Kneading To Die-Liz Mugavero

Kneading To Die
Liz Mugavero
Kensington, May 7 2013, $7.99
ISBN: 9780758284785

When Warner Insurance downsized her public relations position, Kristan “Stan” Connor, accompanied by her significant other Nutty the Maine Coon cat, left West Hartford for a simpler life in Frog Ledge, Connecticut. While her boyfriend Richard wonders if she lost her mind by leaving the big city for Sleepy Hollow, Stan hears the neighbors brawl while she moves into her Victorian.

Stan likes her new neighbors; especially Char Mackey, homeopathic animal nurturer Amara Leonard and “Pet’s Last Chance” director Nikki Manning while they seem to welcome her and her special food that she makes for Nutty and soon the other town pets. Town veterinarian, Dr. Carole Morganwick visits Stan demanding she bring Nutty in as a patient before office hours. Though her stomach churns and her mind tells her not to, Stan and Nutty arrive for the early appointment only to find unpopular Morganwick buried dead in kibble. State trooper Jessica Pasquale and the locals look at the newcomer as the suspect when their pets become poisoned; so Stan seeks answers especially the source of what is harming the animals.

The first Pawsitively Organic Gourmet Pet Food amateur sleuth is an engaging whodunit with two mysteries for the heroine to resolve. Although the love of pets feels like a hammer used to frequently to even a cat and dog lover like me, readers will enjoy Stan’s investigative asides into the poisoning of pets and as a byproduct the vet’s homicide.

Harriet Klausner

The Fallen Angels Book Club

The Fallen Angels Book Club
R. Franklin James
Camel Press, May 1 2013, $14.95
ISBN: 9781603819176

In the San Francisco Bay area, the Fallen Angels Book Club meets at the San Lucian Library. To become a member, a person must be a “book lover” and a “white-collar ex-felon”. Hollis Morgan hosts this month’s event on World at Midnight. She meets the requirement as she served half of her three years sentence in prison for insurance fraud; a crime her ex-husband Bill committed but he cut a deal with the DA that sent his ex-wife behind bars.

Hollis’ lawyer Clay Boone arranges a meeting for her with the court to pardon her so she can return to law school. Instead, San Lucien police detectives Faber and Lincoln question her about the murder of club member Rory Norris following a book club meeting with the M.O. right out of the World at Midnight (the killer in the novel being a cop). Other killings follow that emulate books. Because of coffee after meetings and no more with the first victim, the cops look at Hollis as the suspect. This time Hollis refuses to sit idly by while the cops (or the DA) use her as the fall gal to close the homicide. Instead she investigates the murder.

The first Fallen Angels Book Club amateur sleuth is an engaging whodunit due to a refreshing protagonist who refuses to be a victim though she knows she could be next on the killer’s list. Fast-paced, readers will enjoy Hollis’ investigation as she has two advantages over the cops: she read the books and she knows she is innocent; though she also knows the latter does not matter to the justice system that is measured by convictions.

Harriet Klausner

The Body in the Piazza-Katherine Hall Page

The Body in the Piazza
Katherine Hall Page
Morrow, Apr 30 2013, $24.99
ISBN: 9780062065506

Aleford, Massachusetts caterer Faith Fairchild and her husband Reverend Thomas Fairchild head to Tuscany to celebrate their wedding anniversary with her friend Francesca Rossi at her Cucina Della Rossi cooking school. Faith’s former assistant in New York Francesca met Thomas and saw her mentor when the couple honeymooned in Italy.

In Rome, British travel writer Freddy Ives charms the Fairchild’s. Intoxicated by the city, Faith and Tom stroll hand in hand the streets when in horror they observe a man stab to death Freddy. The vesting American couple wants to solve the homicide, but instead go on to Tuscany as Francesca awaits their arrival. Several people they saw in Rome appear in Tuscany while someone sabotages Francesca’s new dining endeavors. Faith plans to resolve all mysteries including learning the secret recipe for Nona Rossi’s incredible sauce.

The latest Faith Fairchild amateur sleuth (see The Body in the Boudoir) is a fabulous entry as Tuscany and Rome provide fresh locations while also giving long-time fans a glimpse into the heroine’s salad days. Filled with action and mouthwatering delights (cover should include a dieter’s warning label), readers will enjoy this strong culinary investigation.

Harriet Klausner

Antiques Chop-Barbara Allan

Antiques Chop
Barbara Allan
Kensington, Apr 30 2013, $24.00
ISBN 9780758263629

Antique sellers and amateur sleuths, Vivian and Brandy Bourne are starring in a new reality TV show the Antique Sleuths based on this the adventures of this mother and daughter duet. They are filming in Vivian’s hometown of Serenity, Iowa at an old house where a cold case axe murder of Archibald Butterworth occurred in 1950.

However, reality becomes too vivid when Brandy’s young son Jake proves he is a Bourne when he finds the corpse of producer Bruce Spring at the Butterworth house; the murder weapon is an ax. As the show must go on so the filming continues while Vivian and Brandy stealthily sleuth.

This Trash ’n’ Treasures mystery (see Antiques Knock-Off and Antiques Disposal) is an amusing whodunit as the third generation proves to be a Bourne with a nose for trouble. The jocular storyline is fun but the inserted directional commentary rather than wry humor distract from the plot. Still fans will enjoy this all in the family madcap antiques whodunit.

Harriet Klausner

Game Drive-Marie Moore

Game Drive
Marie Moore
Camel, Apr 15 2013, $13.95
ISBN: 9781603819619

Mississippian Sidney Marsh works as a travel agent at Itchy Feet Travel in lower Manhattan. When she arrives at the office, Sydney is shocked by the dramatic makeover from staid typical agency to African décor. Her boss “Big Bwana” informs Sydney and her best friend and peer at the office Jay Wilson that with the economy tanked they need an edge; so they will offer African safari tours.

Big Bwana dispatches Sidney and Jay to Cape Town to test the safari tours before offering them to customers. Both look forward to the paid working vacation though Jay fears domesticated kittens. In Cape Town however, it is not the four legged that turn their adventure into a misadventure after Sidney apparently witnesses a murder. On the Table Mountain cable car, someone picks her pockets and at Leopard Drive game lodge overlooking Kruger National Park, an agent is dead while Sidney tempts the “Marsh Curse” with a handsome local.

The second Sydney Marsh Murder Mystery (see Shore Excursion) is an enjoyable amateur sleuth tale as the heroine feels right at home in South Africa having landed in her natural state of tsuris. Though circumstance is critical early on, fans will relish this fast-paced tale enhanced by vivid descriptions of the country; as readers will want to join a tour just probably not one sponsored by Itchy Feet.

Harriet Klausner

Chihuahua Confidential-Waverly Curtis

Chihuahua Confidential
Waverly Curtis
Kensington, Apr 2 2013, $7.99
ISBN: 9780758274960

Partners Geri Sullivan and Pepe the Chihuahua she rescued from the local pound drive from their home in Seattle to Hollywood as contestants on Dancing With the Dogs. Geri, used to Pepe never shutting up, listens to her canine friend tell her about his time living in Southern California as a pampered pet of starlet Caprice Kennedy.

Pepe expects to win the dance contest if Geri can keep up with his steps. However, when they go on stage, they are greeted by one of the three judges being dead. A second corpse follows and several canines vanish. While the Washingtonian duo dances together, they also investigate the murders and dognapping.

The latest Barking Detective mystery (see Dial C For Chihuahua) is a lighthearted engaging whodunit as the reality show humor provides a fun counterbalance to the homicides and canine abductions. Readers will appreciate Pepe’s antics as he seems to have a nose for trouble that match paw to hand to the stratospheric levels of tsuris attained by Geri’s boss, private investigator Jimmy G.

Harriet Klausner

Parrots Prove Deadly-Clea Simon

Parrots Prove Deadly
Clea Simon
Poisoned Pen, Apr 2 2013, $24.95
ISBN 9781464201042

In Beauville, to the shock of no one working at the LiveWell retirement complex as she was very ill, octogenarian Polly Larkin dies in her Room 203. Polly’s fiftyish daughter Jane asks pet guru Pru Marlowe to retrain Polly’s roommate, foul-mouth African grey parrot Randolph Jones.

However, Pru listens to Randolph’s mimicry and concludes the parrot is repeating Polly’s last words. The psychic animal expert further thinks Randolph witnessed a murder instead of the natural death that staff Dr. Wachtell insists happened and that someone wants the parrot silenced forever. Pru and her animal team (Wallis, Buster, Frank and Growler) investigate what each believes was the murder of an elderly woman.

