CLUBBED TO DEATH by Elaine Viets

By the time I began reading Elaine Viets' entertaining "Dead-End Job" mystery series, several of the books had already been published. Which, truth be told, is my favorite way to begin a series. Once I read a series and like the first book, it's very convenient to have several more books in the series available to read right away. Imagine how happy I was to begin reading Mary Daheim's two marvelous series (B&B and Alpine) after she had published nearly 20 in each! As an impatient person by personality, it's hard to wait a year for another book to come in a series I love. Can you relate?

Anyway, the schtick for this series is that lead character Helen Hawthorne is on the run from the law after a dirty judge awarded her cheating husband alimony and future earnings from Helen -- this, after the husband cheated on Helen and destroyed her marriage. She vowed never to give her ex a dime, and disappeared -- and despite her high-earning past, she now is living under the radar (off the system) and has to take low-paying jobs to make the rent. She lives in an apartment compound with a colorful cast of characters, including her P.I. boyfriend Phil.

What I love about this series is that Elaine Viets pays attention to the details in all the right ways. She adds little touches that tickle me every time I pick up a new book in the series. For instance, in every book she adds new characters who live in a particular "cursed" apartment in the complex, and it becomes a secondary story line that is fun to watch unfold. Brilliant.

In this latest book, Helen gets an up-grade -- she is now working as a customer service rep for an exclusive resort. The rich customers are a pain in the behind, and the boss is, too. And then she is murdered (of course). Leave it to Helen to find the culprit -- especially when the police begin suspecting her!

Another satisfying entry in this series -- start with book one, and enjoy them all. So far, not a weak one in the bunch.

REAL MURDERS by Charlaine Harris

I came late to Charlaine Harris' books. I had heard of her over the years, but it wasn't until the phenomenal success of her supernatural series that I started paying attention. Generally, I don't read supernatural series, and I haven't read her Sookie series -- but because of her great success, her publisher began reprinting her earlier mystery books. That's when I discovered her.

Since I am a mystery series fan, I started with book one of one of her two mystery series -- the Lily Bard books. The books are all very slender in size, and I thought they would be lite, cozy reads. That is, until about page 2. SHAKESPEARE'S LANDLORD was a whirlwind of a dark mystery book, with a main character that is broken and shut down. I couldn't put the book down, and the next thing I knew, I had read all five of the Lily Bard books (in order, of course), including the hard-to-find SHAKESPEARE'S CHRISTMAS. All five proved to be moody, moving, and just plain worth reading.

Berkley, her publisher, is now in the process of republishing her first mystery series, the Aurora Teagarden mysteries. And this morning, I finished book one.

You would think I learned from my experience with the Lily Bard books, but my assumption was that the Aurora Teagarden books would be softer and gentler -- real cozies. After all, lead character Aurora Teagarden is a librarian! But just pages into reading the book I discovered that while they are indeed cozy mysteries, they are so with a hard edge to them. More murders and more blood fill these pages than most cozy series -- though they aren't anywhere near as violent as, say, the Kay Scarpetta books. Still, a sweet little library-based cozy series is not where these are.

Start with the premise. A group of people have formed a club called the Real Murder club, based on their mutual fascination with mysteries of the past. Each month, one of the 12 members discusses a famous murder (or murderer), and the group discusses. However, on the night that Aurora was going to present, she finds one of the members murdered violently, in a copy of a famous murder of the past. Soon, other murders happen -- each carbon copies of past murder cases. Who is it? And why is this happening?

Well, suffice to say, this is a page-turner. Charlaine Harris is a gifted writer, and I've loved the books of hers I've read enough that it may actually convince me to try a supernatural series (Sookie, get ready!). If you like your cozies a little harder than normal, give this series a try. Harris is a great storyteller, and you'll fall in love with Aurora Teagarden.

MURDER OVER EASY by Jimmie Ruth Evans

SERIES/SLEUTH: Trailer Park Mystery series -- Wanda Nell Culpepper
# IN SERIES: 2 (out of 4)
AUTHOR WEBSITE: www.jimmieruthevans.com
GENRE: Cozy/Amateur Sleuth
PUBLISHER: Berkley Prime Crime (mass market paperback)


Wanda Nell Culpepper is getting addictive. I'm only up to the second in the series, and already I love this amateur sleuth and her family. This second book in the series features a more interesting mystery than the first book -- and also we get to know more about some of the secondary characters.

In this second book, Wanda Nell's diner-owner boss is being accused of a brutal murder, and it's up to Wanda to not only clear him but also to take over running the diner. And if that isn't enough, she also has family situations that are demanding her time and attention. This book also gives us a peek into the life of her son, TJ, and his new romance.

I finished reading the last 50 pages or so this morning, sitting on a bench in front of a small lake, the sun shining and ducks all around. The wrap-up of the mystery was interesting enough, but the final scene between Wanda Nell and TJ is downright touching. Reading their scene in that beautiful setting I was sitting in made finishing the book even more moving. Jimmie Ruth Evans (who is really Dean James) is a gifted story-teller, and I challenge you not to be feel your heart tugged when reading this book.

Telling more will give away too much of the story -- and the story is too good to give it away. Suffice to say that this is a series I highly recommend, and cannot wait myself to pick up book three.

Mary Kay Andrews

I found this informative interview with bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews on Youtube -- I've read and loved every one of her novels. Her "Mary Kay Andrews" books are fun page-turners usually with a drama (or even murder) in them -- if you have not read any of her books, stop everything, go to Amazon, and order the first one right this second! It's called SAVANNAH BLUES, and you'll thank me once you read it.

She also wrote a series of fantastic cozy mysteries under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. They, too, are well worth seeking out -- and start right here with book one, EVERY CROOKED NANNY.

Her website is: www.marykayandrews.com

And here's the video -- enjoy!

OWLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL by Donna Andrews

SERIES/SLEUTH: Meg Langslow
# IN SERIES: 6 (out of 9, including upcoming release)
AUTHOR WEB-SITE: www.donnaandrews.com
GENRE: Cozy/Amateur Sleuth
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Minotaur (paperback)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that I came to the Meg Langslow mystery series reluctantly. There was something about them that didn't appeal to me (the lackluster early covers? the fact that I'm not a bird person and all the titles reference birds?), despite the fact that I kept reading how great they were. In fact, the acclaim seemed so great that I found myself disappointed in the first couple books in the series.

But then something happened -- I began to enjoy Meg and her crazy family. Around book three, I found myself enjoying each book more and more, and found myself recognizing Donna Andrews' terrific writing style.

To be sure, Meg Langslow has a kooky family, and reading this series means paying close attention because so many strange things happen. Her father (my favorite character) is like a lovable, absent-minded doctor who definitely marches to his own drum. Her mother creates some mother/daughter tension, but only just enough to confound Meg at times -- they love each other but can drive each other crazy. Her (now) fiance Michael is both a professor and star of a hokey cable sci-fi series. Brother Rob stumbles into his career, and is laid-back almost like a surfer dude. Various other relatives come and go through each book, always adding laughs and sometimes helping Meg out in her sleuthing.

Book six is centered around a huge yard sale at Meg and Michael's just-bought home. In the chaos of this event, which ends of getting completely and hilariously out of control, a murder occurs, and of course Meg is the one who sets out to solve it and help Michael and a friend of his in the process.

But like some of the best cozy mystery series, you don't necessarily read these books so much for a brilliant murder plot as much as for the characters and how they develop and deepen in each book. This book is no exception. The murder itself is solved fairly easily at the end, but it's all the subplots and characters that kept me turning pages.

Donna Andrews is a clever writer who pens fun and funny mysteries -- and Meg Langslow is a great sleuth. I highly recommend this series -- and as always, I recommend starting at book one, which in this case is called MURDER WITH PEACOCKS.

Classic Mystery Television

My love of classic mystery stories isn't limited to books -- though they are my main passion -- I also love classic mystery television series. I think the UK has some of the best television in the category, including Hetty Wainthrop, Midsomer Murders, and of course the wonderful Rosemary and Thyme. (All of these are available on DVD, through Amazon or Netflix).

I'm attaching a Youtube of a wonderful parody of Rosemary and Thyme done by the great British comedy duo, French & Saunders -- they call it Sausages and Mash. Enjoy!

FLAMINGO FATALE by Jimmie Ruth Evans

SERIES/SLEUTH: Trailer Park Mystery/Wanda Nell Culpepper
# IN SERIES: 1 (out of 4)
AUTHOR WEBSITE: http://www.jimmieruthevans.com/
GENRE: Cozy/Amatuer Sleuth
PUBLISHER: Berkley Prime Crime (paperback)


Welcome to the world of Wanda Nell Culpepper, and single mother who works two jobs, lives in a double-wide, and has a heart of gold. She has one grown son who is off doing goodness knows what, two daughters, one grandson, two jobs (the local diner and Budget Mart), a gun-toting best-friend, and an ex-husband who ends up dead -- with one of Wanda's pink flamingos piercing his heart. Could it get any worse? Definitely. The local cop, a friend of Wanda's ex, would like nothing better than to pin the murder on Wanda. Desparate times call for desparate measures, and Wanda kicks into gear -- handling her needy family, her jobs, and a murder investigation with her humor intact, and a possible new boyfriend in her younger daughter's teacher.

The mystery itself wasn't hard to figure out, but you don't read some mystery series -- including this one -- for the mystery alone. The characters are the key, and Jimmie Ruth Evans (who is really fabulous mystery author and expert Dean James, author of the wonderful Simon Kirby-Jones mystery series for Kensington) (and by the way, will there be any more in that series??), is a master at creating characters that are easy to love and cheer on. Best friend Mayrene, who is always handy with her shotgun, is as fun to love as Fayetta, a rival waitress at the diner, is fun to dislike.

