Waukegan Public Library - mystery

Have You Heard About... The Chocolate Moose Motive

Fran J — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:28:55 +0000

… chocolate being addictive? The Chocolate Moose Motive* by JoAnna Carl is as addictive as chocolate; you won’t be able to put this book down. Set in Michigan, this book has a little bit of something for everyone. Chocolate – lusciously described, so you’ll be drooling as you read. Murder – did the wife, the father, or the best friend do the dastardly deed? With all of the twists & turns you’ll need to keep your chocolate close at hand. Dotty neighbors will have you laughing, but are they part of the murder or just nosy? More chocolate. An old hippie who’s not really into refined sugar. (This is totally unbelievable to us chocoholics.)

Lee McKinney Woodyard is the business manager at Ten Huis Chocolade (where each worker is allowed 2 free pieces of chocolate a day) in Warner Pier, Michigan. She’s also an amateur sleuth. When Lee hires Forsythia ‘Sissy’ Smith to work as an account at the shop, the gossip mongers of the town descend. Did Sissy really kill her hubby? Her father-in-law sure seems to think so, but Lee isn’t so sure when all kinds of crazy things start to happen, including another murder. Wildflower, Sissy’s mom, is the older hippie who now does taxidermy, and she swears that her daughter is totally innocent. Can Lee figure out “who dunnit” before someone else is killed? This is book number twelve in the series, but it has enough back story so you know who all of the main players are and how important chocolate is to each story line. It’s a must that you eat chocolate as you read these books! You won’t want to miss a single delicious one of them .

*Other books in the series include The Chocolate Cat Caper, The Chocolate Bear Burglary, The Chocolate Frog Frame-up, The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle, The Chocolate Mouse Trap, Chocolate to Die for (combines Puppy Puzzle and Mouse Trap), The Chocolate Bridal Bash, The Chocolate Jewel Case, The Chocolate Snowman Murders, The Chocolate Cupid Killings, The Chocolate Pirate Plot, and The Chocolate Castle Clue.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Popped off

Fran J — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:09:47 +0000

… the scum-bag who stole the youth soccer associations’ money? Moises Huber has a few gambling debts that he needs to pay in Jeffrey Allen’s Popped off*. He not only steals the money but also the trophies that each kid is supposed to receive at the end of the season. Deuce Winters is a stay-at-home dad, youth soccer coach of his 5-year-old daughter Carly’s team, the Mighty, Fightin’ Tiny Mermaids, and a part-time private investigator in Rose Petal, Texas. Being a stay-at-home dad is a novelty in Rose Petal. Deuce gets teased a lot, but he and his lawyer wife Julianne wouldn’t have it any other way. Deuce is asked to track down Moises and get the money and trophies back with the help of his partner Victor, who happens to be a dwarf.

The soccer scenes are hilarious. The banter between Deuce and Victor as they try to figure out where Moises is, is very politically incorrect and even more funny. The short chapters make this a very easy and fast read, but you need to really pay attention to all of the misconceptions and double talk while you are laughing, or you’ll miss the confusing yet satisfying ending. I enjoyed this book immensely.

* The previous book in this series is Stay at Home Dead.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Cherry Blossom Capers

Fran J — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:40:30 +0000

…the latest mystery and murder in Washington D.C? Cherry Blossom Capers* by Gina Conroy, Frances Devine, Cara C. Putman and Lynette Sowell has something for everyone in this four-in-one collection of short stories. Each novella is a standalone, but the characters are Tara, an assistant chef at the White House, Susan, who owns a sweetshop, Ciara, an attorney, and Samantha, a budding archeologist. They each show up in other stories and are neighbors.

While mystery and murder are the theme of each novella, romance also plays a big part. The murder of a judge runs through each storyline, making these stories loosely connected. When each story ends, it’s not really the end of the mystery as it’s continued into the next story line, making for some really puzzling red herrings that will keep you reading in large blocks of time to the last page.

*Cherry Blossom Capers is part of the Romancing America series of unconnected inspirational romance novels.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Gone Girl

Fran J — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 07:10:10 +0000

… the book that made marriage terrifying? Gillian Flynn’s bestselling thriller, Gone Girl, tells the story of Nick and Amy, a middle-aged husband and wife who are about to celebrate their fifth anniversary. On the outside, Nick is a handsome Husband-of-the-Year, and Amy is a doting wife with a perfectionist streak. But then, on the day of their anniversary, Amy goes missing. The police suspect that she’s been murdered and they’re keeping a close eye on Nick. Nick is evasive and noticeably bitter, but he swears he is innocent. But if Nick didn’t hurt Amy, then who did? And where is she now?

In this spectacularly written novel, Gillian Flynn paints an ugly portrait of a marriage gone horribly, horribly wrong. The first half is a well-plotted, suspenseful mystery that takes the reader through a twisted maze of lies and deceit, but the second half will take your breath away with its ferocity and its demonically dark plot twists.

What Gillian Flynn has accomplished here is not so much that she convincingly shows us the worst side of human nature, but that she makes us enjoy every minute of it. I was manipulated, lied to, and deceived from the first page, and I simply can’t wait to read it again!

Reviewed by Katie (staff)

Have You Heard About... Grace among Thieves

Fran J — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 06:04:22 +0000

… the historical Marshfield Manor, in North Carolina? It’s just been robbed. In Julie Hyzy’s Grace among Thieves*, Grace Wheaten, the curator and manager of Marshfield Manor, has discovered that several very valuable items in the manor are missing. A film crew is making a DVD of the property to showcase all of it beautiful antiquities. Is one of the film crew responsible for the thefts, or could it be one of the hundreds of daily visitors that come to see the magnificent estate?

Grace has her hands full trying to run the estate and maintain its integrity. Suddenly one of the visitors is murdered. The police warn Grace to steer clear and let them do their job, but Grace has other ideas and is determined to find the killer and find the missing precious items. This is book three in the series. While enough backstory is given, you really need to read to first two books so as not to miss all of the characters who work at the mansion and what their jobs are and how they help or hinder Grace.

* Earlier books in the series include Grace under Pressure and Grace Interrupted.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... A Simple Act of Violence

Fran J — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 06:20:40 +0000

… the political conspiracies brewing in Washington, D.C.? R.J. Ellory’s new mystery, A Simple Act of Violence gives the reader a fictional (but all too believable) insight into the political workings of the D.C. justice system. Detective Robert Miller is pulled into what looks like a typical serial murder case — four women have been brutally murdered, and their killer has tied a ribbon around each of their necks. However, Miller discovers that all of these women had false identities, and the more he discovers, the more he’s pulled into a conspiracy involving the CIA and a team of hired political assassins.

Even though I don’t usually go for stories with a political edge, this story had me hooked from the first page — well written, plenty of suspense, and full of plot twists to keep even the most experienced mystery reader guessing. This is a highly entertaining intellectual exercise, and a book that I’m very much looking forward to rereading.

Reviewed by Katie (staff)

Have You Heard About... A Timely Vision

Fran J — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 06:57:23 +0000

… someone with a talent for finding lost items? In A Timely Vision* by Joyce and Jim Lavene, you meet Dae O’Donnell, the mayor of Duck, North Carolina. Dae has the ability to find lost items simply by touching the person who has lost the item, but she’s not always happy to have this unique talent. When Miss Mildred loses her watch and asks Dae to find it, she finds a dead body instead. The body turns out to be 90-year-old Miss Elizabeth, Miss Mildred’s sister.

Kevin Brickman has just moved into town to reopen the once-renowned Blue Whale Inn. With Kevin’s help, Dae tracks down who killed Miss Elizabeth and why. A romance slowly develops between Dae and Kevin over the books in this quaint series filled with quirky characters and interesting historical facts.

Duck, North Carolina is a real place you can find on a map. I’ve been there several times and had a marvelous time. I highly recommend stopping for a visit if you are ever in the area. It’s not far from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

* Later books in the series include A Touch of Gold, A Spirited Gift and A Haunting Dream.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Threadbare

Fran J — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 06:35:18 +0000

… the latest murder in Excelsior, Minnesota? In the newest mystery from Monica Ferris, Threadbare* tells the story of two murdered homeless women. These women really had nothing in common except that they were homeless, and when the niece of one of the women asks Betsy to help her, another body turns up frozen in the snow. Could the murders be connected? A piece of Hardanger needlecraft is found on one of the women. Is it a clue?

The plight of the homeless is good part of the storyline. Betsy’s needlecraft shop, Crewel World, is also a part of the story. Relatives of the homeless women, of course, are some of the suspects. It isn’t until the very end that the mystery unfolds itself into a shocking tale of greed.

This is a stand alone book with enough back story so you will understand why Betsy can take off from her job at Crewel World.

* Earlier books in the series are Crewel World, Framed in Lace, A Stitch in Time, Unraveled Sleeve, A Murderous Yarn, Hanging by a Thread, Cutwork, Crewel Yule, Embroidered Truths, Sins and Needles, Knitting Bones, Thai Die, Blackwork and Buttons and Bones.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Bad Always Die Twice

Fran J — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 06:18:08 +0000

… the daughter of a Hollywood screen legend who doesn’t want to follow in her famous mom’s footsteps? Nikki Harper decides to become a real estate agent instead. Do The Bad Always Die Twice when a film icon turns up dead but the death was reported six months earlier? How can this happen and be believable?

Catering to the Hollywood elite and their crazy lifestyles, this book has a lot to offer. Think Jackie Collins only on the cozy mystery side. There are a few slow spots, but plenty of red herrings will keep you guessing to the very end.

Cheryl Crane is the daughter of Hollywood legend Lana Turner. This book looks like it will be the first in a fascinating series.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Flowerbed of State

Fran J — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 06:24:12 +0000

… the new assistant gardener at the White House? In Flowerbed of State, by Dorothy St. James, you’ll meet Casey Calhoun, an organic gardener who’s only been at the White House a short time, but she’s already in trouble with the Secret Service. This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the how the White House grounds are kept up.

Casey finds a dead body after being conked on the head, and since she’s a huge fan of Miss Marple, she decides to investigate on her own, much to the annoyance of Jack Turner, a top Counter Assault Team Agent. With protesters marching across the street from the White House, a new puppy digging up the Rose Garden, and a quirky cast of secondary characters, will the killer get to Casey first or will Jack throttle her for interfering with the security of the White House?

Reviewed by Terry (staff)