The third Pru Marlowe Pet Noir (see Dogs Don’t Lie and Cats Can’t Shoot) is an enjoyable psychic mystery as the heroine “talks to the animals” in order to seek their guidance on solving the case. Though the whodunit solution seems obvious in spite of several viable suspects, fans will appreciate this fun anthropomorphic investigation.

Harriet Klausner

Braking Points-Tammy Kaehler

Braking Points
Tammy Kaehler
Poisoned Pen, Apr 2 2013, $24.95
ISBN 9781464200991

At the Road America event in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, racing car driver Kate Reilly tries to pass Miles Hanson on the oval, but he refuses to allow her so she bumps his vehicle. The NASCAR officials call the crash a racing incident in which both drivers are at fault. Miles ends up at a nearby hospital and off the track for a few months while he heals from his injuries.

Irate Miles is a fan favorite with a huge following. At the same time while his supporters demand she at least be banned until his return, “Racings Ringer” constantly assaults the allegedly violent Kate in his blog. Kate fears for her safety as the vitriol gets worse and a hit and run attempt almost succeeds. Still she heads to the next stop to Petit Le Mans in Georgia while wondering whether pit reporter Felix Simon, who loathes females on the track, is the culprit until he becomes a murder victim and the war against Calamity Kate intensifies with the murder of her friend Ellie Prescott who once was engaged to Kate’s current boyfriend Stuart Telarday.

The second Kate Reilly mystery (see Dead Man’s Switch) is a fabulously fast spin around the track as some sports fanatics quickly turn psychotic (mindful of the murder of Columbian soccer player Andres Escobar in 1994) although that also leads to an overly abundance of suspects. Still readers will enjoy this entertaining sports whodunit.

Harriet Klausner

Blood, Ash, and Bone-Tina Whittle

Blood, Ash, and Bone
Tina Whittle
Poisoned Pen, Mar 5 2013, $24.95
ISBN 9781464200939

Her former cheating boyfriend John Wilde arrives at Tai Randolph’s Atlanta gun shop. He says he married her former best friend Hope last month, but she left him last week taking an artifact with her that he wants back. Further explaining, he says they run a pawn shop in Jacksonville where they found inside a roll-top desk a bible signed and dated by Lincoln to Sherman. John hires Tai who charges him 15% rather than the usual 10% finder’s fee.

Tai and her boyfriend security expert Trey Seaver deliver authentic Civil War items to the participants at the Southeastern Civil War Expo reenactment in Savannah. They also search for Hope and the missing King James Bible, but soon learn the hard way rabid rivals seek the same valuable artifact and much more at any cost to competitors.

The third Tai Randolph finder mystery (see The Dangerous Edge of Things and Darker than Any Shadow) is an exciting twisting thriller as the feisty but foolhardy heroine and her brave but deliberate partner end up in one perilous mess after another. Separately they could end up as cannon fodder, but together they make a powerful team. Readers will relish this terrific entry while, like Tai, compare reserved Trey to passionate John.

Harriet Klausner

That Old Flame of Mine-J.J. Cook

That Old Flame of Mine
J.J. Cook
Berkley Prime Crime, Apr 2 2013, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425252048

Stella Griffin left the Chicago Fire Department after catching her now ex-boyfriend cheating to become the fire chief of the Sweet Pepper, Tennessee volunteer fire department. Before she reaches town, Deputy Chum pulls her over for speeding on her motorcycle. When she removes her helmet, he looks like he is having a seizure as he calls her Abigail and flees the scene.

Tory Lambert welcomes Stella to town by giving her a file on her husband’s alleged accidental death by fire that she and others believe that pepper plant owner Ben Carson arranged so that people will not fear a killing arsonist amongst them while the annual Sweet Pepper Festival occurs. The next day the firefighters put out a blaze in Tory’s house. Stella and police officer John Trump later find Tory’s dead body inside with the fire chief believing the arson covered a homicide. When she is injured in a biking incident, she meets the grandfather she never knew existed before, Ben. As she investigates Tory’s death, Stella receives help from her predecessor Eric Gamlyn, who died in the line of duty before she came to town.

The first Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery is a Great Smokey Mountains whodunit starring a tough dedicated woman and a town where everybody knows everyone personally, yet many of the locals (including her kin) keeps dark secrets. Fast-paced from the moment Chum sees Stella, fans will enjoy this entertaining paranormal investigative thriller as the protagonist with her ghostly advisor works the case that involves her family.

Harriet Klausner