The Trailer Park mystery series is off to a great start in this first book in the series. I had bought book one a couple years back and for some reason it has set on my shelf all this time waiting for me to read it. Sometimes I will wait until two or three or four books come out in the series before starting, so I can devour them all in a short period of time. This series is already up to four, and I look forward to reading the next three and get current. From someone who has a lot of relatives who live in trailer homes, I could really see and feel this series -- and the subsequent books have moved up on my "to read" pile. Let Wanda Nell Culpepper and her wacky family and friends into your life -- you won't be sorry.

Whatever Happened to... MARTHA LAWRENCE?

SERIES/SLEUTH: Dr. Elizabeth Chase

AUTHOR WEBSITE: http://www.marthalawrence.com/

Martha Lawrence created some of the most innovative, exciting, and just plain readable mysteries around with her series featuring Dr. Elizabeth Chase, a Stanford-trained parapsychologist turned private investigator. Each book was thrilling and exhilerating, and while I resisted reading them to begin with (the astrological-influenced titles made me think this was going to be a silly series, rather than the intense, intelligent books they are), once I started reading them I devoured all five in just a matter of days.

The author has a website, and seemed to have a promising writing career ahead of her, and then... nothing. The last book published under her name was in 2001, and her website looks like it hasn't been updated since 2003. Martha girl, where are you?? I hope wherever you are, you are writing up a storm because I for one will buy anything you want to write. And for any reader who hasn't read Martha's books, do yourself a favor and pick them up. As always, start with the first one and work your way onward. It looks like the books are all out of print now, but they are easily found used on Amazon or probably your local used bookstore. They are worth finding. The books are (in order, natch):

MURDER IN SCORPIO

THE COLD HEART OF CAPRICORN

ACQUARIUS DESCENDING

PISCES RISING

ASHES OF ARIES

POISONED TARTS by G. A. McKevett

SERIES/SLEUTH: Savannah Reid

# IN SERIES: 13

AUTHOR WEBSITE: http://www.sonjamassie.com/

GENRE: Cozy/Amatuer Sleuth

PUBLISHER: Kensington (hardcover, May 2008)

There is a measure I have for how much I love a particular mystery series that I read: do I buy the new books in hardcover, or wait until the paperback reprint of the book comes out?

In the vast majority of cases, I'll wait until the paperback release -- I have over 80 active mystery series that I'm reading, so the costs add up. I simply can't afford to but all mystery books in hardcover. However, there are a few -- a very few -- series that I not only buy in hardcover, but I relish and not a little impatience. Series by Louise Penny, Sue Grafton, and a couple of others fall into this categoy -- as does the wonderful Savannah Reid mystery series by G. A. McKevett (pseudonym for author Sonja Massie).

POISONED TARTS is book #13 in the series, and as it turns out, it is a lucky 13. The series finds our heroine, plus-sized P.I. Savannah Reid, dishing out her Southern charm wisdom and putting bad people (including a wife & child abuser) in their place with her confidence, smarts, and charm. She is delightful, and has surrounded herself with a team of characters (in both senses of that word), who are all back for this murder mystery -- including former police partner Detective Sageant Dirk Coulter, computer whiz Tammy Hart, and handsome best friends (and James Bond-like helpers) Ryan and John (who are life-partners). This newest in the series also features Gran, Savannah's wise and warm grandmother who helped raise her and her siblings.

Unlike previous books where Savannah stumbles into a situation, POISONED TARTS is Dirk's responsiblity -- first having to find a young girl who is the friend of three obnoxious, famous socialites who call themselves The Skeleton Key Three (think Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Lindsay Lohan banding together). The young girl has disappeared and no one is talking; in fact, no one except the girl's mother seems that concerned. The Skeleton Key Three is so wrapped up in their own shallow world that they don't seem to have much to do with the missing girl. But Dirk and Savannah are too smart for them, and just as they are making headway, a murder happens (no spoilers in any of my reviews!). Suffice to say, it takes all of Savannah and Dirk's sleuthing skills to find the murder(s) and bring everyone to justice.

While this is not the best in the series, the mere fact that the author is putting out such quality material after writing a dozen previous books is admirable. And the reason that I love Savannah Reid (and am willing to pay hardcover prices to read her adventures) is because Savannah is the perfect cozy mystery heroine -- spunky, resourceful, funny, and has a great heart. She is the kind of person you'd want as a good friend (albeit a friend who seems to have murders happen all around her).

As always, I recommend starting with the first book in the series, JUST DESSERTS, and catching up to the latest -- and still darn good -- in this wonderful series. POISONED TARTS is sweet to read.

It's All a Mystery to Me

Welcome to my new mystery-reader blog. I love mystery novels (and movies, tv shows...), and this is a blog to bring to light many of the mystery series that I read and love. I'll review the books I read, rate 'em, and also bring you news about various mystery authors, as well as fun tie-ins. And I'll love hearing your comments as well -- you may agree or disagree with one of my reviews, and either way I'd love to hear about it.