But which of them murdered him? For Freddy Pilkington-Soames, newspaper reporter and man-about-town, the question hits a little too close to home, thanks to an unfortunate drunken encounter with Ticky's corpse which he'd much rather the police didn't find out about—and thanks also to his exasperating mother Cynthia's seeming determination to get herself arrested by tampering with the evidence. But a pretty girl with big blue eyes is demanding his help in solving the mystery, so what can he do but agree? Now all he has to do is hide the wrong clues, find the right ones, and unmask the murderer before the police discover what's really been going on. That ought to be easy enough. If only people didn't keep getting killed...

Freddy didn't expect an evening on cocktails to take the turn it does, after he ends up at the wrong end of town to get back to his flat he decides to sleep the night at his parents ... only to find his mother with a corpse! From there on in it is a comedy and tragedy combined with Freddy trying to figure out what is going on, no one wanting to talk to anyone (least of all the Police!)  and then another body, Freddy's hangover seems to be the least of his problems (holding on to his job is another - still having an "in" with the people last seen with Ticky helps with that bit!)

Spying in High Heels (High Heels #1) by Gemma Halliday

L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears—along with $20 million in embezzled funds—and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by the LAPD's sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300 pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her...

Maddie is running late - on more than one count! But as she arrives at her boyfriends place of work (late for lunch) she sees him with someone else and he cancels lunch.  Then her boyfriend goes missing, money has gone missing and Maddie is up to her eyeballs in problems (not least running perpetually late for anything to do with her mother's wedding!)

The Victorian Flower Garden by Jennifer Davies

Published to coincide with a BBC2 series starting in October 1991, this is a successor to the author's "The Victorian Kitchen Garden" and "The Victorian Kitchen". It tells the stories behind flowers which Victorians grew and loved, and with the help of retired head gardener Harry Dodson explains how simple and exotic flowers were cultivated and used. At country mansions it was the head gardener's task to supply the lady of the house with the flowers she required for gown, bouquet and hair ornament. He also had to decorate with flowers the dinner table, mansion rooms and, in many cases, a large conservatory, and to provide traditional flowers for family weddings and funerals.

I enjoyed the TV programmes (and got them on DVD) so when this was spotted in a used book shop it was snapped up! Well worth a read, with Harry Dodson explaining how flowers were used during Victoria's reign.

The Murder on the Enriqueta by Molly Thynne

The bibulous Mr Smith was no pillar of virtue. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the Enriqueta, he met someone he knew on board at midnight - and was strangled. Chief Inspector Shand of the Yard, a fellow traveller on the luxury liner, takes on the case, ably assisted by his friend Jasper Mellish. At first the only clue is what the steward saw: a bandaged face above a set of green pyjamas. But surely the crime can be connected to Mr Smith's former - and decidedly shady - compatriots in Buenos Aires?

This book starts with a sea voyage and a what at first sight is an accident but turns out to be murder, Mr Smith is on his "uppers" having drunk and gambled his money away during the voyage, but no one expects him to be killed over that! Luckily Inspector Shand is on hand to help the Captain.  They do not manage to discover the killer and the story moves to England and the lives of the new Lord Dalberry (Gillie), an heiress Miss Summers (Carol), her guardian/trustee (Jasper Mellish) and the Dowager Lady Dalberry (and sundry others!)

The action moves smoothly between Gillie, Carol and Jasper and it is hard to say who the main character is - nonetheless an excellent story and I am looking forward to reading more Molly Thyne books!

Seeds of Deception (Orchard #10) by Sheila Connolly

With the bushels of time they spent organizing their wedding, Meg and Seth didn’t have a chance to plan a honeymoon. But now that winter has arrived, there’s not much to do at the orchard. So with their shared love of history and all things apple, they pick Thomas Jefferson’s orchards at Monticello as the perfect getaway.
 
While they enjoy the beautiful sights, there’s a rotten addition to the agenda when Meg’s parents discover their handyman dead in the backyard. With a bitter police chief eyeing Meg’s father as a suspect, Meg and Seth have to cut their honeymoon short to find the root of the problem.

Things are quiet for Meg and Seth and so they decide to take a short honeymoon, concentrating on orchards and historical buildings, thereby joining their two interests together.  They have a meal with Meg's parents before they set off and during that time the Corey's car is badly damaged (so damaged that they end up getting a rental car), the main problems arise when the Corey's arrive home and discover their handyman dead, killed indeed, in their back garden.

Meg and Seth cut their journeying short and head to New Jersey to support her parents as the local Police Chief, whilst being fair, would dearly love to pin the killing on Philip Corey!

The Tell-Tale Tarte (A Five-Ingredient Mystery #4) by Maya Corrigan

The last thing Val needs in her life is an unsolved murder, especially when the victim, an actor famed for impersonating Edgar Allan Poe, happens to be dressed exactly like her Granddad. To keep an eye on Granddad, whose latest job takes him to the home of Rick Usher, a local author inspired by Poe, Val gets herself hired as a cook in Rick's House of Usher. When she discovers the actor wasn't the only one doing an impersonation, separating the innocent from the murderous becomes a real-life horror story. But Val must decipher a killer's M.O. sooner rather than later . . . or she can forget about finding poetic justice.

Val is up over her ears in problems, firstly the manager of the health club seems to want to close the cafe down (even though it is turning a nice profit), her Grandfather has suddenly had a make-over, but the worst of it is that she sees someone who LOOKS like her Grandfather and he has just dropped dead!

Gunner is in the frame for that death, her Grandfather has been asked to impersonate a local author (hence the make-over) and Val has an evening catering gig.  In between all this she needs to write and trial more 5 ingredient recipes, oh and find out who murdered the actor (out of rather a large cast of people)!

A Gala Event (Orchard #9) by Sheila Connolly

The fall harvest may be just about over, but orchard owner Meg Corey is busier than ever planning her wedding to Seth Chapin. Who knew picking apples would be less work than picking out rings and a dress? And even though the happy couple has invited most of Granford, Massachusetts, to the ceremony, they might have to make room for one more guest…

Ex-con Aaron Eastman has unexpectedly reappeared in his hometown, searching for answers to the tragic fire in his family’s past that put him behind bars twenty-five years ago. Moved by his sincerity, Meg vows to do everything she can to help him solve the cold case. As she cobbles together the clues, it becomes increasingly clear that Aaron may have been considered the bad seed of the family, but someone else was one bad apple…

Meg is just finishing her second harvest and arranging her wedding to Seth at the same time, they decided to get married at Grans (the restaurant they helped get off the ground), a low key affair (more a mingling of friends with some good food, some wine and oh yes a short ceremony!) Meg has just gone through the details with Nicky when she sees the lights are still on at the Historical Society and so she pops in to see Gail, only to discover her in shock and covered with blood!

This leads to the revisiting of an old case of arson that everyone thought was done and dusted, so whilst this time Meg and Seth don't have a body to deal with they DO have a crime to check out - all in a days work for the two of them!