Sunday, July 23, 2017

Weekend Book Reviews

Death Plays a Part by Vivian Conroy is the first book in the Cornish Castle Mystery series.  Guinevere and her dog, Dolly, arrive at Cornisea castle for a summer job while the theater she works at in London is being renovated.  During a historical reenactment a man who wants the castle for his own is found murdered inside a locked cage.  Guinevere sets out to solve the murder before her summer job is ended by her boss' imprisonment.  The book moves along slowly, but the mystery is a clever one.  I enjoyed writing style and found myself immersed in the setting.  Cornisea is a lovely setting for Guinevere and Dolly's adventures!  This was a good start to a new series, and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

J.R. Ripley's To Kill a Hummingbird is book four in the Bird Lover's Mystery series.  I have read the previous books in the series.  While it is not necessary to enjoy this particular book, I do recommend this series.  Amy, owner of Birds and Bees, is preparing for a visit from a former professor who has written a book all about hummingbirds and is in town for a book signing.  The professor seems distracted, and Amy finds him dead following the book signing.  I enjoyed the mystery and especially the focus on hummingbirds.  This is another wonderful addition to the series.

Dead Storage by Mary Feliz is book three in the Maggie McDonald Mystery series.  This book stands on its on.  Maggie is scheduled to help some friends organize their home before renovations begin.  One is called away on an emergency trip, and the other is a no show the morning of the appointment.  When their dog shows up severely injured, Maggie finds herself in the middle of a very complicated mystery.  This book has a complicated plot dealing with numerous social issues.  A times it felt like a bit too much.  Maggie is a character with a good amount of common sense for staying out of dangerous situation.  I did enjoy this book, but it is not my favorite from the series.

disclosure:  I received these e-books from NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

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