mystery book

Book Review: Jackaby

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Jackaby by William Ritter

Jackaby (Jackaby, #1)
by William Ritter (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Abigail Rook comes to a new city looking for adventure and finds a job as an assistant to free-lance detective Jackaby. Jackaby has a rare gift as a seer. He can see magical residue and detect magical creatures that are otherwise invisible. He tries to assist the police in a murder investigation, but the police chief doesn’t believe in supernatural nonsense. Miss Rook tags along in the investigation, and she is intrigued by a young policeman named Charlie. The case becomes more and more dangerous until it is evident that they are tracking a serial killer with magical abilities of some kind.

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Book Review: A Nun in the Closet

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A Nun in the Closet by Dorothy Gilman

A Nun in the Closet
by Dorothy Gilman

3.5 out of 5 stars
When the abbey inherits a piece of land with an old house, Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe are sent to take an inventory of the property. They discover a wounded man hiding in a closet upstairs, and he begs them for sanctuary. The mysteries keep piling up when they find an old suitcase full of money, and there are jars labeled ‘sugar’ in the pantry that are definitely not full of sugar.

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Book Review: The Royal Box

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The Royal Box by Frances Parkinson Keyes

The Royal Box
by Frances Parkinson Keyes

3 out of 5 stars

A group of people are invited to the theater to welcome the new American Ambassador and his wife. They are able to secure the Royal Box and have refreshments with the principal actors between acts. Lady Laura Whitford and her daughter are escorted by an attaché with the American Embassy and a French count who are both interested in Lady Laura’s daughter. The Ambassador from a Middle Eastern country tries to take the American Ambassador aside to talk about oil deals and political unrest in his country. The Ambassador’s wife embarrasses herself with her crass manners and drinking. At the end of the night, one of them is dead and everyone is a suspect.

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Book Review: The Pale Horse

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The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

The Pale Horse (Ariadne Oliver, #5)
by Agatha Christie

4 out of 5 stars

Ariadne Oliver’s friend Mark hears about the murder of a priest who had a list of names tucked into his shoe. He had written down the list after hearing a deathbed confession, and was promptly murdered in the street only moments later. Mark goes to Ariadne for advice as he becomes more and more deeply involved in this mystery. He hears rumors about a place called The Pale Horse, where witches and mediums call on dark forces. But surely that is all nonsense, and no one could believe that witchcraft would really kill a person with a mere thought.

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Book Review: Hickory Dickory Dock

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Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie

Hickory Dickory Dock (Hercule Poirot, #34)
by Agatha Christie

4.5 out of 5 stars

Hercule Poirot’s efficient secretary Miss Lemon is upset and distracted, because there have been some strange thefts at the student hostel that her sister runs. Poirot agrees to investigate the petty thefts to help out Miss Lemon’s sister, Mrs. Hubbard. At first it seems like random little things that have gone missing, but there are a few items that stand out from the list: a valuable doctor’s stethoscope, a diamond ring, a rucksack that was slashed to pieces, and all the lightbulbs in the common rooms. Only Poirot can sift through the clues and find a connection between the missing items. He begins to find out more about the students who board at the hostel, wondering which of them could be thief, or perhaps… a murderer.

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Book Review: Appointment with Death

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Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

Appointment with Death (Hercule Poirot, #19)
by Agatha Christie

5 out of 5 stars

A family group are visiting Jerusalem, and they make the trip to see the ruins of Petra. Their fellow travelers notice that the family seem on edge, nervous, and even afraid. Their mother, Mrs. Boynton, controls every aspect of their lives, and she takes delight in cruelty, torturing them emotionally and mentally for years until they are almost crazed.
When Mrs. Boynton is poisoned at Petra, suspicion falls on each of her children. They are relieved that she is dead. They must have killed her to escape from her brutality. Only Poirot can discover the true killer and sift through the timeline of events that led to Mrs. Boynton’s death.

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Classic Book Review: A Study in Scarlet

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The First Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The First Adventure of Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet
by Arthur Conan Doyle, Vincent Mallié (Artist),Mike Kennedy (Editor)

5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Watson is searching London for affordable rooms and his old colleague mentions that Sherlock Holmes is looking for rooms too. They are introduced and decide to become roommates at 221B Baker Street. Watson quickly discovers that Holmes is eccentric in many ways, and they are soon hot on the trail of a murder mystery. Holmes has a unique way of tracking down clues, and Watson is eager to help.

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Book Review: Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince

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Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince by Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince (Aunt Dimity Mystery, #18)
by Nancy Atherton

4 out of 5 stars

Lori meets a precocious little girl at a museum, who tells her all about a Russian prince who used to own one of the silver exhibits. But when the little girl goes missing, Lori is on a mission to discover the truth about the Russian prince and how he is connected with her disappearance. Lori’s neighbor, Bree, is looking for a place to stay while her cottage is airing out after being painted. So Bree comes along for the investigation and proves to be of invaluable assistance.

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Book Review: The Red Thread

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The Red Thread by Roderick Townley

The Red Thread
by Roderick Townley

3.5 out of 5 stars

Dana has disturbing dreams about a boy being murdered centuries in the past. Her psychologist hypnotizes her to help access memories from her previous life, and discover the origin of the nightmares. Dana begins to realize that people from her past lives are still nearby, involved in her modern-day life. Her father and mother, her little brother, her boyfriend, and even her rival at school might all be reincarnations of people she knew in her past lives… and one of them is a murderer.

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Book Review: Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron

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Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron (Jane Austen Mysteries, #10)
by Stephanie Barron

4 out of 5 stars

Following the death of her sister-in-law, Eliza, Jane Austen and her bereaved brother Henry spend two weeks at Brighton for their health. As soon as they arrive, they discover a young lady kidnapped and tied up in Lord Byron’s carriage! They free the young lady and restore her to her father, who accuses her of purposefully running away with the romantic Lord Byron. A few days later, the poor girl is found murdered, and Jane suspects that Byron could be the culprit. Every woman who meets Byron feels his magnetic charm, and even Jane herself is not immune. He is wild and arrogant, but is he a murderer?

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