Tag:

Amateur Sleuth

Review

Oyebanji, Adam. Two Times Murder

by Henrietta Thornton

Some jobs are more permanent than others, such as working for Russia’s GRU, or secret service. Greg Abimbola, real name Grigoriy Adamovich Petrov, has left the organization and now lives a traitorous life, according to his old colleagues, in Pittsburgh. There he teaches Russian and French at a prestigious school, masquerading as a quiet British man who’s content to help students with grammar and teenage issues. Greg is mixed race, his father Black and mother white, so being an outsider is a well-worn path for him, and he’s thriving in his new life. Until, that is, GRU wants his help—and they never ask nicely. A man has been found dead in Pittsburgh, with signs that he’s Russian, possibly a man that GRU has been after, and they want to know who’s responsible. Greg then becomes a kind of double agent, as a contact he has in the Pittsburg police since he helped solve a murder (in the series debut, A Quiet Teacher, 2022) also wants his help with the mystery of the dead maybe-Russian. And then a second death, labeled a suicide but maybe a murder related to a proposed and hotly debated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program at another local school, sees Greg also investigating. There’s no need to read the first book to enjoy this one, but readers will undoubtedly want more from this lovable teacher who brings his spy smarts to every encounter but knows enough to conceal them when necessary—and when to drop the facade to perfect effect. The ending here is—what’s the Russian for chef’s kiss? Get this on your list!

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

The Gatsby Gambit

by Brian Kenney

It takes a lot of guts to write a book based on one of America’s most beloved novels, one that’s the inspiration for several major films and is assigned reading in high schools across the country: Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. But Wheeler successfully takes the original setting, Jay Gatsby’s mansion in West Egg during the summer, and the same cast of characters (Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker) and shifts the narrative into a work of crime fiction. The biggest surprise is the arrival of Greta Gatsby, Jay’s much younger sister. Greta is finally done with finishing schools, has moved into Jay’s mansion, and is ready to take on the world. But the suicide—or was it murder?—of one of the leading characters, and the response of most of the residents (one more Gimlet, please?) inspires Greta to become a sleuth, if no one else will. Greta’s new role is hardly acceptable for a young lady, but she just barrels through the criticism, investigating the household staff, the cops, even Gatsby’s guests. A fresh and exciting take on America during the roaring ‘20s, with feminism and class tensions taking center stage, and sure to be a pleasure for readers who enjoy historical mysteries. It would be a delight to have Greta return in all her nosy glory

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

Serial Killer Support Group

by Brian Kenney

One of the best—and most shocking—narratives of revenge I’ve ever encountered, and one that even saves room for a bit of humor. Cyra’s younger sister Mira has been murdered, apparently by a serial killer. It’s been over a month, and Cyra has grown increasingly frustrated at the tepid response from the New York Police Department: “Let us do our jobs.” Since Mira died, nearly everything—Cyra’s job, her relationship with her ex-girlfriend, the small group of friends she and Mira share, her apartment in Queens—is rapidly unraveling. Big sister Cyra has always taken care of Mira, and if she couldn’t stop Mira from being murdered, at least she can find her murderer. With some help from a friend, Cyra learns about a self-help group for serial killers—kind of funny, kind of not—and successfully infiltrates the group, creating a persona as a murderer. She claims to work in a nursing home, preying on the elderly, and manages to convince the guys (yes, it’s an all boy’s club) to let her join their group. Her goal? To learn if any of the members murdered Mira, or at least knows who did. But creating an identity as a serial killer has its own unanticipated consequences, and the more involved Cyra becomes in the support group, the more she finds her old self slipping away. Schaefer’s story is dark and twisted, unique, and totally engrossing. Readers who enjoy this book may also appreciate Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer and Peter Swanson’s A Talent for Murder.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

Drop Dead Sisters

by Henrietta Thornton

Camping with her crunchy-granola parents, nit-picky sisters, and assorted also-exhausting family members is Remi Finch’s idea of torture. But it’s her parent’s 40th wedding anniversary and they plan to renew their vows, so fine. She can put up with these people for a few days, especially when she sees that a handsome park ranger is part of the package. Also part of it, though, is Guy, the loathsome son of family friends, who when he was younger held Remi underwater so long she thought she’d drown. Grandma’s reaction, “even when I could still taste chlorine in the back of my throat,” was that horrible Guy obviously had a crush on her. So she’s not expecting much assistance when she finds herself in danger on the trip, a prediction that comes both true and not, as her family steps up but sometimes doesn’t know when to stop. Readers will find the Finches both a lovable and a very real family, with affection and exasperation battling for top spot in Remi’s feelings for them. The story dips into cozy territory, with the law-enforcement love interest, the off-screen killing, and the slapstick family antics, enriching a puzzling whodunit in the process. A great choice for cozy fans who enjoy a wilderness element.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

The Jig is Up

by Jeff Ayers

Irish step dance can kill in the first of what is hopefully many books in this series. Single mom to two young girls and the daughter of a police chief, Kate Buckley receives an urgent text from her sister, Colleen. She packs up and drives to Shamrock, Massachusetts to learn what is wrong. Upon their arrival, Colleen tells her it’s no big deal, but Kate knows otherwise. Stumbling upon the body of Colleen’s best friend, Deirdre, unveils family secrets and hidden motives from people Kate thought she knew. This cozy is perfect as Mathews creates a visual world of great characters and setting, ex-loves, pets, and Irish step dance. She also adds a dose of domestic suspense, but it doesn’t have too much of a psychological bent, keeping the book in cozy territory. With more surprises than usual, this is a step above much of this genre. Readers will be eager for book two; let’s hope it won’t take too long.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

This Is Not a Game

by Brian Kenney

A classic “locked-mansion” mystery set on Michigan’s actual Mackinac Island, which in off-season has a population of a mere 500. And the only way to get on or off the island is by boat or chartered plane. Mimi—as curmudgeonly as she is humorous—is a well-established resident who’s invited to an opulent party cum auction by Jane Ireland, a super-rich neighbor (who’s dating her own son-in-law). Mimi decides to bring her granddaughter Addie, hoping to use the party as a way to mend their fractured relationship. Wouldn’t you know, a big storm blows in, effectively cutting off the partygoers from the rest of the population. Anxiety producing for sure, but when Jane is found dead—and she’s only the first victim—all hell breaks loose. Lots of the fun in this book is thanks to granddaughter Addie, a gamer who produced Murderscape, a hugely popular video game, while her fiancé claims to have done most of the work. See you in court, Mr. Wrong! Addie’s expertise helps solve many of the problems while moving the story along. Also, like a cloud hanging over the evening, is the blackmail threat that Jane sent to Mimi and that Mimi hasn’t shared with anyone. Does Jane’s murder invalidate the blackmail? Closed circles are hugely popular these days, but this title puts an unusual and playful spin on the proceedings.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

The Department

by Henrietta Thornton

Get ready to face big questions in Faber’s novel, one that uses a southern college’s philosophy department as a magnifying glass on relationships between haves and have nots; having power and not, that is. Decidedly a have not in this equation is Neil Weber, a professor whose chances at tenure are fading, a situation he’s desperate to change but too depressed to take real action over. Instead, he becomes enmeshed—his friends and the police say obsessed—with the disappearance of student Lucia Vanotti. This young woman, whose narration alternates with Neil’s, is technically a have not, the daughter of Italian immigrants who own a local restaurant. But a chance encounter has Neil placing her on a pedestal and desperate to find her. As he digs deeper into the student’s life and related goings on in the town, and before-disappearance Lucia brings us further into her trauma-ridden life, readers will ask, can love ever be enough? Who is a savior acting for? Humming in the background of the drama is the perplexing question of what happened to Lucia, the answer to which brings delicious twists. An absorbing debut.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

Murder Takes the Stage

by Brian Kenney

Mysteries and the theater make for wonderful marriages—there are scores of examples—and this recent contribution from Colleen Cambridge is completely on point. Agatha Christie and household have temporarily moved from her country estate, Mallowan Hall, to London. The exiles include Phyllida Bright, Christie’s housekeeper (and so much more, including amateur sleuth). But Phyllida is a bit stressed out. She has a love/hate relationship with London—something is making her nervous—plus there is the staff to manage, including the temporary faux-French chef. But enough with the escargot, there’s a murder (Archibald Allston in the Adelphi Theater) followed by another (Benvolio at the Belmont Theater). See where this is headed? Death by alliteration, unless Phyllida gets there in time. This delightful mystery provides a fun look at London’s historic theaters, a glimpse at London’s LGBTQ nightlife, a splendid dénouement right out of a Christie novel, and most remarkably of all: a love interest for Phyllida. Lots of fun to be had here.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

A Death in Diamonds

by Brian Kenney

It’s hard to imagine, but one of the very best series has gotten even better. While the first three books were set around 2016, and featured Rozie Oshodi, Assistant Private Secretary (APS) to the Queen, here we jump back to 1957. The Queen is a young woman, still new to her role as monarch; the U.K. continues to recover from the Second World War; and a new APS emerges out of the typing pool: Joan McGraw, whose wartime work included decoding. This case is centered around a notorious murder: a young woman, a high-class escort, is found dead in a house in Chelsea that belongs to an elite men’s club. She is wearing only silk underwear and a diamond tiara. Nearby lies the body of an older man, garrotted. The double-murder grips Londoners, including the Queen, who has her own reasons for fearing that someone close to her could be implicated. Elizabeth doesn’t trust the old courtiers who surround her and turns to Joan for help in solving the case of the “tart in the tiara.” Besides a bang-up plot, this novel reaches brilliantly into Elizabeth’s life, from real-life state visits to Paris and North America, trying to bolster the U.K.’s relationships, to her tumultuous relationship with Philip, to her fear of a scandal that could take down the monarchy. This is deep, rich writing that should attract the millions who enjoyed The Crown, and want yet more.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Review

Sleep In Heavenly Pizza

by Brian Kenney

Settle in for a truly wonderful read as Geneva Bay, Wisconsin prepares for the holidays. For pizza chef Delilah
O’Leary, and her crew, a glitzy Chrismukkah catering gig in one of the local mansions gets things started, but when Delilah’s family shows up out of the blue with their own set of hostilities and anxiety-producing behavior in tow, things take a decidedly unpleasant turn. And any hopes that the next day’s annual snow-sculpting championship will cheer everyone up—Delilah attends with now-boyfriend Detective Calvin Capone (yes, that Capone family)—are dashed when a corpse is found frozen in the ice. Quigley employs a large cast of characters, from the formerly incarcerated and now dishwasher “Rabbit” (where did he disappear to?) to Sonya, Delilah’s bestie who helps Delilah sort out her relationship with Capone, to Delilah’s grumpy sister Shea, who most definitely has something up her sleeve. The miracle is that we can follow each character with ease, their identities are so well drawn, while caring about each of them. Add to this a bucketful of red herrings sure to send readers in a dozen different directions. Fire up the pizza, cue Mariah Carey, and make sure the cat is comfortable: cozies just don’t get better than this.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail