Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

The "Stephanie Plum" series by Janet Evanovich is formulaic, prone to ridiculously unbelievable situations, and probably needs to be brought to an end.  That said, I still found myself laughing out loud in parts as I read the latest paperback installment, Sizzling Sixteen.  It's filled with the usual (and that's part of the problem...it's so much of the "same ole") antics from Stephanie, Lula, Connie, Vinnie, and Grandma Mazur along with the usual tension and indecision concerning Morrelli and Ranger.  The premise for this one?  Vinnie is kidnapped for ransom over some major gambling debts.  Add in stink bombs, a guard alligator, cows, Hobbits, Moon Man's special brownies... wait.  I don't want to give away the entire book!

I'm a glutton for punishment, so I'm sure I'll read her latest (Smokin' Seventeen) when it comes out in paperback.  Oh, and according to IMDb the Stephanie Plum movie that was due out this month is now set for release in January 2012.


This book completed the What's In A Name 4 Challenge (book with a number in the title) and the Cozy Mystery Challenge for me. 

The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree by Susan Wittig Albert



Susan Wittig Albert has done it again!  I shouldn't be surprised since she's been putting out consistently good stuff for almost twenty years.  I've read all nineteen of her "China Bayles Herbal Mysteries" (plus a collection of related short stories) and the twelve books in the series she wrote with her husband under the pen name of Robin Paige.  She also has a "Beatrix Potter" series which I haven't started, though I have a few of them on my shelf.

The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree is the first in a new mystery series by Albert.  Set during the Great Depression in the small, fictional town of Darling, Alabama, we are introduced to the ladies of the "Darling Dahlias" - the local garden club.  We first join them in May 1930.  The ladies have unexpectedly inherited a new clubhouse and garden from a member who recently died.  That's not the only excitement in town, though.  There's an escape from the nearby prison farm, rumors are flying about troubles at the Darling Savings & Trust Bank, and the cosmetics girl (aka blond bombshell) from the local drug store disappears.  Oh, and there's also the ghost that's been seen digging in the garden behind the clubhouse at night!

Albert does her usual fine job of setting time and place.  The characters are likable and believable and I enjoyed that it wasn't just one storyline, but several woven together.  As with her Herbal Mysteries, Albert included a few recipes at the end of the book - these in keeping with the time period.  In addition, she included a list titled "Makin' Do:  12 Ways to Stretch Whatever We Have". 

I've had this book on my shelf since last summer.  The advantage?  I don't have to wait long to read the next one!  It comes out in July and I already have it pre-ordered! 

This was my eighth book for the Cozy Mystery Challenge. 

Finger Lickin' Dead by Riley Adams

This is the third book I've read by Elizabeth Spann Craig and the second written under her pen name, Riley Adams. 

Finger Lickin Dead by Riley Adams is the second in the "Memphis BBQ Mystery" series and it was a real treat to once again visit Lulu and her quirky gang at Aunt Pat's BBQ on Beale Street.  This time around there is a vicious restaurant critic on the loose in Memphis.  It's bad enough that "Eppie Currian" turns out to be Evelyn's unfaithful ex-husband/current boyfriend, but then he turns up dead!  Of course there's no shortage of suspects and Lulu (assisted by her granddaughter Ella Beth) decides to get to the bottom of things. This was an entertaining mystery and I look forward to more adventures with Lulu!   

Considering the best pulled pork BBQ recipe ever came from the back of the first Memphis BBQ Mystery, I was thrilled to see more recipes in the back of this one.  Despite my current efforts to shed (quite) a few pounds, there are a couple of recipes I'm going to have to try!


This is my seventh book for the Cozy Mystery Challenge so I've technically met the requirement.  However, I picked out nine books when I signed up and plan to read all of them before I consider the challenge completed. 

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

When an author sets out to write a series of books based on each letter of the English alphabet, it's a major undertaking.  Trying to keep any series fresh and interesting is a challenge, even more so when there's a commitment for 26 books!   I'll admit I got bored with the series along about the middle of the alphabet, but the last few installments have been as good as, of not better than the first few.  U is for Undertow is the 21st Kinsey Millhone novel.  Sue Grafton began the series in 1982 and by the letter "U" we have only progressed to 1988. 

Kinsey's latest client, Michael Sutton, has a memory of something that happened in 1967, when he was just a child.  He believes it might be relevant in the unresolved disappearance of a young girl that same year.  With this new lead Kinsey is able to piece together additional information in the case.  Things take a turn when Kinsey finds out Michael has experienced "false memory syndrome" in the past and his current memory doesn't provide the anticipated results.  Instead, more questions are raised and, against better judgement, Kinsey pushes on to find out the truth. 

I really like the way this story is structured.  Interspersed throughout are flashbacks told from the perspective of various characters in the story, allowing the reader insight into how and why the original crime took place.  I hope Grafton will be able to keep up this momentum with the final five books in the series.

This is my sixth book for the Cozy Mystery Challenge.
 

The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs

The “Tea Shop Mystery” series by Laura Childs holds all I want and expect in a “cozy” mystery. The cast includes a strong, likable amateur sleuth, a couple of interesting sidekicks, and several quirky characters who may or may not get on your nerves. The location is wonderful (Charleston, SC) and Childs does a great job of making the region come alive. She always provides enough potential suspects to keep you guessing (or me, at least) until near the end. As a bonus, there are fun recipes and tea time tips at the back of each novel. In The Teaberry Strangler, the eleventh book in the series, Theodosia Browning steps into the alley behind the Indigo Tea Shop and witnesses the murder of a neighboring shop owner. Although it was at a distance and she couldn’t make out the killer, the local newspaper implies otherwise. This and the fact that Theodosia has quite a reputation for piecing together mysteries and solving crimes puts her and those around her at risk, including her lovable “dalbrador” (dog), Earl Grey!

I always enjoy these light, easy to read mysteries, and look forward to the paperback release of each to add to my collection. Thanks to Marion for starting me on them in the first place! This served as my fifth selection for the Cozy Mystery Challenge.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce, the precocious chemistry-whiz eleven-year-old, is back in The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley.  I enjoyed Bradley's first "Flavia de Luce" mystery (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie), but this one was even better! 

When noted puppeteer Rupert Porson makes an unexpected stop in Flavia's small village, he agrees to put on a performance of "Jack and the Beanstalk" for the locals.  However, the villagers get more than they bargained for when, instead of the giant's body, it is Porson that drops to the stage.  Dead.  Flavia puts her extraordinary talents to use and quickly finds out Porson wasn't a stranger to their village after all.  Question is... which of those who knew him had the most motive to kill him? 

As in the first novel, I was truly amazed at Flavia's abilities.  Obviously a prodigy!  I can't say I'm particularly fond of some of the secondary characters, but Flavia more than makes up for this with her charm.  It's certainly a series I will continue to read. 

This was my fourth book for the Cozy Mystery Challenge. 

Death and Judgment by Donna Leon

Death and Judgment is the fourth book in the "Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery Series" by Donna Leon.  I read it as my third book for the Cozy Mystery Challenge.

The book begins with the crash of a cargo truck in the mountains of Northern Italy where an interesting discovery is made among the wreckage.  This is followed by the murder of a prominate Venetian lawyer, shot at point blank range on the train between Padua and Venice.

As Brunetti begins his investigation of the murder, he is contacted by Capitano Della Corte of the Padua police.  A successful accountant has committed suicide there and his phone records show a connection to the victim in Brunetti's case.  Working together, Brunetti and Della Corte find more similarities in their cases.  The deeper they delve, the uglier it gets and soon the case takes a personal turn. 

The more I get to know Commissario Brunetti and his family, the more I appreciate the sophisticated intelligence with which these novels are written.  He's a moral man, struggling to deal with right and wrong in a complicated world.  Leon is not afraid to tackle serious topics, yet inserts just enough dry humor to keep the story from becoming too ponderous.  I look forward to reading many more in this excellent series. 

Mourning Gloria by Susan Wittig Albert

Many authors who have long-running series end up in a slump at some point.  I've found this to be true with a number of the authors I read and Susan Wittig Albert is no exception.  However, I thought Mourning Gloria - her 19th in the China Bayles herbal mysteries - to be much better than her recent offerings.  

China is driving home on a summer night when she happens on a house trailer engulfed in flames.  After calling 911, she approaches the structure only to hear someone frantically crying out.  Despite her efforts, she's not able to help and is haunted by the death of the unidentified woman.  Jessica, the young intern reporter assigned to cover the fire, gets too emotionally involved having lost her parents and twin sister in a house fire years before.  When it becomes apparent that the fire was an arson/murder, she delves even deeper in an attempt to solve the crime herself.  Once Jessica disappears, China feels an obligation to retrace the reporter's steps in an attempt to find her before Jessica also loses her life. 

The herbal focus in this novel is "psychoactive" or "mood-enhancing" plants.  As always, Albert cleverly weaves interesting folklore and scientific information about these plants throughout the book and into the storyline itself.  Albert is good about filling the reader in on each of her characters and situations, so the novel could be read and enjoyed as a stand alone.  However, I recommend starting from the beginning to fully appreciate the depth of the series. 

This was my second book for the 2011 Cozy Mystery Challenge.

Pretty Is As Pretty Dies by Elizabeth Spann Craig

This month begins the Cozy Mystery Challenge! I started off with Pretty Is As Pretty Dies , debut in the Myrtle Clover Mystery Series, by Elizabeth Spann Craig. I read my first mystery by this author (writing as Riley Adams), Delicious and Suspicious, last August. You might remember it had some wonderful recipes in it, a few of which I shared on my blog with the author's permission. No recipes in this one, but it was still a fun mystery with lots of potential for more books in the series.

Welcome to small-town Bradley, North Carolina and the life of retired schoolteacher Myrtle Clover. When a local town developer is murdered, Myrtle decides she needs to assist her son, the chief of police, in solving the crime. Suspects abound and danger increases as Myrtle comes closer and closer to determining the killer.

Pretty Is As Pretty Dies is filled with just as much humor and just as many fun, quirky characters as the previous Elizabeth Spann Craig novel I read. If I had to choose which of her books I enjoyed most, I'd probably pick Delicious and Suspicious, but both are delightfully entertaining cozies guaranteed to please. I look forward to more from both series.

Cozy Mystery Challenge 2011

Last year was the first time I participated in the Cozy Mystery Challenge hosted by Kris at Not Enough Books. It was a natural for me considering the "cozy mystery" is one of my favorite genres. The challenge runs from April 1st through the end of September - you can click here or on the image in my sidebar for the exact details. You might remember the bookmark I received for completing the challenge last year.

I've planned for this challenge since the beginning of the year, so I already have a list of books I intend to read. I kept in mind that I still have two other challenges to complete, the RIP challenge coming up in the fall, and several non-challenge books I want to read before the year is over. Still, I think I can manage at least seven books which will put me into the "I think I can do better" category of the challenge.

Here are the mysteries I look forward to reading over the next few months:

1. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

2. Pretty is as Pretty Dies by Elizabeth Spann Craig

3. The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs

4. Mourning Gloria by Susan Wittig Albert

5. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

6. Death and Judgement by Donna Leon

7. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich