Trace Elements (2020) Donna Leon (Commissario Guido Brunetti) Book 29 of the Commissario Guido Brunetti series. Brunetti and Griffoni go to a hospice because a dying woman wants to talk to them. Her husband recently was killed in a car accident, and she seems to be telling them that he was killed. Brunetti finally accepted […]
A Gift of Sanctuary (1998) Candace Robb (Owen Archer) Set in Wales in 1371 Owen, Geoffery Chaucer, and Michaelo are accompanying Sir Robert, Owen’s father-in-law, in pilgrimage to St. David’s in Wales. Owen and Chaucer are to also going to Wales for the Duke of Lancaster to determine if the steward at Cydweli Castle is […]
Dim Sum Asylum (2017) Rhys Ford Roku MacCormick is part of the Chinatown Arcane Crimes Division, and things are not going well for him. He lost his love and his daughters, and there is nothing in his life anymore but following in his mother’s footsteps and trying to be order to a deeply disordered place. […]
Skim Blood and Savage Verse (2017) Angel Martinez Carrington Loveless is my least favorite character in this series, but on a second read-through, I have a little more compassion for him, since his parents are pretty awful. How could he have even thought about not celebrating his thirty-fifth birthday? Especially if it meant it gave […]
The Nun’s Tale (1995) Candace Robb Set in England in 1365. Joanna Calverley, a young nun, disappeared from her convent–taking part of an ancient relic with her. Archbishop Thorsby isn’t pleased to discover that Dame Isobel had neglected to tell him this–until the nun returns, claiming to have been resurrected. Owen was sent out to […]
A Holiday By Gaslight (2018) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1861. Sophie Appersett has decided that although Mr Edward Sharpe is handsome as well as wealthy, they do not suit. After months, she still knows nothing about him, other than that he and his best friend made their money in an investment that paid […]
Kneading You (2019) C.S. Poe Christopher Hughes always wanted to live in a small town. With a degree in literature, he’s delighted to take a job taking over the local library and help it recover from years of neglect. Unfortunately, a local Selectman wants the property for a building project, so Christopher has a tiny […]
The Dark Tide (2011) Josh Lanyon At the end of the last book, Adrien was shot and died briefly, but now with a valve replacement, he is supposedly on the mend. But he still isn’t sure where he stands with Jake, who outed himself to put the the man who shot Adrien behind bars. Although […]
Death of a Pirate King (2011) Josh Lanyon Yeah, I mostly skipped The Hell You Say, just reading the bits about him meeting his mother’s new husband and family. This book is set two years after that. Adrien is getting over pneumonia but at least he’s at a party, because his book has been optioned […]
All She Wrote (2010) Josh Lanyon This is the other series I started when I couldn’t decide what I wanted to read. The second Holmes & Moriarity book starts with Christopher once again backing out on a weekend with JX, and JX deciding that he doesn’t want to deal with it. So Christopher heads off […]
The Work of Art (2019) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1814 Phyllida Satterthwaite lived with her grandparents until their death, at which point she was taken to London to live with her uncle, who Had Plans For Her. both of her cousins immediately perked up, as if they expected Philly to receive the harshest […]
Riven (2018) Roan Parrish I’ve never been interested in reading a book about a rock star, which is why I had a really hard time starting this one. In fact, since I’d forgotten the premise when I started reading, I wondered why on earth I’d gotten it. Theo Decker is a rock star and hates […]
The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter (2019) K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) Set in London in 1893. Miss Christiana is in trouble. She’s all but owned by Kammy Gizzard, and she failed in the task he set out for her, that might have allowed her to buy her way out of debt, so now Kammy is coming to make […]
Merlin in the Library (2018) Ada Maria Soto This is a very short story that follows on the heels of His Quiet Agent. It’s not a full-blown story as much as a peek into Martin’s mind, and a reassurance that he will, eventually, be ok. Martin wanted to reassure Arthur that he was fine and […]
Skin and Bone (2019) TA Moore Here’s the problem: I still don’t like Javi. Half the time he didn’t like himself much. If he had a pet, he wouldn’t want it to be intelligent enough to understand his failings. Sorry, but being aware that you’re a complete asshole doesn’t excuse being a complete asshole. Be […]
The Mystery of the Curiosities (2017) C.S. Poe Sebastian and Calvin are making their relationship work. It’s hard for Calvin whose family won’t speak with him now, which is exacerbating the PTSD he won’t admit he has, but Sebastian is doing his best to make Calvin feel loved. And Calvin does his best to deal […]
The Mystery of Nevermore (2016) C.S. Poe Sebastian Snow runs an antique shop, has an in-the-closet copy boyfriend, and achromatopsia–he can’t see color and has other vision problems due to that. When he finds a body part in the floorboards of his store, he’s drawn into a mystery, initially against his will, but later with […]
Open for Business (2016) Angel Martinez (Brandywine Investigations) Mythological beings. M/M romance. Murder and mystery. That noise? Those were a bunch of my buttons being pushed all at the same time. This is three separate stories. Canines, Crosshairs & Corpses, No Enemy But Time, and Dragons, Diamonds & Discord. Canines, Crosshairs & Corpses Hades (that […]
Point Blank: Five Dangerous Ground Novellas (2017) Josh Lanyon This is a collection of five novellas, featuring Taylor MacAllister and Will Brandt, agents for the Department of Diplomatic Security. Dangerous Ground (2008) Six weeks earlier, Taylor was shot during an investigation. Now, as Taylor is preparing to return to work (desk duty), the two have […]
Law and Murder (2017) Mindy Klasky The second book finds Sarah preparing for the trial of the vampire who attempted to kill her–but it seems that her status in the supernatural world still isn’t set, and that may well affect the trail–and Sarah’s life. “Legend says Sekhmet’s retainers invented beer to keep her calm. For […]
A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder (2015) Julie Anne Lindsey Mia Connors is the IT person for the Horseshoe Falls community. So she’s taken aback when it’s discovered that someone has been sending messages to their residents that are supposedly from her system, and causing problems. To make things worse, their regular security guy is […]
Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure (2019) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1867. Miss Violetta Beauchamps had worked for the same family her entire life, managing their properties. For decades, the reigning Toggerts had praised her diligence, her book-keeping, her careful work. The latest Mr. Toggert had promised her a pension if she worked for him […]
Guilt by Association (2018) Gregory Ashe Wow. Lots of things that irritated me in the previous book were fixed here with a vengeance. (H)e’d suffered from periods of severe headaches. Over the last six weeks, bruises and abrasions had healed; the gunshot wound to his shoulder and the deep slice across his palm had closed; […]
The Matrimonial Advertisement (Parish Orphans of Devon) (2018) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1859. Helena Reynolds has fled London. She’s in Devon responding to a matrimonial advertisement, but if this doesn’t work, she return to London. Justin Thornhill was a captain in the British army who served in India, and returned home physically scarred. […]
Short Stories: 2007 – 2013 (2015) Josh Lanyon This is a short story collection (obviously, from the name) but to be clear, these aren’t mysteries like most of her longer works I’ve read. It wasn’t a bad thing, just different. Perfect Day A Limited Engagement In Sunshine or In Shadow The French Have a Word […]
The Ghost Had an Early Check-Out (2018) Josh Lanyon Nick and Perry have moved to L.A. where Nick works as a PI and Perry is going to art school. It’s while Nick is out on a case and Perry is sketching when Perry meets Horace Daly, who is seemingly being haunted–except that Perry interrupts three […]
Somebody Killed His Editor (2009/2016) Josh Lanyon Christopher Holmes has spent the past 16 years writing his beloved heroine, Miss Butterwith, but sales are flat, and his editor has strong-armed him into coming to a conference in an attempt to help his career (and see if he can stay with his current publishing house). “This […]
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover (2014) Sarah MacLean Set in London in 1833. Lady Georgiana is returning to society, then years after she was ruined. She doesn’t hide her daughter, but she cannot stand the censure society heaps upon her child. Fathers’ sins never seemed to stick. It was the mother who bore […]
Tempting Fate (2009) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1813. Whittaker Cole, Earl of Thurston has spent years trying to recover his family name and fortunes. He’s spent almost as long bickering with Miss Mirabelle Browning who has aggravated him almost since he first laid eyes upon her. Miss Mirabelle Browning spends most of her […]
As Luck Would Have It (2008) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1811. Miss Sophie Everton is returning to England after more than a decade away. She is to have a season, hopefully find out what her cousin has done with her family estate, and then she’ll head back to India. The Duke of Rockeforte […]
A Christmas Dance (2014) Alissa Johnson Set in London in an indeterminate historical time. William Renwick, Earl of Casslebury has decided it’s time for him to find a wife. It was his sense of responsibility that had necessitated his most recently constructed plan. He would marry a young lady of good blood, excellent reputation, pleasant […]
Hello Stranger (2018) Lisa Kleypas Set in England in 1876 Dr. Garrett Gibson is the only female doctor in England, and has spent so much time proving she’s good enough, she’s spared nothing for herself. Ethan Ransom is a Ravanel bastard, former detective for Scotland Yard, and secret agent for the government. He’s also extremely […]
Mission for a Queen (2016) Tracy Grant Set in London and the Alps in 1818. This is book 12, and reading order has become important. Malcolm and Melanie have fled England after Lord Carfax used Melanie’s history against David–Carfax’s heir–in an attempt to break David’s relationship with playwright Simon Tanner. While family and friends in […]
The Luckiest Lady in London (2013) Sherry Thomas Set in London in 1888. Louisa Cantwell needs to marry well. Her youngest sister is epileptic, and without a good marriage, Lousia won’t be able to support her after their mother dies. So she’s been planning for years her campaign to find a wealthy husband. When she […]
Captives of the Night (1994) Loretta Chase Set in Paris and London in 1828 Leila Beaumont is married to an completely debauched scoundrel. After she realized just how bad he was, she refused him her bed and concentrated on her painting. Comte d’Esmond (born Ismal) is a covert agent for the British crown–sent to look […]
Let Me Be The One (2002,2015) Jo Goodman Set in England in 1818. Elizabeth Penrose is a spinster, and quite happy about it. She spends times with her friends, and helped prepare the rout at Battenburn castle. But those around her seem to want her wed–whether she wants or no. “Louise is trying her hand […]
An Excellent Mystery (1985) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1141 The war between Stephen and Maud continues, leading to the burning of much of Winchester. This causes two monks to appear at the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, seeking refuge and shelter at their brother abbey. But one of the brothers had […]
A Week to Be Wicked (2012) Tessa Dare Set in England in Scotland in the early 1800s. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne is a dissolute rake. His cousin is trying to reform him, but it’s not working particularly well, and in a few months, Colin will have access to his own funds when he comes of […]
A Treacherous Curse (2018) Deanna Raybourn Set in London in 1888. The third Veronica Speedwell mystery finds Veronica and Stoker investigating the disappearance of an archeologist and a valuable Egyptian diadem. They get involved because the missing man is the husband of Stoker’s ex-wife–a woman who left him for dead and then completely destroyed his […]
Burn Bright, Audio Version (2018) Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham When I read this after it was published in the spring, I believe I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. After listening, I think I know what felt off originally–this majority of this book takes place over a very short period of time. […]
Moon Called, Audible Version (2006) Patricia Briggs narrated by Lorelei King I’m now listening my way through the Mercy Thompson (and most likely Alpha & Omega) books. As I’ve noted before, I don’t dislike Lorelei King’s narration. I think she does a very good job with Mercy. I just think she’s weaker than other narrators […]
A Case of Possession (2014) K.J. Charles (A Charm of Magpies) The second Charm of Magpies books finds Stephen and Crane the subject of blackmail. Crane, being an Earl, would be fine ignoring the blackmailer, but Stephen, being poor, could easily be arrested for their relationship. But then they suddenly have a much larger problem–giant […]
An Unmarked Grave (2012) Charles Todd Set in Europe in the spring of 1918. A new enemy has entered the war, one that indiscriminately cuts down both sides. The Spanish Influenza had already cut down three of our nursing sisters, and two doctors were not expected to live through the night. The rest of us […]
A Brush with Shadows (2018) Anna Lee Huber Set in 1831 in Dartmoor England Lady Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage have been summoned to Dartmoor by Sebastian’s grandfather, because his cousin has gone missing. But when they arrive, it seems that everyone believes Alfred has simply gone off for awhile–he has a deserved reputation […]
The Killings at Badger’s Drift (1987) Caroline Graham Miss Emily Simpson was found dead in her home. An elderly woman, her death didn’t seem suspicious, but her best friend, Miss Lucy Bellringer insists that something was wrong and the death should be investigated. I had very very vague memories of this book. First, that Inspector […]
An Impartial Witness (2010) Charles Todd Set in Europe in 1917. Nursing sister Bess Crawford has just escorted a group of wounded soldiers back to London, including a terribly burned pilot whose picture of his wife was what he turned to through his excruciating first days. When that woman’s murdered body is discovered, Bess realizes […]
A Duty to the Dead (2009) Charles Todd Set in Europe in 1916 Bess Crawford is a nursing sister on the HMHS Britannic when its sunk by the Germans. She’s sent him to recuperate, and also to deliver a message given to her by a dying soldier. The mystery here is good, but what I […]
From the Editorial Page of the Falchester Weekly Review (2016) Marie Brennan This short story is a series of scientific letters between Isabella Camherst and Benjamin Talbot in “The Falchester Weekly Review” about a supposed discovery made by Talbot. It’s a brief story, and silly, since it’s all the politeness of scientists accusing each other […]
The Brimstone Deception, Audio Version (2016) Lisa Shearin narrated by Johanna Parker This is a series that we both listen to on car trips. I generally try to get input as to what Michael wants to listen to (since he’s the driver) but generally it’s me picking a couple books and him choosing one of […]
Dead Man Walking: A country house murder mystery with a supernatural twist (2016) Simon R Green I tend to either love Simon R Green’s series, or … not. This is a series I like I think. Ishmael Jones works for a super secret agency that takes care of beings and events that would disturb the […]