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Mysteries and cozy mysteries: some reviews

Tropical Issue by Dorothy Dunnett (A Dolly Mystery #1)

Rita, a small, tough Scottish make-up artist is on Madeira trying to find out who killed Kim-Jim, an American make-up supremo. Also anchored off the island is Dolly, the yacht of Johnson Johnson with whom Rita teams up to get to the bottom of this foul deed. Rita’s fighting spirits are aroused despite her danger. She is not one for quitting, even when she learns she is caught up in an international drug-smuggling ring. But she also discovers that dealing with the maddeningly enigmatic Johnson Johnson is, by no stretch of the imagination, plain sailing.

My Review: I used to think of Dorothy Dunnet as a writer of historical fiction and this book was a surprise because it’s a humorous, compelling, and well plotted mystery. We would call it a cozy mystery now but it was a mystery tout court in 1983. As it was the first mystery I read by this author I cannot compare it to other novel but I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rita is a well plotted characters, a quirky and strong woman. The setting is wonderful, I’ve been in love with Madeira since forever, and loved the description I recommend it. Many thanks to Farrago for this arc, all opinions are mine.

Book page: https://farragobooks.com/book/tropical-issue/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64277922-tropical-issue

Six Ostriches by Philipp Schott (Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery #2)

It’s springtime in rural Manitoba, and the snow has finally left the exotic animal farm when an ostrich finds and swallows a shiny object. (Because this is what ostriches do.) Cue veterinarian and amateur sleuth Dr. Peter Bannerman, who surgically removes the object, which looks like an ancient Viking artifact. Soon after, people around are horrified by a series of animal mutilations. This sets Peter, and his talented sniffer dog, Pippin, on the hunt for answers. Peter begins to suspect a link between the Viking artifact, the mutilations, and a shadowy group of white supremacists on the internet. Before long Peter and Pippin are in over their heads, and the only way for them to get out alive will be to unmask the mastermind before they end up among their victims.

My Review: I always love Philipp Schott's books, both non fiction and mysteries featuring Peter Bannerman, an intriguing and well written amateur sleuth and vet. This story is darker than the first and there's some gore and graphic scene that I found a bit disturbing. That said it's another well plotted and enjoyable mystery and I hope there will be more mysteries in this series. Many thanks to ECW Press for this arc, all opinions are mine

https://ecwpress.com/products/six-ostriches-a-dr-bannerman-vet-mystery https://www.philippschott.com/ https://twitter.com/philippwschott https://www.instagram.com/philippschott/

Death on the Stella Mae By Jan Durham (Kipper Cottage Mystery #5)

Who can unlock the deepest secrets of the sea? Spring has finally sprung in the picturesque North Yorkshire town of Whitby, but high tides and easterly winds bring stormy weather. When trawlerman Daniel ‘Doc’ Holliday goes missing from his boat the Stella Mae, it looks like he was washed overboard. Widow Liz McLuckie soon has reason to believe otherwise. Someone wanted Daniel dead. But who? And how far will they go to hide what really happened that stormy night? Liz is determined to uncover the truth, with help from her motley collection of friends and Nelson the bull terrier – the ugliest (and bravest) dog in Yorkshire.

My Review: This is one of the best cozy mystery series I discovered in the last years: well plotted, light but featuring a cast of well plotted and clever characters. It always makes me wish I could travel to Whitby and I always enjoyed Nelson’s antics, he’s a sweet boy. This is another solid mystery that mixes well the different elements, keeps you reading and guessing. There’s plenty of surprising twists and a satisfying solution. Can’t wait to read the next story. Many thanks to Inkubator for this arc, all opinions are mine.

https://www.kippercottagemysteries.co.uk/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123128486-death-on-the-stella-mae

Ukulele of Death by E. J. Copperman (A Fran and Ken Stein Mystery #1)

Meet Fran and Ken Stein - a private investigator duo who refuse to let a little thing like being not entirely human stop them from doing their jobs.

After losing their parents when they were just babies, private investigators Fran and Ken Stein now specialize in helping adoptees find their birth parents. So when a client asks them for help finding her father, with her only clue a rare ukulele, the case is a little weird, sure, but it's nothing they can't handle. But soon Fran and her brother are plunged into a world where nothing makes sense - and not just the fact that a very short (but very cute) NYPD detective keeps trying to take eternal singleton Fran out on dates. All Fran wants to do is find the ukulele and collect their fee, but it's hard to keep your focus when you're stumbling over corpses and receiving messages that suggest your (dead) parents are very much alive. Ukuleles aside, it's becoming clear that someone knows something they shouldn't - that Fran and Ken Stein weren't so much born, as built . My Review: E. J. Copperman’s mysteries are never banal or predictable. When you start reading you know that the characters will be well developed and the mystery solid. And the plot will feature something very original that will make you love the story. This is the weirdest of all and one of the funniest I read this year. There’s a lot of humour and it could be called a cozy speculative mystery or a sci-fi cozy mystery. The definition it’s up to you, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and there were some details that made me laugh loud. There’s always a more serious side about the origin of Fran and Ken even if it’s packed in humour. A solid mystery with some weird twists and a lot of surprises. I loved the solution and hope to read soon other stories featuring these characters. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Severn House for this arc, all opinions are mine.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3297526.E_J_Copperman https://severnhouse.com/books/ukulele-of-death/

All That Glitters by Mike Martin (The Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series #13)

Sergeant Winston Windflower is moving on to a new chapter of his life, no longer an RCMP officer but now a Community Safety Officer in the small community of Grand Bank, Newfoundland. But when a body is found in the bed and breakfast he co-owns, diamonds are found in the body’s digestive system, and then Windflower’s friend Dr. Sanjay, who was given the diamonds for safe keeping, is kidnapped, it’s clear that crime has returned once more to Grand Bank. Windflower finds himself back in the thick of it, helping his newly promoted friend, RCMP Corporal Eddie Tizzard, track down a ruthless diamond smuggler who will stop at nothing — kidnapping, even murder — to pull off his dirty business.

My Review: . This is an excellent mystery series and I hope a lot of people will read it because it's compelling and well plotted. Sgt Windflower is an interesting character, clever and strong. I fell in love with the descriptions of Newfoundland and it's on my bucket list of places to visit. This is another well plotted mystery, on the cozy mystery side. The pace is even, the plot is tightly knitted and it kept me guessing. A highly recommended series. Many thanks to Mike Martin for this arc, all opinions are mine

https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136278862-all-that-glitters

Rehearsed to Death By Frank Anthony Polito (Domestic Partners in Crime #2)

Hart to Hart via HGTV, this fabulous new quozy (queer cozy) mystery series by award-winning author and playwright Frank Anthony Polito’s features a gay couple who solve crimes while renovating houses in suburban Detroit as part of their hit reality show Domestic Partners . Now, their foray into community theater proves a major risk thanks to some deadly improvisation . . .

Peter’s first play is having its world premiere at Pleasant Woods’s community theater. His handsome one and only, JP, has the lead. Rehearsals have begun. And New York City’s award-winning, hotshot helmer, Xander Sherwood Deva, is directing. Unfortunately the controlling, arrogant, poison-barbed, egomaniacal diva has everyone on edge. No wonder he finally pushes someone over it . . . Xander is found strangled to death in the same extra-long, imported cashmere scarf he’s been brandishing like a boa ever since he arrived. In the name of making art he’s burned a lot of bridges and made a lot of enemies but which one wanted to bring down the curtain on him? As they say in the the show must go on. But not before amateur sleuths Peter and JP become Domestic Partners in Crime and try to solve this deadly real-life drama ahead of opening night.

My Review: Peter and JP are becoming a favorite couple of amateur sleuth as I love their humour and their personality. They remind me some friend of mine and I like how this novels describe how a gay couple life is exactly like any other couple and how the LGBTQ+ community is just people regardless of the gender or sexual orientation. This means that this a good story and there’s a solid mystery. I didn’t like the victim even if he made me think of Oscar Wilde in the XXI century. There’s a lot of twists, there’s a dog, and there’s an entertaining and compelling plot that kept me guessing. There’s humour, a lot of witty dialogues, and a cast of fleshed out characters. I can’t wait to read the next story. Many thanks to Kensington Cozies for this ARC, all opinions are mine

https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496735607/rehearsed-to-death/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1272874.Frank_Anthony_Polito http://www.frankanthonypolito.com Twitter: fapolito

#mystery #cozy mystery #Kensington Books #severn house #inkubator books #ecw press #farrago #NetGalley #review

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