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Traditional

Review

Dead Man’s Wake

by Henrietta Thornton

Both fans and newcomers to the series can sink deep into the pages of Doiron’s latest Mike Bowditch adventure, which sees the Maine game warden’s family vacation upended by what at first appears to be a boating accident. A man’s arm is found floating in the lake, clearly torn off by a boat propeller. Finding the related body opens a new scenario that Mike, local police, and the local forensic examiner puzzle to solve while also navigating the behavior of the rich. They live on the lake where the arm was found and aren’t keen on having their vacations interrupted. Law-enforcement politics are also to be maneuvered around, a tricky task when the lake constable wanted a game warden’s job but was considered too erratic. At the center of the maelstrom is the calm circle of Mike’s family, whose love and stability provide a stark contrast to the nail biting scenes facing the warden. Wilderness thrillers provide a great break from the real world—get this one on your list.

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Review

Six Ostriches

by Brian Kenney

My favorite veterinarian/amateur detective is at it again. Winter is just winding down in rural Manitoba when Dr. Peter Bannerman is called to care for an ostrich who’s swallowed a bright and shiny object, which turns out to be an ancient Viking medallion—or at least a good facsimile. The object undergoes analysis as Peter investigates a horrifying series of animal mutilations, accompanied by his prize-sniffing dog, Pippin. In this book, Peter learns to keep his investigations quiet. His wife is concerned over his safety, and his Mountie brother-in-law is sick of what he brands as useless interference. But Peter can’t quit, he’s far too caught up in the tragic deaths of his patients. Described as having a mild case of Asperger’s, he brings to bear strong logical skills and the ability to see connections among the mutilations, the artifact, and the white-supremacist communities in Manitoba. A compelling read, a fascinating community, and a knock-out lead character. More, please.

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Review

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace

by Brian Kenney

Having loved Nonna Maria and the Runaway Bride, I started Carcaterra’s second in the series with some trepidation. Would it hold up to the first? But I’m happy to report that the newest Nonna book provides all the pleasures of the earlier title—and then some. If you aren’t familiar with Nonna Maria, then make it a point to remedy that. A widowed grandmother, Nonna Maria, in an oh-so-subtle way, runs the island of Ischia, just 20 miles from Naples. Through her myriad connections, which include the carabinieri, members of organized crime, the clergy, and of course family, Nonna rights many wrongs—all while cooking the most delectable meals. In this installment, Nonna Maria’s goddaughter, who works as a maid, is accused of stealing a necklace while a woman, who was once a native, returns to the island, only to be murdered. Through Nonna’s investigations, we learn more about how the island, and its economy, is changing, while the conservative social mores that are such a part of island life live on. Cozy readers will love this book both for the indomitable character of Nonna Maria and the chance to travel to this paradise in the Bay of Naples.

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Review

A Cryptic Clue

by Henrietta Thornton

A former university librarian, forced into early retirement, takes on a new job cataloging a book collection, only to find herself spending more time solving a crime than applying the Library of Congress subject headings. Jane Hunter is making lots of changes in her life. She’s downsized her home, is living alone—her actress daughter is off on a national tour—and is about to bring in some much-needed funds by cataloging 33-year-old Cameron “Cam” Clewe’s vast crime fiction collection. But on the first day at the job, at Cam’s sprawling mansion, she discovers—wouldn’t you know it?—a corpse on the floor of the library. And not just any corpse. Cam’s latest ex-girlfriend. To make matters worse, several people saw the couple arguing the night before. With handsome Cam the number one suspect, if Jane wants to keep her job, she’s got to keep her boss out of jail, so the two team up to find the real perp. The fun here is in what an odd couple they make. Sherlock Cam has “anxiety, OCD, occasional depression, and a general lack of social awareness.” And while Watson Jane may not have been diagnosed with anything listed in the DSM-5, she’s darn nosey, quite pushy, a bit of a rumor monger, and has some dubious professional ethics (she brings items home, and shows them to a neighbor, without Cam’s permission.) Everything is in place here for a successful series sure to delight traditional cozy readers for years to come. Now let these two go at each other.

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Review

A Death in Door County

by Henrietta Thornton

Morgan Carter is one unusual woman. A trained cryptozoologist—someone who searches for animals that haven’t been proven to actually exist, like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster—she also owns the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin. Don’t expect to find any Jane Austen at Odds and Ends, but it has plenty of esoteric books about the natural world, jars filled with formaldehyde and weird specimens, not to mention mummified human remains. So when a few human corpses wash ashore on Lake Michigan with mysterious bite marks, who are you going to call? Morgan Carter! Thirty-something Morgan—accompanied by her lovely rescue dog, Newt—is at her happiest when seeking out cryptids. But Morgan has her own share of problems. Her parents, also cryptozoologists, were murdered just two years ago, and Carter feels a nagging responsibility for their deaths. Those deaths also left her hugely rich, which has created its own issues, especially in dating. This is full of local color, with a delightful cast, and has a completely unique premise; I can’t wait to introduce Morgan to readers, especially those seeking the unusual, the surprising, the off-beat.

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Review

Augusta Hawke

by Brian Kenney

Best known for her cozy British series, here Malliet abandons the country vicarages and Oxbridge colleges for Old Town Alexandria, Virginia directly across the Potomac from the District of Columbia, and home to the witty Augusta Hawke. Hawke, herself a mystery author, is a bit of a recluse, a state brought on by the pandemic and the recent death of her husband. Fortunately, her four-story townhouse provides plenty of distractions, including—with a nod to Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”—casually observing the neighbors. So when the Normans, the young couple across the way, go missing, Hawke has plenty to tell the cops, including details of a fight she witnessed between the couple. When their car is found abandoned in a marsh, Hawke decides it’s time to take on the case, so to speak, and heads off to investigate. Perhaps the story has the making of a true-crime bestseller? The pleasure in this book lies in the arch and humorous Augusta, her interior musings as well as her interactions with others, her caustic take on the publishing industry, and the ridiculous situations she gets caught up in. May this be the introduction to many more outings with Augusta.

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Review

Fifty-Four Pigs

by Brian Kenney

Tired of mysteries set in Paris and Los Angeles, southern Italy and Glasgow? Then head to rural Manitoba in the depth of winter for a meet-up with Dr. Peter Bannerman, veterinarian extraordinaire. We join Peter as he is off to make a house call, when he notices smoke in the distance and realizes it’s coming from his buddy Tom’s pig farm. He arrives too late to save the pigs, while Tom is nowhere to be found. An eccentric, introverted geek, Peter loves nothing more than spending a quiet evening with his equally geeked-out wife Laura, as she knits Star Wars-themed sweaters to sell on Etsy. But Peter has a secret side: a fascination for solving crimes, putting his highly logical mind to good use. Yet as another murder and more crimes follow, Peter finds himself in a place where his reasoning skills can no longer save him, and his judgement of others turns out to be terribly flawed. This book takes a risk with a large amount of backstory—about Peter’s life and the history of the town—but it works because both are so compelling and it is clear that Schott is setting us up for what could be a most satisfying series. Bring on book two!

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Review

The Blue Diamond

by Henrietta Thornton

221b Baker St. is home to a new generation, with Sherlock Holmes’s daughter, Joanna, and her husband, Dr. John Watson Jr., son of Sherlock’s longtime sidekick, in residence and solving crimes. In this sixth in the series, Joanna, who’s just as meticulous and insightful as her father, is called by Scotland Yard to help with a series of thefts in hotels around London. Joanna wonders why she and the Yard are required until she learns that the victim of the most recent crime is the governor general of South Africa, and what was stolen from his locked room was the enormously valuable blue diamond, the search for which sets the Watsons questioning everyone from diamond merchants to underworld dealers. In addition, it’s 1917, and the detectives must pursue another stolen item, one that’s crucial to the British effort to win the Great War. This part of the plot sees the famous offspring draw on every ounce of their courage as well as their connections with Sherlock’s Baker St. Irregulars, a gang of ruffian children, to win the day. Along the way, readers will enjoy the many references to Sherlock Holmes’s cases, often the subject of reminiscences by his daughter and her father-in-law; also a pleasure is the relationship between Joanna and John, she a wily sleuth and he an adoring supporter of her eccentricities. For fans of the great detective, of course, but also those who enjoy tales of wartime espionage.

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Review

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride

by Brian Kenney

What the world needs now is more of the delightful Nonna Maria, an elderly widow who’s lived her whole life on the beautiful island of Ischia—18 miles from Naples—and is a bit of a legend. As famous for the espresso she brews as the advice she dispenses, she’s known throughout the island and, in turn, seems to know every native. When trouble comes calling, it’s Nonna Maria people turn to for help, trusting her instead of the local carabinieri. More of a “fixer” than your traditional detective, Nonna Maria takes on two cases in this book. In one, a young woman is worried that her fiancée isn’t what he seems, and Nonna Maria discretely moves her into hiding while she investigates. In the other, the old captain of a tour boat—and life-long friend of our investigator —is found dead, and Nonna Maria won’t accept that the death of this born sailor was an accident. To fix these problems, the intrepid widow calls on old friends, her parish priest, a nephew, a grandson, and even the head of a Neapolitan crime family, all while sharing with readers the delights of Ischia. Never too cutesy and plenty tough, Nonna Maria will delight fans of Italian mysteries and cozy enthusiasts who love a good armchair trip.

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Review

Death in Cornwall

by Brian Kenney

It’s been over a decade since we’ve heard from Cambridge DCI Arthur St. Just and criminologist cum mystery writer Portia De’Ath, now his fiancé. In coastal Cornwall for a mini-vacay, the two can’t resign themselves to just lying on the beach. Instead, they’re busy scoping out the town, sniffing out controversy—especially the proposed slipway the fisher men and women want to build—and meeting up with the locals. The latter includes the self-made aristocrat Lord Bodwally, who wants Portia to help him with his memoirs. But when they visit Bodwally’s grand estate, they find him lying in a pool of blood, his right carotid artery severed. And with that, St. Just is off and running as he tracks down the murderer. Given that this is a short book, Malliet does three things really well. First, we learn a lot about Cornwall and the Cornish people—the Cornwall tourist bureau should sign her up. Two, the tension between wealthy incomers—seeking a weekend home and driving up the cost of housing—and the residents is one that is playing out in many communities, and here it is especially well-handled. Finally, this is one of the few mysteries that addresses the experiences of COVID-19; most series just skip over it as though it never happened. Malliet sets the novel after what the characters call “Plague Time” and doesn’t hesitate to discuss the impact the pandemic had on this small Cornish town. It’s refreshing. Cozy readers will be happy to welcome back this duo.